The remote villages and their surroundings are home to folk and beast alike, and among them lurks the unseen: spirits, demons, ancient creatures, and many other supernatural beings. Only the Knowers – witches and wizards – know how to defeat or subdue them to service.
In Black Book, out tomorrow on PlayStation 4, you play as Vasilisa, a peasant girl who was given an ancient artifact by her grandpa – the Black Book. With it, Vasilisa turns to witchery in order to break the seals of the Black Book, for it is said that doing so may grant any wish. There is nothing more she wants than to bring her deceased beloved back from the dead.
During your journeys through her homeland, Cherdyn, you will encounter numerous magical creatures, each a formidable foe that requires a unique approach and zagovors (spell combinations) in order to defeat…
Leshy
Ancient keepers of the forest, it is said that leshys live for thousands of years and can take any form, animal or human. Leshys jealously guard the forest they claim as their own. Everyone who passes through the leshy’s forest must ask for permission, or face dire consequences. A leshy can cast powerful curses and a Knower would do well to prepare with certain herbs against them.
Rusalka
Rusalkas are akin to mermaids but have legs instead of a fishtail. They are cunning and beautiful, they hunt their prey with ease by hypnotizing it and strangling it slowly. Rusalkas can call upon her entranced allies to aid her in battle.
Werewolf
Werewolves are humans who stayed under a powerful changeling spell too long to return to their human form. They almost always hunt in a pack and prove to be fearsome foes, with damage attacks capable of cleaving people in half. Take care to have ample defenses against such an enemy ahead of time.
Ikota
A parasitic demon that crawls inside the unsuspecting person and slowly possesses them, tormenting the victim with convulsions, pain, and involuntary actions. The possessed person cannot rest and is often cast out of the community. To defeat an Ikota, the Knower should take care to target the demon when it crawls out of its host, otherwise the victim may perish as well.
Bannitsa
Bannitsa is a common but powerful demon that resides in a banya (or sauna), under the stove. Bannitsa surrounds herself with banniks, hot lumps of coal that shoot red-hot embers and otherwise look to “cleanse” the intruder of its grease and filth, usually by skinning the person alive. Demons that cleanse all positive and negative effects from you will be hard to deal with unless you come prepared knowing this.
Vodyanoi
Vodyanois are ancient spirits of water. Much like leshys that are masters of forests, vodyanois command lakes and rivers that they claim as their kingdom. Rusalkas, drowners, and other creatures or undead serve the vodyanoi that rules the area. These spirits love to strike a bargain though you must take to know what they offer because they love to trick even more.
Eretnik
If a koldun (a wizard) dies before passing his demon flock upon his successor, they torment his soul and prevent him from passing from this world. When that happens, the corpse becomes a terrible undead creature, full of malice and hatred. These undead beings suck the soul out of their victims, so one would be wise to prepare to counter that with blessings and other certain spells.
These and many other mystical creatures you will meet during Vasilisa’s journey through Cherdyn, in our realm and that beyond it. Every enemy has its unique set of abilities that requires a thoughtful approach and just the right deck of cards. Discover new spells during your playthrough, build the perfect hand for each particular enemy (boss or otherwise) and break the seals of the Black Book to make your sincerest wish come true!
See you in Cherdyn, and stay safe.