Blog

A faithful fey for Fantastical Mounts – The Gloomtail Drifter

There are shadows that slither, some that stalk—and then there are the ones that float just behind your thoughts. When a Gloomtail Drifter takes you, you drift with it… somewhere between dreams and death.

Deciding to expand upon our creations a little more I present to you another new mount in the style of Fantastical mounts. You can purchase this supliment over on our shop to add 5 other mounts presented in this format to your game. You can also check out other mounts done like this here.

The Gloomtail Drifter is a spectral fox-like mount found only in the twilight realms, places where the boundaries between the mortal world and the Shadowfell grow thin. These mysterious fey beasts do not gallop or glide in the usual sense—they drift, their paws never quite touching the earth, their tails trailing like fog, and their bodies flickering between states of matter and myth.

Legends say they are born from the last breath of dying dreams, stitched from lost memories and twilight winds. Despite their unsettling aura, gloomtails are not malevolent. Instead, they are eerily calm and quiet—so quiet, in fact, that many don’t notice a gloomtail until it’s standing beside them, eyes glowing like moonlit frost.

---

Mist-Furred and Memory-Touched

A gloomtail resembles a long-legged, lean fox, with sleek fur that fades from charcoal gray at the snout to near-transparent white at the tail. Their long, streaming tails—sometimes two or even three—pulse with mist and emotion. Their eyes are reflective pools of pale blue or silver, and they are said to watch both the physical world and the echoes behind it.

They do not speak, but experienced gloomtail handlers swear they listen. Some believe their riders share dreams with them. Others warn never to fall asleep with a gloomtail nearby unless you’re prepared to dream its dreams.

---

Whispers in the Fog

Gloomtails are native to haunted forests, ancient barrows, and moonlit moors, often spotted after funerals, during eclipses, or at the edge of battlefields just after the fighting ends. They are drawn to mourning, silence, and magic rooted in memory.

Taming a gloomtail does not involve breaking or bonding in the traditional sense. Instead, it requires a resonance—an alignment of spirit. Gloomtails choose their riders, not the other way around. Those attuned to shadow, sorrow, or subtle magic are most likely to earn their trust.

---

Trade Goods and Usage

Rare alchemists and necromancers harvest tail-wisp essence from gloomtails—ethereal threads left behind in places where they’ve drifted or while shedding. This material is used in crafting potions of silence, dreamwalk tonics, or cloaks of phase, fetching around 50 gp per vial.

However, killing a gloomtail to obtain this substance is considered a grave crime in elven, shadar-kai, and gith societies. Most tail-wisps are collected from abandoned lairs or given willingly during shedding seasons.

---

Gloomtail Drifter

Medium fey, unaligned

---

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 40 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 40 ft., hover 30 ft.

---

STR 12 (+1)
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 6 (–2)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 12 (+1)

---

Skills Stealth +7, Perception +4
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands Sylvan and Elvish, but cannot speak
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Traits

Ethereal Drift. The gloomtail can move through difficult terrain (even magical) without extra movement cost. While in dim light or darkness, it can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Shadow Step (Recharge 5–6). As a bonus action, the gloomtail teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is in dim light or darkness. The space it leaves behind is briefly wreathed in cold mist, which lightly obscures the area until the end of its next turn.

Soulbound Scent. The gloomtail can track a bonded rider’s location regardless of distance, as long as they are on the same plane.

---

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Tail Wisp. Melee or Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (2d6) psychic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to take reactions until the end of its next turn.

---

Steps to Training a Gloomtail

Training a gloomtail is more akin to earning a ghost’s trust than mastering an animal. They respond to ritual, emotion, and consistency. It is said a rider must mourn something honestly in the presence of a gloomtail for the bond to begin. Attempts to fake sorrow or force dominance usually end with the gloomtail vanishing into mist.

Once bonded, however, they are incredibly loyal and will never abandon their rider—even in death. Some tales speak of gloomtails staying near a rider’s grave for decades, waiting for a soul that never returns.

---

---

Cost and Gear

• Cost (trained): 1,400 gp

• Availability: Rare, found only in feytouched lands, the Shadowfell, or places of great sorrow.

• Custom Gear: Requires a soulveil saddle—a half-material harness reinforced with dreamthread and twilight leather, worth 400 gp.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!