Underworld Ascendant Shadow Beast Interview

Remember the transparent, pixelated, and yet terrifying Shadow Beast from the original Ultima Underworld? Well, regardless of whether you do or don’t, there’s an interview with said fantastical creature on the official Underworld Ascendant website conducted by producer Chris Siegel that alerts us to the fact that they’ll be making a return in this latest installment:

CS: It’s been a long time since players have seen you in Ultima Underworld. What have you been doing since then?

SB: Finding a new lair after the end of UU was surprisingly difficult. I tried Hyrule, but they already had a Shadow Beast, same with Wizards 101. I tried to find a home with a pop band too, that also did not work out. I guess I don’t work well with others, and trying to play guitar with these hands is difficult. I was too late for the call for Brutal Legend, and Diablo II. I would have loved to move into one of Horny’s dungeons in Dungeon Keeper. We had a few lunches and some chats on the crystal balls, which would have been perfect situation. Alas, none of that worked out.

CS: But now you are back! New and improved! Can you tell us a bit about how you fit into the new Stygian Abyss?

SB: Sure, I don’t want to give too much away of course. First let’s be clear about this. Shadow Beasts are smart. We are not really just apex predators, we have communities. We have a natural camouflage mechanism that causes us to take on the coloration of their surroundings. Moreover, we also have an innate magical ability that occludes us from easy detection (they appear dimly, if at all, under light or detect spells-Ed.). Lurking in the far corners of the Underworld, we use our stealth to waylay the unwary. We have been known to take contracts from other factions and races to…remove obstacles forcefully. (I think he means they hire out as assassins-Ed.)