The legends of the Sun Empire are populated with the enemies of the sun—terrible monsters that threaten to devour its light and undo its work. Unfortunately for the people of Ixalan, these are not just creatures of legend but real monsters with supernatural power, lurking in the darkness of night and the shadows of ancient ruins and crypts.
Demons
Resembling twisted bats, the demons of Ixalan are the spawn of a bat-god, the source of all darkness. While the sun’s aspects include destruction as well as creation and growth, the demons represent stagnation and decay. The sun consumes in glorious fire; demons work through rot and degeneration. They are said to be active at night, when the sun is hidden, and their efforts are directed toward preventing the sun from rising again each morning. In the meantime, they spread plague and corruption across the land. The vrock in the Monster Manual is a good representation of Ixalan’s demons.
Harpies
Harpies are the mortal servants of demons, and they resemble them in their general features. Their faces are like those of owls, and they have large, feathered wings that suggest their corrupt connection to the Sun Empire—or perhaps their heritage as sirens who were corrupted by the evil of the demons. Utterly nasty in temperament, harpies inhabit many of the islands in both the Stormwreck Sea and the Inner Sea, and dwell on high cliffs on the mainland of Ixalan. Their filthy bodies carry disease that they can spread through their bite.
Horrors
Indescribable creatures of nightmare lurk in the ruins and dark places of Ixalan. Many are thought to be the corrupted remnants of the life energy and brilliant light left behind in places the Sun Empire has abandoned. Such creatures include a monster that lurks in the darkness of the jungle and feeds on the blood of mammals and dinosaurs, called the chupacabra. It is stealthy and elusive, known more by the blood-drained prey it leaves behind than by actual physical sightings.