Pursuers

The Pursuers, sometimes referred to as Goons are hostile NPCs in Beware.

They serve as the primary antagonists, hunting down the player without mercy.

Description
The Pursuers are humanoid but arguably inhuman creatures. They are tall with wide shoulders and barrel-like chests. Their faces resemble those of old men, in addition to being lumpy and rather grotesque. The rest of their bodies are pitch black, wearing fully black clothes. They move in a jerky, zombie-like gait, although they are very fast.

At least eight of them live in the first Power Plant, and have at least two cars at their disposal. Another eight of them can be seen at other locations in Patreon-exclusive updates in two more unique cars.

Gameplay
As the player approaches the Power Plant, one Pursuer can be seen patrolling a second-story catwalk. If they notice you passing the Power Plant, it will run deeper into the building and disappear. Then four of them will jump in one of the cars and attempt chasing the player down. If the player passes the plant to go to the trailer park, the rest of the Pursuers will jump in the remaining car and also try killing them, leaving the power plant's gate wide open in the process. The player must exploit this to break into the Power Plant and reactivate the electric box.

They normally try to kill the player by ramming them or running them off the road. If the player gets stuck or stops, three of them (one carrying a flashlight) will exit the car and chase you down on foot, promptly smashing in the windows with their bare hands and killing you. Their driver will attempt to help the ones on foot finish you off by continuing to ram the player's vehicle, often pinning them to trees and preventing their escape. They are very quick to exit and enter their vehicles, making escapes harrowing.

Strategy

 * Escape: You have only one option with dealing with them: shake them off by getting some distance between you and them. This can be done with clever maneuvering, as on tight turns they may lose control and get stuck in the trees. Even when they've lost your trail, they will continue to drive around and look for you.
 * Stealth: It's also possible to avoid encounters with the Pursuers altogether by turning off your headlights and driving slowly past the Power Plant. This can prevent you from performing certain tasks to progress, however, such as gaining Babushka's trust.
 * Attack: In more recent updates (exclusive), the Pursuers can be fought off by inflicting enough damage, either by ramming them or forcing them off the road into obstacles. One method is getting them close behind your vehicle, breaking off to the side slightly, and hitting the brakes, forcing them to get ahead of you. Accelerate and try to knock them off the road. They have also been given ragdoll physics, making it possible to run over those outside of their cars. They get right back up, however, so this is only a temporary defense. They do appear to be injured by the impact, as they can sometimes be seen hopping or dragging themselves towards the player.

Story
Whatever caused the mass exodus that left the world of Beware almost devoid of life, the Pursuers have become the dominant force in the area. Whether or not they had a hand in these events or have simply filled the void is unknown. What is also unknown is where they may have come from, who (if anyone) they work for, or even what they are. However, their jackets do bear a logo with a lightning bolt, indicating that perhaps they work for the power company that owns/owned the dams, likely as security guards.

They seem to have prioritized taking control of the region's remaining power sources, namely the three hydroelectric dams and have shut power off to the surrounding towns and homesteads. They will defend these areas with deadly and ruthless force, even attacking those who pose no threat to the power plants themselves such as the Old Man and the Child.

All who remain in the region only do so by hiding from or outrunning the Pursuers, there are many puzzles to complete such as the old lady the two children and the map is huge.

Trivia

 * The Pursuers bear resemblance to the "men in black" legends.
 * Both are mysterious agencies that ward off curious people, wear black uniforms, are described as possibly inhuman with pale skin, and behave strangely.
 * One of the vehicles that they drive most closely resembles a Russian Lada (VAZ) 2103 colored black. The other appears to be based on the Dacia 1310, colored red-orange. It has 72 horsepower making it difficult to escape.
 * The third (Patreon exclusive) vehicle seems to be based off the Czech Tatra 613, powered by an unusual air-cooled rear-engined 3.5 L V8. The fourth (also exclusive) vehicle appears to be an SUV or military jeep with light bars.
 * Pursuers will sometimes get left behind by their drivers after having exited to attack your vehicle. However, they will quickly just respawn back in their seats.