My wife and I ventured into the Mistlands for the first time yesterday and wound up being chased out by a rampaging 1-star insectoid/rock creature. This thing was insanely fast and incredibly pissed. It persued us well out of the Mistlands, through the Black Forest (where we had to constantly weave through trees and chug stamina potions to keep going), and all the way to our nearby temporary plains portal, where we escaped back to our base.
That portal was just on the shore near our boat, a great distance south. What is the likelihood that the creature will still be present if we return through that portal? Based on our experience with it, I suspect it will effortlessly kill us before we’ve even fully loaded into the other side.
If it’s still there, we’re probably better off taking another boat south and luring the creature away from our portal, or just abandoning that portal entirely.
Whatever that thing was it made my heart beat through my chest. It felt good to be afraid of something again.
They don’t despawn. Also, enemies are not simulated when you’re past a certain distance away from them (not very far at all considering how big the map is) so even if you wait it out a few in-game days it’ll be right where it was if you try to portal back in
I went through naked and was fortunate enough to flee and crouch in some shrubs while the monster fought some goblins. It promptly crushed my workbench, portal and boat, but I was able to rebuild them as soon as it left the area. Really glad those goblins were there.