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Evil Doll
Just in case you want an early Halloween present.
Homebrew monster from StoneStrix with 5th Edition D&D stats.
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Monster-A-Day: Watchers in the Depths
From the collected notes of one Jak Raley, a noted scholar of the bizarre.
Devourers, devourers almost seem mortal. They hate, they want to conquer, to control. The watchers, the ones who observe, the ones with all the eyes so many eyes they’re always staring at me, they just want to observe. they think they’re natural philosophers on expedition. They float and watch and think and they try to understand us. Ylsilar help me, they may be starting to understand. I can explain them. i know the why. Is it me, or them? Am I crazy already? Or are we driving them slowly sane?
They start a test - simple, complex, but carefully controlled. Not in the devourer way always. They won’t kill an entire city, reanimate them and make them sing to the sole survivor, until she’s convinced she’s the dead one. It’s not dominion, just controlled conditions. They want to eliminate variables. They hate chaos, they hate Phoraduk, they hate the unknown. They fear the unknown. We fear the unknown. Don’t we? I don’t even know anymore. I didn’t fear it enough - or did I conquer my fear?
When the test, they watch - not always in their shape - they have many shapes, all eyes, all cloaked in ephemeral garb - a shapeless cloak, a shadow shroud. They hide so they can see clearly. If they’re seen, they may just call off the test. Or they may try to salvage it. To salvage, they reset it. Their magic, it reaches in and ‘resets.’ But they know this ruins the subjects. So it’s just everyone aroudn them that’s reset. I can’t have been reset, I have all my books to keep track of every day. I know what I’ve done, every day. It’s not a test, there’s nothing for them to test. Nothing at all. I’v told them everything, shared everything, but they need more. They need me - not a cloak, but an agent. They need me to be me so they can be me.
Monster-A-Day: Huldra
From the Illian Book of Rhymes and Stories, a collection from the Illian Kingdoms , Aurbesk and Drougant.
A peasant guise, full of lies.
A hollow back, pleasant tact.
A cow’s own tail, time to bail.
Huldra says, ‘Help me carry’,
You say, ‘Cannot tarry.’
Huldra says, ‘Make a deal’,
You say, ‘Is not weal.’
Huldra says, ‘I will give’,
You say, ‘I will live.’
Then the chase - it will pace - over hill - over rill - run, run, run! - ... - Done? None? Won!
Monster-A-Day: Demons
From a survey of widely varied folk about demons, trying to gauge public knowledge. The survey concluded that more education was desperately needed.
"They’re all slaves of Nunatii. Excepting those that are slaves to Ashur. But since all the evil gods are really just the same god, it doesn’t much matter.”
“Most demons are just spirits. They need to possess something - a person, a chair, a tree - to effect our world.”
“Silver and salt are sure banes against demons. Silver to wound them, salt to ward them off.”
“Infinite in variety and numbers. The only reason they haven’t destroyed everything is that hell is their prison too.”
“There are actually only six-hundred-and-sixty-six unique demons. The sixty-six demon lords, each with ten servitors. When you summon multiple demons, you’re usually only getting copies of one of them.”
“They can see every sin you’ve made, every doubt, every regret you’ve had. That’s why they’re so dangerous.”
“Really, just dragons of particular sorts of evil.”
“They were angels once, but they were cast out for leading mortals astray, and now they take it out on us.”
“There’s not really any deep, metaphysical explanation. ‘Demon’ is just a word that the peasantry apply to anything they don’t understand. Any commonalities are just coincidence.”
“Demons are the dark desires of mortality made manifest. You see, mortals have mostly expelled those desires, allowing us to reach a higher state. But the demons will try to drag us back down to illusion and banality.”
“They can’t do anything to you as long as you’re proclaiming the names of the goodly gods.”
“You can only hurt them with magic, or weapons that have been blessed by a Laerosian god.”
“Really, the only way you’re going to survive is to hide in the shadow of the scariest Turmlarite you can find. And even then, I don’t much like the odds.”
“They’re all associated with mortal sins. But are there any for immortal sins?Do the fey or jinn have demons?”
“Fiends are the jailers of hell, and prisoners, too. If you can fight through them to paradise, they have to let you in.”
“There are dog demons, and snake demons, and bear demons, and wolf demons, but no cat demons. What do you think about that, hrm?”
“Just as heroes can become angels after death, evil folks can become fiends after death. That’s why some folks go so evil, chasing after new depravities. If they were ordinary evil, they’d just be in hell. But if they’re evil enough, they get to be in charge in hell.”
“Demons of ignorance, demons of knowing too much, demons of false lore.. It’s a dangerous field, academic research.”
“They’re dumb. Stupendously dumb, even the ones that claim to be smart. Maybe especially those ones. Part of the problem with immortality, I reckon. Never any need to learn.”
“Fire doesn’t work on most of them, even the ones made of ice. Lightning’s a sure thing, though. Wrath of unborn souls, all that.”
“But, I mean, have you seen succubi? Sure, they’re ‘evil’ and will ‘swallow your soul’ - if you know what I mean - but some deeds are worth the risk!”
Monster-A-Day: Korrigans
From The Rhymes of the Iron Lord, with notes by Cormac Harn of New Drouganti University.
Menhir midgets, dolmen dwarves Gatekeepers and Guards Of the Primal lands
Korrigans stand guard over portals to the Primal planes. Most of these portals are marked by stone markers of some sort, whether a solitary menhir, a dolmen, or a circle of stones. The korrigans themselves look like wizened little dwarves, with hair longer than they are tall. They do not have the power to close or seal the portals they guard, but they have the lore of when it opens, what is required to trigger it, and so on. Though as tough as rocks, korrigans are not warriors. They prefer to defend their portals with trickery, diplomacy, or, failing those, their magics, which mainly deal with manipulations of the earth.
Korrigans are great gossips and chatterers, with their portals serving as social hubs for non-noble fey. Noble fey, they treat with the utmost decorum, but avert their eyes and do not share information unless specifically asked. With mortals, they are cool, unless given oaths that their portal will be undisturbed. That done, the korrigan will regard them as a fellow fey. However, if the oath is broken, the korrigan will rouse all the fey it knows against the false-speaking mortal.
Closely related to the gnome, kobold and brownie, the korrigan were dwarves that have been broken to a fey yoke. In the last years of the Faerie Wars, the Iron Lord and his inner circle conceived a daring plan. They would create portals leading to the Primals, and launch simultaneous attacks against the war-weary fey, aiming to capture other portals. This would divide the fey into scattered enclaves, which could be destroyed at leisure.
The plan met with initial success. Dwarven mages erected monoliths to serve as focuses for the portals, and the armies were prepared. The initial assaults were even successful, with several major fey-created portals being destroyed. However, in the face of annihilation, the Seelie and Unseelie courts arrived at a truce, and struck back against the mortals. In the end, the Iron Lord’s armies were driven from the Primals, and many of the dwarven mages were captured and turned into korrigans.
Monster-A-Day: Court Fey
From a Femtan text, Courtesy to the Fey. Banned by the Iron Lord, he attempted to destroy all copies of it. While he ultimately failed, he did manage to expunge any mention of the text’s author or authors.From this, we can conclude that the text was written in a dominion under the Iron Lord’s power. From the severity of his response, it is suspected that the author or authors were highly placed or otherwise very influential.
Fey titles are awarded on merit, and are not passed down to heirs. However, with most fey being resistant or immune to the ravages of time, this does not result in the concentration of power that would occur with a mortal aristocracy. However, there is turn-over in the ranks - the various mortal titleholders, those retiring from more august titles to escape the accompanying responsibilities, demotions and promotions, etc.
The final result is an aristocracy where titles that were tied to a certain sort of fey are no longer a sure guide. For example - the daoine sidhe were originally the masters of size, living under hills, but looming over mortals. The Faerie Wars led to the disappearance of many fey bloodlines, leaving many court fey as the last true vestiges of their kind. Further complicating matters is that many of the fey powers have been saved or recreated. So where a daoine sidhe could be, in appearance, a faerie, huldra, hobgoblin, or the like, they retain the sizing powers possessed by the original, vanished daoine sidhe.
To this end, a complete catalogue of the kinds of noble fey would not be significantly different from a roster of the same. But certain general statements can be made. First, their titles frequently bear a mantle of power, as mentioned above. Second, their titles convey respect in both Courts, as part of the treaty between them accords. This is not a matter of complete immunity, but a member of one court can still expect privileges from the other, especially in the face of external threats. Third, as these titles are awarded on merit, court fey are usually both ambitious (within their understanding) and powerful (by most metrics). The sort of power can vary tremendously - this one is a wizard, the other a leader of hobgoblins, that one an information broker to all parties.
There are a number of unique titles, usually King/Queen of the X. Their dominion over their own is potent, but they tend to lose something of themselves to the native state of their subjects. The King of Pixies may be struck with whimsical moods and giggle fits, for instance. Most of these titles stand independent of the Courts, and change depending on the bearer, or even circumstance.
Monster-A-Day: Scythons
Notes from an unfinished text on ancient Tengerem history.
No wheels - knew of wheel but didn’t make use of it. This despite clear records of successful trips to and from the Illian empire (and its carts, wagons, etc). Varaz adopted wheels (in the form of chariots - as mage transport, not as a military vehicle) almost immediately after settling. Why?
Iron Lord rhyme of local devising - translation inexact, but indicates earth, attack from below, sensitivity to loud noises - stampede presented as mean to frighten them off.
Most period art that survives is non-representational. However, conferral with experts (credit Marti; new book out yet?) shows symbolic ‘ground is not safe’ on carpet margins. Carpets themselves are very thick.
Theory - Lo plains were the hunting ground of some creature that hunted primarily by noise (vibration?), and was a threat even to entire clans of Lovas. Via numbers or individual threat? Possibly subterranean (but why not spread into eventual Varaz lands? Warded off via magic?)
Address supposed ‘Scython tablet.’ One one hand, potential massive breakthrough in our understanding of pre-Varaz Tengerem society with regard to external pressures. On other, never been scrutinized by multiple experts - always appearing here or there, in an awfully convenient fashion. Therefore, extremely suspect. Depicts mandibled worms rising out of the ground to consume chariots, buildings, people. Relation to giant petrified worm tower in Ashen Woods?
Seal on the royal dais of the city of Laeros - how much is self-important propaganda to prop up the monarchy, and how much is real? Does it contain/bind the scythons? Inscription -”I am the wheelmaker and the kingmaker. I am the cage that whirls round. Give me your sword, and I will spin out doomsday.”
Monster-A-Day: Sanguinary Warlocks
Relevant entries from The Pocket Index of Onyx Mages.
Warlock - 1) Gen. term for a practitioner of evil magics, trad. Onyx, but also incl. Fiend-binding, forced transformations, curses, defiling magics, etc. 2) Any worshiper of Nunatii who has made a concentrated study of magic, which usually includes 1).
Nunatii - Banished son of Laeros, Rihissa and Sanselie. Brother of Turmlar. Rules over pride, fiends, corruption, pitch, and non-predatory undead. Patron to many warlocks, disaffected heirs, and, via proxy, Kadashari.
Sanguine Rites - Particular ritual to Nunatii that grants warlock special powers over blood. They produce it in great quantities, and losing it does not injure them. They gain incredible restorative power, incl. re-attachment of severed parts (even head). Blood spray is v. strong - common trick is to hack at the bottom of their feet and wrists to achieve crude flight. Have conscious control over strength of flow. Usually combines with spells that transform blood - acid, fire - or control of other’s blood. At odds with Ashurites, vampires, due to strange properties of own blood. Other names: Gushers, Bloodpact Warlock, Gouters, Arterials.
