Piper grew up in a small community on the outskirts of the Commonwealth with her sister, Nat and their father, a member of the local militia. After her father was found dead under suspicious circumstances, Piper learned that he had discovered a raider plot to sack the town.
Welcome back to Dolonwood! In an effort to expand and develop both the Dolonwood setting and the UBS system, I will be frequently publishing articles about notable creatures from Dolonwood, complete with stat blocks. Wondering what Dolonwood and the UBS system? Check the “Dolonwood and UBS” page up top, or poke around the “#UBS” and “#Dolonwood” tags.
Now, let’s talk about Piper Wights:
Piper Wights are the spirits of Sylvan entertainers who died in agony. This could happen for a variety of reasons. Maybe one jester's joke for a Baron was received… less than positively. Perhaps a forbidden love affair resulted in a brutal stabbing. Less dramatically, one musician might have drunkenly tripped and fallen down the stairs of an inn in the wee hours of the morning and her body wasn’t discovered till, long after she bled out. Either way, a Piper Wight will form in a week or two after the Sylvan’s death.
Often dwelling in barrows during the morning and venturing out at night to wreak havoc, Piper Wights have a variety of deadly powers. Aside from being incorporeal and possessing a life draining touch, they are known for their ability to command vermin with the sound of their spectral flute. These vermin are most often lamprats, wretch roaches, and barrow crabs as they are the vermin most commonly native to barrows (stats and descriptions at the end of the article).
Piper Wights attack three types of people. The first is bad critics and audience members. This includes critics who are too snobby, hecklers and those who stiff performers on tips, applause, and payments. The second is artists who abuse their success, such as those who abuse fans or use their fame as an excuse or shield for their immoral actions. The final group is bad artists, particularly those who think they are “undiscovered” and “misunderstood”, or use irony and long-winded, pretentious explanation to excuse a poor performance.
All of these sinners are given a real “death of the author” treatment: their guts ripped out by rats and insects, generously infected with the plague, or drained of their life force until they are nothing but husks. In a town under the shadow of a Piper, Wight music goes silent.
Fortunately for the perspective monster hunter, Piper Wights have a variety of weaknesses. They have the general undead weaknesses: silver, salt, and symbols of the Society of the Divine Wheel. Strangely, Piper Wights have one additional weakness: bad poetry. If you read bad poetry strongly and firmly around a Piper Wight, it will cause them to shriek and run away if at all possible.
Description: The ghosts of dead Sylvan entertainers who died horribly. They are known to attack those who “abuse art”. Their most fearful power is the ability to command vermin. Piper Wights hate bad poetry.
Description: Lampray Rat. This creature looks like an ordinary rat, but without ears, simple eyes, and a circular orifice ringed with razor-sharp teeth that can latch onto its prey. Also, these creatures tend to swarm. Often appearing in swarms, these vermin infest the barrows of the Children of the Old Ways. Along with sucking blood, they are known to cause Barrow Rot which causes mange and madness if not treated. They are often accompanied by Piper Wights and follow their every command.
Description: Though they look like regular roaches, Wretch Roaches carry the stink of decaying corpses, which causes its victims to vomit uncontrollably. Unlike normal roaches, they also have a hunger for flesh.
Description: Barrow crabs look like hermit crabs that are the size of a horse. Their shells are always grey, with mortal skulls poking out. This shell gives them protection from those who would invade their underground home or others of their species who would fight for space or mates. Why is the shell skull-like? No one knows, and few could withstand the answer.
