Biast Gortach

The cannibal Hunger Wretch

Biastan Gortach (sing. Biast Gortach), also known as Hunger Beasts or Hunger Wretches, are monsters mutated from Sapients on the verge of starvation who have partaken in the consumption of other Sapients. The first Biastan Gortach were said to be Fey in origin, hence the name "Biast Gortach", and were said to have been created from the influence of the Fir Gortach, the Men of Hunger.

Description

Biastan Gortach take on the form of emaciated Sapients with elongated limbs and a head like that of a stag or elk. While their bodies still possess paper-thin skin, most of their muscularity has faded away, and the skin does not stretch to cover their heads, which are almost completely skeletal save for some shreds of sinew and tattered flesh. The skin instead ends at the jaw, where it attaches in threads and scraps. They have eyeless sockets which glow with blue, green or yellow colours, and long, clawed fingers and toes.
Biastan Gortach (particularly the Sylvan variant) are often confused with the Claigeann Coille (Forest Skull), which is a peaceful Fey creature-spirit of the woodlands and wetlands. The two creatures share the aesthetic of their heads being made of skulls, though Biastan Gortach almost exclusively resemble Cervid (deer, elk, etc) skulls while Claigeann Coille can use any animal skull they wish.

Variations

Arid

Arid Biastan Gortach are generally created in the dry desert regions of the world. They tend to have much drier flesh remnants that are often tinted yellow or brown, and yellow glows in their eye sockets. They also tend to shed sand wherever they tread. They are immune to fire damage and their claws can cause necrotic damage.

Sylvan

Sylvan Biastan Gortach are most often made in the swamps and marshlands of the world, where edible food is scarce, though they can also be created in woodlands and forests if certain conditions are met. They are often covered in layers of sludge, slime and leaf litter, and generally have green glowing eyes. They are immune to poison damage and can cause acidic injuries with their claws.

Frigid

Frigid Biastan Gortach are created in the frozen wastes of the world, and are probably the most numerous type of Biastan Gortach. Their remaining flesh is often marked by permanent chillblains and tinted blue or white, while their eyes glow blue. Ice constantly forms upon their bodies, causing misting in warmer air and their bodies to twinkle slightly in the light. They are immune to cold damage and cause frostburns with their claws.

Behaviour and Abilities

Biastan Gortach are clever and malicious creatures driven by the constant need to feed. Their hunger is never sated, no matter how much they consume, and they have been driven mad by it. However, they are devious and patient hunters despite their hunger, able to control their urges enough to meticulously plan their assaults and taunt or torment their prey with psychological attacks. They are known to be capable of both independant living and co-existance, with complex social structures and deep hunting strategies that take into account the size of the prey, the environment, and the capabilities of the group as a whole. Within Biastan Gortach packs, weakness is not tolerated and members who become injured are generally slaughtered by their packmates. There is no sense of loyalty to each other; Biastan Gortach will only follow those who are more powerful than them, and who can provide them with the food they desire, and those circumstances can change quickly.
Biastan Gortach are incredibly strong and nimble despite their flimsy appearance, and are resistant to mind-altering magics. They are resistant to certain types of damage depending on their origins, and can cause different types of damage with their claws. Their bite is necrotic in nature, invigorating and healing the Biastan Gortach while draining the prey, and they are capable of psionic communication, though few are inclined to do so outside of torturing their prey.
Some Biastan Gortach are the servants of an Esurient, though the presence of a Biast Gortach does not immediately signal the presence of an Esurient. While loyal to a degree to these supposed "masters", Biastan Gortach are by nature selfish, and as with their packs, their loyalties can change when circumstances shift, such as when an Esurient weakens.

Ecology

Habitat

Biastan Gortach are most often found in environments where starvation is highly likely. This can often be frozen wastelands, deserts, or even rotting swamps where little grows within the Material Plane. They are also common within Tìr nan Dubhar, and have been known to wander the Border-Fey and Border-Shades when the shifting nature of the Borders has aligned poorly for travellers.
These creatures will wander for long periods of time, either alone or in small groups, then rest for short bursts in hidden caves or dens but rarely stay in one place for too long. They will often create multiple dens within which to rest, and move between them randomly in their search for food. Dens are usually sparse, empty spaces littered with the bones and personal items of their victims. Biastan Gortach have little interest in the personal items or wealth and do not actively hoard them, but also do not appreciate their dens being invaded. They will turn violent and attack without thought should they find anyone in their dens, despite their usual tendancy toward careful planning.

Diet and Feeding

Biastan Gortach feed on the bodies of warm-blooded creatures, picking bones clean and leaving them in scattered piles. They will also feed on cold-blooded Sapients such as lizardfolk, but they seem less inclined to attack these kinds of prey in colder environments. Their prey are usually killed to prevent escape and immediately consumed, though some reports have spoken of individuals being eaten alive.
A single Biast Gortach may stalk their intended target for days, quietly wearing them down with illusions and psionic whispers before attacking them when they are alone. Packs of Biastan Gortach may actively torture small groups of prey, showing themselves only long enough to induce fear and send parties into disarray before launching an all-out attack on the weakened party. Groups of Biastan Gortach show very intelligent strategisation, and are able to identify weaknesses and threats within a group of people.

Reproduction

Created by a curse or other magical influence, most Biastan Gortach are born from the influence of the Fey or similar magics in areas where inhumane acts or desecrations occur. These "desecrations" are usually the killing and consumption of other Sapients; the consumption of Sapient flesh is an integral part of the creation of Biastan Gortach. Some are created by the curse of a Fear Gortach who has been angered or offended by an individual's behaviour; others by the presence of Féár Gortach (Grass of Hunger), from which the Fir Gortach themselves are said to spring. Others are created by the magic of an Esurient, who lures individuals into engaging in heinous acts by toying with their minds and attacking their senses.
Biastan Gortach cannot reproduce themselves, and it is rare that they will leave prey in a position where they could become a Biast Gortach; the process is generally just an alignment of Fate.

Taming, Harvesting and Taxidermy

Biastan Gortach can only be "tamed" by being able to offer them the thing they desire most; a plentiful supply of food. But even then, their loyalties are fickle and they are more likely to turn on their "masters" if they feel that they can get a better offer or deal elsewhere. Biastan Gortach also do not like being held in captivity. They are likely to turn feral and excessively violent if they are not allowed to wander freely.
A Biast Gortach corpse can be harvested for bile and bones. Bile can be used to create necrotic acids, while their bones can be powdered and used as a magical reagents. Some of the longer bones can be used as a base for wands, while smaller bones can be used as a base for amulets. These are usually elemental in nature, providing protections or effects dependant on the type of Biast Gortach that they came from. As an example, amulets made from Arid Biastan Gortach bones can provide protection from fire, while those made from the Frigid variant protect against the cold.

Locations of Known Specimens

Ashenrime Isle, North Eirinn

Ashenrime Isle is said to contain a small number of Biastan Gortach due to the high number of adventurers succumbing to hunger and engaging in cannibalism in the area.