Mourioche

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Mourioche is a shapeshifter, capable of altering its form and appearance to suit its needs.
In its natural form, it resembles a sickly horse with a gaunt, skeletal face, without lips or muscle definition. The Mouriche has sunken eyes and exposed teeth, furthering its skull-like appearance. Atop its head it has two spear-shaped ears, longer than those of a horse, but shorter than a donkey's. Its mane and tail are made of stringy, kelp like strands.
The Mourioche stands on four solid hooves atop four deceptively thin and bony legs. From its trunk sprouts two well muscled humanoid arms.

Ecology and Habitats

The Mourioche is a semi-aquatic creature, living in freshwater lakes, ponds, marshes and swamps. It disdains running water, including tidal runs. The lair of the Mourioche is typically entered underwater, like a beaver lodge, but secreted in a small pocket of Bleed, making attacking it there difficult.
The lair of the Mourioche resembles a damp, humid cave filled with mud, rotting vegetation and puddles of standing water,

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Mourioche feeds on the Foyson of fear, striking terror and dread into its victims before hurling them into its lake and devouring them.
Most commonly, it will appear on the sides of remote roads as a horse, often with bit and bridle to lure weary travelers to mount its back to ride. Upon approaching or mounting the creature, its arms will sprout from the sides of its body and latch on to the victim, holding them immobile as it begins its mad dash across the countryside, through brambles, off cliffs and other dangerous conditions to raise the adrenaline and panic of its victim. When it is satisfied, it will hurl the victim into a pool of standing water. If satisfied with the fear it has consumed, it will then vanish. But if it still seeks to feast, it will then drown them, dragging their dying form to its lair to feast at its convenience.
Drawing its power from fear, it is stymied when a victim has no fear of it.

Behaviour

The Mourioche will sometimes force a victim to carry it on their back, in what its views as a cruel irony and joke.
The Mourioche is a sadistic torturer, taking delight from drawing out the torment of its victims over a long period of time before gorging itself. It will sometimes stalk a victim over a long period of time, appearing nearby in a variety of different guises, but always emitting the sound of ripping canvas, driving up the paranoia and the appearance of madness in its target before striking. The creature is known to take the form of a recently deceased relative, screaming obscene insults at the family and chasing children at the wake.
Other times, the Mourioche will engage in drawn out, sadistic pranks, replacing each of a farmer's livestock in turn and slaughtering the "original" before ultimately targeting the family, leaving behind a golden necklace as "payment" for its feast.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Mourioche is an anti-social creature, shunning all contact with others of its kind or the tuath. It lives alone, interacting only with its victims.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Mourioche first appeared along the Painted Channel near Kab Frehel, but has since spread from Pleg-Mor Menez-Mikael to the Penn-ar-Bedd, as well as into the Yeun-Elez Bogs.

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

A female Mourioche is called a fausserole.

History

The first Mourioche was created by a mad similherez in the ruins of Nasado in Kab Frehel in a failed attempt to recreate the powers unleashed by Conomor the Cursed. The creature broke free of its imprisonment and terrorized the countryside.
Baron Armel Guyon, the first lord of Kab Frehel, is said to have carried the Mourioche the length of the Barony of Ar Mor Emrodez, casually conversing with it the entire time, much to its chagrin, and inviting it for tea. The creature eventually relented upon realizing it was trapped, giving the lord the golden necklace that funded the construction of Roc'h Goueon.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Mourioche has a grudge against House Bisclavret.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Mourioche, in its natural form, is coloured a sickly green, with dark grey-green mane and tail. Its pupiless eyes are a gangrenous yellow.

Geographic Distribution

• The Armorican Peninsula