Capcaun (Monster)

The Capcaun is one of several folkloric creatures of strongly Aeldic blood, more beast than human but graced with a vicious and, at least during the St. Niklaus festivals, divine intelligence. Like the Alzatho it is a perfect mimic, but unlike the Alzatho it needs to only hear someone speak to begin mimicking it - and it has a true sentient intelligence, and indeed an impish if not outright cruel intelligence where the Alzatho is really an animal.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Capcaun is a highly dimorphic creature. Any individual can exhibit more or less of the characteristics of Satyrs, Demons, goats, and monsters hiding under the bed, as reflective of its strong Aeldic heritage which is nearly pure. Children presumably inherit some of the features of each parent, but other features may arise without precedent such as a variation in horns - parents may have rams horns but the child, antelope or elk horns; or in the size and placement of eyes, the color or even presence of a pelt; capcauns ranging from hairless to shaggy are known from history and in the muddled stories of possible encounters, the only consistent feature is that they are always bipedal, always ill-tempered, always favor the snowy woods in terribly remote places, and are always eager to poach bad children, which they may or may not eat; sightings of capcauns by people without children in their group are exceedingly rare.

Genetics and Reproduction

Like other Aeldvolk, Capcaun reproduce by mysterious, fey-based means, though if the folklore is to be believed, they're not above impregnating a town harlot and leaving her with a squalling child. That child, however, will not have the suitable Aeldic makeup to actually be a capcaun itself. It is said that some half-orcs or Tieflings are in fact, half-capcaun, but not aware of it.
As far as making more capcaun, there is no obvious difference between male and female in the species, and as is often the case with the Aeld, there really is no significant difference; reproduction is by Fey means, where stones immersed in blood or clumps of moss left in pools of fetid water will one day arise as fully grown capcauns.

Ecology and Habitats

Capcauns are found almost exclusively in high forests and snow, though snowy weather conditions can bring them closer, and on St. Nicklaus Eve they come to the villages regardless of the weather. They highly favor uneven ground and seem to love mountains over high plains. The very shaggy ones seem to live in the colder places, while the less hairy or hairless versions live in warmer places, but this is not always the case, and they all seem impervious to the effects of weather, never wearing any clothes beyond perhaps a basket on a strap for children, even in -20 degrees or more. and they appear to suffer no ill effects.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The capcaun doesn't eat much - berries, pinecones, sticks and snow - most of the year, but as St. Niklaus' Day approaches, it develops a marked desire for child flesh. Folklore has it that long ago, capcauns weren't so picky and would steal children indiscriminately (as the Varcolai and other folkloric creatures still often are said to do), but that St. Nicklaus bound these capcauns to only take the naughtiest children, and unless they were truly unredeemable, they were to set them free after bringing them into the woods. But the very worst children, the sorts that even their parents would be glad to be rid of, they were permitted to feast upon, and it has been ever so, ever since.

Biological Cycle

As it is for most of the Aeld, this is inconsistent and more or less unknown. If capcaun children or capcaun elders exist, none have ever been encountered. They can be killed, and are not fey or undead creatures, but exactly how they age and where they go or what happens when they die of natural causes is not known.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The northern lands on all continents have capcauns in small, village-based bands, but they are very rarely seen outside of Ycebiel's month. Villages in more temperate and tropical lands generally don't have capcauns, though they (or adults dressed to appear as a Capcaun) are seen late on St. Niklaus' eve all over the world.

Average Intelligence

They have no culture or society to speak of, but can converse with children in any language known to the child; they are known to set traps or to fool naughty children into their own capture. They also converse readily with the spirit of St. Niklaus or with human adults who dress as the saint for that purpose during the festival.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Capcauns are evidently maximized for the ability to smell dirty adolescent and pre-adolescent children, especially boys. No amount of scrubbing and no thickness of stone or wood walls seem able to prevent them from homing in on the scent of a child who delights in pulling cat's tails or stealing toys from other children. The only defense, should one want to keep such a bad child, would be to move to a different village; each hamlet seems to have its own clan of mismatched capcauns, and they never travel to other villages - though they may bring children miles and miles up into the dark mountains on St. Niklaus' Eve.

Origin/Ancestry

Aeldic, nearly pure; less than 2% Gazafi or Hyinchneuman genetic influence

Lifespan

200 years

Average Height

6.5' to 8' tall

Average Weight

unnaturally light and nimble for their size. Capcauns may be sickly-thin but generally are of average build. Obese capcauns have not been seen.