Meenlock (/ˈmiːn.lɒk/)
The Fear-Spawned Fey
A two-foot tall hideous being with a deformed body. Underneath thick bristles of hair that are more like spines, is a body covered in cysts and sores. It stands hunched-over and drags its claws along the ground. It has an insectoid head with several sets of twitching mandibles, two long antenna-like feelers and a pair of yellow, pupil-less eyes.
Meenlocks are Fey that invoke terror and seek to destroy all that is good, innocent, and beautiful. These bipeds have the heads and claws of crustaceans, and they primarily live in forests, although they adapt well to urban and subterranean settings.
Meenlocks are spawned by fear. When terror overwhelms a creature in the Feywild or another location where the Feywild's influence is strong, one or more meenlocks might spontaneously arise in the shadows or darkness nearby. If more than one meenlock is born, a lair also magically forms. The earth creaks and moans as narrow, twisting tunnels open up within it. One of these passageways serves as the lair's only entrance, and a large central chamber serves as the meenlocks' den. Inside the warren, black moss covers every surface, muffling sound.
A meenlock can supernaturally sense areas of darkness and shadow in its vicinity and can teleport from one darkened space to another—enabling it to sneak up on its prey or run away when outmatched. Meenlocks also project a supernatural aura that instills terror in those nearby.
Telepathic Torment
Up to four meenlocks can telepathically torment one incapacitated creature, filling its mind with disturbing sounds and dreadful imagery. Participating meenlocks can't use their telepathy for any other purpose during this time, though they can move about and take actions and reactions as normal. This torment has no effect on a creature that is immune to the frightened condition. If the creature is susceptible and remains incapacitated for 1 hour, the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The save DC is 10 + the number of meenlocks participating in the torment, considering only those that remain within sight of the victim for the entire hour and aren't incapacitated during it. The process can be repeated. A Humanoid that drops to 0 hit points as a result of this damage instantly transforms into a meenlock at full health and under the DM's control. Only a wish spell or divine intervention can restore a transformed creature to its former state.The Menagerie fought some in the Feywild, especially as they cleared out the Meenlock Caverns Skola Vale, Feywild Side
Basic Information
Anatomy
Meenlocks were deformed fey that originated from intense fear. They had no purpose other than to destroy good and beauty, and resorted to telepathic torture in order to terrify and corrupt other creatures. Anyone who succumbed to this torture would then be magically transformed into a meenlock as well.
Description
Meenlocks were hideous beings that stood approximately 2 feet (0.6 meters) tall, although their deformed bodies forced them to stoop. Their claws dragged along the ground due to their hunched-over bodies and they moved slower than most because of it. Cysts and sores covered their grotesque hides, underneath shaggy hair like spines that coated their bodies. Their yellow, pupil-less, insectoid eyes easily pierced the darkness, but they struggled to see during the day. Unlike the rest of their bodies, their heads were white and hairless, with flat noses and small toothy mouths.Genetics and Reproduction
Origin
Meenlocks were created when extreme terror was experienced by a creature in an area strongly influenced by the Feywild. If more than one meenlock appeared in a single instance, a lair would form: a series of winding labyrinthine tunnels, with a single hole leading out. Meenlocks did not possess a conventional method of reproduction. Instead, to create more meenlocks, existing ones must conduct a metamorphosis on an existing humanoid. By telepathically torturing an unconscious victim through disturbing visuals and horrible noises over a series of hours, meenlocks could create fully grown meenlocks, who continued the cycle of torment. The way to lift a meenlock's curse was to kill the meenlock that created it before using magic to raise the victim from the dead and remove the affliction. Failing this, only a miracle or wish spell could free a victim from the transformation.Behaviour
Personality
Meenlocks were both devious and cunning using indirect methods to achieve the corruption of all things pure. Living in small broods, Meenlocks worked with each other to spoil the beauty of the world and use teamwork to accomplish their mission. They communicated telepathically, although if being observed they might feign a vocal method of communication through a series of clicks and grunts, so as to secretly conspire against their enemies. Meenlocks preferred to travel unseen underground, and disguised their entry points to the surface with large rocks. If their lair was discovered, they would work tirelessly to silence the leak and keep their existence hidden.Combat
Meenlocks detested direct combat, preferring to pick off members of a group individually as opposed to fighting them all at once. A meenlock assault was a slow and gradual eroding of the mind, tormenting and stalking their opponents for hours and even days. They telepathically sent feelings and images to their targets, making them paranoid and panicked to soften them up for later. Such nightmares include whispers in the night, the feeling of being watched, and images in the corner of the target's vision. Typically they targeted weak, innocent, and good beings with these abilities while they were alone or sleeping, but also used these indirect tactics to deal with groups. Their very presence exuded an aura of fear that could reduce targets into sobbing messes, send them running, or simply leave them standing stuck with feelings of sheer terror. Adding to the horror of the meenlocks were their terrible hooked claws, capable of paralyzing those who were injured by them. Once paralyzed, meenlocks kidnapped their prey and brought them back to their lairs. They could telepathically communicate with others over 100 feet (30 meters) and could use this connection to plan and conspire. Being the incarnations of fear that they were, meenlocks themselves were immune to feelings of fright. If meenlocks found themselves outmatched they teleported to any nearby area covered by darkness in order to make a hasty retreat, although this required them to leave any prize behind, victim or otherwise.Additional Information
Social Structure
Society
Meenlocks who did not have lairs might lack them for a variety of reasons. They may have been 'born' alone, their original warren was rendered uninhabitable, or there were simply too many in one area and some had to strike out by themselves. Regardless of the reason, meenlocks without lairs of their own would craft new ones. They created tunnel networks that connected to underground caverns, spending the day plotting inside their shadowy warrens. They camouflaged the entrances to their homes and sealed them to prevent them from being found by others. A large chamber in the center of their subterranean lairs served both as the den and torture room, where new meenlocks were created. The tunnels were coated in a black moss unique to their caves that served to drown out the noise made by the screams of their captives. Other decorations included bone-piles, dirty sleeping furs, and a collection of knives that hung from the walls. Some meenlocks worked under the employ of a hag in small groups likely due to their mutual desires to destroy the beautiful and corrupt the innocent, or, rarer still, working with evil wizards or psions, or the like. Otherwise, the only other creatures they associated with were aberrant monsters like the foulspawn.Uses, Products & Exploitation
Harvesting
instructions
Instructions: Because this creature is an Aberration, the player should roll a Arcana Check using the DCs in the table below. On a success, the player is able to harvest the item. On a failure, the item cannot be harvested (either because the character is not skilled enough, or because the item is ruined). The DM should note that many of the items have an expiration, and can not be sold or used after the expiration has passed.
| DC | Item | Description | Value | Weight | Exp. | Crafting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Meenlock Claws (x2) | Meenlock's have long claw-like appendages that can paralyze their prey. The venom loses its potency when the creature dies, but the claws still have various uses. Alchemists can scrap off the dry paralytic to use in potions. The claws themselves can be used to make small tools. | 1 gp | 3 lb. | ∞ | - |
| 15 | Meenlock Pineal Gland | At the base of a meenlock's brain is a small blue gland that controls the creature's telepathic abilities. These abilities allow meenlocks to psychically join together and attack another creature, forcing it to painfully transform into a meenlock itself. This gland is highly valued by spellcasters and those that study psionic abilities. Alchemist want an enzyme that the gland secretes. | 5 gp | 1 lb. | 2 days | - |
| 15 | Meenlock Head | Resembling an overgrown ant head, a meenlock's head is truly something to behold. Other than its use as a wonderful wall ornament, it can be hollowed out and used as a helmet with limited forms of some of the meenlock's abilities. Use: When you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check while holding this head, you may choose to do so at advantage. Once this ability has been used 5 times, the head loses all magic and becomes worthless. | 4 gp | 6 lb. | 7 days | Tormentor's Cap |
| 20 | Meenlock Spirit | A meenlock is a being born out of emotion, and this emotion can be harvested with a quick application of spirit paper. Hags in particular are fond of harvesting meenlocks for their spirits in order to craft insidious curses. Requires Spirit Paper. | 12 gp | 1 lb. | 7 days | Curse of Never-Ending Fear |
| 20 | Meenlock Heart | The heart of a meenlock is a small bundle of yellow-orange muscle and veins. The cold heart radiates a sense of fear, and is possibly the source of the creature's terror. Alchemists, spellcasters and witches may find a use for the heart. Use: The heart has the same effect as a level 3 fear spell. A creature may use an action to squeeze the heart, making it burst in a spray of blood. All creatures in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become frightened for the duration. While frightened by this effect, a creature must take the Dash action and move away from the source by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn't have line of sight with the source, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the effect ends for that creature. | 20 gp | 1 lb. | 2 days | - |
This kind of creature does not normally carry treasure. This kind of creature does not normally have or collect treasure. However, the creature may have a lair full of bodies, or reside somewhere that treasure already exists.
This creature produces 1-4 pieces of Harvested Meat, weight total of 4-16 lb. DC: 5, Expire: 1 day, Value: 2-8 sp The meat of many monsters is considered vile and distasteful. Monstrosities and aberrations, in particular, may have tainted blood or rancid tasting meat. Dungeon Master's discretion.
Civilization and Culture
Common Myths and Legends
Religion
Meenlocks were sometimes known to serve the duergar deities Deep Duerra and Laduguer.Sources
Source(s):
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 170. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- Mike Mearls, Greg Bilsland and Robert J. Schwalb (June 15, 2010). Monster Manual 3 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 132–133. ISBN 0786954902.
- Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc), pp. 146–147. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- Jon Pickens ed. (1995). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two. (TSR, Inc.), p. 86. ISBN 0-7869-0199-3.
- Don Turnbull (1981). Fiend Folio. (TSR Hobbies), p. 63. ISBN 0-9356-9621-0.
- Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 223–224. ISBN 978-0786966011.
- Sean K. Reynolds (2002-05-04). Deity Do's and Don'ts (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for Faiths and Pantheons. Wizards of the Coast. pp. 10–15. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2018-09-08.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Animalia, Superioria, dryadalis, Chaos, Meenlock
Origin/Ancestry
Fey (Fey Realm, Beast | Meenlock)
Lifespan
unknown
Conservation Status
No conservation in most places as they are hunted down.
Average Height
4'
Average Weight
40 lbs.
Average Length
3'
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
5E Statistics
Meenlock
| Size | Small |
| Type | Fey |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Challenge Rating | 2 |
General Information
| Vision | Darkvision |
| Activity cycle | Night (Any when tracking) |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Language(s) | Telepathy |
| Favored climate | Temperate Climate |
| Favored terrain | Forest Terrain, Swamp Terrain, Underdark Terrain, Urban Area Terrain |
Appearance
| Average height | ~2' |
| Eye color(s) | Yellow |
See Also: Meenlock on Forgotten Realms Wiki