Ar Leabhar Ollpheist
Gaeraldh O’Wladfa
Vorðr de Cuillda Baethagh
There are many Baethagh spread amidst Èr, or Monsters as they are referred to by the commonfolk. As the Vorðr Aingael, it is our duty not only to wipe them from any place they may rear their heads, but to study them so that we may cleanse them more thoroughly. The plagues of the Baethagh range from the mutant Ghoblainns and their evolved leaders that litter the wake of every battle, to the cursed Faoladh whose spirits manifest under the guise of night-beasts. Consider this tome not as your prime source for your hunts, rather a glossary of sorts for the many wild things we must face as the Vorðr.
Ta’mallacht Orthu (Accursed Spirits)
Among the cursed lies a complex understanding of what makes one cursed. Simply put, any man, dwarf, or elf (or other being of ordinarily sound mind) who suffers any affliction by which the essence of their being changes with or without their knowledge and consent. The Hildofr, or the Werwulf in common parlance, is a perfect example of such afflictions; these men are plagued by
Lukanthropos, forcibly turning them into a half-bestial form with an insatiable hunger. Though it is commonly believed that the Hlebafr, or the Werkat, and the Ulfhedfr, or werber, are different creatures entirely from the Hildofr, though it is simply a case of elves and dwarves suffering lycanthropy, respectively. Men cannot turn into bears, elves not into wolves, and dwarves not into cats, and so on. There have been rarer cases of lycanthropy in common legend, such as the fabled Werdrakhen, though we have no name for it in the Vorðr because, simply put, it likely does not and has never existed.
Other forms of curse are typically as numerous as Ta’mallacht Orthu in whole, and there is no one way to broadly pinpoint how to redact a curse. One may have their life cursed, their farm cursed, their firstborn cursed, or any number of things cursed; in accordance, one may be cursed in a number of fashions. Typically, however, any kind of curse cast upon the living draws forth a malicious spirit intent on carrying out the affliction upon the man. These range from often playful and child-like Polfergheists, to the deathly and dangerous Ban’sidh. In every case, it requires a magic ritual to curse one. The original Hildofr is held to have been a creation by the ancient Witga, Baba Yaga, as a magical plague that is capable of spreading its arcane influence through the saliva of the afflicted.
Most Ta'mallacht Orthu are the result of a Witga's curse, though some are merely entities that defy the Vorðr knowledge of creating such beasts. It should be noted that bodies that are burned cannot be changed into the accursed; only whole bodies, whose spirits still dwell dormant, may be brought to such conditions. The same is true for every turning - Alghoblainns cannot feast away on ashes to tranform the flesh, and Vahmpyr cannot raise charred remains into undeathly servitude.
Below are alphabetically listed many of the Ta’mallacht Orthu a Vorðr may expect to encounter.
- Ban'sidh - The Ban'sidh is a dangerous creature. She appears at midday in the fields of commoners as a wailing young lady, her hair long and white, and her eyes red from her tears. Her screech, when provoked, is powerful enough to kill men from hearing it alone. Where the Ban'sidh appears, livestock fall ill to a plague that quickly spreads within two months, killing every creature on a farm - after the last pig breathes its last, the Ban'sidh disappears. The only known way to cast out the weeping spirit is to ritually sacrifice three cows from the village she plagues.
- Bogghart - These spirits are particularly malicious. Typically, they are the remaining evil from souls who did terrible things in life, but were not burned for their crimes, for one reason or another. The malice that lives in the hearts of these men manifest themselves according to their trangressions; usually, thieves and men who murder only once out of passion return as incorporeal household pests, who whisper dark thoughts into the residents' heads while they dream; others, such as men who murdered for sport or robbed the innocence of children, manifest in bogs and swamps, and use their evil influence to lure passer-bys from the nearby roads. To rid a house or swamp of a Bogghart, one must learn the name of the spirit in question, then find a surviving victim of a similar tragedy AND their perpetrator. Bind and gag the villain so he does not escape, then travel to the location of the Bogghart, then, allow the victim to mercilessly murder their abuser. The only end to tragedy for us Vorðr is more tragedy.
- Inkhvine - This mysterious plant usually crops its way up in the north, in the kingdom of Ruskuchiy. While not technically a cursed spirit, Inkhvine is the result of excess arcana being present in one particular tree. The plants stike out like whips, and leave unyielding black marks on their victims whose pain lingers for years. To clear a woodland of the Inkhvine, one must climb to the top of its mother tree, pluck a blackfruit without it bursting in ones' hand, then planting the fruit beside the tree. Within a year, the tree will return to normal, and its new fruit can be harvested to cure the black marks and pain left by the Inkhvine
- Lukanthropos - These poor souls have been afflicted by an undying arcane plague created by the ancient Witga, Baba Yaga. Though she was slain years ago, her curse remains. Those who are lukens transform at the full moon into a half-man, half-bestial shape. The creature upon which they "devolve" into is determined by the afflicted's race. Men become wolf-life, dwarves bear-like, elves cat-like, etc. Though case-by-case, their shape and strength vary wildly, to cure Lukanthropos requires three elderberries, mashed together with an ounce of saliva and a tuft of singed hair from the beast, then applied as a salve for the next three full moons. Vorðr must take extra care when dealing with lukens, as their ferocity is great - and if one is to be cured of the disease, their luken form must not be slain.
- Polfergheist - Polfergheists, or ghosts as they are commonly referred to as, are often non-malicious spirits whose passing was too grave and dark for their innocent lives. Often, these are the spirits of idiot slaves who were murdered by their masters, or young children who were mercilessly ripped apart by wandering Ghoblainns. These spirits can be guided from their mortal shackles by returning an important memento to the location of their worldly remains, though more often than not a Polfergheist will not want to leave the mortal world, finding its new method of interacting with the world novel and cherished before their old lives.
Bas-Cruetair (Dead Beasts)
Of the Baethagh we Vorðr face, none are more numerous and steadfast as the Bas-Cruetair. These abhorrent flesh-things are created when an elite of their kind feasts on the dead, unburned bodies of soldiers who pass in war. Depending on where the battle took place determines the type of Bas-Cruetair that will be drawn to the bloody wake. Thankfully, in addition to being the most numerous of the Baethagh, Bas-Cruetair stay dead when killed. Slay a Ghoblainn, and you've slain a Ghoblainn - slay a hundred, and you've slain a hundred. If it were possible to kill every Alghoblainn and Albaitear in the world, the Bas-Cruetair would exist no more; however, as long as there is but one in this world of death and war, there may as well be a thousand in wait.
Each of the Bas-Cruetair has two stages in life: their fresh changed form, which is the typical state one encounters a dead-beast, and their advanced, elder form, denoted by the simple addition of Al' to the beginning of their names. Stronger and faster than their fresh counterparts, the Al'Bas-Cruetair are capable of creating new members of their folds by only partially feasting on the bodies of the deceased; from their open sores and bite-wounds, the corpse will slowly repurpose its own rotting flesh into the form that ate it.
Below is listed their types and challenges associated.
- Baitear - These slippery beasts are made from the drowned bodies of sailors who died at sea. They are often found near port cities, where they like to prey on unsuspecting fishermen, swimmers, and maids. They are very slow on land, and appear like emaciated green men, with the face of a fish. In water, however, they are a blur. They tend to keep very low numbers on account of the fact that naval battles are not the preferred method of warfare in Er. They prefer to hunt solo or in pairs, making them very manageable encounters for the well-prepared Vorðr. Albaitear lose the ability to travel onto land, but they are even faster, larger, and far more dangerous than even a school of Baitear.
- Foalach - These dead ones are made from battlefields where there is no decisive victor, and suffering half-dead soldiers lie in agony and writhing pain. Foalach appear as a mist, and encircle their prey cutting it off from escape while they drain the oxygen from the air, suffocating the poor thing. They are impervious to attack from any unenchanted blade, but they are particularly weak to all forms of arcane energy. Alfoalach are able to manifest themselves in a physical form, appearing as a foggy specter, and gain the ability to strike their prey without being stricken themselves.
- Ghoblainn - Ghoblainns are by far the most common and numerous of the Bas-Cruetair. They have thick, bulbous bodies with long, lanky limbs. They appear like mere heaps of rotting flesh at first, and often hide in bushes and trees alongside the many roads and paths that stretch over Er. Ghoblainns are very quick and agile, and they hunt in packs, making up for their lack of strength. They are created from the corpses of soldiers dead in a clearing, or plains. Alghoblainns can be told apart by their especially pale skin, and three additional limbs (two arms, one vestigial leg).
- Grohdkain These beasties are particularly nasty to face. They are often created from the thrown-out corpses of elf slaves, and are generally short of stature with no arms, no face or mouth, and inverted legs. This makes them seem like easy foes, as they aren't difficult to maneuver around, and their lack of limbs make it impossible for them to strike or grapple. However, they are not without defence; Grohdkain are capable of spitting a virulent acid from a large orifice stretching from their legs to their neck - they are also capable of devouring small-sized creatures whole with that mouth. They are also hive-mind creatures, communicating with each other over miles to find food and warn of danger. The Algrohdkain is larger, its acid more vile, and its ability to eat things whole extends now to all medium-sized creatures. It also grown two enormous, tree-trunk like limbs which it uses to bludgeon its prey into soup. Since they are hive mind creatures, when a Grohdkain feels sufficiently threatened, it will merely self-destruct in a fantastic plume of blood and guts, the force behind which is enough to end a witless Vorðr's career early.
- Wasswit - Different from, and yet the same as, many of the other Bas-Cruetair, Wasswits were once beings of arcane power; whether they were wizards, hiding their identity, or simply commonfolk who were born with magic and did not know, or something else varies. They can become any type of Bas-Cruetair, and their arcane energy twists their transformation. While not capable of casting any spells outright, Wasswits have heightened senses, and physical prowess and intelligence that far outstrips the other members of their fold. Where it would take twenty or more Ghoblainns at once to fell a Vorðr, it may take only one Wasswit'ghoblainn to do the job.
Comments