Krampus

Krampus is a human / goat hybrid that appears on or about the Alpine region and surrounding areas during late December. Tied to the festivals of pagans & Christians alike he is a creature of horror sent to punish the wicked, especially children. His name comes from the Barvarian krampn meaning dead, and another source seems to be the Germanic kramp / krampen meaning claw.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Exceptionally well-built and tough to look at, Krampus is known for his brute strength and endurance while not the most dexterous or handsome. He appears as a half man half goat with body hair covering a good portion of him, and at least one pair of goat horns. His teeth are yellowish along with sometimes being sharp or similar to a goats. He is tall at roughly 7 feet tall, with a small goat tail and hooves in place of feet. His hands are human with iron hard sharpened fingernails.

Identifying Characteristics

Half goat, tall at 7 feet, goat hooves, and red to yellow eyes.

Special abilities

Able to see the ones he tracks unerringly, his eyesight, hearing and sense of smell is acute. He can still sense his victims in pitch black. He seems to be able to regenerate injuries and has never truly been killed. He can easily pick up a fully armoured knight with ease, and his sack can carry a number of victims without him being encumbered. Nobody can escape the sack he uses to trap them and will appear eventually in Dark Fey territory. It cannot be damaged in any way either. He also seems to be unaffected by the cold whether natural or magical.

Apparel & Accessories

Roughly clothed at times, he sometimes carries a large sack that he carries over his shoulder.

Specialized Equipment

Krampus carried a unique set of birch rods that never seem to break, as thick as a thumb, and if hit with causes agony in his victims if he hits them with one or more.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Krampus has been in existence for an unknown length of time. He seems to have existed in the region of the Alps and surrounding region for as long as humanity has if not longer. Thought of as a possible Dark Fey, he seems to have come from that realm though no-one ever has determined this 100%.
Stories abound that about the period of early December every year the locals (usually Barvarian Celtic & Germanic peoples) believe that Krampus comes to punish the bad, especially children. He leaves behind a beaten child which he has attacked with a birch rod. Though saying this, he seems to have made off with some who are truly evil or at least killed them. Where the victims go is another matter and it is postulated it is into a sub-dimension of the Feywild, and delivers the victim to the Unseelie Court for punishment.
Indeed, many a traveller in the Feywild that ventures into the Dark Fey territory has encountered the remains of such people. Usually they are slaves or have been tortured to death for amusement. A few are found in the Feywild in general after being let go after some type of 'punishment' has been administered.
This seems to have been going on since the early Celtic peoples in the Alpine region, and most have reported experiencing the presence of Krampus during the whole month. In many cases this is due to the most wicked being targeted until they are caught, and Krampus always seem to appear even if killed.
Krampus is known throughout the Fey Realms and is greatly feared. It is not unknown for him to be seen in those realms stalking Fey for the same purposes as on Earth. A few short stories are told that he has attacked and either injured or killed other Fey who have somehow transgressed.
One story abounds in the Fey Realms that he was the son of a powerful Hag Grandmother who desperately wanted a male heir and used a goat for the purpose. She transformed a dark coloured goat from a goat herd into a handsome young man, bred, and gave birth to Krampus after it had been found out what she had done. This was deemed to be a massive mistake for her and as punishment, he was given the task of punishing others by the Courts. To make matters worse for the Hag, she was his first victim and he now owns her property. And to help him, he has been given innate knowledge of all the Hidden Paths used by the Fey so he may strike anywhere he so chooses.

Morality & Philosophy

Krampus seems to exist to purely punish those that have transgressed social taboos and committed crimes. Violence means nothing to him and he will gladly kill if need be.

Personality Characteristics

Hygiene

One thing stands out about Krampus, his smell. Described as being earthy and sweaty when close, he basically stinks.

Dark Fey Hunter Killer for the Fey Courts Only has a month to do this

"He'll come for you child if you don't behave. With these short days creeping in and the festivals starting soon, Krampus could do with new 'pets'. You don't want to end up being beaten by him or you'll regret it, though that would be preferable to the alternative wouldn't it? Now go and clean up and stop annoying the oxen."
A Frankish mother to her young son in the village of Eschbach.

"Be careful you travellers. These mountains are dangerous. Old they are and many evils lurk. And do no harm either or Krampus will come. No armour will protect you from his birch rods if you mess up. He'll cut you down if your lucky, if not, in the sack and away to the Fey Lands instead. Nobody will see you again with that."
Elderly tavern patron to an adventuring party fresh out of Wien.

Alignment

Neutral

Ethnicity

Baiuvarii

Other Ethnicities/Cultures

• Germanic

Age

Unknown

Sex

Male

Eyes

Reddish to yellow

Hair

Dark dirty longish brown hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Hairy, dark brown & grey

Height

Roughly 7 ft tall

Weight

350 lb

Belief/Deity

The Vanir

Known Languages

It appears that Krampus knows Sylvan, Brythonic, Germanic (Barvarian and Saxon), and likely more though he only makes beast-like noises himself.

"Nobody truly knows where he came from. I've spoken to a few Fey in my time and they fear him too. Mentioned something about a Hag, and a male goat transformed into a human. Who can say? Though I'd rather not find out, especially if it involves a Hag. Horrible creatures, and the Fey Courts keep quiet about the whole thing.
They do know more than what they are saying but better not ask about it. You don't want to find out one way or the other."
An unnamed Druid near the village of Salzburg.