The Hag

Summary

The Hag wanders around the streets of a town, usually at night, looking for victims. She usually targets men between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two. This is said to be because they remind her of someone from her past, either her husband or her son, whom she killed many years prior. When she finds a suitable victim, she will stalk them for a while, usually ranging from fifteen minutes to an hour, then will approach them. At first, she will appear to be a regular elderly woman, and will usually ask her target for help with something. If the victim refuses to help, she will become more insistent, and if he continues to refuse, she will eventually be angered. If the victim agrees to help, she will remain normal for the time being. Afterward, The Hag will do whatever she can to keep her victim nearby. Any attempt to leave will anger The Hag. This will continue to escalate until The Hag is angered if her victim even looks away from her. Eventually, there will be nothing he can do that won't anger her, and she will inevitably kill him. Most versions of the story also state that the victim cannot flee, because The Hag will appear wherever he goes.
When The Hag is angered, her eyes begin to bulge, her mouth twists into an almost monstrous snarl, and according to some people, her skin reddens slightly. When angry, The Hag will attempt to restrain or kill her victim, depending on how angry she is.
In most tellings of the story, The Hag is much stronger than an ordinary human, and also has remarkable endurance. She is typically said to kill by strangling or hanging her victims.

Historical Basis

There are a multitude of reported Hag sightings across the Kingdom of Amarith, but there is no proof as of yet that she actually exists.

Spread

The Story of The Hag began in the Kingdom of Amarithand is most common there. The story has spread past the borders of the Kingdom of Amarith, but not very far.

Variations & Mutation

What The Hag actually is is different depending on who tells the story. Some say that she's a ghost or spirit, some say she's a magical construct or a Homunculus, some say that she's a demon, and others say she's simply a deranged old woman. Regardless of what she is, it is generally agreed upon that The Hag is stronger than she looks, violent, and deranged.
According to some versions of the story, The Hag cannot be killed by normal means or can be killed but will come back the next night, angrier than before. Methods of warding her off or killing her permanently vary, and include: fire, asphyxiation, decapitation, restraining her corpse, tossing her corpse in the ocean, lining the entrances to your home with various herbs or Alchemical compounds, and having an intimidating pet, such as a large dog. Some versions of the story also state that The Hag can be avoided by directing her towards a more suitable victim.
The amount of time it takes for The Hag to become angry enough to kill her victim regardless of what he does ranges from a few hours to a few weeks. It should be noted that the victim can be killed at any time within this timeframe, depending on what he does.

In Literature

There are a number of authors, mostly in the Kingdom of Amarith, who have written novels based on or containing The Hag.

In Art

There are not many pieces of art depicting The Hag, mostly because she is generally considered to be quite unpleasant to look at.