BESTIARY

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A - M

ANGIAK

According to Eskimo lore, an Angiak is a child of the living dead. Eskimo often had to give up their new-born children during harsh times and would do so by abandoning them in the snow. Unless the Eskimo tribe moved to a new land, it was believed that the ghosts of these babies would come back to haunt them. An Angiak is said to gain strength upon each visit to the tribe, until it is powerful enough to seek revenge on the elders.

Vulnerable to: Being tricked into consuming human breastmilk.

BANSHEE

Banshees are death omens, but they might also harm on their own. They are described as either dressed in white or a in a sheet or even a burial gown, and they come in the form of a beautiful woman, a matron or a hag - these stages correspond to the stages of womanhood (this may also have to do with the age of the person who's going to die). The Banshee can be seen at rivers, washing bloody clothes.

The Black Annis (one-eyed, features of a demon, claws, blue face) was said to hide in an oak; she was a cannibal who preferred children. The Baba Yaga (a Russian Banshee) lives deep in the forest in a magical hut. While the Baba Yaga also eats children, she's also supposed to be a source of magical help.

Vulnerable to: Justice for their killer or those who wronged them in life will lay them to rest.

BLACK DOG

Primarily a British phenomenon, Black Dogs are spirit apparitions that generally appear at night. These apparitions can be distinguished from normal flesh-and-blood black dogs by features such as large or glowing eyes, sometimes only one; an ability to disappear or appear out of thin air or into and out of the ground; and no head, two heads or the ability to change their size or appearance.

Black Dogs are most often seen on roads or other places where people move from one locality to another, including footpaths, bridges, crossroads, gates, doors, stairs and corridors. Another common haunt for the Black Dogs is graveyards, leading some people to suspect that these dogs tend to haunt Spirit Paths.

Some people believe that a Black Dog is an omen of death, and that to see one means either you or a family member will die. In ancient European folklore, the dog is seen as both the guardian and consumer of dead spirits; one such belief is referred to as the Wild Hunt, where a pack of dogs and a master of the hunt fly through the sky looking for lost souls. Others believe Black Dogs are helpful, leading lost travelers or protecting them from harm. Black Dogs should not be confused with hellhounds, which are an entirely different phenomenon.

CHANGELING

The activities of changelings are orchestrated by a "mother" changeling who appears to be a normal adult woman. The changelings steal children in the neighborhood from their beds at night, taking the real child's place in the family home. The real children are kept alive for the "mother" changeling to feed on for a while.

Meanwhile, the children-changelings feed off the human mother's synovial fluid by suckling with their round, many-toothed mouth at the back of her neck. The changelings take their place in human homes as soon as they are formed, and feed off the mother until she wastes away. Any other humans who come between the changeling child and its prey are murdered.

The true nature of the changelings - their discolored, slimy skin, hollow eyes and round mouth with many teeth - can be seen only in reflection.

Vulnerable to: Fire. When the mother-changeling is destroyed, the child-changelings die as well.

CROATOAN VIRUS

A disease which may or may not be a true virus and which is is demonic in origin. It causes a murderous rage in the people it infects, and is transmitted through blood to blood contact.

The virus may be detected by traces of sulfur detectable in the blood within a few hours of exposure. Symptoms begin to manifest within four hours, and the disease is thought to be incurable. Infectees are not merely hyperaggressive, but show an ability and use weaponry in their attempts to kill or deliberately infect others.

Vulnerable to: Unknown. Possible angelic or demonic cures?

CROCOTTA

The Crocotta is a mythical beast of India and Ethiopia. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, described it as being the "an animal which looks as though it had been produced by the coupling of the wolf and the dog, for it can break anything with its teeth, and instantly on swallowing it digest it with the stomach...".

It is commonly described in legend as luring people by calling their name, drawing them deeper into the forest until the Crocotta would devour them. In modern times, the Crocotta has been known to contact people by phone or computer, imitating the voice of a dead loved one and convincing the victim to kill themselves.

Vulnerable to: Conventional weapons.

DAEVA

Zoroastrian demons of darkness; savage and animalistic shadow-creatures usually doing the bidding of a greater force.

Vulnerable to: Destroying the altar that its master is using to control it. Very bright light.

DJINN

A type of spirit which knocks people out and sends them into a dreamlike state. Instead of having wishes granted the person is sent into a fantasy universe, while the djinn feeds on their blood.

Vulnerable to: Silver weaponry dipped in lamb's blood.

GHOST

A ghost or spirit remains connected to the mortal realm because it is attached to it through unfinished business or an unwillingness to move on. Many have a desire for revenge against those who they perceive to have caused their deaths, others were evil in life and continue this after death.

Vulnerable to: Salt or iron will dispel them temporarily. To dispel them permanently, their remains must be located, salted, and then burned.

GHOST, DEATH ECHO

A type of trapped Ghost, limited and largely (but not entirely) powerless. The spirit is stuck reenacting its death over and over in a loop. Sometimes the spirit can be shocked into moving on, particularly by someone with whom the deceased has an emotional connection.

Vulnerable to: Must be reasoned with or shocked out of their loop to dispel them.

GHOST, VENGEFUL SPIRIT

A vengeful spirit is one that acts violently to avenge something a wrong done to them. While they are generally ghosts, the spirit may belong to someone still alive but close to death, such as a coma victim.

Vulnerable to: Can either be dispelled as ghosts, or reasoned with as best as possible, especially if justice has been brought against those who wronged them.

GHOUL

A creature whose name derives from the medieval Arabic ghul, a thing which will dig up graves to eat the dead. Monsters which feed on the blood and flesh of the dead, they often live in sewers, in mausoleums, in tunnels near or beneath old graveyards.

Vulnerable to: Can be killed only by decapitation or total destruction of the head.

HELLHOUND

Aggressive dogs that serve demons. Hellhounds commonly appear to kill a person who has made a deal with a Crossroads Demon, allowing the person's soul to be harvested by hell. In the days preceding the end of a person's time, they will appear to the victim in dreams. The person will also hallucinate, and be able to see the true face of demons possessing humans.

Hellhounds are invisible to humans. It is said once they have the scent of a person they won't stop until they catch them, but they can be kept at bay for a time with Goofer Dust, Devil's Shoestring, and salt.

Vulnerable to: Salt, iron, explosives.

[BRIAR]

N - Z

RAKSHASA

A demon or unrighteous spirit in Hinduism that feeds on human flesh. They are shapechangers and magicians, and often appear in the forms of humans, dogs, and large birds. They can make themselves invisible and can not enter a home without being invited. According to the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic, they were created from Brahma's, the Hindu God of Creation, foot. Many Rakshasa were particularly wicked humans in previous incarnations and are known to disturb sacrifices, desecrate graves and possess human beings. Translated to English, Rakshasa means injurer.

Vulnerable to: Brass weaponry.

RAWHEAD (BLOODY BONES)

A water monster that inhabits deep ponds and marl-pits and drags children into its lair to devour them

The following rhyme originated in Yorkshire/Lancashire:

Rawhead and Bloody Bones
Steals naughty children from their homes,
Takes them to his dirty den,
And they are never seen again.

Vulnerable to: Electricity

RUGARU

A visibly deformed monster and flesheater in its fully-developed form, the rugaru "gene" runs in families. Outwardly the rugaru can appear human for years, never knowing its true nature, but eventually it becomes consumed with a terrible hunger. During this time, it feeds on any meat it can get its hands on, until it finally gives in to the craving for human flesh. The rugaru will also demonstrate superhuman strength, and its bones will move under its skin. One bite of human flesh is all that's necessary for the rugaru to transform outwardly into a monster, at which point it can never appear or be human again. The only way to kill it is by setting it on fire, otherwise it will continue killing people to sate its hunger.

Vulnerable to: Fire

SHAPESHIFTER

A mutated humanlike creature which can take on a living person’s physical appearance and access the thoughts of the person they are mimicking. Some shapeshifters can copy deceased people from pictures and film as well. When they change from one form to another they literally shed their skin, teeth, and nails. They can be identified by a retinal flare that shows up when they are filmed.

Vulnerable to: Silver weaponry to the heart.

SHTRIGA

An Albanian witch/vampire, with legends about them going back to ancient Rome. They feed of spiritus vitae, or life essence, mainly from children. This leaves the children with a weakened immune system which leaves them vulnerable to illnesses like pneumonia which can kill them. They work their way through the siblings in a family.

Vulnerable to: When feeding (and only then) they are vulnerable to being shot with consecrated wrought iron buckshot or pistol rounds.

SIREN

A creature which can change its shape to appear human, though its true face can be seen in mirrors. It may seem to be either male or female, depending on how it chooses to approach a victim. It can manipulate feelings of love, whether sexual or platonic, and causes its victims to kill someone they love.

The siren's call is transmitted through saliva. It first charms its way through the victim's defenses by reading their mind and pretending to be the 'perfect match' for the victim. It then infects them by fluid transfer. The infection leaves traces of oxytocin in the victim's blood - this is a love hormone that provokes feelings of euphoria.

Vulnerable to: A bronze dagger dipped into the blood of someone it has infected. The death of a siren releases its victims from its spell.

WENDIGO

A creature that was once human but was transformed into an immortal evil spirit when it took up the practice of cannibalism. Wendigoes are cursed to wander the land, eternally seeking to fulfil their voracious appetite for human flesh.

Various Native American tribes tell slightly different stories about this creature and refer to it by different names – Wendigo , Witigo , Witiko and Wee-Tee-Go – but each version roughly translates to mean the evil spirit that devours mankind . Around 1860, a German explorer translated Wendigo as cannibal.

Wendigoes are believed to live in the northern woods of Minnesota and in the north central regions of Canada . Kenora , Canada , has been given the title of Wendigo Capital of the World by many. Sightings of the creature in this area have continued well into the new millennium.

Wendigoes are generally rumoured to be gigantic spirits, over fifteen feet tall, lanky and with glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs, terrible claws and overly long tongues. Sometimes they are said to have a sallow, yellowish skin; other times they are described as being matted with hair. The Wendigo's full powers have never been recorded. The creature excels at stealth and is a near-perfect hunter, knowing and using every inch of its territory – caves, hills, trees and bushes. Some stories posit that Wendigoes can control the weather through the use of dark magic.

Vulnerable to: Fire, explosions

WEREWOLF

Emerging from Greek Mythology, the werewolf is a person who changes into a wolf by means of infection, magic or by being placed under a curse. Most of the time, this transformation is brought on by the appearance of a full moon.

In shifted form, a werewolf has canine-like teeth and claws, and enhanced strength and agility. They do not remember anything of their wolf-time activities after they revert to human form.

Vulnerable to: It is believed that the only way to kill a werewolf is with a silver bullet, but in fact can be killed by any wound that destroys the heart or the brain.

WOMAN IN WHITE

A folk tale with many variations. The most famous is a Mexican story about La Llorona – the Sobbing Woman.

The story involves a beautiful woman in love with a nobleman with whom she had two children though her lover refused to marry her. When he finally deserted her and married another woman, the girl went mad with rage and stabbed her two children. Authorities found her wandering the street, sobbing, her clothes covered in blood. She was charged with infanticide and sent to the gallows.

Ever since, it is said, the ghost of La Llorona walks the country at night in her bloody dress, crying out for her murdered children. If she finds any child, she's likely to carry it away with her to the nether regions, where her own spirit dwells.

Women in White are ghosts who seek out living people (usually men) who are unfaithful or dishonest and punishing them with death which usually mimics their own.

Vulnerable to: Forcing them to confront their own sins.

WRAITH

A wraith is an apparition, vision, or double of another living person. Its appearance is commonly seen as an omen that the person being doubled is about to die. This is because in fact wraiths are creatures which feed directly on the cranial fluid of humans. Their true form is revealed in mirrors.

Vulnerable to: Silver weaponry.