Teeny Tiny Tales of Terror: H is for Horrible!

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

A question buzzing in my mind since I first read RLCS: why keep the distinction between Green/Annis/Sea Hag, when you can have a "all-around-Hag" with the template?

Why have vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, when you can have all three mashed up in the same bowl?

Ah... the dreaded Neopolitan Hag...

Hebi-no-ana:

Her silken kimono reached the floor. Her porclein, exotic feature smiled beautifically at Alanik.

"Rokuma women are known for their... talents, Ray-San," she said, bowing slightly at Alanik.

Alanik merely smiled as she spoke, "But you are hardly a woman now, are you Samako?"

She hissed, and drew her arms from the billowing folds of her sleeves. Alanik was right, she was no woman, for her arms where two writhing snakes.

Before she could move, Alanik had drawn his pistol and unleashed a shot between her eyes. "You can come out now, my dear Arthur," he said, "She will not bother us further tonight."

-From the Journals of Arthur Sedgwick.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Half-golem, flesh [Monster Manual II]

Triumph of modern medicine

The famous anatomist James Fanshaw today released from his charity clinic day laborer Edward "Red Ned" Fiennes, who returns to his vocation as a bricklayer with a new left arm and leg to replace those lost in a work accident earlier this week...Fanshaw's surgical skill were sufficient to graft an arm and leg taken from anatomical specimens onto the unfortunate Fiennes...

Paridon Newsbill 28 February 748


Tragedy in Bridge Street!

Reknowned man of science James Fanshaw was found murdered today in his Bridge Street clinic...his attacker was evidently a very powerful left-handed man, who beat him severely about the neck and head and left him for dead...the constabulary is temporarily stymied in part by the lack of any discernable motive, as Fanshaw was well-liked in his social circle, in addition to his well-known willingness to give advanced and experimental medical treatment even to the poorest members of the community.

Paridon Newsbill, 4 April 748

Hellhound [Monster Manual]

"Artabaxes! Ahriman! Chivvy him!" The voice of the Black Duke rang out behind me, and I heard the baying of his monstrous hounds as they took my scent. Cutting sharply to the left, I plunged into the ravine, making for the stream I had seen earlier...

...I had not heard the hounds for some minutes, and I began to hope against hope that they had proved fallible, after all. Ducking my head to the water, I drank; when I raised my face, I found myself eye to eye with one of the Duke's hell-hounds. Its eyes glowed with a malignant red phosphor, and gouts of flames dripped from its jaws and plunged hissing into the stream.

from The Beast of Ehrendton

[cure]

HEAD HUNTER

When the mane of disheveled hair broke the crest of the ridge we were overcome with joy. Roya had returned to us. The badlands had not claimed another victim. And in the moment afterward we knew the perfect opposite of that emotion, for worse even than the eight legs that bore her head towards us, was the twisted, hungry expression branded upon that formerly cherubic face.

- Beheaded: Collected Tales, an unfinished manuscript by Jacqueline Montarri

[Jakob]

Hannya

"Please, O Most Wise, save my daughter. The demon took her soul, and so I came to your hut, crossing the mountains and the wild river, the swamp and the woods" Jiro said "My clothes are worn, and my stomach empty"
"Yes, I will help your daughter" the old woman said "You traveled long and hard, young man. Now rest"
Thus, Jiro sat in the hut of the wise woman, adorned of symbols of death.
"I know of the demon in your daughter's body, and he was my enemy. But mind you, young man: my help will not come without a price" the wise woman said "And you will pay it, for I will save, yes, and then take the life of your daughter, should you not agree to my price"
It was only then that Jiro saw the small horns on her face, the terrible visage and bent shoulders, and understood that the price would be dire ideed.

"Jiro and the witch" traditional Rokumi tale

Note: I know the Hannya of OA is more a serpentine hag, but since the "true" hannya is like this, I preferred to depict it more like its traditional Japanese form.

[Mangrum]

Halfling: I'm afraid I'm going to have to veto this, at least as it stands now. It's very nice, but also quite generic. Not only does it not have an identifiable Ravenloft atmosphere or tie, the god Gruumsh is likely all but unknown in the Lands of Mist (seeing as he is the god of an unknown race).

Hannya: This is generally fine, but it needs to be rewritten so that it does reflect the (D&D) monster this blurb would accompany.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Hag, sea hag [Monster Manual]

He had not gone far when he saw an old woman sitting on the beach and weeping, just as he had been told, all wrapped and veiled until her skin could not be seen at all. Cautiously he came to her side, and said, "Can I help you, Grandmother?"

"Oh, young man, I've lost my golden ring among all this sand. Surely you'll help an old woman to find her golden ring?"

"Of course, Grandmother," he replied, and put on the spectacles the peddler had given him for just such an occasion.

And it was just as well he did, for as he bent his face to the sand the old woman put aside her veil and grinned, and he felt his heart turn to ice to see her face, so ugly and evil it was! But the peddler's spectacles did their work, and he did not fall down in a faint, nor lose his strength, as men do when they see that awful face; and so when she flew at his throat with her horrid clawed hands he was prepared.

The Magic Spectacles, traditional Mordentish

[cure]

HULKING CORPSE

“So this is the work of the Whispered One, of the Breaker of the Chain. But it is artless! There is almost none of his craft in it. It is a child’s toy, a witless play thing, a distraction from THEM. It is fit only for Ezrite terrifying, ogre throwing, treant wrestling! Or to receive the new Lamordian ambassador . . . .”

-Lord of Necropolis, a forged and calumnious autobiographical parody of the life of Azalin Rex

or

HULKING CORPSE

“So this is the work of the Whispered One, of the Breaker of the Chain. But it is artless! There is almost none of his craft in it. It is a child’s toy, a witless play thing, a distraction from THEM. It is fit only for Lamordian educating, Ezrite terrifying, ogre throwing, treant wrestling!”

-Azlan Rex disparaging the utility of flotsam from the wreck of Cavitius

[cure]

HALFLING

“Running the little beggars down is easy. Surprising them and fixing them in place less so. Sinking one’s claws and teeth into them takes some effort, for they can be dodgy, unless they are dead. It is best to get in close by them right quick for they love to pelt you with all manner of hurtful stuff. And don’t turn your back on them. They make good eating, especially the plump one’s, often smelling of sweet cakes while still kicking and of fish after a few days. Their shoeless feet are delectable. Have you ever tried one cooked?”

-Interview with a Ghoul