Teeny Tiny Tales of Terror: S is for Sinister

[Mangrum]

Since inspiration seems to have dried up for the preceding letters, here’s the letter S. This is the last of the massive collections; the remaining letters in the alphabet have fewer creatures.

Done! Sahuagin [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Salt mummy [Monster Manual III] Pic
Done! Salt shadow [Ravenloft Gazetteer IV]
Done! Scarab, hoard [Draconomicon] Pic
Done! Scarab, monstrous [Denizens of Dread]
Done! Scarab swarm, death [Sandstorm]
Done! Scarecrow, dread [Denizens of Dread]
Done! Scorpion, monstrous [Monster Manual]
Done! Scourged [Ravenloft Gazetteer V]
Done! Sea cat [Monster Manual] Pic
Sea spawn, master [Denizens of Dread]
Sea spawn, minion [Denizens of Dread]
Done! Seawolf [Stormwrack] Pic
Done! Selkie, dread [Fiend Folio] Pic
Done! Shadow [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Shadow asp [Fiend Folio/Denizens of Dread] Pic
Done! Shadow mastiff [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Shadow spider [Monster Manual II] Pic
Done! Shambling mound, dread (mandragora) [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Silver fox (elven fox) [Ravenloft Gazetteer I]
Done! Sirine [Monster Manual II] Pic
Done! Skeletal warbeast [Heroes of Battle]
Done! Skeleton [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Skin kite [Libris Mortis] Pic
Done! Skin thief [Denizens of Dread]
Done! Skulking cyst [Libris Mortis] Pic
Done! Skull beetle [Tower of Doom, Book of Sacrifices]
Done! Slaymate [Libris Mortis] Pic
Done! Soul kraken [Neither Man Nor Beast]
Done! Spawn of Kyuss [Monster Manual II] Pic
Done! Spectral lyrist [Libris Mortis] Pic
Done! Spectral panther [Monsters of Faerûn] Pic
Done! Spectre [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Spellstitched creature [Complete Arcane, Monster Manual II] Pic
Done! Spider, hairy [Monsters of Faerûn] Pic
Done! Spider, monstrous [Monster Manual]
Done! Spider, shroud web [Book of Sacrifices]
Done! Spider, sword [Monsters of Faerûn] Pic
Done! Spirit animal [Frostburn] Pic
Done! Splinterwaif [Monster Manual III] Pic
Done! Spriggan [Monster Manual II] Pic
Done! Stakewood tree [new]
Stitched [Van Richten’s Guide to the Walking Dead]
Done! Strahd Undead [Ravenloft Gazetteer I]
Done! Subdweller [Denizens of Dread]
Done! Swarm, bat [Monster Manual]
Done! Swarm, cat [new]
Done! Swarm, centipede [Monster Manual]
Done! Swarm, fumewood termite [Book of Sacrifices]
Done! Swarm, jellyfish [Stormwrack] Pic
Done! Swarm, leech [Stormwrack]
Done! Swarm, locust [Monster Manual] Pic
Done! Swarm, pest [Cityscape]
Done! Swarm, piranha [Stormwrack] Pic
Done! Swarm, rat [Monster Manual]
Swarm, scarab beetle [Fiend Folio]
Done! Swarm, scorpion [Sandstorm]
Done! Swarm, spider [Monster Manual]
Done! Swarm, viper [Fiend Folio]
Done! Swarm, wasp [Fiend Folio]
Done! Swarm-shifter [Libris Mortis] Pic
Swordwraith [Fiend Folio] Pic

Sahuagin: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Aquatic), CR 2, LE. Also known as sea devils, these scaly shark-men are a major menace beneath the waves. Beyond Ravenloft, they’re the natural enemy of aquatic elves, but the latter aren’t really present in the Demiplane of Dread. Their race is also known for its mutations: about one in two hundred has four arms, and if a community of aquatic elves lives nearby, about one in a hundred is born as a malenti: a sahuagin that outwardly looks just like an aquatic elf.

Salt Mummy: Medium Undead, CR 8, chaotic evil. The walking corpse of a humanoid whose body was inadvertently desiccated by salt deposits after burial. Its desiccated body is encrusted with salt crystals. Its touch desiccates living creatures, but all water burns it like holy water.

Salt Shadow: Medium Undead (Cold), CR 7, chaotic evil. Living pools of semi-liquid salt and darkness, which originate from a pool in the Veidrava mines beneath Sithicus. Their touch can corrode flesh or sap Strength. They can also possess the living indefinitely, and can spawn new salt shadows. Due to Inza’s role as darklord, salt shadows in Sithicus cannot possess Innocent folk.

Scarab, Hoard: Fine Vermin, CR 1/2, neutral. Eyeless golden beetles that often infest vast hordes of treasure. They can be easily mistaken for coins by the unwary. They burrow into the flesh of their victims.

Scarab, Monstrous: Tiny to Colossal Vermin, CR 1/4 to 11, neutral. Giant, flesh-eating scarab beetles with ravenous appetites. Generally found only in the Amber Wastes.

Scarab Swarm, Death: Diminutive Undead (Swarm), CR 7, neutral. A swarm of black, undead scarab beetles with ravenous appetites. These swarms have hive minds. While swarming over a victim, the beetles try to crawl into the creature’s mouth and other orifices, quickly devouring the victim from the inside out and from the outside in. Generally only found in the tombs of the Amber Wastes.

Scarecrow, Dread: Medium Construct, neutral evil. Like grisgols, dread scarecrows are constructs animated by an undead, rather than elemental, spirit. Not terribly tough, they usually attack with farmer’s weapons, such as scythes. Vulnerable to fire. Their attacks curse the victim, drawing swarms of vermin to attack them. Created when a farmer’s spirit is trapped within a common scarecrow, by lashing a living victim inside a scarecrow’s frame and leaving them to die of exposure in the fields. They can be created on purpose or self animated.

Scorpion, Monstrous: Tiny to Colossal Vermin, CR 1/4 to 11, neutral. Giant scorpions. Generally found only in the Amber Wastes.

Scourged: Template Undead (modifies zombies), CR +1, neutral evil. Sand-scoured victims of the Scourge of Arak, the sandstorm that wiped out all surface life in 588 BC. Basically the same as a zombie, but once a day a scourged can breathe a flensing cone of sand. People killed by a scourged’s breath weapon rises as a new scourged.

Sea Cat: Large Magical Beast, CR 4, neutral. A vicious predator of the seas. Basically a sea lion with a head and webbed paws resembling those of a great cat. They hunt in shallow coastal waters. They go out of their way to attack selkies and sharks, but otherwise basically act like aquatic lions.


Sea Spawn, Master: Large Aberration (Aquatic), CR 5, lawful evil, and:

Sea Spawn, Minion: Diminutive Aberration (Aquatic, Symbiont), CR 1, lawful evil.

Master sea spawn are aquatic reptilian monsters that hunt by sending their eel-like, amphibious larva (sea spawn minions) onto land. The minions slip inside humanoids, taking control of them. After infiltrating society, the hive-mind spawn return to the sea, often dragging non-infected neighbors along with them, where the master waits to feed. The scenario’s a little bit like an aquatic version of the movie Slither, come to think of it.

Seawolf: Medium Magical Beast (Shapechanger), CR 3, chaotic evil. A lycanthrope-like trickster beast. Its true form is a wolf-headed seal. Like lycanthropes, their bite spreads a dire curse that permanently transforms humans into seawolves like themselves. They usually live as pirates and scavengers. “In Ravenloft, the largest seawolf community is a shantytown called Baytown, located on the northeastern coast of the Isle of Agony in Lamordia. Their rough-and-tumble shacks are constructed from driftwood and supplies stolen from wrecked or raided ships. When the Baytown raiders create a new seawolf, they imprison the unfortunate victim in an unused shack while they await the new moon.”

Selkie, Dread: Medium Humanoid (Aquatic, Shapechanger), CR 1, N. These shapechangers are seals at sea, humans on land. They change shape by removing their sealskin, and can only change shape in between the land and the sea – namely, in the surf. They’re curious about the land and its people, but ultimately tied to the sea. Many coastal folk (such as the Mordentish) tell tales of fishermen who espied beautiful selkies and stole their sealskins, forcing them into marriage. If a selkie ever finds its sealskin, it immediately returns to the sea, abandoning any life it may have had on land. The children of humans and selkies are entirely human, though they two have a deep longing for the sea and often become noted seafarers. Selkies often bear mithril weapons, but where they get them is a mystery. Selkies are often mistaken for similar monsters such as seawolves or were-sea cats.

Shadow: Medium Undead (Incorporeal), CR 3, chaotic evil. Undead spirits spawned by the Plane of Shadow. Their touch drains Strength and spawns more shadows.

Shadow Asp: Tiny Magical Beast (Extraplanar), CR 1, neutral. Serpents from the Plane of Shadow, sometimes summoned to act as guardians for ancient tombs in the Amber Wastes. They are destroyed by daylight, but their venom transforms living victims into undead shadows.

Shadow Mastiff: Medium Outsider (Extraplanar), CR 5, neutral evil. Black hounds native to the Plane of Shadow. They can panic creatures with their baying howls and blend with shadows. Semi-intelligent.

Shadow Spider: Huge Magical Beast (Extraplanar), CR 12, neutral. A massive, shadowy spider native to the Plane of Shadow. It has a paralytic venomous bite, and its black silk is extremely slippery. It can shadow walk at will.

Shambling Mound, Dread (Mandragora): Large Plant, CR 6, neutral. A hulking, vaguely humanoid mass of vegetation. Unharmed by electricity; in fact, it strengthens them. They crush their foes. “In the Boglands of Darkon, the twisted skein of life has produced spuma vita, a form of pond scum overwhelmingly flooded with positive energy. A creature that consumes spuma vita gains fast healing 1 for 24 hours, but if it dies while the scum is still active in its system, the algae merges with the residue of the creature’s life force. Over the course of weeks or months, the pond scum absorbs the corpse, growing into its rough shape. When the process is complete, the now-digested corpse rises as a shambling mound of the same or similar size category as the dead creature.

“To determine a mandragora’s Intelligence score, reduce the dead creature’s Intelligence by 2d4 points. If this results in a score below 1, the shambler has no (—) Intelligence score. The creature also loses a percentage of its living memories equal to the above dice result × 10%. A shambler retains none of the special abilities of the original creature.

“Mandragorae resemble the creatures they absorbed in only the vaguest of terms. A shambler arising from a humanoid’s corpse has a generally humanoid form, with a barrel-shaped body, ropy arms, stumpy legs, and at most a spongy lump where its head should be. A shambler’s brain and sensory organs are located in its upper body.

“A shambler is almost totally silent and invisible in its natural surroundings, often catching opponents flat-footed. It may lie partially submerged in a shallow bog, waiting patiently for some creature to walk onto it. Shamblers move easily through water as well, and they have been known to sneak into the camps of unsuspecting travelers at night. In a few rare and infamous cases, shamblers have been reported that retained enough scraps of their living memory to act on them, often crudely attempting to complete unfinished tasks important to the digested creature at the time of its death — such as seeking vengeance.”

Silver Fox (Elven Fox): Small Magical Beast, CR 1/2, neutral. A swift, clever, silver-furred fox native to elven forests, such as eastern Darkon and Sithicus.

Sirine: Medium Fey (Aquatic), CR 5, chaotic neutral. Playful female fey that live beneath the waves. They sometimes enjoy companionship, for a time. Not terribly fearsome in a fight, but they can charm people with their song, sap (or restore) Intelligence with their touch, and they have a few useful spell-like abilities. Primarily included for the Lady of the Lake.

Skeletal Warbeast: Large Undead, CR 4, neutral evil. Created by necromancers, these war steeds have the skeletal bodies of warhorses attached to an oryx (a type of antelope) skull. “In Ravenloft, skeletal warbeasts first appeared in the Burning Peaks, created to serve the cavalry in the undead armies of Cavitius. The secrets of their creation may have since spread along with Vecna’s surviving cultists.” They have a powerful charge and can pass without trace.

Skeleton: Template Undead, CR varies, neutral evil. Standard, mindless walkin’ bones. Includes several variants.

Skin Kite: Small Undead, CR 3, neutral evil. A flying flap of tattered skin that melds with living creatures, then feeds on their skin, spawning more skin kites.

Skin Thief: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Shapechanger), CR 2, chaotic evil. Vicious, shaggy, vaguely ursine humanoids with clawed, eight-fingered hands. They can flay their dead victims, then wear their skin, disguising themselves as normal Medium humanoids. Think “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” or “The Hills Have Eyes.”

Skulking Cyst: Small Undead, CR 4, chaotic evil. A roiling mass of internal organs and tumors, created by the necrotic cyst spell. It attaches itself to living victims and drains their blood. Can also create magical darkness and create new necrotic cysts.

Skull Beetle: Fine Vermin, CR 1, neutral. A stupidly aggressive beetle with an incredibly toxic bite. In the worst case scenario, its venom dissolves all flesh in the victim, leaving nothing but the eyes. Can also spray acid.

Slaymate: Small Undead, CR 2, lawful evil. The animated corpse of a child who died due to the malice or neglect of a parent or guardian. They have a diseased bite, but they aren’t very fierce in combat. However, their invisible aura empowers necromantic spells, so necromancers sometimes wear one of these creatures for the power boost.

Soul Kraken: Huge Magical Beast (Aquatic), CR 9, NE (and the elder soul kraken, Gargantuan Magical Beast, CR 12, NE). A smaller version of the MM kraken. Less physical power, can’t charm creatures, and doesn’t care about ruling deep-sea kingdoms. Instead, these smaller kin dwell in shallow waters, usually near reefs or shoals. They sink ships to use as lairs, surrounding themselves with sunken treasures. Soul krakens can mount creatures’ heads on the tips of their tentacles. They can work these heads like puppets — even see through their eyes and use them to speak — which has fooled many sailors into thinking these creatures devour their victims’ souls. Soul krakens use their head-mounted tentacles like long serpents to reach inside foundering ships and snatch up hiding crewmen. The elder soul kraken is as powerful as the MM kraken. This creature is inspired by an encounter in Neither Man Nor Beast, although the soul kraken there is actually just a regular AD&D kraken with a fresh coat of paint.

Spawn of Kyuss: Medium Undead, CR 5, chaotic evil. A zombie-like corpse infested with otherworldly worms. When the spawn attacks, it transfers a few worms to its victim. These worms then burrow into the victim’s flesh, creating a new spawn of Kyuss. These creatures recently received a lot of attention in Dungeon Magazine’s “Age of Worms” adventure path.

Spectral Lyrist: Medium Undead (Incorporeal), CR 4, chaotic evil. The spirit of a bard who used its artistic talents to ruin lives in life. They can pose as living, corporeal folk. Their touch drains Charisma, and they retain some of their bardic talents.

Spectral Panther: Large Magical Beast (Incorporeal), CR 4, neutral evil. A black panther that can make itself incorporeal for a limited time while still attacking corporeal foes. Also has a fear aura. Generally found in Valachan.

Spectre: Medium Undead (Incorporeal), CR 7, lawful evil. These evil ghosts drain life energy with their touch, spawning more specters. Sunlight renders them powerless, and animals panic in their presence.

Spellstitched Creature: Template Undead, CR +1. Undead creatures that have been enhanced through the use of arcane runes carved into its body. The base creature gains several spell-like abilities, damage reduction, and spell resistance.

Spider, Hairy: Fine Vermin, CR 1/4, neutral. Hairy, subterranean spiders the size of a human hand. Mildly poisonous bite. Subterranean spellcasters sometimes use them as familiars.

Spider, Monstrous: Tiny to Colossal Vermin, CR 1/4 to 11, neutral. Giant spiders. Most common in the Mountains of Misery.

Spider, Shroud Web: Fine Vermin, CR 2, neutral. Extremely poisonous spiders found only in the domain of Kislova. See Baroness of Blood for more details.

Spider, Sword: Large Vermin, CR 5, neutral. Big, black, hairy spiders with long, bladelike legs. They have a poisonous bite and can impale foes on their blades. Most common in the Mountains of Misery.

Spirit Animal: Template Fey, CR +1, neutral. Natural manifestations of the collective will of animals, these spirits are sometime mistaken for ghosts. Usually manifest only when conjured by powerful spellcasters (such as druids and spirit shamans).

Splinterwaif: Medium Fey, CR 2, neutral evil. These urban fey are gaunt humanoids with hair and skin covered in jagged splinters and spurs. They can sneak attack like rogues, can cause thorn bushes to spring up on command, can spit splinters at foes, and can camouflage themselves at will. They can also transform some corpses into thorn bushes. Rumored to be the twisted spirits of dryads whose trees were destroyed. They are malevolent, and enjoy catching and eating children.

Spriggan: Small Fey, CR 2, neutral evil. A nasty little fey, resembling an ugly gnome. At will, they can sprout up into a Large form with the physical power of an ogre. In their true form, they can sneak attack like rogues and can use produce flame, scare, and shatter as spell-like abilities. They sometime pose as gnomes.

Stakewood Tree: Huge Plant, CR 8, neutral. See the New Monsters file I put out a while ago.

Stitched: Medium Undead, CR 4 (-ish), chaotic evil. Necromantic creations, stitched are created from two humanoid corpses sewn together. Their claws deal bleeding wounds and spread a disease called stitching rot. This disease slowly paralyzes the victim, stitching its limbs together and its eyes, nose, and lips shut. Unless cured, the victim eventually suffocates.

Strahd Undead: Template undead, CR +1, neutral evil. Mindless zombies and skeletons created by Strahd von Zarovich. They’re slightly more powerful and can prove hard to permanently kill. Although only one blurb is needed, I’ll also accept separate blurbs for the Strahd zombie (human warrior + zombie template + Strahd undead template), Strahd skeleton (human warrior + skeleton template + Strahd undead template), and Strahd’s sksletal steed (warhorse + skeleton template + Strahd undead template).

Subdweller: Medium Humanoid (Human), CR 1, chaotic evil. Humans who have adapted to — and have been driven hopelessly mad by — life in the labyrinthine tunnels of Bluetspur.

Swarm, General: Swarms of lesser creatures acting as a single mass. All these varieties are here because they often come up as minions for more powerful creatures.

Swarm, Bat: Diminutive Animal (Swarm), CR 2, neutral. A swarm of bloodthirsty bats. A common sight in the Barovian night sky.

Swarm, Cat: Tiny Animal (Swarm), CR 3, neutral. A swarm of feral cats (pakas can call them to service).

Swarm, Centipede: Diminutive Vermin (Swarm), CR 4, neutral. A swarm of poisonous centipedes.

Swarm, Fumewood Termite: Fine Vermin (Swarm), neutral. A swarm of fumewood termites. Native to Sithicus, they eat flesh as readily as wood.

Swarm, Hoard Scarab: Fine Vermin (Swarm), CR 5, neutral. A swarm of hoard scarabs.

Swarm, Jellyfish: Diminutive Vermin (Aquatic, Swarm), CR 5, neutral. A swarm of normal, toxic jellyfish.

Swarm, Leech: Fine Vermin (Aquatic, Swarm), CR 1, neutral. A swarm of normal leeches. Usually encountered in the bottom of goblin pit traps.

Swarm, Locust: Diminutive Vermin (Swarm), CR 3, neutral. A swarm of ravenous locusts. They eat creatures and crops alike.

Swarm, Pest: Tiny Animal (Swarm), CR 3, neutral. A swarm of stray cats, dogs, birds, and vermin; basically an amalgamation of unwanted urban animals. Usually comes into being due to a spell introduced in Cityscape.

Swarm, Piranha: Tiny Animal (Aquatic, Swarm), CR 4, neutral. A danger to look out for in the Verdurous Lands (yes, I know piranhas don’t live in India or Africa, but guess what — Sri Raj and the Wildlands ain’t India or Africa).

Swarm, Rat: Tiny Animal (Swarm), CR 2, neutral. A common sight in the sewers of Richemulot, and many vampires can call them to service.

Swarm, Scarab Beetle: Fine Vermin (Swarm), CR 19, neutral. A swarm of ravenous scarab beetles. They can devour creatures in moments, leaving nothing but inorganic materials. A menace in the caverns of the Amber Wastes.

Swarm, Scorpion: Diminutive Vermin (Swarm), CR 5, neutral. A swarm of scorpions. Another desert menace from the Amber Wastes.

Swarm, Spider: Diminutive Vermin (Swarm), CR 1, neutral. A swarm of spiders. Usually summoned up by monsters or magic, but also an occasional problem in the Mountains of Misery.

Swarm, Viper: Diminutive Animal (Swarm), CR 3, neutral. A swarm of poisonous snakes.

Swarm, Wasp: Fine Vermin (Swarm), CR 2, neutral. A swarm of normal, agitated wasps.

Swarm-Shifter: Template Undead, CR +1. A creature that can the form of a swarm of tiny creatures, such as flies, rats, or the like. Price Mircea, darklord of Sanguinia, is a swarm-shifter. As a point of trivia, one of the Seven Scarabs of Sakkaramon (see Jameld of Hroth’s Dread Possibility in Van Richten’s Arsenal) granted the power to become a swarm-shifter (taking the form of a swarm of sand).

Swordwraith: Template Undead, CR +2, lawful evil. Undead remains of mercenaries who lived and died by the sword. They appear as slightly translucent corpses wearing battered gear. Their eyes glow dimly in low light. They haunt the sites of their deaths — often battlefields — looking to put more soldiers to death. The base creature (always a fighter) gains damage reduction and its weapon attacks also deal Strength damage.

[Gemathustra]

Skeletal warbeast [Heroes of Battle]
"And lo! A great horse with a rider came bursting through the woods!"
"Well, it looked like a horse: it had these big swords stuck to its head."
"They were horns, but they cut like swords! And the beast had a saddle and jewels and gold all over it, matched the rider's armor."
"After it tore up the marketplace and set the chapel on fire, the fiends leapt into the forest."
"What did the rider look like?"
"Hard to say... He was dressed up in old dusty armor."
"And neither of'em had any flesh... When they leapt into the forest, the rider turned his head around-"
"Like an owl!"
"And he screamed "Help me!" at us."

-From the notes of Rudolph Van Richten, concerning the "Horned Fiend of Rivalis"

[cure]

SHADOW ASP

Thirst. Avarice. Lust for power. They were the whip that our impromptu guide wielded dexterously in driving us to a destination of his choosing. We reached the Tomb of Ankhtepot at sunset and the disturbing baying which had punctuated our approach fell silent, pleasing greatly the fellow, as though confirming some secret calculation. Awe alone - inspired by the magnificent structure and its soaring statues - slowed our passage from the world above to that below. A great temple emerged from the darkness, then a greater one still, dominated by a colossal statue, that of the deceased pharaoh himself. Avarice overcame thirst and good sense, for rather than pausing there, to seek out the rumored well, we rushed onward, our company scrambling up a wide, steep staircase. Whereupon the first of six horrors befell us. Countless cobras, hooded and black as night, materialized in our midst, seemingly from the very shadows. Four crewmen and our guide did not quit that staircase, at least not alive, they being poisoned and trampled to death. And the second horror was already upon us. As we stumbled back to safety, our skin, beginning at the point or points where we had been bitten, was turning the inky black of the snakes. The surviving crewmen wailed that it was the mark of death and indeed we all thought as much, but it was not so, for a majority of us lived and for the rest it was worse. Some collapsed utterly, their bodies dissipating into mere shadow. Others, and this was the third horror, joined their fallen brothers from the staircase as living, or rather unliving, shadows bent upon our perdition.

-The Wreck of the Albatross, Juno Luteum, Darkonese adventurer

[cure]

SCARAB SWARM, DEATH
(or SWARM, SCARAB BEETLES as Ankhtepot can magically sustain them as with the Death Dogs outside the tomb complex)

Elaenor, with those sharp eyes of hers, spotted the secret door. We opened it and mounted the staircase beyond with the greatest caution, fearing in equal measure traps and snakes. After many minutes and our terror at finding another sarcophagus, we were overjoyed to again feel upon our flesh the fiery sun. But it was barely mid-morning and as mad as it was to spend another moment in the tomb, it was madder still to brave the coming mid-day heat. A watch was set and we rested as best we could. As the hours crept by, our courage returned, as did the lure of the realm below where treasure, a well and Raoul might still be found. Elaenor and Theben led the way, unwisely taking for granted the steps which we had previously trod. A loud crack announced the sixth and final horror, as the pair plunged from sight. The initial shriek of Elaenor was followed not by a sickening thud but rather a terrible scream choked off quickly. At the bottom of the pit we could distinguish her prone form engulfed by insects. Theben had been luckier, having managed to catch himself. But the beetles swarmed up the side of the pit and were upon him even as we put a rope into his hands. In the mere seconds that it took for us to haul him up, the ravenous horde had eaten through to bone.

-The Wreck of the Albatross, Juno Lutuem, Darkonese adventurer

[cure]

SCOURGED

“I have often wondered whether the Marbh-Cathairians are just going through the motions. While my admonition that the Hour of Ascension is nigh commands their earnest attention, it fails to strike terror into their hearts. Even the blind would recognise in them a passionless lot, cut from a drab cloth, sadly afflicted with withering breath. You will see that they are surely too lost in their petty concerns to ever recover a visceral fear of the Gray Realm. But join me on the walls tomorrow at dawn and discover their hidden face. They are a good people. They do what they can, the best way they know how, to sustain the kingdom of life in the desert of Death. Of course their efforts are imperfect. But that is why my place is at their side, to buttress them that there might still be a world for our children.”

-Unwald Rottennail, demented sentinel of the Eternal Order

[cure]

SKULL BEETLE

"She had the most beautiful eyes. I could stare into their blue depths for hours. And so I did. For that was all that remained of her after that damn bug."

-Distraught resident of Nartok

[Irving the Meek]

SKELETON

Have you seen the ghost of John?
Snow white bones and rest all gone...
Oooh! Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on?

- Traditional

[Gemathustra]

Scarab, Hoard
"Achmed was a fool. He was always lead astray, whether it was the twinkle of a woman's eye, or the glitter of gold."
"The glitter of gold, by the way, was what lead to his demise, in fact, ever since he stole a handful of coins from a dead beggar's alms bowl. Every merchant he gave one of those strange little coins to was found dead and coinless, each with gaping holes in their bodies. The townsfolk gossipped on how Achmed was turning to thievery and murder, and eventually lynched the fool."
-from "The Tale of the Hungry Coins"

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Scarecrow, Dread:

Ever hear of Raggedy Jack? No? Well, lassie, he's no' a man ta mess wit'. Folks say tha' Jack MacGreggor was the best farmer tae ever live.

Aye, only tha' Fincher Blackstock was his equal. An' ol' Fincher dinnae like this at a'.

Folks say that Fincher beat Jack black an' blue an' tied him intae his own scarecrow. Aye, left Jack fair daied, he did. But folks say Jack clung ontae life faire fower more days before th' Reaper came for his soul. They whisper tha' Jack made a deal with th' Reaper an' got tae stay in his new body. He climbed doon fra' tha' there pole and wen' and made tha rats and mice and other wee beasties go to Fincher's farm. Fincher was penniless and wen' tae Jack's pole an' cried an' cried an' cried aboot hae he was sorry faire beatin' Jack bloody.

They say Jack climbed doon fra his pole again an' accept'd Fincher's apology. Then ol' Jack snapped the bastard's neck like it t'were a twig and climbed back ontae his pole.

Raggedy Jack's stayed there ever since, watchin' th' farmers of the area, makin' sure they're all bein' fair. Good on him I say.

-Notes from Gennifer Foxgrove-Weathermay's expidition to Tepest, collecting notes on the Fae.

[cure]

SHAMBLING MOUND

-“Your highness, the lost cast of the Ballet National du Dementlieu, it’s fate, learned I have, I think,” stammered my new Master of Ceremonies.
-"By the Vulchar, how delicious, do tell," I answered with feigned indifference.
-The elf continued with little more composure, “After its command performance, that is to say its commanded performance, I mean its shambles of a command, commanded performance, it some how took a horribly wrong turn and got itself into the Bog Lands, where - I can’t say or imagine how - the members have become, well, mounds of plant matter in want of firm roots."
-Dryly I remarked, "How unfortunate," then asked sternly, "Are you certain?"
-He screwed up his scant courage and dared look me in the eye socket as he replied: "It is them lord, for the things, or at least the most lucid of them, were performing, albeit silently, Vacheq’s Raven Field with the same improvisations that had so utterly incensed, that had so rightly, utterly incensed, your august person.”
-Whereupon I permitted myself the thought of the thinnest of smiles and said flatly: "Inform the ambassador of their location but not of their condition."

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

[cure]

SLAYMATE

-Trina nearly squealed: “Count von Zarovich, lord of Barovia, ancient as the land itself, the very devil incarnate, has a rag doll!” And she dared continue, “Do you take her to your bed, to keep you warm, to hold at bay the terrors of the day?”
-Strahd turned, fixed upon her a withering gaze, and replied levelly, even as the walls shook with the first retort of a thunderstorm, “Dog, you have no idea.”

Journal of Jander Sunstar

[Gemathustra]

Spectral Lyrist
The harpist produced a surprisingly large lyre from her dress. As she smiled, her face flushed a deep red, matching the red of her blouse.
May I sing you a song?
We nodded our approval, and her smile stretched wider, just like the rictus grin of a skull.
-Excerpt from "The Greatest Feeshka"

Swarm, Centipede
"With a final shudder, the Duke of Skulls crashed through the wall, and slumped to the floor in a silent heap. Yasmine thought it strange for all those bones and skulls to clatter upon the floor and make no noise. We brought a torch to a portion of its carcass, and saw why: the bones landed a seething legion of centipedes. A snake-sized beastie reared up and clicked its fangs in disapproval. We obliged the beastie, and beat a hasty retreat from that chamber."
- from the journals of Jerome Delacroix, Mordentish adventurer

[Joël of the FoS]

Scarab, monstrous [Denizens of Dread]

??? I don't think it's in DoDr?

---

Was Shadow Fiend done in the first batch?

Same question for pyroskeleton and Spiritwaif?

[Gemathustra]

Scarab, Monstrous
"For our crime of trespass, the nomads' chieftain said we would be made pure by their god, "Khepri," whatever it was. Once judgement had been made, we were tied to a pair of stone pillars at the bottom of a boulder-filled gorge, then doused with a ceremonial... potion made from rotten fruit. Having done this, the nomads immediately fled the gorge.
"A minute had passed when we noticed a carriage-sized boulder started moving. Three pairs of spear-like legs unfolded from underneath the boulder. The spear-legged boulder wheeled around, revealing a shovel-shaped head.
"Khepri had awoken in time for dinner."
- from the journals of Jerome Delacroix, Mordentish adventurer

[Joël of the FoS]

Salt mummy [Monster Manual III]

According to Rachid, whom we met in Hazlan to be our guide in the Amber Wastes, Azmail is a very rare type of restless dead. This creature haunting the tomb of the Pharaoh’s son is rumoured to be created from brine, instead of oils and other body perfumes usually used. It is said it made the creature extremely resilient and powerful, and its touch devastating for anything living and water based.

We’ll try to get more information when we get there, and Rachid also said we should remember to bring a lot of water to drink while looking for our prey.

Jameld of Hroth’s monster hunting notes