Iannic-ann-ôd
The small boat bobbed in the water as the last of the netting was dragged to the surface, a paltry catch. The fisherman tossed the few stragglers into the barrel and set to pulling the oars. He had stayed out later than planned, a result of the dismal return on his labours. The small lantern marking the dock glowed with an orange flame as his craft skimmed the waters of the Mor Bihan, the moon above rippling with each stroke of the oars. The rest of the shore was a uniform dark shape, a few pinpricks of distant light illuminating the homes of those who had already returned before nightfall.
"Iou! Iou!" Came the cry, a shrill wail from the shore. The fisherman scanned the shadows, but saw no one. The cry was distant and given the light, the lack of visual recognition was unsurprising. The fisherman cupped his hands and returned the cry "Iou! Iou!" He returned to his work, pulling the ship close to the gravel beach.
"Iou? Iou!" came the cry again. It seemed much closer now. The Fisherman called out "What brings you out tonight? Fishin's dismal."
"Iou? Iou!" came the cry.
"I'm a busy man. If ye don't have something more useful to say, I suggest you be on your way" the fisherman said, his anger growing.
"Iou? Iou!"
"Iou yerself!" The Fisherman replied as the shore soldified from the shadows, the lone lantern's light flickering across the wet stones.
"IOU!!" The cry made him jump. It seemed to be very close now, almost at the boat. Nervously, he scanned the beach and water, but saw nothing.
"Iou?" he said nervously. Silence followed. He pulled at the oars once more but something seemed to catch on one, dragging in the water. He peered over the gunnel. A pair of milky hand shot up from the water, wrapping around his neck and squeezing.
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"'E-man Iannic-ann-ôd o iouall!" (That is the howl of Iannic-ann-ôd!) - Breton saying on howling winds, thought to sound similar to the cry of the damned drowned.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Iannic-ann-ôd are humanoid in appearance, largely resembling the forms they had in life. While their appearance may change, their overall morphology remains fairly constant.
Genetics and Reproduction
Iannic-ann-ôd do not directly reproduce, nor can they be created artificially, instead relying on a collection of natural and magical conditions that bring about their creation. Specifically, they are the corpses of the "lost drowned", deceased Bediz who drowned in bodies of water without proper burial rights. The relative anonymity of being "lost at sea" seems to be an important aspect of this process, as intentionally drowned persons or dead bodies dumped into the sea do not become Iannic-ann-ôd, although they may manifest as other Sluagh such as Draugr or Revenants. Likewise, an individual may be known to be "lost at sea", but so long as the body is not recovered, the process can continue.
While a body being "lost at sea" is required for the Iannic-ann-ôd, it is not the only dispositive factor. Rather, a specific corpse becomes infused by magic along leylines in the water, these energies seeping physically into the body and animating it as Sluagh.
Unlike some other Sluagh, a Bediz killed by a Iannic-ann-ôd does not have any increased chance of becoming one, although such a death increases the chances of the other criteria being met. The Iannic-ann-ôd do not take any actions that show intent to increase or decrease their numbers in regards to these murders.
Growth Rate & Stages
The Iannic-ann-ôd, being effectively dead, do not grow, but they continue to decay, although the speed of this is greatly slowed by the magical energies infusing them. As time progresses, the corpses show signs typical to that of a body decaying in similar circumstances and environments, with notable bloating, sagging of the skin and discoloration. Animals and accidents will accelerate this damage, but in the right conditions, a Iannic-ann-ôd can theoretically continue its existence without limit, although this is almost unheard of in practice, as the creatures take no steps for self-preservation.
Interestingly, aside from this minor deterioration, the Iannic-ann-ôd are difficult to kill. When a hunt begins (See: Taboos), a dismembered Iannic-ann-ôd will seemingly regain dismembered limbs as it jumps between locations, making defense against the creatures difficult.
Ecology and Habitats
in the vast majority of the time, Iannic-ann-ôd are found in salt-water environments, typically coastlines, channels and marshes. Fully amphibious, they typically wander the shallows without discernible goals. They tend to remain around the area where they died, but can be pulled by currents farther away.
Iannic-ann-ôd are typically dormant during the daylight, rising from their watery graves to roam the shallows and shores at night, under stormclouds or heavily overcast skies. While they do not react to sunlight, they will slowly retreat from it.
Dietary Needs and Habits
N/A. Iannic-ann-ôd do not need to eat or drink and no reliable reports exist suggesting otherwise. Their existence is preserved by the magical properties of the water in their bodies.
Behaviour
The Iannic-ann-ôd have been seen to cut the moorings of boats at harbor.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Iannic-ann-ôd typically make no expressions beyond their neutral staring baseline, their mouths hanging open in a blank, slack-jawed manner. Often, the soft parts of the bodies, such as eyes and tongues, will be eaten by birds and fish. Prone to bloating, their skin often seems to hang loose off of their bones. What hair remains is often thin and falling out, giving them a bald appearance.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Iannic-ann-ôd are found along the Ar Mor throughout Alvez, but are especially prevalent in dangerous stretches of waters, such as the rocky coast of the Armorican Peninsula and throughout the Shatterlands, where sailors and coastal inhabitants are lost to the treacherous seas. Iannic-ann-ôd sometimes was inland during storms and high tides, leading many to be found in coastal marshes and remote beaches.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Despite possessing various human sensory organs, Iannic-ann-ôd do not respond to visual, olfactory or tactile stimuli, relying exclusively on auditory cues. Their distinctive cries of "iou" appear to operated as a rudimentary form of echolocation, using it to hunt and navigate their surroundings. The exact nature of their hearing capabilities remain unclear, but they are known to react to sound both over great distances or with complex sophistication, responding to minute sounds like drops of water, breathing or even heartbeats.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Also called krierien-noz (Night Screamers)
Common Taboos
Iannic-ann-ôd are typically passive, wandering aimlessly without reacting to each other or other creatures, expelling a cry of "Iou! Iou!" They are typically not hostile or even active, showing no indication of awareness or intelligence. Should the cry be returned, however, this changes.
The first time the cry is returned, they close half the distance between themselves and the respondant, seemingly instantaneously, vanishing from one location and appearing at another. The next response, they will close half the remaining distance. On the third and final cry, they will break the speaker's neck. With the speaker dead at their feet, they return to their wanderings without further interaction. Once the third cry is given, they will not stop until the speaker is dead, slipping restraints and passing through solid stone in their drive to kill the speaker. The creature is not restricted to the coastline and can travel far inland and even into the air to enact its ere-hud.
Only oaken wood can block their path, and they will point on oaken doors until daylight, but will not cross a threshold with a sealed oaken door. They will not step on the deck of a oaken ship, or puncture through an oaken hull, although they will kill a speaker who approaches the edge.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The Iannic-ann-ôd arise from Bediz lost at sea and have the most interaction with mortals. An (often-fatal) dare is to respond to a wailing wind on the assumption it is a Iannic-ann-ôd, a show of bravery and bravado. Should the third cry be responded to, very little will save the respondent or any who try to block the creature's path.
The Marie-Morgane will often destroy the creatures if they come across them, putting them to rest in a funerary ritual. The Finfolk will devour the creatures, or taking advantage of an attack to launch their own.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Resembling drowned corpses, Iannic-ann-ôd are prone to significant discolouration, appearing as sickly greys and blues, bleached whites and bruised greens. Iannic-ann-ôd are found in a wide range of skin tones, drawn from the drowned victims whose corpses they inhabit.
Geographic Distribution
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