Vatrakos the Angler (Vvatt-rah-kösse)

Vatrakos is a being of myth among the folk of Arxios. There are many folkloric tales that mention him by name, though he is rarely in the same form. Vatrakos exists as a typecast role of a villain that baits or lures the heroes of stories into their own demise.

As with many villainous characters in folklore, Vatrakos is said to be of the fey. He is most commonly depicted as a large frog-like monster, with a maw handily capable of devouring a person whole. In more innocent tales, he is told as a friendly fisherman who offers wisdom to the heroes, that turns out to be a trick to set them on the wrong path. The more brutal stories barely describe his form at all, as he is but an unseen force pursuing the heroes in shadow. He is a character of cunning and guile, always a lesson to never underestimate those with patience.

Historical Basis

There are a multitude of frog-like monsters hailing from both Tartarus and the Feywild. Rumors and myths of monsters becoming sentient and thinking are not uncommon in most cultures.

Variations & Mutation

Vatrakos is a lesson of cunning and outsmarting an intelligent villain, and is usually defeated by being outwitted. There is however one variation wherein Vatrakos is on the cusp of devouring the story's hero, when they are saved as a bolt of lightning strikes Vatrakos from above, vaporizing him. The intention is unknown, as historical context is difficult to find with fey myths.

Date of Setting

Exists over multiple eras