The Tongueless

Overview

The Tongueless are cursed entities that roam ancient ruins and forgotten locations of the world. Once sapient, The Tongueless were condemned to a life of eternal suffering for committing heresy, speaking forbidden words. Their tongues were ripped out as punishment. Now they exist as emaciated, tongueless wretches, driven by the urge to reclaim what they have lost: their voice. They lurk in the shadows, waiting for victims so they can steal their tongues, and from those reclaim a voice through a gruesome ritual.

Appearance

Though technically not undead, they do carry a similar general appearance with many types. Generally, The Tongueless appear as the weakened and malnourished form of the original cursed victim, with sallow skin and lifeless eyes. Their jaws hang open, with their tongueless mouths exposed as if permanently locked into a silent scream.

Creation

The Tongueless were once sapient, but no-one is sure how they became cursed. Some say they spoke blasphemies that angered the gods, whilst other believe they attempted to cast forgotten spells of great power. No matter the cause, the punishment was brutal. It is believed the curse is more than just physical, more than just the removal of their tongues. It is said their minds are still aware of the voices they once had, but now denied the ability to speak forever. In certain cultures, The Tongueless are used as warnings against heresy and blasphemy.

Abilities & Behaviour

They are driven by a singular focus: to reclaim their voice. They stalk their prey in silence, emerging from the shadows of ancient ruins, seeking out living victims to satisy their desire. They are drawn to voices in the dark like a moth to a flame. After stealing a tongue and performing a ritual to implant into their vacant mouth, the Tongueless gain the ability to mimic the voice of the person the tongue belonged to, calling out to their companions in their voice. It is believed this ability only lasts a short while, hence the need to draw in further victims quickly. The silence they live in has granted The Tongueless excellent hearing instead, and they are acutely aware of the noise they make, and thus are proficient at moving quietly through the shadows, hunting their victims.
The best way to survive an encounter with The Tongueless is to silent avoid them instead, as any spoken word will draw them in and once they locate a voice, they are unrelenting. Unlike many cursed, their speed is undiminished, so they can and will chase until they achieve their objective. Also, as with most of their kind, divine magic is useful against them, though it is believed that even if a Tongueless is killed, it will reform at some point, continued the cursed individual's torment for eternity. Therefore, even if one is successful in destroying a Tongueless on entry to a ruin, they should remain wary in case the Tongueless has returned before they do.

Average Height

Dependant on the cursed individual. Same height, minus a few inches for a slumped posture.

Average Weight

Much less than the original cursed victim's.