Night Hag

Deep in the folklore of Midnight, there lurks a dread presence known as the Night Hag. This malevolent being is a feared nocturnal predator that emerges from the shadows to haunt and torment the living in the dead of night. Though the Night Hag's origins are shrouded in darkness and legend, some tales speak of a malevolent witch or cursed soul seeking vengeance, while others believe her to be an ancient embodiment of terror and primal fear. Clad in tattered, shadowy garments that blend with the night, she strikes a chilling figure as she roams the moonlit landscape. Her haunting presence is heralded by unsettling whispers and a cold breeze that seems to rise up from nowhere. Her most dreaded ability lies in her gaze, for her eyes hold an unnerving power that can paralyze her victims with fear. A single glance from the Night Hag is enough to render even the bravest souls immobile, trapped in a nightmarish trance while she moves closer to her prey.
The Night Hag is believed to dwell in a hidden lair deep within the heart of the forbidding woods. Within this accursed domain, she ensnares the souls of her paralyzed victims, feasting on their terror and despair. Those who have faced her wrath describe an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and dread, as if they are trapped in an unending nightmare.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Night Hag possesses a tall and slender form, shrouded in an ethereal cloak of darkness that seems to ripple and shift like shadows in the moonlight. Her body is wrapped in tattered and decaying garments, remnants of a bygone era, adding to her ominous appearance. Her pale, almost translucent skin gives her an otherworldly and spectral aura, emphasizing her connection to the realm of nightmares. Her face is a haunting sight to behold. Sunken eyes, devoid of color, peer out from dark hollows, reflecting an abyss of endless horror. Long, unkempt, and matted hair cascades down her back like black tendrils, swaying eerily with every movement. Her mouth curls into an unsettling grin, revealing crooked and jagged teeth that glisten malevolently. The Night Hag's arms are thin and elongated, with fingers that end in sharp and gnarled claws, perfect for ensnaring her victims. Her lithe body seems to move with an unnatural fluidity, gliding soundlessly through the darkness, and leaving no trace of her presence.

Behaviour

The Night Hag of Midnight Mississippi is a creature of malevolent intent, driven by a deep-rooted desire to feed on the fear and terror of her victims. Her psychology is steeped in darkness, a twisted reflection of the fears and nightmares that plague the human mind. She takes pleasure in sowing seeds of dread and despair, reveling in the helplessness and anguish of those unfortunate enough to encounter her. Her behavior is calculated and methodical, like a skilled predator stalking its prey. She is patient, waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike, biding her time until her victims are most vulnerable.
Despite her malevolence, the Night Hag is a cunning and elusive entity. She is shrouded in mystery and rarely reveals herself fully, preferring to remain veiled in darkness and myth. Her enigmatic nature adds to the terror she instills, leaving those who have faced her questioning their own sanity and the boundaries of reality. In her realm of nightmarish power, the Night Hag relishes her role as a boogeyman, haunting the dreams of the innocent and the guilty alike. She leaves a trail of dread and horror in her wake, her presence becoming a warning to those who hear her name whispered in fearful tones.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Night Hag possesses heightened sensory perception that is finely attuned to the terrors of the night. In the pitch-black darkness, her sight is not hindered; rather, she thrives within it, her eyes capable of piercing through shadows like moonlight cutting through the fog. She can see even the slightest movements in the dark, making her an adept hunter, stalking her prey with silent precision. Her hearing is equally remarkable, attuned to the softest of sounds that may indicate an approaching victim. The faintest rustle of leaves or the hushed gasp of fear are like a symphony to her ears, guiding her to her next potential source of terror.

Civilization and Culture

History

In the forgotten pages of Midnight's darkest history, the legend of the Night Hag emerges from the mists of time, shrouded in mystery and fear. Whispers of her existence trace back centuries, back to a time when the town was young and the wilderness surrounding it was untamed. It is said that the Night Hag was once a woman, her name now lost to the ravages of time, who practiced forbidden arts and delved into the darkest realms of the occult. As the tale goes, she sought power and immortality through dark rituals and pacts with malevolent entities. In her pursuit of forbidden knowledge, she made a deadly pact with an ancient and sinister spirit, Anisgaya Ugalisgi, the very being responsible for the dark and haunted presence that lingers over Midnight to this day. The Night Hag's ambitions proved to be her undoing. The dark powers she had bargained with twisted her soul and body, transforming her into the monstrous entity she is now known as. Forever bound to the shadows, she became an embodiment of fear itself, with the ability to paralyze her victims with a mere glance, a power born from the horror and desperation that consumed her own soul. As the years passed, her legend grew, and the Night Hag became a boogeyman, feared by both young and old. She preyed upon the vulnerable, slipping through the veil of night to instill terror into the hearts of those who dared to cross her path.

HP: 6

Stats:

• Body: 5
• Strength: 3
• Agility: 4
• Mind: 6
• Luck Points: 1

Skills:

• Initiative: 4
• Stealth: 6
• Grappling: 2
• Melee: 4
• Ranged: 1
• Soak: 3
• Dodge: 3

Ability:

• Paralyzing Gaze: When the players encounter this malevolent entity, they must make a (13 to 14) Daunting Difficulty Mind + Luck + 1d6 roll to resist her eerie and haunting gaze. Those who fail the roll become paralyzed with fear, rendered immobile and helpless, unable to act or defend themselves against her terrifying presence. The Paralyzing Gaze can have dire consequences for the characters, as it leaves them vulnerable to the Night Hag's whims and desires, which are always torturously lethal. The Hag will drag out the character's demise as much as possible, using her claws to slowly bleed the character to death, gathering the blood for some unknown, nefarious purpose in a chalice made of a human skull. This act usually claims one Health Point per round, giving the character a chance every round to resist the paralyzing effect. Any character that does resist the effect loses 1d6 sanity in the process, as the gaze of the Hag pierces the heart and mind of her victims, filling their waking thoughts with nightmarish visions and feelings of hopelessness.

Combat:

• Claws: 5' reach, damage: 3+Strength, Plus a (7 to 8: Challenging Difficulty) Bleed Effect