Spindlespine

Mr. Wraps, The Juul Man, or most often called, Spindlespine, is a folktale that originates from Villish folklore. Up until recent times, Mr. Spindlespine has always been thought to be a simple tale told to children in order to encourage them to construct toys and behave during the The Juul Feast. During this time, children are told to make toys for the festival, and must do so lest they be visited by Mr. Spindlespine, who will stuff them into a red sack and drag them off to his toyshop to work on toys for the rest of their life.

Summary

Spindlespine receives his two monikers from two things. 'Mr. Wraps' comes from the fact that he always dresses in heavy clothing; strips of torn cloth that are haphazardly cobbled together in a fashion that leads to the linen dangling and flowing along as he prowls and walks. This torn and hewn clothing is said to be made from the discarded rags and clothing of the children he was displeased with. The name Spindlespine comes from his monstrously hunched posture. Mr. Spindlespine is an elderly man with a body that's stretched, to nearly twice the full length of a man, to the point that his spine literally bulges through the skin at his back. His arms are long, multi-jointed and gangly, capable of reaching and coiling around corners, with flattened hands ending with bony, grasping fingers. Mr. Spindlespine is known to carry about an enormous, scarlet coloured satchel that he's said to stuff children that refuse to make toys for the Juul Feast; he also stuffs misbehaving children into the sack. He developed his hunched back from carrying around all the children and misbehaving street urchins in this satchel. He has a fondness for the colour red, and often has a helper with him. This 'helper' is said to be a child that has lived long enough under Mr. Spindlespine's workshop for him to 'favor' them; to the point that he no longer intends to harm them, but instead employ them in finding other naughty children to bring. Mr. Spindlespine has many different helpers. For working in his workshop until adulthood, Mr. Spindlespine casts a spell that keeps them unable to age past childhood.

Sightings

What makes Mr. Spindlespine so enigmatic is the fact that actual sightings are often claimed. Such sightings are enough to make his tale often considered taboo to speak of, but they are typically found in the rural areas far north, where the Villish territories remain. Mr. Spindlespine is often described in a way that fits his folktale appearance; often wrapped tightly in rags, with a long, gangly and emaciated body. He is said to often be seen leering just outside of a home, and is seldom encountered in the wilds; typically, Mr. Spindlespine is seen standing outside from a window. When a child misbehaves, his long, gangly arm is said to slowly creak the window open just enough to slip through and abduct them, where they're then stuffed into his sack.

Historical Basis

The tale of Mr. Spindlespine first began with the string of sightings, however, towards the beginning of Tregaron's finding, a hostile Oni Spirit had taken residence and disguised himself as a toymaker that took residence in; this Oni spirit is often attributed with the Spindlespine character, and his foulness had attracted the attention of a powerful Hag by the name of Glinda Nightgrin. Together, the two opened an orphanage with the intention of luring children. Mr. Spindlespine, the patriarch of the orphanage, infamously kidnapped children from families in a string of brutal murders that terrorized Tregaron for years before the duo's operations had been uncovered. There, he forced them to work in a toy shop.

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Those who refused to work in his workshop or grew too tired to work anymore were tragically tortured or mutilated. During the investigation on the orphanage, Mr. Spindlespine, along with Glinda, had both gone missing. There, they found several live, emaciated children stowed away in the basement, ceaselessly toiling away at the remains of other children, constructing them into rudimentary toys grafted from flesh. Refer to The Toymaker

Cultural Reception

Generally speaking, Mr. Spindlespine is kept 'tame' by only referencing him by name; speaking only of his workshop, but not the foul history behind his inception.

Related Ethnicities

Related Species