Café de Nuit

In Circle of Darkness in the G'Henna Outland encounters there is a monster called the Pride Eater. Is this a specific monster detailed in any monstrous compendium/manual or is it a unique non detailed monster (open for creation)?

Maybe an elven crimson death?

Indeed, I think it never was defined before. I scanned the A-Z Mangrum blurbs, and it's not in there.

I never found any mention of the Pride Eater outside of Circle of Darkness, not even in the loose-leaf Monstrous Compendium. I think you're free to create something entertaining without fear of contradicting canon!

So this is probably an oversight; I doubt they would include a name of a monster without the monster in question being detailed in an adventure.

Except that this is Circle of Darkness, home to golden dogs, lost spirits, and the infamous wereweasel, none of which are properly detailed. Clearly Drew Bittner had considerable confidence in our ability to fill in the gaps.

Well I made a better reading of Circle of Darkness and it seems I was right...

Pride Eater: An undead crimson mist which feeds on pride, each hit also draining 2d4 Charisma. Lost Charisma recovered at 1 point per day. If Charisma falls to 0, becomes a mongrelman.

A vampiric mist, also known as crimson death or crimson mist, was an incorporeal undead creature that fed on its victims' blood and body fluids.
Vampiric mists were the remains of former vampires that, whether through massive damage or exposure to sunlight, dissolved into mist and were prevented from returning to their resting places in order to regenerate their physical forms. In that state, they were stripped of all personality and intelligence until only their thirst for blood remained.

There were other legends that suggested that crimson deaths could be the lost souls of mortals that had been turned into vampires. Legends tell of a connection between crimson deaths and vampires. One tale suggests that, when an undead vampire is destroyed, its spirit is transformed into a crimson death. Another tale suggests that, when a vampire is created, the monster’s lost soul is reborn elsewhere as a crimson death. This legend also suggests that a vampire may be restored to normal life if it is rejoined by its crimson death counterpart. A third legend says that extremely evil air elementals are condemned and cast out into the Prime Material plane in the forms of crimson deaths. The creatures originally known as vampiric mists, meanwhile, were first thought to be immature crimson deaths, but were later discovered to in fact be the separate creation of a great vampire wizard.

I have already started working on the Pride Eater's background...

PS
Golden Dogs - use Wolves, change to any Thing...??? (something like a mimic-wolfwere ???)

I didn't mean to imply that Circle of Darkness leaves us completely on our own. Between the G'Hennan Bestiary and the monster matrix on the poster map, there are plenty of juicy tidbits provided.

Oh, and as for the golden dogs, they reminded me of a story I read in my very younger years. Based upon the little I remembered, I saw the golden dogs more as tricksters rather than malicious. Ravenloft being Ravenloft, though, that interpretation may be less threatening than you're looking for.

(Incidentally, the story was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hedley_Kow. Apparently there were no dogs in the actual story. I would like to point out that I last read it a REALLY long time ago.)

Looking forward to see what you come up with for the Pride Eater!

IanFordam wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 5:28 pmIncidentally, the story was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hedley_Kow. Apparently there were no dogs in the actual story. I would like to point out that I last read it a REALLY long time ago.)

Talk about being optimistic...

IanFordam wrote: ↑Thu Sep 01, 2022 5:28 pm Looking forward to see what you come up with for the Pride Eater!

Me too

I have already began writing! I have finished with the stats and now I am working on the background and introduction fiction.

One Pride Eater ready for table 29!

Huzzah!