Teeny Tiny Tales of Terror: L is for Lamentable!

[Nathan of the FoS]

Lycanthrope, loup-garou, lowland [Denizens of Dread]

This is the oath, as Mikhail revealed it to me:

I am Hunger. I am Thirst. All those who go on four legs or on two are my lawful prey. Only against he who wears the skin, his wife and children, shall I not raise my hand nor paw nor mouth. He who wears the skin is my brother, and I support him in all things he may do. In all things I heed the word of the Black Wolf, who feeds us all.

I did not ask him how he learned it.

Larraby Quift, Adventures of a Wanderer

P.S. Yes, I know, this would really be for the loup du noir, if there were such a thing in 3.5--is that a problem?

Lycanthrope, werecrocodile [Sandstorm]

"Sobek demands a sacrifice," the wanderer repeated. "Tomorrow. A man is better..."

"No!" I answered sharply. "We will give Sobek no such thing."

He glanced around the space lit by the fire and continued, "A pack-horse. That will do. Bring it to the watering hole," here he pointed to the north-east, "tomorrow at dawn, and Sobek will not trouble you."

I looked at him again, noting his skin condition--it was layered thick, cracked across his torso, and, I suspect, hard as horn--his short arms and legs, and his strange dead eyes. I believed I knew who the sacrifice would really propitiate, and how a single man could live in the deep desert of Sebua; but the horses would die soon in this climate at any rate.

"I accept," I told him.

Rudolph van Richten, private journal

Lycanthrope, werefox (vixen) [Ravenloft Gazetteer I]

I am worried about Dallisar; he took up with a woman of his own race yesterday afternoon, a pert silver-haired vixen named Coraline, and told us that she had invited him to dine with her at the Old Kartakan Inn. Even if he had made an amorous conquest (or perhaps, an amorous surrender--the woman was very forward) I would expect him back by this time, but he has neither returned nor sent word. I will visit the Inn this evening to see if I cannot find out where he might have gone.

last letter from adventurer Tolroy Glock to his sister Annabella, 5 May 742

Lycanthrope, wereraven [Denizens of Dread]

The monstrous ravens circled around us, coming lower and lower, and Alexandra and I prepared to sell our lives dearly--but suddenly, a short, handsome man, wiry and of dark hair and eyes, stepped onto the road. "Fear not, travelers!" he said, in a voice which somehow made me believe his intentions were good. "The Vistani may speak of an "unkindness" of ravens, but you will see that "kindness" suits us better. We saw your fight against the un-dead in the ravine, and wish to offer you assistance; their master has set his minions on the road to search for you, and we must go by a path they cannot follow."

Memoirs of Mortimer Wachter, written 647

[Mangrum]

P.S. Yes, I know, this would really be for the loup du noir, if there were such a thing in 3.5--is that a problem?

It's a little problematic, yes.

[Mangrum]

Homunculus

The homunculus I have created was birthed from its vessel today. It resembles a newborn babe, but wizened, with touches of canine and amphibian. A pair of bat’s wings adorns its back and it smiles at me with teeth like little nails. Its eyes, though, are too knowing; perhaps I have made a mistake…
—From the spellbook of Rhodan Borgulio

Kizoku

“He is so handsome, so charming, that I can barely abide his absence. When I am with him, I feel as though I have been lifted into the heavens; compared to him, my husband is a greedy, graceless lout. Even the strange mark upon his right hand does nothing to detract from his beauty, for he is indeed as fair as the moon and as mysterious as the ebon night.”
—Diary of a Rokuma noblewoman

Lebendtod

“I was watching Lady Katya down by the lakeside — she’s a beauty, that one. She took off her shoes, then her gown. I knew I shouldn’t be watching, but I kept on anyway, and then, she — she took of her head!”
—Tale of a commoner from Graben Island

[Mangrum]

Here's capsule descriptions for the "L" monsters:

Lashweed: Large Plant, CR 4, neutral. Dimly intelligent, mobile plants with thorty, lashing vines and the ability to spit blinding poison. Seemingly inspired by the Triffids. [Denizens of Dread]

Leech, Occult: Leeches, standard in size and appearance, that attach themselves to larger creatures and parasitically feed on them. Unlike standard leeches, they drain supernatural energy as well as blood (they don't drain enough blood to cause lasting harm, however).

Mindsapper Leech: Fine Vermin (Aquatic, Psionic), CR 1/3, neutral. Leeches that drain power points and/or daily uses of psi-like abilities from its victims. If attacked, it unleashes a backlash of psionic energy. Distinguished from normal leeches by a slight bluish tinge and an ever-so-faint red glow. [RL MC III]

Witchbane Leech: Fine Vermin (Aquatic), CR 1/3, neutral. These leeches drain arcane magical energy, including spell slots and supernatural and spell-like abilities with limited uses per day. If attacked, they release a backlash of arcane energy. [RL MC III]

Leechwalker: Medium Vermin, CR 10, neutral. A human-shaped form composed of thousands of linked leeches. It can grapple foes and drain their blood. [Monster Manual II]

Leucrotta: Large Magical Beast, CR 4, chaotic evil. Resembling an ugly cross between a stag and a badger, these creatures are smarter than humans and sometimes hunt them for sport. The bone ridges they have for teeth can deliver an exceptionally damaging bite. [Monsters of Faerûn]

Lich, Dry: Template Undead. The final fate of a walker in the waste (a Sandstorm prestige class). A salt-encrusted, desiccated undead that could be mistaken for a salt mummy. Surrounded by an aura of despair and drains Con with its touch. Normal water burns it like holy water. [Sandstorm]

Lich, Elemental: Template Undead. A lich variant that specializes in commanding the elements. [Denizens of Dread]

Living Tattoo: Template Construct (Symbiont). Abber nomads trap dream spirits and imbue them into tattoos, creating semiliving companions for their owners. [Denizens of Dread]

Lost Soul: 1 soul: Medium Undead (Dream), CR 1/4, chaotic evil. 2 souls: Medium Undead (Dream), CR 1/2, chaotic evil. 8 souls: Large Undead (Dream), CR 3, chaotic evil. 32 souls: Huge Undead (Dream), CR 9, chaotic evil. The mortal remains of humanoids who die while physically wandering the Nightmare Lands. Semitransparent undead, individually not much more than an eerie zombie. However, when two lost souls tough, they merge together into an ever-growing, semi-amorphous mass that can tear its victims apart. [The Nightmare Lands]

Lycanthrope: Humans who transform into beasts -- sometimes unwillingly -- and who spread the dread disease of lycanthropy. The various phenotypes are generally self-explanatory.

Lowland Loup-Garou: A moderately powerful werewolf variant that uses a worg as its phenotype. [Denizens of Dread]

Weresea Cat (Sea Stalker): This was written as a take on sea wolves, which have since been updated for 3.5, so I may scrap this one for being redundant. [Ravenloft Gazetteer II]

[Nathan of the FoS]

Leucrotta [Monsters of Faerûn]

We heard the clop of hooves, and then something outside spoke with Randolph's voice--but spoke without words, a mere mimicry of the rise and fall of human speech, perfectly phrased and perfectly meaningless. It was too much for Sarah; she leapt for the door and threw it open.

In the next instant she and I were trying to force it closed; but the beast threw its shoulder against the door and bowled us over, forcing its way into the room. It was a thing like a horse, with the head of a badger, and it stank like a rotting corpse on a hot day.

Eyewitness account recounted by Lukas Kaspan, recorded in private diary of Rudolph van Richten

Lich, elemental [Denizens of Dread]

Earth, air, fire, water, life and death. I am the master of all these things. There is nothing beneath sun or moon to which I bow, nothing between Mist and Mist over which I have no dominion. Who shall stand against me? I shall rend him spirit from flesh, he shall be made an offering upon the Four Altars. He who seeks me here seeks in vain; the tomb itself has no power to hold the Master of Elements.
Inscription on a cenotaph located outside Har-Thelen, Sithicus

[ChrisNichols]

Homunculus
Kizoku
Lebendtod

The blurbs for the veirteig, and I believe, War (Death's Horseman) also have not been posted.

Chris Nichols

[NeoTiamat]

Was the Loup du Noir actually updated to 3.0 or 3.5 anywhere? I also ask because I'm planning to use something similar, but I'd like to see if anything has been written on it recently.

[Mangrum]

The blurbs for the veirteig, and I believe, War (Death's Horseman) also have not been posted.

I've yet to write blurbs for Pestilence or a horseman's steed, and as I recall, the vehrteig blurb is just a slight tweaking of Steve Miller's text in DT&DL (am I misremembering?), but here it is:

Vehrteig
The dark-haired beauty continued to sing, her angelic voice horrifically at odds with the orgy of violence unfolding in the grand hall as men who hours earlier had been comrades-in-arms hacked each other to pieces. A warrior charged at her, blood-encrusted axe upraised, only to fall dead at her feet as his eyes met her calm, dark-eyed gaze. She never stopped singing.
—Traditional, Ye Lamentable Tradgedie of Ashingtonne Manor

I've posted War before, but here it is again:

Death's Horseman, War
Reports came rushing in of a riot spreading through the South District, though no one could offer any guess as to what had sparked such unrest. I immediately dispatched every available constable to the scene, leading them myself. We soon reached a miserable scene — a street filled with men, women, and children all viciously hacking and bashing at each other with whatever weapons they could grab. I ordered my men in to end the violence, only to watch my own constables turn savage! They attacked everyone around them as mindlessly as the rioters themselves. I rushed ahead in horror, screaming at my men to stop — but so help me, I felt the bloodlust come over me as well. Before I could act, however, someone struck the back of my head and I fell to the cobbles, dazed. That was when I saw it. A terrible warrior, completely hidden beneath mauled black plate, rode past me on a mauled warhorse. It strode through the melee, the mindless killers parting for it. It struck me as a general inspecting its troops. But whatever that thing was, it was no living knight. Its voice alone made that quite clear.

“We know the fiery eye is near,” it bellowed. “Know that we seek it! Know that we are! Know to fear us!”
—Chief Constable Liam Osgul’s report, Martira Bay, August 755 BC

[Mangrum]

Was the Loup du Noir actually updated to 3.0 or 3.5 anywhere? I also ask because I'm planning to use something similar, but I'd like to see if anything has been written on it recently.

No, it was never updated. For my personal use, I'm updating it as a simple snap-on variant (along with a few new variants), like the undead variants in Libris Mortis.

[ChrisNichols]

Lashweed [Denizens of Dread]

Mistress Montarri's group came through again, delivering the seed-pod as requested. A little death - perhaps a child from the Quartier Ouvrier, a bit of blood, and my new darling will grow. I do hope it will play well with my other children...

It is a pity dear Abelhaus has passed on. I would have loved for my newest baby to have him as a playmate... for a little while.

- Journal of Julia Fyrehaaven, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Dementlieu

Lycanthrope, wereoctopus [new]

"Aye, I know the ship with the green sails. Flies under the skull and the squid, don't she? That'd be the Hullbreaker, captain'd by Telson Greenbeard. Might just be the fiercest pirate o' the Murky Sea. Telson's been at sea so long, they say, what his beard's gone green from seaweed."

"'Course they also say that the ol' Greenbeard made deals with the devils of the deeps - gives them the gold and men he captures - in 'change for more ships to plunder and a chance to become a devil himself."

"Aye, Captain Telson Greenbeard ain't human no more. He might look it a'times, but a'times he's a wet, suckin' horror what walks like a man but wi' tentacles or other times a giant octopus, swimmin' down to meet his sea devil masters."

- an interview with Old Sharkey of Souragne

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Lycanthrope, Werebadger

"Tell us, Doctor," the guard officer grumbled skeptically, "since you claim such expertise: what could have done this to my men?" Behind his thick muttonchop whiskers, the Baronial sergeant's surly expression lived up to the dour stereotypes oft applied to his people.

Van Richten lifted the military-issue ax from the table, fingered the deep gouges in the steel of the blade's edge, then glanced aside at Geddar. The human hunter's normally-jovial friend frowned grimly, nodding in agreement with the doctor's unspoken diagnosis, and spoke: "Vermin".

The watchdwarf's eyes widened in disbelief. "Vermin? You're saying rats did this?! Nonsense; rats might gnaw wood or pewter, but their teeth are no match for finest Corvian steel! No four-legged beast's would be!"

"Indeed," the physician replied wearily, laying down the heavy, tooth-marked weapon. "No four-legged beast's...."

-- Private interview in the Obsidian Heart, as documented in Baronial police investigation of the Rooksclaw Tower murders

[Nathan of the FoS]

Living tattoo [Denizens of Dread]

All night we heard Kiroborobo talking, as if in conversation; and every so often the wind sat just so, so that a strange high voice seemed to answer him.

In the morning I ventured to ask him who he had been speaking to, and he said, "My otherself," pointing to his chest. I did not understand him then, nor for a long time afterward; but when I learned more of the Abbers' customs I knew he had been pointing, not to indicate himself, but to the black skull emblazoned on his very skin.

from a puported diary of Dr. Gregory Illhousen

Lycanthrope, loup-garou, lowland [Denizens of Dread]

"Luke!" the cooler-headed of the two said, grabbing his companion by the arm. "Remember what Captain Timothy said about fighting while ashore." The young bravo stepped back and snarled. "Very well, then," he said, his face distorted into a mask of rage in which his long white teeth were very apparent. "I won't give you the lesson you deserve here. Meet me at the dog-fighting pit this evening, and we'll settle this once and for all."

He did not know, of course, that I had already guessed his secret; and he could not have guessed at mine.

private diary of Matton Blanchard

Lycanthrope, werebear [Monster Manual]

They still practice the Rite of the Bear in that place, dressing themselves in bearskins and dancing in the strange shuffling cadence of the Moon Dance; and it is said that Bear himself dances with them, taking now a human form, and now that a great grizzled bear whose eyes are stars and whose breath is the wind of winter itself.

Larraby Quift, Adventures of a Wanderer

Lycanthrope, wereboar [Monster Manual]

"There is folks," the stranger said, with the careful diction of a drunk, "what thinks that a dog is a noble beast, and a pig a no-good filthy creature which can only be loved as hams. But such folks is mistaken; the pig is braver, and a better fighter. Also smarter. Wise animals, is pigs."

I suspected he might have some partiality, as he was rather a piggy looking fellow himself; but his heavy build promised more muscle than fat, and I well recalled our own saying, "that Grandfather Boar is the most dangerous creature of the forest, saving only his wife"; so I held my peace.

Diary of Matthew Swiftsinger of Skald

[Gemathustra]

werehyena [new]

"The jolly young man who led us out of the jungle insisted that we stay in his hut for the night. As we passed through the threshold, he pulled off the bandana he wore around his neck. It was then I noticed that there was a puckered scar on the back of his neck."
""Tis an interesting wound you have there," I muttered."
"Without turning around, he started his shrill tittering again. And it was then I saw the scar unpucker, revealing itself to be the young man's second mouth..."
-- from the journals of Jerome Delacroix, Mordentish adventurer

(FYI: the telltale sign of a werehyena in human form is the second mouth on the back of his neck, or the base of his skull)

[ChrisNichols]

(FYI: the telltale sign of a werehyena in human form is the second mouth on the back of his neck, or the base of his skull)

Eh? Where's this come from?

Chris Nichols

[Gemathustra]

(FYI: the telltale sign of a werehyena in human form is the second mouth on the back of his neck, or the base of his skull)

Eh? Where's this come from?

Chris Nichols

It was mentioned in the Al Qadim Monstrous Manual Appendix, and from Angolan legends about a shapeshifting hyena monster called a "kishi," that had two heads (a human head, and a second hyena head kept hidden in its hair).