Old Gods of Appalachia
Blank-eyed men are people who have been converted to mindless puppets by The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not, given to his minions and used for simple labor. These poor souls dress like local people from the area (and probably were such, before being reduced to their current state) and might be tall, short, scrawny, strong, or anything in between. They feel no pain and have blank eyes, slack jaws, and no facial expressions. They breathe shallowly but don't actually need to breathe at all, nor do they require food or water, and they never speak. They have no desires or will of their own, simply following orders to the letter. Some have rudimentary human skills that linger from when they were fully human; for example, one might know how to drive a wagon or handle a horse.
Although these beings are called "blank-eyed men," they can be created out of any human, regardless of gender.
Belongs To: The Inner Dark (The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not)
Motive: Serve The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not or whoever they are given to
Environment: Anywhere their master needs them, alone or in groups
Health: 12
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (4 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Might-based tasks and Intellect defense as level 5
Combat: Blank-eyed men attack with weapons or their freakishly strong bare hands. They are nearly mindless, able to follow simple strategies if commanded to do so but defaulting to direct aggression.
Blank-eyed men have no souls; they move because the will and power of The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not animates them. If a blank-eyed man is reduced to 0 health or otherwise killed, they revive a few rounds later at full health and resume their previous activities as if nothing had happened.
Because they're half dead, they never tire. They can run at full speed all day, even if carrying a heavy load, but they do so only if instructed to by their master, and normally walk at the speed of a casual stroll.
Interaction: Blank-eyed men can follow orders but have no thoughts, desires, or will of their own. They interpret commands in the simplest, most literal way, without concern for themselves or others. They never speak.
Use: A witch or entity of the Inner Dark is guarded by blank-eyed men. Strange, silent men are walking through the woods, their fists and faces spattered with blood.
Loot: Whatever was given to them for their mission, such as a letter, weapon, or cypher.
Connection: A blank-eyed man—or the living person they used to be—is someone a character knew.
GM Intrusions: The blank-eyed man lacks any sense of self-preservation; the character's attack automatically hits, but the blank-eyed man immediately attacks the character twice. (These attacks happen even if the character's attack would kill the blank-eyed man.)
The blank-eyed man's eerily emotionless response unnerves the character, hindering them by two steps for a few rounds.