Old Gods of Appalachia
The three Gray Ladies are inhuman creatures who serve The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not, seeking to return artifacts that have been taken from him. He filled three willing human vessels with minds torn screaming from the Inner Dark, gestated them in the hearts of rotting trees, then birthed them into the world as his servants and daughters.
They travel in the forms of pale (almost paper-gray) women with ramrod-straight posture, large gray eyes, and pale gray, silver, or blonde hair. They prefer an older but near-timeless look, usually in a black dress with a high collar. One looks like a young woman, and the other two are middle aged and older, yet still well preserved. Their true forms are horrific, with wide mouths full of lamprey-like teeth, the gray skin of a deep sea fish, and long arms like tubes, but most who see their true shape don't live to talk about it, for they are strong enough to tear a person in half with their bare hands or throw a church pew across a room.
The Gray Ladies operate alone or in a trio. If you encounter one, be alert for two more. If you find two, know there is a third nearby.
Belongs To: The Inner Dark (The Thing Whose Name Sounds Like Horned Head But Is Not)
Motive: Reclaim artifacts for their master
Environment: Anywhere their master's artifacts might be found, alone or in a group of three
Health: 21
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Initiative and defense against magic of the Inner Dark as level 8 (and see below)
Combat: A Gray Lady attacks twice per round, using combinations of biting with her sharp teeth, slashing with her long fingernails, or bashing with her distorted, inhuman limbs, inflicting a medium wound (7 points) regardless of the attack. If she hits with a limb, her foe must succeed at a Might defense roll or be grabbed, taking automatic damage every round on her turn. A grabbed creature can escape on their turn with a successful Might or Speed defense roll.
The Gray Ladies have a shared mind—each knows what the other knows, but they have their own thoughts, ways, and dark gifts. The first is incredibly fast (easing all of her Speed tasks) and can easily and quickly devour a creature the size of an adult human, leaving nothing behind but a bloodstain. The second has a beguiling voice (easing all persuasion tasks) and enjoys grappling her foes with tentacles and loose flesh, restraining them until they succeed at a Might or Speed defense roll to escape. The third slashes with her rotting claws of bone, disemboweling her foe (moving them one step down the damage track) on a failed Might defense roll.
Gray Ladies can sense the general location of artifacts related to the Inner Dark within long range.
A Gray Lady can partially or totally revert to her true form as part of another action (such as an attack). As an action, she can appear fully human again.
Interaction: Although vicious and easily capable of murder, the Gray Ladies can be quite conversational if doing so suits their interests. They present themselves as serious, intelligent women of privilege, familiar with human comforts and technology (including driving an automobile). They can be bargained with, although such bargains are usually of the variety where they decide to spare someone's life if given exactly what they want. If there is more than one Gray Lady present, they tend to eerily finish each others' sentences.
Use: A Gray Lady arrives in town or at an event, showing a particular interest in a trinket some person has discovered. Three Gray Ladies show up, claiming to be long-lost relatives or business associates of someone wealthy or important.
Loot: A Gray Lady carries a small amount of money for dealing with incidental things and might have a cypher or two, or perhaps even an artifact she intends to bring to her master.
Connection: A Gray Lady looks like someone a PC knew as a child. A Gray Lady claims to know or be related to a PC, whether or not there is any evidence that what she says is true.
GM Intrusion: The Gray Lady pushes or throws something heavy to block a door, either to prevent people from fleeing or to block reinforcements from arriving.
The Gray Lady's arms stretch impossibly and inhumanly far, striking at a character a short distance away, and the character's Speed defense roll against the attack is hindered.