The Strange Bestiary
This spindly humanoid can slither along on its belly like a snake, melt into the shadows, or reveal itself suddenly in the guise of an emaciated human wearing black robes. The nature of a nalusa falaya is to lure victims away from the company of others at dusk, perhaps with promises of power or treasure for the taking "not far from here," or simply by whispering a victim's name from the periphery of a camp, settlement, or any place people gather.
Nalusa falayas are the ghostly remains of warriors who died poorly in battle, finding their end as a direct result of their own cowardice or the betrayal of a comrade. Rather than learning from the experience, nalusa falayas become grim specters who desire to bring mischief and bad ends to the living. When a nalusa falaya convinces a victim to accept a share of the creature's power for a short ime, the return on the investment is usually the victim's life.
Motive: Mischief and murder
Environment (Thunder Plains | Magic): Anywhere shadowed or dark
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Movement: Immediate; short when sliding on belly (allowing movement on walls and ceilings)
Modifications: All tasks related to stealth as level 7.
Combat: A nalusa falaya that touches a foe inflicts numbing cold damage. Each 2 points of damage inflicted restores 1 point of health to the nalusa falaya. Alternatively, a nalusa falaya can whisper at a target within short range, a whisper that only she can hear. If the target fails an Intellect defense roll, she abandons whatever she was doing and follows the sound, bewitched. A bewitched target is broken from her spell if an obstacle, attack, or ally physically prevents her from approaching the nalusa falaya. Otherwise, she follows the nalusa falaya for several minutes before the bewitchment ends, which usually means she is far from help when the creature finally attacks. Once bewitched, a victim can't be affected again by the same nalusa falaya. A nalusa falaya can give its bewitching ability to another. If conferred, this "gift" lasts for up to twenty-four hours, after which the power returns to the nalusa falaya no matter how far away the receiver is. (The nalusa falaya is immune to this bewitchment when used by another.) A character who accepts the bargain discovers that, after the power leaves her, she takes 3 points of Intellect damage each day (ignores Armor) until the nalusa falaya is found and killed.
Interaction: Nalusa falayas sometimes offer other beings a gift of bewitchment, either to avoid being killed or to soften up a powerful character.
Use: The PCs set camp, build a fire, and begin to nod off. That's when one of the characters hears her name being whispered plaintively from the shadows.
Loot: A nalusa falaya often makes its lair in the hollow of an old, dead tree, and among its possessions are the valuables and other belongings of previous victims, possibly including a cypher.
A nalusa falaya is a creature of Choctaw legend. Its name literally means "long black thing."
GM Intrusion: Another nalusa falaya emerges from the shadows and whispers the character's name.