Old Gods of Appalachia
Massive, hairless, blue-skinned creatures with broad boar-like bodies, the Hounds act as servitors to more powerful entities. Their too-many limbs are covered in multihued eyes and end in thick, black retractable claws.
Each wolflike head has three eyes—two black and empty, and one a burning gold sun at the center of its forehead. Nightmarish tusks protrude from the undersides of their jaws. Their maws are full of bladed spires and hacked stones, and their long, forked tongues can snake and retract.
Belongs To: The Inner Dark (Low Thing)
Motive: Be a good servitor to and carry out the wishes of their Thing
Environment: Anywhere they are sent
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (6 points)
Movement: Long
Modifications: Stealth, surprise, and hunting as level 8
Combat: When it's useful for them, the Hounds attack from stealth and use surprise. They typically attack in groups of two or three, using their forked tongues to pierce a foe up to a long distance away, inflicting a moderate wound (6 points). They can also catch and whiplash a foe with their tongue, knocking them prone and stunning them for one round on a failed Might defense roll.
The Hounds can become immaterial, able to pass through solid objects whose levels are lower than their own. While immaterial, they take only 1 point of damage from mundane attacks, but they take full damage from magical, energy, and other nonmundane attacks.
Interaction: The Hounds are always unfriendly but tend to ignore anyone who isn't pertinent to their acts of servitude. They're even more likely to attack anyone who stands in the way of carrying out their duties.
Use: Characters might come upon someone being attacked by the Hounds and offer help (or not). The characters might inadvertently (or purposefully) draw the ire of a Thing, who will use the Hounds to exact revenge. Alternatively, characters who tie their fortunes to the Low Things might find they are given aid in the form of two or more Hounds.
Loot: Some say the Hounds' body parts, especially the teeth and eyes, can be crafted into potent magic items. However, a Hound's body stays material for only a round or two after its death, before disappearing in a blaze of light.
Connection: One or more of the characters has been dreaming of the Hounds but didn't realize it until this moment.
GM Intrusion: The Hounds howl in unison, creating such a mournful sound that everyone within long range who fails an Intellect defense roll takes 6 points of Intellect damage
(ignores Armor).
As one of the Hounds withdraws its tongue after an attack, it damages a nearby tree or building, causing it to fall.