Old Gods of Appalachia
This creature, also known as a devil dog, is covered in long, shaggy hair, matted and unkempt. Its head is somewhat doglike, with glowing red or yellow eyes, and has been seen with or without goat or ram horns. Its body has been variously described as being like a bear, large dog, cow, wolf, or huge badger. It smells like rotten eggs, and when it detects possible prey, it's known to release an unnerving scream that sounds almost human.
White things are bloodthirsty and aggressive, attacking without provocation. However, although the wounds from their bite and claws feel real, those who survive an attack by a devil dog are surprised to find they have no physical marks from it. Despite this strange quirk, a white thing is quite capable of killing and leaves behind mutilated, bloodless corpses.
In some tales, a white thing or devil dog is said to run on two legs. In others, it seems to have six legs instead of four.
Unlike most attacks that inflict Intellect damage, damage from a white thing does not ignore Armor.
Motive: Inspire fear, hungers for blood
Environment: Isolated woods, roads, and cemeteries
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (4 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Long (see below)
Modifications: Attacking from surprise as level 7
Combat: A white thing attacks three times per round, once with its bite and twice with its front claws, inflicting Intellect damage. These attacks leave no physical wounds on its target—the character vividly feels the pain and shock of the assault, but when the fight is over, they realize they are physically unharmed.
Despite this, any creature killed by a white thing immediately gains physical cuts and punctures where the beast struck them, as if the psychic shock of its claws and teeth finally manifests in their flesh. When the white thing feeds on a dead foe, it sucks out all of its prey's blood and laps up every last drop that was spilled, leaving behind a drained corpse with no blood in the vicinity.
A white thing normally moves up to a long distance each round, but when chasing something fast—such as a horse, car, or train—it can fly and keep up with its target for a few rounds before returning to the ground and its normal speed.
Interaction: Devil dogs are aggressive beasts and can't be reasoned or bargained with.
Use: A family reports hearing strange screams in the woods, followed by finding bloodless, mutilated corpses of their domesticated animals. A white, furry mass charges out of the shadows at a traveler.
Connection: The character knew someone who saw a white thing at a cemetery, and within a few days they were dead (supposedly from some other cause). The character survived an attack from a white thing when they were younger, although at the time they thought it was just a nightmare.
GM Intrusion: The character is very sensitive to the white thing's stench, hindering their actions by two steps when within immediate range of it and by one step when within short range.
The white thing screams, unnerving the character for an hour on a failed
Intellect defense roll, hindering their actions for that time.