[Cryptworld] 7 Days of Things, Day 1: Boo Hag

An American Folklore Thing for Cryptworld

BOO HAG
STR: 5 (75) --- WPR: 5 (75)
DEX: 4 (60) --- PER: 4 (60)
AGL: 4 (60) --- PCN: 4 (60)
STA: 5 (75) --- PWR: 70
ATT: 1/68% --- WND: 15
MV: L 75†

Experience: 600

A Boo Hag is a vampiric female creature who gains sustenance from the "lifebreath" of its victims. A Boo Hag normally appears as a skinless, hairless crone that is blood-red in color due to their exposed muscular system. A Boo Hag hides her true appearance by wearing the skin of one of her victims much like a costume. When in this guise, the Boo Hag looks like any other human being, although her skin appears pale and waxy.

According to southern U.S. Gullah folklore, Boo Hags steal the lifebreath of their prey by "riding" them while they sleep. The Boo Hag will first remove and hide any skin it is wearing, transform into a dank mist, then enter the bedroom of a sleeping victim through a small crack or hole. The Boo Hag will then any perch upon their victim's chest, sucking the lifebreath from them as they rest. During the feeding, the victim will drop into a deep, nightmare-filled sleep brought on by the Boo Hag. Shortly before sun-up, the Boo Hag will transform into a mist again and exit. The victim will awake exhausted and short of breath with no explanation as to why they remain tired. (A victim of a Boo Hag will not regain any lost Stamina during the fitful night's sleep.) A Boo Hag must be back in her stolen skin before dawn, as sunlight on her exposed, skinless flesh will burn a Boo Hag for three wound boxes of damage each round until she has covered herself again or she is destroyed.

A Boo Hag is loath to kill its source of nourishment, continuing to feed off of the same person for months or perhaps even years if undiscovered. In a devious twist, it's easier for the Boo Hag to maintain this closeness with her source of food over the years by befriending them as a new neighbor or coworker. The victim may be unaware that his/her closest friend has actually been feeding on their lifebreath for many years! However, if a victim becomes overly suspicious during their waking hours, or if they awaken during the Boo Hag's feeding and realizes the dire situation they find themselves in, the Boo Hag will kill the victim, take their skin as a fresh disguise, then leave to find a new victim to "ride."

Boo Hag Powers
Mist Form: A Boo Hag can transform into a dank, gray mist approximately 10 cubic feet in volume. In this form, the Boo Hag can slip under doors, and through cracks and keyholes. Transforming into a mist costs the Boo Hag 20 WPR and requires a general PWR check to succeed.

Induce Catatonia: A Boo Hag can cause a sleeping victim to drop into a deep catatonia, allowing her to feed without risk of waking the victim. It costs 20 WPR an hour to maintain the catatonia. Nothing will wake the victim once they enter this state, though they will wake normally once the hour is up and the effect has ended.