Monster of the Week: Crawling Horror

Monster of the Week for February 4, 2020

Once a week a system-agnostic monster.

Crawling Horror

When a cultist of Orcus dies with the flesh of a human in their stomach and the name of Orcos on their lips, it is said that Orcus himself may turn its attention on that cultist and give hem new life as a Crawling Horror.

A Crawling Horror appears as a hairless, livid humanoid head with red eyes, no ears, a gaping hole for a nose, and ending not in a jaw or neck, but in fleshy, crab-like multi-jointed limbs and sharp, fang-like palps.

These creatures often seek revenge on the mobs, judges, or magistrates responsible for their initial death. They also seek to devour the flesh of the living as they did when they were alive.

Where a crawling horror is found, the place smells of damp earth, which gets more intense as they come closer.

Crawling horrors are intelligent, cunning, and ruthless. They prefer to avoid conflict, striking single targets by surprise rather than fighting.

Crawling horrors amove soundlessly, see easily in the dark, and can cling to walls like spiders. They blend into shadows and work from hidden basements, crawlspaces, attics, and gaps between walls to hunt their prey. They bite with venomous fangs that slow or paralyze their targets so that the horrors can enjoy devouring their helpless prey alive.

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