Everything you need to know about...
Spites!
For as long as wyngrew have recorded history, the magical entities known simply as “Spites” have existed. Thought to have first come in times when there were high levels of magic, (such as the early warpstorms) spites entered the world to feed off negative emotional energy.
Spites are simply referred to as “monsters”, as they are drawn to all things negative, and feed on the magical expulsion of wyngrew especially. (Although they will target any magical creature)
Spites: The Consumers of Magic
Every Wyngro is born with magic, and thus, a magical aura that is unidentifiable by wyngrew themselves. But not however, to the all seeing spite.
Researches have confirmed that during times of ‘stress’ is when a wyngro’s magic is most detectable from paranormal-type entities like the spites. As such, spites prefer the negative emotions layered within the magic a wyngro will give off. Certain spites are even specifically attracted to certain emotions.
For instance, a Yittle enjoys sucking the magic exuded by a “paranoid” and “fearful” wyngro. A Nocoff however, enjoys the feeling of “grieving” and “loneliness” most of all.
Some more dangerous spites, such as the “Kindrin” and “Deelagun”, are attracted to pain and intense suffering, and will likely cause this torture themselves in order to inflict the emotion they desire to feed on.
What are They?
A spite sucking the magic of a wyngro can cause the following symptoms, but is not limited to:
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Fatigue
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Dizziness
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Nosebleeds
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Nausea
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Depression
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Weight Loss
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Fevers
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Migraines
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Anxiety & Paranoia
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Short-Term Amnesia
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Seizures (In bad cases)
These are all also symptoms of a very rare disease in wyngrew called “Manafew” which is a term for a wyngro so devoid of magic, that it’s as if a spite is actively sucking them dry, even when there is no spite. These symptoms are also present in the famed “Banishment” where a wyngro’s magic is completely removed. (Only able to be performed by King Zenith to the most dangerous criminals)
Because of the severity of a wyngro being drained of magic, and the kind of suffering it can bestow, spites are taken very seriously in communities and prevented at all times.
Spite Prevention - Nova Trees
Each town has centered in it, a single nova tree. This tree sprouts upwards from the ground in a crystallized shape, and will grow as large as the town’s wyngrew around it provides it magic to grow.
Novas are a very rare and necessary part of wyngro lives, as they contain a very powerful positive magic that ward off spites. While it is not necessarily a shield, a nova tree provides a very good repellent to all spites coming in contact with the town and the citizens inside.
Spites are attracted to large amounts of magic, and especially when wyngrew cluster together in groups or communities-- doing so can leave themselves vulnerable to spite attacks.
This is why every town has its own nova tree in the center. There is just something about the magic a nova produces that repels spites. Spites aren’t necessarily hurt by the novas, they just avoid them.
However, if magic levels are too high, (Warptide is a particular concern sometimes) it causes them to become ‘frenzied’, requiring larger-than-usual amounts of their food source, turning even more mundane spites' ‘fun’ and ‘innocent bad luck’ into a need to cause real terror and pain, attacking wyngrew directly (or more aggressively than usual in some cases, depending on the ‘species’ of spite).
Some towns set up additional gates and “spite-proofing” with special barricades, but everyone knows that nothing can truly stop a spite from getting in, as many can fly, go through walls, shape-shift etc.
They don’t seem as big of a problem in smaller, farming communities such as Wynsiph where the level of magic use is relatively low. More magic-centric cities have bigger problems with spites.
Many of these cities have specific jobs for wyngrew training in battling spites that come to close to town.
How Spites Think
Spites do not think and process the world the same way that wyngrew do. While each spite is somewhat different from another in temperament, (much to the same ways animal personalities can vary) they do not possess the ability to branch from their ideals, and think on more of a “hive mind” then having a complex soul.
They have very limited speech, if at all. (depending on the type of spite) Most just whisper/mutter things they know will disturb a wyngro.
It’s debated whether a spite can truly feel pain or not. Some say they are incapable of feeling pain, as many organizations have attempted to torture spites for information but were never able to collect anything wanted. Spites will often show reflexes of pain when attacked, but it’s theorized that they merely use it as a sympathy tactic in order to survive.
How to Fend off / Kill a Spite
Nowhere in wyngro society is it unacceptable to kill spites. They are considered soulless monsters and encouraged to be eliminated.
While some spites can be physically attacked and killed, some can only be killed with magical attacks.
Some spites leave physical bodies around when they are eliminated, although these “physical vessels do not decompose in the same way that normal living things do. They more or less begin to become absorbed into the air very quickly.
Others immediately get absorbed into nothingness once they are eliminated, such as weepers, who retain barely any physical form at all and appear almost completely ethereal.
Where do they come from? How do they come about?
No one has ever seen a spite birth and thus it is unknown how they spawn or are created. Some believe they appear out of thin air from the magic of the world itself. Some believe they are born deep underground or far above in the clouds where the atmosphere is unreachable to wyngrew.
Shrouded in mystery is what truly makes spites scary to wyngrew, as the uncertainty of why they exist is what unnerves civilization most of all. Do they have a purpose? Are they only a result of some disastrous event in history?
Types of Spites & Info on each kind
Every spite is vastly different from the other, although they all have a number of identifying traits that tie them together:
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All consume magical energy in the form of negative emotions
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All seem to share a vague hive mind overall
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All Spites have sharp, pointed teeth. This seems to be what they consume magic with.
How to portray Spites within the group - PLEASE READ!
While it’s exciting to have new, scary monsters exist in the group, there are some rules when portraying them that you’ll need to follow!
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As of Warptide 2018: Since the nova tree was destroyed, spites are no longer warded off and will creep in, especially at night. Spites like the shambles, nocoffs and yittles are often seen lurking in town, but the NPC, Bull, is seen chasing them out or killing them on sight. While most spites do not attack unless in defensive, they still consume the magic around them. This can cause sickness in wyngrew close enough so it is advised to not stay out past dark. Please be aware that kindrin and deelaguns are rare and do not wander into communities.
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Make sure to read about each type of Spite, where they live, how they interact with wyngrew, and if they are susceptible to magical or physical attacks. Not all Spites will physically injure a wyngro, so try to be accurate when writing stories!
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Wyngrew cannot have Spites as pets, friends, or caretakers.
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Spites should not be portrayed talking/having personalities/depicted as complex characters.
Yittles
Ethereal Percentage: 20% Magical 80% physical
Taste Preference: Fear, Confusion, Paranoia
Locations: Lurking everywhere, but mostly in heavy forests-- places where they can hide. They are able to reside right outside a nova tree's aura, so they are commonly seen right outside Wynsiph. (Or rumored to be seen. No one ever gets a good look)
Intelligence: 7/10
Threat level: 4/10
Sightings: common
Appearance:
Yittles are tall, slender spites with pale skin. Their limbs are very sharp and faded with a red tint, giving them the impression of being stained with blood. They are known for their crescent moon head shape and green, glowing, sideways eyes, as well as a toothy smile. Yittles stand as tall as a biped wyngrew, making their hidden appearance even more unsettling. Was that shape from a wyngro, or a spite...?
Society:
Yittles are the most common type of spite and usually a staple image when wyngrew talk about them.
This is most likely due to their unsettling appearance.
Tastes & Tactics:
This breed of Spite seems to feed off of paranoia and fear. Yittles largely keep themselves hidden, only to appear in odd places to give their targets brief glimpses of an unnatural creature outside their window, on a ceiling, half in shadow, etc until maximum fear and paranoia is achieved. However if cornered or caught, most Yittles are skittish and quick to flee, although some have been known to attack wyngrew if backed into a corner or starved enough. They have very sharp claws and can inflict massive damage if provoked.
Yittles are famous for their nature of picking a single wyngro ‘target/victim’ and making their life miserable for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Yittles break plates, leave open doors and windows that had previously remained closed, and ‘scccraaaatccccchh’ softly at doors and windows in the dead of night, leaving their victims no time of peace.
Most lone travelers, lucky enough to avoid the attention of more dangerous spites, are likely to be targeted by Yittles. Feel like someone is watching you, though no one is in sight? Do you keep catching glimpses of something moving or grinning out of the corner of your eye? It’s likely a Yittle … or a few … following such an easy target.
Dealing with a Yittle:
Most wyngrew are advised to at least have one traveling companion when making long journeys. Because though one Yittle is hardly a threat, if enough Yittles become attracted to a lone traveler the group may grow frenzied and bold enough for more daring harassment. Such as boldly showing themselves now and again, grinning and laughing before vanishing back into cover, along with bolting in to bite or scratch when the lone traveler tries to sleep, eat, or drink.
While not outright fatal, such harassment often causes enough stress on a wyngro that their distress can attract other types of spites, which can potentially be far more dangerous than a pack of Yittles.
The most effective means of making sure Yittles leave you alone is quite simple: travel in good company, and laugh off any Yittle attempts at making you feel uneasy. Yittles are very skittish Spites, and will not often do anything more than harmless attempts to unsettle a gro from a distance so long as there are more than one.
Yittles are easily slain through physical or magical force if caught or cornered. The trick is: they are seldom seen, let alone put into such a tight spot. They are also very tricky to hit as they are very slick and quick.
Weepers
Ethereal Percentage: 90% Magical 10% physical
Taste Preference: Fatigue, Annoyance, Gloom
Location: High above ground. They float aimlessly until a storm shows above a community. They some times float close enough to the ground to be seen, but it's rare.
Intelligence: 5/10
Threat level: 1/10
Sightings: RARE (unless flying in a storm)
Appearance:
Weepers are gray, cloudy spites that are almost all ethereal in appearance and They have long, wispy appendages that seem to trail off in a vapor-like smoke trail as they float through the air.
Society:
Weepers are a very seldom seen Spite not many wyngro will encounter face-to-face in their lifetime. These ethereal Spites live at high altitudes far above the ground, often hiding within clouds and working together to create storms. Most wyngrew know of their existence though, and a common saying on rainy days is "Come in out of that weeping rain!"
Tastes & Tactics:
Weepers are unique in the way they choose to effect and drain their victims: instead of directly hunting or hurting a wyngro, Weepers create rain clouds and thunderstorms to affect wyngrew far down below, causing widespread dreariness and misery to feed off of.
Weepers are unique in their ability to even slightly affect towns and cities protected by nova trees, due to the far distance from which these Spites do their work. These weather Spites do not often cause much harm beyond a few miserable rainy days at a time, and are considered very unthreatening to the health of most wyngrew. Though, very rarely, Weepers have been known to gather in unusually high numbers for reasons unknown, creating lingering storms that not only cause misery, but ruin crops and cause numerous accounts of sickness from those wyngrew affected. The only recorded cause of such a ‘Super Storm’ was many decades ago, and it’s cause is still unknown.
Dealing with a Weeper:
Some large cities have been known to employ winged wyngrew with strong ice or wind magic in order to disperse Weepers and keep such moral-draining storms away for important celebratory events. Weepers, though completely immune to physical attack or harm, are easily dispersed with strong wind magic or scared away by strong gusts of cold icy wind. Weepers would rather avoid wyngrew from a close range anyways, so many towns merely accept that Weepers will pass by eventually and it's just a part of a storm. Small towns don't even bother trying to deal with them.
A very mysterious spite:
Weepers, because of their elusive, hidden nature, are one of the least studied spite, and thus easily the most mysterious of all spites. Although many tales tell of Weepers that somehow end up stranded at ground level will sometimes be able to adapt by converting into a more physical form as they desperately try to find enough magic to float back up to the sky. They are nearly helpless on their own.
Nocoffs
Ethereal Percentage: 50% Magical 50% physical
Taste Preference: Loneliness, Neediness, Grief
Location: Anywhere that Nocs reside
Intelligence: 9/10
Threat level: 3/10
Sightings: Uncommon
Appearance:
Nocoffs almost always resemble a noc, almost identically so. They are shape-shifters, but this is the only shape a Nocoff seems to be able to take.
When wyngro backs are turned, however, their true form reveals a shadowy husk with glowing white eyes, sharp teeth and large clawed hands. Basically, a floating, haunted version of a noc. This form is very rarely seen, however, as a Nocoff will do everything it can to fool the unsuspecting victim for as long as possible.
SPECIAL CONDITION: Nocoffs are especially rare and not common enough to be found regularly by wyngrew. Because of this, please do not portray your wyngro interacting with a Nocoff, unless your character is participating in a particular Quest!
Society:
Nocoffs are one of the few species of Spite that can be found inside a town or city with a nova tree (though only if a wyngro 'lets them in' and takes the 'little lost Noc' found elsewhere home with them). Nocoffs cannot enter a protected town or city on their own.
It seems due to the close and personal nature Nocoffs have with their victims, and the large amount of direct magic they consume every night, that they are able to remain close to what most other Spites consider a repellent.
However, Nocoffs are not completely immune to the effects of the nova tree. There have been a number of documented cases of Nocs being revealed as Nocoffs when their owner was too close to (or touching) a nova tree. This is usually only the case if the Nocoff hasn't consumed enough magic though.
Tastes & Tactics:
Nocoffs specifically shape shift into the form of an innocent Noc in order to be taken into the shelter of a wyngro home, only to transform into their true form at night or when the wyngro is sleeping or distracted. This is when it feeds off the loneliness and grief that a wyngro who is so desperate for affection will take a Noc in for. Even if the wyngro is not a very stressful personality, the Nocoff is a very devious, intelligent spite that can bide its time and wander out at night to find better victims.
These insidious Spites, fortunately, are often found out due to the sometimes dramatic effect they have on their victims. In most large towns and cities, it’s well known that a ‘lost’ Noc looking for a home is usually too good to be true. Nocoffs tend to be a much bigger problem in smaller settlements, where Noc pets are a rare and sought after commodity many are willing to overlook a little speciousness for a rare and loving companion pet.
Dealing with a Nocoff:
Often times, the best thing to do once a wyngro finds out their Noc is really a Nocoff is to simply dump the Spite off at the edge of town, but that’s easier said than done in most cases.
The victims of Nocoffs often have a hard time letting go of their new ‘friend’, because in most cases the Nocoff is their only ‘friend’.
Nocoffs seek out the loneliness specifically for this purpose, and will often wait at the edge of town in their Noc guise, weeping and ‘pining’ for the poor wyngro to come back for them … or to pick up a new victim, whichever comes first.
Nocoffs, much like Nocs, are not physically very dangerous to most adult wyngrew and can usually be killed through normal physical or magical means of force. Most try to take care to eradicate such Spites, particularly with how deeply these monsters can ensnare their victims.
Russell will not allow Nocoffs in his town, for instance, and will destroy them on sight if found out. These pests can hurt more than just the wyngrew they're staying with, after all.
Kindrin
Society:
Kindrin luckily do not often roam and are restricted to their territories far off the beaten path, which can be identified by uncanny “braiding”, such as blades of grass, vines, and objects lying around.
Turn back if you see unusual amounts of braided flora. They are obsessed with braiding things with their ear/arm appendages.
They seem to stay very dormant until they sense a creature with a magical essence nearby. They often feed on Runeboos when wyngrew aren't around.
Maybe wyngrew are led in by the shriek of a screaming runeboo, and only end up in the clutches of a kindrin.
Tastes & Tactics:
This is a very dangerous spite that enjoys the slow torture of a wyngro or other magical creature.
They will often ensnare an unsuspecting wyngro that has wandered too far from town into a trap and then begin to maim them. A Kindrin will avoid actually killing a wyngro, instead using gruesome and barbaric torture techniques to keep them in one place while they suffer. Although many wyngrew end up dying from their wounds after a Kindrin is done with them, too weak to find help.
Reports of encounters with Kindrins include being strung up in trees with painful injuries, dragging mangled bodies all over, slowly biting into limbs, tails, ripping wings off, and even more strategic methods, such as slowly stretching the body or limbs, or slowly peeling the first layer of flesh off a wyngro. They like to experiment, so there’s no limit to the creativity of a kindrin. They also have limited speech, and will whisper creepy things while working on their victims to inspire more horror. This speech is mostly copied from fragments they hear from wyngrew around them. They cannot actually converse.
Ethereal Percentage: 10% Magical 90% physical
Taste Preference: Pain, Horror, Loss
Location: Far outside of wyngro communities, well away from heavily traveled paths. You need to really be exploring in the middle of no where to come across one.
Intelligence: 6/10
Threat level: 8/10
Sightings: RARE
Appearance:
A rather large Spite-- the size of a Standard adult bipedal, whose silhouette vaguely resembles a headless wyngro. Long, powerful ear/arms for grabbing. Dark, creepy, bulbous eyes. Large, gum exposed teeth, with nostrils on its abdomen, and unnaturally bent legs. They also have markings that wyngrew say resemble blood running down its body. A permanent stain from all those they've tortured.
This spite is terrifying in appearance, and plagues the nightmares of many wyngrew.
Dealing with a Kindrin:
Kindrin are extremely dangerous Spites, and should never be approached by the unprepared or a novice Spite hunter. They are agile and powerful opponents, often using unpredictable and odd movements to ensnare even the most wary wyngro. When seeking an escape from a determined Kindrin, a quick flash of fire or light magic tends to hurt their large, bulbous eyes, giving a potential chance for a cornered wyngro to flee but beware: such a tactic also enrages these Spites. If an enraged Kindrin get’s it’s ‘hands’ on you, it’s going to rip something off. Their main method of attack is to immobilize you somehow.
Because these Spites are typically loners, the best course of action when seeking to slay one is to bring a large group of capable fighters and simply cut the monster to pieces, as most killing methods won't work. These things are difficult to kill.
Shambles
Ethereal Percentage: 20% Magical 80% physical
Taste Preference: Repulsion, Fear, Shock
Location: Along well traveled paths, heavily wooded areas, near water, wherever bugs reside. They avoid dry areas.
Intelligence: 2/10
Threat level: 4/10
Sightings: Common
Appearance:
Shambles stand as tall as a wyngling, so they are rather small, but can be very dangerous due to their extremely sharp beaks. Their bulbous eyes jut out from their heads, and have very visible red gullet. They have barbs that protrude from their necks, and insect-like legs that skitter as they walk.
They make hissing-like noises when distressed or threatening.
Behavior around wyngrew:
Shambles generally like to skitter past a wyngro just enough for them to be seen but not attacked. Sometimes they just hiss nearby to cause a reaction. They enjoy the feeling one gets from the "heeby-jeebees" of seeing a creepy bug nearby. They also tend to swarm together, so one may be bold enough to approach and even crawl onto a wyngro just to inspire a panic.
Their shells are very hard to pierce, but their weak-point resides in simply cutting their head off by their softer neck.
When in fear of being killed, a shamble will resort to stabbing a wyngro, which can be lethal if hitting an artery where no healing is around.
They also have sharp barbs that will come off and attach to the wyngro, causing infection and difficult to pull out.
Behavior without wyngrew:
When no wyngro is around, shambles will just stand still with their mouths open and attract bugs to crawl down into their gullets. They act as a carnivorous plant, emitting a sweet, addicting smell from their bellies that insects cannot resist.
They have no interest in runeboos, and coexist with the animals of the world much like an animal themselves. They only seem to be focused on tormenting wyngrew, and no other magical beings. (This is unlike other spites, who will enjoy sucking any kind of magic)
Deelagun
Ethereal Percentage: 10% Magical: 90% physical
Taste Preference: Pain, Agony, & the fear of death
Locations: Deelaguns live far off the beaten path and usually far from larger wyngrew societies. They prefer deep wilderness, and only actively hunt seldomly. Prefering to make each victim they acquire last a long while.
Intelligence: 6/10
Threat level: 9/10
Sightings: VERY RARE
Appearance:
Deelaguns are very large spites, over 6 feet tall and 20 feet long. With serpentine flexibility, the deelagun is muscular and agile. Its mouth is filled with sharp teeth, and seeing it roar with an open mouth is a frightening sight.
With its 3 dark eyes on its face, along with a row of them going down its long back, it's nearly impossible to catch a deelagun unawares. These eyes glow when a deelagun absorbs its victims’ magic (often taking the color of the magic type being absorbed). A deelagun’s insides are completely lined with teeth, and it’s black, oozing blood will cause infection if it gets into a cut or your mouth.
Deelaguns are colored dark purple with a white mask on its face and white tipped tentacles that grow mostly along the face, neck and back end.
A deelagun’s back legs appear backwards and broken, giving it an uncanny appearance as it skitters along the ground and towards its victims. It can reverse and run just as fast backwards as it can forwards, being able to bend its head back and see with its multiple eyes.
Society:
Deelaguns are almost exclusively spotted out in the wilds, far away from wyngro habitation. Just spotting a deelagun is said to be an omen of bad luck, and most wyngrew are advised to swiftly leave any area a deelagun has been sighted.
Deelaguns have little reason to fear wyngrew, even in larger groups. So if one is actively hunting, even traveling together will not keep it from seeking out the ‘perfect’ victim in a trading caravan.
Deelaguns often create a hidden ‘nest’ of sorts for themselves, be it a cave, dirt den, or other dark, hard-to-find space where it can lie in wait until its hunger grows enough to rouse it into a hunt. These lairs are often littered with the remains of past meals, mostly tattered clothes and cracked bones. Curiously enough: these lairs are also generally close to (or have) a source of clean water. Near these dens the local trees are often completely covered in scratch marks, left from the deelagun’s long claws as it makes its way around.
Tastes & Tactics:
Deelaguns are picky: they often use a blitz tactic to burst into a group swiftly before grabbing a single chosen victim and hauling them away swiftly, screaming, back to wherever it calls its lair. Deelaguns are completely immune to magical attack: something in their hide swiftly absorbing magic around them to the point of making all magical attempts useless. Deelaguns often pick very magically-inclined (and physically-weaker) wyngrew just for this very reason: they are the easiest prey item available that provide the most magical food.
Deelaguns have been known to travel great distances from their chosen lair in order to claim a victim (due to living so far off the beaten path, and being so picky with their prey). And once they have chosen a victim, nothing will stop them from hunting their prey. Even if they must wait for extended periods of time.
Deelaguns have been known to stalk the same victim for months, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Survivors of deelagun attacks are few and far between, as most taken are never seen or heard from again, but from the few survivors, we know this much: deelaguns are much like kindrin in their joy of pain. Using their long claws and teeth, deelaguns superficially injure their captured prey with dozens upon dozens of shallow and deep cuts, physically and magically draining a victim until … the deelagun leaves. When the wyngro tries to flee, thinking this their chance, on the deelagun comes out of nowhere, snaking around trees and obstacles only to catch the wyngro again and drag them back to its lair again. And again. And again.
This ‘catch and release’ method is hypothesized to completely and totally break down a victim in a slow, grueling torture that slowly breaks down all hope and instills a learned helplessness in the victim as they slowly starve and weaken from the deelagun’s repeated drain on their magic and blood (along with other spites like yittles often hanging around a deelagun dens to ‘scavenge’ what they can of the lone victim). Only once a wyngro has completely lost the will to fight does a deelagun finally end it: swallowing the victim whole for final digestion.
A deelagun’s insides are largely just teeth. It's theorized the victim may be, potentially, swallowed alive until they finally bleed to death from a thousand cuts.
Dealing with a Deelagun:
The only way to kill a deelagun is to overwhelm it and slowly cut it down. Although projectile magic like flames will not hurt it-- magic can still be used to help a wyngro move, defend, and dodge a deelagun enough to attack it physically.
Most deelaguns are smart enough to realize when they are the one being hunted, and will retreat to fight another day. Only when the spite is obsessed with a specific target will it refuse to back down. The beasts seem to fixate on one thing at a time.
Deelaguns are agile and their emaciated-body is only built of bone and muscle: with a flexibility that makes them able to completely turn in on themselves and each tentacle able to actively grab at limbs. It’s a long and bloody fight in order to bring down a deelagun.
Most of the time, those taken by deelaguns are simply given up as ‘lost’. With miles of uncharted wilderness to check, and no way to track a swift-moving deelagun, few could ever hope to track down (let alone slay) such a spite unless properly trained.
In larger cities, such as the Antova capital, deelagun sightings around the area are taken extremely seriously. Large scouting groups known as Spite Hunters will go out to track a deelagun to its nest and take it out before it becomes a problem. This may be why so few of them are found in the Antova region.
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Ethereal Percentage: 30% Magical 70% physical
Taste Preference: Unease, Shock, Surprise, Terror
Locations: Often hanging around abandoned farmsteads, orchards, or areas naturally growing an abundance of fruit or berry-bearing plants (which wither and die the longer a Saynamo lingers there).
Intelligence: 7/10
Threat level: 2/10
Sightings: Rare (Believed to be imagined by the delusional)
Appearance:
Saynamos are tall bipedal spites with banded bodies, that cover their faces and limbs with coarse sacks. They are taller than average Standard bipeds with arms as thick as quad wyngrew, with long dark claws tipped in blue. No wyngro has ever seen a Saynamo without its covering sacks (or at least: no wyngro has seen it and lived to tell about it). Saynamos can oddly compact their long bodies down completely into their sacks so that they are much smaller (appearing almost like an odd doll, or a heap of abandoned vegetable sacks), and often use this to their advantage to ‘pop’ up and terrify curious or unweary wyngrew.
Society:
Saynamos are an uncommon, but far from unheard of problem for wyngro farmers (especially those with large, sprawling farms). This odd spite often creeps into fields in the night, using their large claws to leave deep, confusing furrows going in nonsensical directions when no one is around. These furrows also have the distressing side effect of withering the crops around them, and leeching away the fertility of the soil itself.
This type of spite seems fond of abandoned farmsteads and orchards, but can also be found sometimes where unusually-large amounts of wild fruits and/or berries grow (though the saynamo’s presence itself soon withers everything around it). Saynamos are usually solitary spites, found alone.
Tastes & Tactics:
This spite is largely nocturnal and prefers the dark, often only moving and becoming active after the sun has mostly set or on very overcast days. Basically whenever vision is impaired and it can move better without being seen.
No wyngro has ever seen a saynamo just walking around: these spites only move when not being watched. Wyngrew can often catch a glimpse of the top of a saynamo’s head watching from deep in a crop field, only to blink and the spite to have disappeared into the sea of plantlife. Many gros claim to just be “seeing things” when spotting the distant silhouette of a Saynamo, or catching it out of the corner of their eye.
Saynamos may be large in size, but are not known to be outright deadly. This spite likes to creep up on lone wyngrew (or lie in wait somewhere) and give the wyngro a massive ‘surprise’ of the worst kind: grabbing them in its claws and stretching its stitched mouth open wide to show off the dark void of its mouth. A small peek under the hood that will cause you to faint instantly. Many gros who have claimed to encounter a Saynamo at face value have said that it took away their ability to scream, and awake alone without a voice to call for help. Some doctors have claimed the trauma is what disrupts a victims voice. Other healers say the spite can literally steal your voice to use for fooling others later. There have been so few cases of a Saynomo actually being encountered in this way, so there’s really no clear answer.
Saynamo
Dealing with a Saynamo:
Because Saynamos are so rarely seen up close, and only “attack” lone victims, it’s widely debated if they even exist at all. Many victims are claimed to be seeking attention or some kind of fame from their claimed attacks, as there were no other witnesses to prove their tales.
They are said to affect the quality of crops, even to the point of destroying entire plots, but it is very difficult to prove whether it’s the cause of a spite, or some other issue.
Because they don’t tend to move while being watched, a saynamo can actually be approached in the daytime or confronted directly, but their terrifying, uncanny scarecrow appearance leaves even the fearless gros unsure of whether to actually attack it or not. It’s been said that they will endure all sorts of attacks and intimidation to allude to their fake appearance, only to spook the life out of a gro when they are looking at it the wrong way and open its mouth to make the gro faint and for the spite to flee.
A lot of gros have theories about how to safely remove a saynamo from their land, like singing loudly outside, having a bonfire nearby and pouring salt into the flames, and even leaving novas around the area. (Though because of the rarity of novas, this is likely a risk because thieves will be a problem then) Wyngrew have been known to try all sorts of things to rid them of these bad spites and avoid confrontation.
Other Spite Sightings.....
There are many different kinds of spites in the world... only time will tell how many....