Römössa

 

Römössa (Redcap)

Small Corrupted Fey — The Blood-Capped Menace

“Never enter a ruined keep in the Midlands if the stones smell of wet iron. The Römössa may already be dipping its cap.”

Römössor bear a passing resemblance to goblins, but the similarities are largely superficial. They are corrupted creatures of Fey blood, twisted by ancient malice and an insatiable appetite for innocent blood. Some scholars speculate that they arose from an unholy union between goblins and the Fey, although no convincing evidence has ever been found. That the two are distinct creatures, however, is beyond doubt.

Small, vicious, and fiercely territorial, Römössor inhabit crumbling watchtowers, abandoned abbeys, and forgotten ruins throughout the Midlands. They are particularly fond of places where blood has been spilled and where travellers might seek shelter for the night.

Their name derives from the blood-red woollen caps they wear. These are no ordinary garments, but enchanted objects that must be repeatedly soaked in fresh blood to preserve their wearers' unnatural vitality. Without blood, the Römössa gradually withers and eventually crumbles into dry ash.

Despite their diminutive stature, Römössor are exceptionally cruel and surprisingly strong. They delight in frightening travellers, tormenting captives, and ambushing those unfortunate enough to wander into their territory.

Unlike goblins, they seldom flee from a fair fight, particularly when the scent of fresh blood fills the air.

Attributes

STR	DEX	CON	WIL	INT	CHA
13	12	12	10	7	4
+1	0	0	0	−1	−2

Statistics

Size	Small	MD	2
CM	9 (2D6)	LV	6
Movement	5	DV	11
Initiative	+1	MAV	+2
RAV	+0	MDB	+1

Attacks: Wicked Pike or Heavy Cleaver — 1D6 + MDB (+1, Medium weapon).

Special Abilities

The Blood-Soaked Cap

A Römössa's unnatural strength and vitality are bound to its enchanted woollen cap.

By spending an Action soaking its cap in fresh blood from a wounded or recently slain living creature, the Römössa immediately regains 1D6 CM and 1 LV, up to its maximum values.

If a Römössa goes 24 hours without soaking its cap in fresh blood, it begins losing 1 LV per hour until it crumbles into dry ash.

A Römössa deprived of its cap cannot benefit from this ability and becomes desperate to retrieve it.

Bloodlust

Whenever a living creature within 4 squares suffers LV damage and begins bleeding, the Römössa gains +1 MAV against that creature.

The Römössa becomes fixated upon the wounded prey and will generally pursue it in preference to other enemies, although it retains control of its actions.

Corrupted Fey Nature

Römössor are Fey, not Undead. They are affected by miracles, wards, and abilities that specifically target Fey.

Like other Fey, they cannot knowingly speak a direct lie, although they are exceptionally skilled at deception through half-truths, riddles, and deliberate omissions.

Weapons made from cold iron inflict +2 damage against them.

Sacred Aversion

“A holy symbol burns its eyes, and sacred words ring in its ears like a thousand iron bells.”

The Römössa possesses an extreme sensitivity to holy symbols, prayers, hymns, and sacred recitations.

Unlike Undead and unholy creatures, it suffers no holy damage merely from these sources. Instead, its senses become painfully overwhelmed.

A Römössa directly confronted with a holy symbol, or able to hear a clearly spoken sacred recitation, becomes Dazed for as long as the exposure continues.

It may avert its gaze, shield its eyes, cover its ears, or retreat beyond the source of the disturbance to escape the effect.

This is the creature's greatest weakness. Even a particularly vicious Römössa may be driven away by a determined pilgrim armed with little more than a holy symbol and a prayer.

Appearance

Römössor are short, wiry creatures with disproportionately large pointed ears, crooked noses, and wide mouths filled with jagged teeth. Their eyes are sharp and malicious, and their expressions frequently alternate between wicked amusement and murderous fury.

Their clothing consists of mismatched garments scavenged from their victims: ragged tunics, patched cloaks, torn leggings, and worn shoes or cloth-wrapped feet. Some wear pieces of stolen armour or carry weapons taken from long-dead soldiers.

Many favour wickedly shaped polearms, heavy cleavers, and other brutal implements. Their weapons are sometimes decorated with little bells, bones, or grisly trophies.

Above all, every Römössa wears its distinctive red cap, perpetually stained with blood.

Habits and Habitat

Römössor favour abandoned structures, particularly ruins with dark cellars, collapsed passages, and numerous hiding places. Old fortifications and forgotten religious buildings are especially attractive to them.

They are solitary or gather in small, quarrelsome groups. Their territorial disputes can be remarkably violent, although they occasionally cooperate when particularly tempting prey presents itself.

Römössor prefer ambushes and cruel tricks, often allowing travellers to enter a ruin before revealing themselves. A traveller might first hear a faint jingling of bells, a malicious chuckle, or the scraping of a blade against stone.

Their need for blood makes them persistent hunters. A ruin inhabited by a Römössa is seldom far from a road, settlement, or other source of living prey.

FOLKLORE — THE RED CAP

“If you find a little red cap lying among the stones, leave it be. Its owner will come looking, and he will not ask politely.”

Throughout the Midlands, travellers sometimes leave small holy symbols beside ruined gateways or recite prayers before entering abandoned buildings. Whether these customs arose specifically from encounters with Römössor is uncertain, but they remain common in places where the creatures are feared.