The Spook's Bestiary - By Joseph Delaney Page 0,41

known to fall victim to its insidious sound. Those who hear the whisper die within days unless they slay the buggane first. It stores the life force (see Animism Magic, page 120) of each person it slays in a labyrinth, which it constructs far underground.

A Buggane

Bugganes are immune to salt and iron, which makes them hard to kill and to confine. The only thing they are vulnerable to is a blade made from silver alloy, which must be driven into the heart of the buggane when it has fully materialized.

Another source of their strength is the alliance they sometimes make with witches or mages: In return for human sacrifices, they will destroy an enemy.

They are most common on the Isle of Mona, which lies to the northwest of the County coast, where a particularly dangerous one haunts a ruined chapel at the foot of Greeba Mountain. Bugganes, like some types of boggart, are occasionally open to persuasion or may be prepared to move location in exchange for something they badly want.

Harpies

These are said to be female; they are winged, and descend upon their prey faster than a stone falls through the air. The only warning that they are heading in your direction is a stench that is carried toward the victim no matter which way the wind is blowing. Sent out by Zeus, the former leader of the Old Gods, they hunt down those who have displeased him, to rend and tear them apart with their sharp claws. The bodies of the slain are contaminated by their visit, along with the surrounding land; plants and animals die, and nothing will grow in the soil there for many decades afterward.

Harpies

These observations were recorded from the ancient writings of the Greek spooks, but it seems likely to me that harpies never existed. Sightings of flying lamias probably gave birth to this legend. Without evidence we must always be skeptical. Note also that Zeus is no longer the leader of the Old Gods and through lack of worship has declined in power.

Kelpies

The kelpie is a type of malevolent demon that lives in rivers and lakes and has a great hunger for human flesh. It’s a shape shifter that usually takes the form of a black horse or pony. It allows a human to ride on its back before galloping into the water to drown him. If particularly hungry, it bites off the feet of its victim.

A Kelpie

The kelpie loves extreme weather conditions and often manifests itself during thunderstorms, when it shape shifts into a very hairy man, leaps out of the water and crushes its victim to death, snapping every bone in the process. Whether in the form of a man or a horse, however, a kelpie’s teeth are barbed and slope backward. Once it has bitten into flesh, it is almost impossible to pry its jaws open. A kelpie can be bound with a silver chain—though only with difficulty, because of its great agility. Like other demons, it is vulnerable to a silver blade.

Selkies

Selkies are water demons and usually live in the sea, appearing in the shape of a seal. But they can also take the form of a beautiful woman and live on land undetected. In this guise, selkies have been known to live with an unsuspecting man for years at a time. Selkies are benign creatures and like music, particularly sad songs. They are essentially lonely and thrive on human companionship. But they age very slowly indeed, and if one does choose to live with a man, her youth can attract the attention of neighbors, particularly jealous women. Although harmless in themselves, their presence makes people uneasy and nervous, given that they are a type of demon. Then a spook may be called in to help.

The best way to deal with a selkie is to hunt the creature, usually with dogs, which attempt to catch it and tear it to pieces. If the selkie escapes, she returns to the sea and again takes on the shape of a seal.2

Strigoi and Strigoica

Strigoi are masculine; strigoica are feminine. These vampiric (blood-drinking) demons live in Romania, mostly in the province of Transylvania. Often content to exist for years in spirit form, many eventually choose to possess the living; when their host dies, they move on to seize another body. Others prefer to animate the dead and choose a corpse soon after it has been buried.

These demons enter a living host through a cut or wound. Romanians are so fearful of this that they