Aristotowl

We began our journey of discovery at the small town of Fywich on the edge of the Kingswood. There was a rumour about town of a legendary creature inhabiting the woods nearby. The Aristotowl they called it. Legend has it that one is created when a philosopher dies without knowing the touch of a woman, punished by the Gods to haunt the earth as a grotesque owl plagued by the question that drove them insane in their mortal life.

Knowing this to be false as the Gods are a fantasy created to control weak minded plebeians, I endeavoured to study this creature in its natural habitat and discover the true nature of its origins. Bradley and I set out in to the forest at night, myself knowing that owls are nocturnal and Bradley having spent all day haggling with a shopkeep over the price of charcoal sticks.

We came upon a moonlit grove inhabited by several creatures. Upon closer inspection, the figures revealed themselves to be corpses, all frozen in a seated position almost as if they were deep in thought. I asked Bradley to scout the perimeter while I tried to ascertain the cause of their collective deaths.

It was at that point that I heard a voice calling out to me. It was hollow and mournful sounding; at first I thought it was the wind. It asked me “Who’s there?” and I replied with my name. I felt a strange mood come over me. My body felt very tired but my mind started racing. Feeling dizzy, I sat down. The voice struck up a conversation with me and I replied in an attempt to pass the bizarre sensation that had come over me.

The voice apparently came from a man of deep thought, though I could not see him from where I was seated and I was too lightheaded to get up and look. To start the conversation he told me a puzzle that he had been trying to work out for a long time. I reasoned to help this poor man, at least while I was incapable of moving on. The puzzle was quite a knot. The question was “Where is love felt?” I tried to come up with an answer for what seemed like a long time.

After who knows how long, the feeling passed. I called out to the man but there was no reply. I suddenly felt a great hunger and thirst. It was as if I had been sitting for days. I looked at the sky and it was well into the afternoon. I heard Bradley call out “Got him.” and he walked into the grove carrying what looked like a large silver owl with its face caved in by a blunt object. According to Bradley I had been sitting in a trance for the better part of two days until Bradley found the creature that I am still not quite convinced was the Aristotowl. Bradley assured me that it was and he had managed to draw its image before he clubbed the poor thing.

~ Riffolk

Rules

Description:
This creature looks like a large owl with almost ethereal silver feathers. Its face is a grotesque, vaguely human visage with a long drooping nose and beady, coal black eyes. It is constantly frowning. The Aristotowl will hide out of sight in forests and try to enthral anyone who passes by.

Equipment:
None

Abilities:
Enthrallment – The creature is constantly calling out, asking “Who’s there?” If a character replies, they must take an opposed Will Check with the creature or be enthralled by its enchantment. Enthralled characters are presented with a logic puzzle. The character cannot move or take any action until the logic puzzle is solved, the creature is found and killed, or the character dies of thirst. Any characters that interact with the enthralled character, or try to help them solve the logic puzzle, also become enthralled. If the logic puzzle is solved to the Game Master’s satisfaction then the Aristotowl explodes in a gory manner.