Vargouille

Vargouilles were denizens of the lower planes, some of which were trapped in Zakhara, the Land of Fate.

Description
Vargouilles resembled grotesquely deformed human-like heads about high and  in weight. They had a wingspan of, with leathery, bat-like wings taking the place of ears. Flailing tendrils crowned and fringed their heads as opposed to hair and an unnerving green glow could be seen in their eyes. They often wore a wicked sneer and jagged teeth laid inside their distended, shrieking maws.

Behavior
Vargouilles were loathed to enter lit areas, extinguishing handheld light sources like torches and lanterns and avoiding anything brighter. They typically remained in dark, untraversed areas waiting for prey to come to them, but were occasionally driven by their instinctual craving for live prey to risk exposure and fly into the night. They had no sense of value, only keeping the treasures of former victims in their lairs out of indifference.

Combat
The simple sight of a pack of vargouilles was enough to send many brave warriors running, especially when they heard its terrifying scream. Some who heard the scream were frozen with fear, vulnerable to the vargouille's poisoned bite.

A vargouille’s bite injected the victim with a debilitating poison that would not heal unless treated with magic.

Vargouilles sometimes chose to kiss their victims, which began the victim's transformation into a new vargouille. The victim's head began to resemble a vargouille more with each passing hour until it broke free from the body as a new creature. This horrid transformation was completed within one day, but could only be completed under darkness. Sunlight or continual light spells halted the transformation. The cure disease spell halted the transformation but did not cure it.

Vargouilles hated light of any kind and always sought to extinguish light sources. Their infravision helped them see perfectly in total darkness.

Habitat/Society
Vargouilles were mostly nocturnal creatures, preferring to hunt and move about during the cover of darkness. These creatures were believed to be remnants of the Ruined Kingdoms.

While they could speak Infernal, Vargouilles did not speak mortal languages, but screamed during attacks. They spread throughout Zakhara by infecting victims with their unique disease.

Ecology
The lair of a vargouille was often littered with the corpses of its victims. They preferred living food, but would feed on carrion or weaker pack members as well.

Lands
Summoned to Zakhara during ages past for an unknown purpose, these creatures were usually found within the Haunted Lands or Ruined Kingdoms. They could also be found in underground locations such as sewers or catacombs.