Vargouille

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

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.

Description
Vargouilles appeared as a human head sprouting bat wings. Their mouths were filled with sharp fangs and a ring of tentacles sprouted around their face. Their eyes glowed with a constant eerie green light. Vargouilles were incapable of speech, but screamed during attacks.

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. 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.