Meenlock

Meenlocks were deformed fey that originated from intense fear. They had no purpose other than to destroy good and beauty, and resorted to telepathic torture in order to terrify and corrupt other creatures. Someone who succumbed to this torture would then magically transform into a meenlock as well.

Description
Meenlocks were hideous humanoids that stand approximately 2 feet (0.6 meters) tall although their deformed bodies force them to stoop. Their claws drag along the ground due to their hunched over bodies and they move slower than most because of it. Cysts and sores cover their grotesque hides, underneath shaggy hair like spines that coat their bodies. Their insectoid eyes pierce the darkness of the night, but they struggle to see during the day.

Personality
Meenlocks were both devious and cunning using indirect methods to achieve the corruption of all things pure. Living in small broods, Meenlocks work with each other to spoil the beauty of the world and use teamwork to accomplish their mission. They communicate telepathically, although if being observed they may feign a vocal method of communication through a series of clicks and grunts, so as to secretly conspire against their enemies. Meenlocks prefer to travel unseen underground, and disguise their entry points to the surface with large rocks. If their lairs was discovered they will work tirelessly to silence the leak and keep their exsistence hidden.

Combat
Meenlocks detest direct combat, preferring to pick off members of a group individually as opposed to fighting all at once. A Meenlock assault is a slow and gradual eroding of the mind, tormenting and stalking their opponents for hours and even days. They telepathically send feelings and images to their targets, making them paranoid and panicked to soften them up for later. Such nightmares include whispers in the night, the feeling of being watched, and, images in the corner of the target's vision. Typically they target weak, innocent and good beings with these abilities while they were alone or sleeping, but also use these indirect tactics to deal with groups. Their very presence in fact exudes an aura of fear, that can reduce targets into sobbing messes, send them running, or simply leave them standing stuck with feelings of sheer terror.

Adding to the horror of the Meenlock were their terrible hooked claws, capable of paralyzing those who were injured by them. Once paralyzed Meenlocks kidnap their prey and bring it back to their lairs. They can telepathically communicate with others over 100 feet distances and can use this connection to plan and conspire. Being the incarnations of fear that they are, Meenlocks themselves were immune to feelings of fright.

If Meenlocks found themselves outmatched they teleported to any nearby area covered by darkness in order to make a hasty retreat, although this requires them to leave any prize behind; victim or otherwise.

Origin
Meenlocks were created when extreme terror was experienced by a creature in an area strongly influenced by the Feywilds. If more than one Meenlock appeared in a single instance a lair would form; a series of winding labyrinthine tunnels, with a single hole leading out. Meenlocks did not possess a conventional method of reproduction. Instead to create more Meenlocks, existing ones must conduct a metamorphosis on an existing humanoid. By telepathically torturing an unconscious victim through disturbing visuals and horrible noises over a series of hours, Meenlocks can create fully grown Meenlocks, who continue the cycle of torment.

Society
Meenlocks who did not have lairs might lack them for a variety of reasons. They may have been 'born' alone, their original warren was rendered uninhabitable, or their are simply too many in one area and some must strike out by themselves. Regardless of the reason Meenlocks without lairs of their own will craft new ones. They created tunnel networks that connected to underground caverns, spending the day plotting inside their shadowy warrens. They camouflaged the entrances to their homes and sealed them to prevent them from being found by others. A large chamber in the center of their subterranean lairs served both as the den and torture room, where new Meenlocks were created. The tunnels were coated in a black moss that served to drown out the noise made by the screams of their captives. Some Meenlocks worked under the employ of a hag in groups ranging between 4 and 14.

Religion
Meenlocks may serve duergar gods Deep Duerra and Laduguer, the former being a goddess of psionics and the latter being a god of slavery.