Monsters of Aldudenie

Refer to this page as an index of the monsters you will encounter in Parthalan, in addition to dragons and were-wolves.


-Aos Si: “people of the mounds”; a type of mischievous fairies or elves that live in small mounds underground. These mounds are said to lead to a sort of alternate dimension where all races co-exist happily.

-Bauchan: (bo-chan) a type of hobgoblin. It is often mischievous and sometimes dangerous, but also helpful when the need arises.

-Bugul Noz: “night-shepard”, a fairy spirit who lives in the woodlands of Laoise. He is the last of his kind and is said to be incredibly ugly, a fact which causes him distress. His appearance is so awful that even woodland animals avoid him, and he sometimes cries out to warn humans of his approach, so that he won't frighten them. Though not malicious (indeed, rather kind and gentle), he is always alone because of his hideous visage.

-Centaur: The Centaur's are half man, and half horse. They have the body of a horse but, in place of the horse's head the have the torso, head and arms of a man. Most are wild and savage, known for lustfulness and drunkenness.

-Drow: Also known as dark elves, drow are a depraved and evil subterranean offshoot. White is the most common hair color among drow, but almost any pale shade is possible. Drow tend to be smaller and thinner than other sorts of elves, and their eyes are often a vivid red. They favor bows and arrows as weapons, and tend to use poison to incapacitate their enemies.

-Fachen: a creature with only half a body. Supposedly its appearance, which includes a mane of black feathers tufted at the top and a very wide mouth, is so frightening that it induces heart attacks. It can destroy an orchard with a chain in its strong, singular, withered arm, in a single night.

-Fuath: water spirits who inhabit the sea, rivers, fresh water, or sea lochs. Sometimes, this name is even given to highland or nature spirits, but all forms with the name are evil. Their appearance ranges from covered in shaggy, yellow fur to just having a mane down its back, webbed toes, tails with spikes, and no nose. They are prone to wearing green, whether it is a dress, robe, or kirtle, as it is the color of faeries. They sometimes intermarry with human beings (typically the female), who’s offspring will share a mane, tail, and/or webbed digits. Their banes include sunlight and cold steel, which will kill them instantly. They grow restless upon crossing a stream. An alternative name for this class of monsters is Arrachd.

-Joint-Eater: a type of fairy who sits invisibly and consumes half of their victim's food. It is also known as an Alp-luachra. A man haunted by a joint-eater will never grow fat, because the pith or quintessence of the food is consumed by the fairy. People who consume newts are thought to be plagued in this way. A folk remedy states that to rid one's self of an Alp-Luachra, one should eat a large quantity of salt beef, without drinking anything, and then lay by a running stream with mouth wide open. After a long wait, the Alp-Luachra will become thirsty, and will jump into the stream to drink.

-Kelpie: described as a strong and powerful horse. Its hide was supposedly black (though in some stories it was white), and appeared as a lost pony, but could be identified by its constantly dripping mane. Its skin was said to be like that of a seal, smooth but as cold as death when touched. Kelpies were said to transform into beautiful women to lure men into their traps. They created illusions to keep themselves hidden, keeping only their eyes above water to scout the surface. They lure people into the water to drown and eat them.

-Knockers: About two feet tall and grizzled, but not misshapen, they live beneath the ground. Here they wear tiny versions of standard miner's garb and commit random mischief, such as stealing miners' unattended tools and food. Their name comes from the knocking on the mine walls that happens just before cave-ins – actually the creaking of earth and timbers before giving way. To some of the miners, the knockers were malevolent spirits and the knocking was the sound of them hammering at walls and supports to cause the cave-in. To others, who saw them as essentially well-meaning practical jokers, the knocking was their way of warning the miners that a life-threatening collapse was imminent.

-Merrow: equivalent to a mermaid; appear as humans from the waist up and as fish from the waist down. Said to be gentle, modest, affectionate and benevolent, the merrow is believed to be capable of attachment to human beings and there have been reports of inter-marriage. However, most often, the creatures return to their former homes beneath the sea. Merrow-maidens have also been known to lure young men beneath the waves, where afterwards the men live in an enchanted state. In most cases, the female merrow had a red “cap” or “cape,” and if a human could capture and hide this possession from the merrow, then she would remain on land without problem. Yet, if the “cap” or “cape” were ever found by the merrow, she would have then felt compelled to return forever to the ocean, possibly leaving entire families behind. Merrow wear a special hat called a cohuleen druith, which enables them to dive beneath the waves. If they lose this cap, it is said that they will lose their power to return beneath the water. Merrow are also known to leave their outer skins behind, in order to transform into other beings more magical and beautiful. The merrow has soft white webs between her fingers, and she is often depicted with a comb parting her long green hair on either side. In Celtic lore, Merrow music is known to be heard coming from just beneath the waves.

-Morgen: water spirits that drown men. They may lure men to their death by their own sylphic beauty, or with glimpses of underwater gardens with buildings of gold or crystal. They are also blamed for heavy flooding that destroys crops or villages. The morgens are eternally young, and like sirens they sit in the water and comb their hair seductively.

-Orc:  Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen. Although not entirely dim-witted and occasionally crafty, they are miserable beings, hating everyone including themselves and their masters, whom they serve out of fear. They make no beautiful things, but rather design cunning devices made to hurt and destroy.