Fen-Wraith
- HP
- 10
- Defense
- 10
- AR
- 0
- Mettle
- 0
Attacks
| Attack | Pool | WR | Tempo | Qualities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Touch | 7 | 3 | 4 | — | Ignores armor; target takes +1 Strain. |
| Drown | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | While grappled: 1d3 damage/turn, ignores AR. |
Traits
- Ethereal: Immune to non-magical physical damage. Standard bullets pass through. Salt Rounds and Ghost-Rock deal ×2 damage. Iron weapons deal normal damage (the iron disrupts the Current binding them).
- Fear Aura: Anyone entering Near range must roll ECHO + Resilience vs. TN 11 or become Suppressed. This is a gut reaction — your body knows the wraith is wrong before your mind does.
- Water-Bound: Cannot move more than Far range from their anchor point (the body of water they haunt). If forced beyond this range, they dissipate and reform at their anchor in 1d6 hours.
- Reflection: Fen-Wraiths can be seen in reflective surfaces (water, mirrors, glass) even when invisible. Characters who think to check see the wraith's true form looming behind them.
Marsh spirits born from the accumulated grief of every soul the Fen has swallowed. They manifest as shapes of fog and dark water in the rough outline of drowned victims — hair trailing like weeds, fingers elongated into translucent tendrils, mouths open in a silent scream. They smell of stagnant water and old sorrow.
Fen-Wraiths are territorial. They claim a stretch of swamp — a particular pond, a specific bend in the waterway — and defend it against all intrusion. But they are also lonely. Some Fen-Wraiths will attempt to communicate before attacking, writing words in the condensation on glass, arranging corpse-candles in patterns, or whispering through the reeds in voices that sound like someone you loved.
The Redeemers say Fen-Wraiths are demons. The Circle says they are echoes. The Dust Vultures say they are the land’s way of crying. None of these explanations make them less dangerous.
Speed 7.
Tactics
Lurk in reflections and dark water. Wait for prey to approach the water’s edge. Emerge, grapple the most isolated target, and drag them under. Use Fear Aura to scatter the group, then pick off the one who freezes. Fen-Wraiths are patient. They can wait all night.
Encounter Design
The best Fen-Wraith encounter is one where the party must cross its territory — a bridge over its pond, a path through its swamp. Negotiation is possible (they want something — a memory, a song, a living person to keep them company), but the price is always uncomfortable.