Monster - Seafaring Fiddler

Mariners always liked the reassuring comfort of a joyful tune during the cold, salty nights they have to sail through. But when a ship sink in a bottomless sea under a blacker sky, your crew may ear the ominous song of the seafaring fiddler. They never found peace in their sunken tomb. Alas, they now play melodies of dread on their accursed violins, emptying the men of their willpower and forcing them to drown themselves. The strings of their instrument are dampened with sea water. Barnacles of old are clamped on the soggy wood. Their clothes were torn apart by the reeves, revealing the ghastly sight of broken bones and putrefied flesh. They creak as their violin moans a desperate song, their eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.

A curse at sea. Cruel captains and dreaded crews often meet an unsavory end at sea. The gods of below are quick to curse any who brings ill reputation to their domain, be it by fowl intents or despicable behaviors. The ghosts of ill-fated sailors still sail the raging seas under the blackest moon in their never-ending punishment as a testimony of the ocean’s powers. Fiddlers entertain their undying crew with the melody of their creaking violin. They are often heard before their ship raises ghostly from the sea.

Charming and haunting melodies. The song of the fiddler causes in whoever hears it a mixture of dread and bewilderment. Once heard, its nostalgic yet beautiful accords cannot be forgotten. The body of creatures under the violin’s curse will move uncontrollably, in a manner of jig or waltz, depending on the piece the fiddler plays. Whoever falls prey to this haunting music often ends up drowned after tripping on the ship’s railing or crushed on the upper deck due to a fall from the masts.

Obsessed by suffering. Cursed crews are drown in suffering. They delight in the pain they cause to living beings. These specters do not fear destruction, for it would be a relief for them. They will taunt their prey, play with them in order to instill fear. Nothing pleases them more than seeing sailors plunging into the deadly sea out of fear. Their vessel will likely stalk their victims from the encroaching fog that surrounds their passage, sounding fog horns and playing sinister tunes. Cursed crews met a brutal end at sea. They intend to reproduce this pain by murdering, destroying and pillaging and thrive onto this suffering.

Strategies. The seafaring fiddler will stay away from combat. Since its main ability, abyssal waltz, doesn’t require line of sight, the fiddler will probably remain out of sight at the start of combat, playing from a lower deck. It will most likely spam its abyssal waltz to weaken its enemies, using its bonus action to separate hostile creatures from one another and pushing them towards danger. If there is a cliff or body of water nearby, it will force controlled creatures to move towards it. If approached, the fiddler will use its incorporeal movement to put itself in a safer place, attacking with its withering touch only to defend itself.

As always, deepest thanks to my beloved patrons : Jerald, Jessica Harvey-Smith, Rachel, Matt Dunn,  KevKZ, Kevin, Lucerine, Norc, Chris Morgan, Greg H, Gary Messick, Realmsmith, Lizzie McPoof, Frank Askvig, Pi Ipe, Iudgeir Ibanez, Jens Wistbacka, , Fedor Tarasov, Dez, Pyram King, Anthony0646, Stagiselle, Kevin Zhao, Andy D'Amato, Tommie Löfgren, Liubov Martynova, Noble Rabbit, Stephen Blondi, MattTheRagdoll, morgha, JRA, B B and Julien Meunier ! Keep being awesome !