Plague Doctor House

Characteristics

Combat Behavior

Monster Description

The Plague Doctor House is a grim visage that wanders the desolate remnants of a once-thriving civilization. Draped in tattered robes, adorned with gruesome illustrations of ailments and bizarre symptoms, he embodies the horror of the plague. His signature beaked mask, traditionally used by historical doctors to protect against miasma, serves as a dark symbol among the few who dare associate with him. It is said that upon donning this grotesque face, he saw the true extent of human suffering and was forever changed. House’s connection to the pestilence grants him abilities that draw upon the suffering of others, allowing him to wield poison as his weapon and invoke misery wherever he roams. With a sickle-shaped blade always in hand, he seeks to spread ruin and disease while collecting the dying to increase his dark power.

Monster behavior

Plague Doctor House prefers to ambush his foes, using the twisted alleys and shadows to his advantage. He often deploys his toxic spells to weaken opponents before engaging in melee combat. If confronted, he'll retreat to remain a tormenting presence in his prey's nightmares. He is not above utilizing minions or creating swarms to assail targets, often sowing despair before his arrival. As a strategist, he often induces paranoia, making his foes second-guess their actions. He seeks out groups of those affected by illness or death to harvest their energies and bolster his own power, growing stronger from their despair.

Ecology

In the grand web of his bleak domain, Plague Doctor House serves as both predator and parasite. He roams the remains of once-flourishing towns and cities, leaving nothing but loss in his wake. By spreading disease, he not only wreaks havoc but also inadvertently creates turmoil that shakes the delicate balance of the surrounding ecosystems. As other creatures succumb to disease and decay, House gains strength from their suffering, allowing him to thrive in a world that terrorizes his victims. While his existence is a blight, it’s also a necessary evil, as certain pestilences that he nurtures act as food for other creatures, helping to maintain the dark cycle of life and death.

History

Once a renowned healer in a distant land, House was revered for his medicinal abilities and wisdom. However, during a catastrophic outbreak of plague, he was unable to save the ones he loved most. Despair turned to obsession as he sought to trivialize death by understanding its very essence. His mind twisted and corrupted through the agonizing experiments and storied legends, he created elixirs and concoctions to prolong life but instead spread suffering and decay. In a fiendish dream, he received a vision of the plague as something sacred, and thus he embraced it as an ally rather than an adversary. Cast out by society for his horrific transformations and dark power plays, he now wanders the wastelands as a symbol of fear, seeking more knowledge while bringing forth new dimensions of suffering.