The Hellcoat
'First, I nibbled on his earlobe. Then, I bit into it, letting the red, red blood roll down his neck. Then, when he screamed and started tearing at me, I ripped the flesh from his hand. Ah, it tasted so good! Yes, yes! Then, I ripped through his jugular, and bit through his spine! Yessss.....'
Mhargosis heard the soft click of the lock on the iron box. 'I got it open!' he yelled to his fellow party members. He threw open the lid and observed the finery inside. 150....250....500 gold pieces! But another bundle was within, tied with...'Chains and a padlock?' Mhargosis said to himself. 'Who would tie a package with chains and a padlock? Oh well, yet another picking.' He manipulated the lock with ease. Another click. Within, a silvery-white fur pelt, folded into a small square, sleek and soft. He removed the pelt. It was a fur cloak, complete with head. It may have been a silver fox once, though an unusually large silver fox. He slipped it over his shoulders with a swish. It was beautiful. Soft. Wait? What was that whispering? He listened. 'First...I nibbled on his earlobe. Then, I bit into it....' Mhargosis tore the cloak from his back. What in Ye Gods? He put the fox-head of the cloak up to his ear, mindful that the teeth were still attached. '...letting the red, red blood flow down his neck. Ah, Mhargosis, how red and succulent it was! Hear this now, new master Mhargosis, I tore the flesh from his hand and the muscle too, oh yes!' Mhargosis looked in horror upon the cloak, staring into the toothy fox face. Had it had eyes before? Snarl, snap. The spray of blood. Mhargosis's party members found him later, partially devoured, with the bloody silver fox-skin cloak lying over him like a blanket.
Magical Properties:
The Hellcoat, when worn, speaks into the wearer's ear the tales of how it has devoured it's previous wearers. If the wearer dallies too long with the cloak, it will devour him/her too, and save the story for the next wearer. Often, the cloak will travel with and be worn by the wearer for months or even years without devouring them so that it can go to new locations, and thus, new food.
Not Registered Yet? No problem.
Do you want Strolenati super powers? Registering. That's how you get super powers! These are just a couple powers you receive with more to come as you participate.
- Upvote and give XP to encourage useful comments.
- Work on submissions in private or flag them for assistance.
- Earn XP and gain levels that give you more site abilities (super powers).
- You should register. All your friends are doing it!
? Responses (25)
Ah crap! It's all in italics! I didn't mean that!
Hmmm...Never put much thought into that...It's really your call, but I would make it a sentient creature that was killed, and thus, it's spirit haunts the cloak for revenge against the hunters.
Either way, a very cool and very creepy item.
I love it! A superb item of intense gothic horror. Best used whilst playing in a darkened room. Nice one, Cap'n!
Oh, I like this one. It is a definite keeper. I love the introduction of it into a game as you used as well. Wrapped in chains...sweeeeet!
That dungeon may be actually empty... it's only the treasure that kills! And it looks even better afterwards (regenerates cuts etc. if fed). Might be one of the traps for grave-robbers. Cursed items are a good base for treasure hoards!
So if you removed that chains... don't look surprised...
BUMP.
Makes me wonder who was smart enough to lock it up and put in a chest
I just read a novel that the main character had a tanned hellhound coat that could talk to people mentally if it chose to. and prefers coal to eat. could also breafth fire 3 times a day. cool concept. but you should have it give it a small benifit so that a character would like to keep it
What do you mean? If I add a benefit, it defeats the entire purpose!
Well done Captain
Nothing more to be said really. Love it.
A small tangent into the demented world of the good Captain... refreshing in light of the many would be cloaks of mystery and intrigue
One of the Captain's many interestingly nasty items. I could see this becoming part of a nasty murder mystery if the cloak waited for the right moment to make its kill.
Solid and nasty!
Creepy! And very well written. Some hint at possible plots involving it? pretty please?
Perhaps in addition to its current properties, it protects against some deadly form of magic the pc needs to traverse. Eaten if you do wear it, fried if you don't :)
Thinking of that, what if the coat can be placated (well, for a time...), by stories at least as horrible as his own, if not more. So if you need to wear it, make sure you can recite sufficiently gruesome stories for the cloak to enjoy.
Then, imagine a nervous figure in a coat with a fox, constantly mumbling something about horrible death and carnage.
As MoonHunter said, very cool and very creepy. I like it.
I like Manfred's idea, which could lead to a great plot. The characters are sent to kill a man who stands in the moonlight whispering horrible things and scaring the towndfolk. Turns out he was keeping everyone safe. Something about the coat being a large silver fox appeals to me. It makes me think of Regular Ordinary Sweedish Meal Time.
This could be used as a weapon as well. Gift it to some uppity, fur-wearing noble you want done with.
The size of it being a single fox disturbs me in thinking how big the fox must have been. Were i to use it I would make it a wolf pelt of some size to make it more believable as it being from a single animal.
But why stop there. Perhaps there are many forms of this cloak. A bear skin cloak. A cloak made of a panthers skin or tiger. Perhaps a leather cloak made from the hide of a crocodile. The numbers are near endless.
Imagine finding a treasure trove full of bother but animal skin cloaks.