Indian Monsters I Might Steal (for Warlordocracy)
By Brian J. Lancaster (January 2022)
Website: www.laughingcoyote.net
In the quest to find new monster material for my upcoming game that's original to the genre of fantasy RPG, the first idea that popped into mind was the Wendigo, which I learned about from Algernon Blackwood's 1910 novella The Wendigo. After learning a bit about this creature, I wanted to research more American Indian monster mythology in order to capitalize on First People culture and make money on Steam. The name of my company, Laughing Coyote Software, was lifted from a guy I met one time while following the Nez Perce trail from Oregon to Montana back in college. I also stole lots of character names from Nez Perce history, so I might as well continue stealing ideas.
There's a plethora of untapped material in native mythology that can (and should) be recycled into B-movie plots and computer games. Why continue to follow Tolkien's Scandinavian lore of elves, dwarves, trolls, and giants? It also includes "orcs", the word stemming from the Latin god Orca (or the Gaelic word for "pig" or the Norse word for "seal"). It was mostly Tolkien's Viking monsters that oozed their way into Dungeons and Dragons and then 95% of fantasy computer RPGs. It's high time to rip off some other people.
Before including some indigenous American monsters in Warlordocracy, which should release December 2022, I figured I would summarize some of the research here. You can also check out the demo below, and listen to The Wendigo audiobook if you want, though there are better Algernon Blackwood stories on Youtube.
Warlordocracy:
The Wendigo Audiobook:
The Wendigo
The Wendigo (from the Algonkian language of the Great Lakes region) was mentioned in the brutal 1999 film Ravenous, but that movie was about human cannibalism, not a physical monster. The movie is parallel to some Algonkian folklore, in which the Wendigo is a spirit that inhabits the human body after it eats its own kind out of desperation. Eventually, the host will transform into a kind of cannibalistic half-sentient monster. In many traditions, humans transform into wendigos due to evil or cannibalistic tendencies. In other traditions it is a shapeshifter.
In most modern depictions, the Wendigo is represented as a physical monster resembling a 15-foot tall bipedal elk, its ribcage showing through its emaciated flesh. Sometimes its head is a bare elk skull, complete with antlers. The Algonkian describe it as “a giant with a heart of ice; sometimes, it is thought to be entirely made of ice. Its body is skeletal and deformed, with missing lips and toes.” It is also sometimes described to be made of ice, and usually has glowing eyes.
It is always hungry, and its hunger is strong enough to spread into any unfortunate hunters or campers that happen to be in close proximity. Considered to be the embodiment of winter and the wilderness, its presence is given away by an unnatural coldness.
Computer games and tabletop RPGs have made good use of this legend, but I've never personally played any. The possibilities are great, though, in that its very presence should deal cold damage to anything around it, and possibly cause party members to attack each other, etc.
Bigfoot
"Sasquatch" probably comes from the Halkomelem word for "wild man" or "hairy man". According to some Salish Indian legends, it has the ability to phase in and out of our reality, which would explain its elusiveness. It's non-existence may also explain this peculiar ability to not be seen.
The creature is said to be 7 to 10 feet tall and covered with hair. It smells awful and has been known to tap trees and whistle to confuse hikers. According to Popular Mechanics, the Kwakiutl people of British Columbia tell of the legend of Dzunukwa, a female ape-like creature that spends most of her time protecting her children and sleeping deep in the forest. If adapted to a computer RPG, the main question is whether there is only a single Bigfoot (hence the capital B), or many of them. If Dzunukwa has children, there must be a male.
Many other reports describe groups of ape-like creatures, like in 1924 at Ape Canyon near Mt. St. Helen's. One miner took a shot at one of these creatures and knocked it off a cliff. That night, a large group of the creatures came to attack their cabin, hurling massive rocks and banging on the doors. They made a hole in the roof, and threw rocks into the cabin, knocking one miner unconscious for two hours. By sunrise, they dispersed back into the woods (Perry). According to this report, the creatures had only four toes, which would be very strange indeed for a primate. The creature that was claimed to have been shot off a cliff was never found.
Many tribes claim to have a special relationship with this primate-like creature. Other tribes, like the Miwoks of north-central California, believe it to be a ravenous monster. Yayali the Giant is described by the Miwok to eat animals and sometimes people, if necessary, but it is also described as larger than an entire village.
Some random internet sources report floating lights that accompany Bigfoot sightings, similar to a will-o-the-wisp, and UFO freaks often associate unidentified lights with Bigfoot. I couldn't find any specific stories online of strange lights associated with Bigfoot, but it's an idea I want to steal for Warlordocracy. Wisps could serve as scouts for Bigfoot as she phases in and out of the spirit world and the physical forest.
Hairy Man Pictographs from Thule River Indian Reservation (~1000 years old):
Also, check out the real science of Bigfoot Hunting from Andrew Callaghan:
Skinwalkers
Sherman Ranch in Utah became a hotspot for UFO freaks in the 1970s, and is now commonly known as Skinwalker Ranch. There have been many sightings of flying lights, glowing orbs, crop circles, cattle mutations, and poltergeists. Many unidentified creatures have been seen running through the nearby woods. The original Sherman family witnessed a strange wolf-like creature, resembling the extinct dire wolf.
There is also a local Navajo legend regarding the skinwalkers, shapechangers that caused hostilities between their people and the nearby Ute people, which is where the Sherman Ranch earned this nickname. Like the Wendigo, they have glowing eyes and it is possible for a human to change into one after committing an evil deed. They can only be killed with a weapon covered in white ash.
Some indigenous people insist that simply mentioning the skinwalkers can draw their attention to you, and hence they don't speak to non-natives about the subject. Adrienne Keene expressed her worries that non-native writers (like myself) might misuse this legend and cause harm to tribes. There are similar stories of these monsters all over the world, but the term "skinwalker" is really the most catchy that I've heard. If my mutilated body is found after Warlordocracy is released, blame these creepy motherfuckers.
Flying Heads
The Flying Head, the Big Head, or Kanontsistóntie’s, is a legend from the Iroquois Confederacy around the Great Lakes region. They are exactly that -- flying heads with knotted hair, and they soar through the hair seeking human flesh. Some traditions explain that these originate from violent murders in which the victim is decapitated. The head then grows to a large size and seeks retribution. Other tales describe them as being a creature older than mankind.
Another common explanation for these monstrosities is a tribe in modern-day New York, it's name now forgotten. The tribe fell upon hard times, and the younger generation wanted to cross a great lake to find new land. The elders forbade it, saying they should stay put to appease the "Master of Life". The younger generation then turned on their elders, decapitating them and throwing their heads into the lake. Beneath the water, the heads merged together to form one Big Head.
One Seneca legend tells of a woman who scared off the flying head when it saw her eating roasted acorns. The head believed she was eating hot coals, which terrified the head, sending it away forever.
Owl Witches
According to the Yakama people of Washington state, there is a race of owl women called the Tah-tah-kle’-ah who live in caves and hunt people by night, preferably children. They can speak human languages to lure their victims into a deathtrap.
The Seminole people of Florida have a similar myth, called the Stikini. These are owl people that can change between human and animal form, though first they must cough up their entrails and internal organs, and hang them up in the trees for safety until they have need of them again. Like the skinwalkers, it is taboo to speak of the Stikini. Similarly, in the southwestern region of the U.S. is the legend of La Lechuza, massive owls with the faces of old women, believed to be shapeshifting witches that consume human children.
Teihiihan
The goblins of the Americas, this cannibalistic race of child-sized humanoids used to fight against Cheyenne nations in the Great Plains. They are said to be extremely strong and agile, able to outrun human warriors despite their short legs. Though they craft primitive weapons and tools, they are extremely stupid and are easily tricked by a clever mind.
One legend has it that they hang their hearts on the walls of their underground homes, thus rendering themselves invulnerable on the battlefield unless a warrior can find its lair and pierce the hanging heart. Another legend says they have the ability to become invisible, though this may just be because they can move faster than the eye can see.
Most legends say these dwarf-like people were wiped out in an ancient war, when many human tribes joined forces to defeat them. In any case, they would fit solidly into any RPG setting.
Sources
Weiser-Alexander, Kathy. "Wendigo – Flesheater of the Forests" (November 2021).
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mn-wendigo/
Strain, Kathy Moskowitz. "Ayak Datat: The Hairy Man Pictographs" (2012).
https://www.isu.edu/media/libraries/rhi/research-papers/Mayak-Datat-Hairy-Man-Pictographs-1.pdf
Blitz, Matt. "Could Bigfoot Really Be Out There?" (5 Aug. 2021).
https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a23622082/bigfoot-history/
Perry, Douglas. "Bigfoot Battle on Mt. St. Hellen's" (25 Jan. 2018).
https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2018/01/1924_bigfoot_battle_on_mt_st_h.html
Ishak, Natasha. "The 7 Scariest Creatures from Native American Folklore" (2 Dec. 2020).
https://allthatsinteresting.com/native-american-monsters
https://historycollection.com/18-spooky-native-american-monsters-that-will-keep-you-awake-at-night/
Wikipedia. "Skinwalker Ranch."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinwalker_Ranch
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