[The invunche is more famous than most South American folkloric monsters, as it featured in the Swamp Thing comics. The CR and abilities were designed for synergy with hags. Incidentally, a hocus, a pocus and an invunche make for a CR 8 encounter–perfect for a gang of goons serving a hag coven.]
Invunche Shambling forth is a twisted
humanoid form, tears forming in its skin exposing muscle and bone. Its hair is
wild and it bears a maddened expression. It moves in a strange hopping gait
with its arms and a single leg, as one of its legs has been twisted over its
back and fused to its neck.
Invunches
are grotesque creatures created by hags to act as familiars and guardians. Their
bodies are hideously twisted, but they are capable of surprising speed in their
hunched way, moving similarly to a man on crutches. They have little society
except for that of their hag controllers, and an invunche typically follows a
hag’s commands without question. They rarely wear clothes unless provided for
them, and are content with whatever scraps of treasure are spared for them.
Their one exception is food—invunches are ravenously hungry for milk and meat,
and an improperly fed invunche may wander from a hag’s lair to find a decent
meal.
In
combat, invunches are straightforward combatants, using their fists and jagged
teeth to pummel foes. The very sight of an invunche panics animals and fills
humanoids with a bizarre madness, causing them to eventually lose all track of
reality and fall comatose. If fighting in concert with a hag coven, invunches
remain close in order to defend their charges and help empower their magic.
An
invunche is created from a newborn humanoid baby between 0-3 months old. As
part of the ritual, one of the legs is sewn to the back of the head and neck,
magical ointments and tinctures are rubbed on the infant and its tongue is slit
with an enchanted knife. Once this is complete, the monster grows to full size
in a matter of weeks, although it is particularly ravenous during this time.
These horrific creatures are only found in association with hags, and are accordingly rare in Gladia. Storm hags are the most likely to produce them, seeing the transformation as a release from the burdens of life in civilization.
Shores of Swords 