Barghest
folklorespectral-houndomenenglish-cryptidnight-beast
Lore
Barghest is a Hostile (Monster) spectral hound—an enormous, coal-black dog said to haunt lanes and lonely moor edges. It often appears rimed in shadow, its outline soft as smoke; the eyes glow faintly like embers. Smell: a metallic tang of old iron with a wet, earthy undernote, as if frost and turned peat had been stirred together. Sound: a low, resonant bay or prolonged, mournful howl that seems to roll through hedgerows; animals go silent before it arrives. Temperature: an abrupt, seeping cold that bites skin and fogs breath, leaving frost on grass where it passes. Field naturalist notes: tracks, when visible, are oversized and often oddly shallow for so large a beast; sightings cluster near crossroads, ruined farmsteads, and stretches of road where the light dies early.
Origin: English (Northern England) • Yorkshire & Northumbria
Classification: Cryptid (Spectral Hound)
Field Notes
Observations
- A sudden localized freeze with a metallic smell and the hush of wildlife, often followed by a distant, low bay.
Encounter Advice
- avoidance: Do not pursue or try to chase it. Avoid solitary travel on remote roads at night; keep to well-lit or inhabited routes and move in groups when possible.
- defense: Light and warmth are deterrents—maintain fire or strong lanterns. Traditional counters include iron (nails, a small iron token) and a line of salt; loud noise (bells, trained hounds) can break its focus. If confronted, seek immediate shelter until dawn.
- offering: Optional folklore remedy: a bone or a small scattering of salt left at the site of a sighting may distract or pacify an investigating Barghest; results are anecdotal and unreliable.
Abilities
- Death-BayEmits a bone-chilling bay that marks a named individual for imminent death and can incapacitate the frail with mortal terror in hours.
- Shadow-StrideCondenses into a patch of living shadow to glide between darkness-pools or assume a human guise to approach prey unnoticed.
- Heart-SeizeClamps spectral jaws to a victim's chest to rip or siphon the heart/essence, leaving an empty shell or a corpse in its wake.
Weaknesses
- Church Bell at DawnThe ringing of consecrated church bells at dawn forces it to flee and can banish it from an area for days.
- SunlightDirect sunlight disperses its manifested form and prevents reappearance until nightfall.
- Blessed IronIron consecrated or iron forged into a cross/tree-torque repels it and can halt its advance when placed in its path.