ANGEL

The angel's inclusion in this bestiary will no doubt prove controversial, I myself offer that the only
angels requiring dispatching are fallen ones, and thus it is the duty of all good pewmen to slay them
wherever they're found.

Profoundly beautiful, wearing unsullied white robes, possessing large eyes without pupils and endowed
with incredible strength, the angel is rarely if ever encountered by even the most ambitious student of
cryptozoology. I myself had been in the field nearly twelve years before encountering one named Ga'az
in Lebanon. He claimed to be the Devil who tempted Christ, and offered me the four keys which give a
man eternal life. I refused; his first blow left a deep impression in my stomach which is still barely
visible now, to this day I have no idea how I managed to stand and level my revolver at him.

Angels are swift but are bound to doing violence only through conventional physical contact (that is,
using the head and limbs). They are fine wrestlers and boxers, but all angelic swordsmen defend
Heaven. I was lucky not to come across the six solemn archangels, this messenger was dispatched with
two rounds of silver to the chest.

It should be noted that upon death an angel emits a sound like a trumpet, and his colleagues, hell-bound
or not, will come to carry his body home. I have only born witness to such a spectacle once; I assure
you, once was enough.

BANSHEE

The banshee, or bean seigh in Gaelic, holds a special place in this author's heart (as special a place it
can hold, that is). I first sought out the wailing woman while 19 years old, traveling in the Aran Islands.
It did not take long for me to hear the terrifying keening that is her calling card, as it were.

The banshee scream, or its "keen" is at once siren-like and repulsive, like the scent of rotting meat or
vomit. It is most certainly a song, and its lyrics are immediately discernible. My notes contain the
following couplet:
"If rest and comfort only is all thou desire/
Attend then upon me, and caress the gold lyre."
Tradition holds that the keening is a harbinger of death, this is not strictly true. It simply means that at
midnight, the wailing woman will present herself seeking your body for sustenance.

She is a strikingly beautiful but gaunt woman dressed in a pale white dress. She floats half a meter
above the ground and does not appear to possess feet. Her skin is a strong white, and her eyes are milky
and pupil-less.

She is not the most accomplished wrestler in the bestiary (that honor belongs to the minotaur) but she is
no pushover. Her ability to levitate along with her ear-splitting scream are powerful weapons, be sure
to bring a silver blade, it is the only substance which may pierce her skin. In order to - lose too much
bodily fluid. Lifting the lid, place the blade in the box and cover both of your eyes with either hand.
You should hear shortly afterwards a loud, unnerving groaning, followed by a sharp exhale. Close the
box. Bury it no less than ten feet below the ground.
BASILISK

The basilisk is a potent reptilian beast, about six feet tall. It crawls on its four legs until it rears up to
strike, when it stands on its two hind legs and expands its chest into a concave expanse, enabling its
armored scales to slide aside and reveal its poison glands.

The poison is, without doubt, the most deadly in the cryptokingdom. There have been claims of an
antidote, composed half of virgin blood and half of mercury; the antidote's composition is as ridiculous
as its purpose. The poison kills within moments, causing the veins to rise out of the skin and burst, the
stomach and other internal organs to liquefy and evacuate by the mouth and nostrils.

Unfortunately the basilisk is invulnerable to conventional harm while in its pursuing (and grounded)
state. When ready to attack, however, high-pitched noises will split the creature's scales, ensuring a fair
fight. Tradition suggests fooling a rooster to crow when it is exposed, nowadays a portable device can
produce a high pitched tone with far less work required.

Do not attempt close combat, the poison glands of the beast spill open when split, projectiles are an
absolute necessity in slaying the creature. Once it has been killed, immolate its corpse, the fumes that
result allow some to see future events before they occur.

BROWNIE

The "brownie" is a small, unimpressive-looking demon found within the British Isles. They call
themselves the Urisk, but nomenclature aside, the brownie is a more daunting adversary than would
appear.

Brownies are masters of deception, fading in and out of darkness and light, able to manipulate the
forest in order to achieve its goals. This author remains confused by his encounters with the Urisk.
They appear at times to be playful and benevolent beasts, at other times mischievous, and rarely,
psychotically violent. The brownie, dressed in the clothing of English or Irish dandies, would seem a
laughable threat.

I bare the marks of their teeth in my left side to prove otherwise. Dazzlingly fast and clever, they use
their razor sharp teeth and small shivs to make short work of opponents. They do have weaknesses
beyond the physical, however. Brownies love to gamble.

Challenge the brownie to a bet. Bet him your life against his on a coin toss. He will likely produce his
own two-headed coin, but bring yours in case he doesn't. If either coin is revealed a fake, agree to a
legitimate one. If you lose, you can still break the bet and murder him. The brownie is simply incapable
of conceiving this option and will voluntarily die.

DJINN

The Djinn or "Genie" as it is colloquially known is a possessor of rare talents and charms. According to
Mohammedan tradition they are creatures who attend church, raise crops, marry, and die. This is true.
Unfortunately, slighting one will reveal a less human-like countenance.

The Djinn can indeed grant its famous three wishes, but only after being bested in combat and pinned.
Once unable to struggle, it will yield and grant such wishes. Nevertheless, as creatures of remarkable
memory and longevity they will first contrive to ruin your life through the semantics of your wishes
and, should this not produce your demise, slay you after the fact. The first vampire, Lilith, survived by
wishing for immortality. Jakob, the patriarch of Israel, wished for the genie's blessing (thus ensuring its
mercy).

Arabs in all but matter, the Djinn can be killed using dark, sharp stones: Obsidian, while fragile, proves
an excellent substance for a blade. Piercing its stomach will produce the stench of death and disease,
the Djinn consume their victims and force them to eternal life in their stomachs. The imprisoned would
thank you with their gratitude if they weren't already dead, strictly speaking.

The Djinn should then fall into the sands. If possible, cover its body, as even after death Djinns may
speak to relatives and heirs.

DRAGON

The dragon belongs with the basilisk, the hydra, and the leviathan as the serpentine element of this
bestiary. Written of since antiquity, the dragon has proved time and again to be constantly
misrepresented and reinvented so as to fit an author's pen.

With a wing-span of 20 to 30 feet, the dragon does indeed breath fire (but only with every odd breath),
possess reptilian characteristics, and guard a hoard of ancient treasure. Cave or mountain dwellers,
dragons are not sentient by any means. Reasons as to why they guard their treasure run from the
suggestion that dragons simply admire the luster of the objects to the idea that dragons are ancient, bred
guards of a race waiting to return and enjoy its wealth.

The dragon can be slain using a blessed blade of silver, unfortunately the last known of these
(Terminus Est) was demolished in an Allied bombing raid in 1943. More recent developments in
science, though, have rendered the sword irrelevant.

The dragon must breath in huge amounts of oxygen in order to keep its lungs producing the flame
which animates it. A gas such as hydrogen cyanide, released in large quantities, can kill a dragon while
it is asleep or awake. Unfortunately this will render the body unable for study, but no researcher has
survived a fight with a dragon excepting the use of the above two methods.

Its treasure is littered with the skulls of those it slew. Bury them properly, or the treasure's owner
(eventual as he may be) will always bear the curse of long dead knights and soldiers, unburied and
unmourned.

FETCH

From Borges's invaluable Book of Imaginary Beings: "Suggested or inspired by mirrors, the surface of
still water, and twins.. in Germany it is called the "Doppelganger"; in Scotland, the "Fetch", because it
comes to fetch men to their death. Meeting oneself was, therefore, most ominous.." (p. 62)

The fetch is by far the most dangerous creature encountered by the author. I first was confronted by a
fetch several years ago on the streets of Venice, upon seeing me he turned and disappeared into the
sidestreets off Saint Mark's square. It took me nearly six hours to murder him, driving a sharp piece of
stone into his ribs until he expired. Contrary to tradition there exist unlimited numbers of doubles for
each person, but they all share some things in common.
First, the fetch (wherever he originates from is a mystery) wants only to murder and replace you. He
will contrive to do this through artifice (have you ever heard of someone surviving a terrible car
accident without a single scratch?) or through direct violence (a la my double in Italy). They are your
match in strength, wits, even personality, and herein lies your difficulty. While an immensely strong
creature might have some weakness unknown to itself, the fetch knows what it must guard and what it
must strike. The fight itself is always brutal, and indescribably chilling- how else should one feel,
bashing their mirror image to death with a heavy stone?

GOLEM

The Golem is the product of months of preparation, and therefore bears precious few weaknesses.
Being a mindless creature of vengenace the Golem cannot speak, it possesses the wiles one might find
in a hound or a bear. Conjured by a desperate and certainly mad Rabbi, the Golem should be destroyed
the moment it is sighted: countless lives will be lost should it have free rein to pull down buildings and
crush innocents.

The Golem should have the Hebrew word EMET inscribed somewhere on its body. This word (truth)
gives the Golem its animating force. By effacing or wiping away the E, the word becomes MET
(death), and the Golem should turn into liquid clay. A firearm may accomplish this purpose, so may a
fine blade. The best tactic is to convince a child to rob away the E, as Golems are physically unable to
kill children, doting on them as a mother does her own.

Slaying the Golem is not an end by any means. You must contrive to find and murder the Rabbi who
summoned the Golem, for he is certain to attempt to raise another, and another, and another, until he
expires or the creation kills its creator.

KRAKEN

Kraken are the enormous bane of all deep sea sailors. Although modern science believes that the
gigantic squid is the inspiration for Kraken, they are sorely mistaken. Kraken, according to legend,
dwarf even the greatest of whales (and the gigantic squid is proven to be dwarfed by the blue whale).
Long before Tennyson wrote his poem on the beast (and incorrectly added the modifier "The") the
Norse were familiar, indeed, intimate with this creature. The Eddas speak of many a sailor "swept into
the froth" by the boat-splitting monster, whose tentacles are able to wrap around castles.

Fortunately murdering Kraken is simpler than it seems. Ensure it surfaces first before injecting it with a
massive dose of tetrodotoxin, a poison found in the Japanese blowfish. As Kraken are native to the
North Atlantic, they are unacquainted and therefore vulnerable to this very potent poison. The creature
should expire, and under its own great weight, sink below the ocean.

LICH

The lich, or revenant, once ruled as a king, duke, or prince, possessing great wisdom and tact.
Somehow, however, the lich defiled the royal throne through his reign and was subsequently cursed by
his surviving heirs: a good example is the English King John, signatory to the Magna Carta, who
remains the eldest extent lich on earth.

Lichs revel in argument and enlightened discussion, medieval legend transforming the lich's love of
philosophy and alchemy to a remarkable skill in "magic". This is absolute nonsense, the lich's power
lies in his intellect rather than in anything so petty and common as a spellbook.

The lichs, like the Sphinx, are rather fond of riddles. The three encountered by this author (including
the aforementioned John) asked first the following riddle: The man who made it gave it away, the who
bought it didn't need it, and the man who uses it doesn't know it. If you are capable of solving this
rather elementary puzzle you'll be treated to a night of elucidating discussion, in fact much of the
research for this volume has its roots in discussions with the dead royalty of Europe.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the rising of the sun will lead the lich to
present you with an impossible riddle. Rather than puzzling over it, immediately upend a container of
rice, tacks, or coins and demand the lich give you the exact number. The lich will immediately become
engrossed in counting, and you can flee. If he is still counting when the sun rises, he will be immolated
in the manner of a vampire.

King John is the only lich known to this author able to ignore this query. Rather than counting them,
the King refused and demanded an answer to his riddle. I was reduced to spending a mortifying hour
inside the bell-tower of Worcester Cathedral. The lich ceased banging on the door and (presumably)
returned underground. This author has not since returned to England

MUMMY

The mumiyyah or "mummy" as it is now colloquially known, resembles its simpler cousin the zombie.
Much maligned for its fragile appearance and lack of obvious strengths, the mummy seems a frail
opponent at first- take caution, like all creatures in this bestiary the mummy is NOT to be trifled with.

The mummy is second only to the Scottish "fetch" in cunning and vulpine calculation. Its body, while
ancient, is stiffened by the bitumen necessary for its mummification and possesses incredible
endurance. It is unlikely the mummy will present itself to you while you're near a firearm (they are
known for their preparation before attacking and killing those who carry the Mummy's curse), but a
careful blow to the skull may shatter the bones of the monster and kill it. Nevertheless close combat is
not advised. A mummy's grip is fatal, and they are known for their ability to seize and choke a throat
till their victim expires.

It should be noted that fire or extreme cold can incapacitate the mummy. It should be further noted that
freezing the creature will only delay its attack. To dispose of the creature, prepare a cauldron of lime or
hydrochloric acid to disintegrate its limbs and appendages.

Do not, under any circumstances, agree to a game of Senet- and under no circumstances should you
pause, even if he speaks in the voice of your mother, your lover, your child.

POSSESSION

Modern psychiatry holds that the concept of demonic possession was a primitive way to explain
schizophrenia, mania, and psychotic behavior. Surely many schizophrenics were punished for their
infirmities in darker times, but possession by disembodied spirits or demons is more common than
modern science suspects.

The tell-tale signs of possession are: the afflicted's ability to prophesy or see the future, to speak in
ancient or dead languages, possessing incredible strength or stamina, change of eye or hair color,
change of skin color, change of voice.

"Killing" the possessed is in fact killing the demon inhabiting the possessed, and this requires
considerable finesse. A daring tactician, the demon will lie, self-mutilate, even risk suicide in an
attempt to kill or deter the exorcist from performing his task. Use of the Catholic Rites of Exorcism fell
out of favor in the early part of the 20th century but are still used in times of extreme emergency.

It is likely impossible to coax a demon out of a human body- this will ensure its return to hell, a plane
of existence even demons dislike- but forcing it to leave can be accomplished by: mesmerizing the
afflicted and then performing the Rites in Latin, preparing a bath of holy water and forcing the afflicted
to recieve communion, offering another body to the demon. The final option is the most likely to
succeed, offering it the body of a less desirable human (convicts prove a good substitute) will enable
you to kill both human and demon with little guilt.

SHADE

Shades, often thought to be simply the gestation of a double (see "Fetch"), are actually a separate
species altogether. They are unrelated to ghosts, sprites, or spirits, and inhabit the middle plane
between life and death. Not fully dead or fully alive, the shade is said to be the astral form of a sorcerer.
This may be true.

The shade power lies in its ability to manipulate natural light. Waiting in dark corners, it can cast light
that will produce a gigantic shape for itself to assume, thus creating a fearsome opponent of stature and
strength. Wrestling the creature is ill-advised, you simply won't survive. Nevertheless, of all the
creatures contained herein, the shade is the simplest to destroy.

Illuminating a candle or a torch while the beast stands before you will force it into the shadows you
create. One can "slay" a shade simply by staying within a well-lit room without any dominant shadows.
Of course, the problem becomes a recurring nightly phenomena, the eventual end to the cycle being
your death or its growing disinterest.

SIREN

The Sirens are also known as the Harpies; both are the same species of beast that have adapted to
separate parts of the earth, the Siren to the sea, the Harpy to the air. It is said that the Banshee is its land
dwelling cousin, this author suspects as much.

Depicted in antiquity as a female head atop an eagle's body, the Harpy is, just as the Siren, a human
being in all but its peculiar addition of wings (the Sirens possess gills) and its dazzling singing voice.
My notes from a journey in the Aegean have the following verse from a Siren:
"If a song could prove death, would you
Knowing it beautiful and knowing it true
Break your chains, and your life lend,
To hear such a song's stunning end?"
Should you prove strong enough to ignore their cries and still desire to murder such a creature, it can be
accomplished (killing it, like the succubus, is truly painful).

The Siren and Harpy possess skin invulnerable to conventional weapons; their vocal cords are the
source of their power. Should one wrestle a Harpy or a Siren into submission and force open her
mouth, pouring a fast sealing (and hopefully water-proof) epoxy or glue will damage their vocal cords
and cut off her supply to oxygen. At this time you may be compelled to mercy- do not yield. Indeed,
the saddest songs I have ever heard have been the dirges of a dying Siren or Harpy.

SPHINX

The Sphinx is a huge carnivore, originating from the eastern Mediterranean but now found world-wide,
possessing what some believe to be the most agile and acute mind of the entire world. The first Sphinx
was slain by the famous King Oedipus, who confronted the half-lion, half-woman fearlessly and
answered her ancient riddle (which may or may not be the famous "who walks" puzzle we now ascribe
to the incident). The Sphinx, bound to her own obscure and elegant laws, dutifully and patiently
devoured herself until she bled out. Oedipus wore part of the Sphinx's coat until his death at Colonus,
some maintain it was this that led to his cursed fate.

The Sphinx must of course be confronted by a clever and brave soul, its riddle cannot be answered in a
stutter or a stammer (this will enable it to feed on you). The riddle of the Sphinx is always one of three
characteristics spoken in the "What am I" format. The following is one encountered by the author:

"Whoever makes me knows not.

Such a riddle was one of the simpler ones. It should be noted that each riddle has an answer, unlike
those asked by day-weary lichs (for instance, "A ship in a bottle. How does one remove the ship
without disassembling it, destroying it, or bending it without altering the bottle?"), and can be answered
within the space of one watch (roughly an hour and ten minutes). The time can only be spent alone, and
it can only be spent in concentration. Sleeping, summoning, or consulting other sources is forbidden.

Should you answer the riddle correctly, the beast will devour itself. Otherwise, you will prove its next
meal.

SUCCUBUS

The succubae/incubae are fairly minor demons in comparison to creatures such as the Varleigh or the
dragon, but their innate ability to seduce and captivate their victim make them worthy adversaries.

The succubae/incubae will never appear to a creature it cannot physically seduce. As of this writing no
lesbians have battled incubae, as this author has never encountered one either. Nevertheless it can be
assumed they share characteristics.

Succubae assume the guise of the beholder's form of beauty. All women you have ever loved have only
been poor, dim reflections of this beauty, and she burns with passion to couple with you. Producing the
noises of coitus even as she approaches, the succubus can only touch you if you allow her to.
Nevertheless it is pure, incredible torture to not allow her embrace. Sirens are a close sister species to
succubae; both possess incredible singing voices.

Killing the temptress is as simple as it is excruciating. Dipping one's fingers in hot wax, while seizing
the creature by the hair and burrowing one's thumbs into its eyes will lead to its speedy demise. Its cries
of mercy and pity are beautifully evocative and absolute fiction- now that you have touched her, she
has all the license she wants to kill you by sucking your brains out of your ear. A good pair of earplugs
will prove a useful holding tactic in the struggle.

Once blinded the succubus will fold inward, wilting like a flower, until it scatters into dust. Some
mystics opine that the succubus and the vampire are distant relatives. This author is likely to agree.

TROLL

Beasts of uncompromising stature and smell, trolls are staples of both the child's nightmare and the
cryptobestiary. Covered almost completely in red and brown hair, they emit a small amount of light
from their eyes so as to see better in the dark. It's said that a troll sleeps under each and every bridge in
the world. This author hasn't found this to be true, but like most folklore, it "has the right idea".

The troll is less a fighter and more a bureaucrat. Demanding a toll of one gold coin from every
passerby, he plies a small business in intimidating and shocking those who still carry gold coins in this
day and age. The rest are, depending on the troll, refused passage and admonished, or attacked and
eaten.

With jagged fangs and sharp claws, the troll is about as hard to kill as any modern Kodiak bear. A high-
caliber firearm, axe, or any other conventional weapon will likely do the job. Of course, the easiest and
by far least painful method is to run the troll over (how often do you walk across a bridge nowadays
anyway?).

VAMPIRE

To start, a vampire is indeed a human being sired by another vampire. The first vampire is described in
great detail within the Voynich manuscript, the illustrations are bewildering and misleading distractions
from the actual content of the text. Lilith, a washwoman in the Euphrates river delta, managed to choke
out a djinn, who in turn was required to grant her three wishes. She demanded immortal life and beauty
and the ability to preserve whomever she liked. The djinn cursed her to the life of a dark-dwelling
carnivore. The vampire has some limitations: it cannot enter a house if uninvited, it reveres and
despises the Cross, the Crescent, and the Star of David, and of course its fatal weakness towards natural
sunlight.

This author recommends avoiding the vampire at all costs, but if this becomes an impossibility, a
vampire can be killed, albeit with some difficulty.

Not surprisingly, the most well-known method of slaying a vampire is the most impractical. Their
fangs (which can extend to at least five inches off the jaw) rip flesh as quickly as a lion or wolf's, and
they possess more stamina and holding power than either. If possible, one can sever the head of a
vampire (thus destroying it) with a well-placed shot from a high-powered rifle or a scattergun. The .700
Nitro express is an effective caliber, if possible, avail yourself the advantage of a Le Mat revolver. Its
lower barrel will turn any organic matter to a fine paste.

The vampire should in turn become dust. This powder is an effective deterrent against further vampires
if rubbed into the skin. Do not, in any case, attempt to "wait out the clock" till dawn. A vampire will do
anything to survive the coming sunlight, including dig a hole through the earth with its teeth. Do not
speak with it, or look into it's eyes- a silver pupil so fine you can see white in it, so tragic and beautiful
that you burn to yield to it.. as said, never look into it's eyes.

VARLEIGH

The Varleigh is an uncommon demon of uncertain origin. Some maintain that it is a flame literally
possessed by a malevolent spirit. If this is true, there is no reason given as to why a spirit would choose
to embody a flame. Regardless, they are fascinating and incredibly destructive monsters.

Often described as a "pillar of flame", the Varleigh can twist and bend its shape to suit its purpose,
which is almost certainly mass death. A Varleigh caused the Great Fire of London in 1666, only to be
destroyed by the Duke of York (later James the second), using a high pressure water cannon. This is
one of the methods to extinguish a Varleigh, a more uncommon but perhaps more effective method is
to flash-freeze it using a chemical spray of some kind. This may cause the Varleigh to become a
physical element, which in turn can be interred. The Varleigh is likely to return after the ice melts, this
author recommends sealing it in a mine or a well of some kind.

WENDIGO

The Witiko (anglicized to "Wendigo") is a a fearsome relative of the werewolf or werebear, although
strangely only extent in North America. Tradition holds that, should any mortal consume enough
human flesh under the full moon, he will become the Witiko, a creature who can subsist on humans
alone. Roughly six to nine feet tall, wearing white or red fur (according to the season) the Witiko does
not, like the werewolf, return to human form. During day it will seek a cave or dig a hole for shelter
and hunt during night. The Witiko is famed for its tracking abilities- while a werewolf will tire of a
hunt after two or three hours, the Witiko will hunt by scent for weeks, some claim even months,
hibernating in the day time only to pick up the scent of its prey later that evening.

Slaying the Witiko requires a blade of some kind drenched (literally dripping) in human blood. While it
is of course possible to use your own, this author recommends against it, as it will render you weak for
the coming fight. The Witiko will lay one carefully planned ambush, using its teeth to sever your throat
while its forepaws will bat at your rib cage to crush your organs. If you survive the initial ambush
(unlikely) the Witiko will become disoriented and fight senselessly. You could slay the Witiko will
ease at this time. The pelt of the Witiko is highly prized among American shamans, and may gain you a
powerful ally as a gift.

WEREWOLF

This author first encountered the elusive werewolf outside of Buenos Aires in the fall of '47. Its shining
brown fur and glowing yellow eyes immediately convinced me of its authenticity, but I had been
unlucky and left my pistol at my hotel room. I learned firsthand the ferocity and tenacity with which
the man-wolf can pursue its prey. After a harrowing two hours spent darting through the shadowy
alleys of the slums of Argentina I found my way back to my hotel room and readied my pistol.

It is indeed true that silver is the only substance that can pierce a werewolf's skin. Fortunately the
projectile doesn't need to be purely silver, only to have a certain amount of silver within or upon it.
Lining the barrel of a blue-steel revolver with silver will produce an almost infinite supply of "silver
bullets". The bullets must kill the creature, merely shooting it with silver will not facilitate the change
back to human form.
Should you encounter a man or woman, naked and bewildered in the outdoors, examine him or her for
scars and fresh blood. Should their teeth be red with blood and covered in fur, immediately kill the
human as you would a beast.

Some were-beasts exist beyond the most common "wolf" variety. There are werebears and
wereleopards known to this author, tradition speaks of men who can transform into birds or lizards.
Varieties of beast aside, all can be slain using silver.