All posts by Oscar Rios

Some say consciousness and identity resides in the brain. It if the body fails the brain is doomed to die with the rest of the physical body. But what if, just before death, the brain was transplanted onto another donor body? Theoretically, if successful, one could cheat death again and again, changing bodies the way people swap out disposable contact lenses. This highly unethical and universally illegal research is being done at various laboratories across the globe. Experiments are ongoing and sometimes go awry, creating something neither man nor beast, but a monstrous combination of the two – The Thing with Two Head.

Many gods of Egypt, including Thoth (God of astronomy, magic, and the judgement of the dead), Hapy (diving protectors of canopic jars), and Khonsu (a god of healing, exploration, and the moon), consider the Yellow Baboon to be a sacred animal. Such gods can grant a portion of their power into a yellow baboon, usually a large dominant male of a troop, to create a powerful agent to act on their behalf. This creature is called an Aani, and is granted gains increased intelligence, magical protection from harm, and enhanced physical abilities. One can tell an Aani from a normal yellow baboon by the size of the creature (Aani are about 50% larger), and the animal’s head. The head of a baboon that’s become an Aani is transformed into that of a dog, usually an Egyptian Hound.   

These creatures are created by a ritual performed by cultists of the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. In some cases, they manifest by the direct will of the outer goddess Shub-Niggurauth herself. These creatures typically appear when a location sacred to the goddess in the Amazon is threatened or destroyed, something happening all too often in recent years. A Boitata begins as a large constrictor, such as a Green Anaconda or Boa Constrictor, in the general area of the threatened or desecrated sacred site. The animal is then transformed, granted incredible powers, and given a divine mandate – punish those harming the forest.

Some say these creatures are products of unspeakable scientific experiments, or mutants resulting from nuclear tests or toxic spills. Still others say they’re an ancient, natural species driven up from the deep earth by fracking (a type of mining using explosives to create cracks in the earth). Whatever their origins when Killer Shrews appear death soon follows.

In the ongoing war, called a Special Military Operation by the Russians, in Ukraine reports of mysterious deaths are being surprised on both sides. Reports of men found dead in wooded areas after leaving their positions without having ever firing their weapons. The victims are often along but sometimes found in small groups. So far over five hundred such victims have been reported, although the actual number is likely to be much higher.

This common African primate is just under three feet tall, and weights between twenty-four and fifty pounds. They are social animals, living in troops of between fifty and two hundred and fifty members. The yellow baboon has yellowish brown fur, an elongated dog-like snout with very intimidating canines, long limbs, and a long tail on their slim body. They are excellent climbers and swimmers. They are opportunistic omnivores, with a well-deserved reputation for being aggressive, raiding people camps, farms, or settlements for food. In combat they can throw stones and deliver vicious bites.

These items begin as normal Caryatids, namely a female figured carved from, or serving in place of, a structural support column. They are often found at holy sites, such as temples, or in important civic buildings, such as a forum or governmental offices. They vary wildly in size, and are sometimes depicted as holding something, such as a weapon, a jug of water, a bundle of wheat, or a bunch of scrolls. Enchanted Caryatid are often found in pairs, stand between five and eight feet tall, and are always carved holding an object. 

Across the world bodies of water are often the lairs of malevolent creatures. A common type takes the form of a beautiful women who possesses the power to enchant their victims and draw them to a watery death. The mighty Nile river is no exception. In rural areas the river’s banks and canals are the hunting ground of the alluring and deadly En-Naddaha.  

A En-Naddaha appears as a beautiful woman with long dark hair, wearing a semi-transparent lose fitting garment, standing knee to waist deep in the water. It lurks and listens near the water’s edge, sometimes for many days or even weeks, before obtaining what it seeks – a man’s name. Once an En-Naddaha learns a man’s name it gains power over him, often marking his doom.