Jenglot

Arif opened the small wooden box. Inside, resting on a bed of excelsior wool and its own long hair was a tiny mummy. Something like the remains of a man that was withering away, in danger of shrinking down to nothing. Was it human, though? It was the rough shape of a man or something close, certainly. A monkey? Thin arms terminating in long claws crossed its chest. Tusks protruded from the top and bottom of the mouth. As we examined the tiny creature, it seemed to shift in its bed. We jumped back from the shock. Not a mummy but a living thing! “Welcome to the Church of Kailour. He is pleased to accept your worship,” said Arif. 

Alternative names: psychic mummies

Jenglots were once human sorcerers or shamans that performed the arduous, torturous Ilmu Bethara Karang ritual to achieve immortality. While the ritual does grant immortality, it reduces the ritualist to a wizened husk so small it can fit in the palm of the hand. They have lost the need for food, water, or air, requiring only a single drop of blood a day to live. 

Having achieved immortality, Jenglot believe themselves to be gods-in-waiting and expect to be treated as such. Some Jenglot have formed small cults around themselves, using their powers to convince potential worshipers of their divine might to dole out blessings and curses. Particularly cruel Jenglot hide themselves within the homes of unsuspecting families. Terrorized by the Jenglot, these families become convinced their home is haunted by an angry spirit that must be appeased. 

The Ilmu Bethara Karang ritual may be found in the Mengenai Memanggil Nama (in English, On the Calling Down of Names. Language: Malaysian. Date: 1882. Author: Unknown. Cthulhu Mythos: +2/+4. Weeks: 4. Sanity 2/1D6. Mythos Rating: 30). It is a collection of dark folk magic, rituals, and Cthulhu Mythos knowledge gathered from shunned and disreputable shamans living in the rainforests of Java, Borneo, and Sumatra. The book also contains a ritual that turns an unwilling person into a Jenglot. Another spell allows one to take control of the Jenglot for their own ends. 

Cursed: Exposure to direct sunlight or being seen by human eyes renders a Jenglot immobile. As a result, they are masters of hiding and stealth. However, even when they are immobilized, they are not helpless. A Jenglot may still use its Poltergeist and Telepathy abilities, as well as cast any spell it knows. 

Poltergeist: In an area of 30 feet around itself, a Jenglot may create the following effects:

• 2 Magic Point: minor effects, such as disembodied whispers, knocking sounds, strong odors, cold or warm spots, moving small objects, the feeling of fingers on skin, distant sounds of animals or storms. Witnessing minor effects costs the victim 0/1 Sanity.
• 5 Magic Points: major effects, such as moving heavy objects (including lifting or shoving people), scratch or slap a person (though not severe enough to cause a loss of Hit Points), rains of pebbles that are warm to the touch, loud sounds, cloudy/mist-like apparitions. Witnessing major effects costs the victim 0/1D3 Sanity.

Telepathy: By spending 1 Magic Point, a Jenglot may communicate via telepathy and read the surface thoughts of a human in its presence. For 10 Magic Points it may reach deeper into the person’s mind, knowing their every secret, desire, and fear. A person may attempt an Extreme POW roll to stop the Jenglot from reading their mind. 

Jenglot, miniature mummies 

Average Hit Points: 5

Average Damage Bonus: -2

Average Build: -2

Average Magic Points: 21

Move: 8

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 2 (fangs, claws, or weapon) or 1 (Blood Draw)

In addition to attacking with their terrible fangs or claws, a Jenglot has the full range of attacks available to humanoids. This includes any weapon they can hold.

Blood Draw: the Jenglot points at a victim and spends 1 Magic Point. Blood seeps from the victim’s pores, eyes, and nostrils, flowing to the Jenglot. The victim loses 1D4 Hit Points and 1 CON in blood loss. In addition, the victim loses 1D4 Sanity if they are conscious when attacked. 

Armor: None, but almost all mundane attacks have no effect on it. The only exception is fire. 

Spells: A Jenglot knows 2D6 spells, typically involving curses. Sanity Loss: 1/1D4 to encounter a Jenglot.

Bruce Priddy

Bruce is a sociology student and co-host of The Crypt Keepers podcast