They inched toward him. Their shape was a vague idea of a human. Wet. Armless. Faceless. Naked. Dark blue veins visible under pale pink skin the color of undercooked meat. Lipless, toothless mouths flexed and gaped at the tops of their heads, each of them emitting a faint, deep warbling moan. Some stumbled on two legs. Most flopped along the floor, squelching as they moved. He backed into a corner, looking for an escape. They were on him. One grabbed the calf of his leg, another his hand. Their mouths sucked at the limbs, trying to draw them in. Another threw itself against him. He fell and the rest were on him. He felt their wet, gooey mouths on his skin. In that instant, his entire body went numb, refused to listen to him. He couldn’t even scream as one covered his face with its mouth. The last sound he heard was the popping of his skull as it pulled him in deeper.
Alternate Names: Gloamgrubs, Vermiform Choir.
Wormkin resemble giant human-shaped segmented worms. They have two legs but no arms. Their heads have no faces, no noses, eyes, or ears. Their toothless mouths are situated on top of their heads. Wormkin are capable of consuming creatures as large as themselves, crushing them inch-by-inch as the wormkin swallows them.
Wormkin spend most of their lives underground. They prefer moist soil or anywhere where there is abundant decaying organic material to feed on. Wormkin are often found in clews numbering dozens of individuals, writhing and sliding over each other. They will eat living creatures, including people, if the opportunity presents itself. Wormkin will appear above ground on occasion, usually seeking food.
They do not appear to be intelligent. Attempts to communicate with them are futile. They make a constant, low, pained moan.
Little is known about the origins or nature of the wormkin. Most information on them comes from the original unexpunged text of Michael Ranft’s De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis. Even there, much is speculative. Ranft claims that the wormkin worship a being known as the Burrower Queen or the Loam-Mother. The author does not explain how such creatures could be capable of anything resembling worship.
Spells to summon and bind the wormkin may exist. Visser’s account of Ludvig Prinn’s arrest and trial describes authorities killing a familiar that resembled a wormkin.
Special Features
Burrowing: Wormkin are adapted to life underground. Their move is 8 when moving through soil. They may move through solid rock at 4 move. Their paths leave tight tunnels coated in their neurotoxic slime. Above ground, their movements are awkward and clumsy. Though they can walk on two legs, they prefer to move by slithering and flopping.
Neurotoxic Slime: Wormkin are covered in a powerful paralytic mucus. A victim must make a Luck roll when coming into physical contact with one. Failure indicates that the slime has gotten on the victim’s skin. The victim must make a successful CON roll at Hard difficulty or be paralyzed for 1D10+2 rounds. Muscles painfully seize. Limbs go rigid. Breathing becomes shallow. Eyes cannot move and become dry as the victim is incapable of blinking. Wormkin are immune to the effects of the slime.
Senseless: Wormkin are blind and deaf, immune to attacks or spells that affect sight or hearing. Despite the lack of eyes or ears, they have an unerring ability to find victims.
Wormkin, vermin below
| Characteristic | Average | Roll |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 50 | 3D6 ×5 |
| CON | 35 | 2D6 ×5 |
| SIZ | 65 | 2D6+6 ×5 |
| DEX | 35 | 2D6 ×5 |
| INT | 10 | 1D4 ×5 |
| POW | 35 | 2D6 ×5 |
HP: 10. Average Damage Bonus: 0. Build: 0. Average Magic Points: 6. Move: 4 / 8 burrowing.
Attacks
Attacks per round: 1
Fighting attacks: A wormkin throws itself against its victim to knock them prone. Once down, the wormkin will slowly start to swallow the victim.
Swallow (mnvr): The wormkin pulls the victim down its throat. The victim loses 1 HP the first round, then double each subsequent round (2 HP on the second round, 4 HP on the third) as they are crushed by the wormkin’s powerful throat muscles.
- Fighting 40% (20/8), damage 1D2. Victim must make a successful DEX roll or be knocked down. Victim must also make a Luck check or come in contact with the monster’s neurotoxic slime.
- Swallow (mnvr), causing 1 HP of damage, doubling each round after.
- Dodge 20% (10/4)
Armor: None. However, a wormkin cannot be killed by conventional means. At 0 HP, a wormkin becomes inert. It will regenerate 1 HP per day. In addition, roll 1D4 if a wormkin loses more than half of its HP in a single turn. The number rolled is how many pieces the wormkin was split into during the attack. Each piece grows into a new wormkin, regenerating 1 HP per day. The only way to permanently kill a wormkin is through fire, acid or another corrosive substance, electricity, or magic.
Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 to see a wormkin.
Bruce is a sociology student and co-host of The Crypt Keepers podcast