Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Horror 13 - The Pritchman

This is the thirteenth 4E Anatomy of a Horror, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

This was written up for FASA's Halloween social media in honor of Kyle Pritchard.

The general concept here plays with Kyle, who I've worked with for years now and much more so since 2018 with Elven Nations, more in 2019 with The Adept's Journey: Mystic Paths, and a lot partnering for getting Iopos: lair of Deceit out the door. Between the latter, Empty Thrones, his continued work on Legends of Barsaive, things behind the scenes, and life in general—this has been a very busy year. Without hyperbole, he is one of the nicest and most humble people you will have the pleasure to meet.

This Horror is designed to be less of a nebulous plot device than the previous two, The Babcock and J'osh the Vexing Son, and more of specific threat to a location. Given his dual nature, he's easily a recurring threat and can easily continue being a threat even if he doesn't see it that way. In contrast to the inspiration's pleasant demeanor, the Horror is more visceral and brutal. While still maintaining that same demeanor.

The Pritchman

Easily one of the most insidious Horrors due to the complete sincerity associated with his actions. Nethermancers and scholars who discuss the accounts that filter to them debate The Pritchman’s true nature—to what extent is it a ruse merely to capture prey and wring the most possible from them or is it the bizarre case of a Horror attempting to make friends of a sort and simply being entirely unaware of how this is supposed to work. Despite these ruminations, the end result is much the same: The Pritchman lures in even the most wary with friendly acts and an unassuming demeanor before cutting them to the core.

The Pritchman can take the form of any humanoid Namegiver, but prefers the appearance of an innocuous human man when appropriate. He’s helpful, jovial, friendly, and entirely morally bankrupt. It’s impossible to not enjoy his company with an easygoing demeanor and this Horror is the first to offer help to anyone in need. However, it should be known he may have orchestrated that need in the first place, as he makes subtle use of Corrupt Reality to shape his victims’ world, forcing them to increasingly rely upon him. He never asks anything in return and feeds from the feelings of guilt this instills in these friends.

While many powerful Horrors prefer to work through constructs and lesser Horrors under their sway, The Pritchman is very hands on. He delights in inflicting the final betrayal on his victims, forcing them under his sway when they are overwhelmed by the enormity of the betrayal. It’s possible The Pritchman doesn’t see it this way and instead sees it as the way they can be together forever, by exchanging body parts. Horrors don’t tend to come from a good home life, but there’s still no real excuse for this behavior (though some Nethermancers still find a way to blame the victims).

There is no beholding The Pritchman’s true form in the same way as other Horrors. His astral form perfectly reflects his material form, though flesh is just as malleable as feelings to his fingers. Given the dangers of Barsaive, there’s nothing suspicious of the knives he carries on his person, though they aren’t wholly necessary since he can form weapons from his body just as easily. However, he does use them to different effects.

Challenge: Warden (Eleventh Circle)
DEX: 15        Initiative:                    17       Unconsciousness:      131
STR: 12         Physical Defense:  17       Death Rating:               149
TOU: 18        Mystic Defense:      19       Wound Threshold:     27
PER: 17         Social Defense:       20       Knockdown:                 14
WIL: 14        Physical Armor:      13       Recovery Tests:            6
CHA: 19        Mystic Armor:         10       Karma:                            11 (44)
Movement: 12
Actions: 3; Knives: 30 (24), Unarmed: 32 (22)
Powers:
Awareness (38, Simple): As the talent, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Corrupt Compromise (25, Standard)

Corrupt Reality (25, Standard)
Cursed Luck (27, Free)

Damage Shift (27, Simple): The Pritchman can transfer one Wound per success to the victim. He cannot also transfer damage if used in this fashion and must spend one Karma Point per Wound transferred.
Displace (Standard)

Dual Nature: The Pritchman has an astral and physical form. They are not independent, but both must be destroyed to kill the Horror. As long as one form survives, it can reform the other. Attacks that deal Mystic damage affect both forms simultaneously.
Feast of Suffering: The Pritchman gains +1 to Attack and Damage tests for each Wound the target has.
Flesh of Theseus (Sustained): The Pritchman cuts off a piece of a marked victim and devours it, then cuts off the equivalent piece from his body and attaches it to the victim, which blends into the victim’s body shortly and gives them at least one Corruption Point (more may be appropriate for larger body parts at the gamemaster’s discretion). His body part quickly grows back and looks reminiscent of the victim’s body part. This functions like Horror Thread (Gamemaster’s Guide, p. 464), but there are no additional costs and it is always successful. However, The Pritchman can only control that affected piece of the victim’s body—this allows him to see out of their eye, listen from their ear, use their hand, etc. The Pritchman’s mark can never be removed or sequestered once this power is used.
Forge Construct (25, Standard): The Pritchman prefers to create boneless and grotesques from victims who outlived their usefulness, but still have a little left to give.

Foundation of Lies is Still a Foundation: The Pritchman gains +5 to all Action tests against a victim for every Attitude level above Neutral they possess towards The Pritchman. If the victim suffers a complete betrayal from The Pritchman, this bonus is maintained at the previous level until sunrise.
Harvest Energy (30, Free): If the harvested emotion is betrayal, guilt, or pain, The Pritchman gains an additional Karma Point, and gains a point even if the test fails.

Heart Knows What It Wants, The: The Pritchman can make close combat attacks against the target’s Mystic Defense (this can affect targets in astral space).
Horror Mark (25, Standard): The Pritchman can only use this power on targets who have at least a Friendly attitude towards him. In addition to the normal effects, the victims of The Pritchman’s Horror Mark find themselves increasingly relying on him, coming to trust him and gain a Corruption Point upon receiving the mark.

Karma Boost (Free)

Resist Pain (4)

Special Maneuvers:
Corrupted Wound (The Pritchman, Unarmed): The Pritchman may spend two additional successes on an Attack test to leave pieces of his corrupted essence behind when attacking with their natural blades. If the attack causes a Wound, it becomes corrupted and the next healing effect on the victim within 10 minutes causes damage instead; this includes potions, spells, talents, etc. If the effect has a duration, it causes damage for the duration of the effect.
Cutting Room Floor (The Pritchman, Knives): The Pritchman may spend two additional successes on an Attack test to ignore the target’s Physical Armor. If this inflicts more than one Wound, it may sever part of the victim’s body at the gamemaster’s discretion. The size of the body part should be proportional to the number of Wounds inflicted.
Fillet of Flesh (The Pritchman, Close Combat): The Pritchman cuts deeply into his opponent with his blade, easily separating flesh from bone by spending additional successes on their Attack test to reduce their opponent’s Wound Threshold by -2 for this attack. Each success spent in this fashion allows The Pritchman to inflict an additional Wound on the target based on the new Wound Threshold.
Hamstring (The Pritchman, Close Combat)