Here’s a little something with which to punish your good players during holiday season. The Krampus has risen again as figure in pop culture, and many think they know the demon; now is your chance to test that folklore knowledge. Also included: three adventure seeds.
The Krampus
High Concept: Seasonal Punisher of Bad Children
Trouble: Too Polite for His Own Good
Other Aspects: Long-Tongued and Lusty, Impervious to Harm
The exact origins of Krampus are unknown, but the half-goat, half-demon figure pre-dates Christianity. He rose in the Alpine Region as a deterrent and, ultimately, punisher of children during a night cold night in December (the exact date changes by custom, but once it’s on the calendar, this is the date that Krampus appears). Before there was a Christmas, there was a Krampusnacht.
Krampus—sometimes given a salutation of “The”—is humanoid and covered in dark brown hair. He has cloven hooves and the horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue lolls out, but is never pierced by his fangs. He wears few or no clothes and is unaffected by the weather, regardless of how extreme. His only real adornments are the chains on his arms, which he dramatically shakes and bind bad children, and a woven backpack that can carry more children than one might expect. The Krampus wears a belt, but not to hold up any pants, but to keep easy access to a whip and a bundle of a birch branches, called a ruten.
Krampus has one primary goal; to punish the children of an area for their wrong-doings. Some naughty children receive swats with the ruten, others are whipped, and the naughtiest of children are shoved into his basket or cuffed to his arms to be taken away. Once in his lair, these children are either tortured (usually by drowning) or, if exceedingly naughty, eaten.
The demon known as Krampus is not good or evil, he is an impartial judge, jury, and executioner. Despite his gruesome appearance, he is not the unthinking monster more recent pop-culture has made him out to be. While evil children do taste delicious, he also enjoys schnapps, brandy, and oranges. If presented with a gift of fruit or alcohol, he will be compelled to sit and enjoy the gift with the giver, exchanging pleasant conversation. If the giver happens to be an attractive female, he will provide baudy and playful banter and flirtations—and will happily exceed mere flirtations if invited.
Impervious and almost oblivious to harm, The Krampus can be caged or bound by his chains. If imprisoned or chained, Krampus is far too polite to do anything more than wail against his binding dramatically—though he could break free, he will not. The only way to kill the demon is by piercing its heart with a stake made from the holly tree. In a game, Krampus is intended as an antagonist the players must use research and their wits to defeat, cajoling the demon to sit comfortably in order to capture or vanquish.
Skills
Superb: Might
Great: Lore, Rapport
Good: Burglary, Performance, Presence
Powers & Stunts
Supernatural Strength: Impossibly strong, can lift or break down almost any barrier
Supernatural Toughness: Physically immune to damage
Supernatural Regeneration: What damage may occur quickly heals
Stress Tracks
Physical 0000000
Mental 000
Krampus Adventure Seeds
Spoiled Rotten Krampusnacht
A high-ranking family knows their children have been bad; bad enough to be taken away and never seen again. Krampusnacht is coming and the PCs have been commissioned to ensure the children live to see through the night. As the night approaches, the PCs realize the children are pampered brats who love to play dangerous pranks with little punishment from their parents. The children should push the PCs to their limit and, as it turns out, this isn’t the first year the parents have hired guardians to help spare them. Will the PCs do their jobs or let the demon do his?
The Backlog, or Krampusnacht in July
There are a lot of naughty children in the world, and Krampus doesn’t have the ability to stop time. Thanks to pop culture, more and more parents have calendared in a “Krampusnacht” around the holidays. And, as much as the demon tries to fulfil his duties as scheduled, can only move so quickly with so many naughty children. When Krampus arrives in the PC’s town it’s a scorching July and no one understands why some children are disappearing or showing up in the morning with welts and whip marks. Their stories about a goat man are often not believed by the parents. The PCs must follow the clues and incident reports to determine the path and next expected area that the mysterious demon will next visit and also figure out that the demon is Krampus.
The Rauhen Dilemma
As strange-looking as Krampus may be, he does have his charm—and a very long tongue. Some women do choose to fornicate with the demon and, if impregnated, birth demon children known as Rauhen. Krampus collects these children and raises them as his own, using them as helpers. Though ageless and neigh immortal, Krampus can be killed. When he dies a Rauhen of his prior determination takes his name and powers, becoming the new Krampus. One woman who birthed a Rauhen during the prior year doesn’t care what her son looks like, she simply wants him back. The PCs are charged to find the baby. Unbeknownst to the mother, that child has already been chosen by Krampus to be the one to follow in his footsteps. If taken from his father he will not learn how to use his powers, as well as proper manners and respect and will potentially become the monster that many think The Krampus to be. The PCs must not only stop the Krampus to discover this, but also decide how best to deal with the situation.
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