Gehenna has wandered into a dimension of unimaginable terror, a place so far beyond the outer limit of the known universe that it can only be described as “Hell itself“. Still as yet unexplained, the hatred, fear, guilt, and madness of the inmates aboard causes the frequent manifestation of monstrous beings that are hideous to behold and terrible to confront. These creatures have come to be known as “demons”.
The demons of Abandon All Hope come in three varies linked directly to Ludovico Gauges: Despair, Guilt, and Insanity. Let's look at one from the Despair family:
DEATH SLITHER
Seen in the shadows of an abandoned cell or moving through a darkened passage, a Death Slither might be mistaken for a snake as it slinks sinuously across the floor, moving side to side with quick and powerful swings of its tail. This strange form of demon resembles the skull and spine of a human cadaver, hung with rotten flesh and patches of hair, with white, dead eyes and a bisected lower jaw rimmed with jagged, alien teeth. Death Slithers are typically lone hunters, stalking the darkness of deep halls and corridors for isolated victims, playing cat-and-mouse with potential prey. Since they can literally "taste" their victims' growing fear, these creatures appear to delight in tormenting prey before an actual confrontation. When the sensation of intense fear becomes too much for the demon to resist any longer, it finally ambushes its prey, moving in for the satisfying climax of the kill.
Typical Manifestation: When manifested, a Death Slither generally reanimates scattered bones, which slowly come together to take on a serpentine shape and life of their own.
Prowess 6 Social 1 Reflexes 9 Intimidation 6 Wits 3 Movement 6 Willpower 3 Health 10 DEATH SLITHER SPECIAL RULES
Small Size: This creature is small. Two creatures of its kind can occupy the same square on a standard battle grid.
Frightening: Characters beholding a death slither must make a Despair check or accumulate +1D2 Despair.
Hopelessness: Hope points cannot be used during encounters with this creature.
Bite: A death slither's bite attack does 1D6 Health damage.
Tail Lash: Instead of biting, a death slither can attack with its tail, using Reflexes instead of Prowess for its attack roll; a successful hit does 1D3 Health damage and also ignores all Armor (except for a helmet, which offers normal protection).
Latch: If a death slither's bite is successful, it latches onto the target. It must maintain this hold (i.e. remain alive) for three turns to use its Choke ability (see below).
Choke: If a death slither remains latched onto a target for three turns, on the fourth turn it automatically deals 1D4 Health damage; if a natural 4 is rolled, another D4 is rolled and added to the total (and again if another 4 is rolled, etc.). A victim killed by this ability is decapitated (no Recovery possible) and the head will rise as a death slither in 1D10 turns.
