Monday, October 8, 2012

Monstrous Mondays: The Tikbalang

Art by Kajo Baldismo
"Trese" komiks series
http://www.comicscube.com/2010/09/
fresh-off-read-pile-trese-1-3.html
The Tikbalang are tall, long-armed, red-eyed, cigar smoking creatures with the heads of horses. They are notorious for sneaking up on people in jungle forests. They live on islands throughout the Sitting Dog Archipelago on the sphere of Wingspan.

Their favorite sport is waylaying lonely nighttime travelers as they make their way though the forest from one village to another. The Tikbalang hide in the trees until they spot someone passing by their perch. When they hear a victim approaching, the Tikbalang will quietly light a cigar, and begin puffing out a thick miasma of smoke. Soon, the traveler will no longer be able to see moon and stars through the trees. They will become lost and confused. And dizzy.

At that moment, the Tikbalang will use his very long arms to swing down from the trees and quietly drop just behind the unsuspecting traveler. Using their powers of illusion to confuse and bewilder their prey, they will impersonate a long-lost relative of the now-confused traveler. They will offer to help guide the traveler to their destination. After a short while, the Tikbalan will turn and reveal its true appearance, and the family member's face will dissolve into a leering horse's head. The last thing the victim will see is the Tikbalang's long fingers closing around his or her neck.

In the days to come, a relative of the victim may come across their loved one during a nighttime walk between two villages...

The Tikbalang are increasingly found on many other spheres. This has led some scholars to speculate that the Tikbalang can Spherewalk. Look carefully the next time you enter the smoke-filled back room of a merchant house. Today the Tikbalang frequently use their gifts of illusion, impersonation, and deception for financial gain.


EVERWAY MECHANICS

Elements:
  • Fire 5 
  • Earth 5  
  • Air 4 
  • Water 3 
Powers:
  • Image of Kin (3 point power): The Tikbalang may impersonate one of a person's kinfolk until making an attack.
  • Blow Smoke (2 point power): The Tikbalang may confuse, bewilder, and dizzy someone by blowing  a nauseating miasma of cigar smoke into their vicinity.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting critter. The artwork above is excellent stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, I wish the komik series were available in the USA. We are just starting to see some Filipino fantasy and manga cross over, so who knows when this komik to might reach these shores?

    ReplyDelete

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