Mojave's Monstrous Menagerie
Sometimes when it's late at night I like to think up odd little beasties without any further context. Some of these are more akin to monsters one might find in a D&D manual, others are more like spirits or other wily things.
In any case, my concepts are not super original, and some are more just interpretations of what already exists, but I wanted a place for them, so now there is one. Feel free to comment--or not--at your own discretion.
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Swindlemen
Swindlemen are the manifestation of modern gambling. Often they appear as shadowy stick figures not unlike scarecrows, but with coins for eyes (often half dollars). Swindlemen are notorious spreaders of chaos, they have a habit of leaving small amounts of counterfeit money wherever they go, and are exactly as good as a gambler can be without cheating. Swindlemen never lose, be it at a poker table, roulette wheel, or even the slots, but they never stay in one gambling den long enough to be detected as unusual. Swindlemen also carry some gambling implement--often a deck of playing cards, but dice and the like are not unheard of, that they use to dictate the details of their actions. Often, for instance, a Swindleman before entering a casino will take out his pack of cards, draw a hand, and stare at it for a time. What they see in these cards precisely is a mystery that Swindlemen never divulge. It should go without saying that Swindlemen can disguise themselves at will.
Where Swindlemen truly delight is preying upon unfortunate gambling addicts. It's not uncommon for them to approach unfortunate gamblers, and make an outrageous bet. A common one involves the Swindleman betting a large sum of money (which he will always have on hand) that he can draw a single, specific card from a deck of them, against some small trinket the gambler has--say an empty dimestore wallet, and then, inevitably, win.
Swindlemen can sometimes be bargained with for those few sorcerers who know where to find them, but be wary! A Swindleman will always get the better end of the deal, equivalent exchange is not enough for them. Swindlemen have also been known to sell their magical decks of cards and playing dice for high prices. These trinkets give their owners good luck financially, but often at a cost of fortune in personal matters.
Swindlemen can usually simply be avoided, and it is generally wise to do so. They are not violent creatures, and if a bet is turned down, they will simply seek another victim. Swindlemen are most commonly found in American cities notable for gambling. They are in their biggest numbers in Las Vegas (where else?) but are also often found throughout Nevada and surrounding states, and can be found on the east coast as well, particularly in and around Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In any case, my concepts are not super original, and some are more just interpretations of what already exists, but I wanted a place for them, so now there is one. Feel free to comment--or not--at your own discretion.
----
Swindlemen
Swindlemen are the manifestation of modern gambling. Often they appear as shadowy stick figures not unlike scarecrows, but with coins for eyes (often half dollars). Swindlemen are notorious spreaders of chaos, they have a habit of leaving small amounts of counterfeit money wherever they go, and are exactly as good as a gambler can be without cheating. Swindlemen never lose, be it at a poker table, roulette wheel, or even the slots, but they never stay in one gambling den long enough to be detected as unusual. Swindlemen also carry some gambling implement--often a deck of playing cards, but dice and the like are not unheard of, that they use to dictate the details of their actions. Often, for instance, a Swindleman before entering a casino will take out his pack of cards, draw a hand, and stare at it for a time. What they see in these cards precisely is a mystery that Swindlemen never divulge. It should go without saying that Swindlemen can disguise themselves at will.
Where Swindlemen truly delight is preying upon unfortunate gambling addicts. It's not uncommon for them to approach unfortunate gamblers, and make an outrageous bet. A common one involves the Swindleman betting a large sum of money (which he will always have on hand) that he can draw a single, specific card from a deck of them, against some small trinket the gambler has--say an empty dimestore wallet, and then, inevitably, win.
Swindlemen can sometimes be bargained with for those few sorcerers who know where to find them, but be wary! A Swindleman will always get the better end of the deal, equivalent exchange is not enough for them. Swindlemen have also been known to sell their magical decks of cards and playing dice for high prices. These trinkets give their owners good luck financially, but often at a cost of fortune in personal matters.
Swindlemen can usually simply be avoided, and it is generally wise to do so. They are not violent creatures, and if a bet is turned down, they will simply seek another victim. Swindlemen are most commonly found in American cities notable for gambling. They are in their biggest numbers in Las Vegas (where else?) but are also often found throughout Nevada and surrounding states, and can be found on the east coast as well, particularly in and around Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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Also, I was going to list fictional examples of such figures, but the only thing I could think of that fit the bill even sort of was Greed from The Binding of Isaac.