Fruit eaten from Grave Puck Groves kills humans unless they are pregnant; for these unfortunate souls, the deathly fruit will cause no notable symptoms until labor occurs. The expected, excruciating pain of childbirth is accompanied by all symptoms of Grave Puck Syndrome, but at a higher intensity. In the past, once the baby was born after many grievances, the placenta was buried or sent down the river; if the placenta was dug up by something overnight, midwives knew an August’s Black Augur was in their midst—they also knew that it must be killed before it killed others.

AKA: August’s Black Augur

an additional note, these halflings are sometimes referred to as “August’s Black Augur,” as Grave Puck’s fruit is most plentiful and likely to be eaten in August, and their birth/lineage is followed by many dark omens.

Fruit eaten from Grave Puck Groves kills humans within 7 days, unless they are pregnant; for these unfortunate women, Blue Grims have much worse in mind. An expecting mother that has partaken in the deathly fruit will experience no oddities until she enters labor. The expected, excruciating pain of childbirth is accompanied by all symptoms of Grave Puck Syndrome, but at a higher intensity.

In the past, once the baby was born after many grievances, the placenta was buried or sent down the river; the floating placenta was meant to notify healing fae of the mother’s troubles, calling them to aid, whereas the buried placenta would give knowledgeable midwives an answer they suspected, yet feared. Benevolent fae never answered these calls, as the women were untouchable—houses for Blue Grims. If the placenta was dug up by something overnight, midwives knew an August’s Black Augur was in their midst; they also knew that it must be killed before it killed others.

The birthing of these fae halflings always results in the death of their mother; warnings of the infant’s inevitable evils are not always heeded, allowing many to live far longer than they should.

Living as Lu’scorn

Lu’scorn begin life as a normal baby, though they are often underweight and fussier than average. As their hair comes in, it is shockingly white (or silver in rare instances) and their skin pales, never darkening or tanning. As the infants grow, their ears stretch and come to a point. When baby teeth come in, youths begin biting any who reside near them; around the same time, they begin developing an attitude and display no affection towards their caregivers.

By age five, the child displays several other unusual characteristics: a lack of excitement, laughter, fear, empathy, or obedience, a tendency to act with aggression, and ignoring those speaking or interacting with her/him. By age seven, many frightening, physical changes occur: as baby teeth fall out, they are replaced by strange, permanent ones—ones too thin to be human and monstrous fangs where mundane canines should be; a black or white horn-like growth begins protruding from the forehead, increasing in length each year; the iris and pupil begin fading; behavioral problems worsen; and they develop a fascination with death, blood, and violence. Though not frequent, some children acquire a taste or desire to taste/drink blood (this typically does not develop until adolescence).

Most Lu’scorn don’t make it to their teens, as their families are often driven mad or to violence, feeling as if they must kill their child and rid the world of its evil. Regardless, Lu’scorn damage their families, often influencing one or more suicides and/or imprisonments; additionally, they never develop healthy or positive relationships with others. In the past, they were exterminated by monster or witch hunters —accused of being children of warlocks or daemons.

If by some rare chance, the halfling does make it to adolescence, their body embraces their fae heritage. First, they vanish from their homes and communities, telling no one and running under the cover of darkness. Following their instinct, the Lu’scorn seeks out a distinct graveyard — where their spawning fruit originated; here, they become an overlord — a commander of deathly pucks.

After traveling solely at night, hiding during the day, and scavenging/stealing food (sometimes for several weeks), the Lu’scorn finds home. Within the confines of their cemetery, the halfling is met by their Blue Grim underlings, who both fear and are in awe of them. Laying a hand on the humanoid, the Grims cast a spell, allowing the Lu’scorn to reach their full, physical potential. The halfling sprouts wings just below the base of the neck, bony protrusions that are a deep, sinister blue; unlike their fae relatives, their wings are untattered and strong, able to carry their forms far and high with practice. Their eyes become completely white and reflective, their ears resemble that of a puck’s, and their mind is filled with ancient Blue Grim magic, Susurrus revealed; after their transformation, they develop a deep, lasting hunger for blood, yet they must remain near their territory, never permitted to stray far.

For the first time in their lives, the beings feel joy, a sense of belonging. Lu’scorn help their puck relatives with daily/seasonal duties, sometimes partaking in the eating of a corpse (though they gain no powers as Grims do) or disputes over territory; like all Blue Grims, they enjoy chasing down and eating faeries in the winter, often sharing these unusual prizes with their cohorts. As the strongest kind of Blue Grim, Lu’scorn are revered by all, even those outside of the overlord’s local community. During the day, the beings reside in emptied, underground caskets, where they sleep until sunset. Unlike Blue Grims, they require sleep, drink, and nutritional supplements, living for no more than 300 years—at which their body crumbles into dust. Yet, even as they age, they look no older than a human in their 20s; age can be viewed in their forms, however, as their wings slowly tatter over time and their horns sometimes crack or chip. The death of a Lu’scorn is followed by a rare, momentary sadness in the Grim Pucks they oversaw.

Lu’scorn never embrace or acknowledge their human halves. They never develop desires to be part of human communities, compassion or empathy for individuals; in fact, they are incapable of human love. There are cases of relationships between Lu’scorn and humans, though they are unhealthy and abusive. Individuals may feel attracted or drawn to the halflings, later developing feelings of love; Lu’scorn take advantage of these beings and prey upon their emotions—using no magic when draining their blood, gaining both sustenance and conserving energy for other matters. These affections are not forced by spells or brought upon by a Lu’scorn’s actions or words but is a passive effect the halfling has on some individuals naturally. These unfortunate humans are not treated with kindness or gentleness—are never even graced with a positive word—yet, their emotions and delusions usually last a lifetime. Some of these bonds are broken if the Lu’scorn travels out of range; fae typically erase these individuals’ memories, leaving the halfling forgotten entirely, their minds clearer, and lives a little bit happier.