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Bradel

Appearance

The Bradel is an evil creature with flesh like blackened, burnt wood. They typically stand a little less than the height of a full grown man. Their body and arms are spindly, thin and end in a single pincer-like blade which they use to attack their opponents. A third arm of similar design protrudes from their shoulders, just behind their neck, and can reach over their twisted face to strike at opponents from above.
    Their facial features are vaguely human-like, with a nose, two beady red eyes, and a gash of a mouth that is filled with hundreds of pointy and blackened stakes of teeth. The Bradel doesn't use its teeth to attack with, but to shred the flesh of its fallen victims so that it can consume their blood. Bradels feed off of blood much like a plant feeds from water.
    The Bradel walks erect, with its twisted body, upon bipedal legs. Bradels are able to communicate with each other through a common telepathic bond, their mostly solid bodies have no lungs nor vocal cords to make audible sounds with.

Combat

Bradels seem to be made entirely of wood and weapons striking the creature only cause chips of blackened, wood-like flesh to chip away. Bradel do not bleed and are immune to wounding attacks.
    Upon death, the Bradel explodes - a puff of black smoke rising upward and their body falling to flame which is sucked into the earth. These pyrotechnics cause no harm to those nearby.
    Poison (Ex): With a successful attack, the Bradel afflicts its victim with a poison commonly known as Bradel Pox. Initial damage is 1 point of constitudion, secondary damage is 1d6 dexterity. Fortitude save, DC 15).
    The poison manifests itself as painful black boils, a swelling of the throat, shortness of breath, and loss of mobility caused by inflamed and stiff muscles.
    Immunities (Ex): A Bradel has no circulatory or open air breathing system, and so it is extremely resiliant against attacks that rely on these systems to inflict harm. A Bradel is immune to poison, disease, and attacks which require a breathing apparatus to do damage. Bradels are immune to critical hits.

Habitat/Society

Bradels hunt in packs, but have been known to collaborate with troll and the orckind when a steady supply of victims is readily available. For some reason these creatures rarely attack trolls and orcs unless first provoked. This has led some sages to speculate that perhaps it was a powerful orcish shaman which summoned the first of these beings. Bradels are never found outside of woodlands unless it is in the company of trolls or orcs.

Ecology

There is some debate as to whether Bradels are a natural creature or a magical creation gone awry. Their lack of organs suggests the latter and yet they need to eat, sleep, and are independent. Some sages argue that the Bradel is a malicious spirit which has taken wood from the woodlands as its twisted form. The ashes of the Bradel that are left behind upon its death are said to be useful in the creation of wooden goloms, though some sages warn that the taint of evil may still reside in these ashes. Magical telepathic communication attempts have proved unsuccessful with the Bradel and their aggressive nature has made study of these creatures difficult.

History

Bradels have historically been a bane to woodland dwellers, such as the elves and halflings. For many ages, elves and halflings have been forced to post warrior sentries at the fresh burial sites of their dead for fear of the arrival of a pack of Bradels in the dark of night, come to dig up the graves and feast on the blood of the freshly dead. Because of this and the dangerous nature of the Bradel's toxin, many woodlanders and travelers have come to call these creatures by another name, the Grave Snatches. Some plagues which display the same black boils are also called "Bradel Pox," even though the disease does not originate from a Bradel.