Spawn of the Maelstrom (being)

The Spawn of the Maelstrom is a fictional monster created by August Derleth and Mark Schorer for their short story "Spawn of the Maelstrom".
==Description==
The Spawn of the Maelstrom is a shapeshifting immortal creature that gains strength by absorbing the life of humans. Its victims' bodies are always found cold and rigid, even when examined only a few seconds after death. As a shapeshifter, it can assume the form of any animal, as well as mimic the appearance of an individual human. However, the imitation is not perfect: the creature's skin remains abnormally cold to the touch, and even though its telepathy allows it to absorb some knowledge from the person it's mimicking, it isn't enough to fool a close acquaintance, who will readily notice some gaps in knowledge, as well as differences in the way the impersonator acts and moves around.
The origin of this creature is unknown, whether it was born in the ocean depths or came from another world. It emerged from a maelstrom near the uninhabited island of Vömma, which is part of the Norwegian Lofoten Islands. There it remained imprisoned for centuries. Only by consuming the life force of three humans would the monster become strong enough to escape its confinement and leave the island.
The only known way to destroy the Spawn of the Maelstrom is with one of the five-pointed star-stones carved by the Elder Gods. Contact with the star-stone will cause the shapeshifter's body to disintegrate, leaving only a few inhuman bone fragments. As a truly deathless entity, the destruction of its body doesn't kill it, but merely sends it back to the oceanic abysses it came from originally. (: "Spawn of the Maelstrom")
Category:Other Supernatural Beings
Category:Characters Originating From Lovecraft Circle Works