Fossegrim

In Scandinavian waterways untouched by human civilization lurk the fossegrim, creatures appearing as nude, ethereally beautiful men playing stringed instruments such as the fiddle, lyre, or harp. Their alluring music floats through thick forests and across river valleys, luring the unwary to their pools and waterfalls, seducing them with dance and melody. The fossegrim are fickle, deciding on the spot whether to drown the unfortunate souls or keep them for a time as favored partners or pets. Sometimes, one offers to teach a visitor to play music as sublime as his own, in exchange for favors, love, or sufficiently-enticing luxuries like fine food or wine. He can leave his watery home for a time but must return eventually, making his love affairs tragic as a matter of course.

The true nature of the fossegrim is lost to history, such that only the oldest Cainite scrolls and the longest of the koldun’s memories tell their story. Long ago, one of the first koldunic sorcerers experimented with the limits of his power, bewitching a water spirit by coating the strings of his instrument with his own vitae and playing a mystical lay that compelled it to do his bidding. He forced the spirit and a human to merge painfully into a single being that he kept as a plaything. This fused being became the first fossegrim, and ever since then, they have spontaneously emerged from rivers, falls, and lakes throughout the Norse world. The lay they play tonight to lure their prey is the same one the ancient Cainite sorcerer composed.

Every fossegrim has inherited a vendetta against the koldun from the first of his kind, and knowing little of Cainite ways, he blames all Tzimisce for the atrocity. He senses the difference between a Fiend and other vampires in his vicinity. Whenever he learns one of the hated Clan is anywhere close by, he entices others to his demesne with his enchanted music to convince, coerce, or manipulate them into helping him plot the Tzimisce’s downfall. Fossegrim seek out Toreador in particular as partners in crime, knowing how easy it is to gain their cooperation.

**Powers and Weaknesses**

• A fossegrim replenishes “blood points” by sleeping or playing music for at least six hours continuously.

• A fossegrim’s performances are supernaturally compelling, drawing listeners toward him and weakening their wills. He can only use his Presence Discipline while playing a stringed instrument or dancing to music played by another.

• For every week a fossegrim is away from his native waterway — be it river, lake, pond, spring, or waterfall — he loses one point of permanent Willpower. If he drops to zero permanent Willpower this way, he dies.

• By spending at least a few hours in some form of communion with someone, the fossegrim can teach her to be a world-class performer, although he must accept a meaningful payment or service in exchange, beyond the communion itself. This communion could involve inflicting mental or physical anguish, sex and other pleasures, ritual worship, mutual meditation, or any other intense interaction that forges a spiritual connection between the two characters.

Once completed, this unusual mentorship allows the student to immediately purchase a dot of Charisma, Empathy, Performance, or the Presence Discipline at half its normal experience cost. A character can only learn once this way from any given fossegrim.

Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2, Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2

Abilities: Alertness 2, Animal Ken 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Etiquette 3, Expression 2, Hearth Wisdom 2, Legerdemain 2, Occult 2, Performance 5, Subterfuge 2

Equivalent Disciplines: Animalism 1, Auspex 2, Potence 2, Presence 1, Spiritus 2

Road: 5, Willpower: 7; Blood Pool: 6