Wendigo

"*Wendigo is an Algonquin, or a Cree Indian, word. It literally means "evil that devours." They're hundreds of years old. Each was once a man, sometimes an Indigenous person or even other times a frontiersman. It's always the same on how they come to being; during some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help -- becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp. Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities -- speed, strength, even immortality. But if you eat enough of it, over years, you become this...lets just say less-than-human thing. You're always hungry.*"
—Rayne on the Wendigo
**Wendigo** (also **Windigo**, **Wiindigoo**, and numerous other variants, since the word appears in many different Native American languages and dialects) are a type of savage, cannibalistic spirit-like monster in Anishinaabe mythology whose name means "*evil that devours.*" They are compulsive man-eaters, and are said to have breath like burnt flesh. It has also become a stock horror character much like the vampire, werewolf or zombie, although these fictional depictions often do not bear much resemblance to the original mythology.

## Appearance/Description

The Wendigo is a terrifying beast. But because they humans, standing at about twelve feet tall), have long limbs, and are extremely thin (because they are always hungry). They appear emaciated and have pale green skin, incredibly thin that their bones are visible, a symbolism of their unquenchable hunger. Most have no hair at all, but those that dwell in extremely cold climates can sometimes be found with snow-white, gore-stained fur or matted, bloody hair. Its maw is filled with sharp yellowed fangs, and its hands and feet end in razor-like talons. They are humanoid and are equipped with sharp claws used to rip prey to shreds. They have large eyes that are full moons that illuminate only the things it sees, with sharp rows of yellow crooked teeth that allow the Wendigo to grind bone and flesh. The Wendigo’s lips are flecked with blood, and their long tongues are a disgusting dark blue. Its eyes are one of its glowing red to bright white.The lore on this beast is enormously diverse, all of which emphasize its size. The Wendigo is so big that the human mind is unable to fully comprehend it, and the beast’s sheer size is enough to make the human heart stop. The Wendigo is a hideous, abhorrent beast. Its gigantic maw is the creature’s hunger is so great that it devoured its own lips! Although vaguely human in appearance, it is nonetheless what most would call terribly deformed. Its enormous eyes are white and protuberant like an owl’s (although some say that the eyes are pushed deep into the sockets, and all that one can see is the terrible yellow glow). They are far larger than human eyes, and are said to roll about

## Behavior/Characteristics

"*More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time. When it's awake, it keeps its victims alive. It stores them so it can feed whenever it wants.*"
—Rayne, about the Wendigo
The Wendigo is a purely anthropomorphous beast, hungering for human flesh. Wendigos were once humans, but after being forced to eat human flesh to survive, they become supernatural monsters that retain little human features they once possessed. After their transformation, they begin to crave human flesh and feed solely on it. It will go to any lengths to procure this food, no matter the risk or possibility of injury. The Wendigo craves human flesh and is constantly starving for it (indicated by the beast’s lean, wiry frame). The Wendigo is known to have its preferences: the sweet fat of children, the soft skin of women, the course muscles of men (especially warriors and hunters), or the brittle bones of the elderly. In preparation for long winters (when few travelers are out and about), the Wendigo will stash away large pots filled to the rim with human remains in the highest tree branches. On rare occasions, it will take humans alive and hide them away in its lair, allowing the beast to feed whenever it wants. The Wendigo is more intelligent than many humans, and thus understands the value of storing and saving its food. However, it will only resort to this when food is scarce and it becomes desperate.

Although their name is described as an 'evil spirit', it is technically, a monster, and places it in the same classification as vampires and werewolves. The Wendigo has been known to enter cabins and other dwelling, unlocking them from the outside and slaughtering the inhabitants, then proceeding to convert the cabin into its own lair. The Wendigo tends to hibernate for long periods, ranging in length from a few months to years at a time. Once they awaken, they go into a feeding frenzy, and after having eaten enough humans, it retreats to its lair and falls back into hibernation once again.

At the same time, Wendigos are embodiments of gluttony, greed, and excess; never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, they are constantly searching for new victims. It is also common that wendigos just capture humans to hoard their food, and then eat when hungry. Since the Wendigo constantly hungers for human flesh, it wreaks destruction in its pursuit of its chosen prey. It crashes through the forests, all the while uprooting trees, causing game animals to stampede, and causing whirlwinds. The monster is often thought to be the cause of ice storms, tornadoes, and violent winds. All of these weather-related phenomena are believed to signal the Wendigo’s presence.

When the Wendigo hunts, it stalks the victim for long periods. The chosen victim only has a dreadful feeling of being followed. However, the Wendigo has a sadistic streak. It prefers to terrify its victims before moving in for the kill. When it has had enough of stalking the victim, it lets out a growl or a shriek, which resonates through the forest and terrifies the beast’s prey. They panic, firing weapons haphazardly into the brush as the dense forest closes in on them. Eventually, the intended victim succumbs to insanity, running wildly into the forest with abandon. In such a state, they are easy prey for the Wendigo.

### Habitat

Wendigos are rarely seen out of Minnesota or the north of Michigan. They are hundreds of years old, and they also have hibernation behavior during the long, cold winters they must survive--meaning they must hoard food if it is scarce. In addition, they keep their victims in dark and isolated places, such as caves or abandoned mines.The Wendigo inhabits the forests of the Great Lakes and Canada. The dreaded Wendigo King lives near the Windigo River in Quebec. Kenora, Ontario is thought to be the “Wendigo Capital of the World” because so many sightings and incidents have taken place there, and it attracted Wendigoes originally because it used to be tribal grounds, with many Native American settlements scattered throughout the area. Most caves, gullies, and canyons in central Canada will provide shelter for the Wendigo.

A Wendigo is rumored to live in the Cave of the Wendigo, near Mameigwass Lake in northern Ontario. Any other area named after the Wendigo, such as Windigo River and Windigo Lake in Ontario, is bound to be inhabited by this monster as well.

The Wendigo’s territory is vast, stretching from the Canadian Rockies and the Arctic Circle in the north, to the Great Lakes regions and the Dakotas. It reigns supreme across the whole of Canada.

## Becoming a Wendigo

When a human first eats human flesh, they start out mostly human in appearance and then their eyes change in red or white color and teeth configuration the only difference during a shift.Eventually, as they continue to eat more and more flesh, when they shift into their monster forms, they grow short, snow-white fur over their body, their teeth develop into needle-like fangs, their eyes turn yellow and appear to glow, their ears elongate, and their nails grow into long curved claws, which they often use in fights. Wendigos also have a distinctive brow ridge that curves downward in a half-U shape at the outer ends of their brows, before smoothly transitioning with the rest of their heads.

Unlike many monster, whose voice remains unchanged or becomes deeper when they change appearance, Wendigos gain a higher pitched voice.

And over time, the Wendigo evolves into their true monstrous form.

## Powers and Abilities

Wendigos are excellent hunters, either during the day or at night, as Rayne said herself, "*It's a very-damn-near-perfect hunter. It's smarter than you.*" and, "*This thing is a very good hunter in the day, but an even unbelievably better hunter at night.*" There are few possibilities to defeat a wendigo during the day, but it is next to impossible to defeat them at night, since it is their favorite period to hunt. Also despite being animal like, Wendigos are intelligent, as intelligent as humans or maybe even more intelligent, thus making them even more dangerous.

* **Superhuman Physiology:** The Wendigo is a supernatural entity of enormous power, the embodiment of insatiable hunger, gluttony, unbridled evil, and the savage predator. Befitting its bestial nature, the Wendigo possesses supernatural strength, speed, endurance, and senses. The Wendigo thrives in even the harshest climates, immune to extremes of cold.
	+ **Superhuman Strength:** Wendigos are exceptionally strong, even by monster terms, and grow incredibly stronger as the full moon approaches. They can tear humans apart limb from limb with without effort, snap necks and carry two people at once and even drag them up a tree with ease.Wendigos have limitless physical strength, especially in direct sunlight. In terms of what they can do, they can easily overpower and kill humans and any galactic beings; bend and break reinforced steel; crush wood panels; lift heavy objects; decimate large structures; and level whole cities. Wendigo strength increases with age, meaning the older a Wendigo grows, the stronger he or she becomes.
	+ **Superhuman speed:** Wendigos possess remarkable inhuman speed and reflexes, enough to move so quickly from one place to another in under three seconds that they are able to outrun all of their chosen prey and they cannot be seen by the human eye.
	+ **Superhuman Agility:** Wendigos can jump from tree to tree without being deterred by the foliage.
	+ **Invulnerability:** A Wendigos cells emit an aura of unbreakable solar energy that results in them almost being invulnerable to bodily injuries. Because of this, Wendigos are resistant to all forms of physical damage. They can withstand the highest and lowest temperatures without sustaining any damage. As such, not even the strongest of humans can hurt them; bullets bounce off them, rockets, bombs and lasers don't even leave a mark on them, and high-voltage energy emissions (beams) cannot penetrate through them. Wendigos are immune to all earthly diseases and viruses.
	+ **Longevity**: A Wendigos constant absorption of solar energy delays cell deterioration; as such, provided they are under a yellow sun Wendigos are functionally immortal and would live forever. The older they are, the more powerful they become.
	+ **Regeneration:** Wendigo can heal and regenerate instantly from any wound that is not caused by fire or by a magical weapon.
	+ **Empathy:** Wendigo are able to detect feelings of love in humans, often drawing them to devour these people.
	+ **Enhanced Super Senses:** The Wendigo’s possess enhanced senses of sight, smell, and hearing are greatly enhanced, comparable to those of many predatory animals, making them perfect hunters, they can see perfectly in darkness, and have similarly enhanced hearing. The Wendigo can see clearly in total darkness, and it may have some kind of infrared vision, enabling it to see its prey by detecting its bodily heat emanations. Once the Wendigo has its prey’s scent, it is able to follow it swiftly and precisely, no matter how far away the victim may be. It’s hearing is so keen that it can hear the pounding of its fear-filled victim’s heart, which causes the beast’s own heart to pound with joy and anticipation.
* **Claws & Fangs:** Besides sheer strength and animalistic ferocity, the Wendigo have and is armed with formidable array of weaponry: its giant dreaded claws and fangs, both of which they use to hunt or to attack. The beast’s claws have been described as icicles, reflecting its utter dominion over its freezing territory. These talons are designed for ripping through flesh with the slightest touch, and one swipe from the Wendigo’s powerful claws can disembowel or decapitate a human. The beast’s mouth is filled with long, needle-sharp fangs, made for slicing through flesh and sinew, as well as for breaking bones. The Wendigo’s fangs can easily puncture a human skull.
* **Superhuman Intelligence:** the Wendigo has a man’s intelligence and cunning, as well as the predatory instincts of an animal. It is mystically attuned to every single tree, bush, rock, hill, or cave within its territory (which can be considerably vast). The Wendigo uses this advantage to stalk its victims for hours on end, never being seen or heard unless the monster chooses to reveal itself by means of a growl or a shriek. There is no way to hide from the Wendigo, and it will not stop hunting until the victim’s broken, mutilated body lies at its clawed feet.All Wendigos possess a genius-level intellect; under a yellow sun, this power is amplified hundreds of times beyond those of human beings. Their brains work similar, or superior, to high computers; they are able to make immensely fast calculations and multitasking at alarming rates. Wendigos, while in super-speed mode, can see everything at a standstill; because their perception is greatly enhanced, they could crash into every building or object they come in contact with.
* **Stealth:** The Wendigo excels in stealth, and it is said that the Wendigo moves on the wind and breezes in utter silence. It can fill the air with an eerie, haunting siren by forcing the air through its blood-flecked lips. When the freezing winds rise, it is said that the Wendigo’s howls can be distinguished from the moan of the wind, letting people nearby know that a monster lurks in their midst. For its prey, these warnings occur far too late to make any appreciable difference.
* **Voice Mimicry:** The Wendigo is able to mimic and imitate human voices to lure unsuspecting victims, which are most often cries for help. The beast’s roar is utterly terrifying, and the fear it inspires cuts to the bone.
* **Disease Infliction:** Among the Wendigo’s host of supernatural abilities, the Wendigo Fever is perhaps the most feared. It is a terrible curse, overtaking the mind and body of the unfortunate victim. The first symptom of the curse is a strange scent, detectable only to the intended victim. After absorbing this disturbing odor, the victim experiences a long night of weeping and horrifying nightmares. Upon awakening, the victim experiences a burning pain in the legs and feet, which becomes so intense that the victim runs into the forest, shrieking like a maniac, and discarding clothing and shoes all the while. Most of the curse’s victims never return, although those who do return are irrevocably insane from their experiences of the curse and the Wendigo itself. It is thought that most of the curse’s victims are devoured by the Wendigo.
* **Immortality:** Wendigos can live forever.
* **Magical Knowledge:** As the Wendigo grows older, its powers over nature increase exponentially. The beast becomes a shaman, extremely adept in the dark arts. With this power, the Wendigo can manipulate the weather, creating storms of terrifying strength, and the beast can summon the midnight darkness hours before sunset. The Wendigo may summon dangerous beasts from the deepest, darkest reaches of the forest and command them to attack its enemies, traverse enormous distances in the blink of an eye, and heal any wounds instantaneously .
* **Super-Memory**: Wendigo possess an eidetic memory; under a yellow sun, this ability is amplified hundreds of times beyond those humans beings. They can receive or process large amounts of information and data at once, reading words and pictures at a fast pace. They do have a photographic memory with total recall, possess the ability to super-read in seconds and can retain large amounts of information flawlessly.
* **Multilingualism**: Wendigos gain the ability to learn, speak and understand any language they come in contact with.
* **Electromagnetic Spectrum Perception**: Wendigos can see all of the EM spectrum. They can see and identify radio and television, as well as all other transmissions or transmitted frequencies. With this ability, they can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him/her to see the auras generated by living beings.
* **Heat Vision** - Allows a Wendigos to fire 2 thick laser-like beams of intensified heat, in the form of heat irradiated space or fiery like beams, at a target by looking at it with the conscious act of activating this power or by triggering it with certain emotion, willpower, or thought, such things being intense frustration or anger, or the will to act or fight. Wendigos are able to generate these from both eyes, while the energy itself originates from the nerves behind the eyes, causing the soft tissue near the eye to glow bright orange with the nerves generating great amounts of heat energy. It also seems to distort pressure around the eye, as the tissue around the eye has veins that turn black and protrude from the face. Their heat vision is strong enough to quickly melt steel, titanium, and other metals, even more durable alien metals with ease, with the intensity of molten rock.
* **X-ray vision**: Wendigos can mentally break down the polymers in objects and organisms, allowing them to see through the object or a person; as such, Wendigos can see through anything .
* **Telescopic vision**: Wendigos have the ability to see people or objects meters away (this power does not break the laws of physics; that is, they can see something that happens far away as it happens). This ability operates independently of normal vision and can be activated or deactivated by an act of will.
* **Super vision**: Wendigos have the ability to see extremely small residues, stains or streaks or other objects that humans cannot see with their own eyes. This ability can go so far as to see very small objects and images down to the atomic level.

## Weaknesses and Vulnerabilities

* "*We'll never beat it, not in the dark. Well, guns are useless -- and so are knives. Basically...we gotta torch this sucker.*"
—Rayne, about how to kill a Wendigo

Wendigo are impossible to kill. There are few possibilities to defeat a wendigo during the day, but it is impossible to defeat them at night, since it is their favorite period to hunt. Despite the beast’s immeasurable amount of power, there are ways to protect oneself from the Wendigo.

* + **Fire:** The only known way to kill a Wendigo is to burn them to death. If one is hunting this creature, a fire must be kept burning at all times. This will deter the Wendigo from attacking, but only for so long. If burned, the wounds will quickly heal and will only make the beast angry.
	+ **Magical Protection:** Any means of mystical protection should be employed (amulets, protective spells, fetishes, and charms), as these things hold power over the Wendigo.
	+ **Anasazi Symbols:** Special Anasazi symbols, drawn in protective circles, will keep a Wendigo away.
	+ **Headphones:** Headphones or earplugs must be used to block out the beast’s maddening shrieks.