Jekyll/Hyde

The **Jekyll**, which alternatively appears as the **Hyde** when agitated, is a dangerous, highly unpredictable monster.

## Description

There is no set appearance for a Jekyll. However, the common appearance is that of a middle-aged general medicine practitioner or local doctor. A Jekyll will also always appear as a male.

A Hyde, on the other hand, has a much more recognizable appearance; they appear as short, bearded humanoids with bloated, bulging eyes and massive veins. Hydes tend to wear shoes, but removing them reveals mutilated, disgusting feet of a strange greenish color. No matter the appearance of the Jekyll, the Hyde always appears in this manner.

## Behavior

Jekylls and Hydes seem to be unaffected by Corpus. If they are, the deterioration they suffer is very, very minimal.

This monster searches for nearby small towns and settlements (rarely cities), then appears as a doctor in a local clinic. Its appearance is perfectly human in the Jekyll state. The doctor's name is random, but it often conforms to local naming standards (such as having a traditional Arabic name in an Arabic area.) Its first name can be any common first name, but its last name always begins with the letters "Je-". The thing that makes it hardest to pinpoint about the monster in this form is its effect on all locals of the area: all residents within about a 50 mile radius will immediately believe that they have known the doctor all their lives, often recalling family gatherings at which he was invited, despite there being no photographic proof of the event. Most attempts to convince locals that they have not known the doctor their whole lives end unsuccessfully; however, if one manages to convince someone that they have not always known the doctor, the person will still refuse to see the doctor as a danger. They describe him as amiable, kind, and unassuming.

A Jekyll transforms into a Hyde on two occasions. It is, first and foremost, triggered if anyone confronts it about its true nature. It will also transform upon a patient's third checkup, and kill them. (The reason it chooses to kill upon the third checkup is unknown; little reference is given to such a practice in the novel from which this monster comes, in which Mr. Hyde kills randomly and sadistically. This may be a practice that the Hyde have simply developed over time.) Most deaths caused by Hyde attacks are unexplainable to locals. They will never suspect the doctor, under any circumstances, even if the Hyde is caught in the act. Over time, most people will become afraid and move out of the area. When the population of the area reaches a very low number, the Jekyll will relocate.

Hydes can be killed, and the fact that many have been killed in the past indicates that there are multiple Jekyll/Hydes in existence. The monster can also be killed while in the Jekyll form if one can act before it transforms; in this state, it has the same level of defenses as a fragile, non-scauped human. If these monsters are killed in the Jekyll state, they will slowly morph into their true Hyde form following rigor mortis.

## Lore

This is not a well-known monster, and most people pass it off as a fairy tale, even many adventurers. But it's a good idea to remember to check and see if one's doctor's name starts with "Je-" while traveling. If so, there's unfortunately little way to warn locals under its spell. One can attempt to evacuate them from the area permanently through other means such as threats, if the Jekyll's presence is a known danger.