Annis Hag

### Hide

Mottled grey to blackened skin , their skin is a sign of age, the darker, the older

## Ecology

### Intelligence

Dependant on age* Child level (Hagling)
* Human level (Adult)
* Slightly above human level (Auntie)
* Above human level (Grandmother)

### Diet

Meat- Human, favoring the flesh of children

### Predators

Witchers(?)

The creatures known as the **Annis Hags** (Also known as **Black Hags**, **Black Annis** or **Night Witches**) are said to be the most powerful of the known Hag variant species. Like all Hags, an Annis Hag was originally a nymph-like species that was corrupted by generations living with and using the energies of a Cosmic Horror causing a branching of the species and the creation of the Hags.

## Physiology

### Undisguised form

**Annis Hags** in their true form look like giant crones with skin that ranges in color from green to blackened (similar to charcoal).

Starting from the top down:

The top of their heads are covered in stringy, usually long and unkempt black hair which may defy gravity in a sort of swept back look. Their jaws have small sharp teeth.

Their fingers and toes end in long talon-like fingernails that are as hard as iron.

They usually stand over 8 feet tall at maturity and weigh about 325 pounds.

### Disguised form

**Annis Hags** will disguise themselves as a kind, old but exceptionally tall eccentric woman. This form can be overlooked in more relaxed communities under the misunderstanding that she is harmless.

## Lifecycle

### Child

Young hags are exceptionally small generally about the size of a child, maybe a teenager at largest this life stage lasts 20 years during which the Hagling lives with her mother's sabbath and brood of Devourers.

### Adult

The life stage after childhood lasts between the 20 to 50-year mark generally the Hag is human-sized though visibly bloated, they have human-level intelligence at this point and will travel around in groups of their own kind usually.

### Auntie

On **Annis Hag's** 50th year of life, the Hag will have a growth spurt reaching around seven feet tall reaching the life stage known as an Auntie. Aunties unlike their younger brethren are capable of illusion magic as well as the Iron Amulet Ritual by instinct.

### Grandmother

The final life stage of an **Annis Hag's** life, is when they are the leader of a sabbath or make their own. Most witchers as well as other monster hunters hope to never have to face a Grandma and try to be proactive in making sure **Annis Hags** don't live past their Auntie stage. Grandmothers are prodigious breeders and far more intelligent than their younger counterparts gaining mental control over the males of the sabbath. Although usually weaker than a Cemetaur, they are still highly feared and under the right circumstance even defeat a Cemetaur.

## Abilities

* Physical
	+ **Darkvision**: **Annis Hags** can see in the dark within a specific radius. They can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in total darkness as if it were dim light. Though they can’t discern color in the darkness, only shades of gray.
	+ **Claw Retraction**: **Annis Hags** possess sharp claws/talons
	+ **Fang Retraction**: **Annis Hags** possess sharp teeth.
		- **Powerful Bite**: Compared to a human, **Annis Hags** have an incredibly strong bite force.
	+ **Enhanced Strength**: Compared to a human, **Annis Hags** possess strength beyond peak humans.

* Magical
	+ Limited Polymorphy
	+ Magic Bestowal: Able to apply telepathic link via Iron Amulet

## Behaviors

**Annis Hags** can assume a more attractive form using a specialized form of Polymorphy, they cannot change their size. Thus, they usually assume the form and false personality of a gentle giantess or extremely tall woman.

### Lairing

**Annis Hags** make their lairs in dark caves, burrows, and ruins, where they stalk and feed upon the unwary. Generally, a population of male devourers will live with the Annis' sabbath as well.

### Stalking

A disguised **Annis Hag** loves nothing more than corrupting children in the villages near her lair. She will disguise herself as a kind, old but exceptionally tall woman who encourages children to confide in her by giving them an 'iron' amulet forged from her own nails. This amulet allows the **Annis Hag** to have whispered conversations with the child. By teaching them to act on bad thoughts, she is able to use the child to cause chaos in the village as villagers must decide whether to punish or exile the “bad seed” that the child has become. If the child no longer serves a purpose for the **Annis Hag**, she will excitedly hunt them down and then devour them.

### Predation

Due to their large size and being the cruelest of all the hags, **Annis Hags** willingly eat corpses but prefer fresh, warm flesh devouring their victims alive, particularly delight in tearing their victims to shreds with their bare hands, all while relishing in the screams of pain and terror.

### Reproduction

**Annis Hags** being the female version of Devourers **do not need** to mate with humans to reproduce, but some still do in their disguised forms albeit there are no known cases of a fully grown **Annis Hag** mating with a human male and letting them live afterward, what usually follows is them revealing themselves in their true form and devouring the still living man. If this results in conception, most times the hag will give birth to a daughter (Hagling) but on rare occasions, if a male will be born it will result in a Black Lord birth. However, if a Hag reproduces with a male devourer the result is always either a Annis Hag or a male devourer.

### Weaknesses

#### Silver

Like most magical or unnatural monsters **Annis Hags** have an aversion to silver.

#### Necrophage Oil

**Annis Hags** takes more damage when struck with a silver witcher's sword covered in Necrophage Oil.

#### Fey Oil

**Annis Hags** takes more damage when struck with a silver witcher's sword covered in Fey Oil.

## Harvestable Parts

### Meat

Due to **Annis Hag's** status as a Necrophage, it is **Not Recommended** to eat meat taken from one's corpse no matter how recent the kill was, this can poison humanoids and other monsters though there are exceptions with resistance or immunity that enjoy eating this flesh.

### Hag Teeth

The teeth of a hag are an alchemical ingredient of the Rebis family as such can be used for potions and processing into the alchemical substance known as Pure Rebis.

### Necrophage Blood

The blood of a necrophage is an alchemical ingredient of the Rebis family as such can be used for potions and processing into the alchemical substance known as Pure Rebis.

## Trivia

* **Annis Hags** are based off of the creature (https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Devourer) from the first Witcher game.
* \*According to the author of the article's headcanon.\* The **Annis Hags** (Female Devourers) encountered by Geralt in The Witcher game were young Hags only in their second life stage, which explains their short stature compared to the full height the race later takes with age.

## Notes

* The necrophage species known as the **Annis Hag** is a purely fanon creation as such there is no official proof of their existence in the Witcher works outside the fanon community.
* **Annis Hags** are free to use in stories and articles, all I ask is that you honor the lore present, and if you make one add their name and a link to this page.

### EAPEU Trivia

If an **Annis Hag** were to gain the blessing of Huses, it would evolve into a **Black Annis**, while if a Black Lord were to gain the blessing of Huses, it would evolve into a **Black King**