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Mourioche is a bizarre and wicked demon from French folklore, unique to the region of Brittany. He is a particularly dangerous and named individual of the water-horse demons found in many cultures around the world.
Biography[]
Mourioche is noted for his disturbing appearance, often posing as a yearling colt with muscular human arms with a sickening skeletal head with orange eyes and is capable of taking even more frightening guises should the mood suit him. His origins vary wildly depending on the story with some claiming he is a cursed Breton man, versed in the dark arts, who sold his soul for magical ointment, a simple werewolf without control of his actions, a rogue jester from a magical undersea kingdom banished for bad behavior and others claiming him to be the Devil itself. All stories agree that he is a particularly wicked trickster with a sadistic sense of comedy, who has made it his mission to cause as much misery as he can to those unfortunate enough to come across him.
Favored "games" of Mourioche include drowning victims who ride on his back, which was said to be able to stretch near-infinitely, allowing the demon to carry multiple riders to their doom, laughing while doing so.
He was also fond of forcing traveling passersby into wrestling him if he came across them on roads so he may humiliate them by tossing them in muddy ditches and other acts of thuggish misdeeds.
One of Mourioche's most beloved sports, however, involved him latching onto the back of men and forcing them to carry him around - to the point of exhaustion.
Trying to ignore Mourioche would simply result in the demon pursuing his victims, constantly changing shape and making horrible sounds to startle them.
One of Mourioche's most grand and sadistic "pranks" of all involved him taking the guise of a ewe so a farmer would take him in. Over the course of a few nights Mourioche continually changed forms and slaughtered the farmer's entire livestock before mocking him. He even went as far as abducting the farmer's children before fleeing as well as reportedly destroying half of the barn - the children were never seen again. Strangely, despite his outrageous acts of malice, he left a gold necklace for the farmer to find, apparently as a "gift" for the "fun". This explains that even if he is 100% irredeemable, Mourioche himself is not without mercy, as he leaves "gifts" after destruction, but these gifts are for mocking his victims for their loss.
Mourioche has a wide array of powers and a devious mind, to try and defeat him with magic or wit would be suicide, but he is not fully invincible for at heart he is a bully and a coward - when people do not fear him and actively stand up to him, he is quick to flee, as was the case when he tried to drown one particularly brave tailor who threatened to cut the demon's ear off, this caused Mourioche to panic and return the would-be-victim to land unharmed. This confirms that, even if he is a true monster, Mourioche is still not without his faults, and is easily baffled and horrified by anyone who doesn't fear him.
Another amusing tale of Mourioche being defeated by bravery was when a man who he tried to exhaust by his favored trick of jumping on his back, instead the man happily took the demon back with him to his home and Mourioche fled when the man went to call his wife. This reveals that Mourioche, despite being a cruel jerk, avoids combat and contact with women and treats them with respect.
Mourioche can also be banished by a curse which must be uttered quickly, "Mourioche, le diable t’écorche" ("Mourioche, the Devil flay you"). This is said that even Mourioche is afraid of Satan.
Despite being a male, there is a female demon known as Fausserole from Saint-Cast who is very similar to Mourioche in mannerism and may well be the wife of the creature - she is fond of attacking the clergy.
Mourioche's cruelest atrocity is possessing the body of a recently deceased relative to scream insults at the family and run after the fearful children present at the wake.
