Spring-Heeled Jack

The greatest secret of the murderous trickster known as Spring-Heeled Jack is that he isn't a unique creature. Instead, he's one of a rare type of fey native to the First World who enjoy causing bloody mayhem in the Material Plane. These fey are so rare and so distrustful of one another's company that two have never been seen together; the mistaken assumption that only a single Spring-Heeled Jack exists is therefore entirely understandable. The fact that sightings occur across Ustalav (and beyond) and across centuries of time is ascribed to the trickster's long lifespan and mysterious ability to travel quickly, or to the belief that there's no such creature, merely an urban legend that twisted minds attempt to bring to life through costumes, magic, and a series of murders and mayhem. Even in fear-drenched Ustalav, no one has yet guessed that multiple Spring-Heeled Jacks exist or postulated that some future event might drive them to overcome their mutual disdain and gather into a murderous cabal, far more powerful than the sum of its parts.

Spring-Heeled Jacks are cruel-eyed, hairy fey with vaguely humanoid shapes and extra features that cause them to be easily mistaken for demons or devils. Glowing eyes, cloven hooves, menacing horns, and a pointed tail combine to create the mien of a wicked imp; his love of sudden and sadistic violence completes the impression. Almost all have jet-black skin and fur, though a few exceptions might exist.

Spring-Heeled Jacks typically hide their features in tattered cloaks, appearing as a hunched elder or a youth in the nighttime conditions they enjoy. Such a disguise rarely holds up to any scrutiny, but that doesn't matter much to the Spring-Heeled Jack, who only needs something that offers just enough doubt for their target to move within striking distance, which can be from much farther away than most other creatures even realize. Once close enough, the Spring-Heeled Jack leaps startling distances in the blink of an eye to easily slash at a victim who had, until that moment, considered themself safe.