Chapter

Spertus

One of the hunters in Törfjorden showed me the dried deer bladders they would blow up, fill with liquor, and carry with them. He wanted to show me something else as well, which he said was the secret to his wealth and success. In his snuff box lay a small beetle of unknown species. It turned out to be alive, twisting and turning like a housewife on a feather bed, until the hunter gave it a good spit. Then it sprouted limbs with which I was not familiar. The man quickly put the lid back on. He would not sell me the creature, claiming it was worth more than all the gold of the mountain trolls.

— Carl Linnaeus, July 12th, 1732

The spertus is a magical being, often appearing in the form of a shiny black bug or a small white snake or worm. It is said to be in league with the Devil, and humans can use its powers to gain wealth, love, and success. The most common way of obtaining a spertus is to go fishing in a brook with a human leg as bait, or keeping a chicken egg in one's armpit until it hatches. The spertus usually lives in a snuff box and needs to be fed every day with human spit. If the owner forgets to feed it, its vengeance will be terrible. Sooner or later the creature will take control of its owner, unless it is sold or given away. But it can only be passed on twice. The third person to accept the creature will never be rid of it, and the spertus will assume control of its owner.

Ritual

Once the spertus has taken control of a human, there are two ways to get rid of it: the first is to sacrifice a dozen people in a magical ritual; the second is for the owner to devote her every action to the Church for many years and live a virtuous life. In both cases, the spertus will eventually shrivel and die. Roll 1D6 to determine what happens.

Hide ritual

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