Character Sheet: Al Ghoul – The Devourer of Deserts
1. General Concept
Al Ghoul, drawn from Moroccan and wider Arabian myth, Ghoul is an ancient myth In the oldest tales, especially in North Africa and Arabia, the Ghoul is a desert-dwelling demon ( Doesn’t look like zombie ), a shape-shifting predator who feeds on human flesh, often preying on travelers and wanderers. Within our mythos, Al Ghoul represents the consuming void of fear, hunger, and temptation—the primal force of survival corrupted into monstrosity. He is a living reminder of forgotten lore, haunting both the wastelands of the Sahara and the labyrinthine alleys of Fez.
2. Appearance
* Base Form: Looming, skeletal yet muscular. Tall (~8 ft), hunched frame. Skin stretched like cured leather, cracked and ashen with streaks of burning red. ( can appear human )
* Face: A terrifying mask of both human and beast—elongated jaw, fangs dripping with black ichor, and eyes glowing sulfur-yellow. Some myths describe him with donkey-like legs, which we keep faintly—his lower legs bend backward, hinting at inhuman origins.
* Hair: Sparse, tangled black locks falling in uneven strands.
* Clothing: Wears fragments of desert robes, and a cloak shredded, sand-crusted and torn, fused with bones and trinkets of past victims.
* Aura: Heat distortion radiates around him as though reality bends near his hunger. His presence chills the soul but burns the skin.
3. Powers & Abilities
* Shapeshifting: Can appear as a beautiful woman or innocent traveler to lure prey before striking. This connects him to old Moroccan myths of Ghoula—the female ghoul seductress.
* Predatory Hunger: Feeds not just on flesh but on vitality itself, leaving corpses withered like dried husks.
* Sand-Walking: Moves swiftly across dunes, leaving no footprints, able to vanish into dust storms at will.
* Fear Induction: His gaze draws out hidden fears, making prey hallucinate deserts filled with mirages and whispers.
* Immortality Through Hunger: He does not age; as long as he feeds, his body reforms no matter how often it’s destroyed. Only sacred verses or divine fire can undo him fully.
4. Role in the Story
Al Ghoul stands as one of the primeval horrors Euryeth must confront—not just as a beast, but as the living manifestation of what uncontrolled vampirism or Ifrit-like hunger becomes. He tempts the heroes with promises of survival, power, and indulgence, mirroring their darkest cravings. In the shadow wars, he operates as both weapon and warning for the Shadowed Council. His presence bridges the mythic past of Arabian nights and Morocco’s haunted folklore with the metaphysical present of the Bright Sight.
5. Personality
* Sadistic and mocking; enjoys luring victims through deception before consuming them.
* Speaks in riddles and half-truths, like desert winds carrying forgotten screams.
* Views mortals as cattle and immortals as rivals.
* Has flashes of wisdom, speaking like an old desert elder, hinting he was once human before his curse twisted him.
6. Symbolism
Al Ghoul represents unchecked desire and primal hunger—the devourer within all men. In Moroccan myth, ghouls were warnings against straying too far from the caravan, both literally and spiritually. In our mythos, he embodies the abyss that opens when one abandons faith, restraint, and balance.
7. Inspirations
* Moroccan folklore of Ghoula and Boujloud (masked spirits of the desert).
* Arabian Nights’ ghouls who feed on graveyards.
* The Ifrit kin, but primal and lower, closer to earth than fire.
* Pop culture: Blended tones of H.P. Lovecraft’s Wendigo-esque hunger, Castlevania’s demons, and Berserk’s apostle designs.
✨ Summary:
Al Ghoul is no ordinary monster; he is the desert’s hunger made flesh, an ancient predator born of myth, surviving into modern nights. He is both physical and symbolic—an adversary that reflects the abyss inside humanity, tempting even Euryeth with what he could become if his benevolence failed.