Spring-Heeled Jack

Spring-Heeled Jack

(Creature)

2E1E

Rare

CE

Small

Fey

Level

3

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Monsters of Myth, pg(s). 94

Type

Fey

CR

3

Environment

Any (and First World)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: The Haunting of Harrowstone, pg(s). 88

The Spring-Heeled Jack is a mysterious species of fey native to the First World who occasionally travels to the Universe to go on murder sprees. Due to their rarity and distrust of each other's company, Spring-Heeled Jacks have never been seen together, giving rise to the misconception that Spring-Heeled Jack is a singular, unique individual.

Appearance

Spring-Heeled Jacks are hairy, horned bipeds with cruel glowing eyes, cloven hooves, and a pointed tail. They tend to wear tattered cloaks, called Jack's Tattered Capes, to disguise themselves at night. While these disguises are crude, a Spring-Heeled Jack only needs his victim to let their guard down enough to move within striking distance (much further away than most victims realise). The species' name comes from a Spring-Heeled Jack's ability to instantly leap great distances, suddenly closing gaps to strike with a knife which he calls his "Little Love". A Spring-Heeled Jack is about 4 feet in height and 80 pounds in weight.

Ecology

Spring-Heeled Jacks find human flesh too stringy, but are otherwise not picky when it comes to eating animals.

Habitat

While Spring-Heeled Jacks are native to the First World, they prefer to murder victims on the Universe, where the concept of death is more permanent, and their crimes are more 'appreciated'. Spring-Heeled Jacks are almost always seen at night in or near a large city. When going to ground, they often lurk in the wilds, where most trackers cannot find them. Hunters sometimes find grotesquely mutilated animal carcasses, never suspecting that a Spring-Heeled Jack is responsible.

Society

A Spring-Heeled Jack travels to the Universe to start a killing spree and quickly becomes one of the most wanted criminals in the local community, who swiftly act to arrest him. After a particularly violent murder, the Spring-Heeled Jack vanishes for a few weeks before revealing itself again.

Sometimes, a Spring-Heeled Jack decides to let his prey live to tell the tale. Simply being in the mere presence of a Spring-Heeled Jack has been known to unnerve and terrify the faint of heart. In Ustalav, many traumatized survivors have been admitted to the Havenguard Lunatic Asylum, repeatedly muttering the words "little love" or a dark nursery rhyme: "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack's Little Love goes snick-snick-snick." They enjoy their dreaded reputation, and occasionally eavesdrop on people to learn about these rumours, even whispering rehearsed lines to victims before killing them.

Negotiation with a Spring-Heeled Jack is all but impossible; one can only distract them by pointing out more exciting quarries. Spring-Heeled Jacks flee for the roofs if they find their opponent too powerful, much to the frustration of law enforcement.

On Golarion

On Golarion, Spring-Heeled Jack sightings are most common in Ustalav. Sightings across centuries are attributed to Spring-Heeled Jack's long lifespans and ability to travel quickly, or the belief that he is a mere urban legend that does not actually exist. Few have actually guessed that Spring-Heeled Jack is, in fact, an entire species of creature.