Steal Breath. A creature bit by an Attic Murmur must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. The exhaustion is magical in nature and can be removed by using dispel magic or a similar effect. The exhaustion also ends if/when the Attic Murmur is killed.
Steal Voice. Any creature hit by an attic whisperer’s touch must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or lose its ability to speak for 1 hour. During that time, the creature cannot talk, cast spells with verbal components, or use any other ability that requires speech. Once an attic murmur has stolen a creature’s voice, it can perfectly mimic that voice at any time, even after its victim’s voice has returned, and while using that voice can speak any languages the victim knew. Those familiar with an individual’s voice can make a Insight check opposed by the attic whisperer’s Deception check to realize a mimicked voice is inauthentic. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Aura of Sobs. All of the voices that an attic whisperer steals linger around it in an invisible but audible aura of unnerving childlike whimpers, songs, and sobs. Any living creature that enters this area loses the benefit of all bardic inspiration/temporary buffs and takes disadvantage on all attack rolls, damage rolls, and Constitution saving throws. The Attic Murmur can suppress or reactivate its aura as a bonus action. This aura is a sonic, mind-affecting effect.
Evasion. When the Attic Murmur is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Innate Spellcasting. The Attic Murmur's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material or verbal components:
At will: druidcraft, guidance, pass without trace, resistance
Unusual Nature. Destroying an Attic Murmur reduces it to its component parts, usually consisting of dusty junk left to molder in the attics of old houses, though a few items, such as china dolls, small lockets, music boxes, precious marbles, fine teacups, sculpted metal soldiers, or the like, may have some value.
Murmur. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 2) psychic damage. On a successful attack, the Steal Breath and Steal Voice special traits become applicable.
Hide and Go Seek. The Attic Murmur magically takes shelter amongst toys, or in a hiding place within the environment that it haunts. The Attic Murmur can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect while inside this shelter, and the shelter doesn’t impair its blindsight. The Attic Murmur can use its action to emerge from a shelter. If its shelter is destroyed, the Attic Murmur is forced out and appears in the shelter’s space, but is otherwise unharmed.
Description
An Attic Murmur spawns as the result of a lonely or neglected child’s death. Rather than animating the body of the dead youth, the creature rises from an amalgam of old toys, clothing, dust, and other objects associated with the departed—icons of the child’s neglect. The widely varying materials that fuse together to form these creatures lead to attic murmurs with vastly different appearances. Attic murmurs linger in the places where they were formed, typically old homes, orphanages, schools, debtors’ prisons, workhouses, and similar places where children might be discarded. When an attic murmur first forms, it does so without a skull—this does not impact the creature’s abilities in any way, but it usually seeks out a small animal’s skull as a form of decoration soon after it manifests.
An Attic Murmur haunts shadowy, forgotten places like old buildings and dilapidated institutions, places that were once homes to both young children and subtle evils. Hiding in drafty attics and moldy basements, an
Attic Murmur might lie dormant for decades while the quick go about their lives—often a scant floor away. The coming of a new child, though, rekindles some hope in the creature, its animating spirits motivated by loneliness, and ever seeking comfort and companionship. Once an Attic Murmur finds a potential playmate, it does all it can to ensure it will never be lonely again by attempting to lure its friend to it, singing nursery rhymes, leaving trails of old toys, or calling out in the stolen voices of other children.
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