Hagspawns are the mule offspring created by hags through foul rituals. They are misshapen creatures, possessing unnatural strength and stamina, often abandoned or forgotten by their indolent hag mothers. Feared and loathed by humans and elves, hagspawn are usually sullen loaners. Some wander the Wilds in search of their mothers. Others find a life working among lizardfolk or goblins. A rare few seek to prove their worth and earn recognition as heroes.  

Physiology and Lifecycle

Hagspawns vary wildly in appearance but are typically large by human standards, commonly between 6 and 8 feet tall. They are humanoids whose limbs and facial features have been stretched and twisted, often giving them a very frail appearance despite their height. Their hair is often dark, usually black with a blue or purple tint. Their skin is craggy, warty, and calloused, of similar coloration to their hag mother. Despite their ungainly appearance, hagspawns are surprisingly physically powerful. Hagspawn seldom die of natural causes, but they seem to age more slowly than humans and do not loose any vigor as they age.   Hags often enchant their spawn to appear as infants of other races. In the past, a hag could leave their child near a village to be discovered and raised, returning to claim it later if they so desired. As human and elf communities grew more cautious, hags would often go to crueler lengths, swapping their spawn for infants kidnapped for other foul purposes.   Hags typically create many children to serve as potential underlings. Hags have no affection for their offspring and will often abandon or forget them as their interests wander. Those they return to claim are often tortured into compliance and become little more than thuggish minions for their hag mother. Hagspawns are inherently created sterile, and therefore cannot create sustained communities of their kind.  

The Change

As the hagspawn grows, they will eventually undergo the Change. Their faces and bodies will rapidly grow and distort into uncanny forms, a horrific experience for the hagspawn as well as their community. Most commonly, the Change comes around puberty, though it could come sooner or later or even not at all. Some hagspawns live their entire lives as normal humans, never knowing any difference.  

Culture and Traditions

Hagspawns have no culture of their own. Most begin their lives among human communities during their childhood. After the Change, they are often feared and reviled. Most (but not all) tend to have foul tempers and sour dispositions, though whether this is from their hag lineage or the traumas of the Change is anyone's guess.   Many hagspawn leave their childhood communities at a young age. Lizardfolk and goblins are more likely to appreciate hagspawn for their strength and endurance, and hagspawns often find themselves working as guards, mercenaries, or laborers. Most canopy elves are openly hostile to hagspawn, assuming they are spies of or at least sympathetic to their hag mothers. In reality, most hagspawns are ignorant of or revile their mothers (often with good reason, given the dubious circumstances of their birth). Hagspawns tend to dislike each other as well, finding one another a reminder of the painful existence forced upon them.   Hagspawns must be wary when traveling alone, facing threats from both canopy elf patrols and rivals of their hag mother. They tend to avoid travel if they can, especially after dark. Many prefer to journey with companions or join a goblin caravan rather than risk being attacked alone. Those rare few hagspawns that leave the relative safety of Havenwood groves and live alone in the Root Wilds are often fierce and paranoid survivors.   Female hagspawn, especially those with magical ability, face the added struggle of being mistaken for true hags by those who only know hags from stories. They are also more likely to be of interest to their mothers, as there is a potential that with time and cruel rites they may become true hags.  

Views on Other Races

Hagspawn views on other races will vary quite a bit depending on their personal experience. Those driven from their homes after the Change understandably have a low opinion of their home communities. Most who have met elves are likely to return their hostility. Beyond that, hagspawn are rare enough that they don't have a consensus opinion on other races.