The Pebblerollers

General overview

The Pebblerollers (Silísvoltórés), sometimes also called Goatmen (Cabréminés) or Meat-Eating Ibeces (Sarkipássi Hirci) depending on where in Tarrabaenia you are, are a kind of boogeymen which play a role in all western Tarrabaenian regions over which the peaks and ridges of the Central Erana Mountain Range tower. The stories about them are told to children to scare them from wandering too close to the mountains or to have them be back home before nightfall.
Other than your typical cautionary tale there is a core truth to the Pebblerollers as the Central Erana Mountain Range is for the overwhelming part terra incognita and settled by warlike and dangerous Joun societies and maybe more that is unknown to the Tarrabaenians. The Joun appear as a type of goblin with an awkward body shape and faces with small yellowish eyes, large, sharp toothed mouths and broad flat noses. It is nor known whether they form societies with some form of higher organization or stratification or whether there are only some primitive nomadic groups. What is know though is, that sometimes these Joun, they call themselves Morro, venture down from the mountains to steal crops, farm animals or sometimes even abduct people. The name 'Pebblerollers' stems from them moving through the mountains and losening pebbles and stones with their steps, giving away their presence in some cases.

One version of the story

Once there was a little boy, his name was Ammius. He was a healthy and clever boy, but always picky about food and was easy to anger when he got something he didn't like. One day his mother called him home from the pen where he was looking over the chicken. "Ammius, Ammius", she called, "your father has cooked a tasty stew from cabbage and carrots and turnips." But Ammius cried out: "Turnips, oh no, I can't eat those. These vile and wretched roots. Throw it away, that ugly stew." His mother scolded him: "Boy, we are but simple farmers and do not have the fine and fancy foods they have in the city. But what we have his healthy and tasty enough, so come here, eat and be good!" But Ammius, not willing to give in, said: "Keep that foul pot of yours. I herded the chicken all day and do not even get an egg." Then the father called out from the house: "Ammius, Ammius, enough is enough! The stew is as good as it can get and it is good enough for you and your mother and me!" But Ammius refused to come and said: "I would rather suck honey straight out of a beehive!". And off he ran to the woods. Suddenly his parents heard a scream. They grabbed their shovel and their pitchfork and ran towards the woods. They did not hear of their boy ever again, only the sound of pebbles, rolling from the side of the mountains.