Harridan

Harridans, also known as sea hags and wailing women, are feared creatures in Gilnean and Tirassian folk lore. They can usually be found atop cliffs on the coast of Gilneas, staring out at the sea.

Legend has it that if one is ever alone at sea, a harridan may appear in the distance as a beautiful woman, her face cast down at the waters below. Despite her beauty, the sailor must look away. If he gazes for too long, her head jerks up, revealing a ghastly hole instead of a face. By then, the sailor is lost to her will, and is powerless to stop from wading into her arms.

It is not known if anyone has come into contact with one and survived.

Accounts diverge greatly on both the origin of the harridan and their true form. However, it is commonly accepted that their physical bodies are made up of coastal detritus, with hair of seaweed and bones of driftwood. They wear clothing crafted from tattered sails and old fishing nets, entangled with various bones.

It is believed that harridans are the damned souls of grieving widows, whose husbands were presumably lost at sea.