Halloweek #2! New Monster: Robert the Doll

Back around the turn of last century, when 18XX turned into 19XX, a young boy named Robert Eugene Otto was brought into this world. He was born into a family who was well-off and wanted for nothing, except attention. This was something his mother and father did not give him. Instead, they went on weeks-long jaunts all over the globe. They were well-traveled before the birth of their child and were loathe to surrender that lifestyle once he came along.

To help raise their son, and tend to all manners of the house, the Ottos employed a number of men and women they had met in the islands. One such woman of Jamaican descent, was Young Gene’s caretaker, teacher, and closest friend. Gene became so fond of the woman that he looked to her as an authority over his own mother. This was something Mrs. Otto would not stand. She fired the woman, forbidding her to ever see their family again. The woman obeyed but, before she left, she gifted her beloved charge with a doll made of straw. This toy was carved in Gene’s image and was even given the boy’s birth name of Robert.

Robert the Doll became Gene’s best friend. The two were inseparable. Robert had a place at the dining table. A special spot on Gene’s bed. When they went out, they often wore matching outfits. Gene confided in Robert. Gene told him all about how much he missed his caretaker. How mean his mommy was for sending her away. How his father never paid him any attention.

This filled Robert with all sorts of emotions. As time passed in the Otto household, strange things started happening. Maids found the unused guest rooms in horrible disarray. The cook found his knives and spoons scattered across the floor. Flowers were torn from their stems in the front garden. Broken dishes littered the dining hall.

Everyone looked at the young boy. The young, mischievous, angry child. But Gene would deny doing anything wrong. Instead, he offered the same answer for every crime. “Robert did it.”

The family, tired of the boy’s acting out, locked Robert the Doll in the manor house’s turret room. And there he stayed until the elder Ottos passed and Gene was left inside the house alone. He returned to Robert, once again offering him a treasured spot in the home. Even after Gene married, Robert maintained a seat at the table and a place in the bedroom.

Eventually Gene Otto passed as well. And his wife locked Robert the Doll in a trunk in the turret room. Where Robert stayed for decades until, one day, he disappeared. Reports come in of kids seeing Robert the Doll in thrift stores, attics, and antique shops throughout the United States. While surely only one is authentic, how can you tell which one?

ROBERT THE DOLL is a Regular Monster

Robert the Doll is a mischievous effigy made of straw and clay. While his actions have not been linked to any deaths (yet), he is capable of lots of household destruction. He attaches himself to a single person, to whom he builds a very strong emotional attachment, and he turns his ire to those who made his loved one mad. Once enabled, the loved one cannot stop Robert from doing whatever the doll thinks is called for to protect his charge.

Robert can change his expression, move about freely, and even speak—but he can’t do any of this if anyone is looking at him. Look away for just one second though, and watch out. He can destroy household objects, confound listeners with his hypnotic verbal suggestions, and even disappear on foot if the occasional calls for it.

It is scary when it laughs when you’re not looking at it. It wants a friend for life.

Abilities
Fight: ØØOOOO
Chase: ØØØOOO
Grab: ØØØOOO
Scare: ØØOOOO

Virtues
Terror: 5
Health: 30

Qualities
It is a wooden demon doll.
It can cause havoc quickly.
It cannot act if watched by human eyes.

Stuff
Doll Face ØØØ
   Dead Eyes (Scare +1)
   Creepy Smile (-2 Move)
Second Soul ØØ
   Says Evil Things (-2 Think)