ABHARTACH

Lore

In the tales of Glenullin, Abhartach is described as a stocky, disproportionately built man of extremely short stature, standing roughly four feet tall. Some versions mention physical deformities-a crooked spine or misshapen limbs-that in life stirred deep insecurities, later hardening into a legendary cruelty and pitilessness. Despite his height, his body possessed the density of stone and an inhuman physical power, fueled by the dark earth-magic he practiced.

Abhartach dwelt in the parish of Glenullin, County Derry, a land of wet moors and wind-scoured hills. His manor was surrounded by ground still known today as "bad land," overgrown with thorns and avoided by locals. He was a petty king who shored up his rule through black magic and a reign of terror over the clans of the region. People whispered unholy stories of his sadism, but none dared oppose him while he held the scepter of power.

His downfall was sparked by an obsessive paranoia. Tormented by the notion that his wife was unfaithful, he chose to spy on her rather than confront her. He climbed out of a high window and attempted to inch along a narrow stone ledge to reach her chambers unseen. However, his stocky build made the task difficult; a strong gust of wind eventually broke his balance, sending the tyrant plunging to a brutal death on the rocks below.

Though buried with full honors, Abhartach did not remain in the earth. Legend says his loyal familiar revived him through necromancy, turning him into a vampire. The following sunset, the tyrant appeared in his manor and demanded that every inhabitant slit their wrists to fill his chalice with blood. Now possessing near-invulnerability, he must be slain with a blade of yew wood and buried upside down to prevent his spirit from returning to torment the living once again.