Skinstitches’ hulking frames are made from flayed humanoid skin stuffed with straw and poisonous insects. The dark god Norgorber grants the secrets for creating these monstrosities in disturbing dreams he sends to select adherents, in which the dreamer imagines themself skinning a beloved pet, friend, or family member. Those that accept these teachings become skinstitchers.
The creation of a skinstitch is a crude process compared to the making of a more advanced construct like a golem. Rough stitching, imprecise shapes, and shoddy materials give a skinstitch its patchwork appearance.
While most skinstitches have vaguely humanoid shapes, they often appear monstrous due to various modifications their creators have made to their bodies. Some skinstitches’ arms, for instance, might bear jagged metal blades or blunt iron rods. The most talented skinstitchers rarely bother with the humanoid form at all and instead opt to craft skinstitches that resemble other creatures sacred to Norgorber, such as scorpions, centipedes, or spiders. Rumors lurk of skinstitchers who can use exotic materials like steel, daemon flesh, or even magical shadows for their creations.
The rotting materials used to build skinstitches tend to attract vermin, which can in turn form a hive or nest within the creations’ bodies. Skinstitchers consider the presence of such tenants to be a sure sign of Norgorber’s approval.
Skitterstitch
Skitterstitches are eight-legged skinstitches crafted to resemble giant spiders. These elite skinstitch variants have different attacks from the standard skinstitch, including a deadly poison. Skitterstitches always house spider swarms within their bodies, which scuttle forth upon their host’s destruction.