Indrid Cold (aka the Mothman) is a clairvoyant seer, and a native of Sylvain. He was originally an NPC in Amnesty who contacted the PCs to warn them about impending catastrophes; Griffin brought him back as a player character for the second season of Dust, establishing that he first came to Earth much earlier.
Physical Appearance[]
In Amnesty, Indrid is described as "fascinating to look at": somewhat withering and gaunt, yet confident and strong; he appears both young, yet somehow wrinkled. He has short silver hair, with hints of black peeking through, and wears a tank top and jeans as well as a pendant comprised of an orange, crystalline material. His most noticeable feature however is a pair of large, round, opaque red glasses that easily reflect whatever is in front of them.
In actuality the glasses are a magical disguise: when not worn, Indrid is described as being huge and terrifying, with a white body and red eyes, resembling that of an incredibly large moth. Due to the horrific nature of his natural visage, Indrid is loath to reveal his true form but has done so on occasion, both willingly and under duress.
In Dust, Indrid appears much the same, but dresses appropriately for the period. He is unable to assume his Mothman form, thanks to a binding placed on him by Dallas Grayson.
History[]
While native to Sylvain, Indrid currently resides on Earth. He came through a gate a century or more ago, presumably near Dry River, though whether he remained on Earth all that time is uncertain. By the time of Amnesty he is living in a Winnebago RV at the Eastwood Campground and RV Park in Kepler, West Virginia. He was formerly the Court Seer of Sylvain over a century prior to the events of Amnesty.
Though he is careful to avoid raising people's suspicions nowadays, he was not always so cautious; at various points in the past Indrid was spotted in his natural form, which came to be known locally as the Mothman.
He was seen escaping from his goatman captor after Duck punched him in the nose during the final confrontation with the The Calamity.
He returned to Kepler in episode 30 to help the Pine Guard in their final confrontation. In the finale he is seen with Leo Tarkesian, who is the new Seer.
Powers and Abilities[]
At the time of Amnesty, Indrid naturally sees many possible futures and upcoming events, both near and far, though he does not see or know the true path of time. Complicating matters is the fact that, should an unexpected or unforeseen event occur, Indrid's visions will completely reset, laying out a whole new web of potential outcomes.
In addition to his visions, Indrid is also a skilled enchanter, with the ability to imbue ordinary objects with magical properties, including the ability to completely disguise an artifact's bearer.
During the time of Dust, Indrid is still learning to use his powers on Earth, and is not yet able to make enchanted items. He uses the Oracle archetype, which involves a relationship with a benefactor, a powerful character whose fate is entwined with his. The identity of this benefactor is mysterious.
The Moves and other abilities below pertain to Indrid as an Urban Shadows player character.
Moves[]
Indrid has access to all of the Basic and Faction moves available to all characters. He hasn't directly advanced any basic moves, but his Oracle move Foresight advances keep your cool; see below.
Let It Out[]
In Urban Shadows second edition, each archetype gets their own version of the move Let It Out. The Oracle's let it out allows Indrid to:
- uncover the essential truth of a thing or person in your presence
- twist the strands of fate to help or hinder an NPC in your presence
- frighten or impress someone with knowledge of their past
- channel a powerful prophecy from beyond concerning a present character
Foretellings[]
Before each faction turn, Indrid rolls with Spirit. On a hit he picks one of the following three options:
- fate has provided an opportunity to fulfill his role for your benefactor; he learns how to seize it
- an ally has come to own an item that might reveal more about his prophecy; he learns where they keep it
- a tragedy has made it possible for him to escape or alter his prophesied path; he learns what he must do
On a 7-9, he also gets a foreboding part of his vision, and has to pick one of these three options as well:
- a threat is closing in; he learns why it stalks him or his benefactor
- an ally is plotting a betrayal; he learns when the hammer will fall
- a death lurks in the shadows; he learns how he can avoid it
On a miss he has a terrifying premonition about the prophecy that binds him to his benefactor, taking -1 ongoing to efforts to stop it happening.
Oracle Moves[]
- Soothsayer: Indrid can use his prophetic tools to read someone's future, rolling with Spirit. On a hit, he learns something new and interesting about their destiny; on a 10+ he can ask a follow-up question. On a miss something interferes with his powers, giving only vague glimpses; he can't try to see that future again until he does something about whatever is blocking him.
- Foresight: Indrid advances keep it cool (the Basic move for avoiding something; the Urban Shadows equivalent of a saving throw) for himself and anyone in his presence he chooses. This means that on a 12+, the opposition's cool is compromised.
Featured Episodes[]
Episodes featuring Indrid |
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Trivia[]
- Indrid's name is taken from another cryptid who is known as "The Grinning Man,” which some believe to be the same person.
- Both the real Indrid Cold and the Mothman were reportedly sighted at Point Pleasant, likely why Indrid's failure was chosen to occur there.
- Indrid is likely inspired by the character "Delta" from Zero Time Dilemma. Delta also has round glasses with red lenses, short gray hair, and can basically see the future. Griffin is a known fan of the Zero Escape series, of which Zero Time Dilemma is the third entry.
- The original Mothman myth also purports the cryptid having divination abilities and large red eyes.[1]
- He loves eggnog.
- Griffin reprises Indrid Cold as a player character for the second season of Dust, making him the first major character to appear in two different campaigns - not including the various versions of Clint McElroy.
- In the set up episode for season two of Dust, Griffin states Indrid is indebted to a spirit called Mica that helped him regain some of his powers after the binding performed by Dallas Grayson. He also owes a debt to Augustus Parsons for not successfully preventing his death after foreseeing it and sending him a letter.