Local legend is a genre of folklore that usually focuses on the macabre, superstitions, ghosts, demons, cryptids, extraterrestrials and other fear-generating narrative elements. It’s often associated with the environment and culture of a place, and can be found in areas as diverse as the Three Sisters of Katoomba in Australia or the Goatman of Beltsville, Maryland.
Similarly, the story of the Seven Gates of Hell in York County, Pennsylvania, is a local legend based on a series of locations that supposedly lead to the gates of hell. There are many versions of the story, from a burned insane asylum to an eccentric doctor. However, all of them share a common theme: people that visit the sites of the legend will find themselves facing vengeance.
Some of these legends are based on real events and places, such as the Goatman, who was believed to stalk the area around Alderley Edge in Cheshire, England. The infamous Goatman was described as being a creature that resembled a goat-human hybrid and had been blamed for canine deaths in the area. Other examples of local legends include the Green children of Woolpit in Suffolk, the Big Muddy Monster of Murphysboro, Illinois and the dreaded sewer alligators of New York City.
Other legends are based on fictional events, such as the screams of starving babies in Pittsburgh. These are often referred to as “water babies” and are said to haunt rivers and streams across the country, begging to be fed. They are the spirit of the babies that were drowned to prevent them from dying of starvation during famine. Defeating local legends grants significant amounts of Mora, experience and Character and Weapon Enhancement Materials over their normal variant. Some of these enemies can be fought by interacting with the Nightsoul Totems scattered throughout Natlan, while others require progressing through certain World Quests to access them.
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