Cracher-Mortel | |
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Other languages: | German: Cracher-Mortel Hungarian: Halálköpő Russian: Смертоплюй Spanish: Cracher-Mortel Farsi: کراشیر مورتل |
Notables: | Baron Samedi |
A Cracher-Mortel (CRA-shay mor-TEL; Fr. Cracher "to spit" + Mortel "deadly" or "mortal") is a puffer fish-like Wesen that first appeared in "The Waking Dead".
Characteristics[]
When woged, Cracher-Mortel gain large, round heads covered in short spikes on their scalps, jawlines, and chins. These spikes replace their hair, both scalp and facial. Their faces are tan in color with accents of a sickly-green on the sides and toward the backs of their heads. They have big eyes and a wide mouth, which is often curled into a malicious grin. When mustering up their spit, their heads inflate. The more spit they muster, the larger their heads get. The inflation of their heads causes the spikes to become more erect.
Cracher-Mortel have the ability to spit tetrodotoxin (TTX) from their mouth, which almost instantly seeps into their victim's skin and shuts down the neurosignals of nerves and heart cells and causes suspended animation. In this state, the victim's breathing and heartbeat are essentially undetectable without special equipment, he or she becomes paralyzed, and the victim is usually pronounced dead and buried alive. Atropine and scopolamine toxins reanimate the victim in a permanently zombified state. In this state, the victim is in a trance and will perform whatever task is asked of them by the Cracher-Mortel. Zombification has been a tradition of Vodun bokurs of Yoruba for several centuries. The state that a Cracher-Mortel victim enters after being touched by the green spit is similar to Lazarus syndrome. This entire process or condition is known as Dämmerzustand. There are four distinct stages that the victim goes through, and it's only in the fourth and last stage that they are curable. When in the final stage, they are consumed by rage and aggression and basically lash out at anyone and anything they see. In this stage, they possess a considerably higher pain resilience, as one was able to jump out of a second story window, land onto a car, and try to run away, while another shrugged off two punches from Nick, who had to smash him head first into a brick wall to knock him out. The process of becoming a zombie is excruciatingly painful, and one victim described it as feeling like their "skull was imploding."
The spit has a different effect on Grimms, as the rage stage comes earlier and the Grimm is left disoriented and confused. Once the rage stage begins, the Cracher-Mortel can no longer control the Grimm like they can with normal people. ("The Ungrateful Dead") Once a Grimm awakens in their zombified state, they are immune to a second dosage of Cracher-Mortel spit; it simply absorbs into their skin without a trace. Despite zombified Grimms being far more dangerous thanks to their natural strength and abilities, they do appear to be calmer and have a bit more control, as they don't just rampage and attack people blindly, only becoming dangerous if provoked.
Cracher-Mortel also possess enhanced physical abilities, at least on par with a Grimm. They are also incredibly durable and don't tire easily. Baron Samedi, a middle-aged Cracher-Mortel, was able to match blows with Nick, a considerably younger Grimm, and was able to easily outrun him even though the chase occured on shipping containers; seemingly, Nick was only able to catch up with Samedi because the latter lured him into a trap. Samedi was capable of all this even in his human form.
Behavior[]
Cracher-Mortel are confident and incredibly dangerous Wesen. They have no problems with infecting innocent people with their spit and using them as "zombie" slaves. They also have strong ties to Voodoo ceremonies, as they are responsible for inspiring multiple events. They are generally intelligent and cunning, as well as sophisticated and smartly dressed, often wearing a suit and a top hat. They are also very calm and have a sadistic sense of humor.
Cracher-Mortel also have a slight reputation for starting revolutions, using the zombie victims to create chaos.
Excerpt from Grimm Diaries[]
I quickly realized what I was witnessing was the beginning of a revolution. And I was not able to determine if Boukman was Wesen, but there was another participant who was.
He was referred to as the Baron, with several names attached to him. Samedi, Cimetière, La Croix, and Kriminel.* He is the head of the Guédé Family of Loa, one of the Vodou deities, who accepts those who have died into the realm of the dead. Later, I was to witness him wake a man who appeared to be lifeless, and who was about to be buried. When I finally found the courage to confront him, I found that I was dealing with a Cracher-Mortel, whose spit can induce a death like trance.
But I was forced to retreat, unable to dispatch the Baron, as the slave revolt spread quickly through the island. I was able to get aboard one of the last ships leaving the island and observed the fires of the burning plantations from the safety of the sea.
Excerpts from Rosalee's Book[]
Season 2 Blu-ray Grimm Guide Profile[]
“ | Archer-fish/puffer-fish Wesen (spitter fish) with sharp spikes that pop out as it "puffs up." With big eyes and a wide mouth, they always seem to be smiling. They spit a gooey green liquid that can induce a death-like trance in its victims without actually killing them. | ” |
Images[]
Videos[]
Season 2 Appearances | ||||||||||
"Bad Teeth": X |
"The Kiss": X |
"Bad Moon Rising": X |
"Quill": X |
"The Good Shepherd": X |
"Over My Dead Body": X |
"The Bottle Imp": X |
"The Other Side": X |
"La Llorona": X |
"The Hour of Death": X |
"To Protect and Serve Man": X |
"Season of the Hexenbiest": X |
"Face Off": X |
"Natural Born Wesen": X |
"Mr. Sandman": X |
"Nameless": X |
"One Angry Fuchsbau": X |
"Volcanalis": X |
"Endangered": X |
"Kiss of the Muse": X |
"The Waking Dead": ✓ |
"Goodnight, Sweet Grimm": ✓ |
Season 3 Appearances | ||||||||||
"The Ungrateful Dead": ✓ |
"PTZD": Ref |
"A Dish Best Served Cold": X |
"One Night Stand": X |
"El Cucuy": X |
"Stories We Tell Our Young": X |
"Cold Blooded": X |
"Twelve Days of Krampus": X |
"Red Menace": X |
"Eyes of the Beholder": X |
"The Good Soldier": X |
"The Wild Hunt": X |
"Revelation": X |
"Mommy Dearest": X |
"Once We Were Gods": X |
"The Show Must Go On": X |
"Synchronicity": X |
"The Law of Sacrifice": X |
"Nobody Knows the Trubel I've Seen": X |
"My Fair Wesen": X |
"The Inheritance": X |
"Blond Ambition": X |