Head-Variants & Anatomical Aberrations

The Horror of Wrong Heads

Many div manifest specifically through cranial aberrations. In Némand's cosmology, the head houses primary consciousness—corrupting it creates particularly disturbing entities.

Kalle Vessen (کله وسن) - The Big Head

Region: Hormozgan, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad

Alternative Names: Sarv Vasan, Kalleh-Kanu, Boom Chalki, Yeh Sar Do Goosh, Sarvorin

Appearance: Humanoid with disproportionately large head

Behavior: Head so heavy it struggles to move. Rolls head to attack.

In Némand:

• Tier: 1-2
• Nature: Div fragment that manifested primarily as consciousness (head) but couldn't complete body properly. Result: oversized head on weak body.
• Attack: Headbutt with enormous skull. Crushing force but telegraphed (head too heavy to move quickly).
• Weakness: Top-heavy. Easy to topple. Once fallen, can't get up without help.
• Tragic: In constant pain from neck strain. Some wonder if it wants to be destroyed (mercy kill situation).

Sar Siah Dandoon Sefid (سر سیاه دندون سفید) - Black Head, White Teeth

Region: Extremely widespread (Bushehr, Fars, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Tehran, many others)

Alternative Names: Sar Sia Dandoon Aspi, Sar Sheh Si Dandoon, Sar Si Danan, Sar Si Dano Asbi

Appearance: Disembodied black head with prominent white teeth. Only head visible (body invisible or non-existent).

Behavior: Floats at head-height. Grins showing teeth. Frightening but rarely attacks.

In Némand:

• Tier: 1
• Nature: Failed div manifestation. Got head formed before the Broken Sun's Shield suppressed rest of body.
• Teeth Emphasis: White teeth against black face = unsettling contrast. Div understanding that teeth = threat (bite) so exaggerates them.
• Mostly Harmless: More scary than dangerous. Feeds on startle-fear (jump scares). Once fear-reaction over, loses power.
• Widespread: Extremely common div-fragment type. Nearly every province has variant.

Story Hint: Protagonist encounters Sar Siah repeatedly. Initially terrifying—floating black head. After third encounter: "Oh, it's you again." Fear gone = div weakens. Eventually just ignores it. Shows adaptation: first div is terrifying, hundredth is annoyance. Desensitization to horror.

Gardan Kale (گردن کَلِه) - The Neck-Head

Region: Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari

Name Meaning: "Neck-Head" (emphasis on neck or head-on-neck)

Description: Possibly extremely long neck or detachable head

In Némand:

• Tier: 1-2
• Theory 1: Head can detach and fly (Penanggalan-type entity from broader regional mythology)
• Theory 2: Telescoping neck allows head to reach distant locations while body stays hidden
• Either Way: Disturbing violation of anatomy. Head-separation horror.

Head-Collection & Counting Obsession

Denu Shemar (دِنوشِمار) - The Tooth Counter

(Detailed in "Tricksters & Household Spirits")

Summary: Counts teeth of sleeping people. Obsessive div with bizarre compulsion. Extremely widespread.

Pattern: Obsessive-Compulsive Div

Several entities show OCD-like behavior:

• Denu Shemar: Must count teeth
• Galim Gush: Must hear everything
• Naam-Gir: Must steal names

These represent corrupted Dāvar (Judgment) fixated on specific metric. Lost sight of what matters—judge character—instead obsess over irrelevant details (teeth, sounds, names).

Multi-Head Variants

From Mythology (Not Yet Encountered):

• Azhi Dahaka: Three-headed dragon (Zahhak's true form if fully div-transformed)
• Samand Eslar: Two-headed serpent

Multi-Head Mechanic: Multiple consciousnesses in single body. Each head has own personality, but share body-control. Creates internal conflict. Some heads might be more reasonable than others.

The Significance of Heads in Div-Horror

Why Heads?

• Seat of Consciousness: Brain/head is where mind resides. Corrupting it = corrupting person.
• Recognition: We identify people by faces. Wrong head = uncanny valley effect. Human but not.
• Communication: Mouth speaks, eyes see. Corrupted head = corrupted interaction.
• Symbolic Power: "Head of state," "losing your head," "head and shoulders above"—cultural head-importance.

Design Philosophy: Head-horror is viscerally unsettling. Use sparingly for maximum impact. Protagonist encountering first head-variant (Sar Siah, Kalle Vessen, etc.) should be genuinely disturbed. Not everything is desensitized to.