Cracher-Mortel

Cracher-Mortel
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 the mouth, which near 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 is known as Dämmerzustand. There are four distinct stages that the victim goes through, its 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 any one 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 and land onto a car, then try to run away, while another shrugged off two punches from Nick and he had to smash him head first into a brick wall to knock him out. The process is excruciatingly painful, one victim described it 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.

Cracher-Mortel also possess enhanced physical abilities and are incredibly durable; they also do not tire easily. Cracher-Mortel are strong enough to match blows with a Grimm, and fast enough to out run one for a reasonable while. They are able to do all of this even in their 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 dress smartly; often wearing a suit and a top hat. They are also very calm and have a sadistic sense of humour.

Cracher-Mortel also have a slight reputation for starting revolutions, using the zombie victims to create chaos.

Excerpt from Grimm Diaries

I had followed the Vodou Priest to Bois Caïman, Alligator Woods near Cap-Français. Hired by the crown, I was to determine if the Priest was Wesen. The priest's name, Dutty Boukman, translated as the Book Man, given to him because he had taught slaves to read. As Boukman presided over the Vodou ceremony, one of the slave women started dancing, a knife in her hand. I found her movements exotic and alluring. Until she slit the throat of a black pig and gave the blood to those around her, who all swore to rise and to fight and to kill.

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.

Images

Videos

See also

• Grimm Diaries excerpt

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

Wesen in Grimm
Accipitrid Wesen	Barbatus Ossifrage, Geier, Steinadler
Amphibian Wesen	Folterseele
Bovine Wesen	Fuilcré, Heftigauroch, Taureus-Armenta
Canine Wesen	Anubis, Apgadnieks, Blutbad, Coyotl, Höllentier, Hundjäger, Inugami, Luison, Schakal, Wældreór, Wildesheer
Caprine Wesen	Krampus, Seelengut, Ziegevolk
Cathartid Wesen	Raub-Kondor
Cetancodont Wesen	Taweret
Chelicerate Wesen	Spinnetod
Chelonian Wesen	Genio Innocuo
Chimeric Wesen	Manticore, Naiad, Wettbewerbsgewinner
Chiropteran Wesen	Murciélago
Dinosaur Wesen	Glühenvolk
Falconid Wesen	Uhranuti
Feline Wesen	Klaustreich, Weten Ogen
Hexapod Wesen	Ataktos Fuse, Gevatter Tod, Jinnamuru Xunte, Kackenkopf, Mellifer, Musasat Alsh-Shabab
Lagomorpha Wesen	Willahara
Lepidosauromorphan Wesen	Furis Rubian, Königschlange, Lausenschlange, Phansigar, Quijada Vil, Skalengeck, Varme Tyv, Wasser Zahne
Lutrine Wesen	Luisant-Pêcheur
Machairodontine Wesen	Mauvais Dentes
Meline Wesen	Drang-Zorn
Mustelid Wesen	Ungeziefer Greifer
Osteichthyan Wesen	Cracher-Mortel, Hasenfussige Schnecke, Matança Zumbido, Unnamed Red Herring-like Wesen
Pantherine Wesen	Balam, Löwen, Pflichttreue, Yaguaraté
Passeriform Wesen	Seltenvogel
Perissodactyl Wesen	Dickfellig, Nuckelavee
Primate Wesen	Alpe, Aswang, Cupiditas, El Cucuy, El Cuegle, Excandesco, Fuchsteufelwild, Hässlich, Hexenbiest, Indole Gentile, Koschie, Musai, Siegbarste, Wendigo, Wildermann, Zerstörer
Pseudosuchian Wesen	Gelumcaedus, Skalenzahne
Rodent Wesen	Eisbiber, Mauzhertz, Reinigen, Riesen-Ratte, Stangebär
Sauropsidans Wesen	Dämonfeuer
Spiralian Wesen	Gedächtnis Esser, Huntha Lami Muuaji, Lebensauger
Strigiform Wesen	Scharfblicke
Suinan Wesen	Bauerschwein, Malin Fatal, Schinderdiv
Ursid Wesen	Jägerbar
Vulpine Wesen	Fuchsbau, Kitsune, Vulpesmyrca