Matam's Fetishes — A Universe from the Mind of wandrer

Matam (a mysterious little old man of some unidentifiable ethnicity) appears from place to place with his tray of "fetishes" - small statues. Should you stumble across him, be very, very careful not to take (or even touch) one of his statues. Few who do are ever the same again. As for Matam himself - is he en evil perpetrator of horrible transformations? Or the last line of defense between us and whatever the Fetishes really are? Who can say... (I can, but I'm not.)