Krampus: Get to know Santa's fearsome companion in exclusive video

There are worse fates than finding a lump of coal in your stocking on Christmas — especially if you subscribe to Alpine folklore. According to Germanic legend, and Universal’s upcoming horror film Krampus, folks who have been truly naughty face retribution from the “fearsome companion of St. Nicholas.”

Krampus seems to be on the tip of many tongues lately, but for anyone who needs a primer on the horned, hoofed holiday demon, EW offers an exclusive Krampus promo video filling in his back story (with cameos from Jimmy Fallon, Mark Duplass, the characters of American Dad, and more).

Whereas Santa rewards good children with presents, Krampus “punishes misbehavers by swatting them with branches, putting them in a bag, and dragging them to hell.”

None of that bodes well for Krampus cast members Allison Tolman, Adam Scott, or Toni Collette, who’ll find themselves in all sorts of trouble orchestrated by director Michael Dougherty (Trick ’r Treat).

Watch the video above. Krampus opens Dec. 4.