Undead Origins

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #153: Life’s Long Shadows (Extinction Curse 3 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Herecite: BLASPHEMOUS REBIRTH The ritual to create a herecite demands the sacrifice of five devotees of the same non-evil god. During the ritual, the devotees’ bodies and souls meld together to form a single profane entity. Regardless of the deity it worships in undeath, the herecite always bears a debauched likeness to the god its constituent members previously worshipped. Followers of Erastil may reform into an aged man with a stag’s skull for a head, the blood of would-be hunters dripping from its monstrous fangs; worshippers of Desna might transmute into a woman weighed down by chains, her butterfly wings hacked to limp shreds.
Secreted away in the dark corners of unnamed libraries, necromancer’s dens, and heretical scriptoriums, obscure texts describe a horrifying ritual that combines sacrifice and suffering to create a powerful undead being known as a herecite. These monsters, stripped of personal will or desire, are born into the service of an evil god whom they worship unerringly and untiringly, often in spite of any opposing religious leanings they may have had in life. Every herecite harbors an unquenchable self-hatred because it was defiled by such a foul resurrection—a rage it turns outward in an attempt to rob others of their faith and lives.
Herecite, Powerful Undead Being, Tormented Being, Protector of Unholy Ground, Profane Entity: ?
Herecite, Aged Man With a Stag’s Skull for a Head: ?
Herecite, Woman Weighed Down by Chains: ?
Stranded Herecite: ?
Herecite Cabal Member: ?
Herecite of Zevgavizeb: ?
Lesser Form of Undead: A lone herecite cut off from its creators—often because it is the sole remnant of a destroyed temple or its master has perished—may wander far and wide in search of a cabal to join. Other times, the herecite seeks out a place sacred to the deity it worshipped in life. Whether motivated by a desire for contrition or vengeance, the end result of this baleful pilgrimage is always the desecration of the holy site and the slaughter of its congregants, who may in turn rise as lesser forms of undead.
Ghost: “There’s a shoony—you know, one of those dog folk—in Castinlee who sings to the dead. He digs their graves, but apparently that isn’t enough for him, so he sings to them too… and their ghosts get up and dance for him!”
Luko Grundryn, Ghost Mage, Dwarven Ghost: ?
Jormir Grundryn, Ghost Mage, Dwarven Ghost: ?
Ghostly Petitioner: ?
Land-Vampire: ?
Vampiric Flying Monstrosity: ?
Haunt Raving Spirit: This stuffy little bed chamber was where the foul farmer Currew spent the last miserable hours of his life and died in his sleep as a result of the attacks of the night hag Skarja. A grocer making a delivery the next day found the old man dead and took the corpse to Kerrick for burial, leaving the house vacant ever since.
Currew’s hateful spirit doesn’t rest, and manifests in this room as a haunt.
Not far south of Matten Cleave lies an abandoned farm with an evil reputation. Even in life, Old Currew, the former owner, was shunned and disliked. A decade earlier, the misfortune and destruction of his much-beloved neighbors, the Swinten family, had brought the bitter man great delight. After his sudden death little more than a year ago, the farmstead has only increased in notoriety. Rumors state that the spirit of evil Old Currew still haunts the place.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #154: Siege of the Dinosaurs (Extinction Curse 4 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Starved Staff, Elite Gashadokuro: The last horse stall, where the horse who escaped to Willowside was living, now contains several human corpses. The brughadatch elders killed Cynsa and Palben Carrister weeks ago to keep them from sending the fey back to the First World. They’ve dumped the owners’ bodies here, along with the corpses of several staff members and guests who have died of starvation. The spirits of the starved do not rest easily, and they rise up in an undead monstrosity called a gashadokuro as soon as anyone enters the stall. It fights until destroyed, pursuing foes out of the stable if necessary.
Gashadokuro, Undead Monstrosity: ?
Sodden Sentinel, Variant Zombie: These five townspeople all died in the fight against the cult. The bodies absorbed the ambient occult energy of the shrine over time and became powerful zombies
Sodden Sentinel, Zombie, Powerful Zombie: ?
Wight Cultist, Variant Wight: ?
Wight Spawn: A living humanoid slain by a wight’s claw or ranseur Strike rises as a wight after 1d4 rounds.
Full-Fledged Autonomous Wight: If the creator of the wight spawn dies, the wight spawn becomes a full-fledged, autonomous wight; it regains its free will, gains drain life and wight spawn, and is no longer clumsy.
Lyrt Cozurn, Dybbuk Cult Leader, Long-Dead Bokrug Cult Leader, Evil Cult Leader, Lurking Dybbuk: ?
Dybbuk, Malevolent Form of Incorporeal Undead: ?
Arskuva the Gnasher, Devourer Arskuva, Puppet Leader, Commander, Leader, Animated Corpse, Undead Puppet: Helg murdered the unsuspecting Arskuva and animated her body, and now commands the xulgath army by proxy.
It was during this stealthy invasion that a necromancer named Helg Eats-the-Eaters decided to strike. She murdered Arskuva in secret and animated the xulgath’s corpse, making Arskuva a puppet leader who delivers whatever commands Helg chooses.
Undead, Undead Creature: ?
Undead Drow: ?
Ghoul, Impaled Ghoul: ?
 

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #155: Lord of the Black Sands (Extinction Curse 5 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Iffdahsil, Undead Shoggoth, Slithering Horror, Amorphous Creature, Uniques Form of Shoggoth, Undead Horror, Horrifying Monster, Undead Monstrosity, Undead Beast: Iffdahsil’s path to undeath is unknown. Many believe Iffdahsil can consume and incorporate the souls and minds of its victims, which might explain its spellcasting powers and relatively advanced intellect, though this also gives rise to more unanswerable questions about its horrific nature and unknowable goals.
No living being knows who or what created the horrifying monster called Iffdahsil, though scholars in Shraen suspect it originally came from the Sightless Sea, only for something in Vask to transform it into an undead monstrosity.
Dyzallin Shraen, Drow Mummy Mage, Keeper of the Aeon Orb, Antagonist, Eternally Patient Mummy, Influential Drow Mummy, Cunning Mummy Spellcaster, Soulless Drow, Brilliant Drow Mummy, Drow Mummy, Author, Undead Drow, Mummy, Rival, Greatest Rival, Prominent Noble, Leader: While Dyzallin was one of the few who had survived the deadly exodus, in the end, he too chose undeath, deeming life detrimental to his quest for power. Leveraging all his connections within his faction, the Sunscar Oath, Dyzallin acquired a set of scrolls detailing a secret method of attaining immortality through mummification atop a specially prepared mirror.
Grimbeak, Undead Raven Familiar: ?
Undead Drow, Undead Drow Elf: ?
Undead Xulgath: ?
Skaveling, Enormous Undead Bat, Ghoulish Bat: ?
Skaveling Mount: ?
Undead: The drow elves of House Shraen, after being exiled from their home city for worshipping Urgathoa and engaging in rites even other drow found distasteful, discovered the vault. By the time they’d reached it, none of the exiled drow had survived as living beings; the most powerful and crafty among them had achieved immortality through undeath, and those who couldn’t had become food for those who did.
Death Drider, Variant Drider: ?
Death Drider, Undead Monstrosity, Undead Drider: ?
Undead Local: ?
Undead Soldier: ?
Alisira Shraen, Drow Assassin 17, Master Assassin, Master of Disguises: ?
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Ciza Shraen, Banshee Entertainer, Restless Spirit, Drow Sister, Evil Dangerous Creature: The restless spirits of two drow sisters, Ciza and Nihiris Shraen, inhabit this floor. They became banshees after their deaths during House Shraen’s exodus to the Black Desert. They were betrayed by a faction within the house, and to this day, they remain unsure who arranged their murder.
Nihiris Shraen, Banshee Entertainer, Restless Spirit, Drow Sister, Slightly Better Performer: The restless spirits of two drow sisters, Ciza and Nihiris Shraen, inhabit this floor. They became banshees after their deaths during House Shraen’s exodus to the Black Desert. They were betrayed by a faction within the house, and to this day, they remain unsure who arranged their murder.
Larielle Shraen, Drow Banshee High Priest 19: ?
Drow Ghost: ?
Mafaere Almonsyn of House Dolour, Mafaere Alonsyn, Drow Ghost Witch, Ghost, Hungry Spirit, Ghost-Witch: Centuries ago, a Zirnakaynin native named Mafaere Almonsyn of House Dolour rose to considerable status within her house. Yet on the eve of her ascension to power, a rival house’s assassin ingloriously took her life while she slept, helpless. Her rage transcended the natural order, and Mafaere rose as a ghost to seek vengeance on her betrayers.
Ghoul: ?
Ghoul Spy: ?
Shallistra, Reformed Xulgath Ghoul: Such was the case for a xulgath-turned-ghoul named Shallistra, a former champion of Zevgavizeb. After her clutch was wiped out by ghoul assassins and she was transformed into one of their kind, she abandoned her faith but maintained a strong sense of spirituality.
Ghoul Assassin: ?
Reformed Ghoul: ?
Amerces, Xulgath Ghoul Assassin: ?
Heretical Ghoul: ?
Drow Graveknight: ?
Finzad Shraen, Elite Shraen Graveknight, Graveknight Captain: ?
Shraen Graveknight, Drow Graveknight: ?
Shraen Graveknight, Skeleton, Graveknight Guard: ?
Sirian Shraen, Drow Graveknight 18: ?
Lesser Death: ?
Drow Lich: ?
Zavizik Shraen, Drow Lich Bard 18, Arena Master, Beautiful Youthful Drow Gentleman, Master of the Red Circus Arena, Head of Shraen's Entertainment Scene: ?
Zyra Shraen, Drow Lich Conjuror 20, Drow Lich, Drow Woman, Skeletal Drow, Ruler, Rival, Drow Sister, Leader, Undead Leader, Shrewd Leader, Overlord, Scheming Ruler: ?
Jirazai Shraen, Drow Mohrg Alchemist 17, Slaver: ?
Drow Mummy: ?
Mummy: As a reward for her service, Dyzallin has promised to transform her into a mummy.
Zinogyvaz, Vampire Drider Priest: ?
Lavikar Shraen, Lanky Drow Vampire: ?
Nyrinda Shraen, Drow Vampire 19: ?
Zihain Shraen, Drow Vampire 16, Rival, Drow Sister, Drow Vampire, Ruler, Shadowy Mass of Swirling Smoke, Striking Drow Woman, Leader, Undead Leader, Shrewd Leader, Overlord, Scheming Ruler: ?
Vampire, Creature With Sanguinary Predilictions, Creature That Benefits From Consuming Blood: ?
Warsworn: The countless corpses that have accumulated here over millennia are charged with necromantic energy. When the heroes arrive, a portion of the corpses heave up into a warsworn that lurches out of the corpse pile to attack. Two rounds later, a second warsworn manifests and lumbers free to join the fight as well.
Raptor Guard Wight, Variant Wight: Long ago, elite warriors known as the Raptor Guard stood watch in this room, protecting the pyramid and the resident priests with their lives. Only the most prestigious warriors were allowed to join the Raptor Guard. They emulated velociraptors in battle, using group tactics and incredibly fast attacks. Before xulgaths left the pyramid and the vault of Vask, the witch-priests of Xul-Khundur sacrificed a number of these elite warriors and turned them into undead wights.
Raptor Guard Wight, Undead Wight, Undead Raptor Guard: ?
Wight Spawn: A living humanoid slain by a Raptor Guard wight’s melee Strike rises as a wight [spawn] after 1d4 rounds.
Wight, Full-Fledged Autonomous Wight: If the creator of the wight spawn dies, the wight spawn becomes a full-fledged, autonomous wight; it regains its free will, gains the drain life and wight spawn abilities, and is no longer clumsy.
Caiborn Shraen, Bestial-Looking Drow Wight: ?
Varaenn Shraen, Wraith Sorcerer 17: ?
Lumbering Zombie: ?
Zombie Slave: ?
Zombie: ?
Haunt Host of Spirits: Many restless spirits of creatures who have died on the island have converged as a haunt.
 

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #156: The Apocalypse Prophet (Extinction Curse 6 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
The Bone Augur, Skulltaker: ?
Skulltaker, Undead Amalagmation: ?
Undead Horror: ?
Tar-Baphon, Whispering Tyrant: ?
Sahba Al-Koriab, Ghost, Shade: ?
Vitric Queen, Ancient Jistkan Lich, Golemcrafter-Lich, Vassal: ?
Vampire: ?
Vampiric Centaur, Demon-Worshipping Centaur, Zur-Kelivas Centaur: ?
Haunt Suffering Xulgaths: The newly risen wendigos in the area aren’t the only victims of Sarvel Ever-Hunger’s ruthlessness. His casual willingness to dispose of his own followers has seeped into the stone of the way station. Their suffering now manifests whenever they senses a nearby creature sharing their fear, lingering as a wailing mass of spectral shapes.
 


Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #170: Spoken on the Song Wind (Strength of Thousands 2 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Gerrus, Poltergeist, Skeletal Catfolk, Ghostly Skeletal Form: “A few years ago, this was my home. I can’t rest because a person I trusted took something valuable to me—a leopard figurine of the most beautiful rainbow hues. It had been in my family for generations. It belongs here in my house.”
The poltergeist’s recollections are all true, but his sense of time is skewed, as Kalembi murdered Gerrus almost 20 years ago. Gerrus was Kalembi’s friend, and Kalembi worked to get Gerrus established as a trader in his youth. While Kalembi was indeed one of Nantambu’s wealthiest traders at the time, he’s now an old man of faded fortunes wrestling with a life of regret.
Too careless with his wealth, Kalembi became deeply indebted to a crime lord named Habu the Cudgel. Habu forced him to engage in crime to pay his debts. As Kalembi knew where Nantambu’s richest people kept their choice valuables, Habu sent Kalembi to their houses at night with one of his most talented burglars: the grippli who would become known as Froglegs. Froglegs would pick the locks and Kalembi would just walk in, take the valuables, and walk back out. He knew that if he returned empty-handed, she would simply kill him on the spot.
Kalembi protested when Habu insisted on taking Gerrus’s leopard figurine. He knew how much the figurine meant to his friend. But he felt he had no choice. When Gerrus interrupted the theft that night, Kalembi knew he must choose between his life and his friend’s—and he picked his own. Kalembi killed him and gave the figurine to Habu; it’s now in Froglegs’s possession.
Poltergeist, Spirit: ?
Spirit: ?
 

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #171: Hurricane's Howl (Strength of Thousands 3 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Tyrannosaurus Skeleton: A relentless buzzing of flies heralds a massive, gruesome sight: a dead tyrannosaurus rex on the banks of a small stream directly in the path of the heroes’ expedition. The corpse starts to shake and begins to rise, only to slump back to the ground. The strange event should convince the heroes to warn their students away from danger.
A necromancer named Shavnill Manybones is attempting to reanimate the dinosaur. Shavnill and his small gang are out of sight behind the dinosaur when the heroes first arrive, but if the heroes investigate or make a lot of noise, they’re sure to encounter the group.
Shavnill’s gang used to terrorize people in the Sodden Lands to the north, but they’ve had to leave the area because the Knights of Abendego are becoming too powerful under Ajbal Kimon. Shavnill hopes to find easier pickings in the Mwangi Expanse, and he thinks an undead dinosaur will make a fearsome addition. Just as he’s beginning to doubt his ability to animate the dinosaur, prospective victims have come right to him.
When Shavnill is killed or knocked out, a fragment of his soul tied to the misjudged ritual leaves his body and enters the tyrannosaurus corpse. Shavnill dies, but the tyrannosaurus skeleton rips free from the body and attacks everyone in the area, hero or gang member alike.
Tyrannosaurus Skeleton, Undead Dinosaur: ?
Restless Undead: ?
Bog Mummy Amalgamation: A family died together while huddling in this building, and their grasp upon one another persists in death: they arose as a bog mummy amalgamation.
Undead, Undead Creature, Restless Dead: ?
Ixame, Poison-Wracked Young Cloud Dragon, Cloud Dragon in a Strange Half-Dead State: When the Dead Man’s Breath blew over Bloodsalt and poisoned the populace, Ixamè was sealed inside the hatchery and didn’t realize that doom had come to the city. When no one came for several days, Ixamè became curious. When she opened the sealed door, poison flowed in and Ixamè realized she had doomed the eggs she swore to protect. The poison didn’t quite kill Ixamè, but put her into a half-undead state infused with poison and sustained by grief and rage.
Bharlen Sajor, Graveknight, Undead Knight, Dead Knight, Propped-Up Corpse: The propped-up corpse is that of Bharlen Sajor. A devotee of Norgorber and an eager follower of Ajbal Kimon, Bharlen happily led the Kiutu raid. An iruxi astrologer that Bharlen impaled on her trident used their last breath to curse the knight, infusing Bharlen’s armor with dread energy. Other iruxis slew Bharlen, but the curse won’t let her soul rest; she is now a graveknight.
Old Ghost: ?
Bog Mummy: ?
 

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #172: Secrets of the Temple-City (Strength of Thousands 4 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Drenchdead: When great heroes or other powerful individuals encounter misfortune and die at sea or to other water-related accidents, the anguished soul sometimes clings to its corpse, creating a drenchdead.
Drenchdead are common along coasts but are particularly prevalent in the Shackles and near the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Great pirates might meet their death at Besmara’s hands just as they were returning home with a massive haul of treasure, or viking raiders could die on their journey across the ocean toward Vallenhall. These proud heroes might rise as draugr or other undead, but the most notable heroes of all become drenchdead.
Draugr: Drenchdead are common along coasts but are particularly prevalent in the Shackles and near the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Great pirates might meet their death at Besmara’s hands just as they were returning home with a massive haul of treasure, or viking raiders could die on their journey across the ocean toward Vallenhall. These proud heroes might rise as draugr or other undead, but the most notable heroes of all become drenchdead.
Undead, Undead Creature: Drenchdead are common along coasts but are particularly prevalent in the Shackles and near the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Great pirates might meet their death at Besmara’s hands just as they were returning home with a massive haul of treasure, or viking raiders could die on their journey across the ocean toward Vallenhall. These proud heroes might rise as draugr or other undead, but the most notable heroes of all become drenchdead.
Warlords and heroes alike often fell their enemies and leave the corpses behind, exposed to the elements. Undead tend to rise in the dark of night and shun the cleansing rays of the sun, but this isn’t the rule for all undead.
Walkena’s most loyal followers typically take the Oath of the Devoted, dedicating their lives and deaths to his cause. This magical oath returns these followers as undead under Walkena’s control (The Mwangi Expanse 230).
Graveknight, Standard Graveknight: When a fearsome combatant falls in battle, the warrior’s vengeful spirit can sometimes fuse with their armor, creating a graveknight. Every graveknight is born of a unique warrior and has a unique fighting style and array of abilities that speak to their techniques in life.
Unique Graveknight: ?
Graveknight Captain: ?
Graveknight Champion: Once the servant of a deity, the graveknight champion returned as an undead after a life cut short in service to their god.
Particularly Powerful Graveknight: ?
Sunburst Corpse: The corpse of a particularly evil individual left exposed to the constant beating of the sun might become a sunburst corpse.
Most of the dead have passed on peaceably, but two powerful members of the council’s attack force died here. Their corpses were illuminated by sunlight streaming through the now-smaller gap in the ceiling and they became sun-infused undead called sunburst corpses.
Walkena, God-King, Evil God-King, Undead King, Fickle Person, Undead God-King, Aspirational Figure, Benevolent Figure, Ascended Sun-God, Reborn Sun-King, Mummified Child-King, Mummified God-King, Child-King, Mummified Husk, Walking Corpse, Petulant God-King, Child-Mummy, Unquestioned Ruler of Mzali, God of Exclusion and Xenophobia: The Old Sun Gods listened. They had also seen Walkena grow cruel, but he shut out their whispered promptings for compassion. With little other recourse, the Old Sun Gods instilled the power-hungry advisors with a fraction of their divine might. These imbued advisors called themselves the Council of Mwanyisa after mwan, a particularly fine style of stark white cloth which Walkena’s draconian and xenophobic decrees had made difficult to procure. No member of the council could match Walkena for power, but together, they possessed enough might to overthrow him. Walkena fled to his bedchamber where he was later found slain, although the killer was never identified. Priests still loyal to the slain child-king stole his corpse and buried him within a hidden tomb, in the manner of his ancestors.
A century ago, Chelaxian colonists from Sargava marched to Mzali to plunder its riches and conquer the city. In a bright flash of sunlight, the mummified body of Walkena sprang to life, calling down the sun to punish the invaders.
Undead Horror: ?
Walkena's Reborn: Walkena’s most loyal followers typically take the Oath of the Devoted, dedicating their lives and deaths to his cause. This magical oath returns these followers as undead under Walkena’s control (The Mwangi Expanse 230). In special cases and under great secrecy, Walkena has his most trusted followers take a slightly modified oath that grants even greater powers in undeath. These undead are known as Walkena’s “reborn.” The oath’s power mimics Walkena’s personal rebirth and provides the reborn with control over fire and a measure of Walkena’s divine magic. The reborn oath also includes a contingency that causes the individual to explode into flames when destroyed, burning their body away to avoid leaving much evidence.
Reborn Sun Hunter: Walkena’s most loyal followers typically take the Oath of the Devoted, dedicating their lives and deaths to his cause. This magical oath returns these followers as undead under Walkena’s control (The Mwangi Expanse 230). In special cases and under great secrecy, Walkena has his most trusted followers take a slightly modified oath that grants even greater powers in undeath. These undead are known as Walkena’s “reborn.” The oath’s power mimics Walkena’s personal rebirth and provides the reborn with control over fire and a measure of Walkena’s divine magic. The reborn oath also includes a contingency that causes the individual to explode into flames when destroyed, burning their body away to avoid leaving much evidence.
Reborn Sun Hunter, Walkena's Reborn: ?
Reborn Sun Mage: Walkena’s most loyal followers typically take the Oath of the Devoted, dedicating their lives and deaths to his cause. This magical oath returns these followers as undead under Walkena’s control (The Mwangi Expanse 230). In special cases and under great secrecy, Walkena has his most trusted followers take a slightly modified oath that grants even greater powers in undeath. These undead are known as Walkena’s “reborn.” The oath’s power mimics Walkena’s personal rebirth and provides the reborn with control over fire and a measure of Walkena’s divine magic. The reborn oath also includes a contingency that causes the individual to explode into flames when destroyed, burning their body away to avoid leaving much evidence.
Reborn Sun Mage, Walkena's Reborn: ?
Reborn Sun Warrior: Walkena’s most loyal followers typically take the Oath of the Devoted, dedicating their lives and deaths to his cause. This magical oath returns these followers as undead under Walkena’s control (The Mwangi Expanse 230). In special cases and under great secrecy, Walkena has his most trusted followers take a slightly modified oath that grants even greater powers in undeath. These undead are known as Walkena’s “reborn.” The oath’s power mimics Walkena’s personal rebirth and provides the reborn with control over fire and a measure of Walkena’s divine magic. The reborn oath also includes a contingency that causes the individual to explode into flames when destroyed, burning their body away to avoid leaving much evidence.
Reborn Sun Warrior, Walkena's Reborn: ?
Ochieng, Zombie Human Guardian 15: ?
Sunburst Corpse, Sun-Infused Undead, Animated Corpse: ?
Umandayo, Graveknight Champion, Undead Warrior: The greatest warrior among Dajermube’s most-trusted high priests and personal bodyguards was a miner-turned-champion named Umandayo. As he fell to the council, Umandayo activated a fail-safe to close the interlocking wall, but not before Dajermube met her demise with a well-placed crossbow bolt. Umandayo watched as Dajermube died. He had failed her and became filled with despair that scoured his soul. As the last of his life left his body, Umandayo’s soul refused to give up and bound itself to his armor, transforming him into a graveknight.
Dajermube, Elite Nemhaith, Undead Guardian: Dajermube’s sudden death during her lengthy apotheosis stripped away her mortal form, trapping her in a transitive state: one not quite mortal, not quite deity, and neither fully alive nor dead. Trapped in this spiritual prison, she twisted and transformed into a nemhaith, an undead guardian tied to the place she served in life, binding the souls of her followers to her new form in the process.
During this time, a woman named Dajermube began to rally those who fled Mzali in the wake of the council’s tyranny. She was a descendant of Chohar and his divine might flowed in her veins, granting her great magical power. Dajermube spearheaded the efforts to preserve as much information about Mzali as possible in the Shrine of the Eclipse. It was during the years she led these efforts that Dajermube discovered her divine lineage and followed in her ancestors’ footsteps. With great knowledge in hand, Dajermube was close to ascending to divinity and becoming the new sun god that would liberate her people and reclaim Mzali from the Council of Mwanyisa.
Unfortunately, the council learned of Dajermube’s plot and attacked the shrine. They found the temple beneath and killed most of her followers, along with the rest of the people living in Mzali-Jimbuani. This attack coincided with a full solar eclipse that Dajermube was using to complete her apotheosis. The council reached her ritual chamber just as the moon fully blocked out the sun. Dajermube was on the verge of ascension, but the council slaughtered her mere seconds before completing the ritual.
Soul Swarm: When the Council of Mwanyisa attacked the temple, several residents were here enjoying their noon meal. The forces slaughtered every last resident before moving on. The corpses have since decayed, and animals have come by and taken what bones were left. Spirits of the dead lingered here, however, coalescing into a furious spiritual collective. The souls split into two swarms influenced by the souls’ devotion to Dajermube: either sunlight or moonlight.
Soul Swarm, Furious Spiritual Collection: ?
Malevolent Ghost of a Jungle Cat: ?
Vampire: ?
Zombie: The Temple of the Deathless Child is heavily guarded by both living soldiers and undead guards. The former often become the latter; devoted mortals in Walkena’s service swear an oath to serve the god-king even after death. When slain, they immediately arise as zombies under Walkena’s absolute control.
It’s something of an open secret that Walkena also inflicts undeath upon his enemies, as he delights in turning his former foes into mindless, loyal guardians.
Zombie, Undead Guard, Animated Corpse of a Devout Soldier: ?
Zombie, Mindless Loyal Guardian, Former Foe, Undead Guard, Former Rebel: ?
 
Last edited:

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #173: Doorway to the Red Star (Strength of Thousands 5 of 6)
Pathfinder 2e
Undead Remnants: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: These chambers served the Throat-of-Nothingness as workshops and laboratories, a place for the cultists to explore the concept of nothingness and the meaning of emptiness. With the defeat of the cult’s lower-ranking members, the experiments here have gone unattended. A character who takes several minutes looking through the books, notes, and materials here, and succeeds at a DC 30 Occultism or Religion check, can confirm that the experiments conducted here were principally focused on the theoretical idea of “undeath beyond undeath.” The theory suggests that if an undead creature were starved of the needs and urges that keeps it bound to this world long enough, it might transform into something even more removed from the cycle of life. None of the research done in this workshop made much progress toward this concept. In fact, the research strongly suggests that all that lies beyond undeath is nothingness, as the soul itself is finally freed to move to the Boneyard. This result disturbed and frightened these cultists, who were hoping for an end to the cycle of consciousness.
Sparkeater, Variant Ravener Husk, Undead Mount, Undead Dragon, Powerful Undead: When the Iobane finally defeated Taon, he and his dragon plummeted from the sky to crash into the plaza right in front of the entrance to the Cathedral of Nothingness, whereupon a slew of cultists swarmed out to claim the remains. Originally, they’d hoped to transform the two into powerful undead allies. They animated Sparkeater’s young soul as a variant ravener husk.
Powerful Undead Ally: ?
Undead Minion: ?
Mindless Undead Shell: Recently, rumors abound that the Mandibles of Fate has been outfitted with a weapon capable of ripping ghosts right out of living bodies, leaving behind mindless undead shells after siphoning the souls into the ship above.
Soulshredded Nemhaith: When a soulshredder cannon is full, the souls it has collected can be extracted as a powerful incorporeal undead entity. Although the weapon works, the King of Biting Ants has been modifying the soulshredder cannon to target entire communities, creating spectral monsters from hundreds of souls with each blast.
What is this weapon? “He calls it a soulshredder cannon, an awful weapon that can rip the soul from a living target and store its wrecked fragments, combining them all together with other victims to transform the host into an undead spirit known as an emhaith.The determined old bug has been toiling for decades on enhancing the weapon so that it can be used on crowds rather than individuals—allowing it to destroy a community and create an enslaved nemhaith with a single shot—but I have been opposing this progress from within this very ship all along. ”
Soulshredded Nemhaith, Powerful Incorporeal Undead Entity, Spectral Monster, Undead Spirit, Enslaved Nemhaith: ?
Undead Slave: His focus is extraordinary, and for many long years he’s been working single-mindedly to develop a weapon to convert the people of the Mwangi Expanse—starting with the Magaambya—into his undead slaves.
Undead Dragon: ?
Tollvych, Human Ghost: Only a few months before the heroes arrived, a Chelaxian scholar named Tollvych met his demise in this chamber. The man first became intrigued by the Doorway to the Red Star after he came into the possession of an ancient magical staff called Wyrm Drinker that a team of Thrune agents stole from the Mwangi Expanse years before. Tollvych determined that Wyrm Drinker’s powers had gone inert, but that if he could return it to “the site of its greatest triumph,” the powerful device would reactivate. After determining this site to be the Doorway to the Red Star, Tollvych made the journey. He opted for stealth and trickery (tactics that allowed him to sneak past the Iobane and even to avoid a confrontation with the demiliches in area A1) but his luck ran out upon reaching this chamber, when he fell victim to the entropy choir (see Hazard).
Tollvych lingers on, though, in the form of a ghost. As soon as anyone steps into this room, the ghost rises from his mortal remains, calling out to the heroes to “hold fast, lest you join me in this torment!” As a ghost, he resembles his appearance in life: a handsome man clad in red and black robes. Yet as he moves, it becomes obvious that his bones have been broken in dozens of places, and his limbs, neck, and torso bend in unsettling and gruesome ways.
Entropy Choir, Haunt: Once the domain of a talented elven bard and devoted cultist named Ntanja, this chamber has become infused with the sinister choir and destructive resonances that remain after so many years spent singing the praises of entropy. Ntanja and her singers continue here in the form of shadowy figures that float amid the room’s benches, and the presence of anything alive in the chamber draws their wrath. If the heroes trigger this haunt before speaking to Tollvych, the ghost does nothing but watch in despair and sympathy as the heroes face the hazard. The haunt has no power to harm Tollvych any longer, yet he remembers all too well the pain of succumbing to it.
Ghost: Recently, rumors abound that the Mandibles of Fate has been outfitted with a weapon capable of ripping ghosts right out of living bodies, leaving behind mindless undead shells after siphoning the souls into the ship above.
Dwandek, Human Lich Necromancer, Leader, Rightful Ruler, Priest, Member of the Cult: ?
Lich: ?
Muradner, Demilich, Gem-Encrusted Skull, More-Serious Demilich, Highly Skilled Intelligent Creature: These two skulls are actually the undead Muradner and Sprithe, a pair of Throat-of-Nothingness cultists who became liches long ago. Though they served Dwandek as acolytes for centuries, a failed coup against their leader resulted in the destruction of their soul cages. The leaders allowed them to exist but never restore their soul cages, and over more centuries, the two have atrophied into their current state as demiliches.
Sprithe, Demilich, Gem-Encrusted Skull, Highly Skilled Intelligent Creature: These two skulls are actually the undead Muradner and Sprithe, a pair of Throat-of-Nothingness cultists who became liches long ago. Though they served Dwandek as acolytes for centuries, a failed coup against their leader resulted in the destruction of their soul cages. The leaders allowed them to exist but never restore their soul cages, and over more centuries, the two have atrophied into their current state as demiliches.
Muradner, Lich: ?
Sprithe, Lich: ?
Taon, Variant Mohrg, Powerful Mohrg, Very Powerful Mohrg: When the Iobane finally defeated Taon, he and his dragon plummeted from the sky to crash into the plaza right in front of the entrance to the Cathedral of Nothingness, whereupon a slew of cultists swarmed out to claim the remains. Originally, they’d hoped to transform the two into powerful undead allies. They animated Sparkeater’s young soul as a variant ravener husk. Taon’s transformation was even more successful, turning him into a very powerful mohrg.
Spawn of Taon, Variant Mohrg Spawn: The powerful mohrg Taon (area A7) has slain many of the Iobane’s warriors over the centuries, claiming them as his undead spawn. As years have turned to decades, and decades into centuries since the unfortunate souls’ transformations, these spawn have evolved into beings more powerful than the average mohrg, though Taon has retained his influence over them.
Spawn of Taon, Variant Mohrg Spawn, Undead Spawn, Being More Powerful Than the Average Mohrg: ?
Average Mohrg: ?
Mohrg Spawn: A living creature slain by a mohrg that had a lower level than the mohrg rises as a mohrg spawn (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 172) after 1d4 rounds, on its turn.
Akitonian Skulltaker, Elite Skulltaker, Deadly Four-Armed Skulltaker: ?
Vrykolakas Ancient: ?
Young Gold Dragon Zombie: Wyrm Drinker is a powerful weapon whose crafting was an act of incredible cruelty by a necromancer named Xurn. Set on conquering the Mwangi Expanse, Xurn hunted down a young gold dragon and slew the creature with his vile magic. He ripped the femur from the dragon’s foreleg, then enslaved the corpse as yet another zombie under his control.
 
Last edited:

Voadam

Legend
Pathfinder Adventure Path #175: Broken Tusk Moon (Quest for the Frozen Flame 1 of 3)
Pathfinder 2e
Syarstik Painted-Tiger, Awakened Smilodon Ghost, Smilodon Ghost Guardian, Spectral Cat, Ghost of Murdered Animal Guardian, Ghost of a Slain Guardian Beast, Ghost Tiger, Ghostly Tiger, Guardian Ghost of the Great Cat, Ghostly Predator: Syarstik remembers little of his before-life, the long nights stalking cold hills and days traversing vast frozen plains. Because of his great size and strength, all other animals feared him, with the exception, perhaps, of the mammoths. His body was striped with mottled patches of dark fur that allowed him to blend easily into shadows. Most creatures were his prey, and he knew no equal.
This all changed when Syarstik met the Wise One—an old human who would have made little more than a mouthful for the great cat. The shriveled man didn’t fear Syarstik, nor did he threaten him, but rather spoke to the cat as an equal. After some time traveling together, the Wise One took Syarstik to an important burrow in a remote part of the plains, a site of old, powerful magic. There, the Wise One whispered sacred words, and Syarstik felt the man’s words wash over him like running water. At once, a haze the cat had never noticed was lifted from his eyes, and he knew his true name, Syarstik, which meant “now you speak.” He also knew that the Wise One was dying. The ritual had exhausted the venerable man, and he gave Syarstik a command with his dying breath: to protect this sacred place from any who would desecrate it.
Syarstik faithfully fulfilled his old friend’s final wish, remaining within the cave for many years, and found the sacred, solitary duty quite to his liking. When he was hungry, he would snatch white fish from the dark cave pond. When he was bored, he would chase deer or rodents in the dusty scrubs just outside the cavern’s mouth. When intruders approached, he would coat his fur in red dirt to hide from his prey and, afterward, take long swims in the cave pool to cleanse himself of their blood.
Human-folk calling themselves Mammoth Lords visited his “Red Cat Cave” to paint stories of their trials and consult the stars through tiny holes in the cavern’s ceiling. Syarstik regarded these visitors cautiously, but when they prostrated themselves respectfully and laid down their weapons, he allowed them entry. He oversaw many generations of such pilgrims, watching them grow from cubs to adults to wise ones. Yet, Syarstik himself never aged.
Over a century ago, a few of these human-folk came to Syarstik bearing a shrouded torch that somehow remained lit and that, when unsheathed, cast a blazing light that cut through the cave’s darkness. The humans were clearly scared, and Syarstik nobly agreed to guard their sacred torch in his cavern. They spoke of demons who might come to take the torch, but Syarstik knew nothing of demons, and he felt no more fear of these foes than he did for any other animal.
Syarstik was thus taken by surprise when a wild-eyed human entered the cave a few winters later, spear in hand, to claim the eternal torch. This human—if that’s truly what he was—stunk of fire and death, but also of something far worse than any other human-folk Syarstik had met. When Syarstik refused to let him take the torch, the warrior’s sudden attack surprised the cave’s guardian. The human stuck fast a spear in Syarstik’s flank, and he was dying. With his last breath, Syarstik covered the sacred torch with his body, hoping to extinguish its eternal flame, but the torch continued to burn, and the immortal cat howled as his body was set ablaze.
With this final desperate act, Syarstik cursed the wretched artifact that had spelled his doom, preventing the bearer of the torch from ever willingly relinquishing it to another. From then on, the torch’s bearer would know no peace and be shunned by all. The shadows of the howling tiger permeated the cavern walls, imbuing them with Syarstik’s angry magic.
Even after his mortal body turned to ashes, Syarstik’s spirit lingered in the spot where he died. Haunted by his failure to protect the cave, the ghost of the great cat now rages against all intruders, human or otherwise. For more than a century, the people of the Gornok Plains have given Red Cat Cave a wide berth, telling tales of the ghostly predator that guards it and the ancestral cave paintings within that leap to life.
When the first Broken Tusks sought a place to keep the Primordial Flame safely out of demonic hands, they took it to this remote cave in the hills. Situated amid red sandstone, the cave’s opening bore an uncanny resemblance to the mouth of a roaring feline. Local oral histories spoke of the so-called Red Cat Cave and its guardian, an ageless saber-toothed tiger named Syarstik Painted-Tiger. The small group braved the cave to speak with Syarstik, who proved both noble and reasonable. The great cat agreed to protect the Primordial Flame in the cave’s deepest recesses.
Syarstik’s vow was tested mere months later when the possessed Burning Mammoth warrior Metuak came to the cave to retrieve the Primordial Flame. The cat recognized the evil lurking in Metuak, and though Syarstik fought to defend the sacred light, Metuak slew the guardian and took the Primordial Flame. With his dying breath, Syarstik cursed the artifact with a shard of his own soul; thereafter, Metuak could never willingly relinquish the Primordial Flame without suffering unfathomable psychic pain. The remainder of Syarstik’s spirit stayed in Red Cat Cave as a ghost, continuing to watch over the chamber where it met its earthly demise, full of rage and shame over its failure. Until its unholy anger is quelled, the ghost of Syarstik can’t remember anything about Metuak or the Primordial Flame.
Gruesome Undead: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: ?
Akarta Willoweave, Cairn Wight, Eternal Guardian: Knowing her end was near, Hiajor used the last of her magic to animate the seers as cairn wights and compel them to watch over her body in the remaining barrow.
Uchuli the Wise, Cairn Wight, Eternal Guardian: Knowing her end was near, Hiajor used the last of her magic to animate the seers as cairn wights and compel them to watch over her body in the remaining barrow.
 
Last edited:

Remove ads

Top