Magister of a Sleeping God
Abilities and Equipment
Magisters are phenomenally powerful wielders of malefic magic, easily ripping the souls of their victims apart. They are most powerful at their home in the Abyss of Khora, though startlingly have begun to appear beyond its borders.
Magisters possess the powers of necromancy, baleflame, and psychic domination. The weaker among their foes will simply be enslaved to their will entirely, while the strong may be subverted more insidiously by more subtle psychic manipulation. Weaponized, this psionic power can drive foes to insanity, torment them with visions of dark futures, or inflict excruciating pain.
Another, equally insidious tool for the magisters, is that of curses. These can take myriad forms depending on the magisters mood and creativity, ranging from things as simple as rotting their living bodies or suffering dire pains, to more mystical effects such as suffering ill fortune or slowly devouring their soul, to something more creative such as infestations of abyssal insects, being spellbound in place, or suffering complete sensory deprivation.
But in terms of direct combat, Magisters are equally potent. Their amorphous, oozing bodies are unharmed by mortal weapons, the darkness that composes them simply consuming whatever strikes at them without enchantment.
When fully roused, Magisters can blot out the sky with unholy magic, engulf their foes in storms of balefire, or rupture and torture the earth itself until it spews unholy magic in a dark geyser. Withering bolts of corruption seek out and strike at their targets, ignoring armor as they deteriorate the body within to ash and rot.
Spontaneous mutations emerge, writhing from their foes as their allies suddenly turn against them, and when stricken down they merely come back again with hollow darkness blazing in their eyes. Lifeforce is drained, bodies left hollow as the soul is devoured from them.
Legendary creatures from deep within the Abyss of Khora, Magisters are the most powerful and dreadful of all Abyssal spirits. They are always cloaked in a swirling miasma of baleful energies which shrouds their true forms, but if one could see their bare flesh they would see it bubbles and churns like a tarpit, continuously warping and flowing. Though roughly humanoid in shape, they possess no features to speak of on their amorphous bodies, levitating mere inches above the ground.
Despite their monstrous forms, Magisters are quite intelligent, in fact far in excess of most mortals. They speak no language, but have no need to; they act as a psychic beacon, their minds burrowing into everything in their vicinity. While they can use this to communicate, it is far more than this; The psychic broadcast is involuntary, constantly emitting sadism, perversion, hypocrisy... and a dim, half-forgotten sense of revulsion at what they have become.
Magisters are at their most powerful within the Abyss proper, and until recently had never been sighted beyond the far hinterlands. Now, however, they have begun to spread further and further from their source, though to be detatched from their source of power does weaken them somewhat.
Magisters are oddly not very aggressive, rarely seeking out fights and not easily raised to anger. Instead, they treat with 'supplicants' with callous, detatched ease, cursing and deluding with the smallest movement. Rather than to kill, they always seek to dominate, and their psychic powers allow them to burrow into the minds of and dominate the weak willed.
When they are raised to anger, however, the results are terrifying. The skies arc with dark lightning, infernos of baleflame engulfs the earth, and horrific curses distort the minds and bodies of all who threaten them. To simply look at one in this state threatens insanity or a painful death, for their mere presence is like the heart of the very Abyss.
Magisters occupy a unique echelon within the Abyss, and all Abyssal creatures heed their summons. When in need, they cast out a psionic lure to their 'supplicants', mortal and monstrous alike, which penetrates their dreams and fills them with visions... Of a dark forlorn sky over a dead world, of pillars of salt stretching up into the blackest stormclouds, and the decay of a long-lost city...
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Narlupi
Abilities and Equipment
Narlupi are savage but relatively minor Abyssal fiends, possessed of more strength than a standard beast but much less than a divine monster. They are relatively well armored, covered in scales, with two heads which are eternally dripping with crimson venom. The abyssal venom of the fiends is corrosive, and can lead to horribly infected wounds for those without magical protection.
In addition to their two heads and claws, Narlupi also possess a barbed, whip-like tail.
A dog-like creature, one of many varieties of Abyssal fiends, with two heads which eternally drip with crimson venom. Each head seems to have a mind of its own, and they frequently snap at eachother. Their bodies are scaled, while their heads are connected to the body by long, sinuous necks.
Their corruption is concentrated in their crimson venom. Overall, they stand about as tall at the shoulder as a horse.
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Abyssal Cyclopes
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The Abyssal Cyclopes has little in the way of abilities, possessing neither the venom nor baleflame typical of many of the more advanced Abyssal fiends. Indeed, even for abyssal monsters they seem to lack intelligence, easily being distracted by their seemingly endless hunger.
The most notable weapon of the cyclopes is its powerful, long claws- coupled with its muscular form, they can scythe through thin steel armor and flesh with ease, though the brittle claws are vulnerable to damage themselves if parried. The cyclopes also has long, needle-like teeth in its massive maw, but due to its ungainly posture it is not proficient at using these offensively.
The only notable abyssal magic that benefits the cyclopes is its fur- slick with an oily fluid, it emanates an unholy, thick smog which, besides being toxic, can inflict nausea or even temporary blindness. The thick fur also provides protection for the cyclopes' flesh, the matted thick fibers requiring some effort to cut or bludgeon through.
One of many unwholesome fiends found to the east of the Abyss of Khora, the Abyssal Cyclopes bears a passing resemblance to the rare Sazchio of the eastern badlands, prompting some speculation that they are somehow related.
The Cyclopes has a quadrupedal stance with powerful forearms, similar to a gorilla, and is covered in a thick, slick, oily fur which hangs down some ways from its body. This fur conceals the long, needle-like fangs protruding from its mouth and its single, midnight black eye- a hard, unblinking mass of abyssal magic.
The Cyclopes is one of the most mundane of abyssal creatures, lacking the more insidious traits of abyssal corruption in favor of raw, brute strength. Still, they are not to be underestimated, as their blade-like claws coupled with powerful brawn can tear an armored man apart.
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Maggotbat
Abilities and Equipment
A weak and sluggish flyer, the Maggotbat poses little threat alone. In swarms however, their leech-like faces will burrow into their target and drain them of all blood in moments, inflicting horrifying pain with the circular jaws as they burrow through skin and flesh..
A relatively small, falcon-sized abberation from the Abyss, Maggotbats can be seen flying in swarms, following other monstrosities in search of easy pickings. They are simple, relatively weak monsters- their main benefit being their small size making them difficult to hit.
Individually weak or no, Maggotbats are still loathsome creatures, their faces a concentric pattern of circular fangs to enable them to chew their way through living tissue and suck blood and organs out. They prefer to attack foes distracted, and many a monster hunter has fallen to a swarm of maggotbats attacking at the worst possible time.
Their body is a transluscent, pallid thing with only a handful of straggly hairs emanating, while their wings, while sometimes described as bat-like, more resemble sheets of skin stretched out over a vaguely-bat-shaped form.
The resonance of Maggotbats is much weaker than most abyssal fiends, to the extent it is questionable if they are magical creatures at all. Perhaps entirely uniquely, they do not display any particular corrupting features- their flesh may even technically be edible, although who would deign to consume such a loathsome and grotesque creature is anyones guess.
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Vyzrstrg
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The primary threat of the Vyzrstrg is Balefire; a sickly green-purple fire that smells of decay. The Vyzrstrg is able to spit globules of Baleflame in arcs, posing a serious threat- once caught on baleflame, the pain and corruption will be immense.
At close range, the Vyzrstrg is equally dangerous. With well muscled legs, powerful jaws, and streams of Baleflame spat from their mouth, they are quite tricky foes to take down.
One of their most insidious weapons is revealed when they open their mouths wide, revealing a humanoid face back in their throat- This is rarely seen, though ti could be that most who see it do not live to tell, as this haunting face has a hypnotic effect which seems to distract foes while the Vyzrstrg prepares for a coup de grace.
Pronounced "Vih-zur-stuhr-juh". An unusual monster of the Abyss, almost exclusively found in the presence of other fiends, Vyzrstrg display something resembling intelligence or even tactics. Rather than frenzied beasts like most abyssal monsters, they instead hang back, lobbing globules of Balefire at their enemies.
Precisely why Vyzrstrg do this is a matter of some debate in Sathryas. Certainly, such behavior is disturbing; Balefire does not, after all, equal a quick meal for the creature. This would seem to suggest that they are purposefully focused on killing their enemies above all else, suggesting a purpose behind the monstrous appearance.
The Vyzrstrg's appearance itself is also open for interpretation. They are a bipedal creature with little body save for a large maw and small tail, as well as two well muscled legs and rubbery skin. They appear to be blind and eyeless, though they still locate their enemies by means unknown.
When the monsters make to attack, they plant themselves firmly in the ground and spit globules of Baleflame.
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Abyssal Harpies
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Agile and relatively strong creatures, Harpies are mostly humanoid save for their wings and lack of technology. Instead they rely on flight and wicked talons or fangs, the animalistic frenzy of their approach often overwhelming warriors expecting a more civilized, balanced onslaught.
Still, in the face of armor and skill, the claws and fierceness of harpies quickly gives way to cowardice. Left to their own devices, they prefer to prey on the isolated and weak. But when found near other abyssal fiends, they will sometimes attack far stronger opponents than themselves, as if willed by some unseen force.
Perhaps related to the more normal (if still savage) harpies of the Forskan Jungle, these abyss creatures appear, at a distance, to be beautiful females flitting about in the sky.
As one gets closer, it quickly becomes apparent that they are, instead, closer to ravenous beasts with a taste for blood, every inch of their body taken up by cruel muscle and claws, their expressions showing little beyond animalistic fury- though no animal shows as much sadism.
While strong for a humanoid, their lack of weapons and relative intelligence puts them somewhat at a disadvantage, which is only partially mitigated by the advantage of flight. However, they are clever creatures, and some may use their appearance to beguile and trick vulnerable travelers. Should they wish it, they may conceal their long fangs and animalistic features, suggesting a modest level of magic to hold up the glamour. Those travelers who follow the strangely beguiling and enchanting temptresses into the wilderness are never heard from again.
Harpies are vicious, but they are neither brave nor loyal- often, should their "prey" prove to be more than a match for them, their own fallen sisters will instead become their meal. They delight in flaying the flesh and skin from bone and devouring it wholesale, greedily gobbling up mouthfuls of flesh but leaving plenty to be eaten by the crows.
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Baledreg
Abilities and Equipment
Every Baledreg is somewhat unique, and as such so are their powers. They are usually not very physically strong, but their strong malefic resonance gives them mystical abilities.
Some will attack at close range, using accursed limbs or tendrils of dark energy which rend the souls of foes apart. Others will hover in the air, lobbing bursts of unholy magic.
A rare and unusual entity from within the Abyss, Baledregs are fairly small but possess vastly more Resonant energy than most other abyssal creatures. The exact appearance is highly variable- some have wings and fly, others are ground based creatures that crawl with tentacles on the ground.
At their core is a swirling, amorphous mass of Malefic energy, typically with appendages stretching out of the abyssal mass inside of them. Long, prehensile tongues, tattered wings, or tendrils of baleful energy lash out.
As every Baledreg is somewhat unique, their abilities are as well.
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Feyfiend
Abilities and Equipment
Feyfiends possess control over all manner of abyssal monsters, the ability to perform dark magic themselves, and a corrupting presence which can create monsters out of the natural plants and animals around them. But even without these magical gifts they are savage, untamed fiends; Easily capable of charging faster than a courser and ripping grown bulls in two with their sheer brute strength. Gore and blood often drip from their antlers, and their fur and tail are lined with bristles which ward off attack.
The most powerful Feyfiends swell to even more immense size, while gaining more magical power. These can dominate the minds of others- particularly the weak-willed- and even shapeshift into humanoid forms. As vain as ever, these beasts will often craft as grandiose a visage for themself as possible, adding wings, additional tails, and ever-more elaborate antlers to their visage.
An abhorrent corruption of the fey divinity native to the Carfdiniad forests, Feyfiends resemble a stag with the general body shape of a gorilla; a musclebound giant, three to four meters tall and heavier than the average elephant. Their snouts are long and tapered, their heads adorned by a massive rack of horns, and where their eyes should be are instead a glowing swirl of Abyssal magic.
These creatures are gluttonous fiends, and will devour all they can survey- Filth, raw flesh, bones, plants, and carrion alike are shoveled into their dripping maws. Their hind legs possess twisted hooves with which they bound forward in a loping gait, while their front are a bizzare amalgamation of clawed hands and hooves.
Despite their bestial status, Feyfiends are horrifically intelligent and avaricious creatures, though their capacity for long-term thought and planning is greatly hindered by their natural insanity and the extremes of greed, lust, and gluttony that pervades their mind. They possess great magical talent, and can disguise themselves as noble and regal forest spirits, worthy of worship, and will use these gifts to manipulate others to their service.
The most powerful of Feyfiends can even dominate the minds of others and shapeshift into humanoid form, though even these will have difficulty remaining disguised in society, owing to their bestial temperament. Rather, they will set themselves up as rulers of tribes of cultists and worshippers, glutting their foul desires with flesh, sacrifices, and wealths of food.
Feyfiends are somewhat unusual to see in the company of the other intelligent Abyss-spawn, likely because their malefic intelligence and inherent selfishness makes them poor servants of the Slumbering God. Still, the roots of corruption lie deep in their hearts, and they still dream the same thing that all such monsters do- Of a lost, forgotten world under a blackened sky, a primordial ocean at the root of the world, and an ancient evil slumbering within a spire of salt...
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Bonedrake
Abilities and Equipment
Bonedrakes, despite having significant magical power, are not intelligent enough to weave spells of any note. Instead, their power translates to inflicting cursed wounds and being protected by unholy force.
Their long tails end in hefty club-like spikes, and their jaws are lined with many rows of sharp teeth. Their entire body juts with bony spikes, and as they lurch and thrash across the battlefield the undulating movement of their gait makes their body behave as a massive saw, raking and crushing foes between numerous stakes.
Bonedrakes are also very difficult to kill- they barely seem to bleed, and are well protected by their dark magic. Worst of all, their strong resonant signature corrupts the land and creatures around them rapidly.
Despite their name, Bonedrake's are not related to dragons and are merely named for a passing resemblance to dragonkin. They are four-legged creatures, not closely resembling any other- they have an external ribcage that opens up towards the sky and bones protruding from their flesh in every part of their body, with crimson connective tissue flowing with malefic energy.
Bonedrake's are oddly not particularly aggressive for an abyssal creature, and are virtually never seen outside of the Abyss or Blackwater Isle. Their bones swell with necromantic energy, making them preffered targets for Blackwater hunting teams, as the malefic power of a Bonedrake's essence is a powerful fuel for dark ritual.
The Bonedrakes themselves are however fearsome creatures; Should they be roused from their constant slumber to anger, they relentlessly pursue their target, screeching in hollow tones as they shuffle over the ground, lurching like a walking corpse. But despite this- and their skeletal appearance- Bonedrakes are not undead, but living creatures. Dark magic burns crimson in their hollow eye sockets, and abyssal energies flow through their bones. Their main weapons are their powerful jaws, well suited to crushing opponents, and their long spiked tails which they will swing like hefty clubs.
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Lamprey Hydra
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A beast of frightening strength, the Lamprey Hydra's heads each end in a circular jaw with concentric rows of teeth, suitable for shredding and crushing even armored prey.
Other than their saw-like teeth, the Lamprey has a few other tricks up its sleeve; Its mucus is toxic and corrosive, and it can shoot out jets of it from its pores, or create a mist of vile poison which surrounds it.
Defensively, the Lamprey Hydra has thick blubbery skin and a protective layer of slime which can absorb powerful impacts. However, the mucus is flammable, rendering the Lamprey Hydra extremely susceptible to thermal weapons.
A truly loathsome creature, Lamprey Hydra's are so named for the circular maws they sport on their many heads. Their skin is covered in a protective layer of slime and mucus, while they possess a number of eyeless heads- between four and six typically. Their main sensory organs are antennae found on each head, as well as eyes on the front of their torso underneath their numerous necks. Their brains are also sequestered there, behind the sternum.
Their main body resembles a slug with large flippers, which they use to awkwardly haul their body along the ground. When in a rush they can manage surprising speeds, leaving a trail of slime wherever they traverse.
How such a monstrous creature could exist is difficult to imagine; Certainly, it shouldn't be able to support itself, as their repulsive stench drives away prey, and their voracious appetites outstrips what is available to them in the wild.
One possibility is that they have a piscivorous diet- certainly, the flippers that they drag themselves along with would be more practical in the water than on land. The more disturbing possibility would be that they feed on the malefic magic of their homeland- though even if that is the case, it certainly has done nothing to stifle their hunger, as Lamprey Hydra's have been known to devour everything that enters their reach.
Despite their name, Lamprey Hydra's have no known association with the 'true' Hydra.
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Golden Ones
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Golden Ones possess inhuman strength, greatly in excess of even the Andovri. Even unarmed and without magic they are deadly combatants, their metallic husks withstanding immense punishment and their fists deadly bludgeoning weapons.
More terrifyingly, Golden Ones are quite intelligent and more than capable of using skilled weapons, typically favoring elegant swords or scythes which fit their notions of grandeur.
However, the Golden Ones most potent weapon is magic; they are, after all, ethereal entities granted flesh by the service of their mortal followers. The exact magic available varies from spirit to spirit, but invariably involves malefic curses and horrifying agony inflicted upon their victims.
Golden Ones hunger for two things beyond all else; Souls, and followers. Using their profane magic, they will beguile and influence the naive or weakwilled, pulling them into their service, to be used as fodder for sacrifice, or far worse.
Created in ages past by the Vileblood tribes of the Eastern Badlands, the Golden Ones are magical automata, golem-like bodies crafted as shelters for dark spirits to inhabit. They are so named for the gold-plated bodies they inhabit; though, many 'lesser' creations exist plated in bronze or even iron. Most are 2 to 2.5 meters, although dramatically larger examples are not unheard of, with the largest recorded during the ancient Vileblood War reaching a staggering twenty meters in height.
Beneath their metallic shells, ritual ingredients rest in their precisely crafted bodies. Bones, carved stone, and dried sinew form most of their form, with darker and more powerful reagents buried deep inside their core. As life is breathed into them, their bodies shift and morph into baleful life, cords and tendons of dark energy shifting inside of their metallic husks.
Once their vessel has been created, dark spirits are ritualistically summoned to inhabit it. Grounded in the world, their power increases immensely. Golden Ones are quite capable of physical combat, even swordsmanship, possessing physical strength greatly in excess of mortal races, but more often rely on magic.
As they delicately glide over the ground, Their sealed golden masks project faceless horror. Dull lights glow in their sockets, and they move and speak with dark majesty. Golden Ones are typically vain creatures, and have an appetite for the souls of lesser creatures.
Most Golden Ones were destroyed by the Dragar Kingdom of Sathyras in ancient days, but many still escaped into elaborate underground tombs, or fled into the Abyss itself where they still live. More disturbing, rumors whisper that their creation has begun anew among the Tribes of Blackwater...
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Balestrider
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Balestriders act as infantry, fighting in close order and shouting to eachother in their ancient tongue.
They make for dangerous, but not insurmountable combatants individually, being harder to kill than a mortal but at least not possessing heavy armor. Against enchanted weapons, their malefic protection will likely fail them.
Still, Balestriders are not to be underestimated. Their profane weapons can pierce mundane armor with ease, they are unneringly skilled and powerful opponents, and they are immensely disciplined.
Darkly ominous, almost-humanoid creatures from the Abyss, Balestriders display uncanny intelligence, including the usage of weapons and complex tools. The implications of their existance is daunting, but fortunately they are rarely seen since the days of the Vileblood War.
Balestriders have almost-human visages, but their bodies are distorted at unatural angles, moving with a bizarre loping gait which is uncanny in its swiftness. They speak, but only in fel ancient tongues understood by none who now live. Most often, they are witnessed surrounding Magisters or Golden Ones who they serve unflinchingly.
Unlike most other similar creatures, Balestriders possess little in the way of magic beyond simple shamanistic arts. Instead, they wield dark relics in their hands- ancient rusted blades imbued with fel magic, bone tools carved from abyssal monsters, or crude iron weapons carved with ancient runes. Against such profane relics, mundane armor is little defense.
The unlucky will be captured alive by Balestriders and used as food, sacrifices, or dragged alive into the wastes to meet unclear, but inevitably horrifying fates.
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Malefic Revenant
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Revenants infuse the bones they possess with unnatural toughness and agility, making them fast moving, and sturdy opponents.
They are usually skilled fighters, preffering to wield sabers of archaic design, bows, and shields. As is typical, these items are all darkly blessed relics imbued with corrupt power.
Revenants appear to be undead; certainly, they possess the skeletal appearance and glowing eyes typical of such things. However, their souls are not those of the dead, but rather lesser malefic sprites, who have possessed the bodies of the dead as avatars in the material world. Thus they are similar in principle to the Golden Ones, though typically less ancient and powerful.
Revenants, though possessed with inherent magical power, are typically more brutish and less intelligent than their more powerful and ancient brethren. They speak the same tongue as the Balestriders and often accompany them, wielding similar weapons, but backed up by dark magic and greater intelligence.
Revenants often harbor great envy for the truly living, those covered in flesh and with the sensations of life. Sometimes they will seek to leave their own vessels to possess a living one, but just as often they will simply vent their envy in murderous rampages. They are necessarily less disciplined compared to their Balestrider counterparts.
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Agility: 1000-1400
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Resilience: 1100-1400
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Strength: 900-1300
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Intelligence: 600-900
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Focus: 1000-1200
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Endurance: 700-1100
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Shadows of a Sleeping God
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The Shadows wield ethereal blades or ancient relics, wreathed in baleflame or dark light. Baroque armor, seemingly rusted but highly effective, adorns their bodies, and their presence leaves a smoky trail.
The Shadows are capable of fighting with both blade and sorcery, imbuing their attacks with dark powers. They show notably more self-restraint and intellect than the average Abyss-spawn, and are more than capable of outwitting even seasoned veterans.
Shadows seem to be the lesser kin of the Magisters, once rarely seen outside of the Abyss proper. They are dimly humanoid creatures, their heads a swirling mass of festering shadow that swarms backwards from their head in a writhing mass of dark arcana. Eyes glow with baleful light, and their malformed limbs seem charred and withered.
They are ancient, highly intelligent creatures, capable of communication in a similar form as Magisters, their telepathy transcending language as they broadcast raw emotion and thoughts. Their magical prowess is far below those of Magisters, but they are still deadly combatants, both intelligent and skilled.
Shadows seem to follow the Magister's commands, often serving them where they roam. Often, individual Shadows can be seen leading groups of Revenants and Balestriders, seemingly occupying a role comparable to a lieutenant in a nations military; a worrying thought, that the Abyss's seemingly rampant monsters follow a defined chain of command.
Once only the subject of dark rumor, the Shadows have begun to be sighted with worrying frequency in the hinterlands near Sathyras, as well as as far afield as Blackwater in the south.
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Agility: 1000-1400
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Resilience: 1500-2000
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Strength: 1200-1500
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Intelligence: 1300-1600
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Focus: 1500-1700
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Endurance: 700-1100
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Deepcursed
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Deepcursed are not innately magical creatures, being blessed with profane forms and resonance but no divine power. Still, they possess greater toughness and physical durability than most land-dwellers. Some do eventually learn sorcery.
On land, Deepcursed are somewhat slower than tribals or dwarrow, but possess significant strength around on par with an Andovri. Their weapons are warped creations forged in the depths, unusual to the eye and twisted by abyssal energies. Tridents, harpoons, axes and nets are typical; remnants of their past lives as fishermen or raiders.
They often wear armor made of black crystal or sea creature shells, matching their general appearance.
The waters around Blackwater Isle are filled with vile corruption and cursed, malevolent monsters. Even the tribes are not safe, and many times their ships are destroyed or sucked under in spontaneous riptides. The Dwarrow merchant ships that make the perilous crossing are also vulnerable.
Those who sink into the accursed waters sometimes hear a voice calling to them from beneath the sea, offering them salvation... for a price.
Those who bargain for their lives at the cost of their souls become the Deepcursed, dark magic filling and mutating their bodies. Their bodies turn scaly and slimy, usually with a core of hardened, blackened matter resembling charcoal. Gills open up on their face permitting their survival, and they gain a skeletal appearance with dark crystalline growths jutting from their bodies.
The Deepcursed retain some of their conscience, but are evermore at home in the dark waters. Now imbued with abyssal power, some revel in their new status, while others sink down to the depths in shame. Regardless, none can withstand the call of the Sleeping God for long, and soon enough they will emerge from the depths to wet their appetite on mortal souls.
Blackwater shamans can call up the Deepcursed from the ancient sea, luring them into battle. Some tribals will even consign themselves to the sea, in hopes of 'ascending' to such a status, closer to the slumbering god than any mere mortal.
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Agility: 60-90
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Resilience: 90-150
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Strength: 90-150
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Intelligence: 70-110
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Balefire Risen
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Balefire Risen are zombie-like creatures, possessed of little in the way of skill but a complete immunity to pain or fear as well as physical durability. Unlike most undead, they possess fairly large sums of Spiritforce, making them more difficult to destroy and more powerful in battle, although they retain such creatures weakness to purging magic.
They are mindless creatures possessing none of the intellect of more powerful undead, thoughtlessly throwing themselves upon their enemies blades unless dominated by the will of a powerful sorceror.
The most notable trait of Balefire Risen is that their veins pump not blood, but Balefire, and this corrupted flame will spurt out of any wound inflicted upon them. These creatures have been known to gnaw off their own limbs in order to unleash this power, though wounds inflicted by enemies are sufficient. Fortunately, once wounded, Balefire risen are incapable of regeneration even with external magic, and so this eruption of power will bleed their spiritforce dry and result in their final demise in time, even from the tiniest of cuts.
Undead formed by the corruption of a corpses resonant energies by Baleflame, Balefire Risen are far more dangerous than more mundane undead. Though physically little more than zombies, Balefire Risen's necromantic energy takes the form of baleflame coursing through their bodies.
While in combat they are little more than shambling corpses, they possess unusual durability and Spiritforce for an undead. Their overall strength is, as is usual for undead, dependant on the power of the ritual used to create them as well as how fresh and powerful the corpse they were created from was.
These creatures are malformed and twisted from their natural state, their rotting flesh festering with unholy energy and their stagnant blood becomes a grotesque, oily shade of black, purple, and green, inky darkness falling from their bodies.
Their most deadly attribute however is that whenever injured, baleflame spurts from the wound. This dark, sickly-colored fire blazes with corrosive and agonizing energy, and is extremely dangerous to any who touch it. Without magical protection, Baleflame can inflict horrible agony and corruption through even heavy armor, and wounds so inflicted cannot be treated by mundane medicine.
Balefire Risen are not long-lived, and are rarely encountered naturally- even if they were formed by wild magic, it is improbable they would ever meet a living soul before the rampant and chaotic magic within them inevitably tore them apart. Instead, they are typically only seen when a powerful dark sorcerer summons them to use as expendable weapons, a task they perform with terrifying efficiency.
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Agility: 40-60
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Resilience: 60-80
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Strength: 150-180
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Intelligence: 0
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Focus: 0
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Endurance: N/a
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Skill
-
Toughness
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Armor
-
Magical Protection
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Attack