The Blight (5e)
5e
Undead: The creatures that dwell here are feral, unlikely to be humanoid, and are joined by myriad types of undead that occupy the swamp due to the long practice of bog burials conducted by the Great Cemetery in the Hollow and Broken Hills.
Master Judd (LE male human deathmage†) is in charge of the Institute and has the services of a score of wizards and clerics amongst his masters. The study of golem and homuncule making forms the core of studies, and there is a healthy demand for bodies from the Institute. The creation of undead, including alchymic undead, regularly occurs, and a small group of the masters are devotees of the Cult of Revenants.
Undead are generally considered to be failed constructs by most Castorhagers, but actual necromancers are commonly found in the streets of BookTown, as are the undead they create.
A little-known god of undead revered by the necromancers of the Blight, Flense represents the liberation from death for the purposes of revenge and unaddressed slights by the living. His small cult, the Cult of Revenants, actively seeks to bring the unwary to their destined vengeance much sooner than their natural lifespan would otherwise warrant. If they catch a lone victim, they force this doctrine upon him by sacrificing him to “unleash their thwarted justice.” That these victims rarely volunteer and that the undead creature created from the sacrifice simply serves as a slave to a member of the cult is disregarded by its members.
All those who worship the god are bound by a terrible dark pact they commit to in blood and soul when they become an acolyte of Flense. The pact grants the worshipper a terrible retribution. Upon dying, the devotee of Flense is reborn anew as a “revenant” creature, torn from the mortal body of his unworthy subject to become a thing of vengeance. The creature the devotee rises as is always free-willed and equal to the CR of the cleric in life +1. Such new forms are not bound by a requirement to be undead (though frequently they are undead) and can come in any form the god chooses on a whim. Usually the form given is most commonly associated in some way with the life or personality of the deceased follower. For example, a follower who lives far away from civilisation may return as a dire animal bent upon vengeance.
He believes Mother Grace brought undead into the world to cleanse it of its mortal sins, but keeps this belief secret.
Inside, the place is crammed with Leptonia and Sallow’s artwork. The vampire spawn has a peculiar artistic trick involving abducting waifs and strays, drugging them with a concoction or chloroform and oil of taggit, and embalming them in a substance made from equal parts lime concrete, clay, and an alchemic discovery known as Blight grasp. This substance hardens very quickly (in a matter of minutes), and Algernon has been using it to create living statues — slowly engulfing his victims in the stone substance over a period of weeks, and eventually covering them completely, thoughtfully providing an air hole for them to breathe through to enjoy his work to the last and infuse the statues with the occasional angry spirits. That this process occasionally creates an undead merely adds to Algernon’s belief that he is a living (or more accurately, unliving) genius.
Lynchet and her husband Bran create partially animated objects, undead, or constructs.
Alchymic Undead, Alchymic-Unliving: The first Alchymic Undead was raised here in 1545, and countless other less notable, but equally horrific, experiments have been made here.
There are also those who take the elixir of life but whose bodies do not react well to the unnatural infusion. Instead of shedding the shackles of ordinary mortality as alchymic-undying, these unlucky souls instead find themselves cursed with a progressive form of undeath that not only steals away their vitality and ability to experience sensation, but also their very reason and personality as well. These cursed folks are the alchymic-unliving†, and when their curse becomes advanced enough, they lose every shred of who they were and become simply one more zombie shuffling mindlessly to its master’s commands.
Those who wish to live forever sometimes take this dark path through use of the proprietary means available with the elixir of life†. Those who take this draught by choice hope to join the alchymic-undying; those who fail in this endeavour are cursed to become the alchymic-unliving. Those who are forced to take the elixir by cruel masters or terms of indenture almost invariably end up among the alchymic-unliving.
The alchymic-unliving are creatures tainted by the curse of undeath through exposure to elixir of life. Those who partake in the forbidden fruits of such alchymic experimentation face a dismal future. It is true that death, or at least mortal death by aging, is no longer a concern, but the life left is bleak and bereft of any of the joys of the living.
Any living creature can be transformed into an alchymic-unliving creature that is exposed to elixir of life.
The first alchymic undead was raised here in 1545, and countless other less notable but equally horrific experiments have been made here.
Master Judd (LE male human deathmage† ) is in charge of the Institute and has the services of a score of wizards and clerics amongst his masters. The study of golem and homuncule making forms the core of studies, and there is a healthy demand for bodies from the Institute. The creation of undead, including alchymic undead, regularly occurs, and a small group of the masters are devotees of the Cult of Revenants.
Lucien died of consumption despite Lady Grey’s fanatical attempts to keep him alive, and her mind finally and fully snapped. Convinced that she must educate her child to spread the word of the Panacea, Lady Grey set about taking the natural path for her — to make the perfect child in Lucien’s image. From that time on, Lady Grey has been experimenting, becoming a homunculi wife set upon creating a perfect child. She has dabbled with cadavers, creating alchymic undead† from some of the corpses of children Sprat and Marrow supplied her with.
The sphere is the Cuckoo-Womb Lady Grey uses to carry out her work. She binds her victims in the sphere, to make Staff of Life worms (see below) or to release them on some creature she intends to make into an alchymic undead or an abomination. To make an abomination, she bloats the worms on the blood of the creature she wishes to conjoin with the trapped creature and waits to see what happens. If she uses the works to try to create an alchymic undead, she uses worms fed on pigs or, if she can get them, fresh, healthy human, ideally without blemish or sickness.
The dose of Staff of Life worms is worth 150 gp or could be used to make an alchymic undead.
The chimney wing is Lady Grey’s latest addition to the manse. It contains her crucible where she creates alchymic undead, tries to raise children, and makes abominations.
Elixir of Life magic item.
Intelligent Undead: ?
Ghast, Intelligent Undead: ?
Wraith, Intelligent Undead: ?
Undead Statuary: [The Butcher's Bride's] speciality was disembowelling her victims and creating undead statuary from them.
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Less Common Undead: ?
Blood-Drinking Undead Beast: ?
Undead Horse: ?
Undead Object: ?
Animated Insect: ?
Unliving Stole: ?
Undead Moth: ?
Undead Fox: ?
Zombie, Lesser Undead: ?
Lesser Undead: ?
Land of Long Night, Undead Spirit: ?
Undead Spirit: ?
Undead Seagull: ?
Animated Undead: ?
Necrocraft: A necrocraft is a medley of undead body parts and corpses grafted together with dark magic to create a single animated undead creature with abilities based on its component pieces and the surgical and necromantic talents of its creator. Necrocrafts are better suited for brute force than delicate manipulation, and most creators build larger hulks rather than smaller, more agile (and fragile) necrocrafts. Though necrocrafts can be of virtually any size and can be made up of undead bodies or parts of any size, a typical specimen is 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds.
Bileborn: The bileborn is an undead creature born of alchemical and necromantic experimentation. Its purpose and the identity of its creator are unknown, but the mistakes of this master have long since been paid for, as the original bileborn ultimately escaped and slew its creator, incorporating his body among the rest.
A bileborn seeks to increase its mass by absorbing creatures into its body. This does not increase the creature’s size or change it in any fundamental way, but the crowd of body parts grows denser at its center. Then at some indeterminate point, the creature reproduces by fission. The fused conglomeration of rotten body parts splits down the middle, forming two bileborns of equal size and power. These instinctively avoid each other as they go their own ways in search of victims to absorb.
Child of Folly, Unique Undead Ooze: ?
Massive Undead Ooze: ?
Coffer Corpse: ?
Mocking Gull, Twisted Bloated Between-Touched Undead Stirge: ?
The Thing That Was Once Rachel Birch, Reanimated Vengeful Remains: In the Gyre, the characters also find what has been moulded from Rachel Birch, the Knight Occularis who suffered visions and who tried to cut them from her mind. The Beautiful has made flesh from her doubt, and skin from her madness. She too is waiting for the characters in the dark of the river.
Finally, the reanimated and vengeful remains of Rachel Birch are found here.
Undead Servitor: ?
Lesser Undead, The Made: Made, The — commonly encountered forms of lesser undead and constructs cheaply made and used for mindless labour.
Musgrove I, The Dead-Hearted, The Cold-Hearted, Lich-Like Monstrosity, Undead Ruler, Undead King, Undead Father: Musgrove II’s reign was doomed to be short as well, however, for his father’s research had borne deadly fruit. Musgrove I emerged from his tomb as a lich-like monstrosity after resting for only four years, slew his own son — whom he named as the Usurper — and resumed his reign.
Foreign Undead: ?
Undead With a Mind: ?
Ancient Undead: ?
Spontaneously Forming Undead: ?
Undead Beast of Burden: ?
Undead Worker: ?
Uriah: The Heaths rely upon the fierce reputation of their brutal former leader Uriah to do their work for them; Uriah had a dreadful reputation for violence and his name still causes fear among locals, who are convinced he is either not dead or will return as undead or alchymic-undying soon.
Undead Bat Swarm: ?
Undead Ruler: ?
Minor Undead: ?
Minor Undead Beetle: ?
Minor Undead Insect: ?
Minor Undead Small Mammal: ?
Minor Undead Mouse: ?
Undead Featherless Crow: ?
Undead Cat, Dead Cat: ?
Undead Young Rat: ?
Undead Spider: ?
Undead Cricket: ?
Undead Dwarf Monkey: ?
Undead Hummingbird: ?
Undead Torpid Kitten: ?
Undead Black Swan: ?
Forgotten Princess, Banshee: ?
Ghost: ?
Rachel Birch, Ghost: With that in mind, you might want to consider her death. It is too soon for her — she is tortured by the Beautiful and what it is offering but is an inquisitor and remains so until the ultimate end. Such a furious internal conflict is a good way to become a ghost.
The Whistling, Skirling Ghost: ?
Mister Smyle, Gnome Ghost, Reclusive Ghost: Unfortunately, the work took its toll on Smyle as well, he hanged himself from the bar in 1567. He haunts the place now as a reclusive ghost.
Ghost Light, Ghost: ?
Shipbuilder Ghost: ?
White Lady Ghost: ?
Bittersweet Ghost: ?
Ghoul Pig: ?
Sprat, Wererat Ghoul: ?
Ghoul Wolf: ?
Ghoul: ?
Cattle-Like Ghoul: ?
Weak Old Ghoul: ?
Guelder Winter, Human Ghast, Human-Looking Ghoul: ?
Impaled Ghoul: ?
Sister Oblivion, Human Ghoul, Undead Flute-Playing Prostitute: ?
Marriana Ragg, Human Ghoul: ?
Blight Ghoul: ?
Egger Kask, Ghoul: ?
Aquatic Ghoul: ?
Fecule, Human Ghoul Spy: ?
Grace Spindleshanked, Ghoul, Ghoul Whore, Ghoul Harlot: ?
Liza, Ghoul: ?
Maude, Ghoul: ?
Slaken, Ghoul: ?
Molly, Ghoul, Ghoul-Prostitute: ?
Letty, Ghoul, Ghoul-Prostitute: ?
Grace, Ghoul, Ghoul-Prostitute: ?
Jacob, Ghoul: ?
Logg, Ghoul: ?
Alchymically-Created Ghoul: ?
Isaac Maggot, Ghoul: ?
Urias Kemp, Human Ghast, Undead Thespian: Following a disastrous appearance at the Crippled Lamb Gin House that resulted in a month-long protest boycott of the venue by all the local talent agents, Queenie had him thrown down a manhole. Having lain unconscious in the dark tunnel below for some time, Kemp was awoken by a weak old ghoul that, believing him already dead, had begun to feast upon one of his legs. Kemp smashed its head in with a chunk of masonry but the damage was done: at first, he was in too much pain to escape his plight, and then the ghoul fever took hold, sealing his fate.
Ghast: ?
The Only, Mother Mantis, Human Ghast: Before she was infected and became a ghast, she had been a cleric of LuciferTOHC and retains standing with that cult.
Penitent One, Ghast: ?
His Tattered Majesty, Grim-Cacor I, Dwarf Ghast, Ghoul-Thane: ?
Aquatic Ghast: ?
Lacedon: The Great Whale is indeed big enough to accommodate people living inside it, and these unwelcome squatters live within the rear parts of the vast whale’s mouth, dwelling in safe havens they have fashioned into crude fleshy dwellings that form air pockets whilst the whale is beneath the sea. They are not alone. So vast is the thing that lacedons — the undead remains of sailors who have lived and died here — also dwell within it.
Master Trough, Swyne Ghast: ?
Young Grog, Swyne Ghast: ?
Mistress Binge, Swyne Ghast: ?
Lich: ?
Count Strord, Lich: ?
Ancient Lich: ?
Demi-Lich: ?
Shadow: ?
Skeleton: ?
Number Six, Human Skeleton: ?
Servitor Skeleton: ?
Specter, Spectre, Spirit: The spirits of three nest-hunters who fell while hunting for eggs long ago haunt the cliffs here.
Naiadic Between Spectre: ?
Mister Algernon Alfonse Leptonia, Hardened Vampire Spawn: ?
Diseased Vampire: Virtually no diseases affect the undead, but as with everything in the City of Castorhage, diseases can take unusual forms and abnormal virulence. The Nosferiadra is a magical curse rather than a disease, but it has a physical presence, a drifting cloud that winds its way through the blight along streets and into shadows, down gutters and over rooftops. It is neither extensive nor particularly contagious, but the vampire Hemlock has been unlucky enough to be infected by its influence. The effect of the curse is much like a disease that might affect a living being; Hemlock is not as powerful or as capable as a vampire in the prime of death.
Lord Aspen Hemlock, Diseased Vampire, Vampire Lord, Vampire Artist, Vampire Master, Aristocratic Vampire, True Vampire: Virtually no diseases affect the undead, but as with everything in the City of Castorhage, diseases can take unusual forms and abnormal virulence. The Nosferiadra is a magical curse rather than a disease, but it has a physical presence, a drifting cloud that winds its way through the blight along streets and into shadows, down gutters and over rooftops. It is neither extensive nor particularly contagious, but the vampire Hemlock has been unlucky enough to be infected by its influence. The effect of the curse is much like a disease that might affect a living being; Hemlock is not as powerful or as capable as a vampire in the prime of death.
Wither, Human Diseased Vampire, Old Vampire: ?
Threnody, The Hungry Mother, Powerful Between Vampire: ?
Karlingen Borxia, Beltane, God-Emperor of the Fetch, King of Thorns, Master of Impaling, Great Vampire, Great Vampire-King, Ancient Vampire, Vampire-God, Vampire Lord, God-Like Vampire, Vampire God-Emperor: 2277 Karlingen Borxia encounters Underguild, transformed into vampire.
2372 Karlingen Borxia steals Underguild artefact and uses it to achieve godlike powers.
Great Vampire: ?
Vampire Elder: ?
Vampire: ?
Great Cleric Anthony Mackus, Gable-Man, Vampire: Rumour has it that Mackus is now none other than the Gable-Man, a vampire of legend that eats the happiness of old people, and that he was struck down by vampirism by none other than Beltane himself.
Elite Vampire: ?
Etumo, Vampire: ?
Perdition, Dread Queen of Un-Birth, Ancient Vampire: ?
The Brackish King, Between Vampire: ?
Vampire Spawn: A humanoid slain in this way [by Beltaine's bite attack] and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the Beltane’s control.
A humanoid slain in this way [by a diseased vampire's bite attack] and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire’s control.
Lesser Blight Vampire: ?
Crimson Death: ?
Vampiric Mist: ?
Blight Vampire: Between vampires do not have the ability to create spawn, but Threnody is one of the rare examples of her kind that can create a new generation of Between vampires. Every century or so, she becomes obsessed with reproduction. No act of procreation is required for such an event to occur and conclude. When it occurs, she grows to Large size as she bloats with a host of young, and her hunger to feed becomes almost a madness. She requires living hosts into which her young are birthed and prefers them to be sentient creatures of the mundane world. When birthed, the young occupy a large cyst in their host’s body where they feed for 1d3 days until they grow rudimentary wings 1d3 days later. At that point, they finish feeding upon the host and burrow out to make their escape, maturing to become full-grown Between vampires in a matter of weeks. When they first emerge from the host they are virtually helpless (AC 10, hit points 2, fly 10 ft.), but after that they begin to grow and transform into a fully-grown Blight vampire at within 2d12 days and develop the natural abilities of their kind during this time.
Princess Lilly, Blight Vampire: Princess Lilly had prepared her own pacts, and shortly after her murder arose again as a vampire who now stalks the halls of the palace by night and enjoys bedevilling her family and their servants.
Chamomile Bramble, Lesser Blight Vampire: ?
His Holiness the Drogè of the Holy Mother, Lesser Blight Vampire: ?
Lady Fidelia Flax Shortstone, Lesser Blight Vampire: ?
Between Vampire: Between vampires do not have the ability to create spawn, but Threnody is one of the rare examples of her kind that can create a new generation of Between vampires. Every century or so, she becomes obsessed with reproduction. No act of procreation is required for such an event to occur and conclude. When it occurs, she grows to Large size as she bloats with a host of young, and her hunger to feed becomes almost a madness. She requires living hosts into which her young are birthed and prefers them to be sentient creatures of the mundane world. When birthed, the young occupy a large cyst in their host’s body where they feed for 1d3 days until they grow rudimentary wings 1d3 days later. At that point, they finish feeding upon the host and burrow out to make their escape, maturing to become full-grown Between vampires in a matter of weeks.
Human Vampire: ?
Queen Selene, Vampire: Beltane visited Queen Selene in the night, twice, while the family made its preparations for departure, each time leaving her one step closer to immortal undeath. On the third night, Beltane stepped upon the ship’s deck to see the island suddenly sinking beneath the waves. He dove in and swam to the Queen’s chamber where he found her upon the verge of drowning — and bestowed upon her his final life-draining kiss. He then buried her deep in the sea mud to await the next night. When she arose as a vampire at the next nightfall, she found that Beltane had fashioned a coffin from her furnishings in the palace.
The Singed Man, The Infernal Tyrant, Powerful Vampire Lord, Vampire-Lord: ?
Battle-Duke Ormand of the Rampart, Vampire Spawn: ?
Father of Castorhage Quedecce III, Vampire: ?
Terrible Vampire: ?
Elizabeth Marnier, Vampire: In fact, Elisabeth Marnier (female vampire) was infected with vampirism whilst festering in the lower jails within the Capitol, but escaped and fled here.
Magnus Melancholy, Vampire: ?
Master of Ceremonies Rudyard Hasp, Vampire: ?
Qui, Vampire: ?
Alby Otiose, Vampire: ?
Ancient Xianbi, Grace of the Smiling Slumbering Dragon, Chosen of Beltane, Vampire: ?
Archibald Hegg, Vampire Spawn: ?
Ancient Vampire: ?
Callwell Carver, Humanoid Vampire: ?
Madame Rosetta Violet, Human Vampire ?
The Blessed One, Vampire Bandit Captain: [ I]n 1509, paladins of the Trinity of Life hoping to discover and destroy Beltane, captured the boy who would become the Blessed One, then only a human but a thrall of one of the Fetch’s Deceivers. The vampire-hunting paladins carried a flask of the newly discovered ragefire with them for use against the vampire god-emperor when they found him. Underestimating the homeless waif they had captured, the hunters let down their guard only for a moment, but it was long enough for the child to turn their weapon against them and smash the flask upon the leader of the paladins (already their 187th mushaff*).
The ragefire consumed the screaming paladins and grew larger before feasting upon the rest of the structure and thousands of Town Bridge’s residents. The resulting conflagration raged for a week and a day, and near consumed the entire bridge before a section collapsed beneath the ragefire and sent it to its doom in the waters of the Lyme below, and the rest of the blaze finally spent its fuel. Tales among the Fetch, tell that the boy only survived by falling, blazing, into the river below, where he was found by Beltane himself and blessed with the gift of unlife in reward for his loyalty.
Vampire Seer: ?
Vampire-Queen Penance: ?
Madam Kale, Vampire Spawn: ?
The Burnt One, Vampire Spawn: ?
The Empty One, Vampire Spawn: The Empty One was once a knight who tried to destroy Wither. The vampire broke him on a wheel, ensuring that the calamity that remained was at the edge of death when it returned as a full-fledged vampire. The thing that was left, which Wither named the Empty One, is a broken, mangled creature.
The Empty One, Human Vampire: The Empty One was once a knight who tried to destroy Wither. The vampire broke him on a wheel, ensuring that the calamity that remained was at the edge of death when it returned as a full-fledged vampire. The thing that was left, which Wither named the Empty One, is a broken, mangled creature.
Spawn of Wither, Vampire Spawn: ?
Ambergris, Vampire: ?
Gideon Murkwid, Vampire Spawn: ?
Young Between Vampire: ?
Between Vampire Spawn: ?
Bride Elthanor Thorn, Human Vampire: ?
Wight: One of the statues has birthed an undead that slowly mumbles to itself, much to Algernon’s amusement. If quizzed, Algernon claims that his genius breathes life into his creations from time to time, as does Sallow’s.
Will-o'-Wisp: ?
Zombie Labourer: ?
Zombie: [An Alchymic-Unliving] creature must make a successful DC 15 Wisdom saving throw every 30 days or its Intelligence is permanently reduced by 1. If its Intelligence declines to 3, it transforms into a zombie.
A humanoid slain by [The Thing That Was Once Rachel Birch's bite] attack rises 24 hours later as a zombie under The Thing That Was Once Rachel Birch’s control, unless the humanoid is restored to life or its body is destroyed.
The other figures are disgusting creations that have had life breathed into them. They are part carcass, part art, and each has animal and monster and human parts but, unless attacked, they merely follow the characters, perhaps touching their hair or fingers. These are 6 zombies.
Zombie, Lesser Undead: ?
Brine Zombie: ?
Zombie Horse: ?
Zombie House Cat: ?
Zombie Mule: ?
Zombie-Stirge: ?
Rullan Bread, Zombie: ?
Jonas Long-Tongue, Mohrg Assassin: Ornamie Elias Hogg (1722–?), city’s longest-serving Watch Inspector. Disappeared Chill 17th, 1772, while chasing Jonas Long-Tongue, the feared mohrg assassin capable of infecting his victims with his own form.
Mohrg: Ornamie Elias Hogg (1722–?), city’s longest-serving Watch Inspector. Disappeared Chill 17th, 1772, while chasing Jonas Long-Tongue, the feared mohrg assassin capable of infecting his victims with his own form.
The Staff of Life (a.k.a. The Elixir)
“More a curse than a blessing…”
For some, life must go on no matter what the cost. The dabblings of arcane physicians into the stuff of life was always going to be dangerous. Elixir of life — “The Elixir” or “Staff of Life” as is it sometimes known among the whispers of the Lowfolk — comes from feeding a particular species of Between worm with flesh and blood of the mundane world — living flesh and blood, and the healthier and fresher the blood used, the better the quality of elixir. Worms are then either injected (in many cases) or held in an artificially made womb known as the Cuckoo Womb into which the subject is immersed.
The Cuckoo Womb is used in general to create new forms or hybrid creatures from the parts of others harvested using a particularly unpleasant ritual involving injecting the creature with elixir and farming off the parts that are required. The parts are crudely sewn or affixed together in hopes that the Cuckoo Womb and the elixir do the rest — although they often do not. The minor works of many celebrated golem-stitchers slither or drag themselves through the city as a result of this process, unable to die without destruction. Theirs is a pitiful existence, and one that often leads to diabolic revenge. Artisans of this trade — Golem-Stitchers and Homuncule Wives and Cadaver-Surgeons — are usually drawn into the profession through reading or through association; there is no level requirement to carry out such work, only a steady hand and brutal soul.
The true and purest elixir of life commands a high price, at least 20,000 gp per dose, and even this price comes with no guarantee of success. Of course, where every genuine artefact is found, fakes soon follow, and cheaper and less-stable versions of the elixir have flooded darker parts of the market. That the undeath that follows is agonizing or that some subjects are prone to appalling unmaking as the threads of the elixir dissolve, taking their hosts with them, makes the elixir not merely a boon, but a weapon in some eyes. Many see the forced injection of the elixir into workers as being of incalculable benefit; true, the servant withers in terms of their personality and vital spark and living relationships, but their skills remain! What price for a manufactury of unliving workers who toil day and night and never need rest yet have the intelligence and abilities that typical examples of the animated dead do not. Some call this concept the “New Utopia.” Many in the city claim that such manufacturies not only exist already but are thriving, and it can only be a matter of time before everyone in the city is aware of an unliving. Forced undeath is becoming more common by the day, as are the poor wretches who drag their rotting and failing carcasses into the dark places away from sight and seems likely only to expand with the recent Corpse Act of 1770.
The characters hear more shouting at street corners, particularly the words “Staff of Life” and “the Elixir.” The foul substance is being used to make alchymic undead, many of whom are now being forced to work in manufacturies and mines after being killed in horrible accidents.
ELIXIR OF LIFE
Potion, very rare
A living creature that is not of the aberration, celestial, construct, elemental, or fiend type that is injected with elixir of life (an infusion process that takes an hour and requires either a helpless or willing recipient) must make an immediate Constitution saving throw based on the quality of the elixir. Creatures that are immune to poison or necrotic damage are not affected by the elixir. If the saving throw is successful, the creature dies and rises again in 1d4 hours as a “Reborn” with the alchymic-undying† template. If the saving throw is failed, the individual immediately dies and rises in 1d10 minutes as an undead creature with the alchymic-unliving†.
If the elixir is applied to a creature of the appropriate types (as described above) that has died within the last 24 hours but whose corpse is still relatively intact, the creature still gets a Constitution saving throw as if it were still alive with outcome of becoming either an alchymic-undying or an alchymic-unliving creature, but the saving throw is made at a cumulative +1 penalty to the DC of the saving throw for every 2 hours since it died (not including the hour required for infusion).
If used in conjunction with a Cuckoo Womb and pieces of only partial cadavers in order to create a new-made form of life (as adjudicated by the GM), the elixir likewise has a quality-based saving throw to determine the stability of this outcome. If this saving throw is successful, the resulting creature is stable as a new type of living creature. If the save is unsuccessful, the new-made creature is unsuccessful, is in extensive pain, and dies in 1d4 days as its body literally falls apart.
Anything of medium-grade elixir or lower is unpredictable, short lived, and prone to sudden violent unravelling. For each year of life or unlife for low-grade elixir, each month for pig-grade elixir, and each week for street-grade elixir, the initial Constitution saving throw must be made again or the creature rapidly (and often revoltingly) unmakes itself just as if a new-made creature had failed its initial saving throw. There are some exceptional cases (again at the GM’s discretion), where such an unmaking does not fully destroy the creature but instead forces it to live in a pain-filled, half-life of indeterminate length and horror.
Elixir of Life
Elixir Quality
Price (per dose)
CL
Reborn Creature
Save DC (per dose)
New-Made Creature
Save DC (per dose)
Cost (Per Dose)
True Elixir
20,000 gp
9th
5
5
10,000 gp
Medium-Grade Elixir
5,000 gp
7th
15
10
5,000 gp
Low-Grade Elixir
1,000 gp
5th
25
15
500 gp
Pig-Grade Elixir**
500 gp
3rd
—
20
250 gp
Street-Grade Elixir
100 gp
—
—
25
50 gp
The Secret of the Staff of Life
Characters deciphering this secret become aware of its risks and benefits, but it requires reading the three-volume set, which takes at least a month. After reading the tomes, the character becomes aware of the secret of using the Staff of Life. It explains, in detail the process, as briefly outlined in area LG18 of using the Staff of Life to create alchymic-undying, alchymic-unliving, and abominations. It also explains the process by which to create the various grades of elixir of life (see The Cyclopædia Infestarum).
The books are worth 1,500 gp.
