Lands of Theia
Pathfinder 1e
Deathless: Deathless are returned to life to serve a greater purpose than in the one prior. Sometimes that purpose is to right a wrong, and sometimes it is servitude or repayment.
With each passing year, it is increasingly difficult to resurrect any creature on Xaotawn. Whatever spell the Blood Emperor used only grows stronger; and those few souls returned to life with the magic granted by Aria and the Philosophy of the Light find their unliving bodies infused with positive energy. They are alive, yet not. They are deathless.
The magic created by resurrection that returns them to life stays with a deathless until they settle on a physical presence in the mortal realm. Many never even realize this, returning simply as themselves sans pigment. Those with a little better understanding of the possibility of return, or whose outlook on deathless is wildly skewed in some way often turn out much different. Accounts of living skeletons, pristine forms, and gnarled, intelligent, ever-rotting corpses persist in all of the countries where resurrection can result in the creation of a deathless.
Deathless exist outside of the cycle of life.
They made some great sacrifice for a greater good and honored their gods in such as way that they were returned to the realm of the living. Their story continues, their physical bodies transformed seemingly into undead, but their souls are still healed by the magic that cured them in life.
The entity or god that was invoked during its resurrection has a perverse influence on both the alignment and religious beliefs of a deathless.
Any god called upon to resurrect a fallen ally might raise them as deathless for their own reasons, and deathless without direction end up worshiping those gods despite being given only a half life for their efforts.
Deathless are sometimes brought back only in spirit, and subsequently bound to the armor they wore in life.
Floodslain: “Floodslain” is an acquired template that can be added to any non-aquatic living creature.
Nedrin Wedtlesby, Deathless Swashbuckler 3: ?
Rilla Lux, Deathless, Lady of Her Word, Kind-Hearted Person, Young Lady With Bold Hair and an Unnatural Feeling About Her: Donning the necklace, Rilla was shocked to discover it housed a being of great intellect and power. This unknown patron whispered directly to Rilla’s mind, promising greater knowledge and access to power if she would use it to find a way to free the entity. Without hesitation, Rilla agreed, and a pact was made.
Using her borrowed knowledge and the magic it afforded her, Rilla became an asset to her crew and remained with them while she sought her patron’s freedom. When a rival gang drew them into battle, Rilla was flung overboard, crashing painfully into the ocean below. In her final moments, the witch felt something change inside, then all went dark.
She awoke, choking and sputtering, on the shores of Idon Oh, her necklace aglow with power. Her patron explained that it had saved her from the cold grasp of Lady Shinzosui so that she could still serve it, but in doing so, the entity had transformed Rilla. She was now deathless.
Undead, Undead Creature, Living Dead, Undead Monster, Undead Being: In Xaotawn, the barrier sentinels are trained to guard the royal families—all of whom are undead thanks to a curse resulting from their king’s misguided actions.
There are currently 7 royal families recognized by the people of Xaotawn. Each was transformed into undead befitting their natures and the areas at which they continue to exist.
The spies that infiltrate the cursed section of Xaotawn have been returning with disturbing news. The undead armies of Xoxanis have been collecting corpses in the old mines, graves, and shipwrecks in the oceans around Xaotawn to create an unliving force the likes of which Theia has never seen.
But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost. Others turned pale, fangs growing from their mouths as they started hunting those who remained for their blood. Still more never stood again, at least not using their bodies. They had become ghosts, forever caught between life and death. What remained of the people surrounding the survivors was now a macabre collection of zombies, skeletons, and other myriad undead beings.
After the curse swept through Xaotawn there were those who fought back. The fact that the emperor had participated in an unholy ritual and transformed the royal families into undead monsters was too vile to live with, and many of the still-living fled to the western coastline of their country’s largest island.
When an average creature’s soul passes through the Veil, it is often transported to the original realm of death: The Negative Energy Plane. It is within this realm that souls are judged by psychopomps. Those whose souls are claimed by a greater entity are shepherded to that being’s realm. Those who lack such allegiances are offered the opportunity to become psychopomps themselves. On rare occasion, another creature might invite a soul to live on within that individual’s dreamscape. Rarer still are the creatures with no ties to any higher power, but who also are either not welcomed by or unable to become psychopomps. These poor souls are among the first shunted back into Theia as ghosts, haunts, and other undead.
More Powerful Undead: ?
Undead Ally Skeleton: ?
Undead Ally Zombie: ?
Mindless Undead: ?
Enchanted Undead: Corpse Shaper feat.
Undead Companion: ?
Undead Badger Animal Companion: ?
Undead Bird Animal Companion: ?
Undead Camel Animal Companion: ?
Undead Cat Small Animal Companion: ?
Undead Dire Rat Animal Companion: ?
Undead Dog Animal Companion: ?
Undead Horse Animal Companion: ?
Undead Pony Animal Companion: ?
Undead Snake Viper Animal Companion: ?
Undead Wolf Animal Companion: ?
Incorporeal Undead: ?
Fossilized Undead: ?
Undead Scaled Horror: ?
Undead Crewmember: ?
Uncontrollable Undead: ?
Insane Undead: ?
Traitorous Undead: ?
Newly Transformed Undead: ?
Undead Trooper: ?
Undead Monstrosity: ?
Undead Abomination: According to what Last Light knows about the Blood Emperor’s curse all of the royal families were turned into undead abominations.
Creature Damaged By Positive Energy: ?
Ghast, Horrible Ghast: The day after negotiations began, the delegates from New Onilaar and Percimum were openly accusing the Xaotawn native of stonewalling them when a wave of force from the south knocked over everything that wasn’t bolted down. For the second time in recorded history, an unknown power ripped across Theia, but to what end, nobody yet knew.
The pulse ended as quickly as it began, and at first everybody appeared to be fine. Then they noticed the Xaotawn representative was acting strange. When a guard walked over to help the man stand, the delegate grabbed him with clawed hands and ripped his throat out with a mouthful of fangs that had not been there before.
But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost.
Ghost: But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost. Others turned pale, fangs growing from their mouths as they started hunting those who remained for their blood. Still more never stood again, at least not using their bodies. They had become ghosts, forever caught between life and death.
Within the Forest of Shippai, ghosts unable to find peace walk the damp grounds.
When an average creature’s soul passes through the Veil, it is often transported to the original realm of death: The Negative Energy Plane. It is within this realm that souls are judged by psychopomps. Those whose souls are claimed by a greater entity are shepherded to that being’s realm. Those who lack such allegiances are offered the opportunity to become psychopomps themselves. On rare occasion, another creature might invite a soul to live on within that individual’s dreamscape. Rarer still are the creatures with no ties to any higher power, but who also are either not welcomed by or unable to become psychopomps. These poor souls are among the first shunted back into Theia as ghosts, haunts, and other undead.
Tamala Chedjou, Ghostly Vision, Beloved, Love: Depressed, he was wandering the dark streets where he met Tamala Chedjou, a soothsayer from Fafutan. Their relationship was cut tragically short when Tamala was shot during a gang fight and passed away. In a blind fury, Vincent single-handedly killed every member of that gang one by one while wearing his beloved’s holy symbol of a being she called The Beast Below. After he killed the gang’s leader his beloved appeared before him as a ghostly vision and kissed him. He swore his soul to the dark entity that day, using his gunplay and fafutani dark magic to do his love’s bidding for her. All of East Star will belong to him, He belongs to Tamala, and Tamala belongs to the Beast Below.
Ghoul, Horrible Ghoul: But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost.
Ghoul, Monstrosity: ?
Lich: At 20th level, the necromancer constructs a phylactery that he then uses to turn into a lich.
The bizarre family Yaag were practicing divination and necromantic rights long before their ruler unwittingly turned them all into liches.
Gatekeeper, Dracolich, True Monstrosity, Undead Dragon: ?
Mummy: Far to the north lies the family Giydirme, whose entire house was transformed into mummies.
Lady Giydirme, Mummy: Far to the north lies the family Giydirme, whose entire house was transformed into mummies. In life, Lady Giydirme was a consort of the Blood Emperor who foolishly believed herself his favorite and most likely queen. But the emperor’s tastes did not lie with her, and after his ritual was complete, she fled back to her home, where her ire builds with each passing year.
Skeleton: But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost. Others turned pale, fangs growing from their mouths as they started hunting those who remained for their blood. Still more never stood again, at least not using their bodies. They had become ghosts, forever caught between life and death. What remained of the people surrounding the survivors was now a macabre collection of zombies, skeletons, and other myriad undead beings.
Animate Dead Lesser spell.
Fossilized Reptilian Skeleton: ?
Skeletal Champion: ?
Vampire: ?
The Blood Emperor, Vampire, Undead Ruler, Undying Monarch, Undead Monstrosity, Undead Emperor, Vampiric Ruler: In the final days of the Three-Sided War, the emperor of Xaotawn made a deal with a mysterious being in order to live forever and see his nation rule the world. This deal backfired and turned the emperor into a vampire.
Emperor's Blood Priest, Vampiric Knight, Abomination: ?
Vampire Spawn: ?
Luzhilda Alvarez, Vampire Half-Dwarf Necromancer 4/Investigator 2, Blood Priest: A newer member of the blood priests, Luzhilda was turned vampire after she and her father helped solve a crime in Xoxanis involving a rogue poltergeist.
Zombie: But fate, it seemed, had already caught up with the emperor and his nobles. Accounts of the event paint a portrait of failure on a mythic scale. Many of the survivors from that day were children at the time. They recall the burst of energy, but only they stood back up from it. The rest of the men and women around them were changed. Some, like the representative at the signing, became horrible ghouls and ghasts, their sanity and all humanity lost. Others turned pale, fangs growing from their mouths as they started hunting those who remained for their blood. Still more never stood again, at least not using their bodies. They had become ghosts, forever caught between life and death. What remained of the people surrounding the survivors was now a macabre collection of zombies, skeletons, and other myriad undead beings.
Animate Dead Lesser spell.
Cursed Earth spell.
Berbalang: ?
Crawling Hand: ?
Giant Crawling Hand: ?
Dullahan: Not actually an original royal family, in death the Dulluhan have proven their worth to the country that so hated them. All were traitors to the crown, thieves, and perverts bound for the guillotine when the curse took their heads prematurely.
Festrog: ?
Grave Knight: Like the emperor’s personal guard, the royal military was transformed by his failed attempt at immortality. Cursed as grave knights, the Mezar have now formed their own court, with the former commander general as their leader.
Hayalaet: Formerly the merchants’ guild of Xaotawn, the leaders of the Hyalaet were separated from their bodies when the curse struck the land. Many fell to despair, losing their minds as well when they could neither craft their wares nor move on to any semblance of an afterlife.
Huecuva: When they agreed to help their emperor live forever, the church of Xaotawn was accused of acting against their gods, but before they could prove their devotion, the curse struck them down and turned them into huecuvas.
Rogue Poltergeist: ?
Skinwraith: ?
Yukki-Onna, Silent Murderous Yukki-Onnah: Off the south-western tip of Xaotawn, tribes fished in the waters between the country’s edge and the frozen expanse to the south. As the curse affected the rest of the continent, so too were these poor souls transformed; frozen by the magic they used to preserve their catches. The male tribesmen became wendigos, while the females transformed into yukki-onna.
The curse of the Blood Emperor had far-reaching effects even beyond Xaotawn. None have been more eerie than what happened to the fishing villages on the frozen reaches of Southern Theia. With the males becoming insanity-spreading wendigos and the females becoming silent, murderous yukki-onnah the frozen lands closest to the southern pole sees few visitors.
Zombie Lord: ?
Haunt: When an average creature’s soul passes through the Veil, it is often transported to the original realm of death: The Negative Energy Plane. It is within this realm that souls are judged by psychopomps. Those whose souls are claimed by a greater entity are shepherded to that being’s realm. Those who lack such allegiances are offered the opportunity to become psychopomps themselves. On rare occasion, another creature might invite a soul to live on within that individual’s dreamscape. Rarer still are the creatures with no ties to any higher power, but who also are either not welcomed by or unable to become psychopomps. These poor souls are among the first shunted back into Theia as ghosts, haunts, and other undead.
Corpse Shaper [Necromancer] (Item Creation)
Prerequisite: 5th-level necromancer.
Benefit: You can enchant a single, mindless undead you create as if it was a masterwork weapon. The undead must be able to deal damage of the appropriate type to benefit from those enhancements (such as an attack that deals piercing or slashing damage to gain keen). You can read scrolls containing the necessary spells as if they were on your spell list, but only when using them to create undead.
An enchanted undead gains 1 additional hit point per Hit Die for every 1,000 gp of enchantments placed on it. If an enchanted undead is destroyed, you can collect some of its remains (or dust) and use them to put the same exact enchantments on the next undead you create.
