Undead Origins

[Voadam]

Beasts of Legend: Boreal Bestiary (5e)
5e
Green Child: Beneath the soured mires of the cold wastelands, black swamps, and chilling ice moors stir the remnants of man’s most horrific sins, the tumultuary corpses of wrongfully slain children. What force stirs their souls to unrest remains an enigma, for certainly the green children are evil creatures capable of perpetrating vengeful and sadistic acts upon the living. Some surmise that their violence serves as an act of justice; however, these malevolent beings lack ethics and indiscriminately attack any mortals they encounter.
Gaunt Corpse: ?
Lithesome Horror: ?
Tumultuary Corpse: ?
Evil Creature: ?
Malevolent Being: ?
Undead: ?

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of Legend: Coldwood Codex (5e)
5e
Vile Undead: ?
Spirit of the Dead: ?
Unliving Foe: ?
Undead: ?
Standard Zombie: ?
Faleich-Wyrm, Ravening Faleich-Wyrm: The ravening faleich-wyrm was created as an undead engine of destruction but proved too powerful and deadly for even its creators to control, now broken free and spreading leech-ridden plague and corruption wherever they go.
In centuries past, the king of the wild Northlands entreated a cabal of sinister necromancers known as the Faleich-Mar to create for him the penultimate undead war-beast to obliterate and devour the armies of his enemies to the south. To meet his request, the Faleich-Mar bred monstrous-sized tatzlwyrms, infested them with undead leeches that drove the creatures insane, turning them into raging violent beasts before slaying them. When necromancers raised their corpses, the result proved undeniably destructive. Yet the arcane madness that once afflicted their living brains caused their deterioration, making them impossible to control in undeath.
To retain secrecy, they altered the raising ritual, placing the undead creatures in a sort of stasis. This allowed the cabal to create hundreds of Faleich-wyrms that they could later raise simultaneously, using a single final ritual.
Undead Engine of Destruction: ?
Undead War-Beast: ?
Undead Leech: ?
Slough, Ancient and Terrible Slough: The ancient and terrible slough is an undead druid spreading blight and corruption as they gnaw at the heart of the woodlands and wild lands they once protected.
A slough is powerful undead creature, a former druid that steals her power directly from the earth she once swore to protect. To sustain herself in undeath a slough manipulates a specially prepared dolmen known as a weirdstone to siphon life from the earth, which she then feeds upon to empower for her own dark and malevolent existence.
All slough begin as mortal druids who become corrupted by using weirdstones. Though the weirdstone can supply a mortal with great power, using these artifacts also drains the life energy of a mortal user, eventually slaying that individual and forcing its body into a constant cycle of decomposition and regeneration. Upon dying, the mortal sheds her skin and transforms into a slough.
Undead Druid: ?
Powerful Undead Creature: ?
Ugrohter, Sadistic Ugrohter: The sadistic ugrohter once was fey itself in life, but its lineage has been left far behind, replaced by a murderous impulse to dole out cruelty with deadly ensorcelled needles.
Ugrohters are undead fey whose accursed souls become trapped upon the Material Plane.
Ugrohters trace their origins to the bands of psychotic pixies that in lost eons allied themselves with Kryonis-Athym, a rebellious fey overlord whose radical proposals included bonding with humans in order to expand Otherworld’s influence on the mortal planes. In the end, the lords of Otherworld sided against Kryonis, cast him out of Otherworld and then slew him. The severing of this bond caused those of his followers who had already taken up residence on the Material Plane to die. These unfortunate fey then rose from the dead, gruesomely transformed into ugrohters.
Undead Fey: ?
Barrow Wight: The barrow wight is an undead warlord, deadly skilled with a sword but also with nightmarish sorcerous incantations that make escaping its haunted demesne nearly impossible, unless it lets you escape for its own fell purposes.
Forlorn and fearsome, barrow wights were once warlords or princes of old. While some few came to their current state by the powerful curse of a darkling power, most earned an eternity of unlife through their own dire and dreadful predations, whether in war and conquest or in the oppression and exploitation of their own people.
While greed runs deeply in the cold heart of a barrow wight, it is not only avarice but a thirst for power and authority that drives them into their restless undead state.
Undead Warlord: ?
Boreal Wight: The boreal wight is far less regal, the spirit of the dead abandoned in the depths of the cold woods, its hate making it one with the forest floor where it has lain in a shallow grave, dragging others down to musty death.
Boreal wights are the restless dead left unburied in the evergreen forests of the north.
They seek to share their undying pain with any living humanoid creatures they meet, filling the forests with victims who [are] like themselves.
Unlike common wights, the undead flesh of boreal wights bonds in a strange way with the needle-strewn forest floor where their unburied remains are left to rot and corrupt. The tattered and shriveled remnants of their flesh and garments alike are stained brown and deep green, with bits of earth, jagged stone fragments, gnarled roots, and fallen evergreen needles clinging to them and knitting together into razor-edged vines threaded around and through the wight’s flesh.
Restless Dead: ?
Common Wight: ?
Boreal Spawn: A humanoid killed by a boreal wight that is either restrained by its thornbind ability or buried in the earth rises as a boreal spawn after 1 minute. Corpses freed from the thornbind or removed from the earth before 1 minute are spared the transformation.

The Slough’s Weirdstone
A weirdstone is magical item that serves as the source of the slough’s mystic power. A typical weirdstone is a roughly egg-shaped boulder about three cubic feet in volume and entirely scribed with strange runes. Weirdstones weigh roughly 4,000 lbs.
Blasphemous versions of dolmen and similar druidic stones, the slough’s weirdstone draws energy directly from the earth. This allows the slough to use the earth’s energies to restore her own druid powers even though she herself is an abomination that violates the druidic code.
Weirdstones allow the user to cast spells as a druid with a caster level equal to the creator at the time of its creation (minimum 7th). As these dolmen are typically handed down or stolen by their users, the caster levels of acquired weirdstones varies.
Undead creatures that cast druidic spells in their previous life may tap into the weirdstone’s power automatically. A living creature who wishes to use a weirdstone must spend 8 hours in meditation. At the end of 8 hours, they may attempt an Intelligence (Arcane) or Intelligence (Nature) check (DC 8 + the stone’s caster level). A successful check attunes the stone to the user and allows them to cast spells as a druid of the weirdstone’s level until they take a full rest. After a full rest, the user loses attunement and must attempt to attune the wierdstone again to regain use of its powers. Each attempt by a living creature to attune the stone reduces the creature’s hit point maximum by 2d10 (13) whether or not the skill check is successful. The user’s hit point maximum returns at a rate of 1d10 (6) per full rest.

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of Legend: Construct Codex (5E)
5e
Ghost: ?
Undead: ?
Haunt: ?

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of Legend: Fairy Tale Creatures (5E)
5e
Terror Banshee: A banshee is the undead spirit of an elven woman who, in her last moments of life, either committed some sort of heinous betrayal of her friends and family or was herself dealt a soul-shattering, torturous death at the hands of those she thought were her allies and loved ones. In either event, the spirit of the slain elf rises with the next sunset as a creature of indiscriminate vengeance whose hatred of the living targets both innocent and guilty with equal ferocity.
Undead Spirit: ?
Nearly Mindless Harbinger of Death: ?
Wicked Will-o'-Wisp, Mythic Will-o'-Wisp, Jack o’ the Lanterns, Corpse Candle, Walking Fire, Pine Light, Spooklight, Rushlight: ?
Dangerous Predator: ?
False Guide: ?
Evil Creature: ?

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of the East: China (5e)
5e
Celestial Stag: Celestial stags arise when a mine collapses and traps the miners underground. Then, if the miners are fed by the essences of the earth and the metal they are digging for, they become a form of undead, able to move and talk, although with bodies that are quite dead.
Undead: ?
Chiang-Shih Vampire, Ch’ing-Shih, Hishsue-K’uei, Blood-Suck Demon, Jiang-Shi, Kiang-Shi, Kyonshi, Qing-Shi, Kyuketsuki, Corpse Demon, Chinese Vampire: A chiang-shih is created when a corpse is animated by the p’oh, or inferior soul. The p’oh tends to remain in the body of the deceased while the han (or superior soul) continues to the afterlife, leading to the corpse becoming a vampire and preying on the living. A chiang-shih can be created when a person dies by drowning, hanging, suicide, or suffocation. The p’oh can also possess someone who dies unexpectedly, or who has not yet been buried. Finally, allowing an animal (such as a cat) to leap over a corpse can also cause it to rise as a chiang-shih.
If the chiang-shih was created due to being improperly buried (or, not buried at all) then it will most likely direct its anger at close relatives and other family members.
The target dies if a chiang-shih's bite effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then left unburied, or who is improperly buried, or if a cat jumps over their corpse before they are buried, will rise the following night as a chiang-shih.
Vampire, Regular Vampire: ?
Will-o'-Wisp: ?
Warrior Vampire: ?
Spellcaster Vampire: ?
Older More Powerful Chiang-Shih: ?
Hopping Vampire: For some time, China has been known as the land of hopping vampires. Why they hop is unknown, although some theories say it might be due to the custom of burying the dead in a standing position, or because the burial clothing would effectively bind the legs. Others give such reasons as the onset of rigor mortis — thus the joints no longer work, or due to the vampire’s rejection by the earth.
Ghost: The “mother of all specters,” Kwei Mu lives in the Lesser Yü Mountains far to the south. She gives birth to all the ghosts and monsters to be found in the world, producing ten in the morning and then devouring another ten every night.
Chinese Were-Animal: The origins of a Chinese were-animal can vary widely. Some are ghosts, either of a slain animal or a murdered human.
Ghoul: ?
Cat Were-Animal: ?
K'uei: K’uei are the spirits of those unable to obtain the afterlife and reincarnation.
Typically, k’uei are created when a person dies by violence, such as by drowning, murder, or suicide. A woman who dies while pregnant or during childbirth can also become a k’uei. Formed from the inferior soul (also known as the p’ai or p’oh), a k’uei can either be an insubstantial ghost or a walking corpse (similar in some respects to the chiang-shih).
Drowning Ghost: ?
Insubstantial Ghost: ?
Walking Corpse: ?
Spirit: ?
K'uei Gui Xian: Suicides and the ghosts of the drowned.
K'uei Thou-Tzu: The ghosts of women who died childless.
Ch'ang K'uei: Those killed and eaten by a tiger.
Angry and Hateful Spirit: ?
K'uei Cheng-Hwang, Ghost Magistrate: ?
Protective Spirit: ?
Evil Spirit: ?
Errant K'uei: ?
Troublesome Spirit: ?
K'uei Wu Ch'ang: A wu ch’ang k’uei is another of hell’s messengers. The spirit of a human who either died from grief or by suicide, the wu ch’ang k’uei are sent out to collect the souls of the dead.
Yang Wu Ch'ang: ?
Yin Wu Ch'ang: ?
Errant Ghost: ?

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of the East: India (5e)
5e
Ghoul: ?
Vampire: ?
Bhuta, Airi, Bhutas, Bhut, Bhuts: Bhuta (also known as airi, bhutas, bhut, or bhuts) are the ghosts of those who were born deformed, of those who died while insane, those who have died by accident, execution, suicide, or violence, or who were buried without the proper funeral rites being performed.
Ghost: ?
Spirit of Violent Death: ?
Zombie: Bhuta's Possess Corpse power.
Baital's Create Zombie power.
Undead Spirit: ?
Baital, Baital-Pachisi, Baitala, Vetal, Vetala: ?
Corpse-Possessing Ghost: ?
Evil Spirit: ?
Insubstantial Spirit: ?
Vampiric Man-Bat: ?
Churel, Alvantin, Jakhin, Jakhai, Mukai, Nagulai: Found in the Gujarat province of India, a churel is the ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth, died while pregnant, or who broke certain religious taboos before her death. If the woman had been treated poorly prior to dying, then she might come back as a vengeful vampire-like ghost.
To prevent a woman from rising as a churel, there are a number of methods employed to keep her in her grave. First is the place of burial. The woman would be buried in a special place (the exact location varies throughout India), such as within the shadow of the house at noontime. Second is how the woman is buried. The body of the deceased might be placed face-down (to prevent her from rising), or might have nails driven through her hands and feet. The woman’s toes might be bound with an iron ring, have a chain wrapped around her legs, have her feet turned backwards, or simply have her legs broken. Iron nails, millet or mustard seeds, and thorns might be used to keep the churel from escaping the grave, crossing the doorway into a home, or to simply keep her busy counting them until the sun came up. These objects might be placed either in or atop the grave, scattered on the road between the grave and her old home, or at the threshold to the home. Finally, a ball of thread might be buried with the corpse, to keep her busy unwinding instead of rising to haunt her family. In all cases, the body of the deceased is removed from the home by a side door, as not using the front door will confuse the churel, and prevent her from finding her way home.
Vengeful Vampire-Like Ghost: ?
Angry and Vengeful Ghost: ?
Angry Ghost: ?
Gayal, Ut: The gayal (or ut) is the ghost of a male who was buried without the proper rites being performed. Angry at the disrespect shown for its funeral, as well as the lack of religious observation, the gayal will rise from the grave to exact its revenge on its former family members.
Masan, Masand: A masan (or masand) is the ghost of a child trapped on earth due to improper burial rituals being enacted at its funeral.
Walking Corpse: ?
Pishacha, Pishachi, Kravyad, Eater of the Dead, Paisacha, Picacas, Pisacas, Pisakas, Pishaca, Pishashas, Yaksha, Speeder: Reputed to be the most vicious creatures on earth, formed from the spirits of adulterers, criminals, the insane, or liars, pishachas live in charnel houses, graveyards, deep forests, and similar deserted and forlorn places, where they devour corpses and feed off of the remains of rakshasa kills.
Diseased Ghost: ?
Preta, Hungry Ghost, Khmoch, O-Kuei, Gaki, Agwi, Yidak, Quy, Paret, Pretni: According to Buddhist doctrine, those who have lived a life filled with avarice, envy, gluttony, or miserliness are fated to become a “Hungry Ghost” upon death.
According to Hindu myth, a preta (female: paret, pretni) is a tiny ghost of the dead, no larger than a man’s thumb. They arise when a child is stillborn, or is born crippled or deformed, The preta remains either in the corpse or near the home of the deceased for a year after burial.
Tiny Ghost: ?
Cho-Kem-Ju-Jiki-Netsu-Gaki: ?
Fujo-Ko-Hyaku-Gaki: ?
Ghost Who Receives Discards: ?
Ghost Who Receives Lost Food: ?
Ghost With Foul-Smelling Hair: ?
Ghost With Foul-Smelling Mouths: ?
Ghost With Large Ulcers: ?
Jiki-Ketsu-Gaki: ?
Jiki-Niku-Gaki: ?
Flesh-Eating Ghoul: ?
Jiki-Doku-Gaki: ?
Jiki-Ké-Gaki: ?
Jiki-Fu-Gaki: ?
Jiki-Kwa-Gaki: ?
Kwaku-Shin-Gaki: ?
Needle-Haired Ghost: ?
Needle-Throated Ghost, Shin-Ko-Gaki: ?
Powerful Ghost: ?
Shikko-Gaki: ?
Shinen-Gaki: ?
Torch-Mouthed Ghost: ?

Create Zombie: The baital targets a humanoid within 10’ of it that has been dead for less than 24 hours. The humanoid then rises as a zombie. The zombie is under the baital’s control. The baital can have no more than five zombies under its control at one time.

Possess Corpse: The bhuta targets a humanoid within 10 feet of it that has been dead for less than 24 hours. The bhuta then merges with the corpse, raising it as a zombie. The zombie replaces its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores with the bhuta’s. Any damage done to the zombie has no effect on the bhuta until the zombie itself is reduced to 0 Hit Points: and fails its Undead Fortitude saving throw, at which point any left over damage carries over to the bhuta.

 

[Voadam]

Beasts of the East: Japan (5e)
5e
Kasha: ?
Ghoul-Like Creature: ?
Kowai: If while alive a person enjoyed eating food to the point where they would take and eat another’s meal, then after death they may rise as a kowai.
Ghoul: ?
Kurote: ?
Mouryou, Mohryoh: ?
Undead: ?
Intelligent Undead: ?
Ghost, Shiryo: ?
Ancestral Ghost: ?
Ghost Spirit of the Dead: ?
Yasha: Yasha are humans who have become monsters due to an excess of certain negative emotions, such as anger, hate, or jealousy. More often than not a yasha is female, apparently due to a woman’s great capacity for emotion and/or a natural disposition for assuming monstrous forms (according to certain Buddhists anyway).
Vampire: ?
Vampire Spawn: ?
Ghost Yurei, Dim Spirit, Hazy Spirit, Faint Spirit: Yurei are ghosts (“yurei” translates to “dim/hazy/faint spirit”), usually formed when someone dies in battle, by murder, or from an unexpected accident. Most yurei are women, although male yurei are known.
Hi No Tama, Will o' the Wisp: ?
Ghost of Dead Sailor: ?
Ghost of Those Who Died on Mountain Trail: ?
Ghost Karakasa: ?
Ghost Betobeto-San: ?
Ghost Dorotabou: This rather odd ghost is created when an old man’s rice fields are sold soon after he dies.
Rather Odd Ghost: ?
Ghost Ikiryo, Living Ghost: An ikiryo is created when a person’s strong emotions manifest into physical form. Usually, ikiryo are created by women, a side effect of intense jealousy or anger.
Ghost Gaki, Hungry Ghost, Preta: ?
Ghost Gashadokuro: Standing fifteen times the height of a man (roughly 80 feet tall), the gashadokuro is an immense skeleton, made up of the spirits of people who died from starvation.
Spirit of Person Who Died from Starvation: ?
Ghost Kerakera-Onna, Laughing Woman: The ghost of a dead prostitute, the name “kerakera-onna” means “laughing woman.”
Ghost of Dead Prostitute: ?
Ghost Konaki-Jiji: Said to be the spirits of children left to die in the woods, a konaki-jiji appears as a small child with an old-man’s face.
Spirit of a Child: ?
Ghost Onbue-Onaki: This creature is either some form of spirit, or the creation of a kitsune or tanuki.
Spirit: ?
Ghost Tukap: This Ainu spirit of the dead tends to appear in dreams, carrying messages from the deceased or from the deity Kamui Fuchi (or other gods).
Ainu Spirit of Dead: ?
Ghost Ubume: These are the ghosts of women who were buried while pregnant and have given birth to a living child while still enclosed in their coffins.
Ghost of a Woman who was Buried While Pregnant and has Given Birth to a Living Child While Still Enclosed in her Coffin: ?
Ghost Zashiki-Warashi: The ghosts of children who sit on a sleeper’s chest, stealing the sleeper’s breath (a condition known as kanashibari). Another version of the zashiki-warashi describes them as mischievous house spirits.
Ghost of a Child: ?
Ghost, Okiku: Okiku was a maid in the home of a samurai and the keeper of one of the samurai’s most treasured possessions: a set of ten ceramic plates acquired from a Dutch trader. As Okiku was very beautiful, the samurai desired her to be his mistress, but she repeatedly refused. Frustrated, the samurai hid one of the plates and then demanded Okiku produce all ten. When she was unable, the samurai told her he’d overlook her carelessness if she agreed to become his mistress. When she once again refused, he killed her in a fit of rage and dumped her body down a well. Every night thereafter, her ghost would rise from the well, slowly count to nine, and then break into a loud wail.
Ghost, Oiwa: The wife of a ronin (a masterless samurai), Oiwa was murdered by her husband after he fell in love with the granddaughter of a rich neighbor. He gave her poison in an attempt to kill her, disfiguring Oiwa terribly before she died. Unfortunately for the ronin, his servant Kohei was aware of what happened. In an effort to cover his tracks, the ronin murdered Kohei, nailed him and Oiwa to either sides of a wooden door, and dumped the door in the river. He then told everyone he’d caught the two having an affair as a justification for his actions.
Ghost, Kohei: The wife of a ronin (a masterless samurai), Oiwa was murdered by her husband after he fell in love with the granddaughter of a rich neighbor. He gave her poison in an attempt to kill her, disfiguring Oiwa terribly before she died. Unfortunately for the ronin, his servant Kohei was aware of what happened. In an effort to cover his tracks, the ronin murdered Kohei, nailed him and Oiwa to either sides of a wooden door, and dumped the door in the river. He then told everyone he’d caught the two having an affair as a justification for his actions.

 

[Voadam]

5th Edition -- U2 Verdant Rage
5e
Grave Mold: In fact, the mold is far worse. It is an undead creature, formed by Argus from yellow mold with his residual druidic abilities and the Liber Mortis.
Undead Parasitic Growth: ?
Undead: ?
Undead Servant: ?
Ghoul: These figures are ghouls. The burners have been infected with the grave mold so long that the infection has transformed them into the undead: ghouls!
Briana Cloverdael, The First Druid of the Everwood, Banshee: This cairn appears empty of any body save a fine dusting of ash on the bottom of it, but several pieces of jewelry lie in the log along with a rotted cloak. The reason for its lack of a resident is that the former occupant was transformed by Argus into a banshee, who will arrive in 10 rounds after her tomb is opened unless the party has already encountered and defeated her.
Shambling Figure: ?
Thurin de Rysard, The Land's Friend, Wight: ?
Will o' Wisp: ?
Water Ghoul: ?
Zombie: These zombies were part of Argus’ first experiments in necromancy with the Liber Mortis.
Skeleton, Undead Skeleton: As Argus has succumbed to evil and chaos, he can no longer access any of his former druidic abilities. However, he has a bowl of 24 Hydra’s Teeth that he’s enchanted to transform into undead skeletons (again via the Liber Mortis).
Liber Mortis artifact.
Iana, Gaunt: As Argus has succumbed to evil and chaos, he can no longer access any of his former druidic abilities. However, he has a bowl of 24 Hydra’s Teeth that he’s enchanted to transform into undead skeletons (again via the Liber Mortis). He will use them in 6 skeleton increments (create 6 on round one, another 6 on round two) and use the skeletons as cover while he brings the power of the book to bear upon either the party or to finish converting the dryad Iana into a gaunt.
Gaunt: Elves and fey slain by gaunts rise as banshees within 1d4 days. Other beings killed by gaunts rise as a new gaunt within 1d4 days, under the control of the gaunt who slayed them.
Banshee: Elves and fey slain by gaunts rise as banshees within 1d4 days.
Any female wood folk slain as a gaunt has a 5% chance of rising yet again as a banshee in 1d4 days.
Vampire: Liber Mortis artifact.
Specter: Liber Mortis artifact.
Lich: Liber Mortis artifact.

THE LIBER MORTIS
Wondrous Item, Artifact (Requires Atunement)
This book is a collection of some of the greatest spells and treatise on the black art of necromancy in the land. Its black leather cover seems to radiate evil and corruption, even while the book itself is spotless and neat. There is a silver pentagram upon the cover and a book latch along the side keeps the tome closed when not in use.
The Liber is far more than just a spell book, however. It is actually imbued with negative planar energy to the point that it has a will of its own. It cannot dominate its wielder, though it will use dreams and other lures to encourage a caster to delve into its secrets and begin to cast its spells which will affect the caster as noted below.
Random Properties. The Liber Mortis possesses the following random properties:
• 3 minor beneficial properties
• 1 major beneficial properties
• 3 minor detrimental properties
• 2 major detrimental properties
Aura of Evil. The book emits a powerful aura of evil at a 15 foot radius. This is easily detectable by even beings not sensitive to magic and no attribute check is required. Any non-evil creatures in the vicinity of the work will feel a sense of disquiet and morale checks will suffer a –2 penalty.
Enhanced Spellcasting. Any spellcaster (wizard, cleric, druid, etc.) may use the spells in the book, even if their class normally precludes the use of arcane spells. The book adds all spells contained within to the class spells of the character attuned to it. Furthermore, the spells cannot be memorized from the book but can be cast from the book just like a scroll. However, the spell is re-castable and will not disappear as scrolls do. With each spell cast, the caster will lose one point of wisdom and be unaware of its loss. When the caster reaches –1 Wisdom, the book will consume the caster’s soul (no save) and the body will crumble into dust.
Increased Caster Level. Any wizard who reads the tome will gain +1 level in their class. Any other caster will not gain this level advancement.
Alignment Shift. All who peruse of the Liber must make a DC 17 Wisdom save or move one rank in alignment towards chaotic evil. For instance, a lawful good wizard who failed his save would become lawful neutral. A neutral evil druid who failed would become chaotic evil, a chaotic good cleric would become chaotic neutral, etc.
Spell Abilities. Depending on the alignment of the character attuned to it, the Liber Mortis allows access to the following abilities.
1. Allows the user to cast the below spells as noted:
Cleave Flesh (See New Spells) (4/day)
False Life (3/day)
Blindness/Deafness (3/day)
Speak with Dead (3/day)
Animate Dead (2/day)
Magic Circle vs Undead (2/day)
Create Undead (7th level) (1/day)
Create Undead (9th level) (1/week)
2. Allows the reader to attempt to control undead as a cleric of a level equal to the user’s level (regardless of class). Spellcasters use their save DC; non-spellcasters use 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Bonus to determine save DC.
3. Gives the alchemical recipe for the creation of Hydra’s Teeth. These items (made from the actual teeth of a hydra and other unguents) when properly created, allow the user to bring forth one skeleton per tooth used to serve the caster. The exact recipe and creation cost are left to the discretion of the Castle Keeper.
4. Within its pages gives detailed information on the creation of specters, vampires and liches. This exact information is left to the discretion of the Castle Keeper.
ALIGNMENT
The alignment of the reader affects its capabilities as noted on the chart below. The damage column indicates how much damage the character with the alignment suffers when first handling the book. This happens only once per reader.
TABLE 10: DAMAGE/USE BY ALIGNMENT
Alignment Damage Use Abilities
Lawful Good 4d4 1
Lawful Neutral 3d4 1, 2
Lawful Evil 1d4 1, 2, 3
Neutral Good 3d4 1
Neutral 2d4 1, 2
Neutral Evil 1d4 1, 2, 3
Chaotic Good 2d4 1
Chaotic Neutral 1d4 1, 2, 3
Chaotic Evil -- All

 

[Voadam]

Beneath the Festered Sun (5e)
5e
Kapanek's Shadow: The undead arose spontaneously after Kapanek’s demise, a result of the rupture in her soul the moment she died.
Five Aspects Of The Soul
According to the belief system defended by Kapanek and her followers, every person exists thanks to the communion of distinct parts of the self, namely:
Ren: the name, foundation of one’s identity, without which no one can be addressed.
Ib: the heart, seat of moral, emotions, and rationality, where the essence of life lies.
Sheut: the shadow, a gift from the sun god Ra. A parallel, unbound existence that moves through realms the body cannot reach.
Khat: the physical body, shrouded in all the mysteries of its perfect inner workings, with which one interacts with the material world.
Akh: the spirit, transfigured in death to exist immortally in the afterlife.
When Kapanek died, her innate arcane abilities and the power of her curse split her soul into these different aspects, which were harvested by Kerux and given form through disreputable deals and necromantic magic.
Her sheut dwells in the Anubians’ camp.
Undead: ?
Shadow: If a non-evil humanoid dies from [Kapanek's Shadow's strength drain] attack, a new shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.
Mummy, Undead Mummy: The creature inside the library is in fact Kapanek’s mummified body, reanimated as an undead monstrosity.
Five Aspects Of The Soul
According to the belief system defended by Kapanek and her followers, every person exists thanks to the communion of distinct parts of the self, namely:
Ren: the name, foundation of one’s identity, without which no one can be addressed.
Ib: the heart, seat of moral, emotions, and rationality, where the essence of life lies.
Sheut: the shadow, a gift from the sun god Ra. A parallel, unbound existence that moves through realms the body cannot reach.
Khat: the physical body, shrouded in all the mysteries of its perfect inner workings, with which one interacts with the material world.
Akh: the spirit, transfigured in death to exist immortally in the afterlife.
When Kapanek died, her innate arcane abilities and the power of her curse split her soul into these different aspects, which were harvested by Kerux and given form through disreputable deals and necromantic magic.
Her sheut dwells in the Anubians’ camp, while her mummified body stored in the House of Hallowed Resurgence perpetuates the physical khat.
The night Kapanek died, Kerux went back for her corpse. He removed Kapanek’s heart and placed it in an enchanted canopic jar, along with the blood scraped off the ground, and then had the body mummified in honor to their post mortem doctrines. For centuries, Kerux kept the mummy and jar safe from harm, but about sixty years ago, he found a new purpose for these physical remains. Kerux reached out to a then young Yaro, who was starting a surreptitious business building constructs and experimenting with the creation of undead.
Yaro’s collection of yearly journals, cleanly organized and labeled, contains not only notes on the hundreds of constructs and undead created over the course of a career, but also a detailed account of a meeting with someone named Kerux, described as a man bearing a jackal’s skull for a head, about sixty years ago. These passages present numerous notations, question marks, and underlined words; they stand out from the otherwise clean and organized entries. The issue seems to have been some sort of obsession in Yaro’s life. The notes include the following facts.
Kerux commissioned the making of an undead mummy out of an unidentified embalmed cadaver, and a blood golem, using a heart and harvested blood as raw materials.
Yaro accepted the job, paid in advance, and within a couple of months finished the mummy.
Undead Monstrosity: ?
Wight: A wight, the last project Yaro worked on before dementia completely took hold, still dwells in the laboratory.

 

[Voadam]

Beneath the Stone
5e
Undead: ?
Ghoul: ?
Ghast: ?
Vampire Spawn: ?
Wight: ?