Undead Origins

SJA2 Skull & Crossbows (2e)
2e
Undead, Undead Creature: ?
Powerful Undead, Major Undead Creature: ?
Ephemeral: Tiktitik isn't the only "relic" from that ancient battle that still drifts in the Flow. Many humans aboard the ambushing ship were slain, and five of them have remained in the phlogiston as ephemerals.
Ghost: The enemy that attacked the Nautiloid made sure that every last illithid aboard was killed, but—for whatever reason—made no effort to release the human slaves who were locked up below deck. The imprisoned slaves soon died of thirst and hunger, raging in anger and hatred at both the illithids who had captured them and the attackers who had left them to perish. In a number of cases, so great was this hatred and anger that the prisoners' spirits haven't "passed on," but remain behind as various kinds of undead to haunt the ship on which they died.
The three cells on the starboard side of the vessel (next to room 8) contained prisoners who were more powerful, one to a cell. The doors are reinforced, indicating that the illithids were taking extra precautions against their escape. These three prisoners have become the undead prowling the slave deck.
Divad, Haunt: The PCs aren't the only creatures to have stumbled upon the Outpost. Some centuries ago, another exploratory mission explored these caverns. One of their number was slain—perhaps by the space drake—in this very chamber. This explorer was named Divad, a human from the Forgotten Realms. As he died, Divad's final wish was to return to his home. So strong was this desire that Divad's spirit has remained in this place as a haunt.
Lich, Undead Lich: ?
Lich, Powerful Undead, Major Undead Creature: ?
Manara, Lich, Captain, Helmsman: The captain and helmsman of the Nex is a female lich named Manara. A powerful mage and an intrepid explorer of the Flow during her life, she became a little too arrogant for the tastes of several demigods. She intruded on a sphere that these demigods had reserved for their own recreation. When informed of her infraction, she merely laughed and rejected their "pact" in the interests of exploration.
In retribution, the demigods arranged for Manara and her crew to be slain by a shipload of giff which happened along, and then laid a curse on her which turned her into a lich.
Terigamar, Lich, Undead Lich, Inadequately-Preserved Corpse, Wizard: Terigamar was an old man when he first took to space. In the intervening period, he died of old age . . . but didn't notice. So great was his attention to his work that physical death didn't even break his concentration. Unbeknownst to himself, Terigamar has made the transition from living wizard to undead lich.
Skeleton, Hard Jagged Ball of Some White Substance, Ball, Human Skeleton, Animated Skeleton, Small Bony Ball, Undead Space Mine, Delayed Action Undead: ?
Spectre: The enemy that attacked the Nautiloid made sure that every last illithid aboard was killed, but—for whatever reason—made no effort to release the human slaves who were locked up below deck. The imprisoned slaves soon died of thirst and hunger, raging in anger and hatred at both the illithids who had captured them and the attackers who had left them to perish. In a number of cases, so great was this hatred and anger that the prisoners' spirits haven't "passed on," but remain behind as various kinds of undead to haunt the ship on which they died.
The three cells on the starboard side of the vessel (next to room 8) contained prisoners who were more powerful, one to a cell. The doors are reinforced, indicating that the illithids were taking extra precautions against their escape. These three prisoners have become the undead prowling the slave deck.
Vampire, Powerful Undead, Major Undead Creature: ?
Wight: Soon after Manara's death, she thought a high-level sage might be able to break her curse. She could hardly walk into a library or university in her condition, so she attacked a ship that was ferrying a well-known sage between planets, and kidnapped the old man. She put her problem to him, but he was either unable or unwilling to help her. In a rage, she locked him in the brig and left him there to die.
The sage's anger at being treated in such a manner was so great that it survived the man's physical death. His spirit has remained bound to this plane and to his mortal remains in the hope that he could finally wreak vengeance on Manara. As soon as the PCs opened the door, the sage's spirit animated his body as an undead creature.
Wight, Something Vaguely Humanoid, Undead Sage: ?
Wraith: The enemy that attacked the Nautiloid made sure that every last illithid aboard was killed, but—for whatever reason—made no effort to release the human slaves who were locked up below deck. The imprisoned slaves soon died of thirst and hunger, raging in anger and hatred at both the illithids who had captured them and the attackers who had left them to perish. In a number of cases, so great was this hatred and anger that the prisoners' spirits haven't "passed on," but remain behind as various kinds of undead to haunt the ship on which they died.
The three cells on the starboard side of the vessel (next to room 8) contained prisoners who were more powerful, one to a cell. The doors are reinforced, indicating that the illithids were taking extra precautions against their escape. These three prisoners have become the undead prowling the slave deck.
Zombie Human: ?
Zombie Neogi: The Nex is manned by 50 ju-ju zombies, animated by Manara or by the demigods who cursed her. The majority are humans and demihumans. Several, however, are different kinds of creatures. Some decades ago, Manara came upon a single neogi with two umber hulk slaves in a damselfly . . . easy prey for the Hex. These three unusual zombies are among Manara's crew.
Zombie Neogi, Unusual Zombie: ?
Zombie Umber Hulk: The Nex is manned by 50 ju-ju zombies, animated by Manara or by the demigods who cursed her. The majority are humans and demihumans. Several, however, are different kinds of creatures. Some decades ago, Manara came upon a single neogi with two umber hulk slaves in a damselfly . . . easy prey for the Hex. These three unusual zombies are among Manara's crew.
Zombie Umber Hulk, Unusual Zombie: ?
Ju-Ju Zombie: The captain and helmsman of the Nex is a female lich named Manara. A powerful mage and an intrepid explorer of the Flow during her life, she became a little too arrogant for the tastes of several demigods. She intruded on a sphere that these demigods had reserved for their own recreation. When informed of her infraction, she merely laughed and rejected their "pact" in the interests of exploration.
In retribution, the demigods arranged for Manara and her crew to be slain by a shipload of giff which happened along, and then laid a curse on her which turned her into a lich. Her crew they animated as ju-ju zombies.
At first, she would let survivors go. But as the decades began to weigh upon her, her sanity started to slip and her alignment changed. Where once she had been Chaotic Good, she now grew more and more evil. Her behavior changed, too: instead of sparing survivors, she would slay them all, and the demigods would animate them to fill out her crew (why let others live when she could never again taste life?).
The Nex is manned by 50 ju-ju zombies, animated by Manara or by the demigods who cursed her. The majority are humans and demihumans. Several, however, are different kinds of creatures. Some decades ago, Manara came upon a single neogi with two umber hulk slaves in a damselfly . . . easy prey for the Hex. These three unusual zombies are among Manara's crew.
Darathon, Ju-Ju Zombie: The captain and helmsman of the Nex is a female lich named Manara. A powerful mage and an intrepid explorer of the Flow during her life, she became a little too arrogant for the tastes of several demigods. She intruded on a sphere that these demigods had reserved for their own recreation. When informed of her infraction, she merely laughed and rejected their "pact" in the interests of exploration.
In retribution, the demigods arranged for Manara and her crew to be slain by a shipload of giff which happened along, and then laid a curse on her which turned her into a lich. Her crew they animated as ju-ju zombies.
At first, she would let survivors go. But as the decades began to weigh upon her, her sanity started to slip and her alignment changed. Where once she had been Chaotic Good, she now grew more and more evil. Her behavior changed, too: instead of sparing survivors, she would slay them all, and the demigods would animate them to fill out her crew (why let others live when she could never again taste life?).
The Nex is manned by 50 ju-ju zombies, animated by Manara or by the demigods who cursed her. The majority are humans and demihumans. Several, however, are different kinds of creatures. Some decades ago, Manara came upon a single neogi with two umber hulk slaves in a damselfly . . . easy prey for the Hex. These three unusual zombies are among Manara's crew.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

SJA3 Crystal Spheres (2e)
2e
Vampire, Undead Lord, Lord of the Undead, Western Vampire, Potent Undead Lord: Any human or humanoid creature slain by the life energy drain of a vampire is doomed to become a vampire himself. Thus, those who would hunt these lords of the undead must be very careful lest they find themselves condemned to a fate far worse than death. The transformation takes place one day after the burial of the creature. Those who are not actually buried, however, do not become undead and it is thus traditional that the bodies of a vampire's victims be burned or similarly destroyed.
But T'Laan was a "young" vampire, unable to realize the long-term effects of his actions. As the years passed, T'Laan took many victims, but was not cautious to ensure the corpses would not rise, themselves, as vampires.
Once a character is destroyed by a vampire, he becomes a vampire under control of his destroyer.
Vampire, Chaotic Evil Undead Creature, Savage Fearsome Opponent, Powerful Creature, Powerful Undead: ?
Vampire, Self-Willed Creature: ?
Vampire, Solitary Creature: ?
Vampire Lord: ?
Vampire, Dark Twisted Creature: ?
Vampire, Mere Tool, Minion, Pawn: ?
Eastern Vampire: ?
T'Laan, Dorin, Vampire, Inhuman Being, Hateful Creature, Harbinger of Death, Powerful Vampire, Savage Monster, Undead Lord, Wise Adviser, Loyal Citizen, Entertainer, Powerful Undead Lord, Immortal Being, Vampire of Great Skill and Power, Potent Undead Lord, Vampire Lord, Great Vampire, Terrible Creature, Master, Vile Creature, Clever Creature, Loyal Adviser, Old Vampire, Ghastly Evil Thing: One evening, T'Laan was walking with his new bride in the gardens of his manor when the two were accosted by a band of men sent from the neighboring country of Thay. This evil country had become nervous because the recent expansion of Aglarond was causing internal strife. T'Laan's bride was killed immediately by the rogues, but the half-elven general was a powerful man and was not so easily overcome. Before the attackers dealt a death blow to T'Laan, he killed many of them. Finally, however, he lay bleeding on the ground, waiting for death to claim him. T'Laan was overcome with a powerful hatred for the men who took the life of his bride.
Brooding in powerful rage, T'Laan made a silent bargain with Death. At Death's orders, T'Laan drank the blood from the dead body of one of the rogues, and T'Laan entered forever into a world of eternal darkness.
Long ago, he made a secret pact with Death and now walks through time as a powerful undead lord, a vampire!
Newly Created Vampire: ?
Young Vampire: ?
Vampire, Fledgling, Starving Creation: ?
Vampire, Inhuman Minion: ?
Undead, Undead Creature: When T'Laan woke from his great sleep, he created a large number of undead to do his bidding. What great and evil incantations and necromancies were involved can only be speculated. One thing is certain; the creature's long slumber beneath the ground granted him great powers which were used in the creation.
This chamber is used by T'Laan to create new undead. He experiments constantly, trying to make stronger varieties of the conventional monsters. He has already discovered that by using the bodies of good-aligned people, the resulting undead creatures are sometimes more hateful and destructive than those made from evil or neutral people.
The tomes are ancient and evil, detailing processes of undead creation.
Undead Guardian: Before departing, however, [T'Laan] gathered hundreds of the corpses the vampires left behind. Using great necromantic magics that were given him by his pact with death, he animated these corpses into various undead guardians.
More Intelligent Undead: ?
Conventional Monster: ?
Undead Wolf: ?
Chaotic Evil Undead Creature: ?
Banshee: The room was wrecked by T'Laan one evening while "experimenting" on a young elf maiden. The elf, driven insane from the constant imprisonment and torture, died prematurely on the table. T'Laan went into a rage and ransacked the room. The elf, driven insane and in a sphere away from her diety, became a banshee.
Ghast: A human or demi-human (excluding elves) who is killed by a ghast will become a ghast unless blessed (or blessed and then resurrected).
Ghast, Powerful Undead: ?
Ghast, Inhuman Minion: ?
Ghost: ?
Ghoul: The process is the same as the process for death by ghast.
A human or demi-human (excluding elves) who is killed by a ghast will become a ghast unless blessed (or blessed and then resurrected).Ghoul, Powerful Undead, Wretched Undead Creature, Lesser Undead: ?
Ghoul, Inhuman Minion, Leader: ?
Mummy: The mummy was an experiment by T'Laan to learn whether he could preserve a live human host to create a more powerful, more intelligent variety of mummy. The experiment failed, and the human died horribly.
Mummy, Inhuman Minion: ?
Shadow: ?
Shadow, Powerful Undead, More Powerful Undead, High-Powered Undead: ?
Shadow, Inhuman Minion, Elite Guard: ?
Skeleton: ?
Skeleton, Lesser Undead: ?
Skeleton, Inhuman Minion: ?
Animal Skeleton: ?
Spectre: It is a grim fate indeed to be killed by a spectre, for that person is doomed to become one of these wretched spirits.
Spectre, Powerful Undead, Wretched Spirit, More Powerful Undead, High-Powered Undead: ?
Ghorius, Spectre, Most Powerful Servant, Inhuman Minion: T'Laan has created three spectres as his most powerful servants.
Slavan, Spectre, Most Powerful Servant, Inhuman Minion: T'Laan has created three spectres as his most powerful servants.
Maldor, Spectre, Most Powerful Servant, Inhuman Minion: T'Laan has created three spectres as his most powerful servants.
Of note is that Maldor was created from the spirit of a powerful, lawful good warrior who existed on Verin before it was transformed to Darkspace.
Wight: ?
Wight, Powerful Undead: ?
Wight, Inhuman Minion: ?
Wraith: Created from long-forgotten spirits, the wraiths are without name or identity.
Wraith, Powerful Undead, More Powerful Undead, High-Powered Undead: ?
Wraith, Inhuman Minion, Wraith Captain: ?
Zombie, Mindless Animated Corpse, Lesser Undead: ?
Zombie, Inhuman Minion: ?
Ju-Ju Zombie, Powerful Undead Creature, Foul Rotting Corpse of a Human, Body, Foul Cadaver, Dreaded Ju-Ju Zombie: ?
 

Recent & Upcoming Releases

Remove ads

Top