By: Arcangelir Arensmire
Originally intended for publication in the Corsothan Newspaper April 66 AoC
As our humble town of Corsotha continues to grow in size and diversity, it is imperative that new townsfolk be kept abreast of the goings on in and around the town. As Kishar awakes from her annual slumber, nature will be in full bloom, and new life will emerge from the earth. Creatures will come out of hibernation and Corsotha will once again be bustling with activity.
However, the beauty we all are welcoming with open arms also must also be taken with a grain of salt. As creatures awaken they will be hungry. We can expect the relative “calm” of the winter season to be suspended now that the weather has broke. Additionally, it pains me to remind the community that we can most likely expect the resumption of attacks from the Unholy. They have been noticeably quiet as of late, so it would be fair to assume that they will become more active in the spring, as will the rest of creation.
This being said, it would be essential for those new to the community of Corsotha to be enlightened about the various types of Unholy creatures that they may encounter. Although some of them can be easily dispatched, an uneducated person may perish in attempt to subdue an opponent that was way outside of his or her realm of capability.
What follows is a list of all known Unholy, based upon personal encounters, researched information, or information provided to us from experts:
Gray Zombie: The weakest and most pathetic of all Unholy. These reanimated corpses are well into the decaying process, and are only seen at night. They possess little to no intelligence. They are slow moving and no considerable threat in small numbers. Their greatest advantage is when they attack in a large group. Even the most capable of fighters can find himself in trouble when surrounded by these brain-dead monsters.
White Zombie: All of what appears in the “Gray Zombie” section applies for the White Zombie with the following exceptions: White Zombies are freshly animated corpses, and therefore still retain much of their former durability. This means that they are a tougher opponent to take down. Additionally, White Zombies are able to move in daylight.
Skeletons: The brute force of the Unholy legions. Skeletons are a fearsome sight, especially in numbers. Although they have no intelligence, they are formidable opponents. They are capable of wielding weapons, ranging from, but not limited to: swords, shields, bastard blades, bows, hafted weapons, pole arms, ect. Skeletons are also very tough for they do not feel pain, and blows that would stop a grown man in his tracks would not even phase a skeleton. Skeletons are usually seen only at night, but the author of this article has heard accounts of Skeletons being able to move in the daylight.
Greater Skeleton: Not much is known about this type of Unholy, but it can be recognized as a normal Skeleton usually possessing horns. The only safe assumption is that they are a more dangerous opponent than their lesser counterparts, so extreme caution should be exercised if one of these creatures is encountered. In addition it requires silver to finally dispatch the beast.
Shades: A less common form of Unholy, the Shade is an incorporeal creature that seems to be incapable of causing physical damage. Their weapon is more psychological, in that they are able to evoke fear into even the most courageous of people. Just as Shades can not hurt us physically, the opposite applies. Our weapons do nothing against the Shades, and it would appear that either magical or divine devices are needed to dispatch these creatures. They are black and often times are mistaken for shadows.
“Revenants”: The reason this name is in quotation marks, is that we do not know the actual name of these creatures, this is the simply name that the town has bestowed upon these beasts. One may initially confuse a “Revenant” for a skeleton for they are similar in appearance; however the distinguishing factor is that “Revenants” usually have hair that is drawn back into a ponytail. They have always been seen carrying a sword and shield. Their most horrifying feature is that they have the ability to reanimate other Unholy that have already been dispatched by touching the corpse with their sword. Additionally, physical damage does not hurt “Revenants.” Magical, divine, silver, or some other type non-physical damage must be used in order to vanquish this foe.
Ghouls: A ghoul is a dangerous creature. Although slow moving, Ghouls require silver, magic, or divine damage to destroy them. They are also capable of paralyzing anyone that should be unfortunate enough to fall within their grasp. They feast on the flesh of the living; it is seemingly their only drive.
Ravens: Ravens are a terrifying creature to be sure. Created and controlled by vampires, Ravens are essentially zombies, but can move at lighting fast speeds. They have been seen running through the town, usually in large numbers. They appear almost human, save for that they are pale, and have just begun the decomposition process. They thirst for, and have been seen consuming the blood of their victims. Only the most capable of warriors should attempt to fight one of these creatures alone. Physical damage will slay a Raven.
Lamasus: A type of intermediate Unholy that has some sort of controlling power over its lesser counterparts. Lamasus are extraordinarily cunning, and serve as Colonels in the Unholy armies. They have been heard and seen directing lesser creatures, and are amongst the few Unholy that can speak. They also have the capability of transfixing one who looks directly into its eyes, until that eye contact has been terminated. Despite all of these advantages, Lamasu’s are physically weak, and can be hurt and destroyed by normal physical damage. Their typical physical trademark is their pony-tail, and long angular face.
Macheadon: Pronounced “Mack-E-A-Don,” these creatures are, in the terms of the late Tristan Ny’dell “the Lamasu’s bigger brother: the strong and silent type.” Macheadon’s are the fist of the Unholy body, and are tremendous warriors. They have remarkable strength and are a fearsome foe, usually appearing as a wolf-like creature. As expected, only non-typical types of damage will hurt this beast. A strange trait exhibited by these creatures, is that once they have locked on to a target, they will chase and hunt that target until the target, or the Macheadon itself is destroyed. Although unfortunate for the hunted, this trait can be used to defeat the Macheadon, if the “bait” is fast enough
The Greater Unholy
There have been five types of Greater Unholy mentioned to the town through various sources. These creatures possess Great Amounts of power, and should be fear and respected as such. Use extreme caution when dealing with these creatures.
1. Bone Lord: Bone Lords have the appearance of a more horrifying skeleton. The town has encountered one of these creatures, and his name is Morgrath. Although he was destroyed once, he has been resurrected, and again plagues the town. He wields a pole-arm and is capable of great feats of strength and fear. The author of this article has no first hand experience with Morgrath, but has heard tales that he was unable to be hurt by any type of damage, until he was struck by a specially prepared weapon. Usually seen with copious amounts of skeletons as an escort, Morgrath, and Bone Lords in general, are a force to be feared. Is one of the three greater Unholy that can keep its soul in a “Soul Stone” which is a transport vessel that houses the spirit of the creature while it is not in physical form.
2. Vampire: Another fearsome creature. The town is currently dealing with one of these creatures as well, specifically a powerful one named Tritrallian, who appears in the form of a wild elf. He is very cunning, as are all vampires, and is causing us much strife. Vampires have been known to be able to dominate ones mind, transfix them with their gaze, move faster than a shadow in the night, and turn themselves into a vaporous form and float away on the wind. More powerful vampires can move in the daylight, but the weaker ones must restrict themselves to the nighttime. It is uncertain if any specific kind of weapons can be employed, but it is speculated that divine damage can and will hurt vampires. The only way to permanently destroy these creatures is a steak made of aspen wood, through their hearts. The town recently destroyed a weaker vampire that was plaguing the town with Ravens. Vampires are also capable of using soul stones.
3. Wraiths: Not much is known about wraiths, but what little has been provided is due to the efforts of Atticus Avery II. Wraiths are known to exhibit the following traits: They exhibit a dark, ghost like form and are terrifying to behold. They can also cause men to become transfixed by their amorphous eyes. They are seen only at night and are non-corporeal. They are immune to almost all physical forms of attack. They also have the ability to devour men’s souls, and envelope them.
4. Mummies: There is no known information regarding this type of Unholy. The town has never encountered one, and we pray to the Gods, that it remains that way.
5. Liche: Again there is not much known about this Unholy form. The creatures known as the Galgeose revealed to us that there is currently a Liche being held captive by a strong seal of Diakonoff. The seal has been made of four heart stones, and as long as all four remain, the seal will be strong. The town, in error, removed one of these heart stones, thus weakening the seal. It is our belief that Tritrallian is working to free this creature so that they may work side by side. Little is known about the Liche, but for one to be held by a seal of Diakonoff, means that it must be a power foe. The Liche is also capable of using Soul Stones.
Thus concludes Corsotha’s guide the Unholy. As new information regarding these types of Unholy, or new types of Unholy is made known, then I shall work to update this document.