Children of the Night: Ancient Dead

[Jeremy16]

Since 4th Edition came out and all the older material was made available online I've slowly been teaching myself 3rd Edition (yes, I've been stuck in 2E for a long time).

Here is a character I've made for (hopefully) the next Quoth the Raven issue, and wanted to get some feedback on them from the boards. I've patched this NPC together from various sources, so if his stats are off it's all my doing. If he gets a good reception there are a couple I can unveil to the group.

Cormac the Mighty (The Axelord)

Male Human, 3rd Rank Ancient Dead, Brb8: CR 13; SZ Medium Undead (6 ft. 2 in.); HD 8d12 + 8d12; hp 107; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 25 (touch 11, flat-footed 24); Atk +12 melee (+22 slam 1d6+10 or +16 battleaxe 1d8+5); SA cause fear, mummy rot; SQ allergen, rejuvenation, turn resistance +2, undead immunities; AL CN; SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 30, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills and Feats: Balance +3, Climb +12, Gather Information +5, Hide +7, Intimidate +5, Jump +11, Listen +8, Move Silently +7, Spot +9, Survival +5, Swim +6, Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Martial Weapon Proficiency (battleaxe), Medium Armor Proficiency (chain mail), Power Attack, Sworn Enemy (goblins), Toughness
Language: Tepestani
Signature Possessions: battleaxe +2, chain mail

Appearance

Cormac the Mighty does not look like the average mummy. While his skin has become desiccated with time, it only serves to accentuate the muscles that lie underneath. He is still clothed in his chain mail armor. The only other equipment he wears is a pair of sturdy iron leg braces and twin serpent-shaped armbands (one made of silver and the other of gold).

Background

Cormac the Mighty was the most powerful tuatiarn (clan lord) during the tumultuous era in Tepestani history known as the Seduction of the Fey. The flash of his gilded battleaxe was a rallying point for many clans in their clash against the Children of Spring (the Shadow Fey).

Indeed, his overwhelming success on the battlefield led the Children of Spring to use the more subtle tactic of corrupting the cailleaighs (wise women). While Cormac struggled valiantly against this new threat to his people, even his strength could not defeat such powerful magic.

Eventually, he was struck down. His final battle against the Children of Spring and their monstrous hordes is immortalized in many murals and songs throughout the land.

He was given a grand funeral by his remaining followers. His body was placed in a great burial mound, surrounded by rune-covered standing stones that recounted all of his amazing deeds. Unfortunately, over time the forest eventually obscured the tomb and now the exact location of this mighty hero’s grave is lost.

At least, that is the story that the bards tell.

The true site of his final resting place is a closely guarded known only to a select few on the Council of Elders of Kellee. Their conspiracy of silence hides an even more incredible chapter in the story of Cormac the Mighty.
In 701 BC a band of goblins was traveling through the Wretchwood when they accidentally uncovered legendary hero’s gravesite. They proceeded to loot the burial chamber, stealing Cormac’s most prized family heirloom – his gilded battleaxe. This desecration forced the former axelord’s spirit to return to his body, and he arose as an ancient dead in order to exact an angry revenge.

The first people to meet the undead warrior were a group of trappers from Kellee. Not knowing the true nature of the creature they faced them, they foolishly tried to fend it off. Cormac merely hurled them aside and continued on his way. The band of men fled back to town and with a frantic tale of a wild monster roaming the forest. Soon, a posse was mobilized and returned to the scene of the original encounter. Cormac’s trail was easy to find. After following it for a couple of miles, the villagers heard a great commotion ahead of them. Cautiously, they walked up to a clearing and peeked out from the bushes.

Cormac had finally tracked down the goblins that invaded his tomb. They had blithely returned to their camp and were arguing over their newfound treasures. Upon seeing his most prized family heirloom in the hands of his ancient enemies, the mummy immediately barreled into their midst. After he had dispatched the goblins with his gilded battleaxe, Cormac gathered up the rest of the stolen grave goods and headed back to his tomb. The villagers wisely stayed hidden while he passed by. Since night had fallen by now, they marked his direction and decided that a handful of them would return in the morning to get to the bottom of this strange occurrence.

The next day the village elders went with a handful of armed men to follow the path back to Cormac’s hidden tomb. When they deciphered the runes on the standing stones they finally realized what they had found. After much debate, the elders concluded that the fewer people that knew the location of such a powerful creature there was less chance of another incident. So, together they secretly moved the body, along with all its grave goods, to a cave located in the foothills of Cinderwitch Mountains in northern Tepest.

Current Sketch

Every year since that day, a feast is held in Kellee in honor of the memory of their most famous forbearer. The Council of Elders instituted this ceremony in hopes of appeasing Cormac and deterring his spirit from ever stirring again. Token gifts and small offerings are laid in a pile in the center of town, which the elders gather up the next day and lay outside of the mummy’s relocated tomb.

As for Cormac, his spirit still resides in his mummified body, ever vigilant for another assault by the Children of Spring or their minions. Because of the veneration he receives from the people, his spirit is growing even stronger. Now, his deathless sleep is filled with dreams of rebuilding his power base and reclaiming his ancestral lands.

Combat

Special Attacks:

Cause Fear (Su): Those viewing Cormac must make a DC 16 Will save or be paralyzed with fear for 6 rounds. The target(s) cannot be affected again for the rest of the day.

Mummy Rot (Su): Cormac can inflict a rotting disease by contact with his slam attack (DC 16 Fort save to resist) that causes the victim’s skin to turn green and scaly.

Special Qualities:

Allergen (Su): Cormac is vulnerable to goblin-wrought iron, taking full damage from weapons made from this material.

Rejuvenation (Su): Cormac can draw on the Positive Energy Plane to heal damage at a rate of 8 hp an hour. Cormac needs to rest for 1 day in his tomb before the rejuvenation process can begin, and is inert for 1 day after the process completes. During rejuvenation Cormac is helpless and cannot move.

[Joël of the FoS]

Interesting concept.

I just find odd that the council decided to move the body after it has raised and decimated a band of goblyns These were brave people!

This should be changed (left there, but burried under an avalanche? etc.) or better explained (rituals and prayers to keep the spirit quiet were made when they moved the body, etc.)

Joël

[Pale]

I wondered why Cormac didn't wake and make his opinions known about the relocation myself. Even if the council marshaled enough manpower to move everything in one day, do the Ancient Dead have any attachment to the barrow or tomb they're interred in? An egyptian-style mummy, where the entire tomb is a monument, I'd think so - but a celtic-style barrow? Maybe not so much.

I like the idea that he's considering rebuilding, but I also kind of like the idea that he'd reanimate from time to time and try to search his way back to his proper, sanctified resting place. Maybe the council moved him and destroyed the old tomb, little realizing that he would try to get back to it - and grow angry or frustrated now that he can no longer find it.

I'd think that might be an interesting hook for players - a mummy wandering the countryside looking for the tomb it was stolen from. Even worse if it "forgets" where the new tomb (and loot) is, but periodically finds (and violently reclaims) it's burial treasure in the hands of random townsfolk.

Still, I like the idea that people's awe of him is potentially building to a larger... payoff.

[Sareau]

The Celtic barrow was intended to keep the ghost from wandering-perhaps it was felt he wasn't properly interred the first time. Then again, typical Celtic practice was to decapitate the corpse then place the head between it's legs to stop them from walking if they were previously inclined to do so.

I suspect the hags have a hand in this, perhaps using the warrior to silence any too-powerful priests as emerge from the Inquisition.

[Joël of the FoS]

Maybe the council moved him and destroyed the old tomb, little realizing that he would try to get back to it - and grow angry or frustrated now that he can no longer find it.

You could also play an Azenrath on this, and say that the some of the earth (or else) from this self-made ancient dead grave was stolen for necromantic purpose.

Joël

[Jeremy16]

Thanks for all the great feedback!

The main reason I had the townsfolk rebury Cormac was because I didn't want his final resting place to be too accessible, but I also wanted his legend to be well known throughout the land. Hence the yearly ceremony of giving gifts and the secret transference of them to his new resting place.

I picture him as a sort of avenger of the people type of creature, who can be used for good or evil depending on who raises him, but I don't want him to be called forth for every little problem. Limiting the number of people who knew how to contact him seemed the best solution.

I'll think about it some more and see if I can come up with a better way to do that, though.

[Jeremy16]

Just to keep things moving along, here is my attempt at making a more traditional mummy. I'm not sure the stats on this one are right for a 4th Rank priestess, but like I said before, this is my first try at 3rd Edition monster making...

Meftisis (The Priestess of Nukbet)

Female Human, 4th Rank Ancient Dead, Clr10: CR 15; SZ Medium Undead (5 ft. 3 in.); HD 8d12 + 10d12; hp 120; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20 (touch 10, flat-footed 20); Atk +11 melee (+19 slam 1d6+8 or +13 flail 1d10+4); SA cause fear, mummy rot; SQ alternate form, rejuvenation, turn resistance +4, undead immunities; vulnerable to fire; AL LE; SV Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +18; Str 26, Dex 10, Con --, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills and Feats: Bluff +3, Concentration +4, Diplomacy +2, Gather Information +6, Hide +8, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +9, Move Silently +8, Search +5, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +2, Spot +8, Alertness, Deadly Presence, Great Fortitude, Mesmerizing, Simple Weapon Proficiency (flail), Toughness, Track, Weapon Focus (flail)
Languages: Akiri, Dementlieuse, Lamordian, Morentish
Clerical Spells per Day: 6/7/6/5/5/4; save DC 15 + spell level
Deity: Nukbet
Domains: Law and War
Spellbook: 0—cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance, inflict minor wounds, light, read magic; 1st—bane, cause fear, command, doom, entropic shield, magic weapon, summon monster I; 2nd—bull’s strength, darkness, death knell, hold person, shatter, spiritual weapon; 3rd—animate dead, bestow curse, dispel magic, locate object, magic vestment; 4th—death ward, divine power, inflict critical wounds, monster summoning IV, spell immunity; 5th—flame strike, mark of justice, righteous might, symbol of pain
Signature Possessions: flail +3 (Scourge of the Vulture)

Appearance

Meftisis can choose to appear in two different forms. The one she wears in death is that of the traditional linen-wrapped mummy of Har’Akir. Her only identifying feature in this state is an elaborate, vulture-shaped headdress that she always wears.

Her second form is the one she had while living. She is a beautiful, olive-skinned woman with long, luxurious black hair and dark eyes. In this form she wears a variety of clothing (whatever fits her needs at the time), but she cannot help but adorn herself with exotic jewelry of some kind – armbands, bracelets, necklaces or rings.

Background

Several centuries ago, in a country known as the Black Land, Meftisis served as the head priestess of the vulture-headed goddess Nukbet. This was one of the most powerful positions in the land, and she often advised the pharaoh in great matters of state. In honor of this status, after Meftisis died her body was mummified and placed in a small tomb in the Valley of the Pharaoh’s Rest. Due to weak leadership, however, the sect she ruled soon lost its popularity and its membership dwindled. By the time the cursed Pharoah Anhktepot came to power several generations had already passed, and no one even remembered the cult’s existence.

When the domain of Har’Akir was formed in 551 BC, Meftisis was transported to the Demiplane along with the Valley of the Pharaoh’s Rest. In the process, she was transformed into a greater mummy, and came under Anhktepot’s control.

Meftisis has been called upon to serve the cursed pharaoh several times in the two hundred years since then. Her ability to transform into a vulture has proven useful in tracking down troublemakers that earned the dark lord’s wrath. Meftisis, however, seethed at this indignity and longed to be her own master once again. Eventually, she struck upon an idea – instead of chasing away the next grave robbers that visited the domain, she would lead them right to her tomb and have them smuggle her sarcophagus out.

As it so happened, in 753 BC, the renowned explorer Carter Sinclair was commissioned by the Guignol Museum at the University of Dementlieu to retrieve some Akiri artifacts for a new exhibit. When his group arrived at Muhar, Meftisis entered the village in her disguised form and surreptitiously gave him a map to her tomb as well as instructions for opening it up. Then, she flew away in her vulture form to return to her tomb and wait.

Once Carter and his crew opened the tomb, they worked cautiously but quickly to pack up whatever they could find. They wound up taking Meftisis’ sarcophagus, her sacred whip (known as the Scourge of the Vulture), several tablets of hieroglyphic writing, and a few assorted clay pots and sculptures.

Current Sketch

Unfortunately, Meftisis’ plan went awry after the group crossed the border of Har’Akir. One member of the team, Helmut, was a double agent for a Lamordian noble named Henrik von Gartheim, who wanted the artifacts for his own private collection. The mercenary escaped with Meftisis’ sarcophagus and a handful of tablets. Undeterred, Carter and the rest of his crew returned to Dementlieu and deposited the remaining grave goods (including the Scourge of the Vulture) in the Guignol Museum.

When she awoke for the first time in Henrik von Gartheim’s mansion, Meftisis was furious at having been separated from the sacred whip that served as her symbol of office. Before she started out on her new life she was determined to get it back. For the past two years she has bided her time, however, watching her new captor and learning more about the customs of this strange new land.

Combat

Meftisis is a very skilled cleric who is used to commanding followers and waging battle. When her fury is unleashed there is almost no stopping her. In the years since her transformation into a greater mummy, however, she has learned to use guile and subterfuge.

Special Attacks:

Cause Fear: Those viewing Meftisis must make a DC 16 will save or be paralyzedwith fear for 6 rounds. The target(s) cannot be affected again for the rest of the day.
Mummy Rot: Meftisis can inflict a rotting disease by contact with his slam attack (DC 16 Fort save to resist) that causes the victim’s skin to dry out and turn to dust.

Special Qualities:

Alternate Form (Ex): Meftisis can assume the form of a vulture at will as a standard action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell (caster level 12th).
Rejuvenation (Su): Meftisis can draw on the Positive Energy Plane to heal damage at a rate of 5 hp an hour. Meftisis is inert for 1 day during the process and is ready for action immediately after leaving stasis. During rejuvenation Meftisis is helpless and cannot move.

[Pale]

The first thing that leapt at me when reviewing this was "how does she know how to speak all those languages?"

For me, slumber has always been a significant hallmark of the mummy. They're disconnected from the world more than other, more active undead, and only certain triggers will rouse them. That's just my opinion, of course, and there are plenty of dazzling opportunities to subvert that, to turn it on it's head for the sake of a good hook or story.

Still, her sect dissolves due to weak leadership, but she's active enough that Anhktepot sends her on errands and she can lead tomb-robbers in a merry scheme to get her over the border (even if it failed). It seems like you can't decide if she's active or not - or maybe whether she's competent or not?

Is Nubket still granting her spells - as much as any "god" does when subsumed by the Dark Powers? Is she still an operating priestess, building a cult? Did she learn the languages I noted above by watching her captor, and if so, does Henrik von Gartheim have any idea what (or rather, who) he has?

Meftisis likely knows where her Scourge and similar treasures are - after all, she's the very one who contacted Sinclair and probably at least knows the name of where he was going or from - what's keeping her from going there directly?

I think you've got a lot of solid ideas here, but I'm not certain they're entirely polished for use or inclusion.

I like the idea that she's manipulative. I don't know anything about Nubket's ways, or even if that is a "real" god (ie, like Ra, Set, Bast, Nut), or if Meftisis is a model member of the clergy. She might seduce or enchant von Gartheim, and use his grounds as a means to rebuild a new cult of Nubket - all of a sudden the master of the house has a new lady on his arm, no one knows where she's come from: she's obviously exotic - not to mention inscrutably religious and dangerous. Personally, I'd see her stalking around more like Tiyet or the reincarnated Anck Su Namun from "The Mummy" series - not staggering around in bandages like Boris Karloff. Some Har'Akiri Vulture cult operating out of the aristocratic mansions of Lamordia with her at the head of it sounds kind of neat. If I remember rightly, religion isn't a big draw in Lamordia - so maybe she's not having luck with her cults, and looks slightly crazy to those seeing her on von Gartheim's arm?

But then, flip it - what if Helmut didn't steal her, but took the Scourge and the tablets? Meftisis wakes in Dementlieu - where a certain hypnotist likely makes her aspirations decidely unhealthy, and she doesn't know where her pieces have disappeared to (ie, gone to von Gartheim in Lamordia). She's gotten to a destination that has dangers she wasn't anticipating (d'Honaire, the Brain, Ray), and her luggage got lost somewhere along the way. A museum might not be the worst hiding place, and there might be an artifact or two available to help her out. She could even hide out as a "visiting professor of languages" or an expert on ancient Har'akir religious heraldry.

[Jeremy16]

Hello again. Real life and computer problems interrupted my work, but I am ready to bring up something new finally. This one was really hard to put together, because of the the interaction between all the main characters, and I'm still not sure if it all makes sense. Let me know what you think!

Argon the First (The Bog Mummy)

Male Human, 3rd Rank Ancient Dead, Exp5: CR 9; SZ Medium Undead (5 ft. 10 in.); HD 8d12 + 5d12; hp 87; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20 (touch 10, flat-footed 20); Atk +7 melee (+14 slam 1d6+7 or +8 dagger 1d4+3); SA cause fear, elemental command, symbiotic host; SQ allergen, illusion, rejuvenation, turn resistance +2, undead immunities; AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +12; Str 24, Dex 10, Con --, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 12
Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Climb +7, Gather Information +4, Hide +8, Intimidate +4, Jump +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Listen +8, Move Silently +8, Search +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +8, Swim +7, Alertness, Great Fortitude, Persuasive, Simple Weapon Proficiency (dagger), Toughness
Language: Darkonese
Signature Possessions: None

Appearance

In his natural form, Argon appears as a gaunt, skeletal figure covered in clumps of soil and worm-infested mud. In his disguised state he appears much like he did in life, but his clothes remain stained with dirt. The only feature that remains constant between the two forms is his yellow eyes.

Background

Deep in the Great Salt Swamp, in the Boglands region of Darkon, a cult of evil mummy worshippers has arisen to plague the land.

It began innocently enough. Argon was the grown son of Odina, a middle-aged widow, who helped tend the family farm after his father passed away. One day, he took a shortcut through the Great Salt Swamp and accidentally fell into a patch of camouflaged quicksand. He cried out for help, but by the time he was found his body already completely submerged.

Odina was so distraught by the death of her only child that she took to wandering the swampland, always ending up at her son’s impromptu gravesite. The villagers began to avoid her whenever she came to town, believing her to be mad.

This would have been the sad end to an all too common story, if not for the Requim of 750 BC. The massive wave of negative energy which flooded the entire domain returned Argon’s spirit to his body.

A few days later Odina and made her usual pilgrimage to lay flowers at her son’s grave. While Odina was kneeling down in prayer, Argon’s hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her. Instead of being horrified by this turn of events, however, Odina was overjoyed when she saw her child slowly rise out of the bog.

Delighted by this miraculous reunion, the Odina was heartbroken when Argon revealed that he could not leave the swamp with her. Argon’s spirit was tied to the spot where he died. If he strayed far from his bog, he would lose his strength and his body would eventually fall apart. The meeting became bittersweet once the mother realized she could lose her child all over again.

There was only one way for the newly created mummy to sustain itself – it must feed on the lifeforce of others. Odina, with the help of Marta, another local woman who lost a child to the bogs, decided to kidnap a visiting merchant and present him to Argon.

Current Sketch

Over time, several more people lost family members to the Great Salt Swamp. Odina convinced most of the townspeople to offer regular sacrifices to the spirits of the swamp in exchange for sparing their relatives. She now leads a cult of nearly people and has assumed the title of First Supplicant. Her helper Marta is known officially as The Keeper of the Bogs.

Once every season the townspeople hold a grand ceremony in honor of the spirits of the swamp. They kidnap travelers and take them to a makeshift altar, where Argon and Odina preside over a bloody ritual. With each new lifeforce that he drains Argon grows stronger.

Combat

Argon prefers to use guile to get what he wants rather than resort to outright fighting.

Special Attacks:

Cause Fear (Su): Those viewing Argon must make a DC 16 will save or be paralyzed with fear for 6 rounds. The target(s) cannot be affected again for the rest of the day.
Elemental Command (Sp): Three times per day, Argon can use his power over the earth to attack his opponents, causing the soil in a 25 foot radius to become a morass akin to quicksand.
Symbiotic Host (Ex): Argon’s body is host to a parasitic green slime. After a successful slam attack, Argon can choose to transfer the slime from his body onto his target. The victim of this attack takes an additional 1d6 points of damage per round.

Special Qualities:

Allergen (Su): Argon is vulnerable to holy water, taking 1d12 + 4 damage from each attack. Afterwards, he is slowed 1 round for each point of damage he takes.
Illusion (Sp): Once per day Argon can make himself appear as he did when he was alive. This effect last 1d6 turns, as per the illusion spell (caster level 9th).
Rejuvenation (Su): Argon can draw on the Positive Energy Plane to heal damage at
a rate of 6 hp an hour. The entire process takes 3 days, but Argon can only rise after the first new moon has appeared in the sky. During rejuvenation Argon is helpless and cannot move.

[alhoon]

Since 4th Edition came out and all the older material was made available online ...

Ehhh, what? Where?
I would like to get Bloodlines if that's online too.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Since 4th Edition came out and all the older material was made available online ...

Ehhh, what? Where?
I would like to get Bloodlines if that's online too.

I'm guessing he means the SRD and such... which was always available from the beginning of 3e. It was a key component of 3e, not a case of "dump it all because the new edition is out".

The 3e Ravenloft-specific stuff, like Legacy of the Blood, are not available online for free via legal sources.

[alhoon]

Crap.

[Jeremy16]

My bad. I just found that stuff recently online and thought that was the reason why. Sorry.

[Jeremy16]

In the grand COTN tradition of fake-outs and sorta-fits, here is a character I thought up a long time ago and decided to add here. Let me know what you think...

The Living Mummy (Bashir al-Din)

Male Human, Cursed, Rog8: CR 10; SZ Medium Humanoid (5 ft. 6 in.); HD 4d12 + 6d6; hp 48; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 15 (touch 10, flat-footed 15); Atk +8 melee (+8 claw 1d6+7, +11 quarterstaff 1d6+3, or +10 dart 1d4+7); SA claw; SQ regeneration, undead immunities; AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +10; Str 14, Dex 157, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills and Feats: Appraise +5, Balance +3, Bluff +5, Climb +5, Decipher Script +2, Diplomacy +2, Disable Device +8, Escape Artist +4, Gather Information +4, Hide +9, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Speak Language +9, Open Lock +10, Sense Motive +5, Spot +7, Survival +5, Use Magic Device +3, Use Rope +3, Cold One, Diligent, Dodge, Endurance, Nine Lives, Run, Simple Weapon Proficiency (quarterstaff), Simple Weapon Proficiency (dart), Stealthy
Language: Akiri, Darkonese, Mordentish, Phiraz,
Signature Possessions:

Appearance

While Bashire is essentially immortal, his body has aged at a normal rate. He has a miraculous healing factor, but his body is crisscrossed with scars of his old wounds. To counteract this relative fragility, he has taken his original burial robes and augmented them with tightly wrapped linen to hold his body together better. Thus, if he were ever seen unclothed he would look like a traditional mummy of Har’Akir.

Background

Bashir al-Dinn was once a Pharizian merchant plying his trade amongst the islands in the Mists. One day, while traveling on his usual trade route he found an old lamp peeking out from a sand dune. Always on the lookout for exotic merchandise, he picked it up and added it to his wares.

That night, he took the lamp out and examined it in his tent. He had heard legends of magical lamps as a child, but never believed the stories. It was said that in the past certain magical vessels held powerful djinn that if released would grant their liberator three boons. Curious, he tried to open the lamp to look inside, but the valve at the top could not be unscrewed. After fiddling with it for some time, he discovered a small plate on the side that, if pressed down forcefully, opened the lamp.

To his surprise, there was a great flash that suddenly blinded him. When his vision returned he saw a large patch of dark smoke that quickly took on a humanoid form with strong muscular arms and two horns growing out of its head. This fearsome creature introduced itself as Asferi.

When asked about his boons for releasing him, Asferi chuckled and merely asked Bashir to speak his fondest wish. Bashir, ever greedy, asked for great wealth. Asferi snapped his claw-like fingers, nodded his head, and then disappeared. The merchant woke up the next morning believing last night’s encounter to be nothing but a dream.

He eventually reached the bazaar in Muhar and went to work selling his merchandise. To his surprise, customers swamped his stall all day, and at the end of it he calculated he made well over 100 gold pieces. The next day the same thing happened, and the next day after that, too. After three days, he was out of stock and decided to pack up and head home early.

On his return trip, Bashir had time to reflect, and remembered the strange episode of the lamp and the djinn. One night he took it out again and rubbed the plate to open it up. Just as before, Asferi appeared in a puff of smoke, and once again Bashir asked him for a boon. His second wish was for eternal life. The djinn merely chuckled, snapped his fingers, and then disappeared.

The Pharazian merchant was ecstatic when arrived at his home in the city of Phiraz. For a while, things went very well for him. His business was booming and he soon bought a new house and hired some servants. He even made enough money to take a second wife, a privilege that only nobles usually could afford.

This turned out to be his undoing, however. His second wife, Mira, and only saw her marriage as a way to get more money out of Bashir. One of the servants, Abdul, was her lover, and together they plotted to steal her husband’s newfound riches.

Bashir had the unfortunate luck of catching the two conspirators in the act of looting his treasury. Abdul cut his throat before he could raise the alarm. Panicked, they took as much as they could hold and escaped into the night. Miraculously, Bashir did not die from his wound. His body simply went into a dormant state. His first wife discovered him lying on the floor the following morning, however. He was buried the next day, as is the custom of the land.

Two days later, Bashir woke up in an above ground crypt on the outskirts of the city. His throat tickled, and his memory was hazy, but besides that he was fine. Puzzled, he returned to his home, but the servants drove him off, thinking him to be a ghoul. That was when he remembered his second wish and realized what must have happened to him.

Current Sketch

Bashir al-Dinn is now nearing 100 years old. He has come to discover that his wish for eternal life is more of a curse than a blessing. While it is true that he can survive almost any trauma, his body has continued to age at its natural rate. This is has left him feeble and frail.

The only thing that keeps him focused these days is the search for his magic lamp. During their botched robbery, Abdul and Mira made off with it, unaware of the power it held. After his first resurrection, Bashir pieced these events together and set off to avenge himself and take back what was rightfully his.

This proved tougher than it sounded, however, because the two had escaped into the mist at Pharazia’s border. Bashir eventually tracked them to Muhar, in Har’Akir, but found out that they had already sold it to some foreigners. While he was able to get his revenge upon his attackers, he could not return to the life he once led. Retrieving the lamp became his obsession.
Bashir now roams the Demiplane, hoping his third wish – a peaceful death and an undisturbed afterlife – will finally be granted.

Combat

Bashir prefers to avoid combat. He uses his rogue skills to get whatever he wanted. If pushed, he will fight fiercely, but will be careful to minimize any wounds.

Special Attacks:

Claw (Ex): Due to a failed Dark Powers Check, Bashir’s hands have been transformed into claws that can cause 1d6 damage.

Special Qualities:

Regeneration (Su): Bashir can regenerate from any damage he receives during combat. He automatically heals non-lethal damage at a rate of 1d6 points per round. If Bashir is rendered unconscious through non-lethal damage his body falls into a death-like coma that takes 1d6 days to recover from.
Undead Immunities (Su): Bashir is immune to disease and mind-influencing spells and effects, not subject to subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Lair

Bashir has no permanent home, although he does have safe houses in the domains of Darkon, Dementlieu, Nova Vaasa, and his native land of Pharazia that he returns to periodically.

[Joël of the FoS]

The story of Bashir could be told to the players as a tale around the fire.

Then, later in the campaign, they meet him and realize it's not just a classical tale about greed and wishes. It's real.

Joël