Jaysehn (prime)/Ranshai's Guide to the Lesser Undead
Preface
A man I long respected once said, "Fate will guide you to where you need to be." Growing up on my family's estate, one could not have convinced the youth of those times that he would one day live in the distant reaches of famed Jontara. He would likewise find it incredulous to be believe he would be beholden to an Oath to spend his days attending to the destruction of the undead. Such a thing would have been wholly impossible on every front.
And yet, Fate guided me to those lands of Jontara. Fate guided me to the west, where a small monastery outside of a frontier town housed the beginning steps upon the mysteries of what would become my duty to the Order of Voln. Fate would later guide me south, to Aldora, where my training in those mysteries would be completed.
More than a decade later, I now find myself at the pinnacle of my Order's teachings. Somewhere along that journey, I shifted from novitiate to Master. Now, perhaps the time has come to become something more. To move my duties from mere Hunter, to Teacher. It is a hubris to presume that one has something to offer others in ways of knowledge and understanding and a great many fools presume themselves wise in the course of spreading false or mistaken knowledge. However, I have been proded to this work by people whom I respect. They likewise assure me that this attempt is not an excercise of ego, but of my greater duty to the Order. I will proceed with this principle in mind.
This guide is not meant for a particular audience. Nor do I intend for it to inspire people to the work of the Hunter either through my Order or otherwise. Instead, let it simply be said that not all evils in this world can be avoided. Should your life, your work, or your calling bring you into conflict with the evils written upon these pages may these words provide some glimmer of advantage in that moment.
J.Ranshai
On the Nature of the Lesser Undead
Though the distinction is arbitrary and of my own design, I believe it is necessary to distinguish between those undead which are driven by the pure malevolence of their creation versus those of their own malign will. Thankfully, if one should encounter the undead at all, it will almost always be one of the lesser varieties. Those of the Greater variety, which this work will not cover, are best left to only the most seasoned of Hunters or to the Order of Voln.
The lesser undead are therefore composed of similar nature, even if their forms can vary greatly. An encounter with the lesser undead is likely to be one of raw aggression. Though some of these creatures may move swiftly and others may plod slowly, they all will seek to snuff out life when they find it. It is rare indeed to find any that have any sense of self-preservation. Such creatures are usually not capable of anything resembling tactical thought. This can be used to a Hunter's advantage, as we will discuss in subsequent pages.
The Once Mortal
Perhaps the most terrifying weapon of many lesser undead is their tendency to be spawned from the mortal remains of once living creatures. Such creatures, particularly when they are of the remains of a sentient species, can invoke a core revulsion in even the most stalwart heart. The mortal mind recoils at the thought of its own death and when faced with the mockery of life that the Once Mortal presents, it can take an iron will to fight down that revulsion in order to destroy the thing before you.
Chapter 1: The Least
Though seasoned Hunters regard such creatures as ghouls, skeletons and shades to be of little consequence, this is foolish. It is in the local graveyard that the common person is most likely to encounter a lesser undead. Often with fatal results. Even an undead rolton can cause the death of an entire herd before its ravages are stopped. It may be well within a farmer to slay such a creature, but not perhaps before it causes untold financial ruin, or even the death of a small child or a family pet.
Therefore, if it is within your power and courage to search these places to ensure the safety of the local community then you must do so. It is an ill thing to be a person of no consequence when your actions could have been the most consequential. The Least are a collection of creatures who are largely similar in their potential dangers to those who encounter them. There are the Least with physical forms that remain in some way in tact. These include reanimated skeletons, ghouls, undead livestock such as rolton, and the newly undead forms of once living people. Then there are those without such forms, who subsist upon the raw energy of their cursed malevolence, and exist absent a physical anchor to the world around them.
Those Least with physical forms, known as corporeal, are the least complicated of the undead to destroy. While all undead, of any capacity, are resilient to the blows of physical weapons, they are not immune. Therefore, should such a creature as discussed above pose a threat to a local community, it is well within the capacity of some stalwart citizens from common means to band together and end the threat. Local guardsmen will find that a sturdy shield, a suit of chain and a well forged weapon can be more than sufficient to dispatch these creature. Though their will is driven by dark forces, their physical forms restrain them much as they did in life. To point out the obvious, a skeleton without a hand cannot claw. A zombie without a head cannot bite. A ghoul with a shattered knee cannot run. It is the fear of fighting such a determined evil that will be the greater battle. Thus, banding together in numbers, even if it be little more than farmhands with pitchforks and mallets can often be more effective than the efforts of a single well-armed combatant.
Alas, those foes without solid forms pose a different danger altogether. They cannot be bested by crippling blows or a sharp blade. Instead, to break their hold on our valence their form must be disrupted to a sufficient extent that the will that holds it anchored to this world cannot maintain that link. Their very touch can often be lethal, sapping the life force of the spirit directly with even a brush. Armor and shield often are no barrier to their dangers and even the pull of the world towards the ground is often of no consequence to them. Should such a being manifest near to a community you treasure, it is the considered advice of this work to make no direct effort to engage it. Seek out a local Hunter with a reputation for handling such dangers. Alternatively, if a priest is available and willing, they could likely remove the threat if their bond to their Arkati is strong enough. If aid is not an option, do not overlook the value of mundane fire in such circumstances. A torch, a bottle of flaming oil and other such devices can aid you in ways that steel may not. Alternatively, small and isolated communities may consider banding together their funds to arrange the purchase of either a drake or feras weapon. Such things can be expensive for poorer communities, but the innate powers within those weapons are a magical threat to a creature that can likely shrug off physical dangers. One or two of such weapon, laid by for emergences, can be extraordinary in turning even a mundane farmer into a temporary slayer. While feras is the more lethal option, a good drake weapon could serve a community for generations. It is also to be noted that most clergy will willingly bless weapons for the service of the destruction of undead. The Least are dangerous foes, but made far less so when their evil bonds can be shattered by Liabo's blessed light.