Monster - The Fallen Legion [Champion, Banner carrier, Pastor]

Undead are slow and sloppy killers. For the most part. Brought back by magic they lack the quick reflexes and sense of strategy that the living benefits from. That is unless they retain some of their former self. Unfinished business and strong bindings of camaraderie brought back the hollowed members of the fallen legion. Champions, priests and warlords. A shield ever standing and a blade ever thirsting, even in the afterlife. Their desiccated corpses kept some of their former training and their rotten brain is still able to strategize. These undead are both ruthless creatures and tricky adversaries to fight against. Being undead granted them several physical advantages, such as inhuman strength, the inability to feel pain or poison. It deprived them of the need for sleep and comfort. At the same time, the fallen legion remains able to think about strategical placement, and knows the importance of protecting ones’ allies. In combat, these undead prove extremely lethal due to how well they work upon each other to fight off any adventuring party.

A brief history of the legion. From champions of the realm to its scourge, what ill befell the legionnaires ? Most of them fought in great and bloody battles to defend their kingdom. But no kingdom is impervious to the invasion of time, just as no hero can refuse the cold embrace of the grave. With their lands long forgotten, their empires existing merely in history books, the soul of these soldiers brought their body back. They only experienced pain and death in life, they came back to imprint it on the face of the new world. Their rage is insatiable in view of what became of their civilization. They come to conquer in the name of the Forgotten and the Lost. For they are no society so great than the one of the past, no empire so large than the kingdom of the dead.

Summoned by higher undead. The fallen legion is not composed of ordinary skeletons or zombies. These skeletal beings kept higher intellectual functions, although they are not capable of speaking. Their approach of the battlefield is as flawless in death than it was in life. As such, not any erudite dabbling in necromancy can summon them. Bringing back members of the legion is an arcane secret known only to higher undead, like liches and draugrs. Master necromancers may keep the formula hidden in old grimoires and trapped tomes deep in their lair.

Fallen champion

The rustling of rusted mail and corroded plate precedes this champion of old. Formerly he was a paladin of great renown, fighting for the weak and the meek. Although its body was broken in combat, its spirit never faltered, its ideal never weakened. The fallen champion is a colossal humanoid skeleton heavily protected by its armor and shield.

Strategies. It will rarely move to attack, keeping near weaker yet valuable allies in order to defend them using its deflect ability. Even if attacked in close quarters, it will likely keep its reaction to reflect magical projectiles that are usually more powerful than melee attacks.

Forgotten banner carrier

Cold bones grips the rotten wood of a battle standard. Its shredded flag floats ghastly in the stale wind, bearing a long forgotten sigil. A rusted visor protects the decrepit bones of a long dead skeleton. The bones are brittle now, but their faith never faltered. The banner carrier bears high its flag amidst the heat of battle, inspiring their unholy allies with zealous power.

Strategies. The banner carrier will remain close to its allies to keep them in its aura. This has the downside of exposing it to the heat of battle. The skeleton will use its rallying horn as soon as it can to empower its allies. “Submit to the effigy” is a useful ability if the banner carrier fights alongside spellcasters. It will likely use it on its first or second round, depending on how effective it is. Its shortsword and crossbow will only be used if it is directly threatened with no ally to defend it quickly.

Putrefied pastor

Clerics are often spotted on the battlefield, yelling words of wisdom to motivate the fighters, healing wounds most grievous and casting other kinds of magic to repel the threat to their territory and churches. The putrefied pastor may have lost its life but it kept its faith eternal. Ragged robes, a moldy book and the sound of a corroded chime follow everywhere the bony footsteps. The loose jawbone trembles as the creature mumbles faint sermons of unholy wisdom.

Strategies. The putrefied pastor is not a combatant. It will likely use Proselytism on its first turn, in order to lower the damage taken by its allies. Main targets for this ability includes spellcasters and fighters, because of their high damage output. It will then alternate between “Bend the bones” to heal allied undead close to destruction and “Excommunication” to prevent the enemy itself from healing effectively. The pastor will keep close to strong undead in order to give them the benefit of its Death rebuttal ability and profit from their protection. Champions and banner carrier are prime target for this ability in order to keep these valuable undead longer in combat.

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