Peek: More Tales From the Guild

An interesting sight in Karn's guild the last few months have been the Shield followers.  Oh, there's always been a few playing support roles in parties, either temporarily or permanently, but only recently has he started seeing actual parties of Shieldies.  He's certainly not going to complain.  They tend to be polite and clean, at least for adventurers.

That doesn't really say much, but still.  And, even though they're followers of the Shield, they really are still adventurers, and like to share stories over drinks, even if they like to water theirs down more than others.

The drinks, that is.  They don't hold back on the stories.

"Thedeim's undead?  They're as unusual as he is!" proclaims an elven Shieldie, eager to set the stage for her brethren to go into more detail.  A scarred wolfkin nods and continues the thread.

"I've dealt with other undead, even a few of Neverrest's, before it got subsumed.  Thedeim's are getting good at acting the part of mindless destroyers, but it's still just an act."

"An act?" protests an incredulous ashen gnome.  "My party and I were chased out of the crypt complex by a horde of those green skeletons!"

The wolfkin just smiles at him.  "An act.  If they were proper undead, you wouldn't have been able to escape.  You didn't face any of the mushroom zombies or arcane hands to slow you down, and that's not even taking into account the shortcuts."  He takes a long draw of his drink, mostly for dramatic effect, before continuing.

"Still, they're great practice for the initiates.  I think all that greenery gives them life affinity, which makes them resistant to the energies that usually break down undead."  He looks to the elf beside him, who shrugs.

"That's one theory, at least.  I've dug through the archives to try to get more details on these types of undead.  They seem more likely to pop up in a place like the Southwood, though it's very rare for life affinity dungeons to get undead spawners."

"What's a different theory, then?" asks the gnome, hoping to indulge his natural curiosity.

The wolfkin shrugs this time.  "Most of them go over my head, but the most boring one is just that turn resistance is a natural part of that kind of undead."

The gnome frowns at that, but the elf is happy to give some juicy gossip.  "My favorite theory for them, just for how outlandish it is, is that they're secretly partially a plant type of undead!  That the vines and fungi are actually controlling the movements, and the plants are the actual zombie or skeleton!"

The gnome rubs his chin at that.  "Undead plants?  Maybe not so outlandish a theory, from some of the things I've heard."

This time, it's the elf and Wolfkin looking curious, and the gnome gets to try his hand at sating curiosity.  "I've heard of a swamp dungeon way to the south that has a lot of clinging and grabbing vine denizens, and they are both plants and undead.  I haven't been there myself, though.  It's way too warm and humid that far south for me."

The wolfkin nods in understanding at that.  "I know what you mean.  I went on a short pilgrimage to the south once, to see the Shieldbearer in Stasis.  It was breathtaking to see her encased in crystal like that, enough to distract me from what the humidity was doing to my fur.  I looked like some noble's fluffy pet that learned to stand and put on armor.  I'm glad I didn't stay long enough to start shedding."

Karn desperately suppresses the urge to laugh at the image of the big tough grizzled paladin with his fur all poofed out, sticking out of every joint and seam of his armor.  The image of the wolfkin's friends brushing him out while he's shedding forces Karn into the cellar to try to muffle his humor.  From the sounds above him, he's not the only one enjoying the idea.