Voren-Thul

Of all the nightmarish denizens of the undead world, the Voren-Thul is among the most feared. This powerful, malevolent ghoul is the embodiment of the vengeful spirit of a long-dead Vorenthan who was entombed alive in a specially-constructed tomb as punishment for the extreme vile nature of his or her crimes.

So twisted with hatred and utterly bent on vengeance against their persecutors were these entombed Vorenthan, that when they at last expired, alone in the darkness of their tombs, their forsaken souls were hurled into the shadowy depths of the Neverness .

It is believed that the spirits of many of these entombed Vorenthan were able to return to the world of Sryth, and reunite with their deceased physical form through the use of a Shadow Path . Therefore, it is often assumed that where a Voren-Thul is found, a Shadow Path is likely not far away.

It should be known that Voren-Thul will vary in their appearance, and may be either male or female, though they will typically have the form of a rotting corpse, often garbed in long, flowing black robes -- the garb of criminals in ancient Vorenthan society. The fingertips of all Voren-Thul are set with long, curved black claws, which it will use very effectively as weapons.

These powerful undead menaces exert a strong control over other, lesser undead, and they use this control to protect their lair (usually their tomb). One should expect to find any number of horrifying undead stalking about the lair of a Voren-Thul.

Normally, a Voren-Thul will not seek to leave its lair, and indeed has no knowledge of the world that it has returned to -- despite the strong desire for vengence that drove it here. Instead, these horrific undead choose to dwell in the lairs (again, usually their tombs) undisturbed by the world outside. From time to time they may stray from their lair, but such excursions will usually be brief, and will not cover a great distance. The Voren-Thul seeks seclusion in its lair -- the tomb where its days among the living came to such a lonesome and gruesome end.

Despite their fearsome reputation, Voren-Thul go to great lengths to conceal their lairs and close them off from the world of the living. They usually seek to re-seal and re-conceal their lairs in the event they are discovered by the living. Only when the lair of a Voren-Thul has been discovered and violated does it begin to present a danger to the outside world. That danger will remain for as long as the lair remains unsealed.

The Voren-Thul has not only the ability to control undead creatures, but also to raise the dead, and can raise any formerly-living creature into its service. The real danger posed by a Voren-Thul is the undead that the creature controls. The undead under the control of a Voren-Thul will often wander great distances from the creature's lair, if the lair has been violated, and can obviously pose a serious threat to humans in the vicinity.

A powerful aura of fear surrounds the Voren-Thul -- an aura powerful enough to shake the spirit of even the most stalwart. Indeed there are few among the living who would dare brave an encounter with a Voren-Thul in its lair.

Voren-Thul are immune to all normal weapons. A magical weapon is required to damage this creature.

It should also be noted that the Shadow Paths that bore the Voren-Thul passage back to Sryth from the Neverness remain open in the lair. An open Shadow Path in the lair of a Voren-Thul is very dangerous, for it allows the Voren-Thul to summon undead from the depths of the Neverness to do its bidding. It is assumed that the Voren-Thul themselves will pass back and forth through the Shadow Path at will. Destroying a Voren-Thul will close any Shadow Paths that exist in its lair.

It is unlikely that more than one of these powerful undead will ever be discovered inhabiting the same lair. Voren-Thul seek to dominate and control lesser undead beings, and at no time will its wicked spirit submit to the will of another.

There have been many tales and legends throughout the ages of brave adventurers who have stumbled upon hidden Vorenthan tombs and discovered the lair of a Voren-Thul. Some of these tales tell of unearthly treasures contained within the tomb, perhaps things brought forth from the infinite Nevernal realms by the Voren-Thul and its minions. It is also widely assumed that many of the adventurers and others who have happened upon the lair of a Voren-Thul quickly saw an end to their days among the living.

Less-than-scrupulous mages are often interested to learn about the location of a suspected Voren-Thul lair, for the simple reason that it may contain one or more active Shadow Paths .