The Withered Host, -A look at the witch's undead and living forces-

[Zango_Unchained]

The withered host,

 

-A look at the Witch’s undead forces-

 

Written by, Atheos of the Astral Order

 
 
 

Foreward

 
 

Greetings reader, I produce to you a text and simple hand guide to aid you in your defense against the witch’s hordes. To help you in ensuring the defeat and eventual destruction of this creature no longer befitting of the title human. Within the pages I shall be scripting a grand work that shall encompass the great majority if not all of her current abominations. The ranging from large to small, from common to legendary. Within this text you shall find that every one of her creatures has to it a weakness, everyone one of her creatures has to it an imperfection. For much like the child’s game of "Rock, Paper, and, Shears" each foe has its weakness, for no jack of all trades has the strength of a specialized troop, and any jack would also be lacking in the field of war

 
 
 

The marshaled ground troop and main undead forces
Of her land based and air based forces numbering the most of any of her servants, there are a variety of areas which they fill, as a proper army it has assembled a force beyond redemption and saving from her unbalancing curse. To only meet to field with blade and steel, on this text I would like to point out that it is wise to only engage the witch with groups large then three, for less than this cannot hold formation against larger hordes in most conventional choke points, unless of course you are fighting within a home and thus groups of 2-3 are encouraged for efficient strike teams against her creatures in a small environment.

And her ground based troops as follows...
 
 

Fleshlings:

These small creatures, often underestimated, only to have such a dire mistake swift rear its head against its combatants, grow strong to the forces of blunt traumas, slashing and stab wounds, and, spearing and puncturing. Along with resisting most strengths of the elemental calling, they are highly resistant and only grow further so in combat, this is amplified when they are in large numbers. Eventually they can grow resistant to all conventional methods of waging war. In such a case it is highly recommend that one would use objects of divine inclination to save yourself, and the battle.
 
There is word that weapons whose purpose is to slay undead and are empowered by the gods or otherwise for this purpose will still function to harm it even if it grows full resistant to conventional blows.
 
 

Stargazers of the Undead, Headless, and, Flayer variant:

Of the dread witch, these servants are as the text "The Tale of the Curious and the Undead" Edited by Drabo Twigfook says are in league with the witch and aid her in crusade against the living, the first of these being the...
 
Undead gazer,
Profession while living is assumed to be a hunter, which is often seen shambling towards foes with whatever weapon being on hand, these undead are armed with clubs made of petrified wood, from the witches forest, known by their characteristic red glowing hue, skeletal arms, and tendency to chill their foes to the bone with their unearthly and corrupting natures, alone they are manageable yet much like in life, they only move in packs and are fearsome in large numbers. Their shamans are also known to bind the creatures known as “Withered Maggots”.
 
Their weaponry is nigh always these clubs, yet there are reports of more dangerous variants wielding bladed and pointed weapons as well as armoring.
 
Headless gazer,
These gazers headless and armed with bows are most likely an irony for her enjoyment or punishment for the foes of the witch. For they are most often armed with bows, and in fact are quite dead eye with them, forming up the archer batteries of the lich they are fearsome in volley and their arrows like the club of their fellow undead kin are forged of petrified dead wood from her forests
 
Rumor has it that these undead are the stargazers from the destroyed village within the Starwood, an area near the lake of mist, due west of it by watery path.
 
The Flayer gazer,
 
These are the most cunning of her stargazer servants, being that they are not dead they retain the cunning of life and the ability to adjust to the circumstance at hand. Employing poisons, traps, deathly ambush, and, clever use of tunnels these "Flayer gazers" are a force to be feared by the unprepared and to keep the prepared wary. Often seen armed with half knives, or slings.
 
Also, they are assembled into a variety of tribes, the foremost being:
The Rat, and, The Spider.
 
 

Vein Vines:

These vines are made from the roots of the body the veins, causing them to erupt and slither forth with unnatural life as a victim of the withering dies, or in some cases it is said as the victim lives. They move in many variations in the withered west the first of which being...
 
Vein Vine,
These abominations are crafted from the corpses of them who die from withering, capable of traveling within the earth as roots, and erupting at your feet, they excel in slithering unseen through the ground and have a paralytic and darkly inclined poison which emanates from their ungodly limbs. These are to be fought with care as to encounter more than one at once, alone or otherwise is a very dangerous situation most often leading to heavy injury or death.
 
Rumor has it that they are a animated variants of the witches "Wither vines" which act much like tangle sap bags, due to their withering and holding manner they are contraband to most organizations on the isle.
 
The Possessed Skeleton,
These upstanding animations are not true undeath akin to the risers, but a skeleton being manned much like the rare "Puppet spiders" victims, being strung up by vines they fight with the same deathly expertise as any undead of the witch. Little is known about these creatures, but are only seen enforce on the plains of comital battle, and in rare occasions when fielded in legion like manner by the witch.
 
Rumor has it they are harmed more so by chilling the bones, due to their long exposure to the elements, these rumors not being confirmed should not be used in emergency situation.
 
The plant variant (Vein vine),
Seen as writhing tendrils of black, most common examples of such can be seen within the desert, and the pass of unyielding recently blockaded by the noor. Not much is known of these beyond the fact they on occasion yield "Wither vines
 
These plants seem to be a non-combat part of the witches plan for isle domination, yet they are not to be ignored on the battle field, still being of the vine variant they for all intents may grow animate in times of great need by the witch.
 
 
 

The land animals and beasts afflicted by her curse:

Many animals were infested and withered by the touch of her curse these creatures being twisted into aberrant and malformed visions of their once natural beauty. Of these things one must be cautious and wary for now in undeath they take another role. One of combat and one of death, these creatures should be watched and ensured they are only culled. Do not have mercy for what was once majestic, as you would not have mercy for a withered brother. To torch and pyre, with this I shall go into further detail of her land based ensemble…
 
The Undead Deer,
These deer now twisted to undeath, are not much more threat then they were in life. Yet are now much more hostile then they once were. These once docile beasts are now murderous and bloodthirsty to passerby.
 
The Undead Boar,
The boar, a much more hostile creature in life when referenced against the deer, now only holds the urge to kill all that nears it. These boars more often are turned into explosive pigs in which the witch uses, to shatter fortification and organized formation with potent fiery force due to the nature within them.
 
The Undead Cat,
These animated undead cats, another insult towards the stargazer people seem to be golem like stitching of a number of cats into a bloodied and raggedy appearance not to be mistaken for weakness these cats still contain all the ferocity and brutality of the cats that they once had in life.
 
The Undead Wolf,
These wolves, once more traveling in packs, yet in a cruel mockery of their life maul and move with howls that shatter spirit and claws that rend flesh. Their bite much like many of the withered west’s menagerie is to be feared and protected against by leather and steel, least you be infected with illness and sickness accustom to rotted flesh.
 
The Undead Bear,
Said bears are potent forces amongst the withered west, often seen at the head of packs of animals they contain a brutal force behind their chipped pawed assaults, and even their sheer presence inspires a degree of fear. For such twisted beasts one is heartily suggested to fortify their spine.
 
 
The Undead Spider,
Such creatures alone before they are afflicted by the withering invoke a fear and disgust in many a man and woman. Yet now these large spiders worshiped by the stargazer flayer sect are turned into undead beasts which spit sapping poisons to ensnare and slaughter their foes with undeath powered limbs.
 
The Undead Sandworm (Unconfirmed),
Behemoth like creatures in life, burrowing underneath the deserts in a never ending movement, these aberrant like creatures linger in the desert until the witches curse took to affect them. The once Conclave dig site near the borders where the rovers defend against orcs and other pushes past the mountains is a location now that has been coined the “Sandworm graveyard” the corpses of the massive worms surface here, and disturb for this can only mean the witch plans to use this matter for some more nefarious reason.
 
The Undead Sea Turtle (Unconfirmed).
Large hulking sear creatures that move slowly underneath the surf, sightings of an undead turtle were seen many a time before the fall of the Diluvian city, if this is a sighting that the witch now wields them in her army we have not seen them since.
 
The Undead Orc,
These savage creatures on the level of animal in life follow a tribalistic and savage way of life, and in their falling to undeath it only grows their already unholy strength given to them from the taint of their blood. Notable that there have been no signs or sightings of one of their shamans falling to the curse and joining the witch as of yet, perhaps they flee and leave their fellows to die using their blood magics and necromancy to further preserve themselves?
 
The Stonehand giant,
Referred to as the builders in folklore these large giants get their name from their ability in masonry and their inclination to hurl giant rocks. One of the first to fall to the witches whims these giants hold fast her lands with a deadly strength and wielding entire stone “trees” as weapons. Their blows come fast and potent and their ancients are made like stone, and should only be neared by the most prepared, most potent, and, most readied adventurer legions to assemble.
 
The Withered Gnoll,
Akin to orcs in their savagery, these creatures are known to infest the places of order dead and other such locations along the lands in the withered west, last reports since the order outpost in the area fell following the withered storm is that they are now part of the witches legion and it is only a matter of time before they make their undead appearance.
 
 

Animals of the skies infected by her curse:

Of these animals some are rumored others are known, their bite drains and their flesh propelled by dark magics as wings flush with rot flap and take flight. These animals are many and exotic, from simple birds to hordes of insects. These are to be taken with large levels of care in combat and it is heartily suggested that one arms themselves with a vial of resistance from negative energies and afflictions.
 
 
 
 
The Undead Raven,
A raven with wings rotted, and eyes red that flies through the skies as the scouts of the witch. These creatures oft are seen moving in hordes and rarely alone. Their needle like peaks can pry through most chain link armors and should be handled with care as dark magics flow through them.
 
 
 
 
The Undead Insect (Maggot),
 
These small creatures move in swarms and are little vessels of dark energy. Their forms are so small yet deadly it makes them a dangerous foe when fighting those en-mass. The most effective method to killing these small creatures is to find their binder, as the maggots are hard to stay cohesive and together as a single unit, the only way they are a threat there is often a binder wielding them. These binders are stargazers who had the role of shaman in life, or of the flayer tribe. And also the druidic persons that once served the balance.
 
The Undead Insect (Butterfly),
 
Favored personally by the witch these creations fly and hover about her tower top supposedly in their magically powered frames, unknown to cause any harm it has been known that these small creatures cause mental disruption to they who see them for the first time. Only known to exist in rumor and speculation it would be best to take care when moving near her tower, for who knows what these small seemingly “innocent” creatures can manage.
 
 
The Undead Wyern,
These creatures have been the pseudo-draconic beings of the mountains in life, and the object of one of the flayer tribe’s worship. Yet it seems as they enter combat in many theaters of war within the isle of Ympth it is clear that the once kings of the mountain are now servants of the witch. A large worry when fighting them beyond their great bursts of speed and brutal combat prowess is the potent toxins that kill with greater speeds then a blade in the neck. Caution as always must be taken against these.
 
The Undead Draconic beast,
These rumored creatures only show up in records of the combats between the Stygians and the witch before the shrouding. Commonly referred by the generous term “Draco-lich” these creatures are not confirmed to have magical properties, yet this only shows that the witch knows where the bones of dead dragons lay and is not in the least shy to use them for her own means.
 
 
 

The witch’s human servitors,

 

In undeath and otherwise:

Of these the most common would be scattered bandits in the desert, the rarest leaders of factions which oppose and the legendary druid "Ympth". These individuals and creatures by her power are beyond salvation of any means, they are highly withered and no longer coherent thinkers they fall directly into the witches grasp causing destruction and death for all. These creatures so potent a tool against the forces of life are a great threat to the continued existence of Mistlocke, due to infiltration and strength.
 
Fallen humans:
These individuals are humans of various factions who have fallen under her sway taking a direct opposite approach to how they did things in life to counter work what they did, and ensure the destruction of the isles resistance to their “Queens” work as they refer to H’bala as such. In some cases they are heavily withered in others they are simply just undead in service of the witch.
 
These fallen humans are in a sub category as shown below
 
Ill companion deserters,
Men and women now under her sway work to further reduce the ranks of their kin encouraging the withering as in life they opposed it so passionately as to take whatever work to gain cures, they are now willing to do whatever task to ensure its spread.
 
Often known for the sale of ambrosia and withered foods.
 
- Stygian soldiers, Sons of Saboth.
Soldiers and combatants in life, whom had a passionate hatred towards each other, now work in tandem to see the witches will push. These are not numbered as highly as other of the undead as due to the Stygian armada pulling out and the Sons of Saboth turning in most cases to the twisted forces of the mad priest of Murdertown. Except for the rare and noble efforts of a Captain Rouke whom stalwartly opposes said persons.
 
Yet in lacking numbers, in life they were professional soldiers, in death they are only stronger from it, extreme care must be taken if one of these is seen on the field of combat.
 
- Comital remains,
Every soldier that arrived on their boats to attack mistlocke was infected with the withering, be they the Chultans or the old port natives, the mercenaries, or, the officers. All of which were infested and infected with the withering of the witch, and they who survived the combats survive on the fringes of society or fall to the withering, withered men and women of this caliber are as frightening as that of the stygian or Sons of Saboth. These men and women were not forced into the desperation of fighting to survive but were doing such under the influence of coin and other wise. As said above with the Stygians and Sons of Saboth, trained soldiers have only grown in strength in death and make potent foes.
 
 
 
- The Druids,
Once of men of nature and balance these men have fallen many to her clutch and spread about a now wretched and dogma of furthering the spread of the blight via this tainted plant work and other such things. A large concern about the druids is their connections to the lay lines and the rumors that the withering pulses through them to further its reach throughout the isle.
Yet one thing is certain about these men, they are beyond redemption even if they do not seem fully taken by the withering and only have one option left to them, that being of death.
 
- The Flesh Gardeners,
These creatures cannot be called men or otherwise beyond their bipedal stride, they could well be a composite of many corpses into these gardener constructs, yet what we do know is that they tend and nurture the witches curse throughout the isle. They are also rarely alone, if found in nature it is safe to say that vein vines may be near, as a gardener is never without their plants…
 
 
- The Withered Bandit,
These men grown into desperation due to their position in life and withered self are either slaves of the witch or desperately trying to find cures for themselves via any means needed much like the Ill companions. These men are equipped with sword and shield, lackluster armor, bows, and, the occasional wielder of arcane talent. Their camps are far between but rumor has it that one lingers in the deserts.
 
- The Diluvians,
Disturbing and twisted these creatures are fish men of the depths now under the decided isolation and silence before the Veneroida, the many that were evicted from their places are now withered to the death in many a case, or almost at such point. It would seem that they wither faster than most as admitted by one of their remaining in a plea for protection outside of withered waters.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notable individuals:
 
Amongst these persons there are a variety of people who had once held great position amongst the armies of the living, I shall list all that I have come to known and known generals of the Witch.
 
- The once Great Druid Ympth, This man thought to be of the blood line of the very discoverer of the isle was taken as stories say in the battle that shattered the Starwood such time ago. He seems to retain his prowess with nature magics in death being no less attuned with false life as he was with true life.
 
 
- Stories circulate of a floating skull that would seem to take lead of the magical and arcane facets of the witch’s plans. As quoted from the Warden of the night risers Lotheri Sanq she has alongside the man known as Tezzerat the prophet have released many a prisoner (in exact five) of the Night risers, whom now serve the witch faithfully in various arcane and other ways. Bolstering her forces with the works of liches and other powerful undead, that we can only imagine.
 
 
- A Chultan druid in the mountains near the withered falls and the delvings hold seems to have fallen into her grasp after a prolonged absence from his fellows in the druidic circles, rumor circulate that he marshals undead dragon like beings high in the mountains.
 
 
- A man known as Kingsman from his inn within the kingsman as seen by his inn on the ziggurat “The Kingsman”. This inn now abandoned in the retreat from the risers left him out in the withering during the time of shrouding it seems and has caused him to fall to the witch’s touch. In this he seems to have established some sort of withered tavern where his very much now undead self serves vile concoctions of withered liquid. Being a focal point of the witch’s forces in the area known as the shipwreck shore. Extreme caution should be held here as who knows what else lingers in that dark place besides his own twisted person.
 
 
 
- There is rumor of what was once a castle near the old starwood which contains a large legion of withered forces, inquiry with the Rover forces may be required if this is cared to be seen to but the fearsome host is led by what seems to be a large dark stoned construct in the distance. This terrible and fearsome entity should only be ended by prepared men and women and not to be taken lightly as none of the witches host should.
 
- A large construct made by what is thought to be the remains of Leged the betrayer called the agony does not serve in any command capacity but does so as a large nigh indestructible creature of great power and durability. It was “Destroyed” in perhaps two separate occasions one of which the story goes required the noble sacrifice of one known as “Gaesaric the Unyielding” this man is still not accounted for and many wonder if he was taken by the witch.
 
- There was once a being of pure withering made manifest within a small village outside of mistlocke. What looked to be a disturbing and strange slide of life frozen in undeath lingered in this village and by the brave sacrifice of a paladin the darkness in its heart was destroyed, that darkness being a creature seemingly made purely of the withering. Survivors from this time are few so the stories are conflicting, yet it is said that the beast was still too powerful for the men so an arcanist sacrificed a man without hesitation and lacking the downed man’s consent, to dispel the beast.
 
- One cannot have a listing of her forces, without the leader herself. The witch known to have prowess beyond conventional magic and intelligence beyond anything we can muster at this time. She is a woman of cunning and in life beauty, as she enthralled not only her captors in jail but also enthralled entire faction of Stargazers to betray their fellows. She was jailed for knowledge and for what she learned, and due to this she has returned to wield that information in her disturbed plague, may we endure her and stay true the narrow path and fear not its edges. Balance shall be hard won against her but we shall endure.
 
 
“Fear the witch, know her ways, yet when it comes to blade, ensure your steel and sharpened wit, for it shall only be too we, to stop the creature that’s brought to be, the witch shall be culled, and creatures burned. This is what the waters yield of ice and marrow, bone and split the rumors said by the mist are it…”
A quote from a dreamer speaking on the witch.
 
 
 
 

The withered plant life of the witch,

 

And her other none living twisted creations:

The witch known for her talent and perverse methods with the creation of undeath seems to have taken a care to shifting many plants into corrupted forms of past life. These range from harmless to deadly and from near aberrant to almost life like.
 
The Fingernail bush,
Made from the nails of the dead these bushes erupt in withered lands, cutting and scraping with a life of their own to any living that manages to get near them, do not touch, do not brush.
 
The stone made tree,
These monoliths of the witch’s power also erupt in her lands and are the weapons of many of her servants. These pulse with a powerful undead current and to touch them is to pain yourself highly and it has been known to kill with but a touch, once again, do not touch, do not brush.
 
The crying statues of the desert,
Seemingly harmless the very visage of these statues sap moral and strength from they who fight the witch, their eyes now drip red blood and it is clear that the witch sees no need for rivers of water, only ichor.
 
The Tumors of blight,
Large organic mounds taking the shape of cancerous growths out of the ground, these beacons of withering spread and pulse her power through the ground. To touch them is to alert her forces and make surges of undead insects erupt and assault. To destroy one alone and without warding is folly.
 
The snapping plants,
Much like the man eaters of Chult, these plants are three heads attached to a stem, the maws of these animals dart and bite all who pass them. Another of the do not touch, do not brush variant. I would recommend utmost care of course when dealing with such for who knows what illnesses the bared necrotic teeth have lingering on them.
 
The Blight mound,
Physical manifestations of withered mass, normally a sign that this land is now the witches, and is now unreclaim-able without fire and salt, to touch one is to die without warding. So do not be a fool and do not go about poking such focal points of withered potency with your weapon unless you are properly readied.
 
 
 
 
The Blight Mushroom,
A giant mushroom shaped growth of blight, known to linger in groves that once belonged to the Vegipie creatures. These large growths are just twisted showings of the witch’s power, and no traits of outward harm or soil corruption have been found to them just yet.
 
Fleshrooms,
One of the most common of her plants, these grow often and thickly the concentrated collections of these plants are often used as roadblocks and stoppers to conventional forces. Without warding there is a chance that they may unleash a necrotic blast to wither and harm you. As always with the witch’s plants destroy with caution.
 
Blight spitters and their spores,
Large heads made of necrotic flesh and oozing pus that grow out of the ground like a demonic warden, these creature vomit and spit out globs of spores and corruptions that they mark with accurate spitting, you will know an unfortunate who has been marked by these creatures by a telltale purple glow.
 
The red sands of death,
The very anti-thesis of life, these roving clouds of death and destruction are immune to all and absolutely all conventional ways of combating the undead, with the single exception of divinely empowered magic’s and spells wielded by celestial and cleric everywhere. To near them is to die, to touch them is to burn, to breathe them is to wither. These are deathly and dangerous foes only to be handled at a distance with proper goodly support.
 
 
 
 

Sources and final words:

 

I have gathered most of this information through texts, firsthand accounts, witness reports, and, previous records of encounters with her many dark and nefarious beasts.

 
 

Final words:

 

I do wish to say, to all who read this text that the witch is no simple foe, no easy target, she disrupts balance in such a way that I was brought to this place by the whims of my order to see her put to blade and fist. May this text inform you of the risks we take and steel you for times to come, we are not weak, and we are not humbled. We shall not fall silently into the endless night of undeath, we shall stay strong and ensure that the witch and the other wielders of undeath that she has released be returned to their proper imprisonment or death.

 
 

Balance be kept,

 

Atheos of the Astral Order