Skeleton

The dry clack of bones. A thin blur of a shadow that darts between stone columns in a graveyard. These are the last things many hear or see before they feel the sharp, icy touch of bone claws slicing into their skin. The sure signs of the glowing horror called a skeleton.

A skeleton is the animated bones of any creature that is brought to unlife by foul curses or necromantic power. Humanoid creatures are the most common, but animals such as giant wolves, tigers, and more aren’t unheard of.

Rituals vary based on the world, for some the bones have to be cleaned and dried. Elsewhere, the bones must be set on fire. No matter how the necromancer prepares them, the result is the same. A sturdy, glowing fiend with a burning hated of the living.

These fast-moving monsters are a common danger in ancient graveyards or lost ruins. But they are also a necromancer’s first choice for shock troops and guards. Necromantic spells aside, once raised, all skeletons possess similar characteristics. The skeleton glows with a sickly green light, while orange fire burns like the hottest forge in dead eye sockets.

This glow is more than just a magical effect. It runs through the bones themselves, making them as strong as steel and able to resist most sharp blades. Combined with sharp, claw-like fingertips, they have sliced apart more than one adventurer in seconds.

Skeleton by JJ Kirby

Type

Undead

Environment

Any

Geographic Distribution

Any