The Faltered

The final stage of the Grey Pox, the Faltered are the skeletal servants of the Ashen Baron that burn with an unnatural, undying flame.

Fell Warriors

Utterly devoted to their dark master, the Faltered will stop at nothing to do his bidding. When it is time for a Wake of Embers, they shuffle forth from the Funereal Manor, their slow and relentless passing marked by scorched ground, dead hatelings and massacred folk.

A Faltered warrior is a capable foe, but nothing a well-trained Seeker cannot handle. The threat they pose comes from their numbers as well as the fact that they can suffer injuries that would slay a living man and still keep fighting. Only the total destruction of the branded skull seems to lay these skeletal soldiers to their final rest.

When led by the Baron himself, they fight with increased fervor and have even been reported to reassemble themselves even after having been crushed by blade and mace. During these greater wakes, the Seeker fellowships combine their forces to halt the skeletal horde before they can reach the Heart of Hate.

Despite numerous attempts to reach out to the osseous warriors, they have shown no sign of understanding or even receiving these attempts. This has been taken to mean that nothing of the people that the Faltered used to be remains.

Runic Servitude

Emblazoned in the skull of each Faltered warrior is a runic brand that marks the walking remains as thralls to the Ashen Baron. The rune is unlike any other that has been recorded in the annals of the Enlightened Few, leading scholars to believe that it too originates from the mad realm of the Adversary's nightmare.

Death and Fire

by Midjourney

_{The Faltered march in step}