Cannibal Monks of Briarmoor

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The Cannibal Monks of Briarmoor

There are a number of strange cults scattered and rumored to be fighting one another across the dark lands of Briarmoor. One of the most feared are the Cannibal Monks of Briarmoor. They believe the secret the Titan Surma used to sustain his power and the source of his disciple wizard, The Betrayer's magical knowledge and strength was the eating of those with mystical knowledge or great strength.

The Cannibal Monks lure their prey to them with rumors of treasure, magical tomes, ancient artifacts, and anything else which might entice those with great strength or magical power to come into the Briarmoors. They hire bards and criers, paying them with coins found amongst the ruins in Briarmoor. Then sending them into the towns, villages and cities of the world, spinning tales of wealth and ancient, legendary, or mysterious artifacts to be found in the wilds of Briarmoor. Those with the boldness, greed, or just curious enough to investigate always come like moths to a flame.

The cannibal monks wait, like a spider at the center of a web, patiently they wait, as those with the power and magic and warm flesh they crave come right to them. Eager for riches and glory the curious meet their end as a gory meal for the ravenous monks.

Cannibal Monk (warrior)

ST8-12 DX8-10 IQ8-9 MV4-5; AR-1, DM1d6 (hatchet or bow)

SKILLS: Axe+1, Bow+1, Stealth+2, Lore+1, Track+1

Wears rags and bones as armor, armed with hatchets and bow

Cannibal Monk (cultist)

ST8-10 DX8-9 IQ8-13 MV4; AR-1; DM1d6 (dagger)

SKILL:Dagger+1

SPELLS: Death Orders+1, Haunting +1, Grave Touch +1

Wears rags and bones as armor, carries daggers

For the Referee to Consider

Does eating the dead grant these cultist new strange powers? Does it give them secret insights beyond the mortal realms? Does it grant them more spells, give them EN or allow them to commune with dead Titan Surma? Perhaps their ingestion of the living are blood rites meant to bring Surma or The Betrayer back to life and thus back? Perhaps the dead whisper their secrets to the eater or maybe it is The Betrayer, goading them and directing them through their eating of the dead so he can make his way back to the mortal realm.

Spells of the Cannibal Monks

Death Orders (T) IQ8 EN2 R:IQ

This spell allows the caster to control up to caster's IQ worth of recently deceased creatures, reanimating them as undead for a short time. The reanimated dead are mindless and are fully under the caster's control. They have ST3, fight as DX8 creatures with the same basic functions and resistances as zombies. The caster cannot command the reanimated creatures to use any special abilities (poison, breath weapons, magical abilities, etc.) or to make more than one attack per turn. When the spell expires, the collapse back into death.

Haunting (P) IQ8 EN1 R:IQ

This spell places an enchantment on an object touched or an area with a radius equal to the caster's IQ where cast, causing it to exhibit signs of being haunted. At the caster's choice, objects may rattle or fall of their own accord, phantasmal noises may be heard, or a ghostly or shadowy forms can manifest. A haunting may be dispelled by a Bless spell.

Grave Grasp (I) IQ9 EN1 R:Touch

The caster's hands begin to glow a gauzy ice blue color . The Grave Grasp can be used to damage or drain the ST of a living creatures. A touched creature suffers 1d6 damage (no AR protection) or the caster drains 2 ST from the touched and immediately adds them to his own ST. Creatures who do not have a rated STR score instead suffer a -1 penalty to attacks each time they are touched. ST gained by use of this spell above the caster's original ST are lost at a rate of one per hour.