Warspawn

*"When the living go to war often they leave behind a terrible legacy to the dead, one of terrible undeath. It is a corruption which will last as long as there are warring races that wander Faerun."* - Griz'nast Trilden, author of *Faerun and Death*.

Warspawn (also known as shambling soldiers, vengeful corpses and hateful undead) are a type of undead creature that roams recent and particularly bloody battlefields.

## Description

Warspawn appear as rotting and emasciated versions of their previous life, and can take the form of anything that was once a sapient humanoid. They are characterized by having pale translucent skin and sunken red eyes, and are clad in whatever armour they were wearing before their death. There are several rarer forms of warspawn that appear to be larger or have varying features to their more common brethren.

## Origin

Though they can be found wherever undead roam, Warspawn are found mostly on recent battle sites. If a battle is particularly violent (or if enough people are killed) Warspawn are likely to emerge from the remnants. It is unknown what the exact requirements for warspawn formation is and it appears to vary between different battles. The stages of warspawn formation are claimed to have been observed, though the authenticity of such claims cannot be verified. There are a couple stages to warspawn formation:

### The Barracks

Once a battle is concluded, a dip in the landscape will appear within a few days which swallows any corpses happen to fall within its reach. This sinkhole will expand with every passing hour, engulfing as much of the field as is possible. The largest one is claimed to have consumed a mile of forest, which is dubious considering the only sources present on the matter are second-hand retellings. Regardless, after the sinkhole has grown to its maximum possible size it will function as the "barracks" of Warspawn, spitting out the undead from within its terrible maw.

### Corpse Collection

When the first batch of warspawn rise from the barracks they will begin to collect the corpses that did not fall within the barracks' reach, throwing any bodies they find into the pit regardless of past relations and affiliations. Both friend and foe are thrown into the pit in equal measures, allowing for the churning of even more warspawn.

### Fortification

After a sufficient number of undead is reached, the warspawn will begin constructing fortifications surrounding the barracks using leftover materials, structures and available resources. Warspawn exhibit a certain quantity of intelligence that is higher than that of more traditional undead (such as zombies or skeletons) but well below that of say, vampires and liches. In their state of undeath, they maintain a similar routine to that of their life - maintaining guard, keeping watch and polishing weapons and armour (as best they can).

### Raids and Expansion

In order to maintain a steady supply of soldiery, the warspawn will often ambush nearby villages and encampments in hopes of slaying and retrieving inhabitants. If successful, the raids will result in the production of what is known as a Warspawn Levy, a far less adept form of warspawn that does not maintian the rigid discipline of warspawn soldiery. If the raids are successful enough, the fortifications will expand outwards. The largest warspawn fortification grew to the size of a medium citadel before being destroyed by some daring adventurers.

### Enclave

After the successful development of all stages, the fortification becomes a Warspawn Enclave. This is the strongest state that the warspawn can achieve, with fortified defenses and an ever expanding army. It is at this stage that the warspawn are hardest to eradicate, and the few mentions of warspawn enclaves within texts also cite the need for hundreds of trained men and adventurers in order to destroy it. The largest of the enclaves, one that is mentioned to have been located along the Sword Coast, required several siege engines in order to annihlate. It is unknown if there is a stage beyond the enclave, as no warspawn enclaves were allowed to exist past their discovery.

## Behaviour

Warspawn maintian much of their military past, but do not maintain their allegiances. It is unclear exactly how their heirarchy functions (if any exists), but they seem to be a relatively efficient fighting force, especially against the unprepared and unwary. They mostly patrol the land that spawned them, but some have been known to break off from their forces and wander Faerun by themselves. The warspawn exhibit no need for the consumption of food nor drink, but this strangely does not affect their warring methods. In the few recorded attacks by warspawn, the horde seemed to instinctively attack grain depots and wells, securing them where they can. What they do with the captured resources is uncertain, but they do indeed carry it back to their encampments.

As for their behaviours in more civilized settings (such as capture), warspawn exhibit non-conversationalism despite their perceived intelligence. This is believed to be an active choice they take, as the aforementioned independent warspawn do in fact engage in conversation.

## Variants

There are several recorded rarely-occuring variations of the Warspawn, which includes:

### Warspawn Levy

The warspawn levy is the weakest form of warspawn. Uncoordinated, weak and fragile - it is by far the easiest to destroy. The warspawn enclave recognizes this fact, and relies on levies to form a wall between them and aggressors, sending hundreds of them to their eternal demise. In general, a warspawn levy is equipped with very little in term of weapons and armor, wearing mostly tattered leathers and carrying a rusted sword at best.

### Warspawn Footsoldier

Warspawn footsoldiers are the main force of the enclave, with thousands of them forming the armies within the fortifications. They are often the first warspawn created by the barracks. They are not particularly intelligent, but they are also not to be underestimated in any way shape or form. Their armament consists of the armour they wore in their past life (which can range from leather to chainmail), and their weapons come in a variety of forms. For all intents and purposes, they are no different from their past selves - except in appearance and allegiance, that is.

### Warspawn Archer

Quick and accurate, the warspawn archer is exactly as it sounds: an archer. Proficient in ranged attacks and easy maneuverability, they are often used to pepper their enemies with a heavy shower of arrows. Equipped mostly in light armour and carrying anything from a recurve bow to a crossbow, they are difficult to catch and difficult to kill - especially when they keep retreating further and further.

### Warspawn Knight

Larger than your average warspawn, the warspawn knight is truly a force to be reckoned with. The knight is protected by a set of plate armour, deflecting incoming missiles and slashes with relative ease. Knights are often armed with larger more unwieldy weapons, punctuating their terror with devastating attacks. They are the largest of the common warspawn.