Scourge
Biology
The Scourge exist as a fusion of two distinct beings—the humanoid Host and a Fungal Growth that overtakes it. The Host resembles a bipedal species with vague human-like traits, though its true origins remain a mystery. Whatever the Host once was, it no longer exists in its original form. The Fungal Growth has replaced its higher brain functions, spreading its tendrils through the skull and spinal cord, turning the body into something both alive and dead. The fusion is absolute; neither entity can survive long without the other.
The fungus itself is a native organism of the Cryptokeep, its spores only able to mature and take root within the strange energies of that realm. This necessity suggests that the Host species originated elsewhere—outsiders who were either conquered or captured, their fate sealed by forced symbiosis. These outsiders have pale grey to white skin, with more human coloration appearing the longer an individual has lived in the Earth Realm. Whatever their past, the Scourge of today are something entirely different, their biology shaped by centuries of adaptation, survival, and control under a parasitic bond that neither can escape.
Culture
The Scourge are a deeply superstitious people, their culture shaped by centuries of tragedy, enslavement, and survival. With no written records to call their own, they pass their history through oral tradition, each generation carrying the weight of those who came before. Stories are not merely told—they are performed, woven into song and ritual, their voices heavy with the deep, tonal harmonies that define Scourge music. Oracles, chosen from birth, serve as the keepers of these tales, their operatic recitations as much prophecy as they are history.
Their faith is rooted in the worship of the Old Gods, eldritch beings that rose from the Sea of Souls, a vast and unknowable abyss where all spirits must pass. To the Scourge, death is not an end but a transition—one phase of existence dissolving into another. It is believed that souls entering the Sea of Souls are broken apart, scattered, and reforged into something new, an eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. This belief, however, has been twisted and manipulated over time, used by tyrants and false prophets to bind them in servitude. Even now, many Scourge whisper of a savior, a prophesied being who will end their suffering—but whether this is truth or another deception remains to be seen.
A History of Suffering
The Scourge’s history is marked by centuries of oppression under the Infernal Tyrants. When Mordigan, the 2nd Devil Incarnate, arrived, she declared the Scourge little more than cattle for soul harvesting. She deceived them into believing she created the Cryptokeep, using this false belief to maintain control over their lives. Loyal Scourge were elevated to Elder Scourge and turned into devils, spreading a prophecy that one day a savior, Ak Iban, would overthrow the devils and free them from their torment.
For millennia, the Scourge held onto this hope, praying for the promised hero. But the savior never came, and their faith became a tool of manipulation, keeping them in an endless cycle of suffering and servitude.
The Great Rot
Toraz, the Slayer of Kings, is a towering figure in Scourge legend, revered as a godlike hero who overthrew the devils and ruled the Cryptokeep for eternity. However, his true origins are clouded in myth, with countless oracles offering conflicting tales of his rise to power. What is known is that his actions sparked a profound schism among the Scourge, dividing them into factions that would shape their fate for generations.
Following Toraz’s reign, the rule of The Great Rot took hold, leading to the institution of the Slow Death. The Cryptokeep was sealed from all other realms, and anyone who entered would be trapped forever. To prevent overpopulation, the Slow Death mandated that living beings within the Crypt be periodically culled, ensuring a gradual decline. Many Scourge, fearing the inevitable decay, fled the Crypt before it was sealed off, leaving behind only those trapped in a cycle of death and decay.
Statistics
D&D 5th Edition
CD&D 5th Edition
Creature Type: Humanoid (Undead)
Size: Small-Medium
Height: 4-5" Tall
Weight : Varies but usually thinner than a human of similar size.
Age: The Humanoid ages similarly to a human. The (Placeholder Name for the Fungal Growth) will usually reach maturity after 3-4 decades spent in the Cryptokeep.
Speed: 30 Feet
Abilities
Darkvision: The Fungus your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Of the Crypt: You are resistant to necrotic damage and have advantage on saving throws against effects that cause exhaustion.
Songs of Creation: The fungal symbiosis within you carries echoes of ancient songs. You know the Spare the Dying cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Inflict Wounds once, and it recharges after a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.
Eternal Echo: Even in death, remnants of your being linger. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not outright killed, you can remain conscious and take the Dodge action on your next turn instead of falling unconscious. You still make death saving throws as normal. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Stigma in New Oasis
The presence of the Scourge in New Oasis is met with unease, their very existence a reminder of things best left buried. To most, they are harbingers of death, creatures steeped in decay, and their arrival is rarely welcomed. A Scourge doctor may be skilled, but few would trust their hands to heal rather than hasten the inevitable. A Scourge undertaker may be efficient, but whispers follow them—do they truly lay the dead to rest, or do they listen too closely to what the corpse still remembers? Whether out of fear or tradition, most Scourge are pushed into deathwork, tending to graves, handling the sick, or preparing bodies for burial. Yet, this only deepens the perception that they belong to the dead more than the living.
Even so, their voices have begun to seep into the culture of New Oasis. Their deep, mournful music, sung in the cavernous tones of their operatic traditions, has found its way into underground venues and dimly lit parlors, where melancholic souls gather to listen. Their literature, written in winding, poetic verses that speak of loss, rebirth, and the cruelty of fate, has gained a quiet following. But no matter how brilliant their art, it is still a struggle to be seen as anything other than specters in a world that does not understand them.
Scourge Walkers
Even in death, the Scourge do not rest. When the body of a Scourge dies, its Host often lingers, its flesh still moving, its limbs still carrying out whatever tasks it once knew. These Walkers are slow, docile, and mindless—little more than shadows of what they once were. To the Scourge, Walkers are sacred, an honored part of the cycle of existence. Some believe their spirits watch over the living as they wander, waiting for the day they finally collapse into the dust. Others see them as proof that death is not an end, but merely another step along the path.
To the people of New Oasis, however, they are something else entirely. To some, they are unsettling, walking corpses left to rot in the streets, a grotesque display of unnatural endurance. To others, they are a resource—unclaimed labor waiting to be used. Though New Oasis law forbids the creation of Walkers, corporations have found ways around the restrictions, quietly acquiring them to work in places no living being would dare go. In the depths of factories, in tunnels beneath the city, in the forgotten places where no eyes wander—there, the Walkers remain, their tired, lifeless bodies toiling away until there is nothing left of them.
Scourge Names
Scourge names often blend harsh consonants with flowing syllables, evoking both strength and sorrow—players creating a Scourge should draw from deep, guttural sounds for power or melodic tones for those shaped by prophecy, loss, or faith. A Scourge’s name is composed of two parts: the family name, inherited from the parent who carried the spores that bonded to them, and the chosen name, which they craft upon reaching adulthood. This act of self-naming is a rite of passage, a declaration of identity shaped by visions, omens, or personal trials. Some names are whispered by the fungal bond in fevered dreams, while others are forged through hardship and the weight of lineage.
Zalthorin
Kryzareth
Vaelthorn
Salorin
Xorvazel
Orzakell
Therzarin
Zalvorak
Draquorin
Vorenthas