Floodslain

Floodslain

(Creature)

Type

Undead
(augmented)

CR

+1

Environment

Any

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

Floodslain

Source: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, pg(s). 60f.'

Floodslain, also often know as "the after-storm" by natives of the Hold of Belkzen, are undead that arise from creatures killed by the region's violent flash floods.

Appearance

Floodslain can be formed from the body of any creature drowned in one of Belkzen's flash floods, including the orcs of the Hold of Belkzen as well as the megafauna they favour as mounts. All floodslain share panicked eyes frozen in shock and terror at their fate. The bodies of the floodslain are normally waterlogged and often broken or gruesomely damaged by the battering floodwaters.

Habitat

Floodslain congregate in the flooded lowland reaches of the eastern Hold of Belkzen, particularly along the Flood Road. They float as corpses upon rivers, wander in sometimes large numbers across plains, or become trapped in ravines or valleys. When left to their own devices, floodslain instinctively head toward lower ground as if seeking the water that drowned them, a predictable trait that contributes to their isolation.

The melting snow from the Tusk Mountains causes many of the region's most devastating flash floods, which results in the creation of most of the Hold's floodslain. As these undead are rare outside of eastern Belkzen, druids and scholars of the former kingdom of Lastwall speculated that the water itself may have been cursed, potentially by proximity to Gallowspire, the former prison of the Whispering Tyrant. This theory suggests that Tar-Baphon's evil could taint the clouds over Gallowspire, in turn corrupting the snow the falls from them onto the Tusk Mountains.

Ecology

Born from blind terror, panic, and despair, floodslain instinctively try to drown any living creature they come across. They linger as threats long after the floods have receded, and in numbers can overwhelm small settlements. They relentlessly pursue the living and chase any who attempt to escape, which often attracts other floodslain.

Floodslain are imbued with magical echoes of their grim deaths. Their touch fills their victims' lungs with water, and they can summon spectral waves to knock down their foes or propel themselves forward. Their bodies constantly leak clear water into their surroundings.