Sword spirit
Pathfinder |
A rare form of undead that stalks the battlefields of Acheron, sword spirits, when visible, resemble whirlwinds of rust and metal flakes, sucking up nearby blades and wielding them against the living out of rage.
Appearance
Sword spirits, or ragewinds, are the spirits of powerful warriors that have perished in useless battles. Found almost entirely on Acheron, most commonly in Avalas, these beings are great threats, traveling the cubes with no goal but to slay the living. These malevolent tempests feel nothing but hate and bloodlust, trapped in a perpetual cycle of rage. Though it can speak, it rarely bothers to do so; when it does, its voice sounds as the howling of a shrill autumn wind.
Normally invisible and intangible, often times the only sign of ones presence is that of a chill in the air, or sudden unexplained despair and anger. From this stage, it can take up to 4 minutes for a sword spirit to form its more well-known cyclonic body, usually striking as soon as it is able. Though undead, and thus not truly in need of any sustenance, sword spirits can feed upon those they kill, growing stronger with each feeding. Those fed upon in such a manner are doomed to rise within 1-3 days as undead themselves, either ghouls (90%) or spectres (10%), if not blessed by a sufficiently skilled priest beforehand.
Reference
- Monster Manual II, pp. 173-174
- Planescape MCII, pp. 102-103
