The Undead Mephrides was an experienced soldier in the Empire of Mulhorand. When war was declared, he always volunteered for the dangerous missions with other elite troops, removing command structures of forcing a break through a phalanx for the rest of the troops. He searched always for a warrior good enough to challenge him. On one mission, Mephrides was separated from his group and encountered an enemy soldier showing wounds that should have been fatal. Mephrides attacked vigorously, using every weapon at his disposal. Somehow he killed the undead soldier, and took its armor, as his own was badly damaged in the fight. When he put it on, he soon found that he took less damage from weapons, as large wounds bled more slowly and small cuts not at all. Eventually, he stopped bleeding entirely, but found that his emotions were as deadened as his body. He didn't connect the armor's magic with the state of the soldier he took it from and continued to wear it in battle, relying on its properties to carry him through. He became even more aggressive than he was before. After a few years, he was killed. Not by a superior foe, as he might he wished, but by superior numbers. His unit had been ordered to cover the retreat of the rest of the army and his body was overrun by the enemy and never recovered. Had he had a proper burial, there are those who say that Mephrides would not have arisen to terrorize the nearby countryside. He did rise, though, and speculation is worthless if one meets him alone. Magic or quick feet might be the only things to help then. Now Mephrides fights as a ju-ju zombie, using his immunities and strengths cleverly, as an experienced soldier not as and animated slave. Recognizing that the strength of his hands allows to strike with tremendous force, he usually fights barehanded, but will carry a short composite bow for attacking enemies who refuse to melee. The Armor Known as hoplite armor, this suit consists of a breastplate, greaves, and a studded leather skirt. The armor is in excellent condition, but dirty and bloodstained. It leeched Mephride's life force away from him when he was alive and was in the process of turning him into an undead when he was killed, hastening the process, but weakening the body as well. If another person take the armor and puts it on, he gains some immunities of the zombie. The character will also become immune to poison and only take half damage from piercing weapons. He will also begin to lose levels at a rate of one per week unless they make a saving throw. Since this takes at least a week to affect the person it is rarely associated with the armor. When the character is reduced to 0 levels, he dies and is immediately animated again as a free willed zombie with animal intelligence. This zombie will continue to grow in power, at the rate of about one HD each week, possibly becoming even more stronger the Mephrides. The exact details of the transformation after death of left up to the DM, but the final undead creature should be equal in HD to the character replaced.just the front. After his death, the armor also began to protect him from some of the banes of the undead. Balmer Holn Mephrides Back to White Knight #12 Table of Contents Back to White Knight List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Pegasus-Unicorn Productions This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com