Climate/Terrain: Frequency: Organization: Activity Cycle: Diet: Intelligence: Treasure: Alignment: No. Appearing: Armor Class: Movement: Hit Dice: THAC0: No. of Attacks: Damage/Attack: Special Attacks: Special Defenses: Magic Resistance: Size: Morale: XP Value:

Any Ravenloft Very Rare Solitary Any Nil Exceptional to Genius (15-18) Special Neutral 1 10* 12 8 Special Special Special See Below See Below 50% M (5'-6' tall) Fearless (20) 10,000

*Any strike that can hit AC 10 can hit a Requiem, but passes through with no effect.

Sometimes, a tale touches the heart like nothing else can. Whether it be a song, poem, or story, it brings joy to whom or whatever hears it. Sometimes, the wrong being hears it, and feels they cannot live without it. And sometimes, the person who weaves that tale is cursed to repeat it eternally.

A requiem is an undead creature that is much like a geist, but usually much more tragic in nature. Like the geist, it is unable to be destroyed through means of normal or even enchanted weapons, but it has gained its undead state for bringing joy rather than dying horribly. Most requiems are the spirits of bards of exceptional renown that died alone and dispirited. Some are authors whose praises are sung across domains because of a certain work, and some are musicians that died with their instruments in their hands.

No matter what walk of life a requiem is drawn from, it had one basic facet in common with every other of its kind: it created a work so beautiful that it gained fame from it, and died alone. The Dark Powers thus gave these artists one more chance at life, and they proclaim their works eternally. Some say this is so because of the fame that these people so readily abused, some say it is because of their talents, and some say, in hushed whispers and very rarely, that the Dark Powers themselves were overcome by the works of these men and women.

Combat: A requiem projects an aura of silence stretching 30' out from them in all directions. Their lips move (or hands play their instrument, or both), but no sound emanates from them. The sound instead booms within the silent area around them, causing anyone that sees and hears this for the first time to make a successful fear check or scream and run until they have reached the edge of the ghostly field, at which point they must make another fear check or try to get as far away as possible.

The exact sound heard within the field differs with the requiem, but a basic list to follow is that musicians play their songs, authors repeat their books endlessly, and bards perform their stories and epics. Strangely, the aura of silence does not prevent readings of other works or playing of music related to the requiem's former life.

In combat, a requiem will attack with its bare hands. To attack, the requiem rolls a 1d20; if the result is less than the target's AC, the requiem has "hit" it's target. The target makes a saving throw vs. paralysis. If successful, then the target is chilled to the bone and loses his next combat action. If he fails, randomly determine the part of the body the requiem hit, that body part is paralyzed for 1d4 days and the character drops any items being carried in that arm if one is hit.

If the target's AC is rolled exactly, the requiem drops its usually lethargic facade and charges straight through the character. The character must immediately make a system shock roll. If he fails, he dies. If he succeeds, he falls unconscious and must roll a saving throw vs. paralysis. If successful, he wakes up the next turn. If unsuccessful, he remains unconscious for 1d4 days unless a heal or restoration spell is cast. A wish or limited wish might also help if worded correctly. At the end of the time period, the character must make another system shock roll. If successful, he completely recovers. If failed, a part of his body (DM choice) is paralyzed for life and only a heal, restoration, limited wish, or wish spell can restore function.

Though they do not wish to fight--indeed, they are barely aware of their surroundings--there are some things that will provoke a requiem to use its abilities. First, if a requiem is the target of any offensive spell that is not blocked by its magic resistance, it will immediately attack the spellcaster until it paralyzes him. Another way to provoke a requiem to attack is to try to read a poem, perform a composition, or act out a routine used by a rival of the requiem in life within their aura of silence.

Requiems are turned as Special undead. They cannot be controlled, and will attack the one trying to control them if it ever happens.

To truly lay a requiem to rest, there are two courses of action that may be followed. The first is to have a priest of any alignment perform a religious ceremony, while all the while being watched by the requiem, then cast remove curse, sanctify, and then place his holy symbol in the area where the requiem's head is. A blinding flash of light erupts and the requiem is laid to rest.

Another, easier, way is to have a person of the same profession as the requiem once was create a composition that would be read at the requiem's funeral. Starting outside the requiem's aura of silence, the person would then begin to read or play. Once the first line or chord is finished, he may step into the field. After every line or chord thereafter, he may move a step closer, when he reaches the requiem, he must place his finger on the requiem's forehead and speak its true name. No matter which method is used, the requiem must remain completely still during the entire process.

If the person moves more than a step, or fails to do so, in a given line, the composition is immediately erased from the person's mind and the requiem attacks him. If the person successfully makes it across all 30 feet, and then finishes the ritual by touching the requiem's forehead, the requiem then smiles, sighs, and disappears in a white light.

After either of these methods is completed, a sheet of paper, or several of them, lie at the ground where the requiem last stood. This is the requiem's last gift to the person that freed them. It is a work of incredible skill that can be sold for upwards of 10,000 gold, or it may be placed at the beginning of a large book and will inscribe all of its creator's works into it in 1d4 days.

A last, dangerous way to free a requiem is the use of a speak with dead spell. The entire lifetime of the creature is relived in a few seconds, including death, and the caster must make a madness check. If the check is successful, then the caster is able to distinguish which are his or her memories and which are the requiem's. If not, the caster believes that he or she is now the requiem's former identity. If the requiem was not a spellcaster, then all spellcasting ability is lost. No matter if the check was successful or not, the requiem can retire to death, but it leaves no reward for the one who freed it.

Habitat/Society: Requiems are figures of tragic irony. They are not so much feared as pitied in the lands they wander. This being so, many refuse to try to harm them. Though the tragedy of a requiem often bring with it great sadness and lethargy among the people it encounters, it does not have any ability to do such, and it is merely an emotional response.

Requiems never stay in one place. They are constantly on the move, and may even move across closed domain borders. However, every five years on the anniversary of their death they will appear at their dying place and simply stand there, motionless, for the entire night. This is the best time to attempt to free a requiem from its tortured existence.

Ecology: Since requiems are not natural, they have no impact on their surroundings. They don't affect anything if left alone, as they do not have any need for food. So long as they are left unprovoked, they will simply wander.