Burial-robed undead (Session 21)

Burial-robed undead (Session 21)

Crowned undead (Session 21)

Character

Status Dead First seen s21 Last seen s21

The burial-robed undead was the figure “in rotting burial robes” who stood behind two gaunt ghouls at the entrance of the ridge temple in session 21 ^[1]. Its stench forced a Constitution save on Father Thomas, and its claws raked Hugo for five slashing damage and spread a black vein from the wound, an infection he shook off ^[24][17]. Hugo killed it with a natural-20 critical, cutting off its claw hand, a leg and its head ^[23]. Which of the undead wore the temple’s crown is unresolved.

Overview

The burial-robed undead was the third of the sentries at the entrance of the ridge temple: two gaunt figures crouched near the western passage, “while a third stands behind them in rotting burial robes” ^[1]. The DM never named its type; “burial-robed” is the wiki’s descriptive title, from the DM’s “the other figure in the burial robe” and Hugo’s “the old guy” ^[14][15]. It stinks, claws and infects, and Hugo killed it with a critical hit.

Appearance and demeanour

An undead in rotting burial robes, “the old guy” to Hugo ^[1][15]. Caelumn’s Fire Bolt scorched away a good amount of the robes and left a flesh wound on its chest ^[16].

Several lines mention a crown without agreeing on who wore it. The DM asked of Caelumn’s target, “Was that the guy with the crown you were attacking?” ^[4], which points at this figure; the players twice put the crown on the swollen body ^[11][12][13]. The DM’s notes do not settle it, so the wiki gives the crown to neither undead (the DM’s post-s21 clarifications of 2026-09-27). Hugo killed both, so no kill depends on the answer.

Abilities as played

• Stench. Standing next to it forced a Constitution save against “a stench that almost makes you want to puke” ^[2].
• Claws and infection. A claw hit on Hugo did the minimum, 5 slashing, and forced a Constitution save as “this black vein start to spread from the wound”; he staved off the infection ^[17]. What a failed save would have done is not known.

Relationships

• Father Thomas: its first target, who kept his food down and was missed ^[2].
• Hugo: clawed by it and its killer ^[17][18].
• Swollen plague zombie (Session 21): the other undead near the crown question.
• The severed hand: Hugo taking its claw hand is no evidence that it hosted the hand. That hand stopped moving later ^[19], and Terry’s “We killed the host” is a player’s claim ^[20].
• The charcoal-robed kidnappers: no link; their robes were charcoal ^[21].

Disposition towards the party

Mindlessly hostile: it ran at Father Thomas, then at Hugo, and was killed in the fight.

History in the campaign

Session 21: The Hand That Points North

Main article: Session 21

At the temple entrance two corpses were pulling ropes round a cracked statue, with a swollen body beside them, two gaunt figures near the western passage and, behind them, a third in rotting burial robes ^[1]. In the first round it ran at Father Thomas, who kept his food down against its stench, and its claws missed; Thomas’s Green-Flame Blade jumped to it for four fire damage ^[2][3]. In the fourth round Caelumn’s Fire Bolt scorched its robes, and its claws hit Hugo for 5, a black vein spreading until he resisted the infection ^[22]. On his turn Hugo hit “the old guy” with a natural 20 for 28 and cut off its claw hand, a leg and its head ^[23].

Status

As of session 23. Dead, killed by Hugo in session 21 ^[10].

See also

• Swollen plague zombie (Session 21)
• The living skin (Session 21)
• The ridge temple (Session 21)
• Hugo

References

1. ^ Session 21, line 797: "a third stands behind them in rotting burial robes".
2. ^ Session 21, line 888-890: Father Thomas's Constitution save against "a stench that almost makes you want to puke"; its claw attack misses.
3. ^ Session 21, line 963-965: Father Thomas's Green-Flame Blade jumps to "the other figure in the burial robe" for four fire damage.
4. ^ Session 21, line 1235: Crown line: the DM, checking Caelumn's Fire Bolt target, "Was that the guy with the crown you were attacking?".
5. ^ Session 21, line 1236-1237: Caelumn's Fire Bolt: "you scorch away a good amount of his burial robes, and you leave a flesh wound on his chest".
6. ^ Session 21, line 1241: Its claws hit Hugo: "minimum damage for 5 slashing damage", then a Constitution save.
7. ^ Session 21, line 1243: "this black vein start to spread from the wound however you manage to stave off the infection".
8. ^ Session 21, line 1280-1281: Hugo attacks "the old guy": a natural 20.
9. ^ Session 21, line 1284: Critical damage: "7, 22, 28 damage".
10. ^ Session 21, line 1286-1287: KILL: Hugo cuts off "the hand that it attacked me with", a leg and the head; the DM: "Just the three piece combo on it.".
11. ^ Session 21, line 1027: Crown line: Terry says of the swollen body "that one looks like the king".
12. ^ Session 21, line 1213: Crown line: Hugo's kill narration for the swollen body names "the one with the crown on it".
13. ^ Session 21, line 1318: Crown line: Hugo speaks of "the zombie with the crown on".
14. ^ Session 21, line 965: Inline citation.
15. ^ Session 21, line 1280: Inline citation.
16. ^ Session 21, line 1237: Inline citation.
17. ^ Session 21, line 1241-1243: Inline citation.
18. ^ Session 21, line 1286: Inline citation.
19. ^ Session 21, line 1588: Inline citation.
20. ^ Session 21, line 1596: Inline citation.
21. ^ Session 21, line 289: Inline citation.
22. ^ Session 21, line 1233-1243: Inline citation.
23. ^ Session 21, line 1280-1287: Inline citation.
24. ^ Session 21, line 888: Inline citation.