Manesologist

The world is fraught with dangerous creatures that stalk the darker regions of the wilderness. For these threats, rangers and druids often rise to the call, but when the threat falls into the realm of the supernatural, that is when those with a manesologist background venture forth. Many from this background believe the world of Oranth was made for the living and holds no place for the undead or fiends that hide in its shadows. They make it their personal calling to hunt down and eradicate these creatures. The best way to do this is to study their prey to a nearly obsessive level.

As a manesologist, you focus your research on the study of fiends and undead, combing through ancient tomes and current findings to better understand how such creatures are formed, how they operate, and the most efficient ways of dispatching each one. Such studies are often seen as uncouth, unwholesome, and hazardous to one’s health and the wellbeing of those in proximity. This can often cause the manesologist to be shoved into the dusty corners of universities so as not to be in the public eye.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History

Languages: Abyssal, Infernal

Equipment: Three books on the archaic rituals of spirits and the undead, an amulet belonging to a deceased mentor, a flask of holy water, two sticks of incense, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch with 5 gp.

Incident with the Obscene

At some point during your life, you have encountered an undead apparition or other form of undead wretch. The particulars of the encounter should largely be left up to your GM, but the following information should be taken as a starting point. Roll from the list provided or choose the option that you feel best suits your character.

d6	Incident
1	One of your family members arose as a zombie.
2	You witnessed a shadow form upon the deathbed of a friar.
3	You watched in secret as the soul of a cultist was ripped from its body, forming a specter.
4	While you were lost in a forest, a will-o’-wisp waylaid your sibling, who was never seen again.
5	On a dare, you entered a haunted mill and encountered the ghost that dwelled therein.
6	Some childhood friends dabbled in the arcane and raised a warhorse skeleton from a nearby burial mound.

Feature: Know Thine Enemy

You have researched heavily the aspects and variance pertaining to those that dwell in the realm of the undead. You know the distinct difference between a ghoul and a ghast, or a specter and a poltergeist. To that end, you know the general driving force for any undead you encounter. You may not know the particulars of their desire, but you have an understanding of how they form and what purpose they pursue.

Suggested Quirks

Those that study apparitions and other forms of undead are rarely untouched by such research. The unnatural has a way of seeping into your mind, distorting and realigning your perceptions of the world around you and your own place in it. Manesologists have many of the same quirks as other sages, though often twisted due to the macabre nature of their studies. Choose a quirk from the list provided or feel free to work with your GM to design one of your own.

d6	Quirks
1	I’m quick to believe tales of the dark and disturbing. The more bizarre, the more likely to be true.
2	I’m compiling my research into a tome of stories dedicated to the undead.
3	I am searching for a particular spirit with whom I believe I have an eternal bond.
4	I’ve dedicated my life to assisting spirits in transitioning to the world beyond. Whether the means are peaceful or by force is their decision.
5	My interests in the macabre tend to dominate my conversation to the disdain of many who find themselves speaking with me.
6	A violent event from my childhood left me with a disfiguring scar. The sight of it reminds me of my weakness. I will make certain I’m never that weak again.