Headless Horseman

Headless Horsemen are but a spectral echo of their living selves without their heads; most wear armour that can be vaguely associated with an order or army, but they are otherwise unidentifiable. Some Horsemen can be identified as a particular Species based on their general anatomy, though for many even this kind of identification is incredibly difficult.

The bones of a Headless Horseman can generally be identified by the faint greenish sheen that coats them. They will identify as Undead under a Detect Evil and Good spell, or as Necromancy using a Detect Magic. Using an Identify spell will reveal them as Headless Horseman bones, but details on whose bones specifically will not be available.

In order to create a Headless Horseman, the knight or Paladin must be of a sufficient proficiency with his or her Calling. Low ranking knights and paladins rarely become Headless Horsemen, though the process can be forced upon these less proficient individuals with the application of a curse before death.

Upon death, the head of the knight or Paladin should be removed from the body and buried or interned a significant distance away, in unhallowed ground and without rites. After the first dark Selenian moon after these events, the Headless Horseman will manifest close to the burial site of its body.

Headless Horsemen are generally harmless, though they have been known to unintentionally frighten people with their presence. They are connected to their heads and bodies in an instinctual manner; knowing where each part is at any one time, though their knowledge of their head can only be narrowed down to a 1 square mile area. Once they have located the general location of the burial of their head, they will roam the area in the hopes that either the elements or some friendly passers by will help them in finding their skulls.

Despite this relative indifference to the living, Horsemen will go into a frenzy if their heads are disturbed and not returned to either their possession, or to their body. There have been instances of the living finding skulls and taking them for use as macabre decoration or as spell components or foci. This generally does not end well for those involved, as the Headless Horseman will inevitably fly into a rage and begin a reign of slaughter until the head is returned.

Most Headless Horsemen are solitary beings, wandering alone in search of their head. When they do collect in groups, they tend to operate in a democratic manner, only acting if all members of the collective agree. If a member of their collective goes into a frenzy, the other Horsemen will not intervene, but will watch from afar and potentially warn the living away from the area if they can.

When a Headless Horseman is "killed" (albeit temporarily), it leaves behind ectoplasm which can be collected and used as a component material. When they are released from their prison of undeath, they fade away to nothing and do not have any harvestable resources.

Headless Horsemen are considered Sapient, and most of them are indifferent to the living. They understand the languages that they knew in life, and are capable of understanding the living despite not having ears. They are also capable of "reading", such as it is, through direct contact with something that contains lettering. They can also recall aspects of their life and personal history, though much of this is hazy to them due to the loss of their head.

Despite being without a head, Horsemen are capable of sight through Blindsight and are capable of hearing. However, they have no senses of taste or smell. They are naturally attuned to their own physical remains and can locate them to within a one mile radius; most Horsemen know the location of their bodies as it is where they first manifest. If their remains are moved, the Horseman can track them; only the disturbance of the head sends a Horseman into a frenzy.

Biological, Magical and Supernatural Abilities

Headless Horsemen are spectral beings that carry with them some kind of weapon that they wielded in life. Most appear to bear a longsword and shield, a greatsword, or polearm, though some carry ranged weapons such as a longbow or heavy crossbow.

Additionally, the magic of undeath permeates the physical remains of the Horsemen. A Headless Horseman's skeletal remains cannot be destroyed and any attempt to do so will result in a shockwave emanating from the bones. Likewise, the skeletal parts of the body (excluding the head) cannot be separated more than five feet from each other, and attempting to do so will cause the remains to teleport back to the location of the ribcage within an hour of removal.

All Horsemen possess a spectral steed, regardless of whether their bodies were buried with a mount or not. While most resemble horses, some Horsemen that used alternative mounts in live may manifest one of these creatures instead. These mounts are symbiotic extensions of the will of the Headless Horseman they serve, and will fight to the death to protect their masters. Once mounted upon their steed, a Headless Horseman cannot be knocked off unless it wishes to dismount. If the steed is "killed", the Horseman can summon it back the next night.

Headless Horsemen bear the names that they carried in life, though they may only recall partial names or nicknames due to the loss of their heads. If their real name is called, and they recall it themselves, they will respond to whoever called them. In instances where they cannot recall their names, Horsemen will often simply go by the moniker of "horseman".

Horsemen can understand the languages that they knew in life, so there are many combinations that an individual may know. The majority will understand Common, and some are old enough to understand Old Xatresian.

As they are generally indifferent to the living, Horsemen will typically ignore the presence of Mortals that they encounter and will not attempt to engage with them unless that Mortal appears to them to have the ability to help them. Those most often approached are Clerics or Paladins. Otherwise, Headless Horsemen will avoid interactions where possible.

Frenzy Interference

It is considered taboo for a Headless Horseman to intervene in the frenzy of another Horseman. To interfere in a frenzy is seen as attempting to prevent them from reuniting with their head, which will only anger them further.

Combat and Eradication

Combat Considerations

Headless Horsemen are resistant to necrotic and poison-type damage, as well as any damage from non-magical attacks that are not made with silvered weapons. Additionally, they cannot feel exhaustion and cannot be poisoned, petrified or paralyzed. As semi-ethereal beings they can be grappled, knocked prone, and restrained, but only if they willingly dismount from their steed first. While mounted, they are immune to all of these effects.

The bones of a Headless Horseman are immune to all damage and cannot be cleansed.

Expulsion Techniques

The only way to be rid of a Headless Horseman for good is to reunite their head and body. "Killing" a horseman is only a temporary measure, as they will reform at the resting place of their body within a few days of this temporary "death". Cleansing the bones will not force the Horseman to pass over, and may succeed only in annoying them, sending them into a temporary frenzy as they retaliate against those who attempted to get rid of them.