Bloody Bones

Across Varda, the undead are found in many forms, but none as terrifying and relentless as the Bloody Bones. Also known as Rawhead, this grotesque creature lurks in the dark corners of society, leaving behind a sickening ‘souvenir’ - a single bone marking its prey before it strikes.

Appearance and Behaviour

A skinned, bloodied head with bulging eyes, and a skeletal body that drips with gore; many may say a Bloody Bones is one of the most gruesome Undead creatures that can be reanimated. The bones themselves appear freshly severed, sometimes incorrectly arranged, leading some to believe that the creature is incomplete, a twisted mockery of the living form.

When reanimated, the creature laws its way out of a grave and heads straight to the nearest buildings; the denser the better. It will work its way into homes, trying to find a suitable hiding spot to wait out any daytime activity. Cupboards, under beds, cellars and other dark, dank places all make for perfect hiding spots.

The next few nights will involve several excursions from its hiding spot. With a slow, deliberate movement, the Bloody Bones will find several households ripe for the hunt. This initial scouting is for two purposes; one to find other potential hiding places, and two to leave a gruesome memento. The Bloody Bones will remove one of its bones and leave it in a random spot in the house. Sometimes this is hidden, other times more obvious. Inevitably, the inhabitants will find the “gift”, a warning and a marker that the Bloody Bones has found its next victim.

When the Bloody Bones has its next victim, it will find somewhere closer to hide for its ambush. This will come at night, and viscous assault of sharpened fingers and gnashing teeth son overpowers the victim. Once dead, the Bloody Bones will set about removing one of the bones from its latest kill, although this always seems randomly determined a to which bone is chosen.

The creature then retreats to its hiding spot, where it will wait, patient and silent, for the next night to begin its hunt again.

Signs of Presence

Bloody Bones are relatively easy to identify due to their habits. It is usually less identifying the creature than the time constraints that mark hunts hard. Once one of its bones has been found, a death is soon to follow. Key identifiers involve:

• An Open Grave: A grave that has been freshly opened, with claw marks from the inside can identify a Bloody Bones.
• Sounds of the Hunt: Although the creature tries to remain silent in its nightly wandering, the sounds of rattling bones or gnashing teeth may be heard.
• Scents of the Dead: Rotting flesh and freshly dug earth are both smells that may appear around cupboards, cellars and other dark hiding spaces.
• The Bone Mark: The most telling sign of a Bloody Bones, a single bone will appear somewhere in a house. Often in an unexpected place, this seems to be random; under a pillow, on a shelf or even in the middle of a floor. This marker signifies an individual in the household is soon to be prey.

Known Lore (In-World)

Legends and folklore about the Bloody Bones tell of a creature that stalks and punishes those who break taboos or misbehave. This is especially true in many tales meant to scare children. In the country of Therrezia, parents tell their children of Rawhead and Bloody Bones, a creature that steals naughty children away. A nursery rhyme passed down through the generations warns:

In other regions, these tale say Bloody Bones likes to hide in cupboards. Any children who are brave enough to peek through the cracks in the cupboard doors may see the creature, crouched over a small pile of child-like bones. The bones are said to be those of children who misbehave.

These myths have grown due to the rare occurrence of a Bloody Bones. In cultures where the threat is more readily remembered, it is said a Bloody Bones occurs from the grave of a murderer, whose grave was desecrated, and now is back as a twisted vengeful creature of terror.

Destroying a Bloody Bones in traditional means is known to stop them, but this is always a temporary respite. The creature eventually regenerates, clawing out of its original grave or one close by. The true method of banishing such a Bloody Bones is only known by a select few. It is said that all the bones it laid in its hunt must be returned to its original grave, and then it must be ritually purified. Which religion or method of purification used does not seem to matter, as many cultures across Varda all have their own methods for cleansing.

True Origins

The following is for world-building purposes only – no Character or mortal found within Varda will be privy to such information (although Divine or Otherworldly Beings may be).

Unlike most undead, Bloody Bones does not arise from the will of divine beings or Demon Lords. Instead, it is the work of The Weave itself; a rare occurrence triggered when blood is spilled on a grave, seeping down to disturb the resting corpse. If the blood reaches the remains, the body is reanimated as a Bloody Bones.

Such an event is incredibly rare, as most burial places are sacred, and desecrating them is forbidden. The most likely candidates for such an occurrence are unmarked graves—those of warriors lost in battle or travellers who perished alone in the wilderness.

Nevertheless, Bloody Bones do come in to being, and have spread tales of fear all across Varda.