CHASING

THE DRAGON PART ONE

Legion of Everblight Warlocks and Warbeasts
By Matt Goetz • Art by karl richardson, andrea uderzo, and kieran yanner

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Though the body of the dragon Everblight was destroyed
after he attacked the Iosan city of Issyrah, his malice lives
on. After luring the ogrun Thagrosh Hellborne to free his
athanc from its icy entombment, Everblight set in motion
plans to create an army. He quickly corrupted the nearby
Nyss of the Shard Spires, confident these elves would
be as responsive to his blight as the Iosans he had once
experimented upon had been. Having now destroyed and
absorbed the Nyss culture, his blighted legion sweeps across
western Immoren, growing in strength and numbers with
each victory. Commanded by powerful warlocks who bear
a shard of his athanc within their hearts, Everblight’s ever-
growing arsenal of blighted warriors and unique warbeasts
are a deadly threat to all who face them.
The following pages contain the first installment of a multi-
part series that adds the blighted legions of the dragon
Everblight to your games of Iron Kingdoms Unleashed.
These individuals and creatures make for perfect antagonists,
particularly for adventuring companies that include
non-blighted Nyss refugees.
Note that as the first installment in a series, this article
contains certain references to material that will be available
in upcoming issues of No Quarter.
Blighted
Characters
Even before Everblight was freed from his imprisonment,
the dragon had decided against re-forming his body, which
would leave him weak and vulnerable to his draconic
brethren. Instead, he had arrived at an unconventional and
unprecedented plan to divide his essence and act through
pawns who would lead an army devoted to his preservation.
Ordinarily, dividing an athanc would spawn other dragons,
but Everblight devised a means to avoid this. Thus, the
pieces of his divided athanc were inserted into mortals
who, with draconic blood flowing through their veins, were
empowered to act in his stead.
This coterie of warlocks enabled Everblight to circumvent the
limitations of his physical form, including allowing him to
proliferate dragonspawn in far greater number. Furthermore,
while individual warlocks were not invulnerable, the loss of
any one would not eliminate Everblight himself, who could
persist so long as even one warlock survived. Nonetheless,
not wishing to diminish his power by even the least degree,
Everblight’s chosen warlocks raised an army of blighted
warriors for their protection and to allow the dragon to wage
war against his numerous enemies.
Even before becoming one of these warlocks, the sorceress
Vayl Hallyr betrayed her race and aided in the corruption of
other Nyss, afflicting many with the dragon’s transformative
blight. By corrupting the drinking water of the major shards,
Everblight amassed a sizable force. The dragon’s blight
bound the Nyss to his will, giving him the tools he needs to
achieve his goals and altering the Nyss both mentally and
physically. In time his control extended to other races as well,
like the isolated ogrun tribes of the northern mountains, who
were in turn marked by the dragon’s blight.
Effects of Everblight’s
Dragon Blight
All characters created as part of the Legion of Everblight are
blighted characters. Blighted characters roll one fewer die on
non-Intimidation social skill rolls made against non-blighted
characters. Blighted characters affiliated with Everblight
automatically fail non-Intimidation social skill rolls
made against characters affiliated with any other dragon.
Blighted characters are viewed as monsters by nearly all other
inhabitants of western Immoren and are likely to be attacked
on sight. Blighted characters of the Legion of Everblight gain
the Blight Gifts racial trait in addition to any other racial
traits they possess.
Gifts of the Dragon
Of all the dragons, Everblight has the most refined control of
his blight’s effect. Over the centuries, he has learned to wield
his blight like a sculptor wields a chisel, carefully reshaping
creatures into forms he finds pleasing and useful.
The Nyss proved to be especially well suited to Everblight’s
work. Centuries spent studying and manipulating
kidnapped elves from Ios provided Everblight with a basis
of understanding upon which he was able to sculpt the Nyss,
the Iosan’s close cousins, to his desires. The dragon can affect
the Nyss with great precision. Of all the races, the Nyss have
the greatest diversity of Everblight’s gifts, from the subtle
manipulation of rank-and-file warriors to the profound
changes worked upon the succubi. Since losing his body,
Everblight has not yet had the opportunity to bring blighted
Iosans into the ranks of his legion, but they would be affected
similarly to the Nyss.
Other races also receive the gifts of the dragon’s blight, but
the manipulations he performs on them are cruder and less
predictable. Blighted ogrun, for instance, are on the edge of
insanity, given to bouts of unquenchable bloodlust. Though
other races can still benefit from Everblight’s gifts, they are
more subject to the random vagaries inherent in the blight.
Nyss see themselves as especially favored by the dragon
because of this.
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 Blight Gifts
Blight Gifts is a racial trait unique to blighted characters
affiliated with the dragon Everblight.

Blight Gifts manifest as special abilities bestowed upon

characters in service to Everblight. For every 25 experience
points a character earns, he rolls once on the following table
to determine which gifts, if any, the dragon bestows. These
changes are permanent. To determine which gift a character
receives, roll 3d6 and consult the table below.

Blight Gifts other than “No Effect” are not cumulative. If a

duplicate result is rolled, reroll to determine which blight gift
a character receives.

Due to the Nyss’ compatibility with Everblight’s

manipulations, a Blighted Nyss or Strider character can
choose to add or subtract 1 from rolls to determine which
Blight Gift the character receives.

3D6 blight gifts

3 No Effect – The character does not receive a Blight Gift at this time.

4 Blessed Host – The character becomes the host for an incubus that emerges if he dies.

Blight Senses – The character’s senses become unnaturally acute, making him a flawless hunter and tracker.
5 The character gains an additional die on Detection and Tracking skill rolls. Discard the low die of each roll.

6 Regeneration – The character regains d3 vitality points per hour in addition to any normal healing.

Blight Reflexes – The character’s reactions are hyper-attuned, letting him leap into combat with blinding
7 speed. The character gains a +1 racial bonus to Initiative.
Horns – Tough, black horns sprout from the character’s head. In addition to his normal attacks, once per
round the character can make one unarmed melee attack with his horns. This attack uses the Unarmed
8 Combat skill and is POW 3. On a critical hit, the target is knocked down. If the character uses his horns to
make a knockout strike that damages his target, add +2 to the target number to avoid the knockout.
Talons – The character’s nails grow into long talons capable of rending flesh. The character gains +2 to
9-11 punch and kick unarmed melee attack damage rolls.
Ripping Jaws – The character’s teeth and jaws become ideal for rending flesh. The character gains +2
12 to bite unarmed melee attack damage rolls. On a critical hit against a living character, this character
immediately regains d3 vitality points.
Bone Spurs – The character’s skin sprouts dense growths of hardened bone. The character gains a +1 racial
13 bonus to ARM.
Voice of the Dragon – The character’s voice takes on an unnatural resonance that evokes Everblight himself.
14 The character gains +2 to command range and +2 on social skill rolls made against characters affiliated
with the Legion of Everblight.
Dragon’s Grace – The character is instilled with an unnatural, sinewy grace that allows him to deftly avoid
15 attacks. The character gains a +1 racial bonus to DEF.
Eyes of the Dragon – The character no longer requires the use of eyes to see. The character gains the Eyeless
16 Sight ability.
Wings of the Dragon – The character gains Flight. A character with Flight can advance through terrain
and obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions and other characters if that character
17 has enough movement to move completely past them. The character ignores intervening characters when
declaring its charge target.
Sorcerous Blessing – If the character is a Gifted character, the character gains +1 ARC and +1 to racial
18 maximum ARC at each level. A non-Gifted character gains ARC 2 and two COST 1 spells from the Blighted
Sorcerer spell list. A non-Gifted character casts spells as a will weaver.

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Warlock: Legion Prerequisites: Nyss, Chosen by Everblight

Starting Abilities,
connections,
skills, and spells
Starting Assets
Abilities: Athanc Shard (p. 106), Resonance: Everblight Warbeast, and Warlock Bond
Military Skills: Archery 1, Great Weapon 1, or Hand Weapon 1
Occupational Skills: Command 1, Detection 1, Lore (dragons) 1
Spells: Draconic Blessing and Razor Wind
Special: Change the character’s arcane tradition to harnesser if she has another
arcane career. A warlock can only boost with magical weapons.
25 gc and a medium-based Everblight warbeast or two lesser warbeasts that begin
the game bonded to the warlock

Athanc Shard, Empower Weapon, Field Marshal: Sprint (p. 106), Resonance: Everblight
Legion Warlock Abilities
Warbeast, Riposte (p. 106), Spawning Savant (p. 106), Swift Hunter, Warlock Bond
Legion Warlock
Connections (Blighted Nyss shard), Connections (Legion of Everblight)
Connections
Legion Warlock
Archery 4, Great Weapon 4, Hand Weapon 4
Military Skills
Legion Warlock
Animal Handling 2, Command 4, General Skills 4
Occupational Skills
Legion Warlock Spells Spells from the Legion Warlock spell list

The warlocks of the Legion of Everblight are bestowed with a
small shard of the dragon’s athanc, which binds them to the
dragon, bestows blighted arcane power, and gives them the
ability to control his dragonspawn. Each is a chosen general
in Everblight’s growing legion, obeyed by the strike forces
under their command as an embodiment of the dragon’s will.
Dragon blood comingles with Nyss blood, empowering the
warlock to spawn any of the dragon’s carefully engineered
spawn. The shard also gives each warlock an unbreakable
connection to Everblight’s mind, a vast and alien intellect
with thousands of years of experience and memories.
This connection also extends to Everblight’s other warlocks,
allowing these generals to communicate at a distance and
coordinate their actions.
uniquely able to give birth to warbeasts from their spilled
blood. This process is far faster than that of other types of
warlocks who can create warbeasts, and a fallen beast can
be replaced with relative ease. As the Legion Warlock gains
experience, she can pick up the Field Marshal: Sprint ability
that makes her warbeasts far more maneuverable on the
battlefield, as well as a number of potent spells that tap into
the essence of the dragon’s blight. A Veteran-level Legion
Warlock should pick up the Spawning Savant ability, which
allows her to create dragonspawn more easily, giving her
access to greater and deadlier warbeasts.

Each warlock of the Legion of Everblight is responsible for the

command of a force of warriors, but they also have individual
responsibilities. These Nyss are selected for their individual
talents and may be called upon to perform specific tasks, such as
the elimination of a particular threat or the acquisition of objects
of great power. When a warlock receives such a mission, it is not
a request; these commands are imperatives, spoken directly into
their minds by the disembodied dragon, who can watch and
gauge their progress to evaluate their success or failure.

Playing a Legion Warlock: If the idea of playing a character

empowered by a fragment of an ancient and horrible dragon,
capable of spawning monsters from your own spilled blood
and wielding them against the kingdoms of men and tribes
of the wilderness alike appeals to you, choose the Legion of
Everblight Warlock career.

Unlike the other Warlock careers in Iron Kingdoms Unleashed,

the Legion Warlock is made, not born. Legion Warlocks are

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 New Abilities
Athanc Shard
Prerequisite: Nyss, Chosen by Everblight
This character is endowed with an athanc shard. For more
information, see p. 108.
Field Marshal: Sprint
Prerequisite: ARC 5
The warlock can spend a fury point during her turn to use
this ability. Characters in the warlock’s battlegroup currently
in her control area gain Sprint for one round. (At the end of its
activation, if a character with Sprint destroyed one or more
enemies with melee attacks this activation, that character can
make a full advance.)
New Spells
Name Cost RNG AOE POW UP OFF
Blight Bringer 4 10 5 12 No No
Center a 5˝ AOE on target friendly warbeast. Enemies in the AOE when it is put in play
are hit and suffer a POW 12 corrosion damage roll. An enemy character or friendly
non-blighted character entering or ending its activation in the AOE suffers d3 points
of corrosion damage. Blight Bringer lasts for one round.
Blight Field 2 CTRL 4 — No No
Place a 4˝ AOE anywhere completely in the spellcaster’s control area. While in the
AOE, enemies cannot be used to channel spells, be forced, or be allocated focus.
The AOE remains in play for one round. Blight Field can be cast once per round.
Blood Rain 3 8 3 12 No
Yes
Blood Rain causes corrosion damage. Characters hit suffer the Corrosion continuous
effect.
Draconic Blessing 2 6 — — Yes No
Target friendly blighted character or dragonspawn gains +2 STR and Terror
[Willpower + 4].

Riposte Dragon’s Blood 2 6 — — Yes No

Prerequisite: None
Once per round when this character is missed by an enemy’s
melee attack, immediately after the attack is resolved she can
make one normal attack against the attacking enemy.
To make a ranged attack, the character’s ranged weapon
must be loaded.
Spawning Savant
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 6
Reduce damage the character suffers by half due to creating
dragonspawn. Dragonspawn created by the character do not
begin with the Runt template.
Target friendly character gains +2 ARM. When an affected character is disabled by a
melee attack, roll a d6. On a roll of 5 or 6, the attacker suffers d3 damage points and
the Corrosion continuous effect.
Dragonsight 1 6 — — No No
Target friendly character gains Eyeless Sight. A character with Eyeless Sight
ignores cloud effects and forests when determining LOS. A character with Eyeless
Sight ignores concealment and stealth when making attacks. Dragonsight lasts
for one round.
Eruption of Spines 3 10 — 10 No Yes
If target character is hit, d6 nearest characters within thirty feet (5˝) of it suffer a
POW 10 damage roll.
Mystic Wards 3 Self Ctrl — No No
Enemy animi and enemy upkeep spells on models in the spellcaster’s battlegroup in
its control range immediately expire. While within 5˝ of a model in the spellcaster’s
battlegroup in its control range, enemy models cannot cast, channel, or upkeep
spells. Mystic Wards lasts for one round.

Warlock: Legion of Playing God 2 6 — — Yes No

Everblight Spells
Legion of Everblight Warlocks can learn spells from the
following list. A Priest of Nyssor character who becomes a
Legion Warlock loses her previous spells and cannot learn
new Priest of Nyssor spells.
Target warbeast in this character’s battlegroup can make power attacks without
being forced and gains Terror [Willpower + 4]. Its melee weapons gain Open Fist
and become reach weapons.
Respawn 3 6 — — Yes No
When target warbeast in this character’s battlegroup is disabled by an enemy attack
any time except while it is advancing, place the warbeast anywhere within 18 feet (3˝)
of its current location. It heals 1 damage point in each aspect, then Respawn expires.

Dragonsight, Protection from Cold, Wind Wall 3 Self — — No No

Cost 1
Protection from Fire This character cannot make ranged attacks, and non-magical ranged attacks
targeting it automatically miss. While completely within 18 feet (3˝) of the spellcaster,
Ashen Cloud, Bad Blood, Blight Field, characters cannot make ranged attacks and non-magical ranged attacks targeting
Carnivore, Draconic Blessing, Dragon’s Blood, them automatically miss. Wind Wall lasts for one round.
Cost 2
Forced Evolution, Leash, Occultation,
Playing God, Unnatural Aggression
Awareness, Blood Rain, Entropic Force,
Cost 3 Eruption of Spines, Flesh Eater, Mystic Wards,
Rampager, Respawn, Wind Wall
Cost 4 Blight Bringer, Hunter’s Mark, Obliteration

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Athanc Shards
In the heart of each of Everblight’s warlocks lies a shard of the
dragon’s athanc, the crystalline essence of Everblight himself.
The fragment is the source of the warlock’s power over the
dragonspawn, transforming the bearer into a living vessel of the
dragon’s will. Unlike other dragons, Everblight knows how to
keep his splintered athanc from forming into new dragons, and
he retains control over their power even when they are divided.
The largest and central shard is kept by the blighted ogrun,
Thagrosh the Messiah, the leader of the Legion of Everblight.
Through these shards, Everblight can communicate
instantaneously with the generals of his Legion, and can even
experience the world through their senses or take control over
their actions. With the speed of thought he can issue orders
and alter battle plans to respond to changing circumstances.
The many warlocks under his command are appendages of a
great, decentralized body, able to feel one another’s presences
despite physical barriers or distance. Through this connection,
his warlocks are also capable of sending their thoughts to one
another, mediated by Everblight himself. Most of the time this
connection does not rob the dragon’s chosen of autonomy,
however. Everblight’s chosen instruments are valued for
their minds as much as their abilities. He selects each to fill a
unique role in acknowledgment of the individual’s competence.
Everblight rarely interferes in their actions directly. He shapes
each warlock in a different direction, though all must sometimes
overcome setbacks or failures in order to become greater than
the mortal flesh into which they were born. Warlocks can feel
the intensity of Everblight’s regard when he is with them or his
remote distance when he is not.
Possession of an athanc shard bestows its owner with many
benefits. Those chosen to bear a piece of the dragon are
invested with great arcane power. Their flesh transforms as
Everblight gifts his warlocks with greater physical prowess,
speed, and cunning, sculpted to bear the marks of his gifts.
Scales, horns, and talons are common gifts bestowed on
warlocks, though he works invisible changes on them as well.
The blood pumping through the warlock’s veins transforms,
becoming intermingled with superior draconic blood. With
this blood, his warlocks can create dragonspawn as needed,
spilling it to give birth to one of the dragon’s crafted spawn.
Everblight can also deign to give his warlocks insight earned
over millennia of existence, such as bestowing instant
understanding of a previously unknown language.
Athanc Shard Rules
To become a Legion of Everblight Warlock, a shard of
Everblight’s athanc must be inserted into a character’s
heart. Everblight is jealously protective of his athanc and
does not allow it to be split carelessly. Only a character
selected by Everblight through Thagrosh the Messiah is
Being Chosen by
Everblight
After Thagrosh, the majority of those chosen by
Everblight to become his warlocks have been female
Nyss. Nyss are preferred due to compatibility with
the dragon’s blighted energies. Being female is not
a requirement. Unless otherwise specified, Legion
Warlocks are presumed to be female Nyss.
worthy of bearing a piece of his essence, represented by
characters who are either created as Legion Warlocks or
who select the Legion of Everblight Warlock career through
character advancement.
A character with the Athanc Shard ability has the following rules:
Blighted Character: If the character was not already a blighted
character, that character becomes one and gains the Blight
Gifts racial trait. The character does not gain a blight gift
until reaching the next increment of 25 XP but takes on the
distinctive pallor of a creature blighted by Everblight and
exhibits minor physical blight immediately, such as patches of
black scales, elongated nails, and fully black eyes.
Communication: The character can silently communicate
with any other character who possesses the Athanc Shard
ability or with Everblight himself. This communication
is not limited by distance and occurs instantaneously.
The Game Master determines how—and if—a non-player
character responds to communication. Everblight can ignore
a warlock’s requests or prevent communication between
warlocks if he wishes. Since all such communication passes
through Everblight, warlocks do not utilize this ability for
idle conversation lest they risk enraging their master.
Legion of Everblight Warlock: The character gains the
Legion of Everblight Warlock career. If the character is not
a starting character, the character treats the warlock career
as if the character had gained the career through experience.
If the character was Gifted, that character retains any previous
ARC score and her arcane tradition is changed to harnesser.
If the character was not Gifted, that character becomes a Gifted
character with an ARC score of 2. Change the character’s
archetype to Gifted. The character retains any archetype
abilities she had prior to gaining the Athanc Shard but can no
longer gain abilities from her previous archetype and can gain
abilities only from the Gifted archetype.
Spawn Creation: The character can create dragonspawn as
detailed on p. 109.
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Instant Career:
Just Add Athanc
The Game Master should be cautious about letting
established characters receive a shard of Everblight’s
athanc, as it effectively transforms that character
into a Legion Warlock, which can unbalance a game.
Game Masters are encouraged to reserve the gift
of an athanc shard to character creation or when a
character would normally gain a new career through
advancement. Everblight selects those who will
receive a portion of his essence carefully and chooses
only individuals who have proven themselves worthy
of becoming vessels of his great power.
Athanc Shard Removal
Removing an athanc shard requires a character to have
access to the warlock’s heart. This removal is a violent and
potentially deadly process. To do so without killing the
warlock requires a character with the proper tools to spend
one hour working. At the end of this time, the character
makes an INT + Medicine skill roll against a target of 18.
If the roll succeeds, the athanc shard is removed. The character
is immediately reduced to 1 vitality point and suffers slow
recovery. If the roll fails, the character is grievously injured
and dies if she is not stabilized within a number of rounds
equal to her PHY.
If the character ever loses her athanc shard for any reason,
she cannot benefit from any of the abilities or spells provided
by her Warlock career and cannot control warbeasts.
She also loses the Communication and Spawn Creation
abilities. She cannot gain any new Blight Gifts but remains
a blighted character and retains any Blight Gifts she had
previously received. If she gained the Gifted archetype from
receiving an athanc shard, she immediately reverts to her
previous archetype and loses any ARC stat she possesses.
If a character’s shard is returned to her, she regains all lost
capabilities. The rejuvenating effect of the athanc shard
prevents her from suffering injury from the operation if the
shard is properly inserted into her heart.
The Knowledge of the Dragon
Everblight has learned many things over his long existence, and
his link to his warlocks allows him to share that knowledge. At
the Game Master’s discretion, a character with an athanc shard
can understand any language the character is exposed to,
including ancient and dead languages. This requires specific
108
attention by the dragon, and so translation could be delayed if
a Game Master prefers to temporarily withhold information.
Additionally, Everblight can bestow the character with
information related to a specific task or subject. When the
Game Master determines it is appropriate, the character can
gain an additional die on a skill roll or even automatically
succeed on the roll, thanks to Everblight’s assistance.
The dragon’s attention can be drawn away from a character
for any number of reasons, so the Game Master has final say
on when such benefits are bestowed. Furthermore, Everblight
is far from omniscient and has had a narrow perspective for
the majority of his existence, paying little attention to mortal
activities. His areas of particular knowledge include the
ancient kingdom of Morrdh and the nation of Ios.
Athanc Shard Abilities
Warlocks who gain Everblight’s favor find themselves
bestowed with even greater gifts than other blighted
characters. These favored generals of Everblight manifest
potent abilities.
When a Legion Warlock would gain a Blight Gift, her player
can choose to select a unique athanc shard ability instead.
The character must meet all prerequisites of the ability.
An athanc shard ability can be taken only once.
Draconic Eminence
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 6
This character can upkeep spells on members of the
character’s battlegroup without spending fury points.
Energy Siphon
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 5
When this character hits an enemy character with 1 or more
focus or fury points on it with a melee attack, that character
loses 1 focus or fury and this character gains 1 fury point.
Mend Flesh
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard
When this character spends fury to heal damage, this
character regains d3 vitality points per fury point spent.
Range Amplifier
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 5
When this character casts a spell and is the point of origin for
the spell, the spell gains +5 RNG.
Serenity
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 4
At the beginning of the character’s Control Phase, before
leaching, remove 1 fury point from a friendly warbeast
within six feet (1˝) of this character.
 Spiritual Harmony
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard
Once per activation, reduce the cost to cast the animus of a
Legion warbeast in this character’s battlegroup as a spell by 1.
Tap Fury
Prerequisite: Athanc Shard, ARC 4
After leaching, this character gains 1 fury point if the
character has fewer fury points than her ARC stat.
Blighted Warbeasts
Unlike the warbeasts used by many of the primal cultures
of western Immoren, the living weapons of the Legion of
Everblight are spawned for the express purpose of war.
Behaviorally, they have more in common with the wolds
fashioned by the blackclads than they do with creatures
born to a natural environment. Each is engineered for a
unique purpose by the genius of the formless dragon. These
creatures inherently share a link with the dragon’s warlocks
and do not require any time or effort to train. Instead, they
come into existence ready to receive the bond of a warlock,
already possessing whichever arcane gift Everblight deems
as an inborn animus.
Though they are alive in the most basic sense of the word,
Everblight’s warbeasts are not natural animals but rather
organic constructs, biological machines created to serve
their masters. They have familiar bodily structures such as
muscles, skin, blood, internal organs, and bones. They need
food to fuel their powerful bodies, but they do not require
sleep or other aspects of normal animal activity cycles.
Even deprived of sustenance, a dragonspawn can endure far
longer than ordinary creatures, atrophying and diminishing
in size yet not expiring. When given ample food, they can be
restored to full vitality and size with alarming alacrity.
Spawn of other dragons slay indiscriminately and can
draw unwanted attention, but Everblight knows the power
of remaining unnoticed. He builds his spawn to wait inert
but aware, conserving energy until they are needed for a
specific task or prompted into action by the appearance of
enemies. The creatures are far from mindless—they possess
sophisticated instincts that help them excel at the tasks for
which they are designed—but their true potential is reached
only when directly controlled by a warlock’s will. They have
no true will or drive of their own and similarly do not react
to pain like natural creatures, ignoring even drastic damage
to their bodies without flinching and possessing no sense of
self-preservation.
The Power of Their
Source: The Crystal
Warlocks granted larger fragments of Everblight’s
athanc possess equivalent amounts of power. They
are not necessarily subject to the limitations of those
who bear only a small piece, and they can manifest
greater abilities, some of them unique. Thagrosh
Hellborne, who bears the largest piece of Everblight
in his heart, is so empowered by the dragon that
the wounds he suffers in battle immediately create
dragonspawn, an ability unique to the Messiah of the
Legion of Everblight. Another warlock, Absylonia, can
create seemingly limitless dragonspawn.
Spawning
Dragonspawn are birthed from the blood of Everblight’s
warlocks, who spill it for this purpose and choose the form of
the beast at the time of its creation. The athanc shard within
the warlock possesses transformative properties, causing the
blood in the warlock’s veins to become the blood of the dragon.
Although still only half-formed, a newborn dragonspawn
already possesses the formidable natural weaponry, near-
insatiable hunger, and honed instinct to kill and feed that is
characteristic of all dragonspawn. Freshly spawned beasts are
taken on immediate hunts to slake their appetite and add the
mass necessary to reach full size. If given access to an adequate
supply of ready flesh and blood to consume (generally from
victims of recent battle), even the largest warbeasts can
attain full size within hours. This unnatural maturation
makes it possible for a lone warlock with a spawning vessel
to greatly augment her fighting force and replace destroyed
dragonspawn by creating warbeasts in the field.
Spawning Rules
To create a dragonspawn, a blighted warlock must sacrifice
blood and select which dragonspawn she is creating. Sacrificing
blood causes damage dictated by the size of the spawn being
created. The warlock suffers damage equal to the selected
dragonspawn’s PHY stat. Roll to determine which branch of
the life spiral suffers damage as normal. Roll a separate location
each time damage is suffered due to spawning. Spilled blood
forms into a dragonspawn in one round.
109

New dragonspawn are weaker and smaller than normal and
must feed to reach their full potential. Each dragonspawn
has a Feeding cost. Larger and more powerful spawn have
higher Feeding costs. A newly made spawn must consume
its Feeding cost’s worth of vitality points before it grows
to full size. Fresh meat provides a dragonspawn with the
eaten creature’s full vitality score toward the dragonspawn’s
Feeding cost, while meat from the undead or otherwise
spoiled source provides half the spoiled creature’s total
vitality score.
Until a dragonspawn consumes meat equal to its Feeding
cost, it has the Runt and Starving creature templates (see Iron
Kingdoms Unleash Core Rules, p. XXX). Once a dragonspawn
has consumed its Feeding cost, it grows to full size and
capability and loses those templates.
Unnatural Beasts
Remember that dragonspawn are not considered
beasts native to the wilds of Immoren. Abilities that
reference such beasts do not affect any dragonspawn,
regardless of its progenitor.
110
Unlike other warbeasts, a dragonspawn does not require
conditioning. Dragonspawn created by a blighted warlock or
spawning vessel begin the game with their animus, full FURY,
and Threshold. If the warlock has an available Warlock Bond
slot, a newly formed dragonspawn is automatically bonded to
her, though it can be transferred to a new warlock as per the
normal bonding rules. If the warlock does not have an available
bond slot, dragonspawn she creates are uncontrolled warbeasts.
Spawning Limitations
Dragons draw upon the power of their blood to produce
dragonspawn, and Everblight is no exception. The primary
difference, aside from Everblight’s control over the form of his
spawn, is that he is capable of producing much greater volumes
of them via his warlock proxies. The athanc shard causes his
draconic blood to intermingle with the mortal blood of the
Nyss. This grants Everblight the power to produce hosts of his
spawn far beyond what he would normally be capable of.
Creating dragonspawn taxes a warlock, and without the aid
of a spawning vessel the process is subject to certain limits.
A warlock must fully recover damage suffered after creating
a dragonspawn before it can create another. If a warlock
suffers sufficient damage from spawning to disable her, she
is automatically incapacitated and suffers the Spitting Blood
Injury Table result.
Spawning Vessels
Creating warbeasts from the blood and will of Legion
warlocks is a taxing process that removes them from the
field for a time. Spawning vessels allow for creation of
warbeasts with a fraction of the normal resources. As the
blighted Legion ranges ever farther across western Immoren,
Everblight has come to rely increasingly on these vessels.
Spawning Vessel
Cost: These items are never available for sale
Description: Spawning vessels transmute lesser flesh into
fully formed spawn. Common spawning vessels produce only
the least of Everblight’s spawn in this manner, but larger, more
powerful vessels exist. These are reserved for the greatest of
the dragon’s warlocks and exist in limited number.
The fabrication of spawning vessels is a difficult and time-
consuming process requiring arcane rituals by Nyss sorcerers
in conjunction with a warlock of Everblight. The vessels are
inscribed with Aeric runes to channel the powerful blighted
energies they will draw upon to complete the transformation
of bodies placed within. The warlock contributes a small
quantity of draconic blood both to empower these runes and
to serve as a transformative base lining the bottom of the
vessel. Vessel attendants can reactivate the patterned energies
to transform ordinary blood and flesh into dragonspawn
without additional athanc-empowered blood.
Special Rules: A spawning vessel requires a blighted warlock Fabrication: Fabrication of a spawning vessel requires access
to sacrifice 1 damage point worth of blood to empower. A to metalworking tools and an ample supply of metal and
spawning vessel remains empowered for two weeks before a arcane minerals and can be performed only by a blighted
blighted warlock needs to sacrifice additional blood. Gifted character. Once the character has the raw materials,
she must spend five weeks shaping and engraving the
Once empowered, a spawning vessel can create small- or
vessel. At the end of this time, she makes an ARC + Craft
medium-based dragonspawn. To create a dragonspawn, the
(metalworking) skill roll against a target of 16. If the roll
vessel must be filled with the creature’s Feeding cost worth of
succeeds, the vessel has been successfully manufactured and
blood and meat. Spawn created in this manner do not need to
is ready to be empowered. If the roll fails, the character can
consume their Feeding cost to reach full size; they begin the game
spend an additional week adjusting her work and roll again.
fully formed. Creating a creature consumes its Feeding cost worth
of raw material from the vessel. A standard-sized spawning
vessel can contain 12 vitality points worth of material at a time.

111
 SHREDDER
Anatomically bizarre, these small dragonspawn are little better than fanged mouths propelled by clawed limbs. If you encounter these
dragonspawn you know to turn and run, for while they are dangerous themselves, they are precursors to nightmare creatures far worse.
—Viktor Pendrake, Monsternomicon

Physique PHY 6
Description Shredders are prevalent among Everblight’s
forces. Their insatiable hunger and rapid
Speed SPD 6 These creatures are the smallest and metabolism mean they are almost always
Strength STR 6 simplest spawn to arise from the blood in a feeding frenzy, constantly hunting for
Agility AGL 4 of Everblight. In the ancient days of the meals, a trait that allows them to be released
Prowess PRW 3 kingdom of Morrdh, they were known to sow terror with little guidance. Dozens of
Poise POI 1 as akriel. Spawned with an unnatural shredders might be loosed into the wilderness
Intellect INT 1
and unquenchable hunger, these beasts as a preliminary attack wave. Of all the
are compelled to latch onto any living dragonspawn, they are viewed as the most
Arcane aRC —
flesh they can fit between their serrated disposable, an easily replaced commodity.
Perception PER 3
jaws and gorge on it, prompting them
Bite
MAT POW P+S
to very swiftly reach their full stature. Combat
The simplicity of the shredder’s design
H 5 4 10 Driven by ravenous hunger, shredders leap into
perfectly echoes its straightforward
combat without hesitation against any creature
Initiative Init 12 purpose: shredders exist to feed on
they detect. Shredders do not possess a sense
Defense DEF 13 the armies of Everblight’s enemies and
of self-preservation and do little to avoid harm,
nothing more. Only a warlock’s direct
Armor ARM 12 instead snapping with their jaws at anything close
(Natural Armor +6) command can compel them to ignore
enough to attack. When shredders bring down
Willpower Will 7 their hunger. They have been employed
prey, they fall upon the carcass and consume as
as much for the terror they inspire when
much flesh as possible. Another creature stirring
let loose on unsuspecting civilians as for
TY nearby distracts shredders, giving them another
2 GI
LI their effectiveness as weapons of war.
meal to fall upon. Immature shredders are
A

1 3
Fully grown, a shredder is several naturally prone to cannibalism and in moments
feet long from nose to tail, with most of frenzy might attempt to consume others of
4
T
of its mass taken up by its head and their ilk. This impulse can usually be controlled,
EC
INTELL

jaws. The mouth is a shredder’s most however, particularly once they reach full size.
PH prominent feature, taking up the Shredders fight well in packs that swarm their
YSIQUE
majority of its face. Its jaws produce a hapless victims and tear them apart.
6 powerful bite force for a creature of its
5 size, and its widely spaced teeth have Lore
FURY: 2
an inward curve and sharp cutting A character can make an INT + Lore
edge that allow it to pull hunks of (extraordinary zoology or dragon) skill roll to
Threshold: 7
flesh away with each bite. Shredders determine what he knows about this creature.
Command Range: 1
latch onto prey with these jaws and He learns all the information up to the result of
Base Size: small pull away using their muscular legs, the roll. The higher the roll, the more he learns.
Encounter Points: 5 digging into flesh with hooked talons
Feeding Cost: 6 at the end of their appendages to get 13: Shredders are small, vicious dragonspawn
purchase. Along its spine, a row of known for their unquenchable appetite for
horns protect the shredder from retaliation as it feeds. In combat, a shredder flesh. Lacking eyes, shredders are able to detect
prefers to rely on its oversized maw while its many bony protrusions and their prey through other, ill-understood means.
thick scales afford it a degree of protection. 15: Shredders often indicate a larger force
of blighted creatures is nearby. These small
Like all dragonspawn, a shredder is eyeless, relying on other senses to detect
creatures are capable of incredible bursts of
its prey. All dragonspawn emit weak waves of blight into their surroundings
speed and savage biting attacks.
that allows them to extend their awareness. Additionally, a shredder’s sense
of smell is preternaturally acute, and its skin is sensitive to minor variations 17: Warlocks among the blighted Nyss are able
in air pressure. Anything moving in a shredder’s vicinity draws its predatory to produce shredders quickly, creating the small
attention. Natural camouflage provides no protection, and even supernatural dragonspawn from their own spilled blood.
obfuscation has limited effectiveness against a shredder on the hunt.

112

Those who Ignore
History. . .
A character can also make an INT  +  Lore (ancient
history or Morrdhic) skill roll against a target of 14 to
learn the following:
Shredders match descriptions of a creature found
in legends of the Black Kingdom of Morrdh. These
small but deadly creatures once presaged attacks by
Morrdhic warriors.
Abilities:
Blighted – This creature is a blighted creature.
Blood Creation – This creature never attacks friendly Legion warlocks and cannot
choose them as its frenzy target.
Eyeless Sight – This creature ignores cloud effects and forests when determining
LOS. This creature ignores concealment and stealth when making attacks.
Fearless – This creature never suffers the effects of fear.
Lesser Warbeast – This creature cannot make power attacks. A warlock can bond
with two lesser warbeasts for each available bond slot.
Rabid – This creature can be forced during its activation to gain +2 SPD,
Pathfinder, and boosted attack and damage rolls for one turn.
Resonance: Everblight– This creature can be bonded only by a warlock with
Resonance: Everblight Warbeast.
Soulless – This creature does not generate a soul token when it is destroyed.
Creature Templates:
None.
Animus:
spell name Cost RNG AOE POW UP OFF
Tenacity 1 6 – – No No
Target friendly character gains +1 DEF and ARM. Tenacity lasts for one round.
Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Detection PER 2 5
Tracking PER 2 5
113
 raek
My proficiency is foremost the natural world, though I regard history as an equally important study. The only thing more disturbing
than confronting these beasts in the modern world is discovering, through research of history, that they have been hunting us from the
shadows for centuries.
—Viktor Pendrake, Monsternomicon

Physique PHY 8
Speed SPD 7
Strength STR 8
Agility AGL 5
Prowess PRW 4
Poise POI 1
Intellect INT 1
Arcane aRC —
Perception PER 3
Bite
MAT POW P+S
H 6 3 11
tail strike
MAT POW P+S
6 4 12
H Nyss, Everblight has resurrected these
This weapon has reach. This creature gains
+2 on attack rolls against characters it first
hits with a Bite attack.
Initiative Init 14
Defense DEF 15
Armor ARM 14
(Natural Armor +6)
Willpower Will 9
TY
2 GI
LI
A
description
A sleek and agile predator able to
outpace and bring down the swiftest
prey, the raek is a terrifying form
of dragonspawn. First conceived
by Everblight when he hid away
beneath Morrdh, raeks are swift
and stealthy dragonspawn ideal for
surgical strikes against the dragon’s
foes. While Everblight’s athanc lay
dormant in the Shard Spires, memory
of the raek faded from the world,
the creature gradually taking on a
mythical status in the minds of men.
After taking control of the blighted
ancient horrors to once again stalk
the wilds. Wherever the Legion of
Everblight travels, raeks have risen to
hunt the enemies of the dragon.
The anatomy of a raek is superficially
similar to that of a large predatory cat.
Quadrupedal and lithe, a raek’s body
is powerfully muscled, particularly its
chest and limbs. Its primary weapons
are long incisiform teeth and a spear-
shaped chitinous blade at the tip of
Raeks alternate between complete stillness and
bursts of blinding speed. They are patient and
stealthy hunters, using their agility to negotiate
dense underbrush or shadowy defiles to close
on prey. When a raek closes to short distance,
it moves explosively forward, sprinting toward
its target. A raek closes the last distance to its
prey by leaping an incredible distance. This
jump has sufficient height to bring it over a wall
or clear a towering dire troll. It can even pluck
a flying creature out of the air at the apex of
such a leap, snatching the unfortunate beast in
its jaws and wrenching it back to earth.
Combat
Raeks use their stealth and mobility to outflank
prey. Thanks to the raek’s agility and climbing
ability, it can scamper unnoticed over physical
defenses to tear apart its chosen prey or to
disable a creature and carry it off to consume at
a safe location. A raek will stalk from a distance
and stay hidden, waiting for an opportune
moment to leap from hiding and pounce
upon an unsuspecting creature. Raeks seem to
enjoy leaping down on prey from an elevated
position or lurking below to snag flying beasts
that pass overhead. A raek bites down with its
jaws, holding prey in place to skewer it with the

1 3
its long tail. The tail tapers sharply to sharpened tip of its long and powerful tail.
the tip and is moderately prehensile,
4 Lore
T
EC

making it a swift weapon that can strike

INTELL

from unpredictable angles of attack. A character can make an INT + Lore

PH
YSIQUE A raek’s back and head are sheathed (extraordinary zoology or dragon) skill roll to
in plates of protective armor, swept determine what he knows about this creature.
6
5 back to deflect incoming blows. The He learns all the information up to the result of
dragonspawn’s underbelly, limbs, and the roll. The higher the roll, the more he learns.
FURY: 3
tail are similarly protected by smaller 13: Raeks are lithe and agile four-legged
Threshold: 9
overlapping scales. Shorter, sharper dragonspawn. Raeks hunt in the shadows,
Command Range: 1 scales shaped like teeth protrude from stalking their prey before they strike.
Base Size: medium the creature’s skin along the ridge of
15: Raeks can climb exceedingly well, even up
Encounter Points: 9 its back plates and at its shoulders.
slick or sheer surfaces. A raek is also capable of
Feeding Cost: 12
A raek’s scales articulate with its body, leaping an incredible distance.
fluidly shifting as it moves. Its four legs
17: The raek is a single-minded and patient killer,
end in broad talons that afford it purchase on the most treacherous terrain,
one that ignores all outside distractions and knows
and combined with the raek’s natural agility the dragonspawn can negotiate
none of the concerns for self-preservation that
nearly all surfaces. A running raek can scale the slick stone sides of a fortress
might hinder a natural predator. It will relentlessly
wall or bound across deep drifts of snow with equal speed.
pursue prey for many miles without tiring.

114

Those who Ignore
History. . .
A character can also make an INT  +  Lore (ancient
history or Morrdhic) skill roll against a target of 16 to
learn the following:
Beasts like raeks were found among the horrors of the
Black Kingdom of Morrdh. The dark masters of Morrdh
used the creatures as grisly tools of assassination,
sending them against rivals and enemies when a
straightforward death was deemed too gentle a fate.
Abilities:
Blighted – This creature is a blighted creature.
Blood Creation – This creature never attacks friendly Legion warlocks and cannot
choose them as its frenzy target.
Deft – This creature gains boosted AGL rolls.
Eyeless Sight – This creature ignores cloud effects and forests when determining
LOS. This creature ignores concealment and stealth when making attacks.
Fearless – This creature never suffers the effects of fear.
Pathfinder – This creature can move over rough terrain without penalty.
Pounce – Once per activation, after making a full advance but before performing
an action, this creature can be forced to be placed completely within 5˝ of its
current location. Any effects that prevent charging also prevent this creature from
using Pounce.
Resonance: Everblight– This creature can be bonded only by a warlock with
Resonance: Everblight Warbeast.
Soulless – This creature does not generate a soul token when it is destroyed.
Stealth – This creature has stealth.
Creature Templates:
None.
Animus:
spell name Cost RNG AOE POW UP OFF
Shadow Shift 2 SELF – – No No
This character gains Parry. Shadow shift lasts for one turn. (A character with Parry
cannot be targeted by free strikes.)
Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Climbing AGL 3 8
Detection PER 2 5
Sneak AGL 2 7
Tracking PER 2 5
115
 carnivean
We had broken away from the enormous dragonspawn and taken cover in a natural ice fissure,
Physique PHY 11 pressed three men deep as it swiped at us with its broad, clawed limb. A moment later a spray of
Speed SPD 6 draconic fire burned Parker up like a candle in a kiln.
Strength STR 12 —Viktor Pendrake, Monsternomicon
Agility AGL 3
Prowess
Poise
PRW 4
POI 2
description spines growing from these plates serve as a
defensive weapon, and a warlock can impel
Intellect INT 1 The carnivean is a massive and the beast to undergo a rapid transformation
Arcane aRC — horrifying creature, one of the most that causes countless others to erupt from its
Perception PER 2 powerful beasts in the blighted flesh. Anything that attacks the dragonspawn
Legion’s living arsenal. Standing when it possesses these spines is sure to suffer
dragon breath
a dozen feet tall, these enormous trauma from the tangle of thorny blades
RAT RNG AOE POW
4 SP 10 — 14 dragonspawn were once rare gifts growing from every inch of its body.
bestowed on the warlords of Morrdh.
Abilities: This weapon causes fire damage.
This creature must build up its reserves
Now they stride alongside the blighted Combat
between attacks using this weapon, therefore Nyss as beasts of pure destruction.
When a carnivean detects prey or is commanded
this weapon can be fired only once per turn. Consumed by a desire to fight and
to attack, it charges forward, spraying gouts
Bite slaughter, carniveans are among the
of draconic flame. Creatures that survive this
MAT POW P+S deadliest of Everblight’s spawn.
6 6 18
fiery attack are pummeled with talons and
H
These great horrors are possessed ripped at by the carnivean’s oversized jaws.
claw of a lean and muscular lower torso, The carnivean’s many legs allow it to move
MAT POW P+S with four clawed legs allowing swift over broken ground without slowing down,
L 6 4 16
movement across even the roughest which lets it slam its great mass into lesser
Abilities: Open Fist terrain, and with the strength to leap beasts and drive them to the ground. Fearless
claw over or barrel through lesser obstacles. and durable, carniveans are not concerned by
MAT POW P+S The bulkier upper body is massively incoming strikes. They only wish to destroy
R 6 4 16 muscled and has oversized forelimbs and devour all the flesh they can.
Abilities: Open Fist primarily used as weapons and to
Initiative Init 12 grapple with larger prey. Like all of Lore
Defense DEF 11 Everblight’s spawn, the carnivean
A character can make an INT + Lore
Armor ARM 18 possesses powerful jaws with teeth
(extraordinary zoology or dragon) skill roll to
(Natural Armor +7) designed for ripping and tearing.
determine what he knows about this creature.
Willpower Will 12 The carnivean’s most devastating He learns all the information up to the result of
weapon is its ability to disgorge a the roll. The higher the roll, the more he learns.
TY
scorching but rapidly consumed
LI 13: Among the largest and most formidable of
2 GI naphtha from its mouth, a fiery acidic
dragonspawn are the carniveans. Able to kill
1 3
A

mixture that quickly melts flesh.

at a distance with burning breath and even
While this is nowhere near as powerful
more formidable in melee, this spawn is best
4 as the dragonfire a dragon can produce,
avoided. Carniveans possess no particular
T

it serves well to annihilate lesser

INTELLEC

weaknesses, having a toughened scaly hide

creatures the carnivean is sent to destroy,
that is difficult to penetrate.
PH and this is particularly disruptive to
YSIQUE
the morale of those who witness the 15: Carniveans are quite stable, thanks to
gruesome deaths of their allies. the four limbs used for ambulation, and also
6
5 demonstrate great balance and ability to cross
A carnivean’s body is covered with
difficult terrain, including ice and snow.
FURY: 4 dense scales and thick armored
plating that is far stronger than 17: Warlocks among the blighted Nyss cannot
Threshold: 9
natural equivalents. The plates quickly or easily create these hulking spawn,
Command Range: 1
are overlapping and articulated to as they require a great investment. This not
Base Size: large
allow a carnivean to move with a only explains their rarity, it means their loss
Encounter Points: 19 sinuous grace uncharacteristic of is a serious blow to those who employ them.
Feeding Cost: 16 such a large creature. Long, serrated

116

Those who Ignore
History. . .
A character can also make an INT  +  Lore (ancient
history or Morrdhic) skill roll against a target of 18 to
learn the following:
In a handful of legends that survive from the time
of the Morrdhic kingdom are descriptions of great
monstrosities that match the carnivean. These beasts
arose to destroy countless enemy warriors only in times
of the greatest peril to the Black Kingdom’s masters.
Abilities:
Assault – As part of a charge, after moving but before making its charge attack,
this creature can make one ranged attack targeting the character charged unless
they were in melee with each other at the start of this creature’s activation.
When resolving an Assault ranged attack, the attacker does not suffer the target in
melee penalty. If the target is not in melee range after moving, this creature can
make the Assault ranged attack before its activation ends.
Blighted – This creature is a blighted creature.
Blood Creation – This creature never attacks friendly Legion warlocks and cannot
choose them as its frenzy target.
Eyeless Sight – This creature ignores cloud effects and forests when determining
LOS. This creature ignores concealment and stealth when making attacks.
Pathfinder – This creature can move over rough terrain without penalty.
Resonance: Everblight– This creature can be bonded only by a warlock with
Resonance: Everblight Warbeast.
Soulless – This creature does not generate a soul token when it is destroyed.
Animus Cost RNG AOE POW UP OFF
Spiny Growth 2 6 – – No No
Target friendly character gains +2 ARM. If a warjack or warbeast hits the affected
character with a melee attack, the attacker suffers d3 damage points immediately
after the attack has been resolved unless the affected character was destroyed or
removed from play by the attack. Spiny Growth lasts for one round.
Creature Templates:
None.
Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Detection PER 2 4
Tracking PER 2 4
117