Undead of the San Saba
Most know of the strange tunnels under Bravado for the thrill of finding scrap or artifacts from a time before, but after last year everyone is aware of a major threat - the Bloodghast.
Beneath the city, in broken tubes perhaps more innumerable than stars in the sky, rest the nests of blood-hungry emaciated zed. Perhaps they were once Semper Morts, had time and the Gravemind not warped their bodies. While normally encountered in small groups in the tunnels below, sometimes infestations make their way to the surface. The bloodghasts are known to carry a sickness with them, a wasting disease they spread in addition to their deadly claws.
Bloodghasts are a type of engineered undead, and are traditionally nocturnal. They normally fear and avoid light, but when a frenzy at the scent of blood occurs they can build up the courage to breach even areas in the brightest light. Bloodghasts are known to get more powerful if they are allowed to cannibalize a fallen survivor, eventually becoming dangerous Bloodghast Alphas.
Rimebound Dead
Location: Bravado during the winter, colder climates
Keywords: Undead, Horde, Cold, Explosive
Icy variants of the undead, the Rimebound were created by the creeping chill of the Bravado morgue. Last seen two years ago, these undead are covered in a hardened, frozen ichor. The makeshift armor breaks into icy shards that can explode out from them when broken. Possessing a frostbitten blue tinge to their skin, their muscles constantly contract creating the appearance of shivering to onlookers.
The Rimebound are virtually immune to common weapons, but if the icy armor is melted by an application of fire or intense heat they become vulnerable. If this vulnerability is not exploited, breaking apart their icy armor will cause a razor sharp cloud of ice to be sprayed around them. Even without fire, they can eventually be taken down by enough attacks, but they are tougher than a common shambler.
Like the more common Lost Boy zed, the Rimebound can mimic some short phrases and sounds, but it is generally some variation of “I’m so cold..” or shivering sounds. It is suspected that the appearance of the Rimebound is but a symptom of the continuing sickness in the morgues of the San Saba after the Hiway War.
Scorched Dead
Location: San Saba, Bravado during the Burning Season, anywhere with extreme heat
Keywords: Undead, Explosive, Fire
The oppressive heat of the Burning Season in the Lone Star is known to literally set the undead on fire as they wander in the summer afternoons. These Scorched Dead are sometimes known more commonly as “Cinders”, are known as an explosive threat that must be dealt with carefully by survivors.
Scorched Dead have been burned to a crisp by the summer heat, and are particularly brittle when exposed to projectile weaponry. Unlike the more common Shamblers, Cinders can be shattered by gunfire and are vulnerable to most ranged weapons. However, they are more resistant than most zed to melee weapons as they must be literally hacked to pieces like desiccated jerky. If they are not dealt with quickly, they can explode into a blast of flame upon death. You can always tell if a Cinder is about to explode by an audible hissing noise, like the fuse on a stick of TNT.