Wight, Chaos

Chaos wights are the remnants of fallen Knights of Takhisis and Solamnia, as well as other unfortunate wretches, raised from death by Chaos. They wander Krynn in packs, seeking to eradicate life in all forms.

Frost Wight

A frost wight appears to be a swirling white cloud, like a miniature blizzard roughly the size of a human. Those who face frost wights in battle, however, behold far more (see below). These undead appear only in the arctic regions, for which those residents of Krynn who live elsewhere are profoundly grateful.

Combat: A frost wight inflicts 1-6 hp damage with its freezing touch, even to creatures normally immune to cold. When a frost wight moves close enough to engage in melee combat, it assumes the physical appearance of its victim, at the same time speaking hypnotic words of despair. This magical verbal attack gradually persuades the victim that he or she is worthless. To resist this nullification attack, the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic at a -2 penalty. If the roll fails, the touch of the frost wight sweeps the victim out of existence so that not only is the victim destroyed but his or her existence is wiped from the memories of all who once knew him. No one, not even relatives or close friends, remembers the victim; only written records—like the Chronicles of Astinus—enable anyone to know that the victim ever existed. Because of the nature of the nullification attack, victims cannot be brought back by any means, not even a wish.

Frost wights are immune to cold-based attacks. As undead, they are also immune to sleep, charm, paralyzation, hold, and death spells, as well as to poison. Ordinary weapons cause no harm to frost wights unless the weapons have been blessed. Magical weapons inflict full damage. Any metal weapon that slays a frost wight becomes so brittle from the cold that the next blow struck shatters it, though magical weapons gain a save vs. crushing blow with a +2 bonus per “plus.” (Thus, a long sword +3 has a +6 bonus to its save.) The same is true for any holy symbol that touches the frost wight when the holder makes a successful attack roll; the symbol dispels the undead creature, but then it disappears forever along with the frost wight.

Sunlight annoys frost wights but causes no real damage. Fire inflicts double damage on them, and the mere presence of fire, even as little as a candle, next to a character means the frost wight is unable to take his form and attempt a nullification attack. Holy water splashed on a frost wight causes 1-6 hp damage per vial, as does the blow of a torch. A raise dead spell instantly destroys the creature.

Shadow Wight

Shadow wights appear as shadows or black clouds, also roughly the size of a human. They are actually “living” holes in the fabric of reality; those who gaze upon them do not look at them but through them.

Combat: Like frost wights, shadow wights can assume the forms of their intended victims, gazing into their eyes and speaking hypnotic words of despair. Their intended targets must make a saving throw vs. death magic (with a -2 penalty) or else the next time a shadow wight touches them, they vanish from existence and memory via the nullification power. This power works exactly the same way as it does when used by the frost wights.

Ordinary sunlight annoys shadow wights to the point that they avoid it whenever possible, but it does not actually harm them. However, light-based magic spells such as light, continual light, dancing lights, audible glamer, and faerie fire so disrupt their powers that the shadow wights are rendered unable to take the shape of their victims and use the nullification power. Fire and electrical attacks inclict full damage on shadow wights. These creatures are immune to all non-magical weapons that have not been blessed; an otherwise mundane weapon that receives the blessing of some deity, however, causes normal damage, as do magical and holy weapons. A shadow wight is instantly dispelled if a priest makes a successful attack roll with a hand holding a holy symbol of some sort. Being undead, these creatures are immune to cold-based attacks and poison, as well as death, hold, sleep, charm, and paralyzation spells. Holy water splashed on them inflicts 1-6 hp damage per vial.

Habitat/Society: Both frost wights and shadow wights haunt the cold and lonely places of the world, making them lonelier still by eliminating all living beings with their nullifying power. They tend to congregate in larger groups than other creatures of Chaos, roaming the countryside in packs or “clouds,” nullifying every living thing in their path.

Ecology: More than most other undead-or even other minions of Chaos—frost wights seek to eliminate all living beings they catch. Many powerful PCs, particularly mages and priests, might find the concept of totally destroying their enemies, even the memory of their enemies, highly attractive, but no known mage or priest has succeeded in using the essence of these creatures to create a magical item or spell that duplicates this effect. It is not even known whether anyone has tried; a disaster during the process of experimentation may well have wiped out the memory of any number of fools attempting such a feat. A slightly safer job would be using their trapped essence to create cold-related magic items, such as a wand of frost.

Like the frost wights, shadow wights exist-if that is the right word—to wipe out all living beings, body, soul, and memory. Their essence would doubtless be useful in making darkness-based magic items, or scroll ink for spells such as darkness, 15' radius, but no one had ever returned from gathering such components. For that matter, no one can remember anyone even setting out for such a purpose.

Cryonisis and Frisindia, two white dragon sisters who dwell on the frigid Icewall Glacier, are constantly trying to broach a dwarven catacombs deep beneath the glacier. Therein lies a trove of ancient dwarven battle axes, all of them enchanted with powerful blessings. If the dragons successfully arm their thanoi minions with these weapons, the growing numbers of chaos wights prowling the Frigid Wastes south of Tarsis—not to mention tribes of peaceful Ice Folk—could be neatly eradicated.