Sworn warriors against unnatural undeath, the Abhorsen are solitary wardens - usually only a master and an apprentice. They wield special tools: a set of necromancer’s bells, and a special silvered longsword.

Abhorsen have intimate knowledge of death. While most understand that worthy souls go the Elysium, or the halls of their deity and that the evil fall to the lower planes, but there is more. A soul that goes to Elysium (or elsewhere in the higher or lower planes), passes through eight ‘Gates’ between the material world and there. The 9th Gate exists beyond the upper and lower planes, and goes to the positive and negative planes. A soul may choose to give up its individuality and pass through the 9th Gate, becoming part of the Greater Order, but it is irreversible. Astarael was forged by the Abhorsen as a means of permanently destroying those who cannot be resurrected at any cost and it is one of the few ways that a soul can be forcibly compelled to pass through the 9th Gate.

The Abhorsen’s magical mansion is surrounded by water, and automatically recognises the current Abhorsen as its owner. The house is currently guarded by a Horned Devil called Yacroushka bound by the Abhorsen’s Bells. Usually the silver collar binding Yacroushka forces them to take the form of a cat. However, when the house is under threat, Yacroushka’s true form will be unleashed, allowing it to fight the invaders.

Abhorsen’s Manual

This book contains the knowledge of generations of Abhorsen handed down over centuries of war against the undead. To decipher and use the manual you must swear the Abhorsen’s Oath: to be a tireless hunter of the undead and those who would use them. If you spend 48 hours over a period of 6 days or fewer studying the book’s contents and committing them to memory, you benefit from the Abhorsen Feat. The manual then loses its magic, but regains it when you die.

Feat: Abhorsen

You gain the following benefits:

• Undead and Necromancers become your favoured enemy, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track them down as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
• You can attune to and are proficient with the Abhorsen’s Bells and have advantage on Performance checks to use them. If you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand then you may use your off-hand to wield a bell. If you use an Attack action to make a melee weapon attack, then you may use a bonus action to use the effects of the bell in your off-hand.
• You can attune to and are proficient with the Abhorsen’s Longsword.
• Whenever you roll initiative and the Abhorsen’s Bells you are attuned to have no charges, they immediately regain 4 charges.

Abhorsen’s Bells

Legendary Artefact, requires attunement by a wizard, cleric or bard, or by anybody who has taken the Abhorsen Feat.

A set of seven silver bells with mahogany handles containing 10 charges, replenishing each midnight. The Bells use your spell save DC. If you do not already have a spell save DC, then the DC for these spells is equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. They are in order from smallest to largest:

• Ranna the Sleeper (1 charge). Can be used to cast the Sleep spell.
• Mosrael the Waker. Can be used to cast the Raise Dead (5 charges) or Resurrection (7 charges), the spirit cannot refuse to return to life but does so without its memories and is considered an Undead creature until Belgaer is used to restore it fully. When used the wielder is reduced to 0 Hit Points and dies, no death saving throws can be made.
• Kibeth the Walker (4 charges). Can be used to cast the Compulsion spell on an Undead creature, the undead creature cannot save on the effect, however if the wielder fails their Performance check they must use as much of their movement as possible to walk in the designated direction. If the wielder is a Cleric or has taken the Abhorsen Feat, this bell may also grant a use of the Turn Undead feature.
• Dyrim the Speaker. Can be used to cast Speak with Dead (3 charges) on an undead or corpse, or cast Suggestion (2 charges) targeting one living creature, forcing them to remain silent for the duration of the spell.
• Belgaer the Thinker (8 charges). Can be used to cast the ****Feeblemind spell on a creature. It can also be used to restore all of a creature’s memories and give it independent thought, including an Undead, however when used in this way the wielder must make a concentration Constitution saving throw DC 15 or the Feeblemind spell is cast instead.
• Saraneth the Binder (5 charges). Can be used to cast the Geas spell on an Undead creature. The Undead creature has disadvantage on the saving throw and if its Wisdom is less than 10 the commands you give it can be suicidal.