Originally posted on the Realms of Evil forums (Womb of Creation), October 25, 2001. The author did not name an edition; it is filed under D&D 3e by its rules. It was the author's entry in the forum's musical instruments contest, and includes the tale of Fenberth Cove and stats for the Betrayed. Shown as written, with light spelling and formatting fixes only.

The tale of a man's dark desires and the jealous rages they can spawn are terrible indeed. Listen to this tale of dark treachery and righteous revenge and judge that the price for each is worthy of its burden.

Abandoned almost one century ago, the small fishing village of Fenberth Cove is shunned by local folk. During its existence, the village had existed in relative peace for almost a century. The inhabitants had little interest in the world outside their small idyllic haven, their energies focused on the sea's harvest and the welfare of their families.

As hard working folk of the sea, their religious faith supported them through both fast and famine. The local church was a unifying theme in their lives, serving not only as a place of worship, but as a town and celebration hall.

It is not exactly known when the priest Oudah came to Fenberth Cove. As a commissioned priest, he was probably placed in Fenberth by the higher orders of the church's faith. It is known that upon his arrival, the peaceful town of Fenberth Cove became a much darker place.

Oudah was driven by dark and secret desires for the women of the town. Both the mind and body of Oudah were weak, unable to stem his lewd cravings. His initial transgressions with the town's women were mild, but quickly became more wretched and vile. His soothing tongue convinced the women of the town that his depraved acts upon them was the will of their god, or their god would not have sent him at all. Confused and frightened, the women did not speak of his depravity to their men. The deceit continued until Jonas Mcgile, a respected leader of the town, found the telltale marks of Oudah's depraved acts upon his wife. Enraged, Jonas forced his wife to speak the truth, condemning both Oudah and Jonas in the acts that would follow.

Jonas carried the word to nine other men of the town. Together, they strode off toward the church to end the sickness that had corrupted their town for too long. Little did they consider their actions and the consequences they would bring.

The night Jonas and his men confronted Oudah was a cold autumn night. A chill wind blew from the west. Dead, brown leaves scattered across the ground with the cold wind Leafless branches clawed at the dark, cloudy sky like skeletal fingers. On this day of Hallowtide, strange, dark magic would be worked and Fenberth Cove would mark its decline.

Confronting Oudah, the ten men cornered him into the narrow tower of the church. Their Oudah clung to the church bell, sobbing and screaming in his guilt. Jonas and his men had little compassion for the sick, twisted man and with little effort, tore his screaming form from the bell. With a shriek, Oudah was pitched off the church tower, his body flailing as it fell to the graveyard below. Before his brains were dashed on the headstones below, Oudah cursed the men and his own weak, pitiful soul for his weakness that had lead to that night.

Upon Oudah's death, the church bell began to ring with a cacophony of discordant rings and peals. The holy candles below slipped from their holdings, igniting the sacred cloth and wood of the church, trapping the doomed men above. Screaming in their terror, they fled down into the church to find the doors and windows sealed. Unable to break free of Oudah's curse, they perished in a fiery death, unknowing that eternal rest would be denied them.

The Iron Bell of Oudah

The Iron Bell of Oudah serves as the focal point for the curse Oudah screamed those many years ago. The Iron Bell is a nondescript church bell weighing approximately 200 lbs. Fire blackens the rim of the bell, yet its supports and the tower that houses it still stands. Climbing to the bell from the main floor of the fire gutted church using the fire and time worn steps is tricky, but manageable.

The Iron Bell rings itself at midnight on Hallowtide each year in a clashing array of rings, calling forth the Betrayed: Jonas and his men and the dead Oudah. The charred corpses of Jonas and his men tear up from the soft, damp earth beneath the church cellars and through the blackened floorboards of the church when they arise. Oudah himself tears up through the soft loam of the graveyard.

While Jonas, his men, and the dead Oudah all are considered the Betrayed, they each perform their own function. Oudah walks the graveyard and church, lamenting over his unnatural state and whispering his sick desires for warm womanly flesh. As in life, Oudah is a coward and completely harmless, although his crushed skull and leaking brains are enough to frightened even the most brave.

Jonas and his men in undeath lust for their former wives. Yearning for their warm flesh and driven by jealousy, Jonas and his men each seek out a "chosen" wife on Hallowtide. They range in a ten-mile radius from the church, searching out women of health and fertility. Each Betrayed chooses only one woman on Hallowtide before returning to walk the church and graveyard until sunrise, when they return to their undead rest. The chosen wife is spirited away by the Betrayed to a place of quiet, where they are consumed in an almost lustful and carnal manner. Rent apart by the lecherous hands of the Betrayed, they die a grisly death, consumed as warm gobbets of dripping flesh. Whether these dark, lustful actions stem from some influence of Oudah or are a manifestation of their own hidden, dark desires they had in life is unknown. If unable to "choose" a wife during Hallowtide, they return at sunset and sink beneath the rich loam surrounding the church until the next Hallowtide or until summoned.

If a living male or female of a human or demihuman race enters the church area when the Betrayed are present on Hallowtide, the Betrayed will attack to destroy. Only women are consumed by the Betrayed. Women in their child-bearing years and of high fertility are most highly sought after by the Betrayed.

The church bell can also be used to summon the Betrayed. If rung on any night other than Hallowtide between sunset and sunrise, only Jonas and his men will arise. Oudah only rises on Hallowtide and cannot be summoned. If a male or nonhuman female of any species has summoned the Betrayed, he or she is subject to immediate attack, unless he or she is a priest and makes a successful command undead check. In this case the Betrayed will carry out the priest's wishes exactly, unless sunrise comes before the task is finished at which point the Betrayed will return to their earthy graves. The Betrayed cannot be turned while within sight of the church.

Any human female who rings the bell automatically has control of the Betrayed. They will serve and protect her faithfully and to the best of their ability until sunrise. At sunrise, if the woman is still within sight of the church, she must make a will save (DC 12) or be dragged screaming beneath the earth to satisfy the Betrayed until their next sojourn.

If a Betrayed is destroyed foraging for a wife or in protection of a summoner, it's remains will sink beneath the earth at sunrise. The Betrayed will return the next Hallowtide and function as normal. Sprinkling holy water on the remains of a Betrayed destroys it permanently.

The Iron Bell is rumored to have other magical properties instilled by Oudah's curse, but they are unknown at this time. The bell can be moved during daylight hours without attracting the attention of the Betrayed. However, the Betrayed will arise that night to secure the bell and return it too its proper place. The Betrayed cannot be turned under this circumstance.

The destruction of the Iron Bell of Oudah can only be accomplished by coating the bell in a paste constructed from the dark earth of the graveyard and the ground skull of Oudah and striking the bell on the midnight of Hallowtide.

The Betrayed (Medium Undead)

Hit Dice: 3d12+3 (23 hp)
Initiative: +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 Natural)
Attacks: +4 fist, +4 fist
Damage: 1d6+3, 1d6+3
Special Attacks: Rend
Special Qualities: Essence transfer
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +5
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con -, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +7, Search +5, Spot +5
Feats: Improved Initiative
Damage reduction: 4/+1 or cold iron
Climate/Terrain: Wooded 10 mile radius of conception
Organization: Solitary, or pack (10)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

The Betrayed are terrible form of undead created by the curse of the priest Oudah upon his death. Only eleven Betrayed exist, of which Oudah is one. The other ten Betrayed are composed of Jonas Mcgile and his men (see above) who killed Oudah in a jealous rage. Oudah is a mewling coward and will not fight, even if provoked. His sacred robes hand in tatters from his body. White flesh is marked with dark blue contusions and his brains leak from a shattered skull.

Jonas and his nine followers are clothed in blackened trousers and shirts. Their flesh is charred, although reddish-clear liquid seeps from cracks in their blackened skin. Their eyes appear much like they did in life, although the whites are much more prominent with the loss of the eyelids in the fire of Betrayed's forging. Their eyes also show a lustful fever, as if the secret desires in a man's soul were barred for all to see. The betrayed are basically hairless, except for possible patches on their skulls that escaped the fire during their creation.

The dark inner desires these undead creatures once had in life are now manifested uninhibited. The unlife cycles of the Betrayed and their intentions are listed above in the description of Oudah's Iron Bell.

Combat

The Betrayed attack by grasping the victim in their powerful grip and literally tearing the victim to shreds. Victims generally die from blood loss due to missing body parts, puncture holes from the Betrayed's fingers, or internal bleeding from the crushing grip of the Betrayed.

Rend (Ex): If both hand attacks by the Betrayed are successful in a single combat round, the Betrayed begins to rend the victim. This tearing of flesh inflicts 2d6+3 points of damage per round until the victim is dead, the Betrayed is destroyed, or the hold is broken. Note that damage from individual hand attacks is not rolled.

Essence Transfer (Su): The Betrayed are knowledgeable of any creature within their domain (10 mile radius from the Bell of Oudah).The Betrayed may enter the rich loamy earth within a 10 mile radius of the Iron Bell of Oudah and emerge from the earth within one quarter mile of any target they choose within that same area. Entering the earth takes four rounds, while emerging from the earth is one round. This essence transfer can be completed at a rate of one turn per mile traveled. This ability is used on Hallowtide to "choose" a wife. Note that the Betrayed will not use this ability to ambush creatures within their domain if they have "chosen" a wife on Hallowtide or the trespassing creature is not within site of their church.

Fear (Ex): Due to the horrid appearance of these creatures, any creature sighting them must make a will save (DC 10) or be affected as if by a fear spell. Any creatures that save will not need to make another check until another night.