A Helghast is a powerful, skeletal shape-shifting monster from Helgedad. The word is both singular and plural.
Appearance[]
In its true form, a Helghast looks like an undead creature with a rotting face and glowing red eyes, and it nearly always wears a long hooded cloak.
Powers and abilities[]
Helghast can disguise themselves as humans and other creatures and are thus often used as spies and assassins. This power was enhanced some time before MS 5103 (the events of The Dusk of Eternal Night), making them increasingly-immune to detection. These new Helghast could draw upon the emotional bonds of those they impersonate, which in turn was turned into a mental shield for them to avoid detection.[note 1] The Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, however, had devised a new way to detect and subdue these enhanced Helghast.[1]
Helghast are immune to ordinary weapons, and can only be damaged by magic weapons such as the Magic Spear. As Helghast are Undead, the Sommerswerd is doubly-damaging to them. Upon their destruction, they turn into a vile green gas.
Helghast are extremely potent in Mindforce. Early encounters with Helghast by Lone Wolf use always use Mindblast in combat, and without Mindshield, will steadily lose Endurance Points during battle. Stronger Helghast can use Psi-Surge and will quickly overwhelm those without Psi-Screen, rendering Mindshield useless, and are also immune to Mindblast.
History[]
The Helghast were created by Darklord Vashna. One of the original Helghast, and its leader, was Svader. The Helghast caused multiple upheavals in the Freelands, in what is now called the Helghast Wars.[2]
Svader created a scroll on the secrets of Helghast creation, but this scroll was lost in the Dajdokriitzaga Mountains long ago. In MS 5102, during the events of Dead in the Deep, the Acolytes of Vashna had recovered this scroll, and were performing a ritual to create a Helghast, with an Acolyte Elder sacrificing himself for this purpose.[2]
Between this event and MS 5103, during the events of The Dusk of Eternal Night, a new outbreak of Helghast appeared, possibly in conjunction with this ritual.[3] Furthermore, these Helghast displayed even greater immunity to detection, forcing the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star to perform a new ritual to detect and subdue them.[1][note 1] Jhudyth, a member of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star who had studied Right-Hand Magic, theorised that these new Helghast could use the bonds and memories of those they impersonated to avoid detection.[1] These new Helghast fought alongside the reborn Vashna and his rebuilt forces against the Freelands.
Encounters[]
Fire on the Water[]
The Helghast have overrun Durenor in this adventure, and Lone Wolf encounters them multiple times. The Magic Spear is the only weapon that can damage these Helghast, although in the Project Aon versions of the book, it is no longer required to finish the book (as long as Lone Wolf possesses Animal Kinship).
Magic Spear encounter[]
Lone Wolf may encounter a Helghast just outside of Durenor. After taking a left path and attacking the Szalls, Lone Wolf will find a Magic Spear, but be attacked by a Helghast.[4] As it is immune to normal weapons, the Spear must be used.
- Combat Skill: 22
- Endurance: 30
The Helghast is immune to Mindblast. It attacks with its Mindforce, reducing Lone Wolf's Endurance by 2 points every round of combat.
As the Magic Spear is a Spear, Weaponskill with a Spear grants +2 Combat Skill in this combat.
Port Bax encounter[]
After meeting Rhygar in Durenor, Lone Wolf rides with them to Hammerdal. They will be attacked by Helghast, and Lone Wolf may need to fight one in combat if he has a Magic Spear.[5]
- Combat Skill: 21
- Endurance: 30
This Helghast is also immune to Mindblast, attacks with Mindforce, and must be fought with the Magic Spear.
Tarnalin encounter[]
A Helghast may be encountered in the tunnels of Tarnalin. Lone Wolf has the option to give Rhygar his Magic Spear, if he has one. In the original books, this would have been fatal, but in the Project Aon revisions, doing so is not, as long as Lone Wolf has Animal Kinship.[6] Keeping the Magic Spear means Lone Wolf will encounter a Helghast in the tunnels, and can use the Magic Spear to kill the Helghast (not having a Magic Spear results in death). No combat is required.
The Caverns of Kalte[]
Lone Wolf may encounter an old man standing in a pentagram, but this is actually a Helghast. This Helghast can be avoided, or fought with the Sommerswerd (fighting without the Sommerswerd results in death).[7][8]
- Combat Skill: 22
- Endurance: 30
The Helghast is immune to Mindblast. It attacks with its Mindforce, reducing Lone Wolf's Endurance by 2 points every round of combat.
As the Sommerswerd is used, the Helghast takes double damage as an undead creature.
The Jungle of Horrors[]
The Gnaag Helghast encountered here has the nasty ability to drain 2 Endurance Points per round unless Lone Wolf possesses Psi-Screen. This is written to be a cumulative loss until the Helghast is defeated.
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 This may have been the ritual to create Helghast as described in Dead in the Deep, §240. Here, Svader's Scroll is used by the Acolytes of Vashna, which contains the secrets of Helghast creation, and Svader was the greatest amongst the original Helghast. As such, this may imply that in canon, Grand Master did not retrieve or destroy Svader's Scroll (possibly not encountering the Helghast in this section).
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Dusk of Eternal Night: §1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dead in the Deep: §240
- ↑ The Dusk of Eternal Night: Timeline of notable events in Magnamund, MS 5102 Hestangor, Stornlands
- ↑ Fire on the Water: §106
- ↑ ': §
- ↑ Fire on the Water: Errata: See §299
- ↑ The Caverns of Kalte: §99
- ↑ The Caverns of Kalte: §304