Darakhul

In the forgotten corners of Aigusyl, where The Shadowfell's influence seeps into the earth and death is more a transformation than an end, there rise the Darakhul—undead beings not created by necromantic ritual, but born from death itself in places where the light of life cannot reach. To die in the Shadowfell is to risk rising again, not as oneself, but as something hungering, clever, and damned.

The Darakhul are cursed with unrelenting sapience. They remember who they were, but that identity lies beneath a gnawing hunger for flesh and vitality. Unlike mindless undead, Darakhul retain their intelligence, skills, and personality—twisted by the all-consuming need to devour the living. They are neither zombies nor ghouls, but something in between—a perfect balance of awareness and predation.

The species most susceptible to this transformation are those whose blood already dances with shadow—Shadow Goblins, Shadowborn Bearfolk, and other denizens touched by the gloom. When such a creature dies in the Shadowfell or its borderlands, the soul often fails to move on. Instead, it clings to the flesh and reforms the body into something new: pale-skinned or ashen, with sunken eyes that gleam with hunger, and long, clawed fingers better suited to tearing than grasping.

Darakhul form grim communities beneath the surface of the world, often within the Shadowfell or deep within necrotic-tinged ruins. These “feast-courts” operate like twisted mockeries of mortal civilizations, where hierarchy is determined by strength, cunning, and how long one has resisted the call to feast on their own kin. Some Darakhul reject their monstrous cravings, seeking forbidden magic, pacts, or relics to keep their hunger at bay. Others embrace their state as a superior form—immortal, unyielding, and feared.

Despite their monstrous nature, not all Darakhul are evil. A rare few walk among the living, concealing their nature behind veils, magic, or layers of clothing, feeding on the flesh of the dead or finding substitutes to stave off madness. Such individuals often become scholars of undeath, secret agents of necromantic powers, or silent guardians of the grave—bound by guilt, hunger, and a desire for redemption they may never achieve.

To meet a Darakhul is to feel a chill in the bones, a pull in the soul. For in them, one sees the shadow of what any mortal could become—a being caught between death and life, craving what it can no longer truly possess.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Shadow Goblin
• Shadowborn Bearfolk

Geographic Distribution

• The Shadowfell

Discovered by

Zhuramael, The Grave-Dancer

BoET

Darakhul

HUMANOID/UNDEAD

Darakhul Traits

Size: Varies

Speed: Varies

As a Darakhul, you have these special traits.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet as though it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Hunger for Flesh

You must consume 1 pound of raw meat each day or suffer the effects of starvation. If you go 24 hours without such a meal, you gain one level of exhaustion. While you have any levels of exhaustion from this trait, you can’t regain hit points or remove levels of exhaustion until you spend at least 1 hour consuming 10 pounds of raw meat.

Imperfect Undeath

You transitioned into undeath, but your transition was imperfect. Though you are a humanoid, you are susceptible to effects that target undead. You can regain hit points from spells like cure wounds, but you can also be affected by game effects that specifically target undead, such as a cleric’s Turn Undead feature. Game effects that raise a creature from the dead work on you as normal, but they return you to life as a darakhul. A true resurrection or wish spell can restore you to life as a fully living member of your original race.

Powerful Jaw

Your heavy jaw is powerful enough to crush bones to powder. Your bite is a natural melee weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, your bite deals piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Undead Resilience

You are infused with the dark energy of undeath, which frees you from some frailties that plague most creatures. You have resistance to necrotic damage and poison damage, you are immune to disease, and you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or poisoned. When you finish a short rest, you can reduce your exhaustion level by 1, provided you have ingested at least 1 pound of raw meat in the last 24 hours (see Hunger for Flesh feature).

Undead Vitality

You don’t need to breathe, and you don’t sleep the way most creatures do. Instead, you enter a dormant state that resembles death, remaining semiconscious, for 6 hours a day. While dormant, you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Bearfolk Heritage

Your darakhul character was a bearfolk before transforming into a darakhul. While your allegiance has changed, your mission to create order amid the darkness has not. The strength and tenacity of the darakhul are comfortingly familiar.

Size

Bearfolk can reach a height of over 7 feet, possessing thick, muscular builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Jaws of Death

Your powerful jaws serve you well as a darakhul. When you use your bite attack to make an unarmed strike, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Undead Fortitude

Your tenacity in life has followed you into undeath. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow Goblin Heritage

Your darakhul character was a shadow goblin before transforming into a darakhul.

Size

Shadow goblins are between 3 and 4 feet tall and weigh between 40 and 80 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Dark Deed

Your fascination with humor has not gone away, but you’ve had to adopt more macabre tactics. As an action, you can perform a combination of rude gestures and sounds to attempt to scare one creature you can see within 30 feet. If the target can see and hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of its turn. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 10 plus your Charisma modifier.