The Swamp Plantation has a history as old as Louisiana and it is rumored to be the most haunted mansion in the state. In its prime the plantation was a marvel of design and opulence and its owners were the talk of the state. The slave plantation was passed down from generation to generation until late in 1875 when a family friend stopped by the plantation to find the entire slave population slaughtered in the fields and the family themselves brutally murdered in the house. There was no sign of who killed them but the looks of horror on the faces of the family corpses and the wounds done to them suggested a long and drawn out process of abject terror.

The stories say that since that time the plantation has been a source of violent and fear filled hauntings. Everything from ghosts to walking dead have been seen on the property by those bold enough to brave the swamp that has since claimed the land. It is said the bodies of the family were left where they lay and yet those who claim to have been to the house in the past suggest the bodies are no where to be seen.

These days only those willing to brave the place to tell their friends how bold they are visit...and none have recently returned. Unknown to the local population or the nearby city of New Orleans the house is occupied...by Vael. Vael has taken the place as her own and enslaved the already existing walking dead to her will. The ghosts, zombies and skeletons that were in fact all too real now answer to her.

House Defenses:

The Skeleton Legion-

The most numerous of the house defenders the Skeleton Legion are the oldest of the bodies. Many are dead slaves dating back generations but many more have come to the house as a result of Vael's Lord of the Dead spell, summoned from graves dating back a thousand years, every corpse within a ten mile radius has responded to her call. These skeletons are warriors, gifted just enough intelligence to be able to fight and often armed with whatever weapons they carried to their grave. Swords and shields fill the ranks of the weaponless while many of the rest carry old and rotting guns. Although their guns should in most cases not function, they do, just as their unliving bodies should not walk and yet still do.

Skeletons are fast and strong, wielding their weapons with the strength of two men and able to move and respond with the speeds of an Olympic athlete. Though unarmored, the skeletons of the legion are immune to most small caliber weapons and clubs will do you more good than blades. These skeletons patrol the grounds but most remain hidden beneath the swamp itself, leaping forth only when the time is right.

Zombies-

There are a lot of recently deceased (or at least, more recently) within ten miles of the house. The zombies are not clever, nor fast, not terribly capable fighters but there are a lot of them and they often claw their way out of the rotten swamp soil to drag down unsuspecting trespassers.

Wraiths and Specters-

Some have died and their bodies moldered so long nothing remains but the clinging spirit of the spiteful, the terrified or the ravaged. These lost souls have collected themselves to Vael's will and are all sentient, all remember their lives and their deaths and hate the living for having flesh and blood. They hide where they may, only emerging at night...but at night, they are the real terrors of the house. They are soundless and able to pass through walls, they have no material presence what so ever, no scent, no physical touch...nothing...and yet their cold, grasping hands can pass through physical materials and clutch at the organs of those they seek to slay. Banishment of such creatures is difficult, often requiring esoteric means and even then, such banishment is at best temporary.

The Feline

Even Vael can't explain the origin of the feline. One day it arrived on her doorstep, unconcerned by the undead. The creature seems sentient and responds to the spells that enhance the undead. It appears and disappears at will and attacks trespassers on a spiritual level. The opening of its eyes signals the beginning of an attack, where only the strongest wills can hold their spirits within their bodies, a test of pure strength of mind. Failure means death as the feline rips the soul from the body and consumes the spirit like fine wine.

The Family-

The family rarely makes an appearance, choosing to do so only when the house itself is threatened. They remain outside of Vael's influence but their assaults are the most powerful of any entity defending the house. They do not cause physical harm nor tear out the soul...they force their victims to relive every horrifying second of their own end. Depending upon the family member that targets a victim they will experience a different perspective and feel, see, hear, smell and even suffer the physical damage (save for death) caused to the family member that has chosen them. Their deaths were prolonged, their tortures horrific and they seek to share these experiences with the living. The assault is meant to achieve one aim...drive the victim to insanity.