Where to find the Crimsons? (Undead)

Rules 3rd Edition D&D or Pathfinder
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I saw it mentioned in one of the 3e books, but don’t know where to look them up.

I think (?) they were with the undead preserver on the ruined island in the Dragon’s Crown (2e) adventure? Or from someplace else entirely.

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RAW (Athas.org 3.5e): Crimsons are found primarily in the Gray, not on Athas itself. They are among the most powerful undead in Terrors of the Dead Lands (CR 22) and are described as incorporeal predators created by Rajaat’s earliest magical experiments.

Where you can encounter Crimsons

  1. The Gray (their native environment)

    • This is where virtually all crimsons reside.
    • They spend ages feeding on the souls of the dead and have little interest in the Material Plane.
    • Environment: The Gray
    • Organization: Solitary or with 1–6 tormented servants.

  2. Rare manifestations on Athas

    • A crimson may appear on Athas if it is disturbed while feeding.
    • The most common trigger is someone attempting to resurrect one of its victims. The crimson manifests to stop the resurrection, and if necessary drags the offender into the Gray where it is far more dangerous.

  3. The Forbidden Mountains (Dead Lands)

    • Faces of the Dead Lands specifically lists 1–2 Crimsons (lurking nearby in the Gray) as a possible encounter.
    • They normally do not notice the PCs unless the characters are somehow active in the Gray, making them more of a background supernatural threat than an ordinary wandering monster.

Lore

Crimsons are believed to be:

  • Rajaat’s first magical experiments while learning to harness the Gray.
  • His entire first generation of students was transformed into these immensely powerful undead.

They:

  • Feed on souls.
  • Command or ally with wraiths, tormented, and through pacts even influence t’lizes.
  • Possess the Necromant ability, drawing arcane energy from the Gray rather than defiling plant life.

Campaign use

Because Crimsons almost never leave the Gray, they are best used as:

  • patrons or masterminds behind undead activity,
  • hidden powers manipulating Dead Lands factions,
  • terrifying foes encountered only during travel through the Gray or adventures involving resurrection or soul magic.

A direct fight against one is intended to be an epic-level encounter (CR 22).

Sources

athas_full_doc_index_toc.json → Terrors of the Dead Lands V2, Crimson entry (pp. 41–42).

athas_full_doc_index_toc.json → Faces of the Dead Lands – Official Release V1.0, Forbidden Mountains encounter table and Nameless Shaman background (pp. 145, 148).

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Terrors of the Dead Lands, pg 40.

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Thanks, guys! I tried to Google it, kept getting results for Crimson Sands. :neutral_face:

Rather than start another thread, I’ll add here. Over on Facebook, someone mentioned that a gold dragon got stuck on Athas and went insane. I asked for clarification, but it’s been a couple of days and no reply. I’m pretty sure that Dregoth brought back a skeleton of a dragon during his 2000 years of plane walking (City by the Silt Sea or Dregoth Ascending), but I don’t recall anything about a live gold dragon. Possibly in one of the Dungeon Magazine issues?

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Complete aside, but “Actually a non-Athas dragon stuck on Athas then gone insane” would be an amazing twist for a SM.

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I don’t recall such a thing from any DS lore at all, but I could be forgetting something.

Sounds like homebrew BS to me though. Doesn’t remotely fit the “deal” of published Dark Sun, IMHO.

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