Lykteholder, Elderwood Draugr – The Lantern Keeper

Lykteholder, Elderwood Draugr – The Lantern Keeper

Undead Monster

Emerging from the deep scrub, this chilling Artifact commands immediate attention on the tabletop with its towering, antlered silhouette and swinging lanterns. It serves as an ominous focal point for wilderness encounters, radiating a grim atmosphere that challenges a party’s resolve. Keepers can deploy this entity to instantly elevate the tension of any nocturnal crossing or blighted forest track.

Tabletop Lore

Many legends carry through the villages of Nordheim of the Lantern Keeper, or Lykteholder. An ominous being draped in lanterns, a beacon of ill tidings in the scrub, who appears to those lost on the darkest of nights. Yet rumours change with each village, some say that following him will lead you to your grave, dug and marked, where you will merrily lie down in your resting place as you are buried alive. Others believe he is indeed a figure of fortune, and will lead travelers to sanctuary or gold, while others say that the Lykteholder is simply a mindless force of evil, one that gorges on travelers who are lured by its lanterns.

Highlight

The striking contrast between natural rot and structured ironmongery defines this sculpt, particularly where the sprawling, branch-like antlers support hanging lanterns that frame its skeletal visage.

Encounter Insight

This Artifact excels as a multi-layered narrative threat or an ambiguous guide during exploration phases. Keepers can use its lanterns to lure characters separated from the main party, forcing tense checks as players decide whether the distant light promises salvation or an impending ambush.

Features

• Grim Silhouette: Features an imposing undead frame crowned with expansive, elderwood antlers bearing multiple detailed hanging lanterns.
• Tattered Regalia: Sculpted with layered, weather-worn robes and heavy furs over a exposed, withered ribcage.
• Macabre Accents: Detailed with a collection of trophies, pouches, and a hanging horn along the waistline, emphasizing its history as a collector of the lost.

Designed For

• Campaign Use: Ideal for recurring wilderness terrors, localized forest curses, or mysterious neutral entities encountered in deep marshes.
• Encounter Types: Perfect for high-stakes night ambushes, horror-themed exploration tracks, or atmospheric swamp skirmishes.
• Collectors and Painters: Offers an exceptional canvas for practicing object-source lighting from the multiple lanterns against decayed wood and skeletal textures.

Size Category

Occupies a 1×1 square (25mm base, Medium Undead)