Made together with @Stevenar.
Introduction:
The Dark Sea already hints at something unnatural through the presence of skeleton remains and the loot item Life Remnant. This suggestion expands on that idea by introducing a new enemy faction: Life Remnant Skeletons, reanimated by corrupted life energy!
Instead of being inert loot, Life Remnants are the source of these enemies’ revival and power.
A link to Stevenar’s animation video
Life Remnants exist only by feeding on life energy. Although described as powder in lore, they appear as crystals in practice. These crystals drain life from other beings to survive. Without that energy, they shatter back into powder, causing the skeletons they animate to become lifeless again.
Core Concept:
Skeletons in the Dark Sea are no longer truly dead.
Life Remnants reanimate them, creating hostile undead enemies that grow more dangerous the deeper the player ventures into the Dark Sea.
These enemies:
- Spawn based on insanity range
- Spawn out in the open or in ruined structures
- Attack in groups
- Revolve around a unique mechanic: Life Drain
Their spawn rate will be relatively rare.
Status Effect: Life Drain
Similarly to an oracle’s Life Steal, Life Drain is a temporary debuff applied by Life Remnant Skeleton attacks.
[Life Drain’s Icon]:
Effect Details:
- When a target has Life Drain applied:
- Any enemy that hits the target recovers a small portion of health
- The effect is visually represented with a purple hue
- Life Drain stacks up to 15 times
- Each stack lasts 10 seconds
Overstack Penalty:
- Exceeding 15 stacks:
- Reduces the target’s maximum HP by 20%
- Effect lasts 3 minutes
This creates sustained combat pressure instead of burst damage.
Enemy Types:
Straggler
Common undead encountered in lower Dark Sea ranges.
- HP: 700
- Damage: 80 to 120 per hit
- Abilities:
- Crash
- Smash
- Rushdown
- Applies Life Steal on every hit
- Spawns in groups of 3 to 8
- Often appears by digging out of the ground or emerging from ruins
Arripitor
A corrupted, multi-limbed skeleton found in harsher zones.
- Spawn Range: Insanity 1 and beyond
- HP: 1600
- Movement: Extremely slow
- Combat Style:
- Long-range corrupted life energy blasts
- Fighting style projectiles
- Powerful grab using its long tail
- Damage: Around 300 per hit
- Applies Life Steal on every hit
Trades mobility for heavy pressure and control.
Revenant
An apex undead entity infused with extreme amounts of corrupted life energy.
- Spawn Range: Insanity 3 and beyond
- HP: 5000
- Behavior: Highly agile and aggressive
- Moveset:
- Shot
- Uppercut
- Blitz
- Crash
- Smash
- Rushdown
- All attacks are supercharged
- Damage: Over 1000 per hit
- Applies Life Steal on every hit
Designed as a high-threat encounter that punishes prolonged fights.
Boss: Commandant
A disciplined undead warrior that supports other skeletons and is always surrounded by them.
- Spawn Range: Insanity 2 and beyond
- HP: 7000
- Weapon: Single sword
- Defense: Cannot block, can only parry
- Damage: Around 350 per hit
- Applies Life Steal and Bleed on every hit
Support Ability:
- Can slam its arm shield to:
- Boost nearby allies’ speed and power
- Duration: ~15 seconds
(It is based on what you think).
A link to Stevenar’s Commandant animation
Drops:
All skeletons have a 10% of dropping a life remnant.
- Arripitor: drops a mace weapon made out of his arm.
- Applies Life Drain on each attack.
- Has a unique “Ranged Grab” ability.
- Revenant: drops a powerful helmet.
19 Power
203 Defense
- Commandant: Drops a bone chestplate with the shield-arm attached.
- 287 Defense
39 Range
32 Resistance
Keep in mind this could all be subject to change, depending on you 