Van Richten's Guide to the Ancient Dead

In the caverns, crypts, and chasms of Ravenloft lie mummies and other horrors for whom sleep is a natural state. These are the ancient dead. Dreams of love, glory, and wealth subdue them through the ages, and time grows meaningless - until the greedy or foolish disturb their rest. When the ancient dead rise and walk again, evil spreads before them and destruction lies in their wake.

In the land of mists, the ancient dead are unique monstrosities of astonishing power, capable of rising again and again despite the efforts of the mightiest heroes. Only Rudolph van Richten, Ravenloft's greatest foe of darkness, has accrued the knowledge necessary to stop them. Within this treatise the doctor classifies these complex creatures, defines their common characteristics, and speculates upon their salient abilities. It may be impossible to destroy the ancient dead, but with persistence, good fortune, and Van Richten's wise counsel, one might send them back to their dreams....