Outside 40: It's all downhill from here

[Earl of Purple]

No Longer Daemonwood Shrine

"Um, I don't know as much as you think I do. I know what I can do, and I know what would hurt me, how to heal myself and what would kill me. I don't know how to become more powerful. There might be some kind of artefact that could do it, a weapon or bauble of some kind, but I don't know how. And what would work for me might not work for the others- when I turned, my tongue mutated and grew, but Kessandra didn't. She can stop people with a stare, though." Kessandra being the shaven-headed half-elf.

If you want suggestions, then there's Violet Crystal, an equip spell card in Yu-Gi-Oh! for Zombie-type monsters, and there may be other equip spell cards that are suitable, or an equivalent from Magic: The Gathering which I don't play or even a Pokemon held item might work.

Peacefield Skull

The skeletal helmsman's mind is not, actually, as crude and malevolent as the assault squad's. His mind is more complex and rational, though less capable of emotion- he doesn't even feel anger, pain or disappointment; his job is entirely different to that of the four the ghost girl faced earlier.

The skeleton swings its macuahuitl down to block the staff, aiming a punch for the ghost-girl's head with its other hand. The macuahuitl is enchanted, but staffs usually have no life-force to drain and it's entirely possible that neither does the ghost-girl, as she's undead and not alive.