Undead: Difference between revisions

From MassiveCraft Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(101 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Info afflictions
The stuff of nightmares for some, figments of folklore for others, and the steadfast guardians of ancient faith to even fewer, Undead are a barely understood Affliction that has started wreaking havoc in Aloria in the past century or so, leaving scholars unable to figure out why. Undead take a variety of different forms, often dictated by the faith and belief they held in life as they are barred from the gates of the afterlife, but they share a common trait in being damned by the living for their very existence is a revolt against nature and the cycle of life and death. Playing Undead is not recommended for new players, or for long-term goals. Undead Characters are hated by nearly all cultures and Religions and have very limited roleplay opportunities. When playing an Undead, choose one of the Undead Types, and follow the rules defined. It is possible to both make a new Character that was made Undead in their backstory, as well as convert an existing Character into an Undead. However, in such an instance, the body must not be held by the state.  
|races      = All (Except [[Yanar]])
|contraction = Resurrection
|origins    = [[Bintaar]]
|}}
The stuff of nightmares for some, figments of folklore for others and the steadfast guardians of ancient faith to even fewer, the most prominent of [[Bintaar]]'s influences in [[Binral]] are the Undead, the results of the Shades of the deceased who return to the world of the living through one means or another. Undead take a variety of different forms, whether it be as a walking corpse or an incorporeal phantom, but they share a common trait in being Shades and not proper souls anymore: this means that they are mere conglomerations of memories of who they once were and not truly the person anymore, resulting in altered personalities, behaviors and wants. Undead have existed as long as anyone alive can remember and even longer than that, having had incarnations as varied as the living peoples they used to be: the adage goes that so long as there have been corpses in [[Aloria]], Undead have persisted.


==History==
==Undead Types==
It is impossible to discern when the Undead first emerged in Aloria proper, but their first recorded appearance is marked in the myths and legends of the [[Dewamenet Empire]] as servants of the necromantic mystic Imeshret the Night-Gazer. It is even theorized that what few necromancers emerged among the [[Altalar]] of the [[Allorn Empire]] learned the practice of Undead creation from the [[Asha]] peoples they oppressed and nearly obliterated. For these few Altalar, they saw Undead as a way to preserve bodies and legacies and even serve their gods, albeit with a more singular or devoted purpose: that of protecting and enforcing the will of [[Ammu-Loa]]. At his Grand Temple, those seeking a dignified death could be granted it and be embalmed, as was Altalar tradition. His Undead attendants guarded the Temple, and their nature was widely lauded by some Altalar zealots for centuries, even as the Allorn Empire declined. Fringe cults like the Children of Kruphos even employed them as soldiers and venerated undeath as a sort of hallowed status, being closer to their great God of the Beyond. At the same time, the Undead still held something of a positive significance for the Asha [[Race]], but the destruction of their empire, along with their centuries of enslavement, largely reduced this to mere legend and myth told by the slaves of their past lives. However, it seems that with the [[Cataclysm]], the [[Wildering]] and all the changes since then, the Undead have earned a somewhat darker reputation. The Grand Temple fell into disrepair, and the Undead populace that still lingered there grew aggressive and unwieldy without the control of their masters. As for wider Aloria, the Undead had an abysmal reputation among most of the [[Human Races]], mainly for religious reasons. A majority of [[Ailor]] faiths saw the resurrection of the dead as unnatural and an abomination against the will of the universe and their gods, Human souls returned to or entered a new plane after leaving Aloria, and it was torture and unjust to drag them back and force them to remain. [[Unionism]] specifically developed practices to prevent Undeadism, such as removing significant organs, burning bodies, and decapitating someone after death. There are some exceptions seen in cults like Therin’s Tongues and even [[The Thyemic Sect]] of Unionism, with both being accepting of and even composed of Undead people. The same proved true in many other faiths that emerged as the decades wore on after the Cataclysm, but the real anti-Undead fervor broke out only several decades ago.
There are three Types of Undead, Deathveil Undead who are the more general type of Undead, Relicsworn Undead who are distinctly Unionist aligned, and Godsrot Undead who are Fornoss Religion aligned, each with differing legality.  
 
===Deathveil Undead===
The leading cause for these feelings was continued problems with the Undead on [[Etosil]], which were actively concerning the [[Regalian Empire]]'s military officials. But then came an event that changed the course of Alorian history. Emperor [[Justinian II]], the last [[Ivrae]] Emperor of [[Regalia]], had three sons: Therin the youngest, Juvi, the middle, and the elder Augustus. In 279 AC, Therin attacked Juvin and slew him in his bed-chamber, after which he proceeded to confront Augustus to do the same and claim the throne for himself. While Augustus overpowered his brother and had him formally hanged, Therin rose from the family catacombs in the night as an Undead and sought his revenge. He crept back into Augustus' bedroom and murdered him in his sleep. The guards arrived too late and were horrified to see the corpse of Therin gnawing on Augustus’s throat. This single Undead attack distinguished the future of the Ivrae family. Justinian II had no male heirs left, and his brother had only sired daughters. The throne passed to [[House Kade]] 23 years later, where it has remained to this day. Opinions against the Undead increased after that evening, and they have long been slain on sight across the Empire as a result. This situation has continued into today, though ironically, [[Etosians]] and the Undead are at somewhat of a more positive position than any point prior in the past thanks to the Undead’s attacks against the [[Bone Horrors]] during the [[Bone Horror Crisis]] several years ago, thus saving most of Etosil. As of the present day, the Emperor has allowed some Undead to peacefully exist so long as they adhere and practice as good Unionists, though the rest are still treated with the same abhorrence.
{|
 
==Becoming Undead==
Undead are created one of three ways: they can return from Bintaar through sheer willpower, rise from the grave as a result of some ambient [[Ordial]] presence near their resting place (like a particularly powerful artifact) or be resurrected by the hand of an experienced necromancer. All who ‘naturally’ or ‘accidentally’ are resurrected as Undead do so as Ghüls, the catch-all term for ‘basic’ Undead, and Wights can only be created purposefully by necromancers. If a deceased person’s Shade is particularly restless or angry, they can wander through Bintaar with the desire to return to the world of the living until they fade or find a door out and back to Binral, where if their corpse still exists in some state they will re-inhabit it and if it does not they will manifest as a sort of apparition. The presence of [[Ordial Essence]] can cause the same phenomenon, dredging up dead Shades from Bintaar and forcing them back into their bodies nearby, or even causing things like suits of armor or other suitable vessels within proximity to become inhabited by Shades. Necromancers resurrecting Undead are much more purposeful, able to pick and choose what sort of vessel the Shade will inhabit. Undead can be prevented from being resurrected via the rituals and abilities of people like the [[Isldar]] or others with similar powers, and such practices are utilized by the Regalian Empire and its [[Violet Order]] to keep executed criminals from returning from beyond the grave.
<span style="color:red">'''OOC Note''' Previously-played characters who die cannot be revived as Undead without explicit Lore Staff permission and the use of an [[Artifact]] or Special Permission that allows for the creation of Player Character Undead. Previously-played characters cannot also be retconned into being Undead without explicit Lore Staff Approval. </span>
 
==Mentality==
Undead mentality is as varied as their forms and origins, ranging from ghouls who act like nothing more than ravenous animals to completely intelligent and sapient beings, almost entirely indistinguishable from the living. What determines this is the state of the Shade upon being resurrected: older Shades who have spent a long time wandering Bintaar and have lost most of their memories and identity will create much more bestial and mindless Undead. Additionally, it is not uncommon for Undead who linger for extended decades post-resurrection to lose their memories over time and degenerate into animalistic states. Generally, though, Undead will cling to what memories remain of their lives, even if they are hazy, and typically do not change much from how they were. It is impossible to ignore the fact that the Shade itself is just an echo of the person they were in their life, however, and this affects the potential personality of the Undead: sometimes lacking empathy or the true intent of their feelings and memories.
 
Undead resurrected for a particular purpose by necromancers or maybe by the influence of an Artifact at times feel innate attachments and drives to remain dedicated to and fulfill these purposes, leading to degrees of unnatural zealotry for some causes. The Undead guardians of the Sefakhem’s Vault of the Dead voluntarily allow themselves to be sealed within impenetrable layers of the great tombs for what is most likely an eternity, for example, and those resurrected to defend the Grand Temple of Ammu-Loa still do so to this day, despite its derelict state.
 
==Types==
Undead are primarily divided into two broad categories: Ghüls and Wights. Ghüls, simply put, are all Undead who are not Wights. Wights, on the other hand, are Undead who uniquely possess powers thanks to the Ordial Essence within them. These powers are typically akin to those of an Ordial Mage’s but are never quite as strong or flexible in their use. Beyond this, Undead can be further classified based on the type of form they take in Aloria: these being Corpse Undead, Hollow Undead and Phantom Undead.
 
===Corpse Type Undead===
A Shade inhabiting a dead cadaver in any state of decay ranging from entirely skeletal to freshly-dead. The cadaver can be of any Race except Yanar and can have a varying amount of traits inherent to its state of decay that conflict with the original Race’s restrictions like their eyes being darkened, milky or even missing and their skin appearing mottled or pale in comparison. Additionally, they can bear impossible amounts of permanent decay and injury and other oddities thanks to their undead state like missing body parts, lethal burns, objects remaining embedded in them, plants growing throughout their body or even stitching to indicate their corpse shell was cobbled together by hand. They can sometimes bear some Ordial Magic aesthetics like green tattoos and gaping wounds. They have a [[Physical Stat]] Limit of 20. Corpse Type Undead have the following Abilities:
 
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 670px;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d; width: 21%;" | Dead Shell 1
| rowspan="5" | [[File:Undeathqueen.png|300px|caption|left]]
| Constant Passive
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| Self
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Dead Shell 1 | The Character is inhabiting a corpse which is able to be in any state of decay from entirely skeletal to freshly-dead, though it can only decay further over time and never be restored and is always recognizable as being a dead cadaver. The character does not have to breathe, does not need to eat or drink, does not require sleep and is immune to Gas, Toxins, ingested Alchemical Substances and Diseases. They have a dulled sense of physical pain, though cannot ignore the actual debilitation that being tangibly wounded results in. They cannot utilize Racial Abilities, have Sorcery, use Clockwork or be infected by Afflictions. The character can only be killed through complete destruction of the head (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted), and can be freely maimed.
Deathveil Undead are created in circumstances that are not understood but are likely due to the interference of Ordial Entities like the Death Gods Malefica, the Consigner, or the Machinist. An Undeath occurs when a person's soul is unable to pass on into the afterlife, and is somehow condemned to remain with their body. Deathveil Undead are usually created by the Death Gods to do their bidding in their war on the living and to consume their souls. Within many societies and religions, Undead are also an abomination, especially so in Regalia, where Undead have been a continuing menace. Deathveil Undead are the most common form of Undead, who are generally universally hunted by all law-abiding citizens, religious forces, and military organizations. Only the most outcast of criminals and low-lives might tolerate Deathveil Undead, who are generally only somewhat safe existing in the Sewers. Many Deathveil Undead are either willing or unwilling soldiers of the Malefica, thus considered evil. While is possible for a Deathveil Undead to wish freedom from the clutches of the Ordial entites that control them, this is usually not up to them, and thus they are still complicit in the actions of their masters. It is not possible for a Deathveil Undead to become mortal, or to have their body/soul reinstated. They can however be made Spirits by other entities such as Gods, Arken, Ordial Entities, or Dragons (via [[Archon]]).  
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Undead Mend 1
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Rules
| Trigger Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Self
* Deathveil Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic but not God Magic, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Undead Mend 1 | While out of combat, the character can physically consume the flesh of either living or dead people or animals in order to heal their body up to the original point of their decay as an Undead. They must eat for ten minutes to restore wounds and surface level damage to the flesh, and must eat for an hour to repair any maims inflicted upon them. Severed pieces do not have to be recovered, and any regenerated flesh will appear as if it was the original piece of their body.
* Deathveil Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).
}}
* Deathveil Undead are generally hunted by the Regalian Empire and its citizens. Deathveil Undead players should expect to have a very hard time to find casual Rp in the City.
* Deathveil Undead can be in varying states of decomposition down to being entirely skeletal, but players should observe that due to decomposition, they are a hive of disease and rot.
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Rotting Bite 1
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 1
| Trigger Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Direct Touch
Deathveil Undead no longer need biological processes such as breathing, eating, or sleeping. They are theoretically immortal so long as their body is not physically destroyed, as destroying their head will still force their soul to detach from their body and pass on. Deathveil Undead can live for hundreds of years, though we recommend a maximum of 500, due to the stringency of lore from this far back.  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Rotting Bite 1  | The Character can bite another person. If their teeth hit exposed flesh, they inflict the victim with a rapidly-spreading magical malady that reduces their Physical Stat by 10 for the next hour. This ability has a four hour cooldown.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Magic Sight 3
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 2
| Toggle Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
| Self
Deathveil Undead, due to their connection with the Ordial Gods Malefica, the Consigner, and the Machinist, are able to use Divinium to summon these entities, even if normally Pagan or Cult Gods such as these could not be summoned. In doing so, not only do they have access to the normal Divinium Summoning, these entities also double as having all functions of the [[Spirit#Spirit_Dukes|Spirit Dukes]].
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Magic Sight 3 | The user is Immune to Ability or Mundane based Darkness (not Blindness) and also has Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places. This Ability can be toggled on and off.
}}
|-
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 3
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Deathveil Undead do not need to remain bodily cohesive, meaning parts of them can live independently from the main body. This could for example allow them to send a hand crawling under a doorway which can later be re-attached, or an eye held around a corner to see. This allows Deathveil Undead to creatively interact with some Staff Events by creatively using their bodily flexibility.
|}
|}
 
===Relicsworn Undead===
===Hollow Type Undead===
{|
A Shade inhabiting a vessel composed of inorganic or manufactured materials like a suit of armor or a person-sized doll. These vessels can be as uniform and complete as a matching, clean set of armor or as patchwork and cobbled together as pieces of carved wood, animal bone and twine in the shape of a person. A Hollow Undead can be made of fundamentally anything except the cadaver(s) of people, but the inherent defensive effectiveness of its body will never be any stronger than the metal of armor. They can sometimes bear some Ordial Magic aesthetics like glowing green eyes, light or essence coming out from gaps in their bodies and ritual Deathspeech or symbolic markings. They have a Physical Stat Limit of 30. Hollow Type Undead have the following abilities:
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 670px;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d; width: 21%;" | Dead Shell 2
| rowspan="5" | [[File:Yyyyhhhh.png|300px|caption|left]]
| Constant Passive
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| Self
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Dead Shell 2 | The Character is inhabiting a possessed, inorganic vessel. They are always treated as if their whole body is composed of plate armor no matter the material they are made of, but due to their hollow nature they are more vulnerable to blunt force trauma. The character does not have to breathe, does not need to eat or drink, does not require sleep and is immune to Gas, Toxins, ingested Alchemical Substances and Diseases. They have a dulled sense of physical pain, though cannot ignore the actual debilitation that being tangibly wounded results in. They cannot utilize Racial Abilities, have Sorcery, use Clockwork or be infected by Afflictions. The character can only be killed through complete destruction of the head (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted), and can be freely maimed.  
Relicsworn Undead are the only type of Undead legal in the Regalian Empire, yet still regarded with mistrust and concern. Relicsworn Undead have no connection with the Death Gods, rather Relicsworn are made by the intervention of the Unionist Gods. Relicsworn Undead are made either from soldiers or aging Knights who are dying, or criminals whose life is given new purpose in service to the faith. This is either done by interring their head, skull, or heart into a Unionist reliquary container or box, after which it is interred into a suit of Armor (the image depicts a skull reliquary inserted into the chest-piece). Relicsworn Undead are then conscripted into the Burning Choir Chapter of the Aelrrigan Order, from where fellow Aelrrigans ensure the magical cohesion of their binding that keeps their body intact, and the influence of the Death Gods away. Relicsworn are then used to guard places that other Knights deem themselves above, such as graveyards, crypts, and abandoned religious sites that have long since been reclaimed by nature or just lack visitors. Due to their relation with the Aelrrigan Order in being part of it, they also follow Aelrrigan Code, and work with the Aelrrigans, though many Aelrrigans do not consider them full-fledged members, more like a commitment for the Order as a whole that sometimes becomes a burden. Unionist fanatics can consider Relicsworn a type of holy warrior, however.  
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Undead Mend 2
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Rules
| Trigger Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Self
* Relicsworn Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic but only Unionist God Magic, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Undead Mend 2 | While out of combat, the character can enter a state of self-repair by replacing any lost parts and restoring damage done to their vessel with scraps of whatever material they are composed of. They must spend 10 minutes grafting material on to repair simple injuries, and must spend an hour replacing maimed parts. Severed pieces do not have to be recovered, and any replaced parts will appear as if they were original portions of their vessel.
* Relicsworn Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).
}}
* Relicsworn Undead are legal in the city of Regalia, but may still face bigotry. They are also only legal so long as they are Aelrrigan Knights, and get hunted if they leave the Order.
* Relicsworn Undead are always in armor, because they lack a body without it. The armor is in essence their body, which is extended from the Reliquary that is fixed into it.
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Super Self 4
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 1
| Constant Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Self
Relicsworn Undead no longer need biological processes such as breathing, eating, or sleeping. They are theoretically immortal so long as their body is not physically destroyed, as destroying their head will still force their soul to detach from their body and pass on. Relicsworn Undead can live for hundreds of years, though we recommend a maximum of 250, as Unionism did not exist before that.  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Super Self 4 | The Character is immune to any Alchemy, Mundane Techniques or Abilities that would cause a loss or gain, change, exchange or transferal of Proficiency Points or Physical Stat, both positively and negatively.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Magic Sight 3
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 2
| Toggle Passive
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
| Self
Relicsworn Undead, due to a complex binding of Unionist God Magic, are invisible to Event Entities such as: Evolist Gods, Arken, Spirit Dukes, and some Extraplanar Event Entities (inquire with DM for opportunities). This even extends to things they are holding, including a person if they are inside their armor (permitting space, given the presence of the reliquary which takes up some space).  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Magic Sight 3 | The user is Immune to Ability or Mundane based Darkness (not Blindness) and also has Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places. This Ability can be toggled on and off.
}}
|-
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 3
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
The Unionist Gods have not just blessed the Relicsworn with eternal martial duty, but also given them the means to soothe loss of simple life. That is to say, they can resurrect domestic pets like dogs, cats, and lizards from the dead, and give them extended life. This also extends to mounts like horses, or just wild animals in general, just never complex life forms like people or Spirits.
|}
|}
 
===Godsrot Undead===
===Phantom Type Undead===
{|
A Shade bearing an ethereal, phantasmal form. They can be within any range of ghostly appearances: a shadow with form, a spectral representation of how they appeared in life, a cloaked figure or even a terrifying sort of banshee. They are often suffused with Ordial Magic aesthetics like green auras or even their whole ethereal form being composed of green light. They have a Physical Stat Limit of 0. Phantom Type Undead have the following abilities:
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 670px;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d; width: 21%;" | Dead Shell 3
| rowspan="5" | [[File:Gdsagsdgfdh.png|300px|caption|left]]
| Constant Passive
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| Self
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Dead Shell 3 | The Character possesses an incorporeal form which can only interact with the physical world through non-combative touch. They can interact with objects and touch people, but lack the strength or ability at all to harm people with physical contact or throw objects at them. They cannot be harmed by mundane physical attacks, but can still be affected by Abilities and affect others with them. The character does not have to breathe, does not need to eat or drink, does not require sleep and is immune to Gas, Toxins, ingested Alchemical Substances and Diseases. They cannot utilize Racial Abilities, have Sorcery, use Clockwork  or be infected by Afflictions. The character can only be killed by using Exorcism 4 on them (which causes them to be locked into place throughout the duration of the ritual and unable to use Abilities) or three successive shots from a Puretek weapon fired into them (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted).
Godsrot Undead or Hvitdraugr as they are called among Fornoss believers, are Undead who are created in a very specific process unique to Fornoss as a Religion. In Fornoss, the faithful gain Soldi and Svaldi, two different currencies of honor split in two pantheons in the same religion. When a Fornoss person died and they have one more than the other, their respective Gods claim them for their afterlife. If however a Fornoss believer has roughly equal Svaldi and Soldi, and has a lot of both, both pantheons will end up claiming them and they can pass on to neither afterlife. In such a situation, they continue to exist in a state of Undeath after they have died on Aloria, until such a hypothetical time that the Gods agree who gets to have their soul. Many Godsrot Undead exist in this state for centuries, as the Gods rarely interact and neither side ever wants to relent to the other. Godsrot Undead are illegal in Regalia, as it does not respect this Fornoss tradition, but among the Fornoss believers, Hvitdraugr (which differ from Deathveil Undead which they call just Svartdraugr) are considered holy to some degree, requiring them to protect them and keep them safe from Regalia's attempt to exterminate all Undead regardless of the circumstances of their existence. Godsrot Undead can be told apart from other Undead due to their signature gray skin, and blue glowing Fornoss Tattoos on various parts of their body.  
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Haunting 1
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Rules
| Control Power
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Direct Touch
* Godsrot Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic of any Planar Alignment, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.  
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Haunting 1 | The Character can touch another person, and establish complete Control over their actions and thoughts by entering their body and possessing them. After Direct Touch, they force themselves inside of their body and create a Control Power link with the Target that allows them physical control over every aspect of their actions. While possessed, the target’s eyes take on an unnatural spectral green glow. This Ability does not allow the user to change the thought process or ideas of the target and just grants them control of their body and speech which can be loosened or tightened as much as the character desires. They cannot use any of the target’s Abilities besides their Racial Abilities while possessing them. The Character cannot use any of their own Proficiencies, except Linguistics, but has access to the Proficiencies of the Target. This Ability can be broken by the user at any time or removed from the target with any Possession removal or Exorcism mechanic or Ability, causing them to immediately eject from their body. While Control Power Immunity blocks this Ability from being used, the user may propose this level of control over the Target, and if the Target consents in Roleplay, then Control Power Immunity no longer applies. After this Ability is broken off, it cannot be re-used within 3 days.
* Godsrot Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).  
}}
* Godsrot Undead are illegal in the city of Regalia, but are considered holy among Fornoss Religion followers. As such, Fornoss believers will protect and keep them hidden.  
* Godsrot are never in a state of decomposition. Their skin turns gray and cold and their eyes glow, but all other bodily functions and organs still work like normal.
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Arcane Mastery 1
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 1
| Magic Spell
| style="vertical-align:top;" |  
| Emote Distance
Godsrot Undead are functionally Undead, but their body still functions as if it was alive. That is to say, they need sleep, they need to drink and eat, and they need to breathe. That being said, they no longer age in this state of Undeath, and so they can be hundreds of years old, though we recommend a maximum of 500, due to the stringency of lore from this far back, and Gods don't take that long.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Arcane Mastery 1 | The user is able to control aesthetic Arcane functions, such as letting a broom brush the floor by itself, letting dishes wash themselves, opening curtains with the wave of a hand, lighting candles with the flick of a finger, opening (unlocked) doors with the flick of a wrist and more. None of these functions may be involved in Combat Roleplay, but there is no limit to the amount that may be running at any given time, and there is no cooldown.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Darkness 4
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 2
| Magic Spell
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
| 10 Blocks
Godsrot Undead are blessed by Bard: They can declare one person their "Ward" (does not need consent), which grants +1 Defense Stat (break cap up to 9) while in Emote Range. This must be declared on a Character Application to apply. The Ward is also immune to Prideborn Mindvex, Bodyborn Mutations, and Arkenborn emotion reading/memory alterations, so long as they are Ward.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Darkness 4 | The user can cast this spell at a target area they can see within 10 blocks of them. Their body is enveloped in shadows, and they immediately teleport to the chosen location. The user cannot carry anyone else with them when using this Ability, and only objects that fit on their person travel with them. This Ability can be used to teleport horizontally, diagonally, or vertically as long as it is still within the 10 blocks range, and as long as the target area is a flat surface the user can stand on. This Ability can only be used once every 3 hours.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#5ceb9d;" | Magic Sight 3
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Magic Sight 3 | The user is Immune to Ability or Mundane based Darkness (not Blindness) and also has Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places. This Ability can be toggled on and off.
}}
|-
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Mechanic 3
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Godsrot Undead are also blessed by Thirun: While fighting alongside at least one Odalv or Bardvir, they gain +1 Defense Stat (breaking cap up to 11). They can also hijack any Mechanic or non-Ability-based Magic, such as aesthetic or environment Magic usage by other Players, and make it do something they want, or shut it down entirely. They can act like Anti-Mages to other aesthetic Magic.
|}
|}


==Expanded Lore==
Expanded Lore offers more reading material regarding the Undead or Undeadism in general, but is not required reading in order to get a decent experience.
===Perception of Death===
To most Religions of Aloria, Undeath is a perversion of faith, because most faiths have the principle of divine judgement, where a person's soul shall be judged by a God of the afterlife, and deemed worthy to paradise. The logic that many faithful uphold, is that any type of Undead they meet, must have been rejected by their God and is therefor an immoral and sinful being, or one who actively wanted to avoid the judgement of their God and thus commit blasphemy. The reality is more complicated however, as the vast majority of the Undead did not ask to become Undead, or worse, were forced into by other more nefarious individuals. Undeath has only really become a major problem in the last 40 years with the rate of Undeath exploding exponentially each year. Undeath has existed for as long as death and life were a thing on Aloria, with references found even in Seraph murals, but it was always a fringe issue, until the gruesome murders at the Imperial Palace that saw all the sons of Emperor Justinian II slain by an outbreak of Undeath in the Palace itself. Since then, most faiths and societies have adopted anti-Undeath burial practices, like cremation and beheading before burial (the latter of which prevents Undeath from ever taking place).
===Undead around the world===
While Relicsworn Undead are usually limited to Regalia or Etosil and Godsrot Undead are exceedingly rare, Deathveil Undead can be found all over the world in all manner of cultures. In Elven and Estelley society, a type of Deathveil Undead called Deathwatch is common where living bodyguards are forced to become Undead through a ritual act, which binds them into service to their master's family for all eternity. The Deathwatch Undead push away the influence of the Death Gods by killing and offering them the souls of their enemies to consume, thus sating their desire for death and preventing them from controlling the actions of the Deathwatch. The Saydir are Undead sand-wraiths from Ard al Nur (the homeland of the Qadir and Songaskians). The Saydir were originally the Sariyd inhabitants who were swallowed by the Great Storm and choked out. Though, because this event also had the corrosive influence of the Death Gods, many of these Sariyd citizens would become Undead in their rage against the Dragons. Saydir continue to be a massive problem to both the Qadir and Songaskians, as they reside in large numbers in the desert dunes, and make the nights in Ard al Nur extremely dangerous.
===Necromancy===
The concept of Necromancy or Death Magic exists in Aloria, but is has nothing to do with Undead. Undeath purely describes the concept of a soul bound to its body after having departed from it partially, but being unable to pass on fully. Necromancy or Death Magic describes the act of animating dead tissue or objects through Magic, or by the use of Spirit (Shades). Necromancers cannot control the bodies of Undead, and Undead also cannot act as fuel for Necromancers. The souls used for Necromancy (Shades) and the souls still attached to Undead bodies (normal souls) are also vastly different, though Undead Necromancers do exist, especially Deathveil Undead. Deathveil Undead, being close to the Malefica, can command a great deal of control over other Ordial-aligned aspects, such as Death Magic and Shades themselves. This is of course dependent on the Undead embracing the Malefica and its hatred against the living. The Malefica does not grant the gifts of the Beyond to the Undead who only reluctantly work for the Death Gods in their quest to cause death and end the concept of life.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*A rumor for nearly two decades after it happened was that the Emperor couldn’t bear to kill his last remaining son, despite his Undead status. Instead, he kept him chained and secured away in the deepest reaches of the Imperial Palace.
* A rumor for nearly two decades after it happened was that the Emperor couldn’t bear to kill his last remaining son, despite his Undead status. Instead, he kept him chained and secured away in the deepest reaches of the Imperial Palace.
*With the rise in publicity of Unionist Cults and sects that support the existence of Undead, so too has the paranoia of those who hate them risen, leading the most radical of conspiracy theorists to believe that the Regalian Empire may be fielding armies of the Undead or that important officials could be possessed by ghosts.
* In places where necromancy is either legal or looked over, some necromancers turn a very healthy profit by resurrecting the dead pets of the wealthy who can’t bear to be parted from their favorite companions. It should be noted however, that these pets are not Undead, but rather Ordial Shades forced into corpses as Spirits.
*There exists a world-traveling theatrical troupe of Undead called the Dead Fellows who often visit metropolitan areas across Aloria to perform unnatural, macabre feats of circus-like theatrics with the capabilities presented by their resurrected bodies.
* With the rise in publicity of knowledge about Ordial powers and Deathveil Undead, so too has the paranoia of those who hate them risen, leading the most radical of conspiracy theorists to believe that the Regalian Empire may be entirely controlled by phantom-possessed people or Undead high priests and bureaucrats.
 
{{Afflictions}}
{{Afflictions}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = Finlaggan, HydraLana
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors = HydraLana, OkaDoka, WaterDruppel, birdsfoot_violet
|Processors = Birdsfoot_Violet
}}
}}
[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Ordial Afflictions]]
[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Ordial Afflictions]]

Latest revision as of 20:52, 14 June 2024

The stuff of nightmares for some, figments of folklore for others, and the steadfast guardians of ancient faith to even fewer, Undead are a barely understood Affliction that has started wreaking havoc in Aloria in the past century or so, leaving scholars unable to figure out why. Undead take a variety of different forms, often dictated by the faith and belief they held in life as they are barred from the gates of the afterlife, but they share a common trait in being damned by the living for their very existence is a revolt against nature and the cycle of life and death. Playing Undead is not recommended for new players, or for long-term goals. Undead Characters are hated by nearly all cultures and Religions and have very limited roleplay opportunities. When playing an Undead, choose one of the Undead Types, and follow the rules defined. It is possible to both make a new Character that was made Undead in their backstory, as well as convert an existing Character into an Undead. However, in such an instance, the body must not be held by the state.

Undead Types

There are three Types of Undead, Deathveil Undead who are the more general type of Undead, Relicsworn Undead who are distinctly Unionist aligned, and Godsrot Undead who are Fornoss Religion aligned, each with differing legality.

Deathveil Undead

caption
 Description

Deathveil Undead are created in circumstances that are not understood but are likely due to the interference of Ordial Entities like the Death Gods Malefica, the Consigner, or the Machinist. An Undeath occurs when a person's soul is unable to pass on into the afterlife, and is somehow condemned to remain with their body. Deathveil Undead are usually created by the Death Gods to do their bidding in their war on the living and to consume their souls. Within many societies and religions, Undead are also an abomination, especially so in Regalia, where Undead have been a continuing menace. Deathveil Undead are the most common form of Undead, who are generally universally hunted by all law-abiding citizens, religious forces, and military organizations. Only the most outcast of criminals and low-lives might tolerate Deathveil Undead, who are generally only somewhat safe existing in the Sewers. Many Deathveil Undead are either willing or unwilling soldiers of the Malefica, thus considered evil. While is possible for a Deathveil Undead to wish freedom from the clutches of the Ordial entites that control them, this is usually not up to them, and thus they are still complicit in the actions of their masters. It is not possible for a Deathveil Undead to become mortal, or to have their body/soul reinstated. They can however be made Spirits by other entities such as Gods, Arken, Ordial Entities, or Dragons (via Archon).

Rules
  • Deathveil Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic but not God Magic, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.
  • Deathveil Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).
  • Deathveil Undead are generally hunted by the Regalian Empire and its citizens. Deathveil Undead players should expect to have a very hard time to find casual Rp in the City.
  • Deathveil Undead can be in varying states of decomposition down to being entirely skeletal, but players should observe that due to decomposition, they are a hive of disease and rot.
Mechanic 1

Deathveil Undead no longer need biological processes such as breathing, eating, or sleeping. They are theoretically immortal so long as their body is not physically destroyed, as destroying their head will still force their soul to detach from their body and pass on. Deathveil Undead can live for hundreds of years, though we recommend a maximum of 500, due to the stringency of lore from this far back.

Mechanic 2

Deathveil Undead, due to their connection with the Ordial Gods Malefica, the Consigner, and the Machinist, are able to use Divinium to summon these entities, even if normally Pagan or Cult Gods such as these could not be summoned. In doing so, not only do they have access to the normal Divinium Summoning, these entities also double as having all functions of the Spirit Dukes.

Mechanic 3

Deathveil Undead do not need to remain bodily cohesive, meaning parts of them can live independently from the main body. This could for example allow them to send a hand crawling under a doorway which can later be re-attached, or an eye held around a corner to see. This allows Deathveil Undead to creatively interact with some Staff Events by creatively using their bodily flexibility.

Relicsworn Undead

caption
 Description

Relicsworn Undead are the only type of Undead legal in the Regalian Empire, yet still regarded with mistrust and concern. Relicsworn Undead have no connection with the Death Gods, rather Relicsworn are made by the intervention of the Unionist Gods. Relicsworn Undead are made either from soldiers or aging Knights who are dying, or criminals whose life is given new purpose in service to the faith. This is either done by interring their head, skull, or heart into a Unionist reliquary container or box, after which it is interred into a suit of Armor (the image depicts a skull reliquary inserted into the chest-piece). Relicsworn Undead are then conscripted into the Burning Choir Chapter of the Aelrrigan Order, from where fellow Aelrrigans ensure the magical cohesion of their binding that keeps their body intact, and the influence of the Death Gods away. Relicsworn are then used to guard places that other Knights deem themselves above, such as graveyards, crypts, and abandoned religious sites that have long since been reclaimed by nature or just lack visitors. Due to their relation with the Aelrrigan Order in being part of it, they also follow Aelrrigan Code, and work with the Aelrrigans, though many Aelrrigans do not consider them full-fledged members, more like a commitment for the Order as a whole that sometimes becomes a burden. Unionist fanatics can consider Relicsworn a type of holy warrior, however.

Rules
  • Relicsworn Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic but only Unionist God Magic, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.
  • Relicsworn Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).
  • Relicsworn Undead are legal in the city of Regalia, but may still face bigotry. They are also only legal so long as they are Aelrrigan Knights, and get hunted if they leave the Order.
  • Relicsworn Undead are always in armor, because they lack a body without it. The armor is in essence their body, which is extended from the Reliquary that is fixed into it.
Mechanic 1

Relicsworn Undead no longer need biological processes such as breathing, eating, or sleeping. They are theoretically immortal so long as their body is not physically destroyed, as destroying their head will still force their soul to detach from their body and pass on. Relicsworn Undead can live for hundreds of years, though we recommend a maximum of 250, as Unionism did not exist before that.

Mechanic 2

Relicsworn Undead, due to a complex binding of Unionist God Magic, are invisible to Event Entities such as: Evolist Gods, Arken, Spirit Dukes, and some Extraplanar Event Entities (inquire with DM for opportunities). This even extends to things they are holding, including a person if they are inside their armor (permitting space, given the presence of the reliquary which takes up some space).

Mechanic 3

The Unionist Gods have not just blessed the Relicsworn with eternal martial duty, but also given them the means to soothe loss of simple life. That is to say, they can resurrect domestic pets like dogs, cats, and lizards from the dead, and give them extended life. This also extends to mounts like horses, or just wild animals in general, just never complex life forms like people or Spirits.

Godsrot Undead

caption
 Description

Godsrot Undead or Hvitdraugr as they are called among Fornoss believers, are Undead who are created in a very specific process unique to Fornoss as a Religion. In Fornoss, the faithful gain Soldi and Svaldi, two different currencies of honor split in two pantheons in the same religion. When a Fornoss person died and they have one more than the other, their respective Gods claim them for their afterlife. If however a Fornoss believer has roughly equal Svaldi and Soldi, and has a lot of both, both pantheons will end up claiming them and they can pass on to neither afterlife. In such a situation, they continue to exist in a state of Undeath after they have died on Aloria, until such a hypothetical time that the Gods agree who gets to have their soul. Many Godsrot Undead exist in this state for centuries, as the Gods rarely interact and neither side ever wants to relent to the other. Godsrot Undead are illegal in Regalia, as it does not respect this Fornoss tradition, but among the Fornoss believers, Hvitdraugr (which differ from Deathveil Undead which they call just Svartdraugr) are considered holy to some degree, requiring them to protect them and keep them safe from Regalia's attempt to exterminate all Undead regardless of the circumstances of their existence. Godsrot Undead can be told apart from other Undead due to their signature gray skin, and blue glowing Fornoss Tattoos on various parts of their body.

Rules
  • Godsrot Undead inherit their Heritage Traits from their pre-death Heritage. They can still cast Magic of any Planar Alignment, and are unable to gain other Afflictions or Affinities.
  • Godsrot Undead, if they were Arkenborn or Godborn in life, lose all their Traits from these conditions. Some visuals may also change due to Undeath (see art for inspiration).
  • Godsrot Undead are illegal in the city of Regalia, but are considered holy among Fornoss Religion followers. As such, Fornoss believers will protect and keep them hidden.
  • Godsrot are never in a state of decomposition. Their skin turns gray and cold and their eyes glow, but all other bodily functions and organs still work like normal.
Mechanic 1

Godsrot Undead are functionally Undead, but their body still functions as if it was alive. That is to say, they need sleep, they need to drink and eat, and they need to breathe. That being said, they no longer age in this state of Undeath, and so they can be hundreds of years old, though we recommend a maximum of 500, due to the stringency of lore from this far back, and Gods don't take that long.

Mechanic 2

Godsrot Undead are blessed by Bard: They can declare one person their "Ward" (does not need consent), which grants +1 Defense Stat (break cap up to 9) while in Emote Range. This must be declared on a Character Application to apply. The Ward is also immune to Prideborn Mindvex, Bodyborn Mutations, and Arkenborn emotion reading/memory alterations, so long as they are Ward.

Mechanic 3

Godsrot Undead are also blessed by Thirun: While fighting alongside at least one Odalv or Bardvir, they gain +1 Defense Stat (breaking cap up to 11). They can also hijack any Mechanic or non-Ability-based Magic, such as aesthetic or environment Magic usage by other Players, and make it do something they want, or shut it down entirely. They can act like Anti-Mages to other aesthetic Magic.

Expanded Lore

Expanded Lore offers more reading material regarding the Undead or Undeadism in general, but is not required reading in order to get a decent experience.

Perception of Death

To most Religions of Aloria, Undeath is a perversion of faith, because most faiths have the principle of divine judgement, where a person's soul shall be judged by a God of the afterlife, and deemed worthy to paradise. The logic that many faithful uphold, is that any type of Undead they meet, must have been rejected by their God and is therefor an immoral and sinful being, or one who actively wanted to avoid the judgement of their God and thus commit blasphemy. The reality is more complicated however, as the vast majority of the Undead did not ask to become Undead, or worse, were forced into by other more nefarious individuals. Undeath has only really become a major problem in the last 40 years with the rate of Undeath exploding exponentially each year. Undeath has existed for as long as death and life were a thing on Aloria, with references found even in Seraph murals, but it was always a fringe issue, until the gruesome murders at the Imperial Palace that saw all the sons of Emperor Justinian II slain by an outbreak of Undeath in the Palace itself. Since then, most faiths and societies have adopted anti-Undeath burial practices, like cremation and beheading before burial (the latter of which prevents Undeath from ever taking place).

Undead around the world

While Relicsworn Undead are usually limited to Regalia or Etosil and Godsrot Undead are exceedingly rare, Deathveil Undead can be found all over the world in all manner of cultures. In Elven and Estelley society, a type of Deathveil Undead called Deathwatch is common where living bodyguards are forced to become Undead through a ritual act, which binds them into service to their master's family for all eternity. The Deathwatch Undead push away the influence of the Death Gods by killing and offering them the souls of their enemies to consume, thus sating their desire for death and preventing them from controlling the actions of the Deathwatch. The Saydir are Undead sand-wraiths from Ard al Nur (the homeland of the Qadir and Songaskians). The Saydir were originally the Sariyd inhabitants who were swallowed by the Great Storm and choked out. Though, because this event also had the corrosive influence of the Death Gods, many of these Sariyd citizens would become Undead in their rage against the Dragons. Saydir continue to be a massive problem to both the Qadir and Songaskians, as they reside in large numbers in the desert dunes, and make the nights in Ard al Nur extremely dangerous.

Necromancy

The concept of Necromancy or Death Magic exists in Aloria, but is has nothing to do with Undead. Undeath purely describes the concept of a soul bound to its body after having departed from it partially, but being unable to pass on fully. Necromancy or Death Magic describes the act of animating dead tissue or objects through Magic, or by the use of Spirit (Shades). Necromancers cannot control the bodies of Undead, and Undead also cannot act as fuel for Necromancers. The souls used for Necromancy (Shades) and the souls still attached to Undead bodies (normal souls) are also vastly different, though Undead Necromancers do exist, especially Deathveil Undead. Deathveil Undead, being close to the Malefica, can command a great deal of control over other Ordial-aligned aspects, such as Death Magic and Shades themselves. This is of course dependent on the Undead embracing the Malefica and its hatred against the living. The Malefica does not grant the gifts of the Beyond to the Undead who only reluctantly work for the Death Gods in their quest to cause death and end the concept of life.

Trivia

  • A rumor for nearly two decades after it happened was that the Emperor couldn’t bear to kill his last remaining son, despite his Undead status. Instead, he kept him chained and secured away in the deepest reaches of the Imperial Palace.
  • In places where necromancy is either legal or looked over, some necromancers turn a very healthy profit by resurrecting the dead pets of the wealthy who can’t bear to be parted from their favorite companions. It should be noted however, that these pets are not Undead, but rather Ordial Shades forced into corpses as Spirits.
  • With the rise in publicity of knowledge about Ordial powers and Deathveil Undead, so too has the paranoia of those who hate them risen, leading the most radical of conspiracy theorists to believe that the Regalian Empire may be entirely controlled by phantom-possessed people or Undead high priests and bureaucrats.
Afflictions
• Vampires • Mortisphages • Undead • Spirit •
• Main Page •
Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Processors Birdsfoot_Violet
Last Editor Birdsfoot violet on 06/14/2024.
» Read more

Retrieved from "https://wiki.massivecraft.com/index.php?title=Undead&oldid=50713"