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{{Info afflictions
{{Info afflictions
|image = Undead.png
|image = Undead.png
|races      = All  
|races      = All, though some can avoid it.
|contraction = Resurrection
|origins    = Unknown
|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.
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. The Undead struggle to exist in a world that is so strongly against them, always forced to carve something with a semblance to normality on the edges of society, always hunted by the forces of religious virtue, even if they have done nothing wrong, and are themselves the victim ill-will of others. As Undeadism across the world is becoming worse with each passing year, both the living and Undead are forced to grapple with the arising morality of Undeath, and the subsequent violence that is erupting over these questions. Playing an Undead is not recommended for new players, as Undead are almost universally hunted by all Races and Religions, with very few exceptions. Roleplaying as an Undead results in hostility from other Characters, and roleplay opportunities are denied with unrelenting opposition. Undeath (unlike in some other lore universes) is not a Race of its own, and rather just builds on existing Races. You may convert a living Character into an Undead at any time. Resurrecting a past character that died some time ago, will require approval from Lore Staff.
==Becoming Undead==
===Playing an Undead in Regalia===
Existing as an Undead in [[Regalia]] is illegal and fraught with danger, and even the other illegal groups of Aberrant and Occult people in more remote parts of the city like Crookback often look upon Undead with revulsion. Nonetheless, Crookback is generally safe, but an Undead should take care not to make too enemies there and wear out what good will they have. Undead are considered at all times to be destroyed on sight by the [[State Metropolitan]], and so often have to hide as they are frequently hunted for their nature. Undead are always obvious in their nature and are easy to spot, making it rather difficult to safely exist in the city without making friends and finding sanctuary among other Undead and people who are sympathetic to their plight. In very rare, exclusive instances, Undead are able to make their case to the Undead Celate Mother Alexi who will potentially bring them to the Imperial Court Inquestor for review, so that the Emperor might judge if they are worthy to live freely without being hunted. This is a long and arduous process, and the Emperor has keen judgment.


===Creation===
==Core Concept==
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. Characters who die on server may be made into undead, but only if it was within 24 hours of their death, if there is a body left, and under the following umbrella: Players can choose to become undead in their own persronal roleplay, but they cannot decide to if other people (outside of their own RP friends/circles) are involved, such as the state. What this means is, you can coordinate with someone to have your character killed, and then revived, but if a character is executed by the State, they cannot be revived. Characters who have been dead for longer, state executed, or without body may be revived as undead, but only through specific Event or unique mechanics.
===Becoming Undead===
In Aloria, all living things have a body and soul bound together through some unknown force. A soul can only ever belong to one body, and even though some Magic exists to remove a soul from a body without destroying it, by far and large the majority of people who die in Aloria pass into the afterlife. For some, however (and with increasing frequency), their souls are unable to pass into the afterlife, or only briefly do so before being forced to re-inhabit their bodies. When a soul has been severed from its body, even if it returns later, a state of Undeath occurs, where the body is technically still functioning and controlled by the soul, but the merger is imperfect, decay has set in, the body no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe, and a variety of things can happen. First, examine the manners by which one can become Undead:
* '''Violenced Undeath:''' is a common form of Undeath, and one that has been researched but few have any understanding of. In many recorded instances, a person came to a violent end in either extreme tragedy or anger, and as a result became Undead, awakening shortly after death had set in.  
* '''Unfinished Undeath:''' is an equally common form of Undeath, where a person had such a strong connection to unfinished business in life that their soul refused to pass into the Afterlife and returns to the body. This may also occur if a person dies just before the conclusion of earthly business.
* '''Forced Undeath:''' is a less common form of Undeath, that involves a person being forced to become an Undead. This can happen through a variety of means, for example Ordial rituals, Ordvaan Rituals (see Deathwatch Undead), Rituals of the Bone King, or Death Isldar rituals that deny the Afterlife to the soul.
* '''Gateshut Undeath:''' is a very rare form of Undeath, that follows a soul being actively rejected by their Afterlife for religious reasons. A good example of this is Fornoss Undead, who are rejected from the Afterlife by their Gods because their Soldi or Svaldi is so low (though it also may occur due to the gods fighting over the rights to a soul, thus trapping them in Undeath for the course of the arguments).


===Exceptions===
===Perception of Death===
* Yanar and Kathar can only ever be Hollow or Wraith Undead. They cannot be revived as corpsefolk undead, due to the conflict of void/exist essences in their body with their new ordial alignment.
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).
* [[Urlan]] cannot be undead, due to their reliance on the Oorl Worm, which departs the body after death (and leaves them immune to Ordial essence).
* Undead who previously purchased [[Spell Point Buy]], [[Demonology Point Buy]], or [[Mystic Point Buy]] is force-refunded.
* Undead who gain any of the above from their Racial Specials or Abilities have those Abilities disabled.
* Undead cannot be stacked with any other Affliction.
* Undeadism is incurable and permanent.
* Undead with [[Artificer Point Buy]] cannot use Dark Metal or Godsamtro. (and cannot use [[Technician Point Buy]] at all.
* Undead cannot use Racial Abilities, but can use Racial Specials.


===Mental Changes===
==Types of Undead==
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.  
There exist multiple types of Undead, usually categorized based on Religions, as each Afterlife has different rules for entry (and those who are rejected). These types provide general "theme traits", which should be respected, but Players have a great deal of freedom beyond the standard. For example, if the requirement for Unionist Undead is just to have glowing eyes and pale skin, Players have the freedom to add more, so long as they don't detract the minimum that is there. As a general rule, no form of Undeath can make a person appear like any normal person. Afflictions cannot be hidden, Undeath being more so because Undead do not have basic body biology function. Note, they don't still need to believe in these Religions, Undead often lose their faith due to being refused by their old communities. Atheist and Ordial Cultist Undead move on straight to Deathrot. Is is important to note that if one of the Types states it is accepted by a particular religion, it means they won't be attacked on sight by them, but the law is still very much against them and they will have other enemies.
 
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
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.
{|
|[[File:Unionismundead.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Mortis Undead'''</center></span>
Mortis Undead are very common among Unionists, but not bound to any specific Religion and generally seen as the "default" Undead for those who do not want the cultural or thematic connections the other Undead Types have. Mortis Undead start with only two notable traits: glowing eyes of whatever eye color their eyes were before death/milky white opaque eyes, and a much paler skin/darkened eye sockets. Over time, Mortis Undead can rot, stay roughly the same, or need new body parts to amend those that were lost.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Burningchoir.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Burning Choir Undead'''</center></span>
Burning Choir Undead are exclusive to [[Unionism]]. These Undead are formed when devout Unionists die in service of the Emperor or the faith, for example Knights or soldiers or priests themselves. Burning Choir Undead are always a skeleton enveloped in flames, usually golden, but other colors too. Burning Choir Undead are still seen as anathema by the priesthood, but some among the Unionist population secretly help them. with their service in undeath.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Estellonundead.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Deathwatch Undead'''</center></span>
Deathwatch Undead are exclusive to [[Estelley]], always created rather than spontaneously risen. These Undead are created by the Rite of Ammuloa, performed by a Ordvaan, who plunges a ritual dagger into their heart during a ceremony, binding them in eternal service as a protector to a place, person, or family, creating Deathwatch Undead who remain clean and unaffected by mutations, save for glowing eyes and porcelain skin color. These Undead are tolerated by the Estelley faithful.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
{|
|[[File:Oldgodsundead.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Draugr Undead'''</center></span>
Draugr Undead are the mortal enemies of the [[Fornoss]] faithful, rejected from the afterlife by various means, but most commonly some dispute over their soul, or improper burial practices. All Draugr have gray skin and their (often) Velheim tattoos and eyes glow, but further rot and mutations can take place. Draugr Undead are particularly hunted by the Fornoss faithful who mostly ignore other Undead, because these Undead in particular often must be put to rest.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Sadunssdead.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Saydir Undead'''</center></span>
In Farahdeen, there are many dead and undead things, Saydir Undead being one of them. The Saydir are Sariyd dead whose souls became trapped in a pseudo-sand-and-body state, where part of their body spontaneously shift to sand, seep away, before reforming, with sand trickling from most body parts. Saydir are hunted by Qadir and Songaskians alike to put them out of their misery, as they live in the eternal knowledge of all that they have lost, their emotional instability contributing to the deluge of sand slides.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Foreborn.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Foreborn Undead'''</center></span>
Foreborn Undead come from a mixture of [[Baskarr]] Religion and certain scientist cults, both of which are protective and supportive of the Foreborn Undead. Foreborn Undead have been judged as "serving the dead" by their respective Gods, for the Asha recovering the past, and for these cults rejecting Magic dominance, both aligned on the fight against the Allorn Elves. Foreborn Undead are exceptionally unstable due to their physical power often ripping their body apart, needing frequent replacements.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>


==Types==
==Deathrot==
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 possess unique 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 Corpsefolk, Hollows and Wraiths. Please note, that while Undead retain their Racial Specials in their undeath, some Racial Specials may say they give benefits or opportunities in progressions or server events. Keep in mind that if your character is an Undead, these benefits might not apply in the same way, or at all.
===Corpsefolk===
The catch-all term used to refer to ‘general’ Undead, Corpsefolk make up the bulk of known, existing Undead in Aloria. They come in many shapes and sizes, varying just as wildly as Aloria’s many peoples themselves and also being both visually and mentally impacted by the nature of their death and resurrection. Many Corpsefolk still retain their faculties in their undead state, leading simple lives in regions of the world that are tolerant or outright amicable to their existence, such as the people beneath the Bone King’s throng or those composing the Thyemic Sect of Unionism. A great deal of them have withered and degenerated over the course of their years, though, wandering the world aimlessly as walking corpses reduced to their base selves.
 
Physically speaking, Corpsefolk are Shades inhabiting a dead cadaver in any state of decay ranging from entirely skeletal to freshly-dead. The cadaver can be of any Race 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. If they are fully decayed like walking skeletons they can even have cloth, twine or other material binding their bones together for stability, visible Ordial Essence running through any exposed sections of their body, and Deathspeech runes etched into their very bones. All types of Corpsefolk can sometimes bear some Ordial Magic aesthetics like green tattoos and gaping wounds.
====Corpsefolk Abilities====
{| class="wikitable";
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Debilitating Bite
| Instant Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Debilitating Bite | The user can target someone within range, instantly 'biting' them, which does no damage, and is guaranteed unless countered by an Ability Counter. If the target has exposed skin, the bite inflicts a rapidly-spreading magical malady that causes the target to lose 2 Strength for thirty minutes. The same person can only be affected by Debilitating Bite (from any source) once every 30 minutes. This ability has a two hour cooldown.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Undead Modifier | Any wounds inflicted by the Undead’s bite will appear to supernaturally rot and decay.}}
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Instant Leap
| Movement Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Instant Leap | The user can instantly leap towards a Target person in Emote Range. The Target's speed does not matter, and the user can choose to land in front of, to the side of, or behind the target. This leap can only be used horizontally, and does not allow for any vertical movement outside of slight incline increases. Instant Leap has a 30 minute Cooldown.
}}
| N/A
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Link Break
| Instant Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Link Break | The user targets any person in Emote Range that is either the creator of a Link, or the subject of one. The user then instantly breaks the Link, and forces it on its own Cooldown. This Ability has a 2 Hour Cooldown.
}}
| N/A
|-
|}


====Corpsefolk Specials====
*'''Corpsefolk Shell:''' Corpsefolk do not have to breathe, do not need to eat or drink, do not require sleep and are 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 can only be killed through complete destruction of the head (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted), and do not require Maim Permissions to be maimed.
*'''Corpsefolk Mend:''' While out of combat, Corpsefolk 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 an hour to restore wounds and surface level damage to the flesh, and must eat for 4 hours 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.
*'''Dead Familiar:''' Corpsefolk are often lonely in their undeath, and impart some small amount of their lingering essence into a resurrected animal to serve as a companion, choosing an animal from the Animals Page (barring Magus or Dragon species). This choice is permanent, and must be mentioned on the Character Application. The familiar takes on an Undead form itself, being composed of any degree of decaying flesh and bone. The familiar cannot inflict harm. If killed, the familiar will collapse into a pile of dead matter, after which the user can resurrect a new one from a graveyard of the same type of Animal as mentioned on the Application, though can have a different aesthetic appearance. The familiar can carry a single object around and perform mundane tasks and hunt with the user to help retrieve flesh for the purposes of healing.
*'''Split Attention:''' Corpsefolk’s unique state of cadaverous being allows them to seamlessly detach and reattach their body parts at will, operating them with ease even while they are detached. They cannot ever leave emote range of their owner, but can act freely and even have an imparted personality (like a severed hand acting on its ‘own’). None of these functions may be used competitively, or mid-combat.
*'''Dead Sight:''' Corpsefolk are immune to Darkness, whether mundane or created by an Ability. They also have Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places.
*'''Death Speech:''' Undead are capable of speaking and understanding Death Speech or Shadetongue either when it is spoken by Ordial Entities, or by others. Death Speech is a unique language because it cannot be learned the traditional way, only specific Races and Afflictions have access to it. Additionally, it is also a language that has no defined alphabet and cannot be properly read, the runes and markings varying between the cultures and Ordial cults that use it, though it is always identifiable as Deathspeech. It also defies being recorded, as the sound just becomes gibberish when any type of recording medium is used to try and replay it, even memory Abilities.
*'''Corpsefolk Aesthetics:''' Corpsefolk are shambling cadavers held together with Ordial energies. Any summon or ability aesthetics should focus on rot and decay. Weapons should be made of bone or other necromancy-related imagery, and magical themes should be based on undeath.
===Hollows===
The restless sentinels and soldiers of the Dead, Hollows are specifically manufactured by their makers with purpose in mind for them. Whether that purpose is inevitably fulfilled, however, is up to fate. Hollows are most often seen forming the vanguard of the Bone King or other necromancer’s armies, or standing on eternal guard as wardens and watchers of sacred places in the case of those built to serve Unionism and its Everwatcher or similarly faithful purposes.


Hollows are a Shade inhabiting a vessel composed of inorganic or manufactured materials like a suit of armor or a person-sized doll, with a specially forged Shadecore inside: this being a fist-sized object tempered by a Metallurgist out of [[Lontaal]], used to contain the Hollow’s Shade within their vessel and uniquely attach them to it. It is always placed within the torso of the vessel where their heart would be, and sometimes even artificially beats with energy like a heart would. A necromancer can use the Shadecore to transplant them from one vessel to another. 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.  
[[File:Sadsad.png|230px|thumb|right|A Deathrotten Mortis Kul.]]
====Hollow Abilities====
Deathrot is a process that threatens every Undead at some point or another and causes some of them to become Ordial Corrupted. Undead, no matter how strong their belief in their religion, or their mental fortitude, struggles with a constant urge to slide towards hatred of the living, envy of being what they can never return to, or rage against the Gods for having permitted this. In the Beyond, a malicious entity known as the Malefica (found in [[Ordial Cultism]] preys on this, trying to infect the mind with such intense hatred of the living, that they let Ordial power into their body and soul. When this occurs, this is called Deathrot, which sets in a slow but steady spiral, culminating to the individual completely being corrupted by the Beyond and becoming an agent of death of the Beyond. Many Undead face a constant battle with this creeping hatred in their heart, with exclusion and violence inflicted on them from their old societies and often friends and family, tipping them over the edge. Deathrot coincides with steady increases in Ordial mutations, with aesthetics slowly shifting towards Ordial the more Deathrot sets in, including Ordial green eye colors, bone protrusions, ghostly effects and more. Deathrot can be a fast process that only takes weeks, but for some Undead it can take decades if not centuries. When Deathrot sets in, the Dimensional Alignment of the Undead swaps to Ordial, meaning any Void or Exist Abilities will become Ordial instead. Atheist and Ordial Cultists who become Undead start Deathrot immediately. Becoming infested with an Ordial Shade of any kind also sets in Deathrot, or at the very least forces the Undead to become Ordial Aligned. Deathrotting Undead do not have to specifically align with the Malefica or be Ordial Cultists. They can at any point in time align with a different Ordial Entity, or simply fester and derive power from the hatred in their heart. Deathrot does also not necessarily make an Undead unequivocally evil, or always a hateful person. Hate can express itself in remorse, grief, or envy towards the living, or even just resentment over how they were treated, hunted, and often put down without recourse or mercy. In this way, Deathrot represents a detachment from living society and a will to make a society for the Undead, or find some way to punish the living for what they have done to the Undead, and continue to do to them. Deathrot can also be halted, by a return to faith, or outside factors like a Deathrotting Undead finding love among the living. Ordial Alignment can never be taken away, but by temporarily halting Deathrot, the Undead can let go of their hatred and violence towards the living, and live a reasonable normal life of undeath.  
{| class="wikitable"  
===Afflicted Form===
Afflicted Form is a Transformation that can be used by Deathrotting Undead for a variety of reasons ranging from disguise to a surrender to hateful emotions and look cool in combat. Afflicted Forms are more monstrous forms of their normal body, and allow some more creative freedom like making the Character appear more like a hulking beast, so long as it remains vaguely humanoid, and should not add additional function (like wielding more than one weapon with multiple arms). Afflicted Form cannot imitate other types (like Vampire or Marken), and must always remain the same, and be predominantly green or Ordial-themed.  
==Undead Traits==
This section puts all Abilities, Free Packs, Limitations, and Mechanics together for ease of reference. Keep in mind, Afflictions are not Races, these Traits are additive, they do not replace Racial Traits.
===Abilities===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:50%;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Name
Line 87: Line 84:
! Modifiers
! Modifiers
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Armor Summon
| style="background-color:#e5ffcc;" | Chem Revive
| Summon Power
| Active Technique
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Armor Summon | The user can summon any type of Armor on any part of their body. Summoned armor has the same durability as mundane armor, but counts as Ability Armor.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Undead Modifier | The Armor can be of any appearance, and is always considered as being worn. It cannot be removed or disabled.}}
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Deathmarch
| Movement Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Deathmarch | The user can select a target in range that they can see, causing a visible symbol to appear over the target’s head, and move toward them. They cannot stop themselves until the ability ends and must move in a direct line for the target, and can do anything that doesn’t make them stop. They cannot be slowed below their movement speed or halted, by any means. Any Ability-created barriers are shattered when they make contact, but normal barriers will stop them if they can’t be climbed over. The Ability ends once they are within 1 block of the target. This Ability has a 4 hour cooldown.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Chem Revive | To empower an Ally, Target them with this Ability. If the Ally reaches 0 HP, they are instead revived with 2 temporary HP, and given 4 more Attack Emotes. If any of these Attack Emotes was able to put an enemy down to 0 HP, the 2 temporary HP is converted to permanent HP, and they heal an additional 1 HP. If they fail to put an enemy to 0 HP, the temporary HP is removed, and they KO properly. This Ability cannot be used on a person already affected by a Revive Ability (Sacred Revive, Chem Revive, etc). Chem Revive has a 2 Hour Cooldown.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Undead Modifier | The symbol above the target’s head is an Ordial green sigil, representing the user of the ability in some personal way.}}
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Omniaware
| Constant Passive
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Omniaware | The user cannot be taken by surprise from any direction, even if they cannot see the direction from which an attack or Ability is coming from. While this is a constant effect, once per day the user can also use this Omniawareness to guarantee a dodge or counter attack. This does not work on Abilities.
}}
}}
| N/A
| {{#simple-tooltip: Undead Modifier | Undead cannot use this Ability on anyone but themselves. Instead, this Ability is always active (meaning they do not need to use it), and automatically triggers when they go to 0 HP. Also, this Ability has a 1 Hour Cooldown for Undead instead of 2 Hours.  
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Endless Watch
| Movement Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Endless Watch| The user's soul leaves their body, scanning Emote Range around themselves, and identifying each person within Emote Range, and who they are (unless they are presently Disguised or Shapeshifted.) The user may then choose one person in Emote Range, and instantly teleport behind them. This process is instant and can be performed in the same Emote, however any actions performed afterwards are new actions and new Emotes. This Ability has a 1 Hour Cooldown, regardless of whether the teleport was used or not.
}}
}}
| N/A
|-
|-
|}
|}


====Hollow Specials====
===Limitations===
*'''Hollow Shell:''' Hollows do not have to breathe, do not need to eat or drink, do not require sleep and are 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 can only be killed through complete destruction of the Shadecore within (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted), and do not require Maim Permissions to be maimed.
* '''Undead Limitation I:''' Bralona, and Suvial cannot be Undead under any circumstances. Undead also cannot become other Afflictions, or [[Marken]] or [[Archon]].
*'''Hollow Mend:''' While out of combat, Hollows 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 an hour grafting material on to repair simple injuries, and must spend 4 hours 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.
* '''Undead Limitation II:''' Affinities not blocked like [[Arkenborn]] and [[Godborn]] lose their Traits upon becoming Undead. Some visuals may also have to change.
*'''Body of Infinite Holding:''' The nature of a Hollow’s Shadecore results in the interior of their hollow body being a distorted space of indiscernible emptiness, allowing them to store an impossibly large amount of objects within themselves. Hollows contain roughly a 3x3 cube of space inside of their bodies, from which they can place and remove objects while outside of combat. Artifacts cannot be placed inside this storage space, and neither can people.
*'''Artificial Hands:''' As beings made of artificial, manufactured shells, Hollows gain an innate understanding of working with a mundane material. They gain access to one of the Crafting Point Buy packs for free.
*'''Dead Sight:''' Hollows are immune to Darkness, whether mundane or created by an Ability. They also have Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places.
*'''Death Speech:''' Undead are capable of speaking and understanding Death Speech or Shadetongue either when it is spoken by Ordial Entities, or by others. Death Speech is a unique language because it cannot be learned the traditional way, only specific Races and Afflictions have access to it. Additionally, it is also a language that has no defined alphabet and cannot be properly read, the runes and markings varying between the cultures and Ordial cults that use it, though it is always identifiable as Deathspeech. It also defies being recorded, as the sound just becomes gibberish when any type of recording medium is used to try and replay it, even memory Abilities.
*'''Hollow Aesthetics:''' Hollow Undead are suits of armor animated with Ordial energies. Any summon or ability aesthetics should focus on sickly green ordial light, or black metal. Weapons should be made of bone or other necromancy-related imagery, and magical themes should be based on undeath.
===Wraiths===
In comparison to their other Undead kin, Wraiths tend to prefer more solitary and reclusive existences. Their frail bodies are not suitable for combat or much in the way of physical exertion, and so most end up leading scholarly or dutiful un-lives. It is not unheard of for Wraiths to haunt the libraries they once studied in, the graveyards where they were buried, or the temples and holy places they once knelt in. Others who seek a more ‘driven’ purpose often find some use as informants and sometimes even employees of more quiet, out-of-sight businesses.
A Wraith is specifically a Shade bearing a conjured physical husk, containing a phantasmal apparition within them. The husk appears like the person did in life, albeit much paler and with dark circles of cracked, decaying flesh beneath their eyes. Their eyes are always a shade of Ordial green. They can sometimes have parts of their body that are ebbing away to expose gaping holes, bone, green Ordial essence or whatever gaseous material their Wraith form is composed of. The Wraith form appears like some kind of ghostly specter, made up of a gaseous material (like ash, smoke, frost, vapor, etc.), sometimes wearing clothes or other garments, with distinct Ordial green eyes and is only ever shown in out-of-combat situations when the Wraith chooses. If they are ever attacked while showing off their Wraith form, they immediately revert to their physical husk.
====Wraith Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Body Invasion
| Vehicle Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Invasion | Once per day, the user can fuse their body with a target person they can touch, seamlessly and instantly invading their body and disappearing. While invading the target's body in this way, the user can Stagger the target once every 5 minutes by interfering with their bodily movement. The target can, optionally, OOCly give the user full control to mess with them. The user can choose to leave at any point, but cannot do anything other than use this Ability while they are possessing the target and talk inside the target's head. They can only possess someone for a maximum of 30 minutes (unless OOC consent is given to make it longer), and once this ability ends, it goes on cooldown. The same person cannot be invaded by more than one person at the same time. This Ability can be ended prematurely with Exorcism mechanics.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Undead Modifier | The target has bright, ghostly glowing green eyes while possessed.}}
|-
| style="background-color:#beffe5;" | Rift Step
| Movement Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: 10 Blocks | X Blocks range means that it must occur within that number of Minecraft blocks from where the User currently stands.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Rift Step | The user can cast this spell at a target area they can see within 10 blocks of them. Their body is swallowed by magical essence, 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.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Undead Modifier | The Wraith is broken down into mist and teleports to the new location.}}
|-
|}


====Wraith Specials====
===Mechanics===
*'''Wraith Shell:''' Wraiths do not have to breathe, do not need to eat or drink, do not require sleep and are 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. Upon being physically wounded, they do not bleed and instead spew whatever gaseous material their Wraith form is made of. They can only be killed through complete destruction of the head (or other mechanics that specifically target Undead or Ordial Afflicted), and do not require Maim Permissions to be maimed.
* '''Undead-Life:''' Undead are not immortal, but their life is extended by several centuries, up to a maximum of 500. There are in theory older Undead, but we do not permit players to play 500+ year old Characters.
*'''Wraith Mend:''' While out of combat, Wraiths can make direct contact with another and slowly sap away their energy in order to slowly heal their wounds and any Maims they have endured. They must spend 30 minutes sapping from another to restore simple wounds to their husk, and an hour sapping to replace a lost body part. While being drained from, the target experiences a distinct sensation of exhaustion and lethargy and physically grows paler and weaker-looking up to the point of unconsciousness if a Wraith spends more than an hour draining them, though a full night of sleep will restore them.
* '''Undead-Forge:''' Undead are able to apply Ordial aesthetics and decorations on objects they own, armor, weapons, rental regions, and areas around them, creating undead effects and decorations.  
*'''Poltergeist:''' Because of their potential to haunt, Wraiths can remotely perform a variety of mundane tasks by sheer will alone 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.
* '''Undead-Biotic:''' Undead no longer need biological processes. They do not breathe, do not need to drink or eat, sleep, or rest, and cannot be fed from by Vampires or Geists.  
*'''Confront Mortality:''' As representations of Death, when Wraiths make physical contact with a person they can project a lucid vision of the person’s potential death in the near or distant future. The vision is one that the Wraith creates and imparts onto them, letting them control the details of the ghastly premonition.
* '''Undead-Graft:''' Undead can add objects and body parts removed from other living or Undead to repair parts of their body, meaning they can heal themselves while outside of Combat and recover lost limbs.  
*'''Dead Sight:''' Wraiths are immune to Darkness, whether mundane or created by an Ability. They also have Night Vision, giving them perfect sight at night and in dark places.
===Deathrotten-only Mechanics===
*'''Death Speech:''' Undead are capable of speaking and understanding Death Speech or Shadetongue either when it is spoken by Ordial Entities, or by others. Death Speech is a unique language because it cannot be learned the traditional way, only specific Races and Afflictions have access to it. Additionally, it is also a language that has no defined alphabet and cannot be properly read, the runes and markings varying between the cultures and Ordial cults that use it, though it is always identifiable as Deathspeech. It also defies being recorded, as the sound just becomes gibberish when any type of recording medium is used to try and replay it, even memory Abilities.
* '''Undead-Speech:''' Undead are able to communicate in a secret language that only Undead, Geists and Geist-Thralls and Geist-Broods can understand, that cannot be understood through other Abilities or Mechanics.  
*'''Wraith Aesthetics:''' Wraith Undead are ghostly creatures infused with Ordial energies. Any summon or ability aesthetics should focus on sickly green ordial light, or shadows. Weapons should be made of bone or other necromancy-related imagery, and magical themes should be based on undeath.
* '''Deathrot-Form:''' Undead can use Afflicted Form to transform into a Disguised Monster Form. Even though this is a Disguise, it cannot be seen through, even by Abilities or Mechanics that can see through Disguises.
*'''Phantom Form:''' A Wraith can, at any time, choose to unveil their ‘true’ phantasmal form to somebody, discarding the barely-present facade of life they put on and assuming a full ghostly image. The Phantom Form is fully aesthetic (with some caveats, as explained below), though can function as a disguise if the Wraith chooses for theirs to be unrecognizable.
**Phantom Forms may never imitate other Transformations of other Abilities or other Races. Additionally, some element of green must be prominent, but exactly where is up to the player.
**Phantom Forms must remain within the general aesthetic of being a ‘ghost’, though whether this means being a full spectral image or a cloaked wraith or anything else ghostlike is up to the player. Appearing like a ghost does not affect their combat capabilities at all, and they are still treated as corporeal.
**Players may design their own Phantom Form, but the description must be placed on a Character Application under “Phantom Form” somewhere in Abilities.
**The Player may decide that their Phantom Form is unrecognizable from their normal appearance, or has the same face. It functioning as a disguise is optional.
 
==Wights==
Wights are Undead that possess notable power above those of the more common Undead around them, and typically are created by way of some particularly powerful Necromancer, Ordial Artifact or even one of Bintaar's entities themselves. While there is no specific numerical benchmark, an Undead that displays commitment and accuracy to the lore and fulfills a needed niche in the scope of Undead and Ordial roleplay in general can initiate a discussion with Lore Staff for a Wight Custom Kit, which will remain in effect for as long as the Undead character continues to exhibit these traits and sufficient activity. This Custom Kit will have a written set of Abilities and Specials, and as such, this section is very short, as their Ability read-out will depend on what is written for them. Generally speaking however, most if not all Specials that Undead have will be preserved in the Wight kit, and more.
 
==History==
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.
 
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, the [[Undead Scare]]. 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.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*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 Deathrotten 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.
*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.
*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.
{{Afflictions}}
{{Afflictions}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = Finlaggan, HydraLana
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors = Birdsfoot_Violet
|Processors = Birdsfoot_Violet
}}
}}
[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Ordial Afflictions]]
[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Ordial Afflictions]]

Latest revision as of 16:20, 31 December 2023

Undead
Undead.png
Afflictions
Affected Races All, though some can avoid it.
Origins Unknown

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. The Undead struggle to exist in a world that is so strongly against them, always forced to carve something with a semblance to normality on the edges of society, always hunted by the forces of religious virtue, even if they have done nothing wrong, and are themselves the victim ill-will of others. As Undeadism across the world is becoming worse with each passing year, both the living and Undead are forced to grapple with the arising morality of Undeath, and the subsequent violence that is erupting over these questions. Playing an Undead is not recommended for new players, as Undead are almost universally hunted by all Races and Religions, with very few exceptions. Roleplaying as an Undead results in hostility from other Characters, and roleplay opportunities are denied with unrelenting opposition. Undeath (unlike in some other lore universes) is not a Race of its own, and rather just builds on existing Races. You may convert a living Character into an Undead at any time. Resurrecting a past character that died some time ago, will require approval from Lore Staff.

Core Concept

Becoming Undead

In Aloria, all living things have a body and soul bound together through some unknown force. A soul can only ever belong to one body, and even though some Magic exists to remove a soul from a body without destroying it, by far and large the majority of people who die in Aloria pass into the afterlife. For some, however (and with increasing frequency), their souls are unable to pass into the afterlife, or only briefly do so before being forced to re-inhabit their bodies. When a soul has been severed from its body, even if it returns later, a state of Undeath occurs, where the body is technically still functioning and controlled by the soul, but the merger is imperfect, decay has set in, the body no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe, and a variety of things can happen. First, examine the manners by which one can become Undead:

  • Violenced Undeath: is a common form of Undeath, and one that has been researched but few have any understanding of. In many recorded instances, a person came to a violent end in either extreme tragedy or anger, and as a result became Undead, awakening shortly after death had set in.
  • Unfinished Undeath: is an equally common form of Undeath, where a person had such a strong connection to unfinished business in life that their soul refused to pass into the Afterlife and returns to the body. This may also occur if a person dies just before the conclusion of earthly business.
  • Forced Undeath: is a less common form of Undeath, that involves a person being forced to become an Undead. This can happen through a variety of means, for example Ordial rituals, Ordvaan Rituals (see Deathwatch Undead), Rituals of the Bone King, or Death Isldar rituals that deny the Afterlife to the soul.
  • Gateshut Undeath: is a very rare form of Undeath, that follows a soul being actively rejected by their Afterlife for religious reasons. A good example of this is Fornoss Undead, who are rejected from the Afterlife by their Gods because their Soldi or Svaldi is so low (though it also may occur due to the gods fighting over the rights to a soul, thus trapping them in Undeath for the course of the arguments).

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).

Types of Undead

There exist multiple types of Undead, usually categorized based on Religions, as each Afterlife has different rules for entry (and those who are rejected). These types provide general "theme traits", which should be respected, but Players have a great deal of freedom beyond the standard. For example, if the requirement for Unionist Undead is just to have glowing eyes and pale skin, Players have the freedom to add more, so long as they don't detract the minimum that is there. As a general rule, no form of Undeath can make a person appear like any normal person. Afflictions cannot be hidden, Undeath being more so because Undead do not have basic body biology function. Note, they don't still need to believe in these Religions, Undead often lose their faith due to being refused by their old communities. Atheist and Ordial Cultist Undead move on straight to Deathrot. Is is important to note that if one of the Types states it is accepted by a particular religion, it means they won't be attacked on sight by them, but the law is still very much against them and they will have other enemies.

Unionismundead.png
Mortis Undead

Mortis Undead are very common among Unionists, but not bound to any specific Religion and generally seen as the "default" Undead for those who do not want the cultural or thematic connections the other Undead Types have. Mortis Undead start with only two notable traits: glowing eyes of whatever eye color their eyes were before death/milky white opaque eyes, and a much paler skin/darkened eye sockets. Over time, Mortis Undead can rot, stay roughly the same, or need new body parts to amend those that were lost.

Burningchoir.png
Burning Choir Undead

Burning Choir Undead are exclusive to Unionism. These Undead are formed when devout Unionists die in service of the Emperor or the faith, for example Knights or soldiers or priests themselves. Burning Choir Undead are always a skeleton enveloped in flames, usually golden, but other colors too. Burning Choir Undead are still seen as anathema by the priesthood, but some among the Unionist population secretly help them. with their service in undeath.

Estellonundead.png
Deathwatch Undead

Deathwatch Undead are exclusive to Estelley, always created rather than spontaneously risen. These Undead are created by the Rite of Ammuloa, performed by a Ordvaan, who plunges a ritual dagger into their heart during a ceremony, binding them in eternal service as a protector to a place, person, or family, creating Deathwatch Undead who remain clean and unaffected by mutations, save for glowing eyes and porcelain skin color. These Undead are tolerated by the Estelley faithful.

Oldgodsundead.png
Draugr Undead

Draugr Undead are the mortal enemies of the Fornoss faithful, rejected from the afterlife by various means, but most commonly some dispute over their soul, or improper burial practices. All Draugr have gray skin and their (often) Velheim tattoos and eyes glow, but further rot and mutations can take place. Draugr Undead are particularly hunted by the Fornoss faithful who mostly ignore other Undead, because these Undead in particular often must be put to rest.

Sadunssdead.png
Saydir Undead

In Farahdeen, there are many dead and undead things, Saydir Undead being one of them. The Saydir are Sariyd dead whose souls became trapped in a pseudo-sand-and-body state, where part of their body spontaneously shift to sand, seep away, before reforming, with sand trickling from most body parts. Saydir are hunted by Qadir and Songaskians alike to put them out of their misery, as they live in the eternal knowledge of all that they have lost, their emotional instability contributing to the deluge of sand slides.

Foreborn.png
Foreborn Undead

Foreborn Undead come from a mixture of Baskarr Religion and certain scientist cults, both of which are protective and supportive of the Foreborn Undead. Foreborn Undead have been judged as "serving the dead" by their respective Gods, for the Asha recovering the past, and for these cults rejecting Magic dominance, both aligned on the fight against the Allorn Elves. Foreborn Undead are exceptionally unstable due to their physical power often ripping their body apart, needing frequent replacements.

Deathrot

A Deathrotten Mortis Kul.

Deathrot is a process that threatens every Undead at some point or another and causes some of them to become Ordial Corrupted. Undead, no matter how strong their belief in their religion, or their mental fortitude, struggles with a constant urge to slide towards hatred of the living, envy of being what they can never return to, or rage against the Gods for having permitted this. In the Beyond, a malicious entity known as the Malefica (found in Ordial Cultism preys on this, trying to infect the mind with such intense hatred of the living, that they let Ordial power into their body and soul. When this occurs, this is called Deathrot, which sets in a slow but steady spiral, culminating to the individual completely being corrupted by the Beyond and becoming an agent of death of the Beyond. Many Undead face a constant battle with this creeping hatred in their heart, with exclusion and violence inflicted on them from their old societies and often friends and family, tipping them over the edge. Deathrot coincides with steady increases in Ordial mutations, with aesthetics slowly shifting towards Ordial the more Deathrot sets in, including Ordial green eye colors, bone protrusions, ghostly effects and more. Deathrot can be a fast process that only takes weeks, but for some Undead it can take decades if not centuries. When Deathrot sets in, the Dimensional Alignment of the Undead swaps to Ordial, meaning any Void or Exist Abilities will become Ordial instead. Atheist and Ordial Cultists who become Undead start Deathrot immediately. Becoming infested with an Ordial Shade of any kind also sets in Deathrot, or at the very least forces the Undead to become Ordial Aligned. Deathrotting Undead do not have to specifically align with the Malefica or be Ordial Cultists. They can at any point in time align with a different Ordial Entity, or simply fester and derive power from the hatred in their heart. Deathrot does also not necessarily make an Undead unequivocally evil, or always a hateful person. Hate can express itself in remorse, grief, or envy towards the living, or even just resentment over how they were treated, hunted, and often put down without recourse or mercy. In this way, Deathrot represents a detachment from living society and a will to make a society for the Undead, or find some way to punish the living for what they have done to the Undead, and continue to do to them. Deathrot can also be halted, by a return to faith, or outside factors like a Deathrotting Undead finding love among the living. Ordial Alignment can never be taken away, but by temporarily halting Deathrot, the Undead can let go of their hatred and violence towards the living, and live a reasonable normal life of undeath.

Afflicted Form

Afflicted Form is a Transformation that can be used by Deathrotting Undead for a variety of reasons ranging from disguise to a surrender to hateful emotions and look cool in combat. Afflicted Forms are more monstrous forms of their normal body, and allow some more creative freedom like making the Character appear more like a hulking beast, so long as it remains vaguely humanoid, and should not add additional function (like wielding more than one weapon with multiple arms). Afflicted Form cannot imitate other types (like Vampire or Marken), and must always remain the same, and be predominantly green or Ordial-themed.

Undead Traits

This section puts all Abilities, Free Packs, Limitations, and Mechanics together for ease of reference. Keep in mind, Afflictions are not Races, these Traits are additive, they do not replace Racial Traits.

Abilities

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
Chem Revive Active Technique Emote Range

Grants the user Chem Revive

Undead Modifier

Limitations

  • Undead Limitation I: Bralona, and Suvial cannot be Undead under any circumstances. Undead also cannot become other Afflictions, or Marken or Archon.
  • Undead Limitation II: Affinities not blocked like Arkenborn and Godborn lose their Traits upon becoming Undead. Some visuals may also have to change.

Mechanics

  • Undead-Life: Undead are not immortal, but their life is extended by several centuries, up to a maximum of 500. There are in theory older Undead, but we do not permit players to play 500+ year old Characters.
  • Undead-Forge: Undead are able to apply Ordial aesthetics and decorations on objects they own, armor, weapons, rental regions, and areas around them, creating undead effects and decorations.
  • Undead-Biotic: Undead no longer need biological processes. They do not breathe, do not need to drink or eat, sleep, or rest, and cannot be fed from by Vampires or Geists.
  • Undead-Graft: Undead can add objects and body parts removed from other living or Undead to repair parts of their body, meaning they can heal themselves while outside of Combat and recover lost limbs.

Deathrotten-only Mechanics

  • Undead-Speech: Undead are able to communicate in a secret language that only Undead, Geists and Geist-Thralls and Geist-Broods can understand, that cannot be understood through other Abilities or Mechanics.
  • Deathrot-Form: Undead can use Afflicted Form to transform into a Disguised Monster Form. Even though this is a Disguise, it cannot be seen through, even by Abilities or Mechanics that can see through Disguises.

Trivia

  • 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 Deathrotten 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.
  • 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.

Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Processors Birdsfoot_Violet
Last Editor HydraLana on 12/31/2023.

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