Undead Lore
“...But… You died..”
The man whispered, as he stared in horror at what stood in the hallway of his home.. His beautiful wife, who he had drowned in their pond outside, stood before him..
“...I did.. And I am..” She spoke in a watery, raspy voice. “...Care to join me, My love?”
Undead are a horrifying thing within the Lands of Cinderfell, defying all logic and reasoning… They are spirits, souls, and husks that had been raised and brought back from the dead as a pawn, or either by someone else.. Or own their own, refusing to rest for many reasons; out of hatred, spite, or sorrow, etc. There are many types of undead, your usual common undead that are raised as pawns are Drowned, Strays, Shocked and Husks, all able to be commanded by someone and controlled yet still hold some sentience.. Or, the more unusual types of undead such as Vengeful, Lingering, and Decayed.. Those three types defy all rules, Not needing anyone to bring them back to life- still able to hold traits and looks of your common undead.. But are by far, superior.
Undead all have a few common weaknesses, Though all hold their own separate strengths. The main weaknesses that all undead hold is a weakness to Mysticism, all forms of Soul Puppetry affect them heavily.. Due to their Decaying bodies as well, they are able to be affected by normal and average damages such as blunt damage, slash damage, etc. This affects them more than average humans due to their decaying bodies and becomes their main weakness across all categories of undead. One Strength that all undead all have, is their resistance to mentalism.
Common Undead
Husk
Husks are your typical, Normal undead. They are people brought back from having died by normal, average means. Whether it be by having died in a war, fighting, old age, sickness, etc. There was nothing too traumatising attached to their death, and no magic that was involved enough to raise them as a Drowned or a Shocked.
The Husks are your common most used undead, able to be used as puppets and controlled the most compared to other kinds of undead. Although they still hold little sentience, they don't have any motive or magic keeping them existing other than the person who had raised them.
Drowned
Drowned are Undead that have suffered a traumatic death that had to do with Water, Oceans, ponds, or even hydromancy being involved.. These people had, as the name says it, drowned within waters-- By accident, like falling off of a boat and being unable to swim back up to the surface, or on purpose-- Like a loved one betraying them and drowning them in a lake, pond, etc- or someone simply trying to get even by making them drown with hydromancy.
Due to this, Drowned undead are actually brought back with the ability to manoeuvre and control water like a Hydromancer.. They may still feel anguish towards this use of magic, due to the way they died, or feel anger when controlling it, causing it to be used in a more chaotic fashion.These undead can be raised by someone else and controlled like Zombies, however still hold some sentience. They're more weak to Pyromancy than any kind of Undead and can burn to a crisp easily. They are still weak to your common undead weaknesses.
Stray
The Stray, Along with the other common undead, are similar to The Drowned. These are people who had died to the horrendous desert lands- Either through dehydration, heatstroke, abandoned in the lands of the Desert and dying to the beasts within, or even killed due to Pyromancy and fire.
The Stray also have the ability, much like The Drowned, To control Pyromancy to their advantage.. Some even come back with the second ability to manipulate Terramancy- controlling both fire and earth. These undead, Just like the Drowned, can be controlled as zombies or pawns, but also can still hold sentience.
Dousing the Strays in water, or attacking them with a cold and icy blade, will affect them more than any undead; this acts like a burn to these undead, causing them to steam up if attacked with such elements. This can Kill a Stray. They are still weak to your common undead weaknesses.
Shocked
The Shocked have died in quite an interesting way, in some way or another having been shocked or electrocuted to death. Usually, this would occur when fighting someone with the ability to use Electromancy, being shocked to death that way.. Or by rare occurrences, being striked by lightning during a storm.
Just like the other common variants, The Shocked is able to control Electromancy and use it to their advantage, especially when taking revenge on someone who had previously shocked them to death.. These ones are more likely to have died in some form of combat.
Just like Strays, Water is a Shock's worst nightmare. Dousing these Shocked variants will cause them to also steam up and grow weak at this use of Magic. They are also Weak to your usual undead weaknesses.
Superior Undead
Vengeful
Vengeful Undead are one of the more known Undead types, due to being one of the most feared. These Undead wander the lands, wanting to quench their thirst for Anger and justice. These undead are full or pure rage, and that is what keeps them walking on the Mortal Plane. They are.. So restless with anger that has angered them to their very core, that they will not rest, until they release their anger or fix their problems.
Usually this is because of The fallen being betrayed by close family members or friends, Affairs that were never finished and caused anger within the person, or even simply spiteful enough to not die and crave revenge on the person who killed them. The Scourge, during the Archipelago War, was one of these undead. These types of Undead are unchained, able to be brought back on their own accord rather than needing someone to resurrect them.
Vengeful are able to have the ability to use magic as well-- Either learning new circles of magic upon its resurrection or keeping the same magic that they possessed when they died. These undead are incapable of feeling pain unless it's Mysticism.
What is this main undead's weakness however is still Mysticism. Any form of Soulbinding that could impact their soul will cause immense pain for the undead. Otherwise, Simply stabbing the Undead through the head or removing its head is how a Vengeful Undead is killed.
Lingering
The Lingering.. They are the most Saddening types of undead. Just like Vengeful undead, they had unresolved affairs or uncertainties in life that they could not leave behind. Those that have been so hurt, betrayed, scared and scarred.. That they could not rest peacefully, they stirred in their slumber and are now glued to the Mortal plane. They are so full of Sorrow and uncertainty that it shakes their very core.. Things such as Unsorted family matters that posed a risk, or even leaving important people behind such as a child that was now without its mother.
What tells a Lingering Apart from a Vengeful, is that their sadness and sorrow shapes their forms.. They can occur more Ghostly and Ghoul-like, they’re able to go from being visible to mortal eyes.. To no longer be able to be seen, but felt. They are more Akin to a ghost refusing to pass on until their affairs or uncertainties are met with resolutions and reassurance. These Weeping Spirits will only rest when this is fulfilled.
Lingering is more heavily weak to Mysticism.. Due to their more ghostly nature and the ability to move slightly into the more astral plane. It's harder to hit them physically but still possible, and they do get affected by other magics as well.
Decayed
The Decayed are not.. Essentially dead, but dead enough to be considered undead.. These are people who have been doused, drenched, embedded, blasted, etc with necromancy to a point their body is forever Decaying, dying, falling apart, growing slimmer and pale with every waking moment.. For Days, weeks, years, this will continue until The Decayed eventually grows braindead.. They are forced to live out their existing days suffering in agonising pain, craving death at every turn.
Most Decayed end up killing themselves just for peace, a lot of them not lasting longer than weeks.. Because once you're at that point of decay, there is no turning back; no form of magic could save you. You slowly go insane, slowly lose feeling in your limbs, your eyes sink into your skull as your skin and muscle deteriorate.. And all you can do is wander the late in a perpetual state between dead and being alive.
All Magic except Mentalism can harm this Undead. Along with Common Undead weaknesses.