Undead

Undead are creatures created by the unholy energy of Undeath. They are classified as eternals because their bodies do not grow old with time. In principle, any living creature can be made into an undead, and thus undead are an extremely varied group.  

Types of undead

  Mortal scholars divide undead into categories based on how the dead creature’s soul is affected by undeath.   Animated dead are the bodily remains of dead creatures that have been animated into movement and action, either by the passive influence of latent negative energy or by the active efforts of necromancers. Importantly, the animation of a corpse exerts no effect on the soul of the creature, which remains “unmolested” in its afterlife.   Spectral undead are the ethereal souls of dead creatures that were unable to find their way to the afterlife and have lost the chance to do so. They are trapped in Purgatory -- the Ethereal Plane -- doomed to an eternity of anguish and solitude, although some have the ability to cross over to the mortal plane.   Soulbound undead are the result of the most unholiest of magics and necromantic rituals, for they are created when the soul of a dead creature is prevented from departing its body, and that body is then raised as an undead creature. The creature is thus cursed to an eternal existence of unlife, unable to die and unable to reach the afterlife.  

Animated

Animated undead -- or animated dead as they are also called -- arise when the soulless remains of dead creatures are imbued with dark magic. These remains can vary from clean bones to fresh corpses and anything between. The less intact a dead body is the more negative energy it takes to animate it; raising a fresh corpse as a zombie is easy enough, but a much stronger spell is needed to magically join the scattered bones of an ancient skeleton together and make them move as one.   Slaying the animated dead is a matter of causing damage to their body. Just as it takes more negative energy to animate a badly injured corpse, so too does it take more energy to keep a damaged corpse animated. Dismemberment and decapitation are highly effective methods to disrupt the animation of a corpse, but any combat against animated dead is made incredibly difficult by their absolute immunity to pain, blood loss, fear and fatigue.   Animated undead heed the summons of spellcasters who call them from their resting places, or rise of their own accord in places saturated with death and loss, awakened by stirrings of necromantic energy or the presence of corrupting evil. Whatever sinister force animates a corpse infuses its flesh and bones with a dark vitality. This energy motivates the animated creature to move and think in a rudimentary fashion, though only as a pale imitation of the way it behaved in life. It also imbues the undead with evil, so left without purpose, it will attack any living creatures it encounters unless otherwise commanded by its master. Whether they be zombies or skeletons, animated undead are not gifted with intelligence and function as little more than mindless soldiers bereft of any sense of self-preservation.   An animated undead retains no connection to its past, for only the body of a creature is animated and the soul of the creature remains at peace in the afterlife. While most animated undead are the corpses of dead humans and other humanoids, undead can be created from the remains of other creatures as well, giving rise to a host of terrifying and unique forms. Facing a human zombie is a challenging enough business, but going up against a zombie giant or a zombie dragon are much more dangerous prospects indeed.  

Spectral

Spectral undead are ghosts, souls without corporeal bodies that have not been able to reach their alloted place in the afterlife. There are many varieties of ghosts -- such as wraiths and banshees -- but all are not only extremely dangerous but also extremely difficult to dispatch. As incorporeal creatures, they cannot be harmed by mundane means.  

Soulbound

Soulbound undead are the result of the most powerful of necromantic magics, wielded by the most evil of creatures. With only the unholiest of spells and most blasphemous rituals can the will of the Empyreal Gods be denied -- and the cycle of souls ordained by them be defied -- to such an extent as to bind a soul to its body even after death.   Soulbound undead are doomed to an eternal and undying existence -- an existence often defined by some form of mental deterioration brought on by the unholy nature of necromancy. Most soulbound undead find that undeath twists their desires in dark ways, muting positive emotions and enhancing negative ones. There are some poor souls that lose their minds entirely, becoming little more than mindless beasts consumed with the need to feast on flesh, blood or the very life-force of other creatures.   Soulbound undead are perhaps the most varied category of undead, if not the most numerous.