Draugr
The Draugr - named after an old Scarn legend based on the cursed spirits of the dead, is a group of humanoids that suffer an experimental pathogen known as the Withering. A genetic infection which causes their skin to wither down to the bone over time, while icy glowering blood and eyes gives them a ghoulish or undead appearance, even though they're technically as alive and breathing as any other human.
Though the condition is proven to not be fatal, nor carry any significant consequences to the health of body and mind, Draugr prefer colder climates as their blood both makes them immune to
most freezing temperatures, as long as the air can be breathed, but also since the frigid dry air does wonders on preserving their skin and parts like lips, noses and ears which they might lose to years of exposure in more warm and humid climates. This exposure to the frost has however left it's mark, where the frostbitten nerves of the Draugr usually makes them a slower and less agile powerhouse, that relies on inhuman strength, pain immunity and a near endless reserve of stamina.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Draugr are technically capable of reproducing normally like any other humanoid species, however thanks to their zombiesque appearances the concepts of attraction and lust have been dimmed out within their societies to the point most children are born through biotech - which is a prodecure where mechanized pods are used to grow up new generations of Draugr. While this can seem grotesque, it's accidently lowered their child mortality rate from the high number of 40% to a mere ~1% Nobody ever complained about it.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Draugr as a species are divided into four groups of cultures, known as the Gravewalkers, Neo-Gravewalkers, Oldguard and Iceborn.
Both Gravewalker groups can be summed up to a culture based on a mixture of necromancy and biotech, where they wish to best preserve their new forms and shape a new culture surrounding their own existance as beings caught between the veil of life and death. Though the older Gravewalkers believe their evolution into Draugr to be a slowly but naturally occuring phenomen that will bring them some sort of godly enlightment, while the Neo culture is more inclined to believe that their undead dragon deity was more of a haphazard experimental sleigh of fate and that the evolution must be taken into their own hands through Necro and Biotech.
The Oldguard is summed up as the more conservative of the four, as they consider themselves to still be humans rather than Draugr. They don't care too much for a cure to their condition, but are known to wear lifelike masks and fully body clothing at near all times to simulate normal flesh and skin. They don't have much of an own culture either, as nearly all their traditions are the same as human Âzhgaardians.
The Iceborn are the most undead focused of them all, to the point of near religious zeal in their belief to the zombie wyrm. They care little for technology and have an open hostile relation towards the Neo-Gravewalkers, where they consider their disregard of the "creator" and their divine gifts of necromancy and frost magic to be an act of treason towards their entire race. The Iceborn though would see themselves fully embrace undeath as it's masters and creators, since they can't possibly reproduce like normal human beings anymore. (Even though that's a tasteful lie.)
History
Before Âzhgaard was founded, all of the southmost lands of Scarnza were being colonized by a vast amount of different human factions. These lands were known as a sort of fronteir of exile, combining mostly outcasts of different sorts such as criminals, unwanted children, disowned nobles, deserts and other ill fated individuals to be left in the cold and fend for themselves.
Among many of these exiles, one family in peculiar came to grow strong from trading knowledge with with the Scarn tribes - in exchange for resources, coin and protection. They would happily accept these wayward nobles into their homes, allow deserters a place to stay and various smalltime criminals a promise of their own little empire of wealth and fame, as long as they would lend a hand, often in the form of giving up critical strategical information from the factions that had them exiled. An operation which allowed the Scarn to raid Commonlander and Peregonian lands with far greater success than before.
As war soon raged all around the coasts surrounding them, the Icen family built their kingdom on a stolen throne within the eye of the storm, where they would rule trade of weapons, resources, food and even host diplomatic courts within their castle. As if the world had forgotten their roots as exiles already, this new upcomming economical empire remained at peace while pouring wealth into it's new lands and borders. Re-establishing nobility, forming a daunting fleet, raising an army and eventually laying legal claim to their realm, which only now raised eyebrows from the High Court officials. Although this matter was soon laid to rest after the new empire of Âzhgaard brookered a peace treaty between the wartorn factions, where a significant amount of Scarn clans promised to abandon their old ways of pillage and plunder for more lucrative trade deal combined with allowed migration from Scarnza to Diestria and Peregon, in exchange for southern technology in aggriculture and machinery.
These Âzhgaardians would came to be Westports northern competition, that swiftly overtook them both in technology and wealth, as the sudden lack of weapons trade made them focus on the excavation of old ruins from the bygone era of the fabled Ancient Empire, which they lazily named just that, in search for it's devious remnant Necrotech and Biotech.
These artifacts though, would draw the ire of the god Draghânir whom sought to destroy these remnant tech's by any cost, while using the Dyskhari Imperium, underneath the guise of his sibling Sarak, to wage a holy war against Âzhgaard. A war which would reach the ears of the crows and ravens which heard of it's comming.
When Death learned that their likeness had been exploited to create broken families and shattered dreams, they were furious. The noble bloodlines of Sarak, known as the Blackbloods were once more called upon from the decendants of Death, to rally to the cause of Âzhgaard and protect them from Draghânir, who they'd later come to slay - for a few years, to stop the war. Sadly, Sarak ended up having to give their brother something of an appology after the humans managed to dig up the burial mound of an old zombified Greatwyrm that unleashed havoc on Dyskhar and Man alike. However were men came to fall into a deathlike coma for a few days, before surviving and ultimately being enhanced by this necrosis, known as the Withering. The elves and other drakenkin instead died like flies, before the two sibling gods managed to strike the wyrm down together.
Their problems would know no end from there though, as instead of spite the dragon or realize their mistake of delving into the ancient ruins, these newly reborn Draugr came to view their new undead looking selves as a form of evolution and the mindless weaponized beast they had unleashed became both deified with it's terrible head depicted as the royal crest of both Âzhgaard and the ruling Icen family.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Origin/Ancestry
Âzhgaard/Scarnza
Lifespan
200 years
Average Height
1.6-1.8 m
Average Weight
40 - 80 kg
Average Physique
Withered, weathered and trained.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
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