Undead

Undead creatures are created when corpses are animated through black magic, or when a living being unnaturally prolongs their life by the same method. Some undead, like zombies and skeletons, are thoughtless constructs who do nothing but serve the will of their creator. Others, like liches and vampires, are powerful beings capable of complex thought. Almost all of them are malicious in some way, however. Even intelligent undead usually descend into madness and evil after a few decades of unlife. Necromancy, the power that sustains the undead, is the magic of the Dark Powers and their influence almost always rubs off on creatures empowered by it. The undead are hated and feared by mortals. The practice of creating them is strictly forbidden by the Octarchist church and by most governments. The exception to this rule is the elves, for whom necromancy is an integral part of their society.