Shambling Corpse
In areas where the Elan is strong and their is large amounts of death, sometimes the dead do not stay in the ground. No one knows for certain what causes the Elan inside a human to persist after death, but when it does, the body reanimates and wanders Serrus. Ametrians maintain that these corpses happen when a body is not properly interred. For the most part this is true, but even then, on occasion a body does not rest.
No knowledge of their former lives remains and no sentience so to speak of save for a hunger for the living is in the husk of the person. The exact nature of the shambling corpses varies greatly. Sometimes they retain the ability to use weapons from their former lives and some are able to perform extremely basic tasks like opening a door by turning a knob or moving an obstacle obstructing its path. Others are little more than single-minded feeding machines with no motor skills besides shambling forward and eating.
The Elan within the shambling corpse maintains the body despite the rot and decay that sets in in the body and they are surprisingly resilient to damage because of this. Blows that would kill a normal individual, the shambling corpse will usually shrug off. They appear to feel no pain whatsoever. Enough trauma and damage to the body though releases the Elan and puts the corpse to rest for good.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Simply a rotting and decayed mirror of the former individual who died.
Dietary Needs and Habits
They do not seem to need to eat or drink, but they have an insatiable hunger for the flesh of the living.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Varies greatly. Some can sense the living from great distances, some have heightened hearing or sight. Others are completely oblivious to anyone save for those right next to them.
Twas my grandpa I swear it! He looked at me from across the yard, but I knew he was dead. The town guard attacked him with their halberds. I think everyone was surprised that after the initial attack grandpa remained standing and it took a further three or four more heavy blows from the halberds to finally get him to stop moving. Poor Herman though, grandpa had a strength I had never seen and Herman's throat was chewed right off when he tried to apprehend grandpa.
