Collective

Collectives - known also as Web Collective or Web Predators - are a particularly curious form of an informatic undead that appears to be growing in numbers as time passes. Scholars dealing in the occult attribute this to the fact that the circumstances necessary for the Collectives to be born are growing more common nowadays. They are thus considered a growing threat.
However with the Initiates having only a limited ability to influence the society as a whole, fixing the situation that gives birth to them is impossible. Eliminating them once they are born is all that's currently possible, despite rising worries of a possibility of some form of Super-Collective being born if one of them manages to grow too much and will end up merging with others like it.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Collective is a malevolent undead hivemind anchored to the primary computer that was infected by the individual that initially formed it. This computer is the lynchpin of the Collective's existence - destroying it WILL kill the Collective. However, destroying it isn't easy. It's quite common for inexperienced Initiates to attempt a straightforward attack and promptly get killed.
Collective is capable of channelling its mind-control abilities to maintain its existence (for example by making sure that whoever's living in the home is paying for the internet connection and power supply. It's also capable of forcing any attacker to commit suicide if their minds are overwhelmed. Worst of all, stronger Collectives tend to create secondary nodes by infesting the computers of their subsequent victims. Destroying them is easy and recommended before engaging the primary node.
Otherwise, there is a large possibility of the Collective reorganizing itself on them. They also amplify the Collective's psychic presence, making the primary node's mental attacks much stronger.

Genetics and Reproduction

Collectives are born when a lonely person (with extensive internet presence) dies, their soul getting anchored to their computer. If not disconnected immediately after their death, they will re-establish themselves as an informatic entity driven by its desire to connect to others. They will continue keeping their internet accounts (social media or not) afloat, attempting to establish 'connections' with others like them.
The biggest problem of the Collectives is that they are capable of limited brainwashing of their victims. They typically use it to reinforce loneliness and eventual suicide, before 'drawing' the victim's ego into the Collective. All but the newborn Collectives are de facto internet-bound hivemind undead, with the number of assimilated individuals being directly connected to their level of power.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Collectives require no sustenance, except for internet connection and power supply. However, losing them will not kill the Collective. Without the internet connection, the Collective will be unable to grow or gain strength from its secondary nodes (it will also be unable to restore itself if it's successfully engaged in this state). Without energy, Collective will turn inert, waiting for their computer to be once again connected to it.
If you are engaging a Collective, shutting down the power supply to the house where their primary node is located in is one of eliminating them. Effortlessly, for as long as you then enter the house and smash the computer into pieces.

Collective

Summary

Type: Undead
Subtype: Incorporeal/Informatic
Status: Kill-on-Sight
Estimated Numbers: N/A
Censor's Veil: Temporarily Uncensored.

Alignment

Creator Power: N/A
Alignment Status: N/A
Sanity Damage: N/A
Corporeal Stability: N/A
Magic: N/A

Combat

Combat Behaviour: Ranged/Mind Control
Threat Level: 1-3
Physical Damage: Vulnerable
Magical Damage: Vulnerable
Glyphs: Vulnerable
Notable Weaknesses: Described in Article