Undead – A Life Beyond the Grave

Undead are those prevented from passing into the afterlife or finding final rest of any kind. Their living bodies cease to be or function as merely a shadow of what they once were. Undeath is a “state” more than a creature type; It subsumes the secondary aura of its original species, becoming the prevalent nature for detection in mystic passive capabilities, though both can be revealed through active discernment such as Aura Sight.

The undead are a terrifying presence in any place. They are eternal and undying, suffering an unending pang which can never be quenched. The undead are one of the greatest plagues to the living, to life itself. They are bound through a connection to Advanced/Complex Concepts and MechanicsThe Void, once living and part of the normal cycle of life and death, now trying to fill that void with living energy. They are numb to their core and cannot feel anything but their base urges. Pain becomes a distant memory (yet one they remember), and their bodily processes are nothing more than a twisted facsimile of what was once something that gave pleasure, warmth, and contentedness. For them all love becomes hate, warmth becomes cold, appreciation becomes jealousy and the drive to give and share becomes to consume endlessly to try and feel just a flicker of the life they once felt. Many undead are bound strongly to experience their surroundings as The World Beyond. Contact with true undead is almost always on their terms; they either actively seek out interaction or flee it – their choice. These entities often require, or at least desire, Eternal Repose.

Most have one or more qualities which make them a difficult opponent – The Mind Beyond, The Body Beyond, Phantasmal Presence or Ghostly Presence.

Undead Afflictions

Undead itself is a form of Affliction! The afflictions will begin within a number of hours equal to their Health when they are Hale.

Essence Blight: True undead are afflicted with a form of Essence Blight. This is a condition where the binding to The Void immediately causes the creature afflicted to be unable to gain any more Essence – Essence gained is siphoned off by The Void.

Essence Torture: A creature with no Aptitude to lose half their Essence. A creature with Aptitude must immediately drop a point of [any] Aptitude and assume a Void Aptitude of 1.

Essence Hunger: Undead are driven to fill this void of Essence with the vitality of others. Some eat the flesh, some drink the blood, and other drain their will to live – of higher order/sentient beings. Each method reduces Essence; sometimes permanently. Their new Essence total becomes twice their normal current permanent Essence. Newly made undead begin with a full Essence pool. While at full, they do not suffer from the pangs of Essence Hunger.

HUNGER CHECK: Sanity to resist (unless they have been “Quieted” = killed with Body Beyond).

  • Reflected Hunger: Any sort of Appearance, Physical Beauty reflects their current Essence vs.
  • Essence is reduced 1/day (or appropriate short cycle)
  • Essence Gained in Consumption:
  • Mortal Hunger: If an undead chooses to eat normal food to tide them over, they must make a Hunger check or consume twice the amount of food at twice the speed (its readily apparent). They will not be able to tolerate preserved or survival type rations – only fresh and as raw as possible. It only staves off the hunger for 1 hour (or equal cycle).

Essence Shifting: Undead who consume Essence can store the Essence and use it to shift their physical properties – improving them on a 1:1 basis, Undead Tenacity, or gaining 1/3 their normal movement – that last 1 hour. Shifted Focus: While the effect is running, no Hunger checks need to be made. Shifting is performed as either an Attack, or Reaction – whichever is fastest or most useful.

  • Undead Tenacity: Immunity to Necrotic and Cold of any kind.

“Curing” the Affliction of Undeath