Undeath

**Undeath** is the state or condition of a deceased being which continues to be animate after death. This can range from being involuntary and without intelligence (such as with corpse puppeteering, although this is debated) or voluntary and intelligently (such as with liches), and anything in-between. Undeath occurs naturally or unnaturally, with or without Magicks, and can affect any being which was once living, including beasts. The practice of raising the dead in general is known as necromancy, which itself has numerous subtypes.

## History

As undeath is a ubiquitous phenomenon that has no cultural, religious, or other such restrictions, and as such cannot be traced to any specific point in time. As a result, undeath simply has no history.

It has been a common and consistent motif for cultures in both Akilos and Mbengeli, but rarely elsewhere, with varying levels of reverence or fear attached. For example, in Southeast Mbengeli cultures especially, undeath has been a celebrated and coveted transition of the soul into the afterlife, signifying that the deceased has entered the afterlife without difficulty, and can then thank or provide for others until the soul itself decides it’s time to fully move on, leaving the body and their loved ones with comfort. Conversely, in Akilos, the nation of Ingrastel is constantly beset by horrible undead amalgamations which aimlessly hunt the living, resulting in thousands of dead livestock, wild animals, and races littering the countryside, including the Sickness, a biological condition which turns hosts into ravenous monsters with increased speed, endurance, and power, which has, expectedly, left a highly negative view of undeath within the nation.

Undeath has minor interest as a means of infinite labor, as certain means of raising the dead merely animate the corpse rather than tether the soul to the corpse once again. This has led to necromancy being a common path of Magickers in some concentrated areas around the world.

## Types of Undeath

Undeath is a highly broad category of states that cannot be describes as a single phenomenon, leaving much room for discussion on comparing and contrasting states. The only common theme is, as the name suggests, the subject must be deceased, or otherwise not within common usage of the term ‘living’.

### Incorporeal

Incorporeal undead, as the name states, are intangible to living beings without magickal means. These include:

#### Ghosts

Ghosts are incorporeal undead whom are characterized by being the soul of a race. They hold no special abilities they did not have in life, and can only barely interact with the environment around them. They are fully sapient, however, and can engage and react to anything that happens without impediment.

#### Phantoms

Phantoms are incorporeal undead which have greater control of their environments, as well as garnering new abilities in undeath. Phantoms, unlike ghosts, are usually non-sapient, being unable to respond or connect with living or other undead, and simply terrorize the living through frightful illusions or very real physical contact. They often are the souls of beasts or criminals who were not accepted into any afterlife, becoming corrupted.

#### Spectres

Spectres are incorporeal undead whom have something similar to occupations. They can be lanternholders, guides, murderers, haunters, or anything that the deceased decided upon. Although incorporeal during the day, at night they have a high aptitude towards affecting corporeal objects, and become semi-corporeal during rainstorms or mists. They, like ghosts, are fully sapient, and readily respond to events or other people which interact with them.