Ankou

## Overview

   The skeletal remains of a corpse submerged in a thick layer of ectoplasmic mucus, often residing in large deposits of tainted water. They range from living in pestilent rich sewers to toxic waste disposal sites, often forming in almost any innately disgusting liquids. The ankou will spend most of their time deep within the sludge and surface only when searching for potential victims to drag under, which promptly become more ankou once they perish.

## Origin

Often when a person dies in pestilent, toxic, or radioactive water, they will produce a substantial enough amount of miasma to take hold of the corpse - manifesting by filtering the pestilent water around them into a potent and toxic ectoplasm, which works almost like a viscous liquid muscular system.

The ectoplasm is almost like a refined form of the toxins in the water, appearing as a vile mucus-like substance surrounding the skeletal structure. It can be in any number of colors ranging from tar-like black and brown colors, dark greens, or even partially clear. The substance is acidic to the touch, causing immediate chemical burns on contact with skin. While being acidic, the ectoplasm is also incredibly toxic; if infecting a wound or ingested, it can cause a plethora of ailments. Thankfully most of these can be counteracted by anti-biotics.

## Behavior

Most of the time they reside beneath the surface of the water, silently lurking on the bottom. They stay in this state for hours at a time, surfacing when detecting the movement in the water of nearby victims. If not detecting anybody for an extended period of time they will sometimes will rise out of their watery abodes to look upwards, and will let out almost 'bubbling-like' noises. This has been takes as them releasing built up gasses relating to decomposition, or potentially a form of communication.

When coming across a victim in the water they will attempt to drag them under the water, drowning them - if the victim is able to evade their grasp and leave the water they will weakly hobble on land until either catching or losing sight of the them. Oddly, they seem to be calculating and always waiting to ambush like a predator, which is unlike most non-sentient undead beings. Rather than working purely off of instinct there seems to be a level of intelligence behind their actions despite not gaining any sort of incentive from killing prey other than potentially creating more ankou.

## Abilities

Most are frail and brandish no superior abilities compared to an ordinary person, the only strength they have is the element of surprise and their naturally toxic ectoplasm. When attacking a victim they can only grab or bludgeon them with their boney hands, and attempt to drown them in the water. This is when a strength in numbers comes to play, they will easily overwhelm their victim and hold them underneath the water until deceased.

Physically, they may be frail but the ectoplasm will hold their bones into place surprisingly well - even still able to support their weight despite bones being shattered. If the bones are removed though, the ectoplasm will collapse in that general area making it easy to disable limbs in self defence.

## Weaknesses

Their ectoplasm is incredibly flammable, which if exposed to a flame they can be easily immolated if out of water. Its almost like a form of oil, bursting into flames when sparked. Other than this, their frail physique allows for them to be overpowered when alone or when in small groups.

Their bones being exposed allows for easy access and depending on their level of decomposition, they can have their limbs severed easily. This requires a level of precaution due to the toxic ectoplasm, and simply slicing or shattering the bones will have no effect - shattering the bones may potentially make it more difficult to disable them. The best method besides immolation is to reach through the ectoplasm and grasp one of their femurs, pulling it out of it's socket and removing the bone from it's ectoplasm. Once it is removed, the ectoplasm remaining surrounding the bone will lose form and disperse, taking off the whole limb. Doing so will essentially cripple the ankou, leaving it mostly defenseless and allowing for an easy escape or elimination.

## Uses

Other than the innate properties of the bones of the ankou's species when it was a person, the only thing holding any unique properties is the ectoplasm. It holds the same main properties of other forms of ectoplasm, but with the addition of being flammable. This means it may hold potential uses as a fuel but when burned in large amounts it can produce foul gasses which are deadly and garner a putrid smell.

The ectoplasm could make potential use in poisons, but there are much more potent alternatives compared it.