ZOMBIES

#### **Appearance**

Zombies, or the walking dead, can appear to be completely normal to the outside eye. Of course, they are dead and sometimes they may appear to be a little pale, but many of them can pass themselves off as normal, living humans. Of course, some will have undergone serious decomposition, which can be very hard to hide from mortal gaze, and some of them may start to reek of death. Many normal humans would not take this into account, however, simply ignoring the signals that are telling them that this is a walkking corpse because "zombies aren't real". The Haitan Zombi will also tend to look like a normal human, if a little dazed and often mute.

#### **Locations**

Zombies are not chained to any particular location, though they commonly haunt the areas they once lived out of habit and comfort. While they do originate from graveyards and morgues, they tend not to stick around if they don't have to. Some even return home to try to pick up their old lives that they left behind.

#### **Origins**

Zombies are often made when a powerful spirit refuses to transcend and they end up getting anchored to their old body again. It happens more often than you think, but it is only the really powerful spirits that can remain in the body for any amount of time, and even then only those that are strong enough to dig their ways out of their own graves that make an appearance. There are far more stories of those lost at sea or in other circumstances coming back from the grave as they have no grave to keep them trapped.

#### **Weaknesses**

Zombies are incredibly strong and can punch like a damn truck, since they have no inhibitions and can put their full force behind the punch. They have rotten bodies but will not feel pain from the destruction of that body, so the Anchor must be completely destroyed. Of course, destroying the brain makes it harder for them to control the body, removing the head will also incovenience them horribly, and they are weak to fire as it will eat away at their vessel without them being able to do much about it.

#### **Dangers**

Zombies are incredibly strong, they do not need to have any of their organs to still be able to function, and to make things worse, the Zombie normally is caused by an angry spirit residing within the flesh, which means that they have a whole host of spectral tricks they can use against Hunters if they are freed from their physical anchor. Zombies can talk and communicate, and can even be reasoned with. However, they can be incredibly emotionally unstable.

#### **Needs**

Zombies are normally bodies inhabited by Angry spirits that have unresolved business or other reasons for not being at rest. If these reasons can be worked through, the spirit may pass on and the zombie will be destroyed. Other Zombies, like the Voudoun "Zombi" are mindless puppets controlled by an evil sorceror (or voudoun priest) and must fulfill their tasks. They need nothing, so their masters must be dealt with. There was one incidence of the Croatoan Zombies that were vessels infected by the taint of the wyrm. They became mindless, ravenous feeding machines that wanted only to eat more and more flesh.

#### **Destruction**

Zombies can be dismembered, though they will not go easy. The brain can be destroyed, meaning that it is a lot harder for the Spirit to control the vessel, or they can be burned to dispel the spirit. Some zombies are nearly impossible to destroy, however, and they can be dealt with by nailing them back into their coffins. This will render the spirit powerless and will often cast it back into the afterlife. Sometimes the spirit can also be anchored to another anchor, not just the bodyu

#### **Variants**

While there are a range of different Zombie types (Spirit Vessels, Voudoun Slaves, and Wyrm infected Walkers), there are also some very specific variations on the typical zombie type:

#### **Control**

To control a zombie, you need to find a way to control the spirit within. This can be done with necromancy, or by finding it's anchor and dealing with it in that way. Of course, Voudoun Zombis are made through witchcraft, which is not very adviseable. The mindless feeders cannot be controlled and must be destroyed lest they spread their sickness and hunger.