Undead

Biology
The undead are beings of any race or species who have experienced death, but through the application of necromantic magics or other means, have been brought back to a "living" state, with varying degrees of awareness.

There are many types of undead and ways for this process to occur, with the processes often focusing on the soul material of the person being affected, though some may be reanimated without their soul intact. It is not known how many races there are that may be resistant to the process of becoming undead, one documented method atleast is that being infected with "Carnthropy", a transformative disease created by the Tudenan, will prevent resurrection as a zombie.

Physical undead may have lost function in some of their limbs or have missing parts which have gone through the process of rot and decay until their reanimation. One shared characteristic for undead beings, although it is unknown why, is that they have a strong sensitivity to sunlight, with the weakest even being known to spontaneously combust into flames and perish when daylight arrives. This has caused many undead to seek shelter in dark underground places or to favor the night when travelling.

The intelligence of the undead is not only dependent on how intact the mind is within the affected, but on if they have been ensorcelled by the magics of the one who resurrected them, be it a common necromancer or a powerful lich. It is thus possible for mindless undead to regain their self-control after the death of a lich and the breaking of his hold. How independent undead conduct their lives is as varied as how the living may do so, to committing great acts of evil or great acts of good, or just living regular lives inbetween.

The undead are usually not conventionally seen as a race, as it is only a transformative state and they can still be of many different races and cultures, be it Feles, Orc, or Elf. They are however most often persecuted by and seen as separate or lesser from the living people of their races, thus leading many undead to find a shared solidarity with other undead as a group.

Zombies
One of the more common forms of undead, these are beings of any race whose physical body has been resurrected from their grave.

Drowned
A mysterious variant of zombies who lurk beneath the waves. They are strangely more sapient than other forms of wandering undead, using tools aswell as lingering around their sunken settlements as they were changed through some unknown process, separate from the common origin of being bound to a necromancer. They have skills in swimming and are often covered with barnacles, seaweed, and other underwater debris.

Skeletons
Skeletons are undead whose skin has become desiccated and sloughed off of their body, often with the long passage of time. Binding magic is more often used to keep them together rather than practices from the more medical and physical aspects of necromancy such as surgery and stitching.

Ghouls
A more monstrous form of undead found in graveyards with their body often kept intact. The reason for this is because they regenerate from their feeding on the flesh of the living or the dead.

Vampires
Vampirism is a curse where a living person can succumb to it through a bite, magic ritual, or by other means. However it happens, an infection will enter into their bloodstream, turning their blood cold and transitioning them immediately from life into a state of undeath. Some victims of vampirism are known to enter a coma-like state upon this change, with their appearance and body functions seeming like death until they reawaken later, often in a crypt.

Vampires are some of the more socially organized forms of undead, in opposition to the shambling nature of other forms. There is a widespread culture of Eldhamite Vampirism for example with many subcultures of groups with different powers who bear the curse.

Ghosts
Ghosts are strictly composed of the soul matter of a person who has died, remaining tethered to the world even if their body has been destroyed.

Religious Views on the Undead
Luthurn - State religion of the vampiric kingdom of Lorent, favorable to the undead. Worshippers of the essence of their fallen god Lutherius.

Boulderism - Believes that the wicked humans of ancient times were forced to roam the nether, or "Omilfroyim's Dimension", as undead after death. Omilfroyim pleaded with Hadstur for their freedom from the realm and thus the undead were allowed to walk the earth, only seen on the darkest of nights lest the sun or "Hadstur's wrath" burn them.

The Red Cult - Worshippers of a malevolent blood god. Its high priests practiced necromancy to bring back the dead as Husks for their army.

Pavlovism - Religion with a knightly order known as the "Order of the Aurora", dedicated to the destruction of "evil forces" which includes lycans, demons, liches, vampires, and the undead. The order originates from an event known as the "Blighted" invasion in Nieden.

Church of Ralaban - The undead were the servants of the trickster god Ulgartha, sibling and enemy to Ralaban. They were once Ulgartha's living creations until cursed with undeath by Ralaban to fight against Ulgartha in his own realm, the Nether.

Church of the Six Divines - They bury their dead in mounds upon which is grown a Soultree. Soultrees that are improperly grown on non-burial lands means that the souls of people who die there cannot escape from the realm, thus keeping the spirits stuck between life and death turning them evil. These spirits may even reenter their dead bodies and turn into undead.

Biblio Praterism - The mages of this religion hold rituals to ward off the undead, said to be the creations of their God of the Arcane, Morgreal.

Church of the Mekanika - Their water god, the Subsiah, is said to be the lord of the undead Drowned.

Church of the Stahl Riesa - Priests of the death god Borr linger near crypts and graves, ensuring that the dead aren't disturbed and that any undead sighted in the lands can be put to rest properly.

Theiosism - The Angel of Holy War, Monath, is seen as a guardian warrior against undead and demonic creatures.

Asharu - Revere the light which is seen as the judge of good and evil, harming the undead who are affiliated with evil. They warn that the world is trapped in a cycle of reincarnation until eventually it will fall to the corruption of the void, becoming overrun by undead, at which point the god Ashuntash will incarnate and destroy the planet to bring about a new cycle.

The Nerco Cult - Worshippers of an undead god named Nerco. Its followers are undead themselves and practice necromancy to bring forth more adherents to their religion.

Quincy - One of their religious figures, Rennoc, is the saint of magic and lost knowledge, who died but later arose with the Curse of Undeath.

Incarnation - Living followers of this religion seek to become like their god, known only as "He Who Decays". To do this, they go through a ritual of undeath, becoming the Risen.

Sept of the First Virtue - The primary god of this religion is also known as the Undead God. Death is seen as natural aswell as impermanent and it is considered holy to be dead, dying, or undead, as the spaces inbetween life and death are to be respected.

Saintism - Believe in an outer realm of undeath containing the souls of people from all realms.

Notable Undead Figures
Lanval Myers - Necromantic experiment, government minister of Exousía.

Ghoul Kolasares - Ghoul, High Lich of the Lorent Kingdom.

Llyre Volaerys - Undead Half-Elf, government minister of Viodoxa.

Aule the Faded - Half-living Ghost Elf, local governor in Aurlunor Velande.

Eleanor Louise Relmont - Vampire queen of Lorent.

Astra Cornaro - Undead Lich of the Kingdom of Vallia.

Akula Cornaro - Undead King of Vallia.

Dex Og - Infamous Lich aswell as a master builder and mercenary. His base of operations was set up at the Deadwood Hotel.

Kassandra von Valdreach - Undead lich and princess of Valdreach.

Noodle Volaerys - Undead skeleton bandit.

Faern Luth - Vampire high priest of Luthurn in Lorent.

Shohen - The "Undead King" of the Osseus mercenary group.

Torm the Terrible - Undead Draugr, King of Vidanmor.

Malak the Mindless - Zombie-human hybrid, confidante of Torm.

Aciad - "The First Risen", author and governor of Novia.

Alderica - Zombie princess of Anglunia.

Notchy - Skeleton general of Kratalia and Einberg.

Magnus L. Arrowminus - Undead rabbit-human hybrid, researcher of necromancy and druidism.

Drowned B. Keeper - "Drownish" zombie who emerged from his underwater civilization.

Cyrus the Enderling - Vampire mayor of Amilais.

Ano - Nieden Wraith bandit.

Haugrum - Undead Sandwight, founder of Thollgund in Rodinnbrok.

Aerobous - Tudenan skeleton, first Tsarin of Auralich

Darus Godd - Vampire Dog-Person, bloodthirsty pirate from Barbossa.

Oliver Olmero - Vampire, Head of the Olmero family and chief diplomat of Aristios.

Lady VonObby - Vampire founder of New Yoake, banished the Sun for 7 days.

Lathien - Respiten Vampire, the most famous forgemaster of weapons and armors in Eldham.

Jesus Regulus - Vulpur Vampire, Mayor of Vulthalla and Viceroy of the Vulperium.

DangSage - Zombie scribe and count in Vulthalla.

Noii - Vampire librarian and lord of Loblantis.

Erikku Kunekari - Vampire patron of the Aeterneans, former high king of Visio.

Ja'Sahn - Vampire bartender in Midjor.

Simon Serphim - Half vampire, farmer and militiaman in Ducklandia.

Ezare Furded - Skeletan human hybrid, government minister of Kidania.

Mattai the Wanderer - Ghoul, former government minister of Arxella and Kartek

Qomatose - Ghost duelist.

Karth Osria - Spirit-bonded armor, prince of Guratzo and Comraich in Uraka.

Nations and Towns
Lorent - Known for being a nation where the undead can live. It is led by noble families of vampires.

New Yoake - Capital of vampires in Eldham.

Nazarath - An undead city-state.

Necropolis - A city ruled by the undead Nerco Cult located in Mosir-Sumari.

Cimeterium - Base of the Osseus undead mercenary group, and the "Corpse City" of the Sept of the First Virtue religion.

Gordoa - A port refuge accepting of all. It is inhabited by ghouls.

Skyreach - A necropolis city in Vallia, home to a lich.