Type

Undead (Corrupted Corpse)

Origin

Ghouls arise from corpses that were left unburied or whose passage rites were interrupted. Without protection, the tether of the soul clings to the flesh, and Ghor’s corruption festers until body and spirit are warped together. Unlike zombies, ghouls retain fragments of memory and will.

Appearance

• Gaunt, twisted bodies with stretched skin and sharp claws.
• Eyes glowing faintly with feral hunger.
• Often disfigured by rot, yet unnaturally agile.
• Stinking breath of carrion and decay.

Abilities & Behaviour

• Cunning: Capable of hunting in packs and setting ambushes.
• Cannibalistic hunger: Devour both the living and the dead.
• Agile: Faster and stronger than zombies.
• Mutability: Some ghouls mutate further over time in Ghor-tainted lands.

Weaknesses

• Weakened by consecrated wards and holy symbols.
• Destroyed by decapitation, fire, or complete dismemberment.
• Veil rites spoken over their remains sever the tether permanently.

Cultural Notes

Villages fear ghouls above all other undead. Their very existence reinforces the importance of burial rites — to deny the dead their rest is to invite them back as monsters. In some places, “ghoul” is used as a curse for those who disrespect the dead.

Related Creatures

• Zombies — lesser animated husks.
• Wailing Drowned — drowned souls corrupted in similar fashion.