Undead

Summary

In Eonil, “undead” refers to corpses or remains that have been animated or corrupted after death. Some are puppets driven by necromancy (e.g., zombies, skeletons), while others arise when burial rites fail and Ghor’s influence warps body and tether (e.g., ghouls, wailing drowned). Sea-corrupted husks known as the drowned form when bodies are cast to Ghor’s waters without rites. By contrast, mummies are sanctified preserved dead of Quintra and Denday—not creatures of Ghor and not subject to ordinary necromancy.

Origins & Mythology

• Necromancy: Properly rited, buried dead can later be animated as zombies or skeletons. The soul has crossed the Veil; only flesh or bone is compelled.
• Failed/omitted passage rites: Unburied or unrited corpses—especially where the Veil is thin—can fester into ghouls, retaining hunger and cruel fragments of will.
• Sea domain of Ghor: Bodies given to the ocean without rites create the drowned (mindless husks), while those who died by drowning without rites may return as wailing drowned (cunning, luring spirits).
• Sanctified preservation: Mummies of Quintra and Denday are ritually protected and cannot be raised by necromancers; rare “awakenings” are ward- or curse-related, not Ghor’s call.

Physical Characteristics

• Zombies: Decaying, shuffling, burial garb or shrouds; empty eyes.
• Skeletons: Clean bone constructs bound by magic; enduring but brittle.
• Ghouls: Gaunt, twisted, clawed; unnaturally quick; fetid breath.
• The Drowned: Waterlogged, barnacled, saltwater leaking from lungs; jerky “tide-dragged” motion.
• Wailing Drowned: Gaunt, dripping, eyes like drowned starlight; voices that lure the living to the surf.

Culture & Society

• Habitats: Battlefields, graveyards, cursed ruins, wreck sites, tainted shores and river mouths.
• Burial practice: Passage rites and proper interment are widely taught to prevent ghoul-rise; even at sea, crews now preserve bodies for land burial.
• Crimson doctrine: The Crimson Order rejects Veil magic and mandates cremation; some quietly add a passage rite before the pyre.

Types & Related Entries

• Zombies — rited corpses animated later; mindless husks.
• Skeletons — animated remains; obedient, durable constructs.
• Ghouls — unburied/unrited dead, corrupted by Ghor; cunning and predatory.
• The Drowned — sea-corrupted husks from bodies cast to Ghor’s waters.
• The Wailing Drowned — drowned souls that lure and drown the living.
• Mummies — sanctified preserved dead of Quintra/Denday; not creatures of Ghor.

Notable Facts

• Proper passage rites ensure that, if later animated, a corpse can only rise as a mindless puppet (e.g., zombie), not as a ghoul.
• Thin places in the Veil and Ghor-tainted ground (or waters) dramatically increase spontaneous undead manifestations.
• Sea-burial has become rare; most crews preserve the dead and carry them ashore for rites to avoid feeding the Drowned and the Wailing Drowned.

See also: Funerary Practices (passage rites & interment), The Veil, The Spirit World, Ghor.