The Risen (also known as the Undead) are the youngest of the races, having been only recognised as their own race in during the 1960s. They are the product of necromantic experimentation on humans through scientific and magical methods. In most cases this attempt to reanimate the dead results in a Risen but, as human experimentation is illegal in most countries, Risen find it extremely hard to procreate, resulting in a very low population count. They also tend to forget their lives before becoming undead and most also go through radical personality shifts, which means they cannot integrate with friends or family they knew in life.
Risen tend to find it the hardest to integrate in human society, as humans find the idea of animated corpses disturbing. They live on the outskirts by a mixture of choice and necessity, however some Risen have managed to live comfortable lives in the human world.
There are those humans who actively seek to become Risen, driven by a fear of death or a desire to escape their mundane existence, but it is still technically illegal to create the undead. Risen activists and their sympathisers’ campaign for a ‘Pro Choice’ mandate on becoming Risen, but most governments are reluctant to implement these laws.
Risen play as big part of the Guild, as they are given both a job and a purpose after their resurrection. Nearly all Risen currently active have some link to the Guild and are fiercely loyal to its ideals.
Frankensteins
Named after a novel written by English author Mary Shelley, Frankensteins are the most numerous of the Risen. They are made in a variety of ways, from scientific resurrection to occult rituals, and come in all shapes and sizes. Most are patchwork people, made from different parts of different humans stitched together and revived by varied means, but there are also accounts of Voodoo raised Shadowmen, clay bound Golems or even reborn Christians claiming to be the messiah.
Mummies
Mummies are arguably the first Risen, having their origins in ancient history. They are made in a variety of ways, but most were created through exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, as well as an element of dark magic. Nearly all Mummies would have spent thousands of years in hibernation before during WW2, being sought out and coerced into fighting humanity’s wars. There are instances where new Mummies have been created through experimental means, but all these methods have never been recreated successfully.
Banshees
Banshees are spirits of vengeance, wronged souls that return from the afterlife to seek vengeance against those who have spurned them. They take physical form in the world shortly after death and some never leave, their desire for vengeance keeping them anchored to the world of the living. However, if their physical form is destroyed, their souls are dragged back into the afterlife from whence they came.
Biology
Risen are not the product of natural evolution, but of experimentation using a mixture of Chaos Magic and the sciences. They were not classified as their own race until 1968 when, after a long campaign, legislation was introduced to recognise their racial rights and allowing them to join the Grand Alliance. However, Risen population numbers are low due to the very nature of their creation. The methods used to create Risen are often difficult to replicate and due to laws illegalising human experimentation, many who attempt the process are imprisoned. The Risen themselves are desperate to procreate, to forge a sense of society and for their race’s future security, but are currently getting nowhere through legal means. Therefore, Risen are often made in secret and the practitioners of the transformation are elusive and hard to find.
Those who have become Risen universally suffer from memory loss, as well as personality shifts, sexuality shifts and moral changes. Essentially, they become completely different people from who they were before, making reintegration into their past lives almost impossible. In exchange, all Risen are ageless and most become immune to pain, sickness and develop high tolerance for harsh conditions. Some don’t even have to breathe air or eat food. Some Risen also possess the ability to hibernate for long periods of time, falling into a deep sleep and awakening hundreds or thousands of years later.
Costume Requirements
Each class of Risen have their own unique costume requirements. See their individual pages for details.
Special Rules
Not truly alive - Risen are extremely difficult to kill, as a result of them not really being alive to begin with. They therefore bleed out in double the normal amount of time. However, they are susceptible to both Magic and Silver damage. When hit by these damage types on an unarmed body location, the Risen immediately falls to 0 LH on that location.