Undead

Once living beings with purpose and memory, the Undead are now husks—reanimated corpses cursed into perpetual motion, with a soul-bound objective to destroy sentient life. Though found across all of Neo Keleva, their numbers have surged in recent years, particularly under the swelling influence of The Pale.

These beings do not simply rise from death, but are pulled into unlife by curses, necrotic energy, or exposure to ancient remnants of dark power. Whatever the cause, they lose the essence of what they were. Their bodies persist, but their minds decay, some slowly, others in an instant.

Many wander at first, haunting the places they died, clinging to meaningless routines. They linger near old battlefields, collapsed homes, or the resting places of loved ones, driven by echoing impulses they no longer understand. A child’s doll, a broken blade, a door they open and close over and over again.

But lately, more and more of these cursed beings have begun to shift—drifting not at random, but toward the source of something far greater. They join the Pale, the mindless and unrelenting army of the Skull King, Armstrong. Some scholars suggest they are being called, drawn like leaves into a tide. What calls them is not entirely understood—perhaps a lingering soul fragment, maybe something far more archaic than any spell.

Despite their apparent mindlessness, some Undead display haunting behaviours: repeating the last motions of their lives, whispering forgotten names, or weeping translucent tears that dry as mist. They no longer speak, but at times their mouths move in silence, mouthing words from dreams they no longer remember.

A few scholars argue that remnants of who they were remain—memories buried deep within bones, flaring for seconds like sparks in ash. But those are the lucky ones. Most are consumed entirely, their eyes dimmed, their breath replaced with flies.

Though Undead are prone to having their bones or other limbs broken, there have been observed situations where an Undead has returned with new body pieces after they had been destroyed in a previous battle against city guards. Undead have been observed to use pieces of other dead Undead, healing over hours or days, depending on the injury; severed hands would take hours, while severed limbs would take a few days.

It is said that to kill an Undead is to grant them silence. But whether that silence is peace or just a deeper form of death remains unknown.

Type: Monster

Life expectancy: Unknown

Height: Depends on their race

Weight: Depends on their race & type of undead.

Biome(s): Multi-regional

Language: Undeath (Only Undead)

Undeath is the language spoken by all undead beings. It consists of a variety of guttural noises, light whispers, and clattering bones, depending on the type of undead utilising the language. It is impossible to learn, as the Skull King connects to his undead telepathically, allowing them to understand him as if he were speaking regularly. There is no written form of the Undeath language, as normal undead aren't capable of calligraphy. However, Undead in The Pale are capable of writing only in their mother tongue when they were alive, though their messages are quite incomprehensible due to their bad calligraphy. Higher-ranking Undead in the Pale can write in multiple languages correctly.

Types of Undead

There are a multitude of Undead that can be found in the wilderness or an ancient battlefield.

Zombies — Freshly reanimated undead. They are usually predictable in behaviour, with their movements being sluggish. They can wear normal plate armour and use one-handed, two-handed, or ranged weapons.
- - Ghoul — Freshly reanimated undead. Similar to Zombies, but their different behaviour from these and the reasons for their creation are yet unknown to scholars. They are erratic, with rapid movements but weak resistance to attacks. A lot of plate armour restricts their fast movements, forcing them to use lighter armour, or none at all, as armour weighs down on their speed. They can use one-handed weapons.
  - Drowned — Aquatic-adapted undead said to be sunken sailors. Similar to Zombies, their main difference from normal Zombies is that these bear sea growth on their bodies or even webbed feet and hands, allowing them to swim to ambush from below, being faster and more coordinated underwater. They are usually predictable in their behaviour, with their movements being sluggish, much like those of a zombie. They can wear plate armour (though this will make them unable to swim) and use one-handed, two-handed, or ranged weapons.
Skeleton — Older undead whose flesh has decayed completely. Their movements are more refined as they have accostumed to their new bodies. They are slightly more intelligent than Zombies (for an Undead), allowing them to use light, heavy, or ranged weapons.
Ghost — An even older Undead that has taken the spectral & translucent form of a Ghost with a sinister look. They gain the ability to fly. Their flight speed is only slightly faster than the average person's sprint. They are known to have become mindless, trying to go back to find the right victim to kill to gain a body and become a Possessed undead type to fill that empty void they have within themselves. They are still damaged by conventional means, bleeding ectoplasm—their magical blood. They can pick up one-handed & two-handed weapons (except ranged ones), but using any plate armour removes their ability to fly, which means they can't pick up people.
- - Banshee — Similar to Ghosts, Banshees are specifically female Ghosts that can float, accompanied by the ability to release an ear-piercing screech that incapacitates their victims for a few seconds. The same rules of Ghosts apply to them, but they can only use one-handed weapons.
Possessed — A recently dead body that a Ghost has possessed. The Ghost obtains the knowledge of their victim, though not their abilities. Once the new body has been gained, they can't switch bodies. They use their new host body to unleash their anger upon those near them, to kill them. They gain increased intelligence (for an Undead), unable to form sentences, but can speak a single word. If killed, their spectral body of the Ghost merges with their victim's body, dying alongside it.

They are known to be quite hard to kill; although people often aim for their heads, some of them can still move without them. Despite lacking functioning eyes—or even any eyes at all—they can still perceive the living. Scholars theorize that they “see” the soul itself, which may explain why Gnomes can sometimes approach or pass by the Undead unnoticed.

Each type of Undead has its own vulnerabilities:

Zombies: Must be destroyed by targeting the brain or heart.
- Ghoul: Shares the same weakness—destroy the brain or heart.
- Drowned: Shares the same weakness—destroy the brain or heart.

Skeleton: Destroying the spine or smashing the skull is most effective.
Ghost: Best neutralised by severing the head or destroying the “chest core”—what some describe as a spectral heart.
- Banshee: Like other ghosts, can be destroyed by severing the head or striking the chest core.

Possessed: Must be killed by destroying either the brain or the heart.

Overall, the most reliable method depends on the Undead, so one must adapt quickly to the type of creature they have to kill at hand.

Another thing to note is that Undead don't breathe and therefore can't drown, allowing them to walk freely along lake beds, seafloors, or flooded ruins. However, most are slower and clumsier underwater, dragging through currents with little threat, unless in overwhelming numbers.

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