The whizzing of gears broke the still of the night and the smell of death was so potent it could curdle milk. Death swept over the encampment, slow and methodical, like a machine

Full Description

Mech-Undead are an abomination of technology and dark magic. They lack intelligence, blindly serving whoever has the intestinal fortitude to bring them into existence. They retain no knowledge of their prior life and are no longer susceptible to metabolic-based attacks (Poison, Disease, etc…)

Visibly they are much like traditional walking desecrations of life, with apparent signs of decay and emaciation. The rotting flesh that blankets the vessel is nothing more than shroud to mask the mechanism inside. Gears and pulleys hide under the skin, regularly breaking through, exposing them to the world.

With the advancement of technology there will always be those who strive to use it for less than reputable desires. The Desecrator, a once powerful necromancer who is now kept alive through similar technology, (He was betrayed by his apprentice, run through with a sword and kicked off a cliff, when his lust for power became too much.) created them for a couple reasons; to discover ways to advance the technology and to strike back at his former enemies in a horrific way.

Originally born in the workshop of the Desecrator, the inside of the corpse is prepped for construction by removing all organs and obstructions, essentially leaving the bones and skin as the only remnants of life. Gears and pulleys replace muscles, bodily fluids are replaced by various lubrications that have been magically altered to serve the dual purpose, running through the body in tubes rather than veins, and the chest cavity houses the bulk of the mechanism, which are tied into the brain.

A ritual is performed on the corpse after the mechanism is fitted to it. The ritual is mildly draining on the caster, so it is usually performed on batches of undead to maximize its potential. The ritual essentially overloads the brain with dark magic, wiping the memories and any hint of a previous life, while at the same time jump-starting it, bringing the corpse to its state of undeath.

Mech-undead were originally developed to get around the magical warding placed on Imperial cities, they are subservient killing machines and represent a disastrous turn in the advancement of technology. They lack the ability to speak, but the mechanisms give off a low droning sound that from a distance sounds almost guttural.

They can get around the warding because once they have been jump-started by dark magic, they become dependent on the mechanisms inside them.

To increase production, assembly lines were created in hidden locations, mostly in mausoleums under burial grounds. Originally the signature of the Desecrator, several other factions have replicated the technology and created small armies of their own.

A hideous site to behold, gears tearing through rotting flesh, blank uncaring eyes and no will of their own. They have become a wandering plague on Sanctum, roaming and killing with mechanical precision.

Additional Information

• Mech-Undead are both constructs and undead.
• They serve whomever births them, following simple orders to the letter.
• A fallen mech-undead can be "repaired," but unless it is by someone who is very familiar with Mech-Undead, they will rise and continue to serve their master.
• They bodies are empty vessels and are able to function only because of the technology they are filled with. They are unable to recall any aspect or memory from their previous life.
• Mech-Undead are immune to metabolic attacks, like poison or disease. They are susceptible to anything that would stop machinery, like strong magnets, water immersion, or inadequate lubrication.
• They generally act like zombies, they shamble and groan, doing what they are instructed. Their movement could be described as clumsy, but they do not stop until they are destroyed.
• Traditional means of turning undead do not work on them. They are mechanical, with no alignment or will of their own. They are a weapon and do the will of their master.

Combat Notes

• Mech-Undead are mindless, but not without a sense of self preservation. They do not attack unless instructed, but will defend themselves if confronted.
• They are constructs, but not golems. They take damage like a machine would. For example, a fireball would char the flesh shroud, ignite any loose lubrication, but unless there is an explosive nature to the spell, the gears will keep turning so the machine will keep working.
• They are undead, but are not kept alive through conventional means (for undead anyway). Spells that are specifically made to disrupt the forces keeping undead alive do not work on Mech-Undead. The spell may stagger them or have adverse effects on the flesh shroud, but they will not stop the machine unless it can stop the brain functions.
• Most Mech-Undead attack with claw-like hands, having their fingers either replaced or coated with metal. Other, though less common, wield weapons either given to them by their creator or what they find on their victims.
• If given the command they will attack until they fall apart. Self-preservation goes out the window when a direct order is given. References were made to the Desecrator and Sanctum. These are elements of a game world that are in the process of being submitted.

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