Kathyrrian Zombie
The Kathyrrian Zombie is a special kind of Zombie created by the Kathyrrian Cabal, an exotic group of spellcasters based in the Acaians.
Category: Created Undead
Danger rating: Threat
Activity Period: Nighttime
Restrictions: None
Description: The Kathyrrian Zombie is a special kind of Zombie created by the Kathyrrian Cabal, an exotic group of spellcasters based in the Acaians. Due to the excellent worksmanship involved and the special abilities given to the zombies, the Kathyrrian Cabal sometimes sell these zombies to those who can afford their services. The Zombies look almost alive and smell very little. A prerequisite for creating a Kathyrrian Zombie is that the corpse is fresh, something that has forced the Cabal to keep slaves that are sacrificed immediately prior to the zombie creation ritual. The Cabal has managed to stop the decaying process in these zombies and because of this these zombie neither look dead nor smell particularly bad. Still the mouth of these zombies needs to be sown shut so that it cannot eat salt or meat, which would restore their personality.
Kathyrrian Zombies are branded on their forehead and chest with the stylized K rune of the Kathyrrian Cabal, and they have the typical zombie glazed eyes, but no shuffling walk. They are able to walk and work as a normal person. They can understand and obey complex commands and are more intelligent than "average" zombies. Kathyrrian Zombies have no recollection of their prior lives, though they sometimes retain skills they possessed while among the living. Spellcasting is complicated by having their mouths sown shut, but swordplay and stealth related skills still come in handy. They will do whatever they can to obey the commands of their master, which they identify by him wearing a special silver amulet crafted by the Cabal. Any shipment of Kathyrrian Zombies will also include a keeper wearing the silver amulet which he will deliver to the owner upon receiving payment. It is necessary for the zombies to visually see the amulet for the commands to be accepted. A blind Kathyrrian zombie is useless and will obey its last command forever. For extra money, the Kathyrrian is willing to produce unbranded zombies.
As these zombies are able to pass as normal people, they are popular among the unscrupulous as bodyguards and soldiers. They must be hacked apart to stop functioning and they are exceedingly strong. Even a single of these zombies will be powerful adversaries as they probably wonât be recognized as undead and hence eventual clerical counter measures won't play a part. As is the case with all undead flesh, they are hurt by Holy Water and Holy Weapons.
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? Responses (7)
Gosh, why hasn't something this nifty been commented or voted upon? This guy looks absolutely nifty. I love it, and I'll never look at Coldforged the same...
The preserved zombie is a classical addition. A plus for the salt and meat thing.
Question: how about sunlight? Does it harm them, or has just a negative cosmetic impact?
What limits their surprise effect is their mouths sown together - depending on their rarity, sooner or later will people find out. Of course their owners would give them helmets to conceal this (and some without the means will mask their servants in this way).
What is the backlash on the Cabal itself? Would they not be targeted by holy orders? What is their relation to the powers that be - perhaps they have "discounts" for the right people?
1. Sunlight does not harm a Kathyrrian Zombie. Indeed the zombies are often covered with hooded tunicas and cloaks, and only hands can be seen. The cost of these zombies, coupled with their skill, has resulted in them being primarily deployed as bodyguards and assassins (Two groups known for excessive clothing whether it be armour or dark night camouflage).
2. The Cabal is most assuredly targeted by Holy Orders. As one of the foremost Necromantic Cabals and practicioners of Dark Magic they are misunderstood at best and persecuted at worst. Currently they operate from the Acaian Islands in which they occupy isolated islands and make sure that no trespassers live to tell about their hideouts.
3. The Cabal is a heathen cult of essence weavers (mages) that only deal with the powers on a personal belief basis, or make deals with the powers.
4. Discounts would most surely be available. Their Zombies are not their only merchandise and in exchange for favours, services and desired goods, the Cabal could even provide magically potent aid to their customer. All for a price of course.
I like every part of this. I'm particularly intrigued by the idea that eating salt or meat will restore their personality to them, it has a very mythic aspect to it.
Captain Penguin took my comment.
I enjoyed this. I know this was written further back in the citadel's past and a few of the things I wished were detailed in here were not. An undead to fill my necromantic ways.
Wonder why eating salt or meat returns their personality to them. I wonder then should people pay the cabal to zombify them, so to speak, only to have their memories returned on purpose. Thereby making them relatively immortal with exceptional physical strength. Sure you may be dead but why do lichs do it?
The Meat/salt thing hackens back to the Voodoo origins of the Zombie - the non-undead form. Eating salt or meat would break the spell that made them a zombie, and of course was undesirable.
I like these - they make great mooks or even lieutenants.