Crystalled Remains
The regiment marched into the fog at the command of the colonel, and we could hear the drums of the other columns moving at our sides. They seemed to... fall away as we went, and we began to feel that we getting off track. The colonel called to stop, and we tentatively did. We couldn't see anything at all. Not lights, nor comrades, nor the enemy. The fog itself seemed to have swallowed the rest of the world, leaving us alone on a stretch of over-trod hill. Even eight-hundred-some strong, each of us could feel the cool isolation. Standing next to the colonel, I had the perfect vantage point of the solid wall of fog. Then a flash of movement from within the solid wall of moisture. Then the shouting started. Down the line, a humanoid figure threw itself from the fog and into the line. Even as it's momentum carried it unto the gleaming points of sveral of the mens bayonets, it began to writhe unnaturally. I ran down the line, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The figure wore the uniform of the Lebaralli but I had never seen a Lebaralli soldier look so unkept before. His sleeves were torn at the elbows, and his coat full of holes. He had no hat, and was missing a boot. As I got closer, certain aspects of the body started to come unto focus. The arms were torn to bloody ribbons beneath the ragged sleeves. The holes in the uniform were blood spattered and shredded. Then it turned to look at me as I approached. It's jaw was held open by the mass of crystal embedded in it's jaw, piercing rotting cheeks and pallet like nails. One of the men leveled his rifle at it's brow and replaced it's face with a fist-sized hole, sending glowing crystal shards spinning off into the fog. They weren't bright, but they illuminated just enough to cast thin shadows for only a moment. A moment was all I needed that the crystal filled corpse wasn't alone. Dozens, maybe hundreds stood out in the fog, not far from our line. I shouted orders for the regiment to present arms without defering to the colonel. He understood without a moments hesitation.
-
Crystal Remains were, at one time, a purposeful creation. An attempt to make use of soldiers long since past their expiration date, thus keeping those with beating hearts living a bit longer. Perhaps a noble goal, if it wasn't so horrific. In physical objects, the proper application of Crystals to their structures can result in long-lasting and potent magics. The Crystals are cut to look like gems and embedded in jewelry. The pommel stones of ancient swords. The modern advent of crystal engravings and filigree. The crystal facets are the lynchpin of of such enchantments, and the field of trying to apply such additions to living beings is ever-expanding. Such was the idea that would eventually spawn many attempts to enchant humans directly. Certain efforts have eventually borne fruit, like the many varieties of crystal-infused tattoos that can be found across the world. Those, and the crystalled dead. Bodies implanted with crystal points and rods and animated by magic then commanded in battle as large formations. Unsurprisingly, the dead aren't great at minute tactics. Had they remained in the thrall of some warlord or king, it would have been a monstrous thing, but better than the reality we are left with. Aether is reactive, and sufficient amounts of it cause its crystals to grow. There are few places that can roil the Aether like a battlefield. Take both these facts, and you may be able to see what I am journeying towards. It was found, in short order, that as battles featuring the Crystalled Remains begin to grow more energetic, the Crystals used to create them start pull in Aetheric energies completely unbidden. Given enough time, the Crystals themselves will start to grow, bending the spells woven into them to the point of breaking. Nine times out of ten, this would simply result in the body reverting to a normal, non-ambulatory corpse. That tenth time, however, is the problem. At times, this mutation in the spellwork causes the body to be removed from the control of whatever mage had revived it, and it will start to... convert, those near it. What is likely happening is the crystals are attempting to feed on the Aether present in bodies nearby, which introduces Crystal fragments into other bodies, that eventually will start going through the same process creating the ever growing problem of reviving corpses.
Comments