Zombie
Zombies are mindless undead humanoids, usually former humans, returned to a state of function through Necromantic magic. These wandering bodies will obey their creator and can do simple tasks not needing any fine motor skills.
Creation
The first thing needed to create a Zombie is a dead body. The body needs to be somewhat fresh or kept in a fresh state through magic. It's generally frowned upon to use a dead body from a person who hasn't given consent to posthumous Necromancy.
A Necromancer planning to attempt to make a Zombie should be educated enough to know what they're doing. There's a lot of things that can go wrong. One thing is the ever-present of Grave Rot infection, which is tricky to spot before it's too late. The other is that novice Necromancers have a greater chance of botching their magic, which increases the chance of making Ghouls or Wights.
Upkeep
After successfully creating a Zombie, there's still a decent amount of work to be done to keep the Zombie functional. The most important thing is to make sure there is active preservation magic on it at all times. The Zombie is a dead body, after all, and the body will decay if not careful. There are too many variable factors to consider to make a universal schedule of how often this magic should be refreshed, like temperature, moisture, or other things decaying nearby. It is generally advised to check the magical protection every day, or at least every other day, to make sure everything's fine.
Grave Rot is another issue that needs vigilance. The mold spreads quickly between Zombies if it gets a foothold, and then it's too late. The only way to prevent this from happening is to keep functional Zombies away from all sources of Grave Rot.
Uses
There are several uses for a Zombie, even though they're lacking in both fine motor skills and ability to comprehend complex commands. There is a lot of manual labor that fits a Zombie worker. They are well suited to carry heavy cargo without getting tired if they have both arms intact. They can dig holes - as long as they're stopped when the hole is deep enough, or else they'll keep digging. Zombies are actually quite good at pulling carts and can keep at it for days, though leaving Death's Table is not advised due to the Zombie stigma that is widespread outside the Table.
It is not advised to use Zombies for labor that include food or healthcare. Even a well-kept Zombie might contaminate food or infect open wounds. Though Zombies can drive a mill for grinding grain, as long as the grindstones are in a different room than them, preventing contamination of the grains.
Longevity & Disposal
It is inevitable - a Zombie will decay over time, no matter how thorough a Necromancer is with keeping the preservation magic up. The average lifetime of a well-kept Zombie is a bit less than two years, with some lasting about twice that long. The longest functioning Zombie kept functioning for five years and eight days.
When it's time to get rid of a Zombie it can't be dumped just about anywhere. A Zombie is still a decaying body, no matter how many years a Necromancer has kept it functional. The best way to dispose of one is to bury it deep into the ground or burning it. This will prevent both unpleasant odors and contamination of food, people or other Zombies.
Zombie Stigma
While Zombies are a part of daily life in and around the Necropolis on Death's Table the rest of the world doesn't share this enthusiasm. While Necromancy is somewhat accepted in Kupria in general, the further away from the Table you get the more skeptical people will be.
This skepticism is often called Zombie stigma, even though it covers more than just Zombies. This is partly because Zombies are a very visible part of Necromancy in general, and often what people will associate with Death Magic.
When it Goes Wrong
Sometimes the soul of the dead gets pulled back into the body during the Zombification process. These Ghouls possess most or all memories of their past life.
Other times the volatile magical energies used in the process will create a ravenous creature, not at all willing to listen to its maker's orders. These Wights will attack anything in sight, consuming anything resembling living flesh to satiate their hunger.
Comments