Necromantic Creatures
Demonic Creatures
Ghost
Any once living creature that has died in dreadful circumstances has the potential to return to a semblance of life known as Undead. As death takes affect the manner and influence of subject’s death: hate, fear and all manner of powerful emotions may drive a creature to return to the realm of life… Uncontrolled by anyone or anything save its own emotions. Ghosts are bound to the area where they died, sadly this can be quite an area however and a strong ghost’s region could stretch for a few miles. Some Ghosts have terrible magical power too, for example Banshee’s and Poltergeist.
Ghoul
Ghouls are a hideous life form that although not technically dead, falls within the heading of ‘Unliving’. This is for a very simple and horrifying reason. The first Ghoul was a starving beggar it is said, who thought to pillage the grave of a Priest who had died in noble service to his god. Legend tells that the beggar grave robber not only though fit to desecrate the grave, but to desecrate the priests body too. Starving and hungry beyond reason the beggar feasted on the flesh of the deceased priest. Only to be struck down by the patron god’s furious anger. The beggar died, and at the exact moment he died, his soul was restored into his body, to live a horrid, woeful existence between life and death. Hungry for eternity, a restless undead creature. A very terrible curse to be sure, though worse was to come. The beggar found that his hunger could indeed be sated once again, yet only by the flesh of the still living. The corruption of the Weave over the years turned the man into a hunched, withered and foul monster who’s merest of touches can paralyze a living foe.
Skeleton
Skeletons are the re-animated corpses of a dead creature, risen as a Necrotic Zombie and then finally bereft of the Magical influence of the Weave. When the glow of the Weave is no longer visible in the Necrotic Zombies eye sockets the creature will begin to rot and wither similar to a natural corpse. The once fleshy creature will now simply be a skeletal corpse. A skeleton can continue to function in this state for many years, before time and accumulated damage take its toll and the creature collapses into a heap of inert bones. Once a Necrotic Zombie has been reduced to the pitiful state of a Skeleton it becomes physically weaker than its more fleshy, muscle laden previous self. A skeleton moves at a walking pace and with no-one to control it, they often stay almost inert and dormant wherever they were when the Weave faded from them completely. Without the Weave they have no insatiable hunger and the ‘spirit’ of the creature is now finally gone from the living realm. A Skeleton will seek to slay any living creature that it can sense within its vicinity.
Spectre
Spectres are truly powerful Unliving creatures. Usually in life these were mighty Sorcerers who in their dying moments instead of dying chose to attempt to escape death... Spectres are almost identical to Ghosts, as technically they are the same. There are however, a few important differences. Spectres retain only a burning hatred of all other creatures and seek to return themselves to life... Such an unstoppable desire is unhindered by a ghosts ‘Focus’, and Spectres are free to roam the world in their perpetual quest to live once again. Spectres may never be abroad in daylight, and at the touch of the merest hint of direct natural sunlight a Spectre will dissipate, to reappear that night at the spot of its own final resting place.
Necrotic Zombie
Necrotic Zombie’s are the re-animated corpses of a dead creature. Any ‘living’ creature can be raised as a Necrotic zombie. Necrotic zombies follow instructions imposed upon them by their creator, who is usually a powerful sorcerer. The instructions given to such a risen creature cannot be very complex, usually a sentence or two at most... Necrotic Zombies serve their creators commands to the letter, and continue to do so while their creator still exists. Upon their creators demise, or should the creator lose direct control of their Necrotic Zombie then the creature will begin an almost feral hunt to sate its eternal hunger on the flesh of the living. Necromantic Zombies eye sockets give off a faint dark green glow, almost unperceivable in the darkness. This glow is the indication that a Necrotic Zombie is still connected to the Weave. While they are linked to the Weave in this way Necrotic Zombies seem to almost rejuvenate slowly over time, appearing rather fresh and ‘healthy’ (though more permanent injuries such as missing limbs, deep gashes and shattered bones certainly do not heal). When that link is finally severed, (usually after a long period of sustained hunger) a Necrotic Zombie no longer rejuvenates.
Vampire
The full thing... A true Lord of Darkness. A Vampire is an Unliving human, created at the hands (or rather fangs) of another Vampire. A Vampire must first serve its creator as a Vampire Spawn, and once this servitude is complete the new Vampire will usually become a rival of its creator. Most Vampires live in secrecy, hiding their true selves amongst the creatures that they need to sustain them as a food source.
Imp's
Imp’s are essentially the physical forms of Demons that have escaped onto this plane of existence. Most Imp’s are dangerous, calculating and powerful. An Imp is actually a lesser Demon, and as such they grow in power through the evil deeds that they perform. The cruellest, cleverest Imps need not revert to sheer physical intervention when their influences and machinations often cause untold suffering, death and mayhem. Imps can be destroyed and banished back their infernal realm, and each time a Demon is destroyed it loses some of its power.
Demonic Zombie
Demonic Zombies are not truly Zombies as we would know them. They are something else. Something far more evil, and far more dangerous. A Demonic Zombie is actually the corpse of a humanoid intelligent creature. An errant Demonic entity pushes through the fabric of reality and ‘possesses’ the dead corpse. This takes time, and only creatures that have performed an evil act may be used in this horrible way. Nothing can remove a Demonic entity from the corpse however, as the corpse has no life force of its own with which to resist the Possession. A Demonic Zombie is usually dark hued, with a lightless purple glow emanating from the sunken eye sockets. Most move slowly, as in death the limbs cease up and the body decomposes, yet some can move with a surprising speed. All Demonic possessions burns up the host body, making it capable of incredible feats of strength and endurance, yet ultimately short lived as it wears out and collapses, incapable of housing the Demonic entity any more.
Possessed
Possessed are almost identical to Demonic Zombies. Merely human’s with the evil intellect of a Demonic Entity housed within, controlling the still living body and using it with the victim aware and powerless to resist. Yet a Demonic Entity is within the Aether, and can only Possess a creature this way if the creature has performed an evil act. There are many things that can cause this, however the un necessary slaying of the helpless, murder etc are usually the surest ways of attracting a Demonic Entity. A possession is a contest of Will Power similar to Control. A Possession can be lifted with Celestial aid, or by slaying the host body. In either event, All Demonic possessions burns up the host body, making it capable of incredible feats of strength and endurance, yet ultimately short lived as it wears out and collapses, incapable of housing the Demonic entity any more. For the host, this is a fatal occurrence.
Miscellaneous Creatures
Abomination
A strange, mutated humanoid creature these poor souls are the by -product of ‘Fell Weaving’, humanoids who have either sought out or succumbed to the effects of raw Weave. Their bodies and minds warped beyond any semblance of their former selves. Abominations are inherently aggressive, malevolent and violent… They usually seek to attack any other humanoid on sight, yet particularly fear and avoid Necrotic and Demonic creatures.
Animated Object
Animated objects come in so many forms it would be impossible to list them all. An animated object is any mundane item, (suit of armour, coach, treasure chest, table etc) that is under the control of a powerful Sorcerer who brought it into ‘life’ with a specific and limited purpose. These are usually designed as perfect traps, ‘cursed weapons’ or guardians.
Feral Beastling
Beastlings are almost exactly the same as those created by player characters. Beastlings are creatures of the wild whose ancestry came into contact with a powerful enchantments or sorceries that changed them into that of a humanoid and animal hybrid. These creatures mature rapidly, with life spans usually much shorter than that of a human. They produce offspring at an alarming rate and can cross breed with exceptional success. However, most shun the company of the more civilized world, quickly become more animal than human. Therefore such things as humanoid speech and social manners are unknown to them; magic’s and mastered skills often impossible. Unlike their more civilized kin, they are far more feral and led by their basest animal instincts. Wolfling’s for example, hunt in savage deadly packs… Catling's are usually loners, who hunt by silence in shadow
Wereling
Beastlings are almost exactly the same as those created by player characters. Beastlings are creatures of the wild whose ancestry came into contact with a powerful enchantments or sorceries that changed them into that of a humanoid and animal hybrid. These creatures mature rapidly, with life spans usually much shorter than that of a human. They produce offspring at an alarming rate and can cross breed with exceptional success. However, most shun the company of the more civilized world, quickly become more animal than human. Therefore such things as humanoid speech and social manners are unknown to them; magic’s and mastered skills often impossible. Unlike their more civilized kin, they are far more feral and led by their basest animal instincts. Wolfling’s for example, hunt in savage deadly packs… Catling's are usually loners, who hunt by silence in shadow
Werewolves
If a human victim is slain by a creature under the effect of Lycanthropy it will contract the dreaded Lycanthropy Curse. A Werewolf is a human that is capable of transforming from human to a part wolf part human state. The change is almost instantaneous, taking mere seconds to perform. Any human that a Werewolf slays, if not consumed that night or otherwise destroyed, will regenerate and awaken the following morning completely healed. However, the human is now a Werewolf, and at the next moon will bring about a terrible transformation as the human gives way to beast. Some unfortunate victims destroy themselves rather than become such terrible monsters... Those that don’t often hide once again within society. Almost un-detectable. Only a wound from a silver weapon will show the beast as it snarls in pain and its skin smokes as though scorched.