Undead

The Undead are those who have risen after their death. Each variety of undead falls into one of two distinct categories.

Reanimated Dead
The majority of undead are simple reanimated dead. These include zombies, which make up the bulk of the reanimated. These walking corpses possess varying degrees of faculties, usually limited to walking and other rudimentary behaviors. Their speed, strength, and capacity largely depends on the potency of the death magic used, the condition of the corpse, and the state of decay. For some dark arts, such as sanguimancy, the freshly dead are of greater utility. Other death magics can make best use of long dead, skeletal, or even mummified remains.

All reanimated dead are enthralled by whatever force reanimated them. With no will or consciousness of their own, they operate only to serve the reanimator--usually a necromancer--and carry out their orders with no concern for self preservation.

Fire is the only sure way to stop most reanimated dead. However, a corpse reanimated by sanguimancy must have the heart pierced or destroyed in order to cease its function.

Revenant Dead
Any undead beings which remain sapient and autonomous are referred to as revenant. These include liches, vampires, and some spirits. Unlike reanimated dead, revenant dead are conscious and sentient. Some are bound to the wills of their makers, such as enthralled vampires, but most possess free will.

It is believed that the revenance of an undead being relies on the persistence of the metaphysical bonds between such a being and its deos, or soul, which, at the time of death, is normally freed from the body. This severance must be prevented in order for the deceased to become revenant.