One of the staples of fantasy gaming is undead creatures–everything from skeletons and zombies to ghouls, wraiths and vampires. But what does that mean for a swords & sorcery setting like the Middle Lands?
Enter the Great Death
About four centuries before the present day, the sorcerers of the southern Empire of Kavast unleashed a spell so powerful, so deadly, that it was intended to kill all sorcerers in the northern lands of the Empire of Zhangnan and the western land of Urre.
Unfortunately, the spell spun out of control and attacked people from all lands, whether they were sorcerers or not. Eighty percent of the people in the Middle Lands perished, as well as most magical creatures.
What does that mean? Aside from tons of skeletons littering the land and the fall of most kingdoms, the dramatic reduction in wizards and sorcerers throughout the land led to the drop in numbers of people who could actually summon the undead. Obviously that made them much more rare.
On the other hand, the catastrophe of the Great Death led to the creation of many angry spirits and beings. These spirits are littered throughout the land, angry at their fate and those still living.
What and Where
Where can these undead creatures be found? Undead will be found throughout the Middle Lands in populated or formerly populated areas.
Skeletons and zombies are created by evil sorcerers from the bodies of the dead to perform tasks for them. While still rare, these are the most common form of undead found throughout the Middle Lands. Evil priests also create them to guard their temples and kill their enemies. No matter what, they will not be seen during the day and in public.
Ghouls and ghasts, on the other hand, are found in the graveyards and ruins of Urre and Kavast. They are less common in the lands of Tiantang, and unheard of in the far north.
The more powerful undead–wights and wraiths–are found in the warring lands of Kavast and Tianshang. They are rare in the western lands of Urre, except in the battlegrounds of Yengzhi, Alemethor and Sarbreen. Otherwise they can be found in the burial grounds and battlefields of Kavast and Tianshang. They are legendary, and very rare.
Finally, vampires came to the Middle Lands with the Tianshangi. That is where they are most prevalent. Over the centuries, these foul undead have spread down the lands to Urre and Kavast. Universally feared and loathed, vampires are extremely rare, and well hidden. It is unknown if they are in league together.
Game Effects
In game terms, undead are going to be extremely rare. They will not be found in true wilderness areas, and only in areas where civilization has touched.
They will also always be evil. There are no lovable vampires in the Middle Lands–all undead are the product of Necromancy, foul magics or evil emotions. They are evil, and should be played as such.
Finally, in the Middle Lands, undead creatures always cause a test of 3/IQ for fear. The rarity of undead, and sheer evilness of them always instills fear in those who encounter them. If a character fails this test, roll 1 die. On a 6, the character is frozen for 1d6 turns. Otherwise, the character flees from the undead at their maximum MV for 1d6 turns.
So while undead creatures are very rare throughout the vast realms of the Middle Lands, they definitely can be found. They are evil, and to be greatly feared.
Marko ∞
(Originally published on middle-lands.com, on 3/17/2019.)
