By Aleeah Cross

Gaia is a strange and wondrous place, home to hundreds of thousands of different types of fauna and flora. From the emerald forests of Espon, to the amber deserts of Dalmara, to the wine-dark seas and their depths, creatures both mundane and magical share our home with us. Whole libraries have been dedicated to the study of the various kinds of life inhabiting our world. But despite the vibrancy of life on our planet, there is one dark stain that nearly defies comprehension, rarely acknowledged, never mind written about:

The undead.

Entities that cling to a mockery of life long after they should have left it.

Generally considered to be myths and legends to the poorly-informed, the undead do, in fact, exist – especially outside of the Empire, where measures have been put in place to almost completely prevent them from arising. We are lucky to be able to afford to think of them thusly due to our insulation and relative safety; other places are not so lucky.

Though fewer varieties of undead exist compared to the living, there are still distinct types that can be cataloged and studied, with specific characteristics to denote each classification (Dames, 1695). They are found across the globe in all corners of the world. Horrifically, any living being has the potential to become undead; wherever there was once life, there is the potential for this terrible unlife. Some are more dead than others. All are evil in nature, a corruption of the life they started out as. All seek to end life, either just for the sake of killing or with the aim to grow their ranks until everything is like them – twisted, broken, and cruel. A dark planet, hungry for that which no longer exists, wanting more of that which it has already destroyed.

But it all begs just one question:

If there is a god of death, why do the undead exist at all?

Hades

The goddess Hades is widely recognized to be the goddess of death, though some less-informed peoples know her by different names. She is death and destruction, the true barrier to eternal life. It is said that it is she who guides the dead to their eternal resting place, decreed by Tadurin himself (Hamils, 1095). A strange, dark figure whose only purpose is to one day come for us all and lead us to whatever comes next. She is inevitable, in the same way as time passing is; even those who claim to be immortal are only able to delay what will come.

While not a mystery, and her place in the pantheon is widely acknowledged, she is not widely worshiped. In earlier times, our ancestors would give her worship at set times throughout the year with the understanding that if she were sated by ritual sacrifice she was less likely to come for them before old age (Bruxton, 789). This is nonsense, of course – whether or not a person dies has nothing to do with a god, but rather the factors surrounding the situation, and if we are claiming Hades can affect all of these things she may as well be the god of everything, which she is not – but the beliefs persisted for centuries. A few people still hold on to those beliefs, and so small shrines to her can be found in various places.

So then, one would think that if there is a god of death – one whose purpose is to guard over the dead and guide them to the afterlife – that god would make it so undead would not exist. Their very existence should ensure that, should it not?

This leads to two possibilities: that either Hades in incompetent, or that she is evil. It seems unlikely a being millennia old would be incompetent, which leaves us with just the one.

The only real explanation for the existence of the undead is that Hades is evil. Possibly even more evil than Kaldor. Perhaps her jealousy for her siblings’ recognition and worship has driven her to desire the same, but considering what her domain is, she can only take it by force, raising an army to do her bidding, a plague of undead to kill us all ensure everything that exists does so cast in her shadow, praise and exaltation given only to her.

Maybe if she bothered to speak to the living at all we might have some idea as to why she does what she does, but there are few, if any, examples from history of her speaking to mortals. Indeed, some cultures (such as the Nifoni) refer to her as “The Silent One” due to her lack of communication with mortals (Nakamura, 1945). Perhaps this is because what happens after death is unknown (though there are many, many theories), and so she is theoretically shrouded in the same mystery as the domain she supposedly upholds. Or perhaps she simply does not care to speak to mortals, preferring the undead she is responsible for.

Indeed, with the loss of magic, Hades is the only explanation for the continued existence of the undead.

Types of Undead

There are many, many types of undead – far more than the scope of this essay can account for (Dames, 1695). However, I will do my best to name some of the more common variants, the events that lead to their creation, their approximate strengths and characteristics, and what might be done about them.

There are two overarching groups of undead – physical and incorporeal.

Examples of Physical (or sometimes called “Corpse”) Undead

Vampires

I have spoken at length about Vampires elsewhere (Cross, 2026), so I will be quite brief. A Vampire is created when a previously-existing Vampire feeds on a living virgin, in turn feeding the victim some of their own blood. This usually happens over a period of time with multiple exchanges – the more times it happens, the more likely the turning is to be successful.

These creatures tend to be exceptionally beautiful, extremely strong, and inhumanly evil. They feed on the blood of mortals, most often killing their victims with how much blood they drain. Luckily, the vast majority of them have been cut off from the Rose Empire by the Warcross Wall – but should it be believed that one has been encountered, it should not be engaged. Attempt to throw grains in its path and/or cross consecrated ground in order to escape, and contact the authorities and inform a Seeker as quickly as possible. Failure to do so may result in it becoming a demon.

Ghouls

Ghouls (also called “thralls”) are the result of a Vampire attempting to reproduce using a living creature that is not a virgin (Cross, 2026).

Ghouls lack the intelligence and strength of their Vampire creator, and are bound to them beside, compelled to follow through any order the Vampire gives it. Indeed, they lose all loyalty to their former friends and family, willing to do whatever their Vampire requires of them – even going so far as to procure potential victims for the Vampire to feast on.

The fastest way to kill a ghoul is to kill the Vampire that created it, as it will instantly turn to dust. However, considering the difficulty in that, most of the methods that can harm a Vampire – silver, fire, etc. – can also harm ghouls, often to even greater effect. The only exception is sunlight. A Ghoul may still exist in the daylight, making them an ideal protection for a sleeping Vampire master.

Zombies

Zombies are corpses that have been raised from their immortal rest by a necromancer (Dames, 1695). Unlike the previous kinds of undead, they cannot pretend to still be alive, and they have absolutely no will of their own. They look like corpses that have been rotting in the ground for however long they have been dead – fresh corpses will look more complete; older ones show extreme signs of decay (Johnston, 1394).

Should the necromancer who raised them die, they will attempt to carry out whatever their previous orders were; if left without direction, it will simply attempt to kill and consume any living being it comes across. They lack much in the way of mobility, and are fairly easy to dispose of – simply take off the head and re-bury.

Movorae

Large, snake-like sea creatures with the upper body of a Human (Or Avari, or Aradiean, etc.) and the lower body of an eel, these are the result of the living dying while at sea and not receiving proper burial rites. The corpses end up merging with the deceased corpses of eels, either through Hades’ power or Kaldor’s.

The power that brings them back also makes them monstrously large and strong – some accounts put them at over sixty feet long. They are also extremely fast in the water, and will constrict their victims to kill them. Like zombies, they feed on the flesh of their victims. They will also attack any ships that pass through their territory in the hope of more bodies to consume. Unlike many other kinds of undead, fire does nothing here, since they exist in the water exclusively. Instead, try electricity, but beheading works just as well.

Snawfus

These undead in their natural form look like an emaciated corpse, and can arise when someone dies of extreme, desperate hunger. This hunger is so immense that it continues to drive the individual, resulting in it simply getting up again in its quest to find more food, which is specifically the bone marrow of the living. No matter how much it eats, however, it is never satisfied.

The snawfus has the ability to hide itself in plain sight through illusions granted to it by the goddess of death, making it difficult to realize when one is being targeted. However, they leave the majority of their kills (the fat, muscle, blood, etc.) more or less untouched aside from what is necessary to remove to get at the bone marrow. Thus, corpses where the bones have been removed and left nearby are often a sign a snawfus is near. Fire is, as usual, the best form of defence here, as well as beheading.

Liches

One of the few kinds of undead that are the result of a willing transformation – indeed, it takes a fair amount of effort to become a lich. The exact process is unknown, but all liches were originally skilled necromancers, and it is assumed that their skill with death magic allowed them to make a pact with the goddess of death to return to the world of the living after their time has passed (Pradie, 1511).

Since they were necromancers, there are usually zombies or other lesser undead under the control of the lich serving as servants and guards. A lich will usually operate from a fortified place, such as a fortress or corrupted temple. They are extremely difficult to kill, even more difficult than Vampires; they are able to come back time and again after taking mortal amounts of damage. Seek help from authorities; do not attempt to engage.

Luckily, with the death of magic, this kind of undead can no longer be created, though there are reports that a few might still exist.

Examples of Incorporeal (or sometimes called “Spirit”) Undead

Ghosts

Our first incorporeal type of undead, ghosts are by far the most passive of the types examined here. They are created when a person dies with unfinished business, causing the soul to linger. Unlike most other forms of undead, these are rarely aggressive, merely drifting as they are tormented by their inability to move on. Almost all incorporeal undead start as these (Lupin, 1793).

The garden-variety ghost can do little to harm the living even if it wants to. Ghosts with more strength can somewhat affect their surroundings, knocking small items off shelves and whatnot, but that is the extent of their abilities. A ghost’s presence can be indicated by a sudden drop in temperature when one is nearby, but this is not a conscious thing it does. These must be exorcised by a priest of any of the gods who are not evil (to be clear, an evil priest can exorcise a ghost, it’s just unlikely that is what they will do – they are more likely to turn it into a different, more dangerous type of spirit).

Lacking that, a therapist might be helpful here.

Banshees

Exclusively a female ghost who was so wronged in life that her only goal moving forward is to inflict her pain upon any who might hear her. She does this via her scream, which is so piercing that it can cause bleeding in the brain (which can lead to death). This kind of ghost can evolve on its own from the base form, or can be helped along by a necromancer.

Even though a banshee’s scream can be deadly, it is the only way they can affect the living (Lupin, 1793). They cannot affect things physically at all, losing even what ability they might have had as ghosts. They haunt an area close to the place of their death, making it more likely the people they are tormenting are those that caused them harm in the first place. Once again, only a priest is able to deal with a banshee, though there is some evidence to show that they can be contained by religious symbols, if it is necessary to wait for a priest to become available (Kralkor, 1921).

Poltergeists

A far more violent form of incorporeal undead, poltergeists are those ghosts that have found a way to affect the physical world by possessing objects and moving them that way. Their only goal is to cause as much fear and suffering as they can. These ghosts are angry, and want everyone around them to know about it.

Though some poltergeists start off with nearly harmless pranks, it does not take long for them to get drunk on the feeling of fear they inspire, driving them to more and more violent and extreme possessions. The most powerful can even possess a living being. However, this is their undoing, since they can be destroyed if the person they are possessing is killed, or the object they are possessing is destroyed. Still, a priest is the safest way to counter them.

Strixa

A type of spirit that takes the form of a demented owl, Strixa are the souls of mothers whose children were taken from them just before their death. They lactate foul, rancid milk onto the lips of infants, hoping to feed them as they were denied feeding their own child. It should not be a surprise that this is extremely bad for the infant.

Attempts to separate a strixa from the object of its affections will result in it becoming extremely dangerous, choosing to disembowel the child and feeding on its blood to avoid being taken away. They can be warded off with garlic, however, and fasting and praying nearby causes them to lose sight of the infant and fly away. A priest can also exorcise them.

Where Are the Undead Found?

The undead can be found wherever there is life to become undead, but there are some places noted for having a larger undead presence than others. Luckily, the Empire has measures in place to prevent the rise of undead and deal with them should they occur, so it is a very rare occurrence on the mainland proper. However, should one be considering traveling, the below locations should be noted as being particularly dangerous in regards to the undead.

North of the Warcross Wall

The first place to come to mind when thinking of the undead is undoubtedly the area immediately north of the Warcross Wall. This was where Vampires originally rose from the ashes of the Romaniian Empire, and where they have remained since (though not for lack of trying to expand south). One could easily assume that due to the prevalence of violent deaths there, other kinds of undead would also be common. Additionally, there are few resources to fight undead there, and since the fall of the Gini the entire area is considered lost to the undead.

The Emerald Shores

The most recent acquisition to the Empire, the Emerald Shores are nonetheless a wild, brutal place outside of the protected areas. Banshees, zombies, and Movorae are not uncommon to the area, an unfortunate side effect of the fact that witch doctors and necromancers used to be extremely common there before it became a province. The Brarr who inhabit the jungles are also extremely barbaric, and may have contributed to the issue. However, despite that, the land will recover, especially with the loss of magic, but it will take time under the careful stewardship of the Empire.

Patoran

Similarly to the Emerald Shores, death magic was allowed to run rampant on the Patoran continent, creating the perfect environment for undead creatures. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know for sure what the current situation there is, as the Lowkeef still refuse any aid from the Empire, and will not even exchange information about their status. It is possible that the undead are being eradicated there – the Lowkeef are known for their brutality – but it is equally possible they are flourishing (for the same reason). The Forbidden is forbidden to citizens of the Empire for this reason.

The Dead Seas

The Dead Seas are, of course, named for the undead fleet that surrounds the continent of Chatorin, and the Dark Lands are called such because no one is able to get past it to check on the status of the land itself. Or if they do, they never return to share word of what they found. Due to the organization of the undead, it seems probable that a lich is involved. Why Dalmara has never intervened is unclear, considering their proximity to the Dark Lands, and if it is indeed a single lich one would think a whole country could find a way to deal with it. Still, it is unclear what must have happened to result in so many undead, though it is likely there are other factors at play to result in a continent being so completely cut off from the others.

What Can Be Done?

There are various methods of dealing with the undead, though a full accounting is outside the scope of this article. Certainly those within the Empire have little to fear, making this essay interesting only in its academic sense. The Empire itself, as noted before, has put certain measures in place to protect its citizens; the lack of belief in the undead speaks to the success of these endeavors.

Still, education is one of the best preventative measures, especially since the death of magic has contributed to the steady decline of many types of undead. Perhaps their presence here now is just the last gasp of the mystical and unknown in the world, and when they are finally all eradicated the world will truly be without magic.

Should it appear that there is an undead creature of any sort nearby, it is always recommended to alert the proper authorities. It is not safe for citizens to attempt to deal with the problem on their own; we simply do not have the tools for it anymore. Contact the police and the Seekers; it will be dealt with.

Unfortunately, the one thing that is most likely to succeed cannot be done – it is theorized that if Hades were to be killed (if such a thing were possible), it would eradicate all undead. Simply another example of how some gods are more trouble than they are worth, but I suppose they can’t all be beneficial.

Aleeah Cross is a professor of history at the University of Lyndiniam. She would like to thank Rob Perry, Dahli Cane, Daven Carpent, and the anonymous readers and editors of the Journal of Empire History for their feedback on this manuscript. She would also like to thank Karla Frans and Gerith Steel for their encouragement, and Dr. Weston Bird and Dr. Lynne Farrite for their invaluable assistance.

Readers may contact Cross by sending correspondence to Faculty of History, Farlow Hall, Lyndiniam LY21 2RL, Agale.

Bruxton, Phaedre. “Worship of the Primoridal.” 789, Religious Texts and Scrolls, Box 67, Lyndiniam University Archives, Lyndiniam.

Cross, Aleeah. “On Vampires”. Journal of Empire History 500, no.4 (Winter 2026): 155-66.

Grole, Dames. Dark Creatures: A Natural History and Encyclopedia. Lyndiniam: Bestiaries and Books, 1695.

Hamels, Issac. Dark Gods and Darker Rituals. Charve: Temple Publishers, 1095.

Johnston, Erik. “A Study of Various Undead: How They Live, and How They Die.” Avon Review 48, no. 1 (1324): 95-109.

Kralkor, Dana. “The Remains of Deadly Women.” Journal of the Empire Academy of Religion 231, no. 1 (Spring 1921): 235-68.

Lupin, Dercott. “The Tragedy of Ghosts”. Journal of Paranormal Studies 93, no.2 (Summer 1793): 85-106.

Nakamura, Kaede. “A Study of Gods: Comparisons Across Cultures.” Journal of Contemporary Religion 43, no. 1 (Spring 1945): 189-235.

Pradie, Isack. Dark Magics Used Throughout the History of the Empire and Famous Examples. Avignjon: Aeon University Press, 1511.

Do you believe everything Aleeah Cross writes?

You probably shouldn’t — she’s wrong about a lot of things. However, Marcus is happy to annotate! Hop on over to Ream and follow my page for free to see what she got wrong and what she got right!

On the Undead