Waking The Dead Todd Montgomery (Quiktek) (tmont@cerc.wvu.edu) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>[ I know. I know this is old, but it is a good piece of an article and it does give us a large lead into a new area of magical threat.]<<<< -Quiktek<12:03:50/07-27-54> >>>>[ It is no threat Neomancer. It is defilement of the Earth, of the soul mother. The dead belong to her. The spirits of the dead must be left in peace. I weep for their souls. ]<<<< --One-Who-Knows<12:03:56/07-27-54> >>>>[ Those voodoun mumbos ain't nothin' but cracked. Tay ain't got spirit left. The ded ain't got any spirit. All those voodoun priest and priestessez do is pop some ol' tired spirit into the body. Fragged thin' is so mad and upitty it goes plum loko. I seen me one when I smaller (No cracks from yous Dandy). They hate everythin' and everyone. Only person they even 'motely here to is the Houngan (that is voodoun priest/priestessez to you northern types). And under that they don't have ah choice. ]<<<< -Mickey<12:04:15/07-27-54> >>>>[ Spirit of the deceased or just inhabited, tis not a difference. It is a malignant blotch on the human record. The bodies of the dead, as well as, their spirits are still part of the whole system of birth,life,death. Wo to anyone who defiles that system. ]<<<< --One-Who-Knows<12:04:48/07-27-54> Creating Zombies: VooDoo Synthesis Excert from AMPR Transactions on Spirits, Vol. 15, No. 8, By Dr. Hansen Gerron Beker Association of Magical and Paranormal Researchers Press, Washington, DC Posting: MagicNET and AMPRnet, August 2048. VooDoo priest have long guarded the secret to reanimating dead tissue. The practice, which is frowned upon both legally and religiously, has started to flourish in New Orleans of late. A VooDoo zombie is a very unique construct to the world of magic. The process of creating this construct is involved and can be quite costly. The first step is, obviously, acquiring a body. The stage of decay of the body is really of no great importance. Along with the first step is the gathering of necessary ritualistic items which are required for the conjuration portion of the process. After all the equipment has been gathered the next step is the preparation of the body. The body must be cleansed of any and all previous emotional trauma. This step is ultimately the most dangerous. Individuals who have undergone tremendous emotional distress before death can manifest strong responses to being turned into a host for the "Zombie" spirit. After the body has been cleansed it is an open receptacle for the VooDoo priest. The priest now summons a special spirit to inhabit the body. This conjuring, which is accomplished in a fashion similar to the summoning of Elementals, is one of the easiest aspects of the process. The spirit then inhabits the body and the process is ended with the priest bonding the spirit to the body. After a short period of time, usually on the order of 2-3 days, the body is fully mobile and under direct control by the VooDoo priest. The number of Zombies that a priest may have control over at any time seems to be dependent upon the magical capability of the priest not the charismatic appeal of the priest as it is with Shamanic spirits and Hermetic Elementals. Game Use: This should be considered another magical threat. But this one of a Hermetic nature. The people who practice this process of animating the dead should be given threat ratings as are done with Insect and Toxic Shamans. This is a Hermetic practice and is not limited just to VooDoo Houngans. Also a mage who traffics in Zombies may still summon Elementals as normal. Preparing the Body: Base Materials Cost: * 1,000Y X (Force of the spirit to inhabit the body.)^2 * Hermetic Circle of Rating equal to Force of spirit. Base Time: * Force of spirit X 2 days plus time for Hermetic Circle Unlike any other summoning, this process requires a large amount of advance preparation. Once a body has been found it is prepared for inhabitation by the spirit. The details of the process vary, but it always involves some sort of immersion of the body into a specially prepared mixture. The body will soak in these fluids which will "cleanse" it of unwanted properties. The Base Time and Cost of the preparation can be cut down by making a Sorcery (Ritual Spellcasting) Unresisted Test at a Target Number of the force of the Spirit to inhabit the body. Successes divide into the time and/or cost however the Mage wants. If the test produces no successes, the mage has accidentally disturbed the spirit of the body and will be haunted by a ghost of the body's owner. The body is also useless for making a Zombie. Summoning the Spirit: Once the body is ready, the spirit to inhabit the body is summoned. This is done exactly as if the mage was summoning an Elemental of the same force. But the main difference is the materials and circle have already been performed. Make sure to check for drain. Binding the Spirit: The spirit, once it has discovered it is to be put into the body, usually will try to go free. But the mage, by spending a Threat Rating point, binds the spirit to himself and the body for as long as the body can go without decaying beyond the point of usefulness. The spirit and the body are now one. They can not be separated. Although the spirit may still be banished. The zombie may also be destroyed if the body is destroyed. A mage can have as many as his Threat Rating times his Magic Attribute in force points of Zombies. Zombies have been known to go free. A free Zombie spirit can leave the body and automatically receives the Possession power in addition to other powers granted by going free. Zombie (Vastly different from the Corpse Cadavre of Paranormal Animals of Europe) Identification: The zombie appears as a reanimated human or metahuman corpse in varying stages of decay. Habitat: Anywhere Magic Capability: Innate Habits: The zombie can follow simple (20 words or less) commands from its creator or complete simple tasks. It will follow all instructions until it is destroyed. Zombies hate all living things and if not restrained, will try to kill and mutilate without regard. Range: Worldwide Commentary: Very little is known about Zombies. Powers: Immunity to Pathogens, Immunity to Poison, Pestilence, Immunity to Normal Weapons. Weaknesses: Vulnerability (Fire), Decay BODY Host + F QUICKNESS (F-1)*2 STRENGTH F+2 CHARISMA 1 INTELLIGENCE 1 WISDOM 1 ESSENCE F REACTION F-2 ATTACKS Humanoid Note: The zombie's Physical attributes depend on the force of the Spirit which inhabits it. Its Mental attributes reflect its nearly mindless state and eternal hatred of everything. Decay Weakness: Zombies decay. But the spirit in the body tries to prevent this. Every time a number of weeks goes by equal to the force of the spirit, the Zombies Physical attributes decrease by 1. When all attributes reach 1, the spirit is destroyed and the body rapidly decays to dust.