Courtyard > Enemies > Zombies Greetings, apprentice. Come to see our little rogue's gallery, have you? Yes. Well, after all - why not? It's important to know about those that might harm you, and there are certainly enough individuals in the City who would wish to harm us. The ones who don't know about us see as a threat, and the ones that do know of our existence - well, sometimes I think they almost see us as trophies. At any rate, best you'd learn their weaknesses before they find yours.

Zombies

Classification: Undead Location(s): varies Variations: none Known Weaknesses: sword, dagger, holy water, flash bombs, fire

Description:

One of the three primary categories of Undead, Zombies are very similar to Haunts in that both are apparently a physical body without soul or life of any kind. Unlike Haunts, however, which are the result of a dessicrated Hammerite grave, Zombies are animated as a result of a curse or magicks of some kind. Despite this animation, the body continues to rot and decay. Thus zombies can be found in various states of decay. While some resemble the recently deceased, others cause one to wonder what holds the ancient bones together.

The foremost living experts on the Undead is currently the Order of the Hammer. The Hammerites have made it part of their mandate to destroy the Undead wherever found. For this reason many in the priesthood of the order have studied the Undead to great length. Unfortunately, even such experienced knowledge maintains the edge of religious fervor, for the Hammerites teach that the Undead are the result of a sinful death. For an unbiased account, me must turn to The Journals of Morgan - a book authored by Morgan, a hunter of Undead from nearly two generations ago.

Morgan was not of the Hammers but accumulated much knowledge of the Undead during his lifetime. Before his death, he recorded what information he could in the tome we now speak of. According to Morgan, any corpse - even those of the faithful - could be animated as a zombie if the appropriate curse or spell were cast on the body. Because of this statement, the book was considered heretical by the Hammerite Order, although its popularity endures even to this day. By Morgan's account, most curses were applied prior to the person's death, while even after death a fairly simple necromancy spell could bring forth a zombie.

Regardless of their origins, though, a zombie can summon reasonable speed and attack with astonishing ferocity. Common myth holds that anyone attacked or bit by a zombie will become one after death, but Morgan refutes this as mere rumor. He does confirm, however, that zombies often lay on the ground as if dead until disturbed. Thus one should be careful approaching any corpse while in zombie-infested areas.

Weaknesses:

Zombies are vulnerable to the same weapons and tactics as any other Undead. They can be destroyed with holy water, flash bombs, or fire. It is possible to slay a zombie with a blade, but such close combat is not recommended. Also, one should beware that zombies often explode upon contact with holy water or fire.

Threat Assessment:

Zombies, like all Undead, are a constant threat when tombs and ruins must be ventured into. Before venturing into any such location, it is recommended that one reads The Journals of Morgan - an excellent manual for fighting the Undead. Like the others of their kind, zombies are assigned a threat assessment of medium.

Return to the Compendium dae Hostilis