Difference between revisions of "Revenant"

Revision as of 00:19, 16 May 2014

Revenants are a type of undead, distinguished by their increased strength, speed, and independence as a result of having a living soul, rather than a mock soul like the shambling dead. Some revenants still have dead grey flesh, while others are merely skeletons, and some are nothing but ghosts. All can be distinguished, however, by their pale glowing eyes, which may glow slightly different colors in different individuals, for reasons not fully understood.

In Northrim, revenants are called draugr. In Deshret, they are called ghouls, and are sometimes confused with Hyetzi due to their penchant for eating human flesh. In Kemhet, due to their burial practices, they are often animated mummies.

Nature

Revenants are creations of necromancy. Sometimes they are the result of the individual himself calling upon any dark powers who would listen to grant him vengeance, in which case their soul is kept from the afterlife long enough to carry out the desired deed. Such an individual usually dooms their soul to a demon unless saved.

Other revenants are created by a necromantic spell. In many cases this is an oath made in the name of a demon or a god of death to carry out a certain task for eternity. For example, Pharaohs in Kemhet may bind their soldiers and slaves to guard their tombs, causing them to rise from the dead and attack if the tomb is disturbed. Should such an oath-bound revenant fulfill their oath completely, or the oath become impossible to fulfill (such as by the destruction of the tomb they swore to protect), their spirits will be released and proceed to the afterlife.

A necromancer may also bind the soul of a recently-deceased individual to his service, causing them to rise from the dead and obey his or her commands, forcing them to watch helplessly as their now-dead form carries out the necromancer's will. In some cases, the soul empowering such a revenant may not be the corpse's original owner, but another person's spirit the necromancer had bound in a soulstone.

In most cases, the destruction of a revenant's body frees their soul to return to the spirit realm and await its final judgment. However, the souls of the strongest-willed revenants will refuse to proceed to the afterlife and can attack and harm mortals even as ghosts. Such spectral revenants can only be harmed through magical means, and once defeated, may pass on the afterlife or perhaps be destroyed forever.

Abilities

The necromantic magic animating a revenant, fueled by the power of a true soul, gives them great strength and speed, even if their living tissue is sheared away to mere bones, leaving only a skeleton with the telltale glowing eyes of a ghoul. But through a process similar to a vampire drinking living blood, a powerful revenant can consume living tissue to regenerate their own. Unlike a vampire, however, they will never again resemble the living. Their healed tissue is grey, dead, and hideously scarred.

Like all creatures created by demonic magic, revenants are burned by holy magic and the light of the sun.