Post by Trippy Hare on May 4, 2006 20:42:39 GMT -5
Necrid is the name given to any individual who is Undead or close to it, but retains some aspects of their own minds. Mindless zombies or skeletons are not Necrids, they are part of the Horde. Though there is little outward differences between the two, Horde cannot leave Erchaea, while Necrids can, thanks to their retaining some measure of their personalities and minds from when they were alive. Necrids can be of any other Race, though the Lich has a fondness for Elves in particular. This is seen by the Elves as adding insult to injury, and no doubt adds to their fury at everything the Lich has done. Not all who are given Unlife become Necrids, however, as it takes an exceptionally strong will to retain one's mind after death, and few are capable of doing so.
Necrids appear just as members of their former race, though there are some signs of the change. Necrids tend to be paler than their living counterparts, and their hair, if any, is much darker. They all have yellow eyes, though the shade can sometimes be so pale that their former eye color shows through. Hair never grows longer, nor do claws or fingernails: however, if the hair or nails are cut short, they will grow to the exact length and reform to the exact style they were at the time of the Necrid's Unbirth. The Necrid does not age at all, and whatever wrinkles, scars, tattoos, or other body markings a Necrid had in life, they retain in Unlife. Necrids also do not bleed, and their bodies are resistant to being cut and almost immune to magic, though this partial immunity weakens the further they are from Erchaea, and the longer it has been since their last visit.
Finally, all Necrids have a direct link to the Lich Lord's mind. This allows the Lich to see whatever the Necrid sees, and gives a Necrid access to any knowledge the Lich or any other Necrid has ever obtained...unless it is something the Lich keeps separate from the mind-link. Similar to a hive-mind, all Necrids immediately know everything all other Necrids know or see or touch. This wealth of knowledge is very tempting, but it comes at a heavy price. Unlife is not temporary, as life is. The Necrid cannot die, unless his body is completely destroyed. Furthermore, any command the Lich gives, a Necrid must obey. Their free will allows them to choose how to obey it, but they cannot disobey their master's orders.
Necrids have no innate talent as a people, and aside from the Link, have no real concept of unity. They are outcasts, even unto their former kind. However, any inherent talent a Necrid had in life, they also have in Unlife. Mages can still wield magic, engineers can still build, design, and operate machinery. Avians can still fly, elves can still communicate with the very land itself, and so on. Due to the physical variety of Necrids, some of them are quite inconspicuous, and can pass for normal even in their hometowns. Others stand out wherever they go. However, only in Erchaea is a Necrid ever welcomed, as all other kingdoms either despise them or doubt they exist at all.
The gift of retaining one's own mind and memories, while also being all but immortal and sharing in the Lich's incredible knowledge, is not a permanent gift. Due to the severe strain of both the Link and of existing outside of Erchaea for extended periods of time, most Necrids only exist for about 20 years before they lose their minds, literally, and become another drone in the Lich's army. As a Necrid goes mad, its body will start to decompose, just like any other corpse's. By the time their body has been reduced to a skeleton, there is no remnant of any sort of individual left. This fate, however, is not mandatory, merely observational. Few beings would be capable of having near infinite knowledge without going mad.
There are methods for killing Necrids, though the task is a very difficult one. One of the most effective is to dismember him, then bury each separate piece at least eight feet under ground. Though this alone will not kill him, each limb cannot act of its own accord, and severed from the body, with decompose normally. The body and head both contain Unlife, and will not die even after burial...but burial will accelerate the dementia that causes Necrids to lose all individuality, and without their limbs to dig their way out, the Necrid will remain underground indefinitely. Another effective method is to incinerate them, as without some sort of body in which the Unlife can reside, it dissolves into nothingness.
Necrids appear just as members of their former race, though there are some signs of the change. Necrids tend to be paler than their living counterparts, and their hair, if any, is much darker. They all have yellow eyes, though the shade can sometimes be so pale that their former eye color shows through. Hair never grows longer, nor do claws or fingernails: however, if the hair or nails are cut short, they will grow to the exact length and reform to the exact style they were at the time of the Necrid's Unbirth. The Necrid does not age at all, and whatever wrinkles, scars, tattoos, or other body markings a Necrid had in life, they retain in Unlife. Necrids also do not bleed, and their bodies are resistant to being cut and almost immune to magic, though this partial immunity weakens the further they are from Erchaea, and the longer it has been since their last visit.
Finally, all Necrids have a direct link to the Lich Lord's mind. This allows the Lich to see whatever the Necrid sees, and gives a Necrid access to any knowledge the Lich or any other Necrid has ever obtained...unless it is something the Lich keeps separate from the mind-link. Similar to a hive-mind, all Necrids immediately know everything all other Necrids know or see or touch. This wealth of knowledge is very tempting, but it comes at a heavy price. Unlife is not temporary, as life is. The Necrid cannot die, unless his body is completely destroyed. Furthermore, any command the Lich gives, a Necrid must obey. Their free will allows them to choose how to obey it, but they cannot disobey their master's orders.
Necrids have no innate talent as a people, and aside from the Link, have no real concept of unity. They are outcasts, even unto their former kind. However, any inherent talent a Necrid had in life, they also have in Unlife. Mages can still wield magic, engineers can still build, design, and operate machinery. Avians can still fly, elves can still communicate with the very land itself, and so on. Due to the physical variety of Necrids, some of them are quite inconspicuous, and can pass for normal even in their hometowns. Others stand out wherever they go. However, only in Erchaea is a Necrid ever welcomed, as all other kingdoms either despise them or doubt they exist at all.
The gift of retaining one's own mind and memories, while also being all but immortal and sharing in the Lich's incredible knowledge, is not a permanent gift. Due to the severe strain of both the Link and of existing outside of Erchaea for extended periods of time, most Necrids only exist for about 20 years before they lose their minds, literally, and become another drone in the Lich's army. As a Necrid goes mad, its body will start to decompose, just like any other corpse's. By the time their body has been reduced to a skeleton, there is no remnant of any sort of individual left. This fate, however, is not mandatory, merely observational. Few beings would be capable of having near infinite knowledge without going mad.
There are methods for killing Necrids, though the task is a very difficult one. One of the most effective is to dismember him, then bury each separate piece at least eight feet under ground. Though this alone will not kill him, each limb cannot act of its own accord, and severed from the body, with decompose normally. The body and head both contain Unlife, and will not die even after burial...but burial will accelerate the dementia that causes Necrids to lose all individuality, and without their limbs to dig their way out, the Necrid will remain underground indefinitely. Another effective method is to incinerate them, as without some sort of body in which the Unlife can reside, it dissolves into nothingness.