Ghostly Undead

The Ghostly Undead are sometimes sent out to other planes by their gods, tasked with seeking out souls to bring back to the plane. These spirits only faintly understand their purpose; some believe they seek worthy souls to reward with paradise, others believe that they have come to bring down divine retribution on the foes of their gods. The Ghostly Undead only know for certain that they may solely return once they have taken enough souls to satisfy their masters. 

As the Ghostly Undead wander the outside of the Empyrean Plane, their gods’ glamors come undone, gradually causing them to become aware of their true appearance and surroundings. Many Ghostly Undead are horrified when confronted with their true nature, which drives them to a spiteful madness where they lose any sense of self and lash out furiously at any living creatures. Others become convinced that they have been trapped in an illusion, as a punishment for displeasing their god in some way, seeking desperately to redeem themselves so they may return to the Empyrean Plane.

 The Ghostly Undead have begun to pour into Tyria ever since the Rift opened many once-hidden Voidgates in Tyria. Once thought of as mere legend, it is now not uncommon to see large processions of Ghostly Undead prowling through the forgotten fringes of Tyria, seeking to claim those who have strayed too far from their homes. Sometimes they have also been known to bargain with mortals of Tyria who can offer them magic, souls, or a means of return to their home. 

How will you find your way through the mortal planes?

History

The Empyrean Plane

The Ghostly Undead are the souls of the lingering dead. They enter Tyria from the Empyrean Plane, which some in Tyria believe to be the afterlife, ruled over by a pantheon of death gods. In truth, the Gods of this plane draw their energy from the souls of those who live there; gradually draining their memories, thoughts and personalities until nothing remains of the soul.

The Eternal Kingdoms

The plane is divided into a number of kingdoms which reflect the gods who rule them. The souls that reside in these kingdoms see the world around them as their god wills it: whether it’s a magnificent and heavenly kingdom, a warrior’s paradise or a terrible place of pain and torture.

False Paradise

A mortal in the Empyrean Plane would instead see shambling spirits lurking over desolate ruins, playing out mortal lives which have long been lost. Many of these spirits have completely forgotten their mortal lives, performing actions without understanding them, while others remember only scattered fragments.

Seekers of Souls

At times, the Ghostly Undead may leave their realm in order to seek out souls in the mortal planes. Some believe they seek worthy souls to reward with paradise, others claim the spirits bring divine retribution. The gods of the Empyrean send their hosts out to other planes in order to bring them fresh souls, kicking and screaming back into the plane.

Faced with Reality

Outside of the Empyrean Plane, Ghostly Undead slowly become aware of their surroundings and their true appearance. Most of them are horrified to see their true forms and lash out at any nearby living creatures they find. These unfortunate souls believe that they are trapped in an illusion and will do anything to return to the Empyrean Plane.

The Rift

As the Rift opened a number of Voidgates in Tyria, the Ghostly Undead have begun to come there in search of souls. Once thought of as mere legend, it is now not uncommon to see large processions of Ghostly Undead prowling through the forgotten fringes of Tyria, seeking to claim those who have strayed too far from their homes. They have been known to bargain with mortals of Tyria who can offer them magic, souls, or a means to return home.

Society

The ghostly undead are spirits of the dead, exiled from a place called the Empyrean Plane. The Gods of the Empyrean Plane rule over a variety of realms in which they lure spirits. These realms are often modelled to reflect the spirit’s beliefs about the afterlife. But in truth, these realms are illusory, a facade to keep the spirits there while the Gods slowly feed on their very essence, their memories, thoughts and personalities. Ever thirsty, the Death Gods banish swaths of ghosts into Tyria, barring them from entering the Empyrean Plane until they’ve collected a sufficient tribute of souls for their Gods. As the veil of illusion wears off, the outcast ghosts start seeing themselves as they really are: fading shadows clad in mortuary masks and moth-eaten shrews, desperate for a last taste of heaven before their consciousness is swallowed by a hungry god.

The Empyrean Plane

Often referred to as the Eternal Kingdoms, the various domains of the Empyrean Plane are shaped to trick the souls of the dead into believing they have reached their promised afterlife. They might see majestic dining halls where their ancestors feast, sunlit meadows where angels sing celestial hymns, or whatever else they think heaven is like. This is a result of the Death Gods’ powers, a kind of illusion spell designed to exploit a spirit’s hopes. A mortal venturing there would instead see shambling spirits lurking over desolate ruins, playing out mortal lives which have long been lost. Looming over them, the Death Gods slowly syphon their essence, and the ghosts gradually turn into confused, empty husks that repeat senseless tasks and rituals based on fragments of memories. When they have been drained of everything, they become part of the endless layer of dust that covers the ground of the Empyrean Plane.

Soul Seekers

Legends say that when a living being dies without proper burial, its spirit is, for a time, can be set adrift amongst the planes. No one knows where the spirits disappear to in the end, but during this transitional period, they are preyed upon by various entities: sorcerers, necromancers, eldritch beings. The Death Gods are part of these predators. They trick the spirits into believing they have reached their resting place, and forge an arcane bond with them under these false pretences. Once the bond is created, it is almost unbreakable and the Death Gods can start draining the spirits. But they want more, and so they send out hordes of ghosts back into other planes after having given them a literal taste of heaven, with the mission of bringing them more souls in order to earn their return into the Empyrean Plane. The Gods are expert manipulators, and each one presents this deal in a different way. Some Ghostly Undead believe that they are tasked with finding worthy souls to reward, whereas others think they are punishing sinners.

Spirit Hosts

Groups of Ghostly Undead are often called hosts. The type of social structure they adopt often reflects their former culture, although the most powerful ghosts are usually those with a strong will and personality that can withstand the Gods’ thirst. The meek and weak-willed are the first to fade, and a prince in life might very well become a mindless drone in death, while a peasant with a powerful personality could turn into a ghostly general. To mortals, hosts appear as bands of floating shrews with shadowy features, covered in mortuary masks and coins, wielding rusted blades and wailing in pain. They can behave quite differently, depending on what kind of illusion they are under. Some will offer to purchase people’s souls, others will haunt battlefields and cemeteries in search of wandering spirits to herd, and some hosts will simply attack anyone they deem worthy.

Dawning Truth

The Death Gods’ illusions tend to fade when ghosts stay away from the Empyrean Plane for a long time. The ghosts start seeing themselves as mortals see them rather than the idealised vision that prevails in the Empyrean Plane. It is a disturbing and painful phenomenon, and different hosts have different explanations for it, whether it be the corrupting influence of an unclean world, a cruel punishment for yet unabsolved sins, or the terrifying symptoms of being locked out of heaven. Whatever their explanation is, it is a great source of distress to them, and they usually believe that finding more souls for their God is the key to correct this, not realising that what they’re seeing is the true face of their Gods.

Beyond Illusions

Not all Ghostly Undead are fooled by the Death Gods’ spell. Whether through research, luck or uncanny insights, some of them have figured out the true nature of their relationship. Some hosts have outright rebelled, refusing to recruit souls and trying to find magical means to stop the gods from absorbing them, sometimes even scheming against their abusive masters. Others try to warn their former people and help design ways to protect more spirits from being trapped. The most cynical have used their knowledge to simply bargain with their God, becoming the most ruthless and efficient reapers of souls in exchange for a prolonged undeath. Some spirits can’t take the shock and go feral, attacking mortals indiscriminately and growing wilder and more unhinged as the Gods consume what’s left of their minds.

Reflections of What Was

The Death Gods show little mercy to any except their most useful servants. The ultimate fate of most Ghostly Undead is to lose their mind as their memories are gradually consumed, joining the ranks of empty husks in the first line of battle then dissolving into dust when there is nothing left. Even those who buy into the illusion feel a nagging doubt that something is not right, a creeping dread that colours everything. Only the most exceptional of minds manage to conserve their personalities and remain individuals for a significant length of time. Among those there are great generals who know their task and execute it masterfully, glorious heroes who cling to their humanity and defend what they feel is right, and cunning tricksters who manage to evade the clutches of the Death Gods and their other foes. Despite the doom hanging over them, even ghosts can shine sometimes.

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