Races of Phycos Part 3

And now we come to the last part of this piece on races. This time we'll cover immortals in general . This third category can't really be considered a race since these are not species per se, but rather a form of life different from the original. Immortals are not born but are made through various means, including mortals using powerful magic or gods creating them.


The way "immortals" are defined in Xhelia is a bit different. An immortal is a being who has surpassed their mortal life and transformed into something greater. Immortality doesn't necessarily mean invincibility, or the ability to live forever (although this is very common among immortals). Instead it's just a way of referring to a higher state of being. Granted, the common folk often refer to long-lived mortal races like aer as immortals, but since these races are born naturally, this is not the case.

Anyway, without further ado, here we go:

--IMMORTALS--

ASCENDED

The term "ascended" refers broadly to any mortal that has become an immortal, either through their own means or through the blessings of a god or heavenly being. No matter the means, the ascended tends to keep their mortal appearance with some variations, but becomes more powerful as a result. Some common examples include:

-Champions of gods, who are selected by a god's agent to do that god's work. Usually, a faithful follower is chosen and granted great power by the agent in exchange for a greater responsibility to further that god's cause. These champions, sometimes called templars, become important religious figures or heroes within their society.

-The immortal champions of the Thousand Clans of Myr'ahn, the southern faldax empire. A particularly talented warrior is selected for a ritual in which they are changed, ranging from gaining elemental abilities to being mutated into a more powerful being or even a giant version of themselves. This is seen as a great honor within the society, and is quite similar to the above example.

-Rilonian arch-mages who become so powerful that they are able to make themselves or someone else ascended using their own magic.

-Demonic transformations, in which a demon can choose to be mutated into one of the greater demon races. This is also similar to the above example.


PSELIAN (IMMORTAL)

Pselians, referred to as immortals by common folk, includes any being that came from the immortal plane of Pseliakros (world of the gods). These could be champions sent down by a god, or exiles, or even simple travelers. Pselians tend to be very powerful, since it takes a significant amount of power to cross back into the mortal plane. However, once in the mortal plane, they tend to become weaker. Despite this, pselians still keep a good portion of their abilities. Their most common trait is their ability to change their appearance, allowing them to blend into society seamlessly. The agents of gods often do this to further the cause of their religion.




UNDEAD

Last but not the least, the most feared and loathed immortal being, often not considered immortal. Undead in Xhelia refers to any being that has returned to life through any means. The main thing that sets this apart from the above categories is the fact that the being had to have died first.

Although undead can be created using magic, most undead are created due to the presence of what the faldax call "zus", better known as "dark energy". This is a form of energy that permeates certain parts of the continent, reanimating the dead as a result. This is the cause for what some refer to as "natural undead", which means any undead that rises without the direct assistance of another being. Although zus exists all over the land, some parts of Phycos, specifically the north, are especially thick in it, creating a large undead presence.

Although undead seem to never need sustenance, this is actually not the case. Undead exist by draining magic energy from the air. With Phycos being so thick in magic energy, a standard undead being can literally live forever just by using the energy in the air. However, more powerful undead use up larger amounts of energy, to the point where the magic in the air is no longer enough. These undead must rely on acquiring energy through other means, such as other beings.


The undead can also enter a state called the "dark sleep", in which the undead being becomes idle and sleeps for any length of time. In this state, undead can still absorb magic energy, allowing them to store this energy for later use. During the dark sleep, the undead's soul enters a parallel dimension called the "dark plane", a dream-like spirit world that exists between the mortal and immortal planes. In this place, the undead can change the world around them, allowing them to create their own paradise or even restore their old mortality, even if temporarily. It serves as a sort of dream world and escape to some undead, and is a useful way to regain lost energy.

Here are the most common examples of undead:



GHOST - The most common and probably the least dangerous. Ghosts are ethereal beings that have limited influence on the physical world. They can be created anywhere after a mortal dies. These beings are usually born out of powerful emotions or regrets, which seems to attract zus, causing the person's soul to linger in the mortal plane. Most ghosts are not aware of their state and end up existing in an endlessly repeating state, bound to whatever past caused them to linger. Others become aware of their state and attempt to do something about it, and others even drain energy from other living beings to become even more powerful, turning themselves into more malevolent wraiths.



REVENANT - This term is a loose term that refers to any undead that rises from the dead and continues "living", their souls remaining bound to their bodies. Most of these beings are destroyed before they even realize they have become undead. Those that do survive are usually wracked in confusion and fear at their new existence and their awareness of it. Revenants are essentially ghosts and can display ghostly attributes but are still attached to a body which continually decays over time. They are essentially walking corpses or skeletons, but possessing a free mind. These undead, when possessing a strong will to continue living, can become very powerful over time, even gaining the ability to change their very appearances and physical forms using their ghostly abilities. Most liches and undead champions began as revenants.



ZUSERAX - A faldax word, these are a form of fleshy undead that are able to continue existing by absorbing or devouring the flesh of their enemies, and are the closest to mortal out of all the undead. The sophistication of zuserax can vary greatly, ranging from mindless zombies and flesh beasts to artificial mortals who are almost indistinguishable from any other, such as vampires or agents of the flesh empire. Though these beings can be powerful, they don't have the same toughness and resilience as the fleshless undead, and are enslaved by their need to consume flesh.




BOUND - The bound are created entirely through magic and technology, and are a sort of "synthetic undead". In general, this involves taking a detached soul and binding it to an artificial body, creating an undead being. They function much like revenants - in fact, many older revenants choose to transform themselves into bound once gaining sufficient power.

The possibilities for this are endless - powerful necromancers and liches have been known to create artificial mortal bodies, attaching souls to them and essentially giving birth to an undead being no different from any other mortal (with the exception of lacking mortal traits and needs). Some create bodies that are entirely mechanical, creating a sort of mechanical undead being known as a "siraf", which were used to devastating effect during the Third Demon War as giant mechanical soldiers. Some even merge these two together, creating masterpieces or abominations all the same

Over the centuries, the more adventurous saal scientists studied the art of creating bound undead with mechanical bodies, a sophisticated practice referred to as "necro-engineering". Undead with bodies made of "necrotechnology" tend to be some of the most feared on the battlefield, and are often so sophisticated and different from their other undead cousins that conservative religious sects sometimes overlook them. In fact, in later years, creating a bound undead became a ritual much like the ascension rituals practiced by the agents of gods.


Anyway, that's that. That should about cover all the races in this mess of a continent.