Zombie
From Edge of Darkness Wiki
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Overview
Zombies are reanimated corpses. Unlike Prometheans (q.v.) they are mindless and often feral. The genesis of a zombie may be from one of two sources: magic or biology and/or science. As antagonists, zombies present various levels of difficulty for vampires. At the very least they present a threat to the masquerade -- if people start to believe the dead can walk, it's only a short step to believing in vampires. On other levels, a zombie can be anything from a nuisance to a wide scale threat to a Prince's domain -- as more people get infected, the food supply starts to drop, possibly to dangerous levels, not to mention the attention -- from authorities and the press -- which inevitably attends such a plague.
Voudoun Zombies
Some zombies are created through magic, most notably Voudoun. In such a case, the zombie is controlled by the Priest or Priestess (Bokor) who animated it. Voudoun zombies are often slow and clumsy, but usually very strong and very hard to kill. Generally a zombie created by Voudoun magic is not hungry, it does not eat or sleep, it just follows orders.
Voudon Zombies as Antagonists
For a vampire, a Voudoun zombie is often not all that formidable an adversary. They are often slow and clumsy and, though hard to kill, can usually be disabled with relative ease. However, the zombie isn't really the problem, it's the Bokor, the person who sent the zombie who presents the problem. Finding out why the bokor is creating zombies and sending them after you (or your friends and, possibly, still-living relatives) can be difficult and cause real problems. Bokor can be very powerful and often have living followers or servants in addition to their zombies. Fighting a powerful bokor can be very similar to fighting another powerful vampire in terms of minions to be destroyed, obstacles to be overcome and the inherent dangers of fighting another powerful being.
Sorcerous Zombies
Some zombies are created by mages. Usually this is done by animating the corpse with some form of life force (spiritual or demonic) not related to the person's living soul. Such a zombie is more of a fleshy Golem than a "real" zombie. More often than not a sorcerous zombie is very hard to kill because, even when you hack it to bits, the bits, each imbued with the animating life force, coninue to fight, or at least crawl around on their own if they can.
Sorcerous Zombies as Antagonists
Mages are always a problem for vampires. Their powers are unpredictable, their motives inscrutable. When a mage starts sending zombies to attack you and yours, it can be the start of a prolonged and dangerous fight. Mages and their powers are a force never to be taken lightly.
Biological Zombies
Other zombies are the result of some biochemical mutation or the result of deliberate experimentation resulting in a mutated virus or biological agent which destroys the mind and personality of the victim (and often most of their biological processes as well, making them dead in all ways but physical animation). Some such zombies are as slow and clumsy as Voudoun zombies, others can be every bit as fast and agile as a living human being. In either case, being dull to pain or injury, zombies can be very hard to subdue. Generally they can be swiftly killed by destroying their brain: a gunshot to the forehead, severing the head at the neck or crushing the skull usually works. Zombies of this type are typically hungry, either for the flesh or merely the brains of the living. Biological zombie-dom can be transferred via a bite or other injury. Hordes of zombies can thus be created quite rapidly as victims who manage to escape initial attacks suffer wounds that eventually turn them. Vampires are immune to the known zombie viruses.
Biological Zombies as Antagonists
At least with this sort of zombie, there's seldom a higher antagonist pulling the zombie's strings. Few scientists, mad or not, are willing to deliberately unleash a zombie plague; they're too unpredictable and hard to control. On the other hand, hordes of zombies will agitate the canaille and a vampire may even find herself fighting alongside mortal allies in driving back the ever-increasing zombie menace. Maintaining the masquerade in such a situation can be a battle in itself. And when you win (if you win), what do you do with your erstwhile "allies" now that they know the dead can walk? Especially if they found out who, and what, you are?
Additional Notes
All zombies rot. They are animated corpses and the process of decay is not halted by their reanimation. Depending on age, a zombie may appear relatively alive, or may be a seeping, bloated, festering horror. Damage they take does not heal and will accelerate the rotting process.
You can find out more about Zombies in World of Darkness: Antagonists
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