Non-Corporal Undead

The myth of non-corporeal undead is as old as the first word was spoken. Nearly every culture found that could pass on oral traditions (and written language later) quickly started to mention these types of undead. Most concern the taboos surrounding the dead and the proper respect that such should have for them.

The causes and types of non-corporeal undead vary slightly by time scale and the society they are linked to. Common threads consist of:

• trapped by the use of magic or other means
• a violent death
• needing appeased in some way
• disturbance of the final resting place
• improper burial or none at all
• summoned
• cursed
• not entering the afterlife
• unfinished business in life.

These are but some of the reasons that they may linger in an area. Most of the non-corporeal undead seem to appear under certain phenomena such as in storms or other bad weather, or certain living beings entering the area they exist in. A few can travel and in some cases the use of necromantic magic can draw them to the caster. Usually certain undead such as these will latch on to a person, object or specific area and never leave, constantly appearing and disappearing when the conditions placed on the undead are met.

The conditions that cause the appearance of a specific non-corporeal undead can be varied and usually linked in some way that is related to it's initial conception. In most cases it usually involves some kind of strong negative emotion such as fear, agony, loss or even bonds of emotions such as love of another.

Since time immemorial there has been stories told of spirits and most intelligent species believing in themselves & others having souls. Regularly tied to religious practises, many early peoples believed that the purpose of funerary rites helped to send the souls of the deceased to the afterlife or to be reborn in the living world. Others also believed that such souls still exist just out reach, and can still influence their descendants, helping the latter when called upon using the correct rites.

With these basic beliefs, many have died out and some survive to this day. When the death or destruction of an individual, whether sapient, animal, plant, or specific natural feature, there can be circumstances that cause the spirit, or soul, cannot cross over, cast out, or trapped in the material plane, allowing for a haunting to take place. These souls lead to myths & legends involving supernatural occurrences and the remains of the dead cannot rest.

Every civilisation seems to believe in this and have built up a number of counters to potential hauntings with the spirits of the dead as the main culprits.

Spread over time, space, civilisation, and species, nearly every species believes in some type of immortal soul. Whether it exists only on the material plane or travels to an afterlife upon death, is found. Mostly governed by the individual, social and religious beliefs of the species these myths are found it, they vary as to how the idea of non-corporeal undead come about. One tribe might believe in ghosts that come about by not performing funerary rites at all or incorrectly, while a tribe nearby may believe an unnatural violent death will cause the soul to become a ghost.

It appears very few species don't believe in the undead in general. Star Spawn and Fiends generally don't. Due to their nature, they either don't have a soul governed by the rules that govern the creation of non-corporeal undead, and and little chance of them becoming corporeal dead at that. The former is of a substance bathed in the Far Realms and the latter is made of the very stuff of Hell & the Underworld.

The causes of non-corporeal undead are pretty universal throughout many cultures. It usually comes down to the fine details of what causes the dead to remain in spirit form.

Probably the most common forms found throughout the different cultures is that caused by a violent death, and an improper burial. The former usually comes about in acts of murder, battle or even execution. Sometimes it can be caused by accidents or by predatory creatures. The strength of the emotions caused by the death is meant to anchor the spirit to the area , item or creature, and not crossing over.

The latter is probably the most common form found and generally comes around by the burial of the individual not receiving the correct burial rites, or the body being improperly disposed off, if at all. Most cultures look upon the body needing buried, placed in a mound or similar, being cremated, etc. Without this being carried out, or the funerary rites being bungled or deliberately corrupted, leading to the spirit of the deceased not being able to pass on.

As a related point, if the ancestors tors are not treated correctly after death, or general forgotten in many cultures, like in the regions controlled by the Chinese, then they may come back to torment the living. The same goes for other cultures where even the spirits of animals or other living entities, are not properly honoured may do the same. This is something found in many hunter gatherer societies who worship the natural world.

The power of emotions can be a recurring phenomena with the non-corporeal undead. Violent or suicidal thoughts, or tother strong negative emotions at the point of death can trap the soul on Earth. These can also act as a beacon to other undead drawing them in to a specific place or region.

Rarely, a curse or the spirit being summoned can trap the soul of a species in a specific region. These cause the spirit to, again, being trapped and unable to move on. Sometimes, these are affected my magic such as in the cases of Invocation and Necromancy. These are generally forbidden in many cultures, and where they are allowed, they are rigidly controlled and used to benefit both society and the dead alike.

A rare few is trapped by the remains being disturbed in some way, sometimes linked to the previous elements mentioned.

Again a rare few will have some unfinished business left over from their life that when completed will allow the soul to pass on.

General Types

There is some general non-corporeal undead found throughout the world. These are:

• Ghost. Probably the commonest type. They can exist for any reason anywhere at any time. Highly variable, local customs and local stories can be a great source as to what the ghost is doing there.
• Poltergeist. Coming from the Germanic for 'tumbling ghost' or 'noisy spirit', the Poltergeist will interact with the local environment where it resides, it is otherwise similar to the standard ghost.
• Wraith. Some say these spirits are tied into Scottish myths, and tied in with dark magic and power. Usually tied in where spellcasting has gone wrong and the soul has been trapped changing it to an aggressive almost evil spirit.
• Spectre or Specter. Essentially another type of ghost, and generally comes across as an angry spirit which has generally been prevented from crossing over to the afterlife.
• Banshee. Banshees are generally a form of Irish Fairies and not truly undead. They seem to fall in-between both living Fey and Non-Corporeal Undead, and usually tied to a specific region or family, calling out when someone is to die soon withing a matter of hours to a few days.

These have regularly been observed, though many more exist throughout the world. Those listed can sometimes be applied to other non-corporeal undead found in different societies & cultures, and vice-versa.

Most people are afraid of the undead including these spirits. Many will avoid a place or person due to the mere mention of a non-corporeal undead being experienced around them. Many a cleric will try to quell such a rumour by carrying out blessings or getting the spirit to leave to the afterlife.

Sometimes an adventurer or group of adventurers will take up the mantle and try to lay these types of undead to rest. Also, it helps prevent certain individuals and groups from trying to use the spirits & the region for their own uses. The latter usually consists of necromancers, death cults, or groups like the Vampire Nation or the Necrocult.

Nearly every society has stories concerning non-corporeal undead, and regularly passed down in oral traditions from one generation to another. In some others they can point to a place or person who was haunted by a spirit. In a rare instance some can point to a person who dabbles in dealing with spirits.