Ghost of a Chance

There are very few non corporeal undead in Urbe Mortuus. Most ghosts were returned to their bodies when the transformation occurred.  It is also known that if the body of a ghost is taken there and interred in the soil, the ghost will be drawn back into it when it is reanimated provided the ghost has not yet moved on.

Some of those who return might see the removal of a physical form to be an advantage. Rogues of a stealthy bent (and significant skill) would find themselves returning as shades. In which case they would find themselves gainfully employed as hidden protectors or agents/spies.

If a fallen comrade is taken there and buried she will be given the same gift that all the denizens are given, she must however, remain in Urbe Mortuus or the power giving her life will cease to work. The form the person takes is based on her occupation. A spellcaster would become a lich (this may include priests, if said priests agrees to take the Dark Mother as his new deity), a strong warrior would become a skeleton.

As noted before the effects of the realms enchantment only extend to its borders, there is one way around this. If the citizen carries some of the soil with them, in a pouch or locket say, then they can extend there sojourn out of range. The length of the stay depends on the amount of soil transported. A coffin filled with soil will preserve a Urbein for one full lunar cycle, a small pouch will add another day. The unprotected length of time before the citizen dissolves is dependent on the strength of said citizen. (in game terms, if you are using a level based system the length would be one day per level.)

When the change took place, those that had been cremated returned as well. Their charred bones reassembled themselves and are bathed in an unnatural fire. They spend their unlife wandering around sending unlucky citizens to their final death or creating new ones. They are called Igneus Mortuis, or just Iggies for short, and are considered a scourge in the land.

Spirits who wander into Urbe Mortuus can attempt to seize control of one of the bodies of mindless undead, they can also travel about the place openly.

 

The Skell

I think it is time to step back and describe the commoners of Urbe Mortuus. These folks form the (pardon my pun) backbone of the society. The numerous fleshless are the miners, scribes,troops, and builders of Urbe Mortuus.

Communication- Lacking vocal cords or tongues the skeletal denizens have developed a form of language involving the clicking together of knuckle bones. A few of them have the ability to communicate vocally, this gift seems to have no pattern.

Society- With all of their memories intact they pretty much continue to live as they always had. They have their families, try to pursue their goals, work their jobs, in short they live. They have a fascination with the flesh of the living, sometimes this manifests as a benign interest, a sort of pity towards the fleshed. Others are covetous of those with flesh, particularly if the person is attractive or the skeleton was especially vain in life.

Music is a very big thing In Urbe Mortuus.  competitions are held weekly for such things as composition, originality, instrument building, and playing. The streets of every village and town are full of beautiful, if sometimes haunting, music. If a living flute player comes through they can expect to make a fortune and leave behind a legion of fans.

Also popular is theatre, as Skell play-writes via for coin and renown.  Actors mime a lot, sort of like Noh…with clicking. The partisans click back their accolades. those with the gift of speech are highly sought after for lead rolls.

Contest of martial skill are displayed in a sort of sword dance, although any weapon may be used.

When the enchantment hit those who had been consecrated were effected as well, as their spirits were pledged to their deities all that came back were mindless automatons. The mindless skeletons are herded from place to place, can only follow simple one sentence commands, and are prone to fits of mindless rage.

Military- They don’t sleep, don’t tire, and don’t need to eat. Their motto is simply “Relentless”. They have archers, heavy cavalry, knights, and foot soldiers. All organised and drilled to precision. In between training exercises and patrols they have two main past times; gambling and playing music. With lots of time to kill they are very skilled musicians with string and percussion instruments and admire those who play well. Every unit has a band and standard bearer.

The Ladies  guard is a step above, comprised of champions and given enchantments and magical equipment. Including their suits of black platemail that only reveal the pale blue glow of their eyes. It is said they are the spirits of Templars who changed their vows from god to their new mistress. They escort the Dark Goddess and attend her when she is in court, but are otherwise employed in travelling the realm to root out threats to her and protecting the citizens from assault by bands of fleshies.

Future posts on Urbe Mortuus will be written from the point of view of one of these champions. To better describe the landscape and people.

The Vampire Court

“Within these walls I am considered something of a curiosity. The only living resident not given the “gift” of The mistress. There was a gift given, however, a ring set with a fragment of black stone. This gift has two benefits, the first allows me to remain unchanged inside this realm, the second is that it keeps my neck safe from those bloody Barons on high. While speculation rages on within the Vampiric Courts about this gifts meaning, I assure you that nothing more then a few tales have passed between me and the Lady Urintei.

I am aged on this day one hundred and thirty one years and yet have all the functions of a normal man. I can only speculate that the energies of this place, while held at bay by the magic of my ring, still manage to prolong my life. Nor does exiting this land cause me to revert to my natural aging processes. As long as the ring is near I remain untouched by age or undeath.

This ability could give the Lady many uses for me, but she is content to let me run my leather working shop. At least for now. Before coming here I ran a tavern, but since there were few uses for drink or food here I had to rely on a fall back skill.”

Within Urbe Mortuus there are nine vampire families, known collectively as “the Bloody Barons”. They run Lady Urintei’s armies and govern over small matters. When the Lady goes out the highest in her favor is installed as temporary ruler so there night to night activities mostly involve doing things to elevate themselves while degenerating the standing of the other eight.

They constantly seek a way to seize power from her in a way that won’t compromise their rather easy life style. So far they haven’t succeeded in finding a way, and Lady Urintei knows about both these things and finds the whole affair rather droll.

The vampires need for blood is satiated by regular shipments of mystically preserved blood that is part of the deal with the surrounding kingdoms. This blood is distributed to the vampire households at a cost, the monies received go to fill the coffers of Urbe Mortuus.

Due to the strange effects of the magic the vampires in Urbe Mortuus cannot create another vampire. No one, Not even the Black Goddess herself it seems, gets to choose what form their return from the grave takes. When a new undead rises every Vampire has their agents afield in hopes they rise as a vampire so they can sway the fledgling into their house. Occasionally a resident may change types based on their actions, the Barons are quick to swoop up any who show promise of vampirism. Also, when a mortal visitor of noble lineage comes to visit the nine families will fawn over them giving lavish gifts. Each gift greater than the last in hopes that should something tragic befall them they will join the “right” family.

The Barons see themselves as the rightful rulers of all the damned that dwell here, and as such better than the rest. More than one arrogant vampire has met their final death at the hands of the Liche.

 

 

The Black Tower

“Urintei took up the books in the dark school and burnt the pages to ash with a mystical fire wrought from the souls of the damned. Taking only one tome out of those abyssal caves, the Befoulers personal journal. Thinking to use it against him should he resurface elsewhere, she brought it back to her library in Avenoch the Holy City.

Locked in her private study, she examined the Dread Lords’ words for thirty days and thirty nights.  She emerged onto the library roof and walked calmly to the edge.  The snows of deep winter reflected the light of the full moon, and cast long shadows in the courtyard below.

There she stood for awhile, staring out over the city. After a span of time had past she withdrew a large black pearl from her blouse. it sparkled, oily and dark, as if lit from within. “

-from the collection of Petis Andruv, historian

The Black Tower stands in the center of what was once called Avenoch, now known as Urbe Mortuus. It is a massive center piece of black stone block and mortar, in a city of black stone. It is said that Avenoch had been built of pure white marble now stained by darkness. Even the sky itself is stained so that noonday light is no brighter then dusk.

The ruler of Urbe Mortuus is Urintei, known as The Mistress, the Undying Sorceress, Dark Mother, or Black Goddess. It was from this tower that she cast a spell that turned every living thing into the undead. Every bird, worm, and forest creature for leagues became transformed over a period of days. Also trees, grass, and all flora took on the appearance of death while not decomposing. The soil retains the magic very strongly, any dead placed in the soil will return from the grave the next night after it is buried. An ancient dragon off guard, a whole grove of Treants, and a fairy mound were also caught in the magical twisting. In the days that followed anyone setting foot inside of this country of the dead was similarly altered. The power of the spell has faded now so one may visit the land again.

The people were transformed as befitted their station in life, their blood line, or their abilities. They continue to “live” as they always did. The peasants became zombified, Those of a murderous bent became wraiths and shadows, The army was stripped of flesh. The nobility became vampires and the wizards as became as Liches.

Although everything in Urbe Mortuus is undead, a traveler to the surrounding lands is in no more danger then they would normally be. Lady Urintei delights in visitors examining her handiwork in fact. As long as you obey the laws you may come and go as you please, these laws are, except for a few variances, the same as any other realm.

The Mistress is constantly tweaking little things or crafting new macabre things. She sits at court for four hours every night, except for attending Sunday Mass, attended by her personal bodyguard. Sometimes she takes a special liking to a visitor and gives them a token or takes them as a lover.

Staying longer then a week will allow the inherent magic to work itself on you, so it is advised that you are clear of the borders well ahead of time. Urintei will never force anyone to stay against their will, as all of her subjects still have their free will and removing that seems to violate some code or personal rule. If one of her subjects step over the border they will begin to lose strength until they collapse suffering the true death unless they travel in her presence. It takes two days uninterrupted on horse to reach Urbe Mortuus from the shortest edge, this means staying three days is the longest a person can visit the city and remain mortal.