Revenants

Since the Breaking began, scattered cases have been observed of recently deceased ancestor spirits returning to their bodies and reanimating them as wights. This has caused considerable distress to many of the living, partly because of the trauma of seeing the dead walking but in large part because of the very awkward legal implications. More than one Arginese noble house has been thrown into chaos when the incumbent to the title died and then returned before their heir could inherit…

Wights retain most of their old personalities, though their memories are sometimes incomplete. It is far from clear whether they have a natural ‘deathspan’, but they can certainly be destroyed, after which point their spirit leaves the body permanently.

It is easy to distinguish a wight by their appearance - even being dead for a short time is bad for one’s looks, and that goes double if the death was violent. They are tenacious and can keep body and soul together even in the face of quite horrific injuries. However, they find it harder to bind other spirits to themselves, a fact from which mixed conclusions have been drawn.

Arginese society is a long way from adjusting to the existence of wights. Most people view them with revulsion, confusion, or pity, seeing them as horrific and unnatural monsters or as tragic figures sundered from the spirit world. The priesthood have mostly advocated a neutral approach, allowing that wights are a fairly unsettling sight but reminding the layfolk that they are possessed of (or by) the spirits of revered ancestors. A few, especially within the Reform Coalition, are more accommodating, seeing them as fellow underdogs and hence potential allies - whether the wights like it or not.

Physrep

Wights run a spectrum from looking like slightly discoloured humans to your typical fantasy undead monstrosity. They often have greenish, yellowish or white pallor to the skin and/or dark, sunken eye sockets. Ambitious people might consider white contact lenses or rotting flesh makeup made from latex.

If the person who became a wight died violently it is entirely usual for their injuries to persist in their new form, leading to excellent opportunities for people who like makeup to physrep dried blood, slit throats, and so on.

It is common for wights to look more and more undead the older they are, so players can build up their physrepping gradually if they want to.

Part of a series about Arginese society.

Humans - Fay - Wights The Crown - Government - Law - History Social class - Crafts and learning - Sexuality, identity, and relationships - Names

See also: Factions - Offworlders