Chained One

From Mizahar Lore

Chained One

Life is not fair, let's end it
Major features	Undead traits, faint reddish highlight in the eyes
Abilities	Enhanced capabilities
Population	Hundreds
Most common in	Found throughout Mizahar
Reputation	Hated by most

A Chained One is an undead who has received a single Gnosis mark from Uldr, their patron god. They are bound to further Uldr's cause, though depending on their potential and the nature of their deal with the god they may get more or less freedom to pursue their own objectives. A Chained One is more powerful than a gnosis-less Nuit, but also experiences powerful cravings that are unique to the individual. Hate, greed and envy are common themes to many of these deep desires, and push the undead to accomplish the tasks Uldr has set for them.

Overview

Chained Ones are as old as Uldr himself, which is at least as old as writing. In the ancient tongue they were called Randjaki, from Randjaq, the word for 'chain' or 'prison'. The word is suspiciously close to Ranuri, indicating that the ancient Humans probably saw affinities between those claimed by slave goddess Nikali and the undead of Uldr. They are not only bound to their desires, but also lack the shapeshifting powers of their more powerful brethren, the Wretched Ones. 'Chained' is therefore is an especially fitting term for their condition.

Classification

Chained Ones make up about 75% of Uldr's undead forces. Much like the Druvin, some would classify Chained Ones as a race, other as simple monsters, albeit monsters that can, in some cases, coexist with people. Chained Ones are highly variable, and it is speculated that Uldr views them as his personal box of toys that he will change and transform on a whim. When Uldr turns a willing target into an undead, their body is first annihilated and then reconstructed from its base components. It is not uncommon for the god to remake the body several times over the undead's servitude, changing their features and abilities to adapt them to changing circumstances.

While each Chained One is one of a kind, scholars have proposed a rough categorization system.

• Type I. Only observed on former Nuit. This race seems naturally suited to becoming Chained Ones, and their transformation often leaves their appearance unchanged. A Type I undead loses the typical sluggishness of the Nuit and gains strength and reflexes comparable to those of a fit Human unless their body is in a major state of decay. They still have ichor and can wear their bodies for a longer time with fewer visible signs of rotting, but must ultimately switch like a normal Nuit.
• Type II. These have no blood or ichor, with the mark of Uldr binding the soul to the body. They typically look gaunt and dry, with exceedingly pale skin. They often have bulging eyeballs. They do not decay and will slowly heal when damaged. Piercing the heart or severing the head will kill them. They have few, if any, deformities or monstruous traits.
• Type III. These are somewhat rare and theorized to be created when Uldr is in a particularly playful mood. They are wild experiments, usually built on top of Type II with frightening additions straight from a child's devious mind. Halfway between fearsome and grotesque, these Chained Ones can only mix with normal people if they manage to hide their monstrosity.

Obedience

Uldr is unique among the gods in that he cannot mark those who are not willing to receive it (however, it takes but a minor or ambiguous statement of acceptance to allow him to do so). The main reason is that his mark overrides a part of the receiver's free will and places them under the control of those with a greater number of gnosis marks. When a superior issues an order, an attempt to resist will be met with excruciating, paralyzing pain that all but disables the undead. The only known ways to get free are actual death (hoping Uldr does not claim the soul for a century-long torture session in his corner of the Ukalas) and acquiring more marks of Uldr. The upside is that those ascending to the higher rungs of undeath gain slaves to do their bidding. Of course, getting there is the real challenge.