Carthus of House Marr
Dancing with the Dead
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a new breed of undead soldier for Carthus Marr
- Image Credit: BBarends
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Korriban Zombie
- Name: C-Strain Zombie
- Designation: Semi-Sentient
- Origins: Helix Solutions Laboratories
- Average Lifespan: Indefinite
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Description: Intelligent undead soldiers, varying in species and appearance.
- Breathes: N/A
- Average Height of Adults: Varies, typically 2 meters.
- Average Length of Adults: N/A
- Skin color: Varies, typically common humanoid skin colors.
- Hair color: Typically none, occasional strands of white.
- Distinctions: Varying height and build, not biologically alive. Most are walking skeletons bound together by scraps of rotting flesh.
- Races: Any that fall victim to their curse.
- Force Sensitivity: Non-Sensitive.
- Danse Macabre: Contrary to the popular image of shuffling, mindless zombies created by Sith Necromancy, the C-Strain are agile (often more so than when alive) and intelligent enough to use weapons, operate machinery, or solve most common battlefield problems.
- Infectious: C-strain are able to transform living beings into more C-strain with a bite, should they be able to sink their teeth into unprotected flesh.
- Horde of the Damned: C-strain are not living beings, and thus immune to many of the frailties of that state. They do not need to eat, breathe, or sleep, and do not experience pain or fear. If ordered, they will perform even the most suicidal actions.
- Rigor Mortis: While they retain some of their living ability, the C-strain are nonetheless not a match for living soldiers on a 1-for-1 basis in terms of skill. Both motor function and cognitive ability are somewhat degraded.
- Flesh and Bone: Species whose anatomy deviates greatly from the humanoid are observed to be near-immune to the effects of C-strain bites.
- Brain-Dead: Any Force-sensitive individuals who succumb to zombification lose their abilities, and as such all C-strain are unable to wield the Force, regardless of their ability in life.
- Diet: No nutrition required, though many display carnivorous eating behaviors anyway.
- Communication: Typically basic, or whatever languages they spoke when alive.
- Technology level: Any they possessed while alive.
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A
- General behavior: When not on the hunt or assigned other duties, the C-strain are typically found standing or laying dormant in place. They are innately hostile to living beings, unless ordered otherwise, and despite needing no nutrition will engage in eating fallen enemies. Each is hardwired to be unquestioningly obedient to Carthus Marr, and will obey any directives issued by him without question. Each retains some of its former ability, and those who were formerly soldiers are capable of being skilled combatants, making up for their somewhat degraded fine motor skills with sheer resilience and determination.
Created to serve as the unquestioning servitors of Carthus Marr, the C-strain represent the next step in his mastery of Necromancy. Varying wildly in size and build, most are nonetheless humanoids, at least in general physical outline.
These horrors originated as part of a joint research project with Helix Solutions, wherein the organization granted Carthus Marr access to their laboratory and research facilities. After extensive work, what emerged was, at least in Carthus' mind, the ideal soldier.
A substrain of the Korriban Zombie, the C-strain differs from its cousin in the manner of its transformation. Freshly-created zombies experience greatly accelerated flesh decay, leading to most being little more than shuffling bones bound together by the bare minimum of rotting sinew and meat. Exoskeletal species or those otherwise lacking humanoid bone structure are rare, and indeed are likely immune to the creatures' bites.
The C-strain are also set apart by their seeming retention of much of their skills when alive. Most are created from fallen enemy soldiers or pilfered from military cemeteries, as their primary purpose is warfare. As such, these creatures can move with a surprisingly fluid grace, maneuvering intelligently and firing their weapons with (for a zombie) reasonable accuracy. In addition, they are capable of learning new skills to a degree, so even those created from civilians can be armed and trained, though they are not quick learners by any means.
C-strain are capable of speech, though their abilities in this regard are often degraded, and they will typically only speak to relay orders or frighten their enemies.
They are highly resistant to physical damage, as they have no vital organs or life functions to disrupt, and typically only cease being a threat when blasted or cut apart. Additionally, attempts to frighten or confuse these single-minded predators are doomed to failure; only violence will return them to rest. They are capable of fighting indefinitely, requiring no rest as a living soldier might.
Despite not needing air, water, food, or sleep to sustain themselves, the C-strain have often been observed engaging in cannibal behavior on battlefields, devouring chunks of meat that simply fall out of their open ribcages or collect in any armor or clothing they may be wearing.
Their bites are capable of spreading their curse, much like the Korriban-strain from whom they descend. Those so bitten succumb in less than a standard day. As such, the numbers of these creatures on a battlefield can quickly balloon out of control, should they be able to sink their rotting teeth into living victims. Worse, the creatures are intelligent enough to realize the effects of their bites, and will use them tactically to best effect. Even a single such creature lose in a populated area can result in enormous loss of life, given time, and are best dispatched on sight.
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