Undead
The undead were former mortals that died but did not pass on to the Shadowlands for one reason or another. Instead, they remained in a state between life and death. Most of them were also intrinsically tied to necromancy, and frequently fed on life. Depending on the nature of the undead and their creation, some could possess free will, while others were bound to the will of their creators, or the memories of their demise.
Biology
Most undead had some semblance of decay or showed indicators of their death, though some, like vampyrs, could hide these traits as long as they actively fed on life essence and used it to fuel the facsimile. All undead were generally numbed to physical injury, and many could be beheaded or dismembered with little effect. No undead had the need to breathe, and they were functionally immortal for as long as their bodies were maintained.
Incorporeal undead were composed of a substance known as ectoplasm, which was a unique energy that was only seen in these types of undead. These entities existed in a unique state where they were not solid, as they were capable of passing through solid matter or disappearing entirely, but also not entirely intangible as the presence of incorporeal undead could be felt and they could manipulate the material world.
Nature of Undeath
In the physical sense, it was largely accepted that the souls of the undead were somewhat imperfectly attached to their bodies due to the influence of the cosmic force of death. It was for this reason that they frequently experienced numbed sensations of pain or discomfort from most physical stimuli, and while the Light was so painful to their existence.
This was also why "positive" emotions (like happiness, joy, or wonder) were numbed and more difficult to experience, while "negative" emotions (like rage, sorrow, or guilt) tended to be felt more extremely. Frequently, undead were said to be "cold" or "macabre" versions of who they were in life, with their worst traits being accentuated while their better ones were numbed. However, this did not mean undead were incapable of feeling the full range of mortal emotion, as love, altruism, and other similar virtues could still be seen amongst undead even if the way they expressed them may have been warped by their condition.
Types of Undead
Undead were normally classified into corporeal and incorporeal undead, based on their presence of a physical form.
Corporeal Undead
Corporeal undead possessed a corpse or other body parts that were manipulated or reanimated by necromantic magics.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Abomination | Twisted, mutilated undead creatures composed of body parts from many different corpses. |
| — Fleshshaper | A specific variety of flesh giant that was constructed to quickly spread an undead plague by injecting the ooze of their bodies into their foes. |
| Lich | Skeletal mages that fuel their power through the consumption of souls and maintain their existence through a phylactery. |
| Vampyr | Predatory undead that feed on the life essence in blood and use it to maintain a living visage. |
| — San'layn | Vampyric elves that were originally created by the magics of the dread sword, Frostmourne, through the reanimation of Kael'thas Sunstrider. |
Incorporeal Undead
Incorporeal undead were ghosts and similar spirits that lacked a body, thus were not constrained to a physical form, though many of them could possess corpses or living people, or otherwise manipulate the world around them.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Banshee | Incorporeal spirits of elven women that were infamous for their unholy screams. |
| Wisp | Disembodied spirits of night elves that become one with the forests they protected. |
| Warcraft Creature Types |
|---|
| Aberration • Beast • Celestial • Construct • Demon • Dragonkin • Elemental • Fey • Giant • Humanoid • Monstrosity • Ooze • Plant • Undead |
| Undead Creatures | |
|---|---|
| Corporeal | Abomination (Flesh Giant • Fleshshaper • Plague-dog) • Crawling Hand • Deathcharger • Deathroc • Dullahan • Frost Vrykul • Geist • Ghoul • Homunculus • Lich • Mummy • Nightscreamer • Shadehound • Skeleton • Undead Dragon (Bone Drake • Emberwyrm • Frostwyrm • Magmawyrm) • Vampyr (San'layn) • Zombie (Vargul) |
| Incorporeal | Banshee (Farshee) • Shade • Spectre • Wisp • Wraith |
