Halloween-ish

What About Worldbuilding?

At the end of the day, we can ignore the million little things that make us different when faced with our common fate. We’re all going to die, some sooner than later, and it is that bit of knowledge that torments every facet of daily life.

It’s something so small as to be negligible, and we can go about our lives while ignoring it for the most part… but that doesn’t make it go away.

Naturally, this obsession with death and bled over to fiction and popular media, with a good deal of the focus being on the ability to defy death. Mummies, Vampires, Zombies, and assorted other undead are variations of this, but most stem directly from one very old, very prevalent concept: Necromancy.

The Dead and Divination

Before we even discuss the mess involved with raising the dead, let’s dial it back and acknowledge that Necromancy itself is a broader concept than simply raising a corpse and putting it to work. That sort of thing can be fun to read, but it’s not the only way to go about things.

Communing with the dead is more accessible in a typical low-magic setting. Instead of drawing back the soul in question, you find a way to talk to them in.. the Beyond. I don’t know, call it whatever you want but remember that. You can do a great many things with necromancy that doesn’t require lightning, a laboratory, or a loyal assistant.

No dark and stormy nights for you, they’re not strictly necessary.

Speaking with the dead, that’s more important… right? Be it for closure, to resolve some mystery, or seek out the location of some long-abandoned treasure, having a chat with the dearly departed can open up a lot of avenues.

You don’t need to raise their corpse into some slobbering mess either, it’s just cleaner for all parties involved.

Different Types of Dead

Everyone loves ghosts. They’re great…

So many famous and friendly ghosts. There was Casper and… Okay, we’ve exhausted my knowledge on the matter, but ghosts are great. Within reason, anyway.

So long as they don’t instantly solve problems the plot encounters, a visitor from the beyond can be a fun little diversion and some color to a scene. I suppose you could toss in a prophecy or two delivered by them… if you were so inclined.

Again, this must be done within reason.

Now drifting past things like ghosts, we end up at the more, shall we say, physically present varieties of the dead and undead. Now the real question here is whether we start with Zombies or Vampires.

I flipped a coin via Google, so we’re going with Vampires first.

There’s something about Vampire myths that seem to run synonymous with fantasy settings. I’m talking about something besides the obvious fact that they don’t exist. It’s the flair and style behind them. The capes and high towers, the strange assortment of powers, hell… the simple fact they can shapeshift, fly, or do both is impressive enough on its own.

I’m big on advocating stock characters, but when it comes to the undead you can find your own spin on them to make something special. Don’t just copy what’s out there and change a few details… get into it.

If you have to have vampires, make them your own. (But for the love of God, don’t make them sparkle)

Then we arrive at everyone’s favorite… Zombies.

This last decade, in particular, has been obsessed with the walking undead (I was so close to being in trouble there, but I found a way out). Anyway, there’s a ton of different ways to go with the walking undead. You can go for something straight up magical, reanimate them with old fashioned necromancy. Then there’s biological… The Last of Us had some real fun with that, making the whole thing based around a disease.

It’s good times, really.

Trouble is when you start bringing in the undead in this way, you kind of just make them into a mob of faceless goons who go around clawing at and biting things.

Where was I going with this?

Anyway… whatever.

Have a Happy Halloween.

Flash Fiction Results

Okay, we all know why you’re here, so without any more delay…

1. /u/Xacktar - First place

2. /u/facet-ious - Second place

3. /u/Brknside - Third place

Honorable Mentions

/u/Knife211 for terrible but successful date

/u/rudexvirus for cracking open a big bottle of regrets

/u/BLT_WITH_RANCH for selling an entire life at a yard sale