The Gargoyle View On The Wingless Undead

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Title: The Gargl View on the Wingless Undead

Author: Jaggerauth

Written in the Common Tongue so it can be understood by the wingless.

Throughout Sosaria, as in Ter Mur, there seems to be an abundance of reanimated dead beings. In Ter Mur, those who have fallen and been placed in the Tomb of Kings have come magically back to life and pose as a consistent scourge to the Holy City. In mannerisms and characteristics, they are very similar to the wingless undead of Sosaria: animated remains of human and elven bones, wraiths, shades, and the more keen Liches.

However, there are one subset of wingless undead which have been completely unknown to Ter Mur until very recent times, and they have proven themselves to be far more intelligence and resourceful than the living wingless. They practice our three primary virtues: control, passion, and diligence and thus are closer to our equals and worthy of our respect.

Of all scholars of Ter Mur, I have been one of the only ones which have had extensive contact with this particular group. When they had found me in the lands of Malas, I was weakened and in a perpetual state of Gargl Rage, which had clouded my judgment greatly.

They used some sort of device to track me down and capture me. However, their intentions were not ill towards me, for they took me under their proverbial wing (for they lack physical ones) and revealed to me types of magic which many in Ter Mur have yet to study.

This group was composed of highly intelligent undead. They called themselves the Order of the Ebon Skull, and were led by a particularly keen Lich Lord whose experience and intelligence rivals many of our own elders. The Order had an enlightening philosophy on life and death which allowed them greater mental freedom than the living wingless. They have embraced the idea of Entropy, the concept that everything decays and ultimately dies, thus making the defiance of death completely and utterly futile. Once members of the Order embrace death, they can exist for hundreds, or even thousands of years and much of that time is spent studying the arcane, giving them a knowledge base which rivals our scholars.

One can not assess the positive qualities of the Intelligent Dead without comparing them to the living wingless ones, which in this case means humans and elves.

One of the primary shortcomings of the wingless living is their short-sighted and narrow-minded thinking. They spend much of their very short lives pursuing trivial entertainments, seeking ways to postpone their inevitable fates, and fighting amongst themselves over small ideals. The Intelligent Dead do not share this shortcoming. Their amusement comes with reaching higher plateaus of enlightenment, they are united in their efforts, and their ideals are further-reaching than those of the wingless living. They exercise diligence in their work, constantly striving towards a greater goal while maintaining their passion for the work they are doing. They develop and master control over themselves and their physical and spiritual incarnations to allow themselves to exist for prolonged periods of time and continue their studies and work.

Another shortcoming of the wingless living is their very short life-spans. A mere hundred or so years, or a few hundred for elves, is not enough time to become truly enlightened. The Intelligent Dead can live indefinitely and thus can attain greater knowledge than even our very own Prophets. Whether or not this has been achieved yet, I know not. It seems that the living wingless have seething rancor towards the Intelligent Dead. This may be out of naivete for they do not understand the wisdom which the Dead bring, or perhaps jealousy for they envy the ability to see life as a broader image, which can only be seen through the lens of death. In my scholarly estimation, the wingless living would do well for themselves to embrace death, for is there no better way to extend one’s lifespan than through eternal undeath? Quaffing tonics and potions and remedies designed to fight diseases and postpone aging is unnecessarily time-consuming, costly, and vain. Accepting one’s fate, that one is to die regardless of their actions, is an enlightened position which the wingless living can learn from the Intelligent Dead.

As long as the Intelligent Dead, such as the Order of the Ebon Skull, make no overt gestures of hostility toward the Winged of the Royal City, then they shall be welcomed guests and be allowed privileges normally exclusive to our kind.

-Jaggerauth, Lore Master of the Ter Mur Royal Library