Sneak Peek: Wights (Patreon)

Wights are a specific classification of undead; corpses possessed and animated by shades. Without these shades a wight cannot exist.

When a colony of shades is disrupted or threatened, the shades will instinctively occupy nearby corpses en masse, animating them into a physical force to defend against intruders. These shades will fill the vacant spaces where the body’s mind and soul once were, accessing fragmented information once held by the corpse.

If there is no threat to the colony, wights cease to animate, becoming simple corpses again. Only a spiritual threat to the colony’s territory will rouse the wights once again. Eventually, without any threat, the wight’s body will rot and become incapable of sustaining shades.

Wights possess a rudimentary, bestial intelligence, informed only by instinct and the last few disjointed memories from before their deaths. Most wights are incapable of actions other than advancing toward their foe and bludgeoning them with raw strength, though some retain some level of memory on how to use tools, weapons or terrain.

As the soul leaves the body, their last memories are burned into the corpse. Even as time degrades all other thoughts and memories these last moments remain, driving the wight’s actions. Wights project these last moments through auras or by touch, transferring feelings of their death on to those around them. Some wights who died of suffocation may exude an aura that makes the living’s breath catch in their chest or those who drown may desire to drag others into the depths with them.

Most wights move with a disjointed, ungainly gait, as if each limb is moving independently of one another. This is a result of several shades each vying for action within each wight’s body. This results in a relatively slow movement speed, but as a wight closes in on an enemy, the shades animating it become bent on violence and the wight can charge at surprising speed, closing the gap within moments.

The fragmented thoughts guiding the wight also provide it with an advantage; the creature’s limbs can act seemingly independently of one another, allowing it to move, claw and grab with equal dexterity.

Since wights are animated corpses, with shades acting as the soul, they are afforded a great deal of durability. Wights do not need to breathe, do not feel pain or fear, and have no sense of self preservation.  Most firearms are relatively ineffective against a creature that does not need its internal organs to survive. 

In order to destroy a wight, the head severed from its shoulders or so damaged that it no longer exists, severing the connection between the wight’s ‘soul’ and what remains of their mind. Fire may also be used to damage the body to such an extent that the shades can no longer animate the body.

Wights are dangerous in large numbers. Their connection to the shade colony provides them with a limited degree of hive mentality, allowing them to surround and cut off forces, but is limited beyond that. All wights become aware of the position of all threats when roused.

Wights will be created as long as there are enough shades to possess them and corpses to be animated. If there are more shades than there are corpses, any fresh kills made in a wight attack will rise as wights themselves within minutes of death. This cascading effect means that should the wights gain an advantage, the rising tide of the undead will prove nigh unstoppable.

 Note: These are works in progress and not indicative of the final project.  These are sneak peaks exclusive to backers as a heartfelt thank you for your continued support.