Shigtikar

Overview

Names

Shigtikar (Waejir), Returned

Occasionally persons whom have died are restored to a living state by the gods. These shigtikar - returned, are simultaneously seen as holy miracles, and feared as cursed undead rejected from the afterlife. Which reaction one has falls to the individual beliefs and experience of those witness to the restoration. The process of returning leaves its mark upon the individual, injuries which brought about their death are ever present as stigmata, which do not heal, nor hamper the individual beyond any physical absence of body parts.

In rare cases amputated limbs or other body parts continue to function as though they were a contiguous being with the main body of the Shigtikar. For example: Severed hands can move about independently, or a beheaded individual carries about their detached head which can still speak and perceive the world around them.

Usually the shigtikar will seek out their killer(s) for revenge or absolution and forgiveness. After such closure they may take up a religious lifestyle devoutly following the faith of the god or goddess responsible for their restoration.

Abilities

Combat

Shigtikar still feel pain from injuries, accumulate fatigue, can suffer loss of consciousness from serious injury, and can be killed.

Fear

In many cultures, most living mortals have an ingrained fear of animated corpses, because the dead should remain as such. Where such prejudice exists, Shigtikar have the innate ability to strike terror into those who view them. Anyone viewing such an entity and aware of its undead nature may flee or be frozen in terror.

Awe

For those who believe in the miraculous nature of the Shigtikar, they feel a presence of the divine so great they suffer difficulty acting in a manner harmful towards the shigtikar. This spell of awe will break if the shigtikar attacks or threatens an individual, but others in their presence who are not attacked may still fall under the spell, and while they might aid the victim, they cannot directly attack the shigtikar themself.

Psionics

Having passed beyond the mortal realm and returned the Shigtikar retain any psychic talents they had in life and gain the Etherealism path, granting them the ability to perceive and interact with the ethereal plane and its inhabitants.

Sorcery and Theurgy

Shigtikar retain any and all knowledge of sorcery or theurgy that possessed prior to their death.