Walking Corpse

Biodata

Background / History

Abyssal Hand secretly stockpiled bodies in the whaling ship’s hold and transformed at least fifty of them into Walking Corpses. Its demands for corpses had not been driven by hunger; they were intended to create distrust among the survivors and secure material for its undead force. 22 25

The reanimated first mate served as the first visible Walking Corpse. Controlled by Abyssal Hand, it delivered written orders to Daolunte: assassinate Xia Lun, seize the helm, sail for Twin Bays, and use the Walking Corpses to take the gangway and free their master. 25

During Daolunte’s attempted coup, the corpse horde emerged from the cargo hatch and advanced through the fog toward Xia Lun and the ship’s defenders. Xia Lun’s execution of the first mate proved that the undead could be killed, preventing the pirates’ morale from collapsing before the larger battle began. 25 26

Later, Abyssal Hand reanimated pirates killed in its gunpowder-barrel explosion, creating another group of Walking Corpses to delay Geliide while it fled from Xia Lun. 31

Appearance

Deep-Sea Walking Corpses are decayed, waterlogged humanoid bodies whose undead condition is marked by marine corruption and extreme physical deterioration. 26

• Hunched posture and sluggish, stiff movement before attacking. 26
• Rotten blue-gray skin compared to fish skin. 26
• Barnacles attached across their bodies; the barnacles turn toward nearby living humans like eyes. 26
• Carry improvised or stolen weapons, including knives, clubs, flintlocks, and firearms. 26
• Some returned corpses retain severe fatal injuries, such as the first mate’s gunshot-damaged skull. 25

Abilities & Skills

Undead Persistence

Walking Corpses can continue attacking after injuries that would incapacitate living people.

• They fight even with broken bones, torn flesh, and exposed organs. 26
• Their persistence makes close combat especially costly for human opponents. 26
• They are not invulnerable: Xia Lun beheads the reanimated first mate, while concentrated gunfire and sword strikes destroy other corpses. 26

Secret-Art Animation and Control

Abyssal Hand creates and directs Walking Corpses through a secret art.

• The corpses are explicitly described as extensions of Abyssal Hand’s will. 25
• The undead first mate can act as a messenger, dropping written instructions prepared under Abyssal Hand’s control. 25
• The force can coordinate with living allies such as Daolunte and follow operational objectives, including seizing the helm and gangway. 25
• Abyssal Hand can raise additional Walking Corpses from newly dead pirates. 31

Armed Assault

Some Walking Corpses retain enough coordination to use firearms effectively.

• Five reanimated former sacrifices return carrying flintlocks and ambush Xia Lun’s group with sustained fire. 26
• One armed corpse is a skilled sharpshooter capable of pinning the survivors behind cover. 26
• Flaming Walking Corpses carry gunpowder barrels onto the deck as part of Abyssal Hand’s explosive trap. 29

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sea Battle Royale

• The corpses emerge as Abyssal Hand’s concealed army after Daolunte discovers the bodies stored in the hold have been reanimated. 25
• They assault Xia Lun’s undermanned group in the fog, initially outnumbering the seven nearby pirates by more than twenty to one. 26
• Xia Lun uses Heightened Focus and a rapid succession of flintlocks to kill sixteen Deep-Sea Walking Corpses, earning 160 Memory Points. 26
• The remaining horde is pushed back in close combat until armed reinforcements reverse the battle with a firearm ambush. 26
• The scenario settlement records Xia Lun’s slaughter of the Deep-Sea Walking Corpse horde among his special kills. 34

Relationships

• Abyssal Hand — Creator and controlling master; the Walking Corpses act as extensions of its will. 25
• Daolunte — Living collaborator instructed to use the Walking Corpses during Abyssal Hand’s planned coup. 25
• The First Mate — Reanimated into a Walking Corpse and used to convey Abyssal Hand’s orders before Xia Lun beheads him. 25 26
• Xia Lun — Principal enemy; he destroys numerous Walking Corpses through gunfire and swordsmanship. 26 34
• Geliide — Ordered to hold off a later group of reanimated pirates while Xia Lun pursues Abyssal Hand. 31

Trivia

• The scenario settlement specifically calls the group the “Deep-Sea Walking Corpse horde.” 34
• Abyssal Hand’s corpse demands functioned partly as a means of acquiring bodies for its undead army, not as a need for food. 22 25