Zombies: Difference between revisions

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The aftermath of a plane crash in the passenger cabin is a scene of unimaginable horror and chaos, with the once orderly space now transformed into a gruesome spectacle of destruction. The impact of the crash has caused the cabin to twist and crumple like a torn tin can, its interior filled with the mangled remnants of what were once human beings.
[[Image:Zombie.jpg|240px|left|thumb|Drawn by [[User:Knmatt|Matt Smith]]]] Walking corpses, many of whom are still intelligent, usually from the human species.  No [[dwarfs|dwarf]], [[gnomes|gnome]], [[pictsies|pictsie]], or [[trolls|troll]] zombies have been reported.  Also, no zombies reported to be from ordinary animal species.  Many zombies can still see, hear, smell, talk, move, think, plan, and scheme.  Some can even eat.  Depending on length of time since death, a zombie's flesh may look gray or green, his skin may be flaking off, he may smell rotten or smell of preservatives. When "injured", for example a finger having been cut off, a zombie does not bleed; the wound can be sewn up, but there will be no wound-healing or tissue-regeneration.


The first thing that strikes the eye is the sheer amount of blood that covers everything. It's as if the cabin has been hosed down in a crimson spray, every inch of metal, plastic, and fabric stained with the deep red fluid. The smell of blood is overwhelming, heavy in the air and almost suffocating.
The process of death strips away all illusions, so a zombie, if he wishes, can control all his body functions extremely well, and think very clear thoughts.  For this reason, a zombie can be a powerful fighter. Their bodily strength is so great that they are supposedly able to walk through walls and rip people apart just like that.  Notable zombies in [[Ankh-Morpork]] include [[Mr. Slant]] the head of the [[Guild of Lawyers]], [[Mr Bendy]], the obituarist on [[Ankh-Morpork Times|The Times]], and the [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch|Watchman]] [[Reg Shoe]], also a dead rights activist. The zombie [[Baron Saturday]] makes an appearance in ''[[Book:Witches Abroad|Witches Abroad]]''.


The bodies are strewn about in all directions, some still strapped to their seats while others have been flung from their positions by the force of the crash. Many have been severed from their limbs, arms and legs torn away as if they were made of paper dolls. The dismembered limbs are scattered throughout the cabin, sometimes impaled on jagged pieces of metal or lodged in twisted wreckage.
Several reasons might cause a corpse to continue walking around and talking to people. The most prominent reason is magic. Corpses can be resurrected by application of proper spells and/or potions. Gods are also known for fiddling around with human bodies. At least one case is known, where a person ([[Windle Poons]]) continued to walk around after his death, simply because [[Death]] had not come around to collect his soul (''[[Book:Reaper Man|Reaper Man]]''). In a related fashion, some become zombies merely because their life-timers have not run out at the point of their death.


Skulls are cracked open, their contents spilling out like overripe fruit. Eyes are wide open, frozen in a silent scream of terror, their pupils constricted to pinpoints as if staring into the very abyss of death itself. Some faces are twisted in grotesque grimaces, mouths agape and tongues hanging out like lifeless slabs of meat.
Revenants - that is, unintelligent walking corpses -  have also been reported, in the [[Borogravia|Borogravian]] crypt for their military heroes (''[[Book:Monstrous Regiment|Monstrous Regiment]]''). Only the unfinished war with Zlobenia keeps them "alive"; just enough sentience remains for them to recognise the Grand Duchess [[Annagovia]] manifesting through [[Wazzer Goom]].


Bones are splintered and shattered, sticking out from ripped flesh like jagged shards of glass. Intestines are spilled out onto the floor, glistening in the dim light that filters through the wreckage. Ripped clothing hangs from the bodies like macabre flags, soaked in blood and mingled with mangled flesh.
==Annotations==


The air is thick with the stench of burned flesh and charred fabric, mingling with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid smell of smoke. The silence is almost palpable, broken only by the occasional groan from those few who still cling to life.
The idea of a grim Gothic castle used as the last resting place of a nation's great generals. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler intended the Castle of Wewelsburg to be the spiritual heart of the SS organisation. To this end, he devised and had built a crypt to hold the bodies of Waffen-SS generals who died nobly in action. Assorted post-war novels and computer games have dealt with the question of what might happen if, for whatever reason, the dead Generals of Wewelsberg refused to stay dead, and returned as vampires or zombies of varying degrees of sentience...


The once neat rows of seats are now a tangled mess of twisted metal and broken bodies, a testament to the incredible force of the impact. Oxygen masks dangle from the ceiling like macabre decorations, their hoses snapped or dangling limply from the severed ends. The soft glow of emergency lights flickers like fireflies in the darkness, casting eerie shadows across the carnage.
Stories of [[Roundworld]] {{wp|Zombies|zombies}} originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of {{wp|Haitian_Voodoo|Vodou}}, which told of the people being controlled as labourers by a powerful sorcerer. Zombies became a popular device in modern horror fiction, largely because of the success of George A. Romero's 1968 film ''Night of the Living Dead''. Since then they have grown in popular fiction and culture into the lurching, grey-skinned, hard-to-kill, powerful creatures we find on the Disc.


In this apocalyptic scene, the passengers' personal belongings lie scattered about, mangled and battered beyond recognition. Suitcases are broken open, spilling out their contents in a pathetic display of the lives that were lost. Teddy bears and stuffed animals are strewn about, their once-cheerful faces now stained with blood and grime.
It may also be noted that the difference between Zombies and Revenants are switched from their [[Roundworld]] equivalents, zombies on [[Roundworld]] are the mindless corpses while Revenants sustain much of their original sentience, being driven by revenge or some other compulsion that they were not able to complete in their first life.


Despite the devastation, there are signs of desperate attempts at survival. Some bodies are entangled in futile attempts at escape, limbs reaching out towards shattered windows or broken doors. Oxygen masks are still clutched in some hands, their owners having fought to draw one last breath before succumbing to their fate.
[[Category:Undead characters|Zombies]]
 
[[de:Zombies]]
As one walks through this unholy tableau, the sound of crunching underfoot is both sickening and surreal. It's as if one is treading upon a sea of brittle bones, every step a crushing reminder of the lives that were brutally cut short in this aerial graveyard.
[[Category:Discworld humanoid species]]
 
The sight of such extreme mutilation and suffering is a grim reminder of the fragility of human life and the capricious nature of fate. The once proud aircraft has been reduced to a tomb, its cabin transformed into a nightmarish landscape of pain and death. The memory of this grotesque scene will haunt those who witness it, a haunting testament to the horrors that humanity is capable of enduring.

Latest revision as of 17:04, 25 May 2026

Drawn by Matt Smith

Walking corpses, many of whom are still intelligent, usually from the human species. No dwarf, gnome, pictsie, or troll zombies have been reported. Also, no zombies reported to be from ordinary animal species. Many zombies can still see, hear, smell, talk, move, think, plan, and scheme. Some can even eat. Depending on length of time since death, a zombie's flesh may look gray or green, his skin may be flaking off, he may smell rotten or smell of preservatives. When "injured", for example a finger having been cut off, a zombie does not bleed; the wound can be sewn up, but there will be no wound-healing or tissue-regeneration.

The process of death strips away all illusions, so a zombie, if he wishes, can control all his body functions extremely well, and think very clear thoughts. For this reason, a zombie can be a powerful fighter. Their bodily strength is so great that they are supposedly able to walk through walls and rip people apart just like that. Notable zombies in Ankh-Morpork include Mr. Slant the head of the Guild of Lawyers, Mr Bendy, the obituarist on The Times, and the Watchman Reg Shoe, also a dead rights activist. The zombie Baron Saturday makes an appearance in Witches Abroad.

Several reasons might cause a corpse to continue walking around and talking to people. The most prominent reason is magic. Corpses can be resurrected by application of proper spells and/or potions. Gods are also known for fiddling around with human bodies. At least one case is known, where a person (Windle Poons) continued to walk around after his death, simply because Death had not come around to collect his soul (Reaper Man). In a related fashion, some become zombies merely because their life-timers have not run out at the point of their death.

Revenants - that is, unintelligent walking corpses - have also been reported, in the Borogravian crypt for their military heroes (Monstrous Regiment). Only the unfinished war with Zlobenia keeps them "alive"; just enough sentience remains for them to recognise the Grand Duchess Annagovia manifesting through Wazzer Goom.

Annotations

The idea of a grim Gothic castle used as the last resting place of a nation's great generals. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler intended the Castle of Wewelsburg to be the spiritual heart of the SS organisation. To this end, he devised and had built a crypt to hold the bodies of Waffen-SS generals who died nobly in action. Assorted post-war novels and computer games have dealt with the question of what might happen if, for whatever reason, the dead Generals of Wewelsberg refused to stay dead, and returned as vampires or zombies of varying degrees of sentience...

Stories of Roundworld zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled as labourers by a powerful sorcerer. Zombies became a popular device in modern horror fiction, largely because of the success of George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead. Since then they have grown in popular fiction and culture into the lurching, grey-skinned, hard-to-kill, powerful creatures we find on the Disc.

It may also be noted that the difference between Zombies and Revenants are switched from their Roundworld equivalents, zombies on Roundworld are the mindless corpses while Revenants sustain much of their original sentience, being driven by revenge or some other compulsion that they were not able to complete in their first life.

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