The Undead are the race most shrouded in mystery in all of Genesia, in large part due to their banishment after the War of the Dead at the end of the First Era. The specifics have never been discovered, but what is known is that in the mid First Era, a powerful sorceror began to develop dark and occult magics, and found the secrets to immortality; Undeath. What started with simple skeletons and zombies soon turned into something more--The sorceror turned necromancer was soon able to bring to life fully sentient 'constructs' from the once dead. The first generation of Undead were imperfect but powerful, bound to the necromancer's will--or so he believed.

 

It's unclear how or why, but some of the first Undead were able to turn against their creator, said to have killed him. They then learned his magics for themselves, and began to create more of their kind--slowly refining the magic over a few generations, stabilizing the minds of those brought back.

 

However, all memories appear to be lost of those raised into Undeath, with rarely ever even a hint of their past selves. Great scholars and wizards argue to this day about whether the 'soul' that inhabits these individuals is the same soul that was once lost upon death, or if somehow a new soul entirely has been born during the process. Some believe there is no soul at all.

 

Soon, the first generation of Undead waged war against Genesia as a whole, with a theoretically infinite number of soldiers. Genesia was entirely unprepared, as few even knew of their existence at the time. The Undead forces were only repelled by the combined forces of the Iron Empire, the Dwarven Imperium, and the Elves working together. The Undead were exiled, banished to a small southwestern area of Delenor.

 

This war is said to be the direct cause for the ensuing anti-magic laws and views, and marked the end of the First Era.

 

In recent times in the Fourth Era, The Undead returned, though not how many expected. An Undead emissary travelled to the Elven capital of Silvermoon under the guise of diplomacy. Soon the Undead turned against the Elves, and another small war began. However, through the work of the Demonheart family and a band of adventurers, it was revealed that a powerful Undead necromancer was manipulating the Undead from within. They fought and defeated the Necromancer, and The Undead were freed from his influence. Now, The Undead have slowly began to establish Trade Routes with the Elves and beyond, and are being accepted reluctantly as they begin to travel the world.

 

Most Undead are not obviously 'dead' at a glance--It's very rare for an Undead to have visible wounds, holes, or rotten parts, and this is usually as a result of being improperly created. Most appear to be normal Elves or Humans--except for paper white skin that is cold to the touch.