An actual idea: Making "Animate Dead" Evil Again
Zombies and skeletons in D&D, for all they play to spooky images, aren't really horrific. They're a mismash of two different lores that can't really work together (like a lot of zombie fiction but that's a discussion for another day)- the mindless ravenous predators of modern zombie apocalypse and the tragic undead slaves of the original stories. But they lack either sides symbolic resonance. They're no apocalypse- they're disposable cannon fodder even a starting party can take down- but nor is there any indication that "animate dead" is an actual evil act beyond being kinda gross. This seems very harmless for both a nominal horror monster, and something intended to be a genuinely (indeed, mechanically) evil act.
It doesn't seem possible to make them a real threat without major changes, so the obvious solution to this is a simple fluff change. They're not mindless. They're compelled, they can't act of their own volition. But they're still in there.
They don't shamble. They visibly struggle against the motions their limbs make, as if they were puppets trying to resist their strings. They don't moan. They sob, and when they see the players they force out desperate apologies and pleas for help. They're not stupid. They're intentionally twisting orders and trying to destroy themselves to the best of their ability because they hate the necromancer and are taking what vengeance they can.
Maybe they can genuinely help, if the players will accept it. The "disposable minions" see a lot, and might mutter the necromancer's weaknesses or warnings about an upcoming ambush or whatever useful information they've seen while attacking. Failing that, they fight to lose. They're easy to beat not because they're weak, but because they're on your side. They intentionally move to hinder the necromancer and help the party as much as they're able to, they interpret all the villain's orders as unhelpfully as they can, they hiss encouragements and laugh hollowly when the players succeed.
The undead hordes are victims, not monsters. They're the people the players are trying to help, or at least avenge. And they're trying, as best as they can, to make it happen.
-Pencil.
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🎃 Why is it Red?
Blood CW: Death, zombies, blood, Dead Dove fic, non-con, oral, pain, bodily harm, sadism, dead dove
"Move! Move! Move!" (Reader) shot another undead between the eyes, splattering their face in gore due to the proximity.
The team of survivors ran through the back alleys of the dead infested city, climbing fences and garbage piles in an attempt to out maneuver the horde chasing them. It was dangerous and stupid, entering the hot zone like they did, but the survivors were running low on necessities so the adventure was a risk they had to take.
(Reader) cried out as their foot got caught in garbage, their ankle twisting on a piece of abandoned machinery, popping louder than the sound of their heavy boots falling on wet pavement. They collapsed in the empty alley, watching as their two comrades turned to them in fear.
"Go without me!" (Reader) shrugged off their backpack full of supplies, tossing it to the survivor closest to them.
"(Reader), don't give up-"
(Reader) pulled back the hammer on their gun, aiming it at their brother while forcing back their tears. They would try to limp their way back, but it was too important for those supplies to get to their camp; they couldn't risk the mission to drag (Reader) back with them. He got the hint, clenching his jaw tightly while trying not to break down himself. "I'll find my way back, go now!"
After the other two scuffled away, (Reader) was left in the eerie silence, straining their ears for the sounds of the deceased. They knew the horde would find them, it didn't matter how many alleys they had traveled through, nor how many obstacles they traversed. No one was as tenacious as a zombie.
Shuffling of torn shoes rounded a corner, multiple of the undead finding (Reader) much faster than they had hoped for. Their pant leg was rapidly darkening, blood sticking the fabric to their skin. Horrified, (Reader) unlaced their boot. In the adrenaline of the moment they hadn't realized that the popping sound wasn't their ankle getting sprained. Inside the boot (Reader's) bone poked through their skin.
They couldn't help but laugh.
Of course this was how they go out.
They had survived so much bullshit, and now they were going to die... because they broke their leg on a trash pile.
(Reader) killed one of the shamblers. There was no point in keeping quiet; their blood would attract the entire city. The next rotter also went down. Thankfully, these were the slower ones, the older ones. Once the sprinters came (Reader's) only choice would be to spare themselves from the pain of being eaten alive.
Groaning and snarling closed in on (Reader's) alley.
A fast one twitched her head towards (Reader), snapping her teeth as she tasted their blood in the air. She lurched, ready to charge, when something grabbed her from behind, ripping her head off and tossing it effortlessly.
Something stepped into view, horrifying (Reader). They had never seen such a thing, and the fight or flight response failed them, freezing them solid. They were used to killing zombies, but this..
It stood almost seven feet tall, pure white eyes with it's nose and lips torn off. The muscles looked as though they had suddenly grown on death, growing so quickly that it tore through it's skin. The stretched grey and red skin looked painfully tight, tearing in places from the strain of it's own mass. (Reader's) wide eyes traveled down it's form, observing it's painful physique, almost too numb from fear to register that it was naked.
The monster stalked closer, taking long strides towards the pitiful human, shaking too hard to aim their weapon. It reached down, ripping the bloody boot off (Reader's) swelling foot. They screamed in pain, snapping out of their petrification. A bullet landed right between the thing's eyes, but it only barely pierced it's thick skull, stopping before it even touched the brain.
"What the fuck?!" (Reader) hollered, tears cleaning the dirt from their cheeks. They went to fire again, but the creature yanked the gun away. It huffed, rolling it's blind eyes back. Pulling (Reader) up by their broken leg, they cried hysterically as they were suspended upside down.
It's tongue ran across their shin, shivering as it tasted (Reader's) blood. (Reader) wanted to know what was going to happen to them, but couldn't see the monster's face. And worse, their head was level to his nude pelvis, finally noticing it's giant cock raising towards them, growing larger by the second.
The thing growled, sucking and licking (Reader's) exposed bone with it's cold, rotting tongue. It slammed (Reader) against the wall, pressing it's dick against their lips. It reeked like piss and death, making (Reader) briefly wonder where that cock has been, or in what?
The slimy tip parted their lips. (Reader) tried to keep their teeth wired shut, but involuntarily opened to scream when their attacker stuck his tongue into the open wound, knocking loose shards of tibia. It took advantage of the pain to ram it's erection down (Reader's) throat, violently dislocating their jaw in the process.
It continued drinking from their leg as it forcefully face fucked (Reader), slamming their skull into the brick wall with each thrust of it's hips. The chipped teeth lightly grazed (Reader's) flesh, threatening to take a chunk out of their leg.
(Reader) couldn't breathe, the girthy cock from the corpse filling their throat so completely that it hurt to even try breathing through their nose. It tasted disgusting, like how a decomposing body smelled. Every time (Reader) focused on the pain in their throat and jaw, the creature fucked with their leg again, prodding (Reader's) gash to draw out more blood, spreading the hot fluid across it's face.
They thought they were going to pass out. Whether from the shock or from the lack of oxygen, they didn't know. Whenever the pain began to numb itself the zombie would pick up the pace, power jacking his dick into (Reader's) mouth, forcing their mandibular joint to creak, spreading a white hot fire across (Reader's) head as their jaw threatened to shatter. Craving the blood from (Reader's) ankle, it tightened it's grip on the break, cracking the bone further in it's paw, relishing in the red dribbling down it's chin.
A thick gunk sprayed into (Reader's) stomach, filling their neck so quickly that it squirted out their nose and plugged up the few gaps left in their airways. The cock twitched as more of it's foul cum filled (Reader's) body, making them ill, vomiting on the large member.
The creature seemed pleased, pulling it's newest toy off it's deflating organ. (Reader) continued barfing, trying not to notice that the color of the jizz they were spitting up was red.
(Reader) was slung over the zombie's shoulder, carried through the town to a fate worse than death..
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