Tome Zombie (TOHM zom-bee | / 'toʊm zɒmbi: /)
A Tome Zombie is an undead literomancer, driven by hunger for creative energy in the forms of words and stories. The name is something of a misnomer, as they can appear in a variety of undead guises, in accordance with their own Literomancy.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Loosely, Tome Zombies look very similar to their appearance in life, though often they are extremely gaunt, pale, or insubstancial, and occasionally bear signs of their demise, such as missing extremities, open brain pan, blood or decay. Rarely, the undead form only bears a superficial resemblance to the living form, such as The Nite Qing, who looks more demonic than undead.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction of Tome Zombies is obstensibly controlled by the Night Monarch, who chooses which wordsmiths killed will rise up as zombies. However, spontaneous Tome Zombies have sprung up, very obviously created by the Tome. These spontaneous undead are more free willed than the Tome Zombies chosen by the Night Monarch, and must be reasoned with, rather than simply ordered. Lord GalaWight was one such. He was reanimated, not by The Nite Monarq, but by the sheer power of his will. When he died, he reached out to the Tome and asked for revenge, and the Tome granted it.
Growth Rate & Stages
Tome Zombies, much to the horror of the living, reanimate with all memories of life intact. However, they are psychopathic, and simply do not care about their former loved ones. They will exploit their former friends and family, all in an attempt to consume their creative energies and be released from bondage. In their natural state, Tome Zombies are slaves to the Night Monarch.
Ecology and Habitats
Ecologically, Tome Zombies can be found anywhere that you find literomantic practice or creative writing. They are attracted to creative writing like bees are attracted to sugar.
Their habitat tends to be darkened corners in alleys and back streets, old sections of libraries, and coffee shops. Some disguise themselves as goths and blend into the hipster crowd. These zombies can be found at write ins, writer cons and sci-fi conventions.
Their habitat tends to be darkened corners in alleys and back streets, old sections of libraries, and coffee shops. Some disguise themselves as goths and blend into the hipster crowd. These zombies can be found at write ins, writer cons and sci-fi conventions.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Tome Zombie feeds on words. Specifically creative words. Drawn to creative writers like moths to a flame, Tome Zombies will consume the words of literomancers and creatives alike, all in a bid to consume the ultimate work of writing, the Iron Tome. Thus far, no Tome Zombie, not even the Night Monarchs, have become powerful enough to consume the words of the Tome without it destroying them. The Night Monarchs were too intelligent to even try, though others among the Undead Horde tried and failed.
Biological Cycle
No one is quite sure the biological cycle of a Tome Zombie. To date, there has been three recorded instances of a tome zombie plague and in all instances, the literomancers of the living destroyed most of the zombies outright and then, utilizing the power of The Iron Tome, raised all the dead to life again.
What is known is that if a zombie consumes, either through writing or Word Wars, enough words, they become a Zombie Lord. Zombie Lords appear to be more prolific writers and hold the respect of their fellow zombies and generals alike. Many zombie lords go on to become undead generals.
What is known is that if a zombie consumes, either through writing or Word Wars, enough words, they become a Zombie Lord. Zombie Lords appear to be more prolific writers and hold the respect of their fellow zombies and generals alike. Many zombie lords go on to become undead generals.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The social structure of the tome zombies is complex. Basically, their leader is an elected tyrant, and their unlives are filled with an all consuming desire for words. But aside from that, the Undead horde puts no onus on its members to do anything but support the horde. How they do that is up to them, and tome zombies have supported the horde in a miriad of ways from filking to throwing their opponents off a bridge to prevent them from acquiring the Tome.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Tome Zombies have been found almost everywhere on Earth, from The Sekret Volcano Lair to The Zafforza Trench. When the Tome is active, they are ambiguous.
Average Intelligence
Tome Zombies are smart! This cannot be emphasized enough. Since they are former living literomancers they are, by nature, smarter than the average Human or Werebeast.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Tome Zombies have all the sensory and extrasensory abilities that they had in life, with one exception; They can sense literomancy within many miles, depending on the strength of the literomancy. Much like a dog tracking by scent, the Tome Zombies can hone in on creative words being written. All creative writing invokes literomancy to some degree, even if that invocation is unintentional, and Tome Zombies can track it. Drawn to consume words, the Tome Zombie can often be lulled into a torpor by the outpouring of great creative writing, allowing it to be mundanely dispatched. Otherwise, the zombie will drain the words from you by more viceral means (can anyone say Brrraaaiiinns).
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
The undead are "awakened" to a new unlife totally void of their past connections. To symbolize this, the Night Monarch gives them a new name reflecting their old life in a mockery of conventions.
Major Organizations
Beauty Ideals
Most tome zombies couldn't give a fig about your appearance, and the ideal person in a zombie's mind is one who can create an entertaining story on the fly.
Gender Ideals
None. Tome Zombies are not interested in living happily ever after with the perfect mate. Instead, tome zombies will turn on their friends and loved ones as soon as they stop providing it with delicious words.
Courtship Ideals
None, tome zombies are not interested in mating.
Relationship Ideals
None, tome zombies, on the whole have no interest in relationships
Average Technological Level
Tome zombies are as technologically advanced as the rest of the world, they are all former living literomancers and fully capable of employing both Literomancy and Dark Literomancy to achieve their goals.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Any language in The GoTverse that has a written form can be employed by tome zombies. Tome zombies are fluent in all languages and dialects they knew in life, and can instinctually inscribe dark literomantic script.
Common Etiquette Rules
The most common etiquette among the undead is "do not tell others HOW or WHAT to write" offer an opinion when asked and otherwise to each their own.
Common Dress Code
There is no dress code among tome zombies. However, it should be noted that, in life, tome zombies were writers, meaning hygene was often a secondary concern.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
There is a strong support network among the undead. They encourage each other in a tight knit group that seems almost cliquey in its execution.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
It is a common custom and tradition to give a newly awakened tome zombie a derivitive name reflecting who they were and their new status among the undead.
Historical Figures
Erin Righ "The Nite Qing"
AuthorGoddess "The Living Dead Girl"
Lord Galakrond "Lord GalaWight"
Kahuna the Elder "Killhuna the Eldritch"
ShyRedFox "ShyDeadFox"
Siobhan the Writer "Queen of the Nite"
Darth Nikolas "Death Nikolas"
ECCBooks "ICCDeadPeople"
OncomingShower "OncomingShadow"
Dazzlinkat "Dazzlinkorpse"
AuthorGoddess "The Living Dead Girl"
Lord Galakrond "Lord GalaWight"
Kahuna the Elder "Killhuna the Eldritch"
ShyRedFox "ShyDeadFox"
Siobhan the Writer "Queen of the Nite"
Darth Nikolas "Death Nikolas"
ECCBooks "ICCDeadPeople"
OncomingShower "OncomingShadow"
Dazzlinkat "Dazzlinkorpse"
If your name is not included here it is not because you weren't significant, it is because my memory is flawed and I either didn't remember or there was no character article for you. Leave a comment and I'll see that it gets fixed
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Some things are better left to the imaginations of Dark Literomancers and best not thought of at all. Forget I mentioned it.
This article is a work in progress, and may be subject to changes.
This article is part of a series related to streaming the Game of Tomes. For more information, see Streaming Game of Tomes.
EXTINCT
Origin/Ancestry
Humans / Werebeasts
Lifespan
Unknown
Conservation Status
Tome Zombies are considered to be a parasitic plague, to be exterminated with extreme prejudice.
Average Height
Varies as widely as Humans and Werebeasts
Average Weight
Varies widely
Average Physique
Tome Zombies, like Tome Knights tend to be out of shape and soft. A life of creative writing doesn't lend itself well to extremes of exercise, and though it is hardly a rule that tome knights are soft, there is a strong tendency.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Discovered by
Comments