Governments that use Undead

>>53044052
I would think that in a society with that sort of necromancy it would be more common. The souls of learned men would probably be commonly kept as necro-assistants, paying for their continued existence with knowledge, as such, there would be scribe-guilds that groomed men for a lifetime just so they would make wonderful advisers in death. The majority of the original caste of undead servants would still likely be unwilling necro-assistants, created as a sort of ultimate form of slavery. The rich would demonstrate their wealth by the types of necro-assistants they could bring to bear for parties and other functions, with archaic vernacular, manners, and dress being a sign of undead tutelage, and by extension, wealth.

In essence, such wraiths would take the place of eunuchs in eastern societies: learned, respected, but never in positions of great power.

>>53044052
Undead would probably make a great labor force. Put a harsh crime policy in place, where if they are to be put to death, they'd are raised and put to work. Mindless undead don't get tired, and can accomplish simple tasks.

What would the order that keeps them in check called/do? Who are the people that stops the undead from wholly taking over?

OH LOOK IT'S THIS THREAD AGAIN

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>>53045528

>>53044052
Relevant:
http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/CrownedSun/Sijan

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>>53044052

The hometown of a LE PC I built. I like the setting so I've reused it in several campaigns and characters, but never actually run a campaign in it. It's always been either a distant country or a foreign influence or a throwaway 'bad guys of the week' sort of thing when I'm out of material for a session.

The Empire of Cepheus (Old) was once a Necropolis dominated by a Vampire aristocracy patroned by Urgathoa (Pathfinder diety of undeath and undead, but any undeath-focused diety will do) that primarily used the living as chattel and labor in complete subservience to the decadence of those who can afford to defy the cycle of life. This phase of The Empire's history is characterized by factionalized infighting between various undead houses and clans and castes within the empire, a squalid and suppressed living contingent bound in absolute slavery, an aristocracy of undead more concerned with killing each other and preventing more undead from being raised than with running the affairs of state leading a thoroughly divided and weak central government too shattered by political infighting to organize any empire-wide efforts. The empire remains expansive, as the best way for a new up-and-comer to gather living servants, and thus relevance in the courts of the undead, is to raid or conquer neighboring towns/villages/countries and take their living people as supplicants. This sets the stage for a domineering empire that is a threat to everyone and checks all the boxes of "yep, that's an evil empire alright", but if seriously threatened by sufficiently leveled good guys they're internally weak enough to be taken down by Ewoks and teenage jrpg characters using the power of friendship.

This version of The Empire of Cepheus is good to have in the background of stories as it provides an LE city for LE stuff and characters to come from and it's a constant threat to poor farmers and villagers so good guys can prove how good they are by saving them.

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>>53044052
>>53046158

Version 2 of Cepheus takes place under the assumption there were no good guys to displace the former version.

A violent and bloody revolution sponsored by Asmodeus (Evil Pathfinder diety of tyranny and contracts, but any diety associated with contracts will do.) by the living against their undead masters resulted in the mass genocide of any intelligent undead and enslavement of mindless undead.

Cepheus is now run by a fascist military government headed by a brutal Grand General. Intelligent undead have been massacred, but mindless undead still outnumber the living population 100 to 1. The catch here, is that Cepheus is very kind to those with a pulse who have signed their souls away to Asmodeus in exchange for Cephean citizenship. Cephean citizens are entitled to scores of mindless undead servants, a government sponsored life of luxury, and as much wealth as can be spared to ensure the contract remain as attractive as possible (think of the humans in Wall-E). In spite of this attractiveness, there are still a large contingent of people in the empire who have not accepted citizenship, they are treated as second class citizens and should be visibly oppressed in the campaign. There also remain some intelligent undead who are very closely monitored and regulated and are treated as a servant-caste. An intelligent undead not bound to the immediate service of a Cephean Citizen is an aberration that is often eliminated to ensure Cepheus never again fall under the heel of the undying.

Necromancy is the most common occupation as the majority of civil needs are met by mindless undead labor. It is expected that all Cephean citizens "live only one life" and allow their remains to be added to the host of mindless undead upon death. There are festivals and socialist-propaganda-themed displays when a member of the upper echelon of society dies and is publicly reanimated to serve as a mindless farmhand or carriage driver. It is spun as an act of patriotism.

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>>53046158
>>53046660

The character I made from this setting was a Junior Officer Necromancer from Cepheus 2 who was expected to go out into the world to refine his powers and return as many undead as possible back to The Empire. Undead bodies are something of a necessary commodity in The Empire, and there simply isn't enough of a living population to sustain the growing needs of the state.

The rank he would be promoted to would depend largely on how powerful he had become and how many undead he brought (or sent) back home.

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>>53046820
>>53046660
>>53046158

Also, since now you know why I need them...
/r/equesting character images of Military-Themed Necromancers.