Casket of Carnage

"Whenever you're out there fighting the undead, you just can't help but feel sorry for 'em. They're usually ordinary folks raised from their graves by some crazed necromancer and used as cannon fodder. However, there's a special place in hell for the sick bastards stuck in those walking coffins."
—Anonymous soldier

A Casket of Carnage, also called a Coffin of Doom or a Grave Reaver, is a type of undead construct created by necromancers on Haven. Combining the tortured souls of some of Haven's most infamous killers with a towering body capable of great destruction, the Casket is one of the most feared undead of all. A necromancer with a Casket of Carnage in their arsenal is a fearsome opponent, but the upkeep required to keep one in check limits their numbers.

Characteristics

Appearance

The Casket of Carnage is a towering bipedal construct that stands at least two-and-a-half times taller than the average Mythra. Two hardy legs support an immense, ornate coffin with glowing eyes that can be seen even in the darkest environments. The Casket's arms are around twice as long as its legs, ending in huge hands the size of small boulders. While these massive fists make for excellent weapons, necromancers often arm their Caskets of Carnage with implements such as giant cleavers, rending hooks, or barbed spears the size of tree trunks. A Casket's limbs are usually lined with runes of control seared into its flesh that glow whenever the construct become too ornery.

Inside the Casket itself is a large, toothy maw large enough swallow animals as large as an ox with little effort. The Casket is also larger on the inside, though the exact volume of the interior is currently unknown. However, the space can be assumed to be quite big as Caskets of Carnage are known to devour dozens of victims before being sated. Those who have faced a Casket in battle and survived claim to see the souls of the Casket's victims writhing in agony within, endlessly pleading to be freed from their suffering.

Behavior

The Casket of Carnage is perhaps the most violent construct to have ever been created by necromancers. Amplified by the fell magics of undeath, the soul of the killer inside the Casket is driven to massacre anything in sight, cramming their mangled bodies into its maw with reckless abandon. Once sated, the Casket enters a dormant state as its victims are digested, with the bones being expelled once the process is complete. Necromancers also benefit from the Casket's feeding habits, finding themselves with an ample supply of skeletal remains to raise as thralls.

Caskets of Carnage are notoriously difficult to keep in check as their violent nature means only the most iron-willed necromancers can bring them to heel. As such, most use special runes of control to keep their Caskets in a (mostly) docile state unless needed, though hefty amounts of food are also required. When not in combat, Caskets are kept in reinforced cells and fed several times per day, usually feasting on any slaves or prisoners the necromancer throws into their pens. However, they will gladly feed on any meat they can get their hands on, even if it's rotten.

When a Casket of Carnage goes too long without food, it enters a feral state and mindlessly rampages through anything in its path. In this state, its rage is often enough to overcome the magic of any runes seared onto it, as more than a few foolish necromancers have discovered. These rogue Caskets are typically seen prowling around graveyards or anywhere else with an ample supply of bodies. They're even known to attack villages and towns at random, usually leaving them completely devoid of life.

Creating a Casket of Carnage

To create a Casket of Carnage, a necromancer must first obtain the soul of an especially violent killer. To achieve this, they will send out agents to infiltrate prisons and "liberate" any suitable candidates they find. Once the killer in question is brought to their lair, the necromancer will kill them and place their soul inside of a carefully-constructed coffin or casket filled with flesh. With the soul bound to the coffin, the necromancer then pours an immense amount of deathly magic into it, which causes the flesh to rise and take shape.

Arms and legs burst from the coffin as the killer's soul adapts to its new form, the magic serving to increase its desire to kill and destroy. But before the construct grows too angry, the necromancer has their minions use a series of enchanted branding irons to burn the runes of control into its body. With the process completed, the necromancer now has a terrifying new weapon to use in their arsenal, though they must remember to keep it locked away and feed it on a frequent basis.

Notable Individuals

TBA