#i feel like cleo would be immune to the infection also

[astrowarr]

the urge to write a roomies zombie apocalypse au is so strong right now. they're just the Most zombie apocalypse au people EVER like they would make so much sense as a little gang

[atherix]

Aggghhhh I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS I LOVE HOW YOU WROTE THE LORE— anyways, how did zombies or skeletons come to be? Or have they just.. always been there? Do people always die and come back as an undead, or is through a kind of sickness? Where did the sickness come from? How do zombies hybrids like Cleo come to be anyways? Sorry if this is way to many questions but I’m so so curious-

ohoho good questions!! :D Thank you so much I'm glad you enjoy <3

So it was hinted at a few times, but Zombies and Skeletons were not always around. They've been around since at LEAST the First Ones (who were not, in fact, the first civilization in this world, but is the oldest one they can find evidence of/references to), but they are the results of a disease, basically- Zombies a biological disease, Skeletons a magic one. Thus why they're called the Infection and the Curse, respectively. They predate the Ancients and, though the characters in our story will never know this bc we're talking ~50k+ years, the Infection and the Curse were introduced with the fall of the very first society in this world- the First Ones' ancestors. Which was, of course, ended by the very first Warden to be... created. :)

Not everyone who dies comes back as an undead- only people who have the Infection or the Curse will come back- the Infection is spread through a Zombie's body juices (AKA if they bite or scratch you, you can get infected) and the Curse can be spread through, well, magical means. Luckily Skeletons can't spread it once they're completely skeletized, but people who end up Cursed can spread it while they're still flesh and blood, through general, common, daily magic interactions (such as.... name magic :) ). Peecy ("player characters" gettit? Gettit? .... they're the humans who are not Testifica (villagers) or Illager) are less susceptible to Infection and Curse than Testifica but are not immune like the Illager are, but when they do get Infected or Cursed they have anywhere between hours and months until they start showing signs.... by the time of which they'll have probably spread it to multiple other people. By the time Midnight takes place, it's mostly under control (again), with Zombies and Skeletons and other Mobs banished to the very outskirts of villages. The Infection, ofc, can be cured in a very small percentage of people..... but that's information that has been lost.

As for how Zombie and Skeleton Hybrids can happen- like Cleo! Cleo, specifically, is the result of an incomplete transformation. Scar doesn't know much about Cleo's past, but I'll go ahead and reveal since it won't really come up in much detail- but Cleo was also a Turned, who was super fucking loyal to her Sire while they were alive, because she was Infected as a Human. When they started showing signs and symptoms of being Infected, in a time when there wasn't much that could be done about it, their village/family turned them out into the wild outdoors to die far away where none of them would have to see or possibly fight her. They were found by their Sire partway through their decay, maybe days or weeks away from death, and oh MAN was Cleo angry and hurt, feeling betrayed and abandoned... but their Sire saw a fire in her eyes and knew, looking at her, that she would make an excellent Lord one day. So they Turned Cleo, resulting in our part-Zombie Vampire Lord we know and love today. Which, uh... considering what their magic is....... Mumbo and Grim aren't the only Turned Vampires with scarily strong magic :)

Other Zombie (and Skeleton!) Hybrids can end up being born/created in a few different ways- either they get Infected and start taking on attributes of the Mob, but abruptly.... stop dying, or one of their parents was Infected/Cursed when they were conceived or born. For example, if your parent is pregnant with you and gets Infected, there's a chance you'll be born already Infected (and with such attributes) and maybe even already somewhat zombie-d. And there's like a 50/50 chance that you just.... won't die/fully transform. Which is a terrible thought but ya know-

Anyway, hope this ramble answered any questions, thank you for asking~! This was fun to talk about :D