THE LORE OF HOLLOWBEASTS
Hollowbeasts have a unique lifecycle that influences the behaviors and cultures of each mortal subspecies. Instead of traditional death as we know it, hollowbeasts experience "hollowing" in which they become undead. The undead or "hollowed" are easily identified by their skull faces and are much more similar to a ghost than a living, biological creature. The undead do not need to consume food, water or breathe. They are sustained by draining the energy of their surroundings and can still practice magic that they practiced in life. Hollowing can be prevented by destruction of the skull before the full effects set in, but once someone has gone hollow, the only option is for mortals to coexist with them, banish or kill them.
Mortal hollowbeasts in their home world are divided into specific subspecies. Each have their own allies, enemies, traits, cultures and more. Crossbreeding is possible in mortal hollowbeasts however Undead are unable to reproduce. More information on specific subspecies of mortals can be found on the mortal subspecies page.
Once they have gone hollow there are few options for the hollowbeast. In certain societies they may be revered as more god-like versions of themselves whereas others will shun them, if not make it their mission to eliminate them. Populations who fear the Undead will have specific Death Rituals in place to prevent the hollowing that involves destruction of the skull prior to the final natural death. For the poor Undead who does come back hollow in these regions there are a lucky few who make it to an Undead Settlement. These are small establishments of undead hollows who live peacefully in a manner similar to their first life, just now in a hollowed state. They form family units if it suits them, live in homes, have markets and form relationships with others like them.
The unlucky majority are hunted or banished. This entails a ritualistic use of magic to "banish" the undead from their home realm and thus sends them to another plane - sometimes our own. Hollowbeasts spotted on Earth are the remnants of those who have been banished from their homes, and in these new lands they can find new forms. Undead hollowbeasts that find themselves in alien locations can use the skull of animal deceased animal or creature as their bodily "host." The skull will remain the same but the body of the hollow will form from it and glowing eyes in the shape of orbs may appear. In their "sleeping" state of hibernation the soul of the hollow will reside within the skull - leaving them vulnerable to permanent death if the skull is destroyed. Mimicries of local flora, fauna and sounds they encounter in their new terrain is common as they try to fit into the strange surroundings.
Hollowbeasts who face the most grave of circumstances are hunted. This process involves trained warriors who task themselves with eliminating the undead from their lands who are seen as a disease. The Undead are not susceptible to traditional means of harm but are weak to certain sound frequencies and extremely powerful directed-energy. The molecular structure of undead is inherently unstable and the most effective way to injure or incapacitate them is to disrupt this. Total destruction of the skull is done to ensure permanent death once they are restrained or unable to attack.
It is possible for Undead to survive such violent attacks - the Behemoth King Oceiros proudly displays the circular void in his chest caused by an attack by multiple mortal hollows trained in magic working together in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow him. Wounds are not able to heal when an attack is done correctly and can leave the undead hollow severely disabled or maimed but only by completely destroying the skull is it possible to kill the soul of an undead hollow.
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