Dreag

The Dreag (or Dreygur, Draugen. Plural. Dreagen) are the living dead as named by the Holfolk. As with the embodiments of Lunar Spirits, their purpose is to destroy the living world of Sol/The Sun. As described in the Holfolk Book of the Moon:

"Thee willo thy dead cast upon thee evilso thy moon and thee darknesso the dead's heart o'er the untimely disposal, preperation, and disposalo ein corpse shalt deliver onto thy world their body again. Though not taken by the purity of thee originally living, but the unholy marriageo thine's evil and the ill missiono thee lunar will."

Often, the Dreag are more than content to live in the underground out of fear of punishment from the sun - or Sol - but will rise from the ground to stalk the surface. Commonly it's believed the Dreag will cease walking when the body they inhabit are taken by decay, fire, or the warrior's sword. Although the recent events and the return of the Dreag bring a challenge to the contemporary disposition with dreag without flesh and their almost endless population.

Physical Attributes
The Dreag - being creatures born of dead bodies - often bear disease and no free will of their own and are believed to be controlled directly by the moon or even witches or necromantic practitioners. They do not possess the abilities to construct or have adept problem solving abilities, instead favoring to tackle their problems with the one root incentive on their spirit: to kill.

Many Dreag have the attept sense to seek out and pursue the living from incredible ranges and will passionately pursue them until either one is cut down, or the prey finds shelter. Certain Dreag may use the weapons or armor they may have died with in their living times as soldiers, guards, or mercenaries.

As Lunar Servants, the Dreag have a strong disposition against life. Many will pursue their target into the light to kill them. But those that do will avoid walking into it otherwise, or rising from the ground if there is light over their graves.

Dreag may come with the decaying flesh still dressing them, or lacking all flesh and walk as bare bones.

Prevention of the Dreag
Proper care or burial of a body may prevent it from becoming a dreag or from rising as one should it turn.

An easy method of disposing corpses has been in the cremation of the body, or the butchering of the recently dead and the burial of each quarter of their corpse in different graves or in the far corners of the tomb. Turning the body to ash or dismembering it therefore prevents a single vessel for a Lunar Spirit to enter and take control of.

By this, warriors dropped in combat by being beheaded or cut in two or otherwise dismembered and broken are believed to be no longer capable of returning to life as a Dreag and are often given milder preperations for death. All the same, the precautions for disposing a warrior's body are made on the assumption that the body may still rise again. The corpses of warriors are thus bound at the hands or shackled with irons (or their braces are welded together). Rope, spikes, or needles will be bound around, or driven into the bodies big toe or ankles to prevent the possessed body from walking and leaving their tomb, rendering them immobile.

Burial is likewise done on the assumption the spirit may recollect the bodies location through its eyes on possession so the eyes of the corpse are striken out, or a cloth is draped over top to blind it.

Dreag may also be prevented through short exposure to the dead. It is believed the stench of a recently dead corpse at night may coax a lunar spirit to instead possess a living person, destroying their soul completly to take control. Therefore, the final rights and embalming are always conducted at day under the sun. If there is little time, the body will be locked by a fire for observation, and if it has not stood up by the morning then it may be cared for as a normal corpse, and not immediately destroyed and dusted over the crops as a dreag.

Contact with a dead body may only be had during the day and in the open. Never at night or inside or in a poorly lit room. Any corpses discovered indoors are to be immediately brought into the light.

Dreag
Dreag are featured commonly in the Sagas of the Holfolk. Either as servants to risen deamons, dragons, or summoned by corrupt wizards. Often times they return on their own to guard gold or their tombs. Cuthill the Wizard Slayer is considered the widest known slayer of Dreag in the old sagas.