Resurrection Corps

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Origins
The Resurrection Corps, also known as the Zombie Corps, Undead Corps, and Necromancer Corps by some of the less-informed, was created after an event involving Wilhelm Rothschild regarding his wife's death. The idea presented to the High Chancellor was considered 'morbidly logical', allowing citizens to serve their full term in the military even after death. Wilhelm personally demonstrated his ability to raise the dead through the long dead art of necromancy, having prepared a subject and successfully raising him in full view of many upper-class and high-standing military and governmental officials.

Although the art of necromancy has often been discounted as an offence to the Goddess, the majority of the onlookers considered the Rothschild name to be in good standing. Many of the officials were either close friends or distant family, and thus allowed Rothschild to carry on his experiments, starting the Resurrection Corps. Doubts were further removed when it was stated that members of high-ranking military and some of certain social standing would be exempt from a resurrection clause. The High Chancellor personally approved the proposal, after reportedly vomiting multiple times.

Goal
Military service tends to stop when a member is dead. However, the argument was used that the body could still be used after death. In many situations, cohesion is required much more than elsewhere. Battles may consist of perhaps a few hundred soldiers against thousands of enemies. Despite their overwhelming numerical advantage, nine times out of ten, the enemies will lose out to the firearms and superior training and tactics of their foes. Yet it is this one tenth that the Resurrection Corps looks to aid. With so few men, every rifle counts. A few dozen men last in a charge may be nothing to the warriors of Erebus but a dozen riflemen lost and the whole battle line is weakened, cohesion lessened; the formation liable to fall apart under a committed assault. The Corps main objective is to provide immediate reinforcement.

Process
The deceased are plucked from the battlefield by orderlies who wait behind the line in cover, awaiting a fallen comrade. The bodies are then taken to the Corps ‘Field Hospital’ located behind the frontlines with the field HQ, the real field hospital and so on. Here the corpse is first given surgical treatment, resealing wounds, making sure everything is attached and so on. Initial mechanical augmentation is applied, which can later be improved upon. Only after these initial actions are performed does the resurrection occur. Detailed commands are cut into the skin with a scalpel, then dyed and burned. These need to be one hundred per cent correct, as if coding a machine. Ritual circles are kept around the beds at all times and with a simple dash of retouching, some blood, a prayer to the Goddess and the words of the ritual itself. With this, the brave ‘man’ can re-join the fight for his nation.

Soldiers of the Corps
In terms of build, these constructs are the same as they were in life. Their uniform is that of the Corps colours; a black ensemble with a long greatcoat covering much of the work done. A facial mask hides the person they once were, along with a chest plate grafted onto them which acts as a monitor and protector for the commands inscribed upon them. The eerie green glow from the mask’s eye slits is not the mask itself; rather, their own eyes are glowing due to their nature.

The soldier has many clear advantages. He does not need to eat or sleep, but merely needs to be stored in-between battles. The 'soul' of the person is gone; a simple body does not feel any pain. Above all, there is no independent thought; they will throw themselves upon a fire if asked by a superior officer.

They are not, however, a miracle soldier. Several functions such as running and speech are lost. Lack of pain can also be an issue; they would feel no need to inform their comrades that they are about to walk onto spikes if they follow him. Lack of independent thought is also a major problem, as they will not think to seek cover, only keep shooting; nor will they run when under fire, unless told to. Even then, it will be only a brisk walk. Though well protected, if serious damage is done to the words inscribed upon them they will cease to function. Also, it should be noted that these are still dead corpses. Treatment and magic help but tissue degeneration still takes place, and their viability is limited. Many are not able to function for more than a few months, or even less.

Regulation
Though very basic and supplemented heavily by medicine and science, this is, in essence, necromancy. The first real instant of its usage in hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. It is a dangerous and supposedly moral defunct art. A myriad of problems could arise, wrong inscriptions leading to a crazed killer, a necromancer simply digging up a graveyard and retiring to be a warlord, making a giant chimera out of ten dead bears out of boredom. Luckly, the art has only been recently discovered. Dr Rothschild is the only true practitioner alive. Books and knowledge of necromancy were for the most part erased after its fall, so simply becoming one by chance is nigh impossible. The only way is through training with the Corp, and even then, all you will learn is how to make a very basic ‘Thrall’ for the state.

All soldiers brought back are given two failsafes. The first is an automatic shutdown is their words are damaged too much, to prevent confused signals leading to an uncontrollable killing machine, attacking both sides. The second is too preventing anyone trying to smuggle one back to use outside of the war, as a butler, guard etc. Upon leaving the Erebus, they will simply cease to function. A ‘kill yourself’ failsafe command is not needed because the only instance they would not comply would be when the words are damaged, in that instance they would shut down anyway.

Public Opinion
Reception of the new policy is mixed, though mostly negative. The lower classes are horrified by the possibility that the stories told by their grandmothers of men rising up the dead from the ground are true. It is seen as dangerous meddling, and a terrible way to treat people who died for their country; being sent home to their families unrecognisable. The Middles class are more accepting of this necessary evil, many of their relations in the army being officers and therefore exempt. The Upper classes think it is a rather clever way to protect the state; they, of course, never having to worry about their sons’ bodies coming home with a mask screwed onto their faces.

Men on the frontline have slowly come to approve of the policy. Many a time those few extra silent hands saved their lives, and those masks avoid a lot of uneasy memories of dead friends. Dr Rothschild often lends out his service to the regular hospital when he has time, he willingness to lend his strength and doctors often keeping the over worked field hospitals going

It also rubs off several ‘big wigs’. Though most of the military love it, the Defence Medical Services feel insulted by the fact that it is an independent body and Dr. Rothschild is given a place on the board of Surgeon-Generals as ‘Surgeon-General to the Military Council’ and as such, is the voice of the council at the board meetings. Mages also are unhappy that they have no influence and the fact the Corps needs no licence from them to practice. The Church oddly enough sees no problem in the policy, major theologians agreeing that the soul fully leaves the body and it is no more a crime then putting on a coat.

Ranks
The frontline presence. They are charged with bringing the corpses in along with other menial work such as guarding, maintenance and cleaning. Armed like any soldier, they often provide support when idle. They are led by ‘Senior Orderlies’
 * Orderly


 * Nurse Similar to an orderly, except they do not leave the tent. The assist the surgeons as any regular nurse and manage the flow of ‘patients’ from the orderlies. They are lead by ‘Matrons'


 * Surgeon The main staff of the Corps, charged with creating the soldiers, they are divided into:


 * -Regular Surgeons - Charged with the basic work.


 * -Tech Surgeons - Handle the augmentation.


 * -Necro-Surgeons – Students of the art, tend to act as regular surgeons while observing the Necromancer at work, doing some basic magic as practice from time to time and maintain the base work, such as the ritual circles.


 * Necromancer There is currently only one, Surgeon -General, Dr Wilhelm Rothschild who leads the Corps. He is the sole person alive at this point you can truly make the soldiers function. In time his Necro-Surgeons will have the knowledge to make these ‘Thralls’ by themselves but he keeps further knowledge well hidden.

Standard and symbols
The standard of the Corps is the Goddess herself, holding onto a soldier in a caring and motherly manner to a serene lookng soldier, half his body just his skeleton. A simplified version of this is evident on stamps, logos, emblems, patches and the like of the corps. The most basic symbol used by the group is a black circle with a crimson line through it, a tribute to how the Goddess brought colour, light and life to the world.