Edited 21-3-2015 (words)
You Live Once, Unless You Live Twice:
Surviving the Redead Apocalypse
(Chapter Four of "A Hylian's Worst-Case Scenario Survival Guide")
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Loosely based off "The Worst Case-Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel" this is only six pages.
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And now, visitor to our fair Hyrule, we come to the more serious portion of our guide. As is well known, Hyrule is the land of Legends, true Legends, and no Legend is born without a little strife. Never fear! Dear visitor, these occasions are blessedly (and Blessedly) rare, and seldom come without warning. If however, on does occur there are steps one might take to protect oneself.
No matter where in this world you are you run the risk of coming across a minor event, likely something stirred up by amateur Dark Lords playing with the mode of destruction du jour.
I speak of course of the recently popularized Redead Apocalypse, so common in plays and new literature of late.
Laugh if you will, but those who doubt are most cordially invited to visit the Royal Valley tombs.
I'm told it's quite nice this time of year, but the local pests bite no matter the season.
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How to Cross the Fields After Dark
1. Keep moving
To the inexperienced, this seems like a no brainer. If you do not want to be caught out after nightfall, keep moving. If you don't mind, pitch a tent.
This logic works in other nations, but only the first is true in Hyrule.
While most of Hyrule's fields are safe, there are many old battle fields, particularly in the Eldin region, or other old-blood sites where the dead were not properly disposed of and have since risen again. Should you find yourself in or near one of these areas, or are too unfamiliar with the terrain to be certain: MOVE. Whatever you're doing, it is not worth the risk.
2. Light a fire
There are no undead creatures present in the fields which do not fear flame – it is for this reason that every vehicle comes standard with a large complementary supply of flares: use them.
Most department stores carry flares and torches for resupply, particularly for longer trips.
3. Wear earplugs
The greatest danger posed by the fiends of the fields is the cry of the redead, which causes temporary paralysis to all in hearing range – if you cannot move to maintain your flames, they will eventually go out leaving you in serious danger. Redead screams have also been known to cause car crashes.
4. Seek Shelter
The best defence is a set of solid walls. Many Hyrulian buildings in afflicted areas have small, high or no windows on ground level as a precaution against the undead, and most are willing to take in travellers for the night.
Creatures Found in the Fields
Stalfo
The most common undead found in the fields. Stalfoes are usually concentrated around battle sites and the edges of the great forest. Stalfoes are animated skeletons and attack any who approach their resting place. Those near the woods are usually unarmed, but often carry weaponry in other regions. They turn to dust at contact with sunlight and fire.
Redead
A redead is similar in essence to a stalfo – they are animated corpses, mummified either naturally or by the necromantic magic that preserves them. Because they do still have flesh they are capable of screaming, but little else. The redead can paralyze via their scream, absorb magic and life energy of the living to maintain their undeath, and can turn the living into redeads via their bite. They cannot move in sunlight, and turn to dust in fire – but note some can return as stalfoes if the burning is not complete.
Bubble
Bubbles are skulls with conjured wings. In some locations they can manifest a flame or a flame-like aura (which causes confusion to the afflicted) but these do not appear in the fields. However, all bubbles are flame resistant, and while active at night can move in daylight. Bubbles must be shattered, which can be done if they can be knocked out of the air.
Grave Master (Dead Hand)
Grave masters do appear on the fields, albeit rarely. Those there are thought to have been necromancers or demons in life due to their unusual multi-limbed appearance and control over their surrounding living dead. They are very resilient, and if you cannot escape, fire and force are your best options. Do Not Let Them Grab You.
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Treating Redead Bites
1. Time is of the essence
If you have been bitten by a redead, but have managed to escape, you must act quickly – while some are able to stave off the infection for days, others can succumb very quickly.
2. Clean the wound
This may involve nothing more than washing the wound (ideally in water from great fountains or springs or other sanctified places, although any clean water will do) but can mean amputation if the infected area is spreading too rapidly or was left too long. The proper cleaning given quickly enough can save a life and a limb.
3. Seek medical help
Most clinics and holy sites around Hyrule stock four things for these situations: holy water, a healing fairy, clear potion, or Great Fairy Tears.
Holy water, healing fairies, clear potion, and Great Fairy Tears
These are among the strongest healing agents known, and the only ones known to combat curses and magically assisted infections such as the bite of the undead. They are listed in order of both potency (increasing) and availability (decreasing). A truly prepared adventurer may wish to stock up on one of these before venturing out, but bear in mind they are to a one difficult and expensive to procure.
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Don't Follow the Light
You are out walking at night; you could be anywhere, when you see it. It's indistinct, glowing and suddenly, it moves. What is it?
Take heed, for you may have had the misfortune of crossing a spirit.
Poe
Malevolent spirits that may manifest anywhere someone has died or been lain to rest. Most can only see a floating lantern where a Poe wanders. For those who can see the spirit itself, a Poe appears as a hooded specter (often masked) carrying a lantern, which contains the spirits soul. Poes can be both very weak or very powerful and thus difficult to disperse or escape. While some weaker Poes will not attack unless disturbed, all Poes will attack an intruder to their territory if they are aware of them, but will grow bored if their victim wanders too far from their resting place.
Out of doors, Poes tend to appear at night or in desecrated ruins at any time.
Poes can only be banished by those who can see them.
Imp
A variety of Poe, imps are small and powerful, rarely masked, and usually armed. Cases of violent haunting where furniture and other items move and are thrown around are usually caused by imps. Imps are most often inflicted as a curse, but can be dealt with the same way as regular Poes.
Ghoul
Ghouls are invisible spirits to most, but are fiercely malevolent, being manifest ill will. Unlike Poes, they do not carry a light, nor do they glow like ghini, but can only be seen by those with true eyes or spirit eyes. However, since their means of attack are purely physical they can be fought and destroyed by anyone who can throw a punch or swing a stick. Ghouls take many forms, the most common of which is a desiccated rat.
Babasu (Boe)
Babasu are visible, wispy spirits with glowing eyes. They usually appear in swarms are moving shadows in dark, damp, and isolated places, although a white variety has been rumoured to appear in cold regions and in winter. The wisps can be easily dispersed by passing something through them, but large groups can be dangerous.
Ghini
Luminescent spectres with glowing eyes, Ghini haunt graveyards, rest very lightly, and are able to appear in daylight. They can be seen by anyone, but cannot cross the boundaries of their graveyards. They can only be exorcized by purifying powers (typically, but not limited to, Light and Fire), and attack in groups.
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So You're Possessed
There are a few different options for dealing with possession.
1. Wait it out
Most spirits who try to possess people are frankly, simply young, weak and excitable. They swiftly grow bored after they realise all they can really do is confuse their victims, the more strong-willed of whom can actually evict the offending spirit.
2. Leave the area the possession occurred in
Spirits such as Poes can only command power near their resting places, and so are forced to relinquish control of their victims when the distance is too great.
3. Barter
Most of the more powerful possessing spirits, on whom the previous two suggestions don't work, simply want something. If this is the case it will become possible to determine what things the spirit desires and convince it to leave. Take care not to offend the spirit, however, for it may take a piece of the victims' soul if angered.
No benevolent spirit will require measures more serious than this – keeping in mind that if the bartered thing is a task, it can still be quite dangerous.
4. Exorcism
In more serious cases the spirit will not relinquish control, or may have in fact evicted the soul of the victim. If this is the case the victim's soul will need to be found and a sage, Sage, or Spirit magi consulted for the exorcism.
5. Death
In very rare cases the spirit will be too powerful to evict, or may even be occupying the body with the blessing of the owner. As such spirits are never truly benevolent, separation will be impossible, the only recourse is the death of the possessed. As long as the spirit in question is neither demon nor god, this will also kill the spirit.
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Stop Touching Me
Dead Hand (Wall master)
Dead hands are animated severed hands which individually cut and attempt to strangle victims, but are very weak when caught. Groups of dead hands come together to form a larger, stronger body to bludgeon, cut and strangle. Dead hands are found in abandoned graveyards and holy sites.
Dexihand
A disembodied hand which has routed on to the ground, usually in shallow pools. A Dexihand has a strong grip, which it uses to drag its victims under water or strangle them. They are however very brittle, and so a decent grip or blow can break a Dexihand.
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If You're Attacked by a 'Mummy'
Gibido
What most people imagine when they talk about 'mummies' is the bandaged wrapped, deliberately mummified and cursed entity known as the Gibido. Gibido are found in graveyards, tombs and some temples, and behave similarly to redeads, having the paralysing scream, and ability to devour life and magic. They do not however bite and cannot spread their curse. Gibido are occasionally used as guardians, and some temple knights have been recorded to have willingly been made into undead in order to continue protecting their charges.
Gibido are vulnerable to fire and sunlight and sufficient physical damage will unravel their curse.
Anubis
A guardian spirit, the Anubis is a creature of sand and fire found in desert temples, palaces and ossuaries. It is made of sand and wraps, and may be possessed by deceased warriors or priests. They can summon fire but are also only vulnerable to it, due to their wrappings. An Anubis is not a malevolent creature and will only attack if attacked.
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And You Thought You Were Safe in the Water
Water is the simplest barrier to any creature undead. The exception being if the creature in question was, in life, water born.
Curiously, while Zora ghosts have been known to appear, there has never been a documented case of an undead Zora or Parella. It is unknown why this is: it may simply be that those tribes do not speak of it, seeing as they are the only water dwellers in Hyrule, and are both immensely prideful.
Skullfish
Skeletal fish with glowing eyes, red ballasts in their ribcages and elaborate fins; Skullfish attack swimmers in schools, and prove to be very vicious, larger schools shredding their victims in moments. Skullfish rarely appear anywhere but desecrated holy waters, usually as a manifest curse, most if not all of which are documented. Skullfish are killed by shattering them, or by lifting the curse. All but a handful of known cursed waters remain from the last heroic cycle.
Garahna
The slightly larger saltwater cousin to the Skullfish, Garahna tend to follow in the wake of the solitary Desbreko and swarm the remains of the undead shark's prey.
Bago-Bago
A large skeletal fish, without eyes, ballast or extra fins, which prefers hot waters. These are exceedingly rare and may in fact be myth. Should the stories be fact, a good smack to the side should dispatch this pest.
Desbreko
Desbreko are most likely undead Gyorg, as can be deduced from the bones of the cranial armour of the Gyorg around their heads. They only appear in salt water, and are dealt with by the Zora. A land-born swimmer caught by a Desbreko feeding frenzy has few hopes of survival. Desbreko are, thankfully, rare.
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Place to be Weary
The educated traveller should know that while most of Hyrule is safe from these entities, lesser known sites may have fallen through the cracks, and caution is always a good thing.
-Abandoned temples
-Battle Fields
-Desecrated temples
-Desecrated holy waters
-Dry river beds
-Great Woods borders
-Grave mounds
-Graveyards
-Natural disaster sites
-Ritual Sites
-Ruins
-Sewers
-Tombs
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A.N. And suddenly Hyrule's tourism rates drop. Odd that.