The Problems with being Dead
Oct. 9th, 2006 12:56 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
annarti.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
yrae
I don't really like calling Yan 'undead', since that implies rotting flesh hanging from dried bones, wanting to eat your brains~~~ and having little to no conscious thought, but there's not really anything else I can call him, so 'undead' he remains =/
Anyway. After reading Alyssa's FAEQ, I've decided I need to properly set down the ground rules for Yan's existence. Subject to change, of course, depending on plot holes, whims and forgetfulness or going 'OOH that's a cool idea.' Cos I do that a lot with him already ^^;;
Does he sleep?
This is where Yan would just answer 'No.' and move onto the next question, which is really very unhelpful =/ He doesn't sleep, true enough, but that's not because he's undead. Yan is absolutely paranoid of sleep, because in the end, that's what killed him. Well, Qewir's sword through his eye helped, but Yan puts it down to being asleep and unable to see what was going on.
Anyway, back to the original question: He would need sleep, but he's manipulated the magic in his yrae stone so that he doesn't need to anymore. If he didn't have the stone, he would still need to sleep just as often as any 43-year-old man. So instead, all through the night, he draws off of the yrae stone to keep himself awake and alert, not feeling tired at all. It physically exhausts him, but in the same way you feel exhausted after you've run a lot. Your limbs go shaky and your throat goes cold and dry from panting so much, and all you want to do is sit down and rest, but not sleep.
Does he breathe?
Yep, but if he gets choked or drowned or whatever, the worst that can happen is that he passes out, cos yaknow, he's already dead. Far as he's concerned tho, passing out is just as bad as dying anyway, so he chooses to keep breathing X3
Does he eat and drink?
Of course he bloody drinks; he may be undead but he's still Raykinian =P Again tho, if he didn't eat or drink, he wouldn't die since he's already dead. He just gets hungry or thirsty and feels the need to quench it.
Can he feel?
Physically touching things yes, heat and cold no. He doesn't suffer from heat exhaustion or hypothermia either.
Can he see out of his left eye?
Yes, it still works fine, despite having had a bloody great sword shoved through it. Ditto his brain and his skull. I figure his family unit didn't rea~lly like the sight of him with a bloody mess instead of a face, so they healed him up before they started on the task of bringing him back to life. Also would've figured out some way of stopping his dead body from rotting, cos then he really would be undead XD;
Can the other people with desert magic 'sense' him?
No. Ramnaré explains the whole sensing thing with desert magic in SH proper, comparing it to looking up at the stars at night. Some people shine brighter than others because they have stronger magic--the twins are especially bright because they've got the yrae stones to draw off of and enhance their desert magic. Going by that, Yan should be like the moon, but~ they can't sense him, because otherwise they'd've bumped him off years ago, and it'd make the whole searching process in SH pretty pointless ^^;; This is because desert magic is given off by a beating heart, and of course Yan's doesn't beat anymore, so they've got nothing. He can still sense everyone else tho, so he's got a bit of an unfair advantage there =P
Does his hair/nails grow?
Nup. Plain and simple.
That's all I can think of at present. If you've got any other questions, feel free to ask them =3 I would pose them to Yan himself, but while he doesn't lie, he doesn't tell you everything.
Anyway. After reading Alyssa's FAEQ, I've decided I need to properly set down the ground rules for Yan's existence. Subject to change, of course, depending on plot holes, whims and forgetfulness or going 'OOH that's a cool idea.' Cos I do that a lot with him already ^^;;
Does he sleep?
This is where Yan would just answer 'No.' and move onto the next question, which is really very unhelpful =/ He doesn't sleep, true enough, but that's not because he's undead. Yan is absolutely paranoid of sleep, because in the end, that's what killed him. Well, Qewir's sword through his eye helped, but Yan puts it down to being asleep and unable to see what was going on.
Anyway, back to the original question: He would need sleep, but he's manipulated the magic in his yrae stone so that he doesn't need to anymore. If he didn't have the stone, he would still need to sleep just as often as any 43-year-old man. So instead, all through the night, he draws off of the yrae stone to keep himself awake and alert, not feeling tired at all. It physically exhausts him, but in the same way you feel exhausted after you've run a lot. Your limbs go shaky and your throat goes cold and dry from panting so much, and all you want to do is sit down and rest, but not sleep.
Does he breathe?
Yep, but if he gets choked or drowned or whatever, the worst that can happen is that he passes out, cos yaknow, he's already dead. Far as he's concerned tho, passing out is just as bad as dying anyway, so he chooses to keep breathing X3
Does he eat and drink?
Of course he bloody drinks; he may be undead but he's still Raykinian =P Again tho, if he didn't eat or drink, he wouldn't die since he's already dead. He just gets hungry or thirsty and feels the need to quench it.
Can he feel?
Physically touching things yes, heat and cold no. He doesn't suffer from heat exhaustion or hypothermia either.
Can he see out of his left eye?
Yes, it still works fine, despite having had a bloody great sword shoved through it. Ditto his brain and his skull. I figure his family unit didn't rea~lly like the sight of him with a bloody mess instead of a face, so they healed him up before they started on the task of bringing him back to life. Also would've figured out some way of stopping his dead body from rotting, cos then he really would be undead XD;
Can the other people with desert magic 'sense' him?
No. Ramnaré explains the whole sensing thing with desert magic in SH proper, comparing it to looking up at the stars at night. Some people shine brighter than others because they have stronger magic--the twins are especially bright because they've got the yrae stones to draw off of and enhance their desert magic. Going by that, Yan should be like the moon, but~ they can't sense him, because otherwise they'd've bumped him off years ago, and it'd make the whole searching process in SH pretty pointless ^^;; This is because desert magic is given off by a beating heart, and of course Yan's doesn't beat anymore, so they've got nothing. He can still sense everyone else tho, so he's got a bit of an unfair advantage there =P
Does his hair/nails grow?
Nup. Plain and simple.
That's all I can think of at present. If you've got any other questions, feel free to ask them =3 I would pose them to Yan himself, but while he doesn't lie, he doesn't tell you everything.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-09 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-09 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-09 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 04:33 am (UTC)... unalive? ;D
*bootsquee* I've wondered about some of these things, so this was a good juncture to pop them down! That bit about not wanting to sleep is quite sad :( poor old Yan. You can see how he'd have a wee little problem with closing his eyes again after someone stuck a sword through one that first time.
I have an other-type question. Since Yan's heart doesn't beat and there's no blood circulating around his system with the oxygen, why does choking/not breathing make him pass out?
Also, when Yan goes to the hairdressers, does he have to be really, really careful about choosing the exact style he's happy with?
... Okay, just the first one.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 07:57 am (UTC)To be honest, I have NO idea. I had that question in the back of my mind the whole time I was writing this, and carefully skirted around it hoping nobody would notice XD; Until I can think of a plausible answer, I'm going to put it down to magic. He's got desert magic flowing through is veins~ and that carries the oxygen. Or something. Or he now subsists on nitrogen, of which there is SO much in the air that... it just gets to his brain somehow. By MAGIC.
...Yeah XD;;
And how often do you see middle-aged males changing their hairstyles anyway? XDD
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 12:04 pm (UTC)Ah, magic ... my elves would have fallen in a hole without it ;D
no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 07:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 08:05 am (UTC)