The Denied
Death’s hand on occasion denies passage to the deceased, not from mercy, but because some have not yet earned their claim. The Maiden of Morta and the Withered Sire are but two of many living dead cursed to wander the mortal plane, seeking their veiled destinies and their right to cross over.
The Maiden’s demeanor is cadaverous and her complexion devoid of the warmth of life. Her weary grey eyes sink deep within their sockets. Worms stir within her nostrils. Her lips, encrusted with sores, have been crudely sewn shut, condemning her to silence. However, the rot of undeath has not fully decayed her beauty and a faint elegance still lingers in her visage.
The Withered Sire is a man left forsaken for epochs. His body is skeletal and shrunken, desiccated nearly to dust, though his mind remains astute, reflected in his lively gaze.
Enveloped in the hush of quietus, the two drift as companions; the Maiden carrying the Sire with what little remains of her strength, and the Sire speaking his aged wisdom for them both. They were last seen in the Oasis of Enchantment hidden deep within the Swamplands, requesting audience with the apprentice sorcerer who tends the realm, surely still searching release from the affliction of life.