Undead

Undead have various levels of hostility, and the Vanguard are aware of this. Despite their ruthless nature towards various forms of undead, even they have to recognize when some are more sane than others.

There are many Levels, Sub-levels and Categories of undead and they may not all be listed here immediately.

Level 0
Complete death. This usually refers to a simple corpse. Level 0's are often seen in casualty reports, but this Level can also be written on a Necromancer's notes, where they are prone to "Upgrading".

Level 1
Level 1's are what most would refer to as "Ghosts". They're the most hated enemy of the Vanguard, due to their elusive nature. There are very few sane ghosts in the world, so they are not seen often. Especially following the Vanguard Campaign.

Ghosts become more unstable over time, considering that their soul is in flux between a spirit world and the Earth. That's not even considering what kind of trauma led their soul to remain.

They're second only to Vampires in actual threat.

A sane ghost is plausible, but unlikely. When there is one, they're usually tagged by the Vanguard and monitored constantly.

Level 2
2's are what most would refer to as "zombies", though depending on the method of the Undead it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between them and ghouls.

1's are usually risen corpses that serve little purpose beyond servitude or cannon fodder. These are not common in the Vanguard ranks. Usually only seen with high ranking Necromancers, who use Level 1's as packmules.

There is no zombie-virus. If someone finds a wandering Level 1, there is likely a necromancer (Of varying ability) nearby.

Level 3
Level 3's are referred to as Ghouls. These are like Level 1's, but more... put-together. Ghouls are fully concious with varying levels of free will (Depending on the Necromancer).

Ghouls are most often found as servants, secretaries, and custodians of various Vanguard installations.

Level 3-1
A sub-level of Ghouls, 3-1's are referred to as "Soulless".

Lacking a soul does not have the usual connotation of "Evil" as it does in other stories.

Lacking a soul usually means something went... awry in their method of resurrection. They're often lumped in with Ghouls for similar reasons, however a 3-1's body and mind are usually intact.

Having no soul does bring in some side-effects of undeath, however. Immortality, the ability to see other supernatural creatures, and others depending on the method of their raising.

Level 4
4's are an odd case, because they don't necessarilly encompass all that is undead.

Level 4's are simply: Summoned creatures. The most common sighting of a Level 4 is a Necromancer on the battlefield, summoning a skeleton out of a fallen enemies flesh. These are comparable to Level 2's, as they are mindless. There is no thought, they are entirely controlled by the Necromancer.

However this also counts for various other summoned creatures.

Level 5
Vampires, the primary enemies of the Vanguard. They are considered to be the most dangerous form of undead, due to their versatility and adaptable nature.

Regardless of sanity, threat, or soullessness, Vampires are tagged and monitored at all times. Following the Vanguard Campaign, Vampires did not have the strength of numbers, nor the technology to fight back and had to concede to Vanguard law.