The Draugr, an ethereal and enigmatic undead race, hold an influential place in The Sea Realm. Originally Valar, human-like entities with vampiric ancestry, they met their untimely end in the merciless sea's embrace, drowned and disgraced. Unlike the common undead, the Draugr are tethered to the mortal plane by profound regret and unfinished business. Their spirits, too stubborn or driven to accept death, claw their way back to the realm of the living, either to fulfill a master's bidding or to resolve age-old grudges.
Though Draugr retain some of the physical attributes they bore in life, death and the sea's relentless touch have warped them considerably. Their flesh, once vibrant and full of life, is now a sickly blue or green, stretched tight over their skeletal frame. Seaweed, barnacles, and other aquatic life often cling to their waterlogged skin, hinting at the Draugr's aquatic grave.
Their eyes, once human, now glow with an eerie, spectral light, piercing through the darkness like the beacon of a ghost ship. Their once-human features are distorted, bearing the touch of the spectral realms they've traversed. Draugr, though terrifying, carry an air of melancholic beauty, a ghostly echo of their former selves.
Unlike other undead, the Draugr maintain a semblance of their original consciousness and personalities, albeit intertwined with a growing bitterness and regret. Their culture, if it can be called such, revolves around their unresolved grudges and the drive to right their past wrongs. Draugr are often seen near their watery graves, the coasts, and the ships they once called home.
Despite their spectral form, Draugr exhibit a profound connection with the sea, often possessing an innate ability to manipulate water or call upon the chill of the deep to smite their foes. Their grim purpose and spectral abilities make them feared and respected, often forming the basis for sea shanties and sailors' warnings.
To most races, Draugr are a chilling reminder of the sea's wrath and the heavy cost of unfinished business. They're often viewed with a mix of fear and awe, respected for their unyielding resolve, yet feared for their spectral powers. Some cultures venerate the Draugr, seeing them as the embodiment of ancestral spirits, while others seek to exploit their unique abilities for their own ends. Despite their status as undead, many Draugr maintain a semblance of their former honor, keeping their interactions with the living civil and respectful, as long as their grudges are not invoked.
The Draugr stand as a chilling testament to the sea's wrath and the perils of leaving one's life's work unresolved. Bound by regret and driven by unfulfilled grudges, they walk between life and death, a spectral embodiment of determination and the sea's relentless grip. Despite their frightful appearance and mournful tales, the Draugr carry a strange, melancholic beauty, their eternal struggle a haunting melody in the grand symphony of life and death.