Trying not to be a zombie

[Kessie]

Okay, so for Nanowrimo I'm writing a story about a zombie apocalypse. Kind of like the Walking Dead, only with more magic and unicorns.

As I've been musing on the various interesting themes it's presenting, I'd like to weave in there the verse about "the outward man is perishing, but the inward man is being renewed day by day". Seeing as the story's about zombies, necromancers, and corruption of all kinds, it fits pretty well. I'd like to show this concept literally.

But I want to do it in a way that isn't bleedingly Christianly obvious. No drinking special water or eating special bread. I even balk at fruit *coughteddekkercough*. But I'd like them to have to do something to keep the zombie curse at bay.

Any suggestions?

[stormiel]

Zombies aren't my specialty but what about maybe a fortress over the water? I don't remember zombies being able to swim and I don't know if they are supposed to be decent climbers. What if your characters had a hiding place, maybe something like Petra carved deep into rock cliffs near water and was only accessible by boat? At least there is no special water,bread or fruit lol.

[Kessie]

Oh, the survivors are hiding out in a ruined castle. The zombies can't get in as long as the living stay there. The zombies aren't really that smart. There's just lots of them. :-D

In the Walking Dead, the big deal is that everybody is infected with the zombie bug, so everybody becomes a zombie when they die. I'm thinking something like that, but my zombies are more magical (they're caused by a curse).

So I just need a way for the living people to keep the curse from spreading to them. Mark their foreheads with the blood of a lamb? Snerk.

[rjj7]

A random thought: Perhaps reading? There have been a number of non-Christian authors who have praised the value of reading to the mind, so it wouldn't have to be obviously Christian.

It would, however, transfer the "inward renewing" to a much more mental/spiritual renewing than simply taking a dose of antidote every day. Zombies aren't my specialty [read: I know nothing about them] so perhaps the concept won't really work for what you want. But hey, what's the use of an idea that's not thrown out there? Doesn't do anyone any good closeted away behind the old eyeballs.

[Kessie]

I didn't know much about zombies, either, so I did some research. (I asked about zombies on deviantart.) I compiled my findings here: netraptor.org/blog/2012/10/notes-about-zombies/

Just in case you ever wondered stuff about the undead. :-D

Reading is a really interesting one. I haven't had that idea before. Will ponder ...

[fluke]

I like the reading idea. I use the opposite in my recent stories. If characters read certain books, they go crazy. However, those books are the most powerful grimoires and necessary to advance in mage craft. It's a matter of reading only as much as needed while being tempted to read more.

What do you mean? Yes, I do have friends who play Call of Cthulu.

[Kessie]

I was going to say, is one of those books the Necronomicon? :-D

[fluke]

We call it Liber Mortuorom.

"Bring me the little book." I pointed to the table holding Valpudius' Rigors of the Night. Next to it sat a copy of one of the most powerful books of necromancy ever penned, Liber Mortuorum or The Book of the Dead. Simply named, but the spells within it were even more powerful than Valpudius'. Unfortunately, we only had the elvish translation, not the original by that Aatazaran, Modmar Milaared. However, the Elvish translation was much better than the Guntherian translation. Legend said that Modmar went mad while writing the final chapter. Personally, I had never read it all the way through. I had felt the madness reaching into my skull and stopped.

[Kessie]

Ha ha! Well, note to self--don't let my characters near an eeeevil book. :-D

I'm thinking my unicorn can cause some kind of plant to grow that acts as a cure for the curse. But only she can grow it.