The Isle of Sai'mul

When we die, our souls customarily ascend to the holy realm of Fadal, where our value to the Gods is to be determined. The favored souls enjoy new life in the Fadalians' kingdom while those who aren't are transferred to the Soulforge to join the next phase of the Gods' mysterious plan. But sometimes, for reasons unknown, a soul will fail to leave its mortal shell and linger on in Comalan. These unfortunate souls are known as the Sai'mul, or undead.

The Sai'mul are often miserable creatures who arise from all parts of the world, lamenting their failure to properly die. In Comalan, death is viewed as a crucial step in the evolution of mortalkind, so no one would choose such an odd fate. Why this happens to people is unclear, even to those who speak with the gods. According to the clergy, the emergence of a Sai'mul is a random and disastrous occurrence that results in an odd condition: Sai'mul are invisible to the Gods. Their decaying bodies appear as ordinary corpses to them and they cannot perceive of the life that remains.

As a result of the Gods' inability to sense a Sai'mul, they are unable to use most forms of magic. There are some spells that are inherently mortal powers as well as those which were not intentionally bestowed by the gods. These are the only forms of magic that a Sai'mul can use. Because most magic is divine, they also possess a resistance against some forms of magic. Fire is as effective against a sai'mul as a true living mortal (perhaps more so, due to the relative dryness of their bodies), but non-elemental magic such as Empathy, Pacifism, and Omniscience, has no effect on them.

Sai'mul are prone to emotional resistance to their new reality. For the most unfortunate, this manifests itself in violent outbursts, and perpetually dark moods. For this reason, many people are uncomfortable in the presence of sai'mul. This often leads to persecution, all for the inescapable act of living when they should be dead. Murder and suicide are common responses to the emergence of a sai'mul, but the clergy condemns this, for to take a life is a sin regardless of whether that life was meant to persist.

Fortunately for the Sai'mul, there is a safe place. Towards the end of the First Age, the devastation that struck the mainland of the former Akisian Empire has left a barren land behind occupied with the very oldest of Sai'mul. Although the land, now known as Midania, remains barren of vegetation and fauna to this day, the undead do not require sustenance. Therefore they can live on this island comfortably as no one else can.

Although the gods can no longer hear their voices, they continue praying to Salica as the former Akisians once did. If nothing else, they seek comfort in knowing that Salica in particular is sympathetic to their plight. Others, however, have developed alternative methods to communicate with Salica which have been unsuccessful only in comparison to the conventional methods of the clergy. Through these efforts, they know that Salica cares for them, and it is this knowledge that gives them the hope they need to carry on with their unusual existence.