The Walkin' Dead

The Walkin' Dead

"They ain't slow. They ain't stupid. And yes, they do feed on brains."

What Are They?

The walkin' dead are exactly what the name suggests—corpses that ought to be six feet under, pushing up daisies, taking a dirt nap. Instead, they're shuffling around the Weird West looking for their next meal. And partner, you're on the menu.

Don't let those pulp novels fool you. Writers back East spin yarns about slow, mindless zombies that shuffle along moaning for brains. That description might sell penny dreadfuls, but it'll get you killed out here. The truth is far worse: walkin' dead are mean, clever, and faster than you'd think.

These rotting horrors are animated by evil spirits called manitous—damned souls from the Hunting Grounds that crawl into fresh corpses and puppet them around. The manitou picks a spot in the body as its focus point (usually the brain), and from there it controls the whole shambling mess. They don't feel pain, don't get tired, and sure as Hell don't quit until you put them down proper.

How They Act

Here's where those dime novels get folks killed: walkin' dead are smart. They know people expect them to shuffle and moan like idiots, so sometimes they'll play along just to get close. Then, when you let your guard down, they strike with horrifying speed and savagery.

Walkin' dead hunt in packs when they can. They're cunning enough to set ambushes, use weapons they've scavenged from victims, and coordinate attacks. They don't tire, they don't sleep, and they can work together with a frightening degree of efficiency.

And yes—they really do crave brains. Fresh gray matter is their favorite delicacy, though they'll settle for any living flesh when truly hungry. The manitou inside gets some kind of sick pleasure from consuming human organs, especially the thinking parts.

The Deception

A walkin' dead that's recently risen might look almost normal at first glance, especially at night or from a distance. They're clever enough to hide their true nature until they get close—maybe asking for help, shambling like they're drunk, or pretending to be injured. By the time you realize what they really are, they're already on top of you.

More decayed specimens don't bother with subterfuge. When the flesh is hanging off in strips and the smell of rot announces them fifty yards out, they just come at you hard and fast.

Where You'll Find Them

Anywhere there are recent corpses and the right kind of dark magic to animate them. Common locations include:

• Graveyards and cemeteries—especially those near sites of violence or supernatural activity
• Battlefields—old Civil War sites are prime territory, with thousands of bodies in shallow graves
• Bayou Vermillion work camps—Baron LaCroix uses walkin' dead as railroad laborers, keeping them in refrigerated train cars during the day
• Abandoned towns—places where everyone died suddenly from plague, massacre, or supernatural events
• Any place dark magic is practiced—necromancers, voodoo cultists, and black magic practitioners can create walkin' dead

They prefer to operate at night, though that's more about avoiding attention than any real weakness to sunlight. During the day, they might hide in root cellars, abandoned buildings, or shallow graves—waiting for darkness and unwary travelers.

Types of Walkin' Dead

Not all walkin' dead are created equal. The source material makes a difference:

Standard Walkin' Dead

Your average cemetery-raised corpse. Ordinary folk who died and got reanimated by manitous looking for a body to drive around. They're dangerous enough—faster and smarter than expected, capable of using weapons, and utterly fearless. These are the ones you're most likely to encounter.

Threat Level: Serious for individuals, manageable for a prepared posse. A group of 3-5 walkin' dead can overwhelm an unprepared Troubleshooter.

Veteran Walkin' Dead

Sometimes walkin' dead rise from soldier's graveyards—men and women who knew how to fight when they were alive. The manitous inhabiting these corpses benefit from muscle memory and battlefield experience. Veteran walkin' dead are tougher, faster, and far more skilled with weapons. They're often found still wearing the tattered remains of their uniforms.

Baron LaCroix has been known to deliberately create veteran walkin' dead from Confederate and Union gravesites. A zombie that can shoot straight is worth its weight in ghost rock when you're trying to build a railroad through hostile territory.

Threat Level: Deadly. Even a single veteran walkin' dead can pose a serious challenge to an experienced Troubleshooter. A group of them is a recipe for disaster.

How to Kill Them

Here's the critical information that'll save your life: destroy the head, destroy the corpse.

A walkin' dead's focus—the point where the manitou controls the body—is almost always the brain. You can shoot one in the guts, the legs, the arms, even blow off a limb or two, and it'll keep coming. But a solid shot to the head that causes a maiming wound to the skull will drop it for good. The manitou gets kicked back to the Hunting Grounds, and the corpse finally stays dead.

Effective Weapons and Tactics

Best weapons: Rifles and shotguns for accuracy and stopping power. A well-placed rifle shot to the head will do the job. Shotguns at close range are devastating but require steady nerves when a rotting corpse is charging at you.

Melee combat: Not recommended unless you're skilled and desperate. If you must fight hand-to-hand, axes and heavy blunt weapons aimed at the skull are your best bet. Just remember—they bite, and their teeth carry all sorts of nastiness.

Fire: Walkin' dead burn like dry timber, and fire will eventually destroy them. However, it's not instant. A burning zombie will keep coming at you for several rounds before collapsing, and now it's a flaming zombie trying to grab you. Use fire when you've got distance and time.

Holy symbols and blessed weapons: Walkin' dead are animated by evil spirits. Blessed individuals with strong faith might be able to repel or even destroy them through divine miracles. Weapons blessed by someone with genuine faith can harm them more effectively.

What Makes Them Dangerous

Beyond the obvious threat of teeth and claws, walkin' dead present several specific dangers:

Fearless: They never run, never retreat, never fail a Guts check. If you're hoping to scare them off or intimidate them into surrendering, you're wasting your time. They fight until destroyed.

Numbers: They're often encountered in groups. One walkin' dead is manageable. Five is a serious problem. Twenty? That's when you run.

Persistence: They don't need to rest, eat (well, not in the traditional sense), or sleep. They'll track prey for days if needed, moving tirelessly through terrain that would exhaust a living person.

Disease and Corruption: Their bite and claws carry the taint of death. Wounds from walkin' dead tend to fester and infect easily. Get medical attention quickly if you're wounded by one.

The Terror Factor: Seeing a loved one risen from the grave and trying to eat you is psychologically devastating. Walkin' dead have a Terror rating of 9, which means even experienced Troubleshooters need to make a Hard Guts check or potentially suffer debilitating fear effects.

Survivor Accounts

From the journal of Sarah McKenna, Dodge City resident:

"They came at night, three of them, scratching at the door of the homestead. My husband thought they were drifters seeking shelter. When he opened the door, I saw their faces in the lamplight—gray, rotting, with eyes that held nothing but hunger. Thomas shot the first one twice in the chest. It didn't even slow down. Our daughter screamed, and that seemed to excite them. They moved faster than any living man, with a terrible purpose. Thomas finally put a bullet through one's skull, and it dropped like a puppet with cut strings. That's when we understood. We barricaded ourselves in the bedroom and shot through the door all night. Come morning, two more bodies lay still, both with head wounds. We burned them all in the yard and never spoke of it again. But I still bar the door every night, and I keep a rifle loaded by my bed."

Report from Deputy Marshal James Redding:

"Encountered a group of seven walkin' dead near the old Chisholm Trail crossing. They'd ambushed a cattle drive—waited until the cowboys were split up watching the herd, then struck from three directions at once. Tactical planning, coordinated assault. These things ain't the shambling idiots the newspapers make them out to be. Found four dead drovers, all partially eaten. The walkin' dead had taken weapons from the bodies—rifles, pistols, even a cavalry saber. Took us the better part of an hour to put them all down, and we lost two good men in the process. Anyone tells you zombies are slow and stupid, you send them to me. I'll set them straight—if they live long enough."

Troubleshooter Tips

If you're heading into territory where walkin' dead might be a threat, keep these points in mind:

1. Practice Your Headshots: Spend time at the range working on precision shooting. In a fight with the undead, body shots are wasted ammunition.

2. Watch for Ambushes: Walkin' dead are clever. They'll hide, set traps, and attack when you're vulnerable. Stay alert, especially near cemeteries, abandoned buildings, and anywhere you smell rot.

3. Don't Fight Fair: Use terrain to your advantage. Get to high ground where they have to climb to reach you. Bottleneck them in doorways. Create distance and pick them off methodically.

4. Travel in Groups: A lone Troubleshooter is easy prey. A posse working together can cover angles, provide suppressing fire, and rescue each other when things go wrong.

5. Burn the Bodies: If you put down walkin' dead, burn the corpses thoroughly. Otherwise, another manitou might reanimate them, or a necromancer might use the bodies for dark purposes.

6. Trust Your Gut: If something feels wrong about a person you encounter—they smell off, move strangely, or their eyes look dead—keep your distance and keep your hand near your gun.

"The dead don't stay buried in the Weird West. Make sure you know how to put them back down."