Fantasy "fluff" question: undead fetishizing death?

[WuZhuiQiu]

Thinking about older Games Workshop models in particular prompted this question. Supposing that undead skeleton units consist of raised warriors, where would their ubiquitous skull and bone insignia and heraldry have come from? They can't all have been death fetishists before they were slain. Would necromancers and vampires have workshops of undead craftsmen?

[Gibby]

This has long been a source of amusement for me, especially when you look at Nagash. I wonder if he designed his outfit. Project Runway of the Dead!

[Cubs]

A wizard did it.

[dadlamassu]

The warriors are raised from the dead in the remains of the clothing they were buried in.  The weaponry, armour and shields probably would have to be supplied by the "skull fetishist" necromancer from whatever source they have.  So why are their skull banners tattered?  Are they not new?  And, being "lungless" how do they "blow" horns or trumpets?

[FramFramson]

A wizard did it.

[Michi]

And, being "lungless" how do they "blow" horns or trumpets?

That is an unfair question. The move around muscleless too.

And yes, of course there are workshops and wholesellers for all that a necromancer is in need of. Banners taylored from rotten fabric, insignia stitched or sewed on made from sinew and bones, freshly forged ironwork is aged by acidic corrosion to the grade desired by the customer and so on. Just imagine you were a necromancer - why wasting time and energy for magical acts if you can just buy what you want? The more progressive of them do even mail orders... 

[WuZhuiQiu]

Well, at least in a Warhammer-like setting, magic users are not that common, using magic takes some effort, and spells are not guaranteed to succeed, so wave-of-the-hand explanations about magic don't quite seem to explain very much.

[Robosmith]

Skulls are pretty common in insignia. You can find plenty of uniforms all through history using a big ass skull. Even modern officer caps and pins will involve skulls.

[ZeroTwentythree]

After considering these same issues, I've opted for completely blank heraldry and minimal equipment for my undead. My liche/necromancer/whatever is raising an army, not working on a craft project. 

I've also rationalized the animated dead who move around without muscles in a similar way to considering elementals in a fantasy setting... To sum it up in the most straightforward way: it's magic. 

For a humorous bit of reading on the topic, I've always loved the text on the old Citadel Skeleton War Machines box: http://www.solegends.com/citmd/md8swm/index.htm



Now let's talk about those necromancers who like to bleach their skeletons before sending them off to battle... 

[Robosmith]

Have you never been to a necromancer convention? Half of them are posers going "Well I have solid gold rims on MY skeleton hordes". Probably quite easy to make some nice spooky shields/banners when you have thousands of bodies working 24 hours a day. Some of them have to have been able to sew when alive.

I would be really interested in playing a campaign about a necromancer trying to pimp his army. He sends some zombie lumberjacks into the forest to get wood for his new chariot. Wood elves don't like it, beastmen don't like it and some where yonder there's a witch hunter who really hates chariots.. End game scenario if the necromancer succeeds is the biggest swarm of Dwarves ever seen invade the territory. They've heard of skeletons covered in jewels, solid gold shield rims and mithril cod pieces on every death knight. Such a treasure drew every dwarf within 10,000 leagues to claim his piece.

[DS615]

Have you never been to a necromancer convention? Half of them are posers going "Well I have solid gold rims on MY skeleton hordes". Probably quite easy to make some nice spooky shields/banners when you have thousands of bodies working 24 hours a day. Some of them have to have been able to sew when alive.

I would be really interested in playing a campaign about a necromancer trying to pimp his army. He sends some zombie lumberjacks into the forest to get wood for his new chariot. Wood elves don't like it, beastmen don't like it and some where yonder there's a witch hunter who really hates chariots.. End game scenario if the necromancer succeeds is the biggest swarm of Dwarves ever seen invade the territory. They've heard of skeletons covered in jewels, solid gold shield rims and mithril cod pieces on every death knight. Such a treasure drew every dwarf within 10,000 leagues to claim his piece.

This is ridiculous, and I love it!
I'm going to bling the grill on some of my skeletons when I get home tonight! I'll just mix them in to the regular hordes, just because.

[snitcythedog]

My vote is that one necromancer purchased all of the "branded" armour years ago and other necromancers just keep resurrecting the same old bones over and over.  Possibly after paying the original necromancer a small fee.  Kind of like the undead version of these:

[Mr Tough Guy]

Am I the only one who's surprised nobody has posted this yet 

[Irregular Wars Nic]

Am I the only one who's surprised nobody has posted this yet 

 

I was thinking it. 

[ZeroTwentythree]

Have you never been to a necromancer convention? Half of them are posers going "Well I have solid gold rims on MY skeleton hordes". Probably quite easy to make some nice spooky shields/banners when you have thousands of bodies working 24 hours a day. Some of them have to have been able to sew when alive.

Forget marching on your enemies, achieve necromantic economic superiority over neighboring kingdoms with skeletal sweatshops!