Deadites is a medieval term which refers to the reanimated corpses of those fallen in battle; often possessed by evil spirits. Deadites have also been referred to as the Army of Darkness.
The earliest known recorded incident involving Deadites was circa 1300 AD, when the Army of Darkness waged war against the Briton king Lord Arthur and his soldiers. In accordance with a prophecy set forth within the fabled Necronomicon, a "Chosen One" fell from the heavens to save the world by defeating the forces of darkness. After the Deadite hordes were defeated, the Chosen One disappeared, seemingly forever.
In the latter half of the 20th century, an archaelogist translated passages from the Necronomicon, unwittingly resurrecting an evil spirit. This spirit took possession of the scientist's wife, and he was forced to secure her within the fruit cellar of his forest cabin. The archaeologist recorded his findings on a tape recorder, including the incantation to resurrect the dead. He disappeared only a short time later.
Not long after, a young man named Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda drove to the forest cabin for a relaxing weekend. They had no idea that the place had been previously occupied, nor did they suspect it had become the focal point for raising the Army of Darkness. The youths discovered the scientist's recording, but by playing the tape, they too caused the dimensional aperture between worlds to open up. Linda became possessed by the evil forces and Ash was forced to end her life. The evil influence also corrupted Ash's hand, transforming it into an instrument of malevolence. In order to protect himself, Ash was forced to lop his soured hand off at the wrist. He replaced the missing limb with a custom made chainsaw prosthetic.
Ash's battle against the forces of darkness propelled him through the dimensional aperture, and he found himself trapped several centuries in the past. Seemingly "dropping from the heavens", he encountered the European armies of Lord Arthur and Duke Henry.
Ash was taken prisoner by Lord Arthur's men and cast into a dungeon pit to die. Here, he fought another being possessed by the forces of the Necronomicon, and emerged victorious. It was at this time that Ash discovered that he was the Chosen One spoken of in the Necronomicon. Embarking upon a quest to find the missing Necronomicon itself, Ash unwittingly mis-spoke an incantation and summoned forth the Armies of Darkness. The leader of this "Deadite" Army was an undead doppelgänger of Ash himself.
Having returned to Lord Arthur's camp, Ash led his armies in a battle against the Deadites. Ash and Lord Arthur proved victorious and as per a previously arrangement, Arthur's court magician conducted a ritual intended to return Ash to his native time period.
The Deadites however, can never truly be destroyed. So long as the Necronomicon continues to exist, their return to the earthly plain is practically a certainty.
Powers and Abilities
Average Strength level
As they do not suffer the rigors of physical exertion, Deadites are exceptionally strong, much stronger than the average human being.
Habitat: Deadites can exist in nearly any environment
Gravity: Earth gravity
Atmosphere: Atmosphere of this race is unknown.
Population: Population of this race is unknown.
Type of Government: None
Level of Technology: None
Cultural Traits: Cultural traits unknown.
- "Bad" Ash
- No special notes.
- In The Evil Dead films, human bodies possessed by evil spirits are often referred to as "Shemps". This was a tounge-in-cheek reference to Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges who replaced the original Stooge, Curly.