Starburned Zombie (Basic Lore)

Starburned Zombie (CR 37)
Pure Evil - Medium - Undead (Outsider)
Zombies are corpses, brought back to horrifying unlife through necromantic ritual, having been killed by other zombies, or dying on desecrated ground. While brains may be their preferred food, zombies are happy to eat any living (or recently dead) flesh. Most zombies are shambling undead horrors which mindlessly seek the flesh of the living. But a large minority of zombies develop into far worse things, their undead flesh warping and corrupting with eldritch terrors, seething with eerie, unworldly, corposcent. One of the absolute facts of zombies is their utter mindlessness. Zombies are defined by their utter lack of sentience, their simple mindless hunger fueling their unstoppable staggering advance. Except for Starburned Zombies. Some zombies have wandered into the Outer Dark, or drifted into the Silver Sea, or slogged through the middens of Hell, and have been exposed to such eerie, unnatural emanations that they have grown, or been infested by, sentient spirits of cannibalistic murder. This is not unheard of, for example, Janissary Skeletons are also possessed of intelligence far beyond what they rightfully should possess, but Starburned Zombies are different. Janissary Skeletons have no memory of their flesh, and are all inhabited by competent, martially-skilled killer spirits. Starburned Zombies are aflame with corpse-light, and the minds that have taken root in their decaying skulls are...astonishingly jolly. Starburned Zombies make Ogres seem kind, but there is no denying that they have a weirdly pleasant demeanor and a strangely upbeat view of their existence. Some of them faintly recall their days of life, but many do not. Compared to most zombies they are mental giants, and they have an uncomfortable and deadly cunning, although they are not clever in most affairs. Starburned Zombies delight in being 'zombie-like', shambling about groaning of brains, and then adroitly unlocking a door to fall upon a foe who thought they were safe, laughing all the while. Starburned Zombies burn with hideous corpse-light, dancing eldritch flames, and woe betide the adventurer who catches alight from their corposcent embrace. Starburned Zombies have sharp senses, and are far faster and more capable than most lesser zombies. Beware the attack of Starburned Zombies. Just because they are jolly, does not mean they will spare you.