The Strange Bestiary
Not much is known about crowned shamblers because they're mostly legend. These types of zombies are rarely seen, and when one appears, few people survive to tell about it. Whatever their origin, crowned shamblers have the unholy power to command the allegiance of lesser zombies and other creatures touched by death.
Motive: Rule the deathless
Environment (Magic or Psionics): Almost anywhere, alone or commanding groups of lesser zombies and related creatures
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (6 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: All tasks related to deception and deathless lore as level 7.
Combat: A crowned shambler can attack a foe at short range with a piece of bone-tipped viscera that deals damage, and on a secondary failed Might defense roll, the character moves down one step on the damage track. Further, when a crowned shambler is encountered, the GM should roll 1d6 times on the cypher list in the corebook and provide those cyphers to the zombie for use in combat.
Crowned shamblers regenerate 2 points of health per round while their health is above 0. When reduced to 0 health, one minute later they regenerate 1 point of health, putting them back to positive health and restarting their normal regeneration. A blessing, holy water, or complete destruction by acid or burning stops regeneration.
Crowned shamblers can see in the dark at any range.
With a touch, crowned shamblers can take control of lesser zombies and other deathless creatures within short range that are lower level than itself.
Interaction: A crowned shambler is a vicious dictator, but it might be amenable to negotiation if someone has a resource that can't merely be seized.
Use: A small recursion known to the PCs that operated under the law of Magic has gone silent. The next time the PCs visit the place, they find it under the control of a crowned shambler and the population converted to zombies. The shambler wants a way to expand into a new recursion.
GM Intrusion: The character's attack on the shambler cuts off a piece of clawed viscera. The piece remains animate like a snake, attacking her as a level 4 creature, but its attacks don't move her down the damage track.