>>188920Animated Dead remain under their master's control indefinitely, until or unless they are replaced in the HD control limit. There is no limit in time or distance.
There is a near-identical bone lurker in the swamp, made of hydra bones, but the Artaaglith that animated them may have used its ability since then, so it may have become uncontrolled (the Dreads that Posey keeps with her may become uncontrolled at any moment).
>Like, if you commanded it to do something on the other end of the island, would it still be controlled?Yes, but I would not be able to give it additional orders, or even make it do anything specific on the other side of the island due to lack of intelligence (unlike the ghoul, which is able to carry out precise instructions).
>A related question to that: do you have to give it commands directly face-to-faceYes.
Commands for undead controlled through the Animate Dead spell are verbal (face-to-face), not telepathic (unlike rebuked undead), so there is a limit to what it can accomplish at a distance. Furthermore, the creature is mindless, and not even of humanoid nature, so only the most simple instructions can be given to it. It could function remotely if it were told to obey the orders or another intelligent creature though (such as how the demon ordered the Dreads to obey Posey, or how Posey ordered the zombie to obey Day Low Rain).
>or can you give it commands from a distance through a telepathic-like mind link?No. Only rebuked undead are commanded mentally. Posey currently controls an aquatic ghast with her mind, and is using it as a contingent defense against anything that might harm Gloomy in the beach house.
>>188921It can only fly while carrying a light load.
>A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.)It could still "run" overland while carrying more than that, but it would not be able to fly.
Worth noting that although I used the ghost whale yokai as a faceclaim, the bone lurker itself isn't necessary a creature of a shape that makes it suitable for multiple creatures to ride it.
>These undead creatures appear as portcullises or gridwork-curtains created from interlaced human and beast bones adorned with sharp bone spurs.This isn't necessary mount-shaped, but at least a single medium creature should be able to ride it (same reason why goblins are able to use ogres as mounts, because they are two size categories smaller despite the ogre being an unsuitable bipedal shape).