[CC Amendment] Templarism Clarification (literally a single word)

Anbennar · March 14

Templarism Clarification

(literally a single word)

Old Lore:

Spoiler

A Stained Soul

Contrary to popular belief, devils are not infernal creatures. They are mortal beings, with full and almost completely ordinary souls that permit them the same mental capacity, morality and magical potency as members of any other descendant race.

The sole characteristic that makes devils unique amongst others is the diminutive blemish on their spirit that marks them as claimed by Ixris. Whilst easily suppressed by deific connections in life, or circumvented by undeath, the same fate awaits all devils should this stain on the soul be left unchecked.

In death, where a devil has not bonded with a patron to save them, the whole - untarnished - soul of a devil is ferried directly to the High Hells where it is always offered to Ixris himself by whichever zar’rokul was responsible for the pact that caused a devil’s creation. It takes approximately four worldly years - one OOC month - for this forced pilgrimage to reach its conclusion, where the soul is devoured by Ixris and its energies added to his titanic reserves of maleus at the top of the infernal climb.

Whilst details specific to Ixris himself and the zar’rokulka’s relationship to him remains obscure without ST approval it is possible for naztherak, mystics and slotted seers of Vaasek to bear witness to this mark on the soul of a devil not under another deity’s protection. Such always allows said magi to glean vague understanding of the fate that awaits them: obliteration. A fact devils who themselves practise the aforementioned arts become inherently aware of, along with the mechanics of divine protection and unholy loopholes they might be able to exploit to avoid this fate.

From the moment of a devil’s death, a four year countdown begins until their complete obliteration. In this interim period they could be raised again in undeath by all the usual means of necromancy, mysticism, phantom-kind and so on. The dead character could also be communed with via seance, as detailed in the aforementioned arts and vivification. If not resurrected through valid means within a month after their death, however, the devil is irreversibly annihilated. Fodder for the infernal climb, without thought or emotion; never again capable of being returned or communed with in undeath.

Ixris’ unsuppressed mark is not significant enough to affect devils in life in any meaningful ways, with one important exception. Though they possess no inherent understanding of it, marked devils are capable of learning Ilzakarn: the tongue of Moz Strimoza first contrived by Ixris himself.

This would require instruction from one already fluent in such hell-speak, being themselves either an inferis, naztherak, former-naztherak or a devil who has already mastered the language. A devil’s ability to speak Ilzakarn (if not a current or former naztherak) is tied directly to the stain on their soul which renders them property of Ixris in death. That is to say, were a devil to learn Ilzakarn in their youth and later become a templar, druid, shaman and so on, they would forget how to understand, speak, read and write it in the instant a connection is formed with the respective aengul, daemon or spirit behind their magic. Such knowledge could only be recovered with the severance of said devil’s deific connection.

-The one OOC month countdown to the annihilation of a devil’s soul begins at the exact date and time a devil is killed. If they are not revived within this time period, the character is irrecoverably consumed by Ixris, after which they can never be raised as undead, summoned as zar’ei, contacted via seance et cetera.
-This only applies to ‘PK’ deaths, which devils are beholden to in the same capacity as any other character, also factoring in the death clauses and revival mechanics of pieces like Tawkin and Animii Crafting, which devils are not excluded from using.
-If a devil dies whilst maintaining a connection with a deity whose followers are given a designated afterlife (Star’gush Stroh, the Eternal Forest, an Observer for Vaasek, Naztherak-turned-inferi et cetera) then they will be spared annihilation at the hands of Ixris.
-Knowledge of Ilzakarn is not inherent and must be taught by an already valid speaker through prolonged roleplay and exposure to the language. This must be tracked by a comment on the devil’s app, itself linking to the source of their knowledge (an already confirmed fluent devil’s FA, a current or former naztherak’s MA or an inferis’ CA).

-Devils are not inherently aware of Ixris' mark on their soul, and can only be made aware through roleplay with the aforementioned magics. Similarly, the exact nature of Ixris and his machinations cannot be unveiled by the aforementioned magics without ST approval. Otherwise, said practitioners are only given a vague appreciation that the devil's soul is doomed to be annihilated in the Hells without divine intervention or the assurances of undeath.

-Ixris' mark cannot be permanently removed until the devil in question has died (PK) either with an active deific connection or after being raised in undeath. The likes of mysticism's unbound fates and other spells intended to heal or cleanse the soul may suppress this metaphysical stain for up to a narrative year (one OOC week) but it will always come back.

- Devils are not capable of being connected to holy magics (e.g. as Paladins or Templars), though may still practice all other deific magics as normal.

New Lore:

Removed in strikethrough