Lenny

I wanted to include this, but I fear the over-loading. I believe one of the ones I spoke to about this intends to make an amendment to include it, assuming it was to be accepted. It was initially a separate spell entirely, and an idea came to include it into boon as well.

Tar-Zôrzagar and the Idunian Host continued onwards with his allies!

#FIXED

Silence reigns within the Menhir's shadow. The air grows cold, ectoplasm seeping from stone as phantoms circle, hungry, restless, drawn to the scent of mortal ambition. Three figures stand within the ring, their spectral arms gleaming with stolen moonlight. Before them writhes an Apparition, bound by chains of concentrated soul-stuff, its many voices screaming in discordant agony, a choir of the damned, a testament to the Mystic's cruel harvest. The occultist steps forward. Choice having been made. This is no simple ascension. To become a Wight is to die, to consume death itself and allow it to crown you. It is the culmination of the Mystic's art; the perfection of what the First Synod attempted in their hubris and failed catastrophically to achieve. Where Uldrivt and his disciples created only the monstrous Titan Mthyul Tlan, the Second Synod has refined the process through centuries of careful study, transforming chaos into control. The aspirant knows what awaits. They have seen other Wights, the Barrowlords who walk between worlds, neither living nor dead. And yet they step forward. For knowledge. For power. For immortality. For vengeance or ambition or simple refusal to accept death's inevitability. ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ In the stone garden where nothing grows, The seeker stands with eyes of crows. What price for knowledge? What cost for sight? To walk forever in endless night. The stone remembers. The stone forgets. All debts are paid. All prices met. ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ The ectoplasmic chains tighten. The Apparition shrieks, its constituent souls recognizing what comes next; absorption, eternally within a new vessel all whilst the assisting Mystics chant in liturgical cadence. The Menhir pulses with gathered power, thrumming with the resonance of a thousand ghostly deaths. The aspirant's flesh begins to calcify. Gray spreads from feet to chest, from chest to throat. Breath becomes labored. Heartbeat slows. The Apparition pours into them; twenty souls, a writhing mass of torment and hunger and the mortal consciousness must stand firm. Must dominate. Must assert singular will over the screaming multitude. This is the moment of truth. Some aspirants falter here, their resolve crumbling as the weight of so many souls crashes against their sense of self. They are subsumed, their identity drowned beneath the tide of amalgamated consciousness, emerging as something worse than death. A shambling horror with no dominant will, a fractured thing that must be mercy-killed by the very Mystics who attempted to elevate them. But those with sufficient strength, those with iron certainty in their own existence, they push back. They grasp each shrieking soul and bend it to their purpose. They become conductor to the choir, tyrant to the masses, singular authority over the collective howl. For a week they stand as stone, a monument to hubris … or ambition. Inside, the battle rages. Outside, the world continues, indifferent to the struggle within the petrified shell. Rain may fall upon their calcified form. Snow may gather on their shoulders. Birds may perch upon their outstretched arms. The mortal world moves on, unaware that within that prison of gray stone, an entire war is being waged across the landscape of a fragmenting soul. Then—crack. Stone splinters. Ectoplasm bleeds through widening fissures, glowing with ethereal radiance. The shell cannot contain what has been forged within. With a sound like thunder rolling through burial chambers, the prison shatters. From within the shattered prison emerges something new. Something that was mortal. Something that consumed death and made it eternal. They hover above the broken stones of their own petrified corpse, semi-transparent and shimmering, their form flickering between solidity and mist. Their eyes glow with phantom light, representing a soul they have dominated and bound within themselves. ᴀ ʙᴀʀʀᴏᴡʟᴏʀᴅ. ɴᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ [ᴛʜɪꜱ ʟᴏʀᴇᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅɢᴀᴍᴇ [ᴄᴀ] ᴏꜰ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄɪꜱᴍ] Wights are beings of pure phantom nature, their essence composed entirely of ectoplasm—the substance that exists between mana and lifeforce, wrought from the soul itself. In their natural state, Wights appear as semi-transparent creatures of ethereal composition. They resemble the appearance of the occultist who had embodied them in their former life, albeit perpetually gleaming with a mirthless, spectral light. Commonly, they may hover just slightly off the ground, gliding in a fluid yet graceful motion, allowing them to hover over water or land or fall any distance unharmed, though not equating to flight. Some wights maintain spectral armaments that gleam upon their ethereal husks, whereas others might be adorned in ornate attire that flutters as if carried by some eldritch wind. Their ectoplasm may manifest in any shade of white, black, red, yellow, blue, orange, or green, each Wight bearing their own distinctive hue that reflects some aspect of their phantom amalgamation. The world appears differently through a Wight's perception. They possess permanent Truesight, witnessing the Elysian Wastes overlaid upon reality, seeing wandering geists, hearing distant wails, and perceiving the translucent barrier between life and death. What mortals experience as solid reality, Wights perceive as a thin veil, easily pierced by their phantom vision. Since they are phantom undead, Wights are incorporeal and possess no internal organs, having no need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. An incorporeal wight may completely disregard even the hardest of steel blades, bearing no heed to any form of wear or exhaustion. They bear spectral powers very similarly to ghosts, gravens, and apparitions, though they hold a lesser degree of Elysian power than other specters. Wights can shift between invisibility and intangibility upon a whim, necessitating only a single emote to switch between either state. Corporeality allows for the wight to become physical at the cost of becoming susceptible to mundane weapons, alongside their typical weaknesses to aurum, magic, and holy due to their undead nature. When corporeal, the wight's base strength is at most equivalent to that of a human knight. When interacting with intangible phantoms such as poltergeists or specters, their strength would be comparable to an orc against an average human, though by no means granting them otherwise inhuman capabilities. This would apply even if the wight was a former orc. Wights possess a peculiar form of durability. Because wights have a pure makeup of ectoplasm, their wounds from magical damage or aurum may be slowly mended with time and concentration to patch their tattered souls, but this is a precise process that cannot take place during the heat of combat; they must retreat to the safety of the shadows to lick their wounds over a day's time. Should they be banished through mortal wounds from their weaknesses, they would require three days to reconstitute themselves in the Elysian, making demanifestation a very real and present threat for the Wight. Wightdom grants immortality at a terrible price. Being unliving, Wights cannot taste, smell, or feel temperature as mortals do. They understand intellectually that fire is hot, but cannot feel it except when weaknesses inflict spiritual pain. They hoard trinkets they cannot feel, preserve meals they cannot taste, watching mortals with bitter fascination at pleasures forever lost. Emotional responses erode over centuries as memories of joy and sorrow fade to concepts. Time moves differently—years pass like months, mortal lives flickering past in moments. This temporal disconnect makes mortal urgency incomprehensible. Why worry about a war ending in years, or a king turning to dust in decades? Wights often foster envy or vehemence toward the living, looking down upon descendants though not universally descending into cruelty. Some retain vestiges of mortal compassion, anchoring themselves desperately to causes. Others embrace their alien nature. A few descend into bitter nihilism. Rᴇᴅʟɪɴᴇꜱ: » Wights can phase through solids so long as they would be mechanically accessible otherwise. If a Wight does not have access to a door or gate, they cannot pass through it. The same applies to walls. If the Wight is PRO their permission to pass through something extends to anything within that region. This cannot be performed in the midst of combat or to evade conflict. » To toggle between their different types of corporeality, it requires the Wight to dedicate [1] turn to doing so, preventing any other action from taking place. » Wights struck with aurum, alloys like Slayer-Steel, and fire evocation will take “damage” equivalent to that of mortals, though they will not feel "pain" like from Aurum in the case of Slayer-Steel. For example, a mortal blow to the wight’s head or decapitation by the aforementioned could demanifest them, as a mortal wound to the head would kill a mortal. » Wights may have their ectoplasm be any color or shade within the normal themes of Mysticism (White, Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, or Green of any hue.) » When corporeal, the wight’s base strength is at most equivalent to that of a human knight. When interacting with intangible phantoms such as poltergeists or specters, their strength would be comparable to an orc against an average human, though by no means granting them otherwise inhuman capabilities. This would apply even if the wight was a former orc. » Being undead, wights are unable to sire children or sexually FTB. » While invisible, Wights can still be detected by Truesight and other magical detection abilities which explicitly mention it. » Wights retain the general size and appearance of their mortal form, yet they have the ability to morph and shift into different sizes out of combat; like morphing into an animal-like shape. » When Corporeal, Wights have weight equivalent to their mortal form, and can still trigger pressure plates, leave ectoplasmic footprints, etc, if they desire to no longer float. Even when intangible, wights can still be harmed by specific materials and magics that target the soul directly. Aurum, the gold of the earth, burns Wights' ectoplasmic essence even when incorporeal. Four consecutive strikes with aurum weapons force manifestation, and a mortal blow with aurum can demanifest a Wight entirely. The contact causes spiritual agony equivalent to burning, searing through their phantom form. Thanhium disrupts ectoplasmic coherence in similar fashion. Most notably, thanhium prevents Possession entirely if a target carries it on their person, as the mana-infused metal interferes with the ectoplasmic tether required for the invasion. Holy magic of all tiers harms Wights regardless of their tangibility. Tier [3] and higher holy-deific magic can forcibly exorcise Husked or Possessing Wights, while tier [4] and higher instantly breaks Exposed room wards. Deity-blessed weapons strike true even against incorporeal forms, making clerics and templars particularly dangerous foes for any Barrowlord. Voidal magic harms Wights even when intangible, with four consecutive voidal strikes forcing manifestation. Fire Evocation at tier four and higher can harm Wights directly, with tier five capable of demanifesting with a direct strike. Extreme heat disrupts ectoplasmic bonds, making master mages formidable adversaries. Nephilim Dragonsflame sears ectoplasm with particular effectiveness, eroding Deadbreath in a three-meter radius and capable of demanifesting Wights with sustained exposure. Malflame, with its soul-searing properties devastates Wights utterly, causing excruciating pain even in brief contact. Kani and Arcanium similarly disrupt phantom forms, with Kani requiring four consecutive strikes to force manifestation while Arcanium's magical resonance can harm Wights even when intangible. When a Wight suffers a mortal blow from their weaknesses or catastrophic damage, they do not die but demanifest—their ectoplasmic form shatters and disperses like mist. For three days, they cannot manifest, trapped in the Elysian Wastes, watching the mortal realm through the veil but unable to interact. During this time, the Wight experiences the full torment of existence as a geist—bombarded by the wails of the damned, pulled at by desperate phantoms, and subjected to the endless cold of the realm of the dead. Lesser wounds from these materials can be mended with concentration and time. Ectoplasmic damage requires a full day to regenerate outside combat, with lost "limbs" reforming during this recovery period. A Wight might retreat to their crypt or hindered sanctuary, spending hours weaving their dispersed essence back together, strand by strand, until their form coheres once more. » Upon demanifestation, a Wight shall require [3] IRL days to reconstitute itself and take shape once again. They require a single IRL day to recover from any wounds, lost ‘limbs,’ etc. » Outside of conflict, a Wight will restore all inflicted damage over [1] IRL day. The path to Wightdom is sacrifice in its truest form. It is the deliberate choice to surrender mortality in exchange for eternity, to consume death itself and emerge neither living nor dead, but something that exists between. Where the First Synod failed, creating only the wretched Titan Mthyul Tlan, the refined art of Consumption permits the mortal consciousness to dominate the Apparition's power, forging a perfected being. ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ What the stone takes, the stone keeps. What the dead claim, the dead reap. Between the breath and the final sleep, The Barrowlords their vigil keep. ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ To stand before the Menhir and attempt the Consumption, an aspirant must have walked the full length of the Mystic's road. They must be Tier [5] and wield ectoplasm with mastery. Furthermore, they must bear the mark of Amputation, their physical arm replaced by a spectral essence bound to a Menhir Ring. Most critically, they must possess an Apparition—a wretched amalgam of at minimum twenty soul fragments, harvested through the dark sacrament of Saturation and Harvest. This creature must be contained at a Menhir, held in place through ectoplasmic and ritual preparation. The ritual unfolds at a Menhir where the Apparition has been prepared through prior roleplay. Three Mystics gather—the aspirant and two assistants—to weave ectoplasmic essence to bind the Apparition. The location is often prepared according to the aspirant’s art: offerings, inscriptions in the Black Tongue, the careful arrangement of phantom-touched objects to thin the veil between material and Elysian. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ "For finally the First Synod's mission was fulfilled, made as a perfected entity crowned by the occult. This was a Wight—a Barrowlord of the Second Synod." ▰ ━━━━━ ◇ ━━━━━ ▰ Wights wield the complete arsenal of Mysticism without restriction. They possess all Shared Liturgies available to both paths. Their mastery extends to the Shepherd's prophetic arts. Simultaneously, they command the Sentinel's martial disciplines. The Sacraments of Pale lie open to them as well. Having undergone Amputation as a prerequisite for their ascension, all Wights possess the Exorcist's abilities. Beyond the additional ectoplasm available to mortal Mystics, Wights command unique abilities that reflect their nature as perfected amalgamations of mortal will and phantom essence. These powers mark them as Barrowlords. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴏʟᴇʟʏ ʙʏ ᴡɪɢʜᴛꜱ. ⛯ [Wightdom] Devotion - [Boon] [Freeform] As the no-longer-mortal masters of Mysticism, Wights tend to build followings. Students, soldiers, converts - all drawn together for one purpose. Barrowlords are, of course, quite capable of rewarding particularly useful allies, or perhaps blessing them anticipating a boon’s use. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Anointing - [Boon] [3 Emotes] To most, the elysian wastes serve as a one way mirror; its inhabitants are forced to watch the realm of the living and remain unseen by all in the realm of the living but the clairvoyant, those cursed with phantasmal ‘true sight’. Wights, most baleful beings, may Anoint an individual, cursing their firstborn child to emerge bearing the bitter curse of Vivification. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Brand - [Ritualistic] [3 Emotes] [2 Soul Fragment] [2 Ectoplasm] Sometimes, the greatest conquest is to let your enemy live—yet still bear the mark of loss. A Wight may brand a defeated enemy post-combat with their ectoplasm by utilizing soul fragments and branding the foreign essence into them. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Husking - [Active] [3 Emotes] The spectral nature of Wights grants them a peculiar ability - the capacity to compress their ectoplasmic essence and pour themselves into vessels, both living and inanimate. Through Husking, a Wight may inhabit corpses, animate suits of armor and mannequins, or even possess willing mortals, becoming a twisted puppeteer of flesh and steel. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Possession - [Active] [3 Emotes] Unlike Husking, possession is a violent and invasive act. Rather than inhabiting an empty vessel, the Wight attempts to forcibly overlay its ectoplasmic will atop a living mind—an unstable and dangerous process that is difficult to maintain. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Wailing - [Active] [3 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] Accessing a heavily enhanced but brute-force version of Palespeech, a Wight may release a piercing wail laced with ectoplasm, forcibly disrupting concentration of all those who hear it and inflicting a temporary, supernatural fear. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Veil Step - [Active] [3 Emotes] [3 Ectoplasm] A Wight's connection to the Elysian allows them to briefly slip fully into the realm of the dead and re-emerge elsewhere in the material world. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: ⛯ [Wightdom] Sapping - [Disconnection] [4 Emotes] Sapping is the twisted act of exhuming and sloughing off portions of a restrained target’s soul, with the intent to preserve the nature of their ill-begot craft - to tear apart what was conjoined, taking one or both phantoms melded with the mystic and pulling it forth through a ritual inherit only to the wight themselves. Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄꜱ: Notice

Applied a few more changes too which were brought over from the original; - Denoted specific amount of strikes requires for a Menhir to be destroyed - Adjusted Husking to be more capable with its disguise, being able to retain it better. - Removed emote counts from most, if not all, ritualistic spells which are not required and set them to [Freeform] instead -- much like current. Among some more, additionally lowered slots to 2 by default, +1 for amputation, and +1 for Wight (max 4) This was done after talking with some people in the Mystic community, which found the cost grave coupled with the comments here which echoed similar sentiment.

@Cuppertake notes

Shamanism as a whole has always felt really underwhelming to me, both thematically and mechanically, and I believe it has a lot of potential to be something kewl.

True Sight added, thanks for pointing that out. : ) As for the slots, I can see the point. I opted to set it to 3 to ensure that certain aspects of it remains within the purview of mysticism (MIN-MAX INVIS). I do understand the complaint, and I would much rather than lowering pivot toward a future eventline which could add more (akin to Templar eventline for example) or utilize the missing room for more unique spells in the future which can then be amended in by the users, or even simpler; lower it back down at the discretion of LT. I do not mind any path, personally. Fixing, ty

🤫 (fixed)

* The magic lore starts further down. * The First Synod The Foolish Wisemen In ancient times, before the fall of Aegis, when aengudaemonic beings roamed the realms and when undead armies tore empires asunder, a small congregation of magi had been cast from their sacred halls in Athera. These were but mortal arcanists consumed by the notion of true immortality. However, their knowledge was far too limited, permitting them not to learn the forsaken arts of Necromancy. Yet still, they sought to achieve freedom from death whilst still separating themselves from the living. These scholars toiled with what finite knowledge they held, seeking their spiritual immortality through the creation, death, and manipulation of phantom beings. Yet this crude experimentation was frowned upon by the upper echelons of Rivel, thus resulting in their expulsion from those halls. With their honor and prestige decimated by the consequences of their ambitions, these wayward magi set up residence within a forgotten cave far beneath the earth. It was this fell gathering that came to be known as The First Synod — aspirants of the forbidden occult. Deep within these crypts they conducted their research, documenting each one of their findings within a hidden compendium that never remained in one place for long, held safe within the hands of the Tetrad, a group of two men and two women who ultimately spearheaded the Synod’s forbidden attempts to toy with mortality. This volume came to be known as the Grimoire of Phantoms - the ultimate product of the Synod’s vast research. The tome was thus highly coveted by the Synod, for the grimoire allowed one to comprehend the many intricacies of Mysticism upon reading through its ill-begotten pages. At last, after many years of grueling work, the Synod congregated within their dark and damp dungeon, surrounding their greatest discovery. It was a great obelisk that reeked of phosphorus and death, instilling both wonder and unease into all who gazed upon its blackened stone. However, such marvel was short-lived, for the Tetrad leapt into a vicious bloodlust, blades and spells flying with unyielding wrath, each death adding to the sickly green glow of the obelisk. Yet the massacre of their colleagues was hardly enough, not quenching their thirsting devotion. And in an immense bout of zeal, the Tetrad poised blades to one another’s throats, before spilling each others' blood in seamless tandem. Many ages passed as the corpses of the Synod lay dead within those forsaken caverns, the carnage that had transpired being long forgotten by time - with naught but darkness to enshroud the mass grave. Even still, the fell obelisk they had uncovered still hummed with its blasphemous glow, standing ever so vigilant through the many years which came to fade. And finally, after seemingly endless ages in wait, a whisper was heard amidst the decay and rot that had festered for nigh millenia — uttered as some profane incantation in the dark. “... Ylauth?” Murmurs crept through the stone “Berign.” The words weaved through the corpses “Ul Amoth…” Echoed throughout the fallen chamber “Jar’gnoon.” Each voice echoed in individual reply “... Fruition.” They all spoke as one. The accursed monolith began to bleed, shadow and death pouring forth from its alien embodiment, congealing into a great and terrific being. It was a damnable figure that resembled no man nor beast, but rather, an abomination wrought of all the souls that had been slain. This creature — an apparition of most foul and horrific magnitude — came to be known as the wretched Mthyul Tlan, or The Waking Synod. Yet irony was to be had here, for though awoken at its fruition, the apparition was restrained by the leather-bound confines of the Synod's cherished compendium, left to slumber for many centuries. The Coronation of a Lord The Nameless Crown Over the ages, the creature drew more power to itself within the bloodstained parchment of that accursed grimoire. And with each passing moon, the lines where the apparition ended and the tome began were blurred — thus rendering them one and the same. Though its power festered, so too did its malignancy and greed, thus fueling a vehement resentment for all that which lived. Yet it was many years before the grimoire was discovered, salvaged from its crumbling vault by the very man who would be known as the First Mystic — the tortured soul Uldrivt. And it was he who dared open the tome and unleash the godless beast within. Now, for the first time since its conception, the apparition recalled its centuries of waylaid ambition: to proclaim death beneath it, and achieve life unending. With this profound anamnesis manifested within its many minds, Mthyul Tlan exacted their powers upon Uldrivt, tendrils of smoke and shadow engulfing him from within the vile tome, and crowning him forth as a mystic. And so the apparition seated itself within the mortal's spirit. Every bone and fiber of the elf's being was then shifted to become an instrument of Mthyul Tlan’s will — sewing evil deep within its new vessel. Overcome by immense agony, the man Uldrivt was made forever frozen in stone. And even after shadow had embraced it, a blue gleam emerged from within the depths of this ill-wrought statue. It was a wispy, pale form, which seeped from each crack and crevice within the petrified figure. The figure shimmered and shifted cobalt blues and sickly greens, and every shade in-between - drenched in ectoplasm. Yet it was not Mthyul Tlan who emerged, nor the mortal Uldrivt, but instead a perfected being, united in mind, body, and soul. For finally the First Synod’s mission was fulfilled, made as a perfected entity crowned by the occult. This was a Wight — a Barrowlord of the Second Synod. For Whom the Bell Tolls Binding and Banishment A time must come, as all times do, when a lord must fall so that another might assume his place - even a Lord of the Barrows. Having come to profound realization and grief, the mortal mind of Kozilek, the Wight Barrowlord who had once been Uldrivt, stood to renounce the vast power of the Titan in an act of sheer will. Restrained by phantom shackles, and thrown into many crypts, Uldrivt wrestled the tormented apparition; leading to many ages of strife in which the Barrowlord was left deranged. Only after some years of turmoil was Uldrivt finally able to break free, making him whole and mortal once again. And to ensure that Mthyul Tlan would never again come to enact its abominable mission, Uldrivt had the Titan bound once again to its accursed Grimoire. This came to infuriate the Titan, seething mercilessly as it sought a means of breaking free from its wretched shackles as it was passed along generations of Mystics. Many of them had sought to ensnare the apparition, binding it to their will and employing its power for their own means. Alas, the apparition was no fool and instead came to warp and manipulate these wayward occultists to carry out its own will, weaving lies of false promise and boons. It was then that the Titan had come into the hands of a powerful mystic who desired to unify the occultists to break free the apparition. Such a congregation of Mystics seemed to mirror that of the First Synod which had collected so many ages ago, all led astray by the apparition’s venomous lies and tactful fabrications. It was in the Titan’s name that they performed many abhorrent and cruel rites before a great black obelisk, whispering of blasphemous liturgies and rites of the damned. Soul after soul was sacrificed to the diabolical structure, each further feeding Mthyul Tlan with their ill-bestowed lifeforce. Still, so much bloodshed could not leave the forces of Light to turn a blind eye, thus moving them to act with haste and precision. It was the Patron of Death herself who came to this accursed gathering, accompanied by her sacred bells Astaerel and Saraneth. Alas, they were but a moment too late, for the ritual had reached its its zenith. And as the last soul fed the great beast, in a crescendo of gleaming light emerged from the pinnacle - the wretched titan now freed from its archaic bondage. With its newfound strength, Mthyul Tlan brought itself to slaughter each one of the zealot occultists which had aided in its return, the halls running red with crimson ichor. This wretched display damaged the veil between the living and the dead, the apparition's presence only adding to the terrible surge that rippled its fragile surface. The occult arts themselves would shift, undead phantoms once more rising from their crypts and graves, legions upon legions of wayward and desolate souls coming to bind themselves to the mortal plane once again. It was then, in a great conflict, the Patron sought to banish the apparition, though alas, could not end it completely. Instead, using her great strength, she expelled the Titan to the flooded realm of Anthos, binding it within an ancient catacomb beneath the waves. The great apparition quickly took to the waters as its cradle, the seas and oceans tainted to become a flowing haven of the dead over which the Titan presided and festered, guarded vigilantly by the bell Seraneth as it plots a devious escape.n ancient catacomb beneath the waves. The great apparition quickly took to the waters as its cradle, the seas and oceans tainted to become a flowing haven of the dead over which the Titan presided and festered, guarded vigilantly by the bell Seraneth as it plots a devious escape. Mysticism The Occult Art Throughout the ages past, mankind has sought a means to achieve discourse with the dead to implore wisdom; from wisemen invoking antediluvian prayer, to zealots indulging in sanguine rites. Among those fabled arts is that of Mysticism — a dark art hailing from an assembly of wayward arcanists seeking to shatter the constraints of mortality. The art, in essence, is the communion and interaction with the spectral dead through the foul manipulation of ectoplasm. Those who practice it do so at the cost of their own spiritual integrity, subject to a myriad of ailing mental effects and maladies, their soul melded with that of an Elysian spirit who would either guide or afflict them in turn. The more righteous among the fell Synod's congregation may even be deemed fit to become what they commune with through decree of the Barrowlords, that is, phantoms themselves. Known as wights, these creatures are powerful beings wrought from ectoplasm and anguish - existing to lead the Synod's members along the path of perdition that they so tread. Conjoinment In the days of old, mystics were crowned by a deluge of ectoplasm, which brought them closer to the wastes. Yet over the ages, the Barrowlords came to a more treacherous and devious path that would not only bring the mystic closer to the dead whom they bequeathed - but also allow them to wander the very same road of the Elysian dead themselves. Through this act of Mysticism, an aspirant who has garnered the faith of a Barrowlord or mystic at the height of their craft may present themselves, wherein the wight or mystic would inflict a grave wound in the acolyte’s spirit. With the wound inflicted, the wight or mystic may then grapple a phantom soul from the wastes - often one that had been chosen by the acolyte themselves — and bind them to the acolyte’s spirit to ‘mend’ the wound. Tiers ❉ [Tier One] - [1 Slot] [Immediate] » Saturation, Hindering, Harvest ❉ [Tier Two] - [1 Slot] [2 OOC Weeks Post-Connection] » Deadbreath, [Suspension/Spiriting], Beseeching ❉ [Tier Three] - [1 Slot] [1 OOC Month Post-Connection] » [Undertow/Enervation], Anchoring, Eidola Creation ❉ [Tier Four] - [2 Slot] [2 OOC Months Post-Connection] » Swathing, [Palespeech/Ambuscade], Orthostat ❉ [Tier Five] - [2 Slot] [3 OOC Months Post-Connection] » [Tyking/Expulsion], Autochthony, Consumption ✸ [Amputation] - [+1 Slot] » Exorcise, Hexing, Sentence, Conjoinment ⛯ [Wightdom] - [4 Slot] » Devotion, Husking, Possession, Wailing, Anointing, Sapping Progression Though immense in their powers, those attuned to the realm of the dead must still permit themselves to adjust, for it is unnatural for one to have more than one soul permeating a mortal vessel with essence. As such, the further the occultist’s soul melds with their conjoined phantom, the greater in prowess they become, capable of experiencing the dead to a further and greater prowess amidst such woesome beings. However, though their connection to the souls of the deceased and those within the Elysian grows immensely, so does the mental decline of the unfortunate zealot of the dead, sending them spiraling into insanity and desolation as they seek reprieve, just as the wretched geists which plague the Ebrietaes. ❉ [Tier One] - [1 Slot] » The Mystic has just been conjoined with their first phantom, feeling dizzy and often uncomfortable as their soul adjusts to the new presence, their ectoplasm stores barely forming, not offering much to draw upon. Though the phantom is weak, its presence within the soul of the Mystic is one inflicting great distress, restlessness, and uneasiness as it attempts to meld further with the occultist’s own spirit. ❉ [Tier Two] - [1 Slot] » The Mystic has now settled more with the conjoined phantom, becoming somewhat more adept with their Mystical skills, though still fairly weak. The mental disturbances and discordant uttering continue to grow, as well as the physical traits of the occultist, the Mystic now beginning to take on a few of their phantom’s traits as it has adapted more to the occultist. At this tier, they choose what subclass to start upon- either the sorcerous Shepherds or the soldierlike Sentinels. Though the mystic has grown more accustomed to their secondary being, its effects only grow more potent, causing them to experience occasional murmuring, distracted focus, and phantom sensations. ❉ [Tier Three] - [1 Slot] » The Mystic has settled nigh-completely with their conjoined phantom, becoming more accustomed to utilizing their Mystical skills, though still far from their journey’s end. The mental traits of their bonded phantom grow drastically, as their mind and physical vessel alike begin to get mottled. The occultist becomes capable of having Amputation performed upon a limb, detailed below. The more adept occultist would find themselves engaging with involuntary whispers, brief dissociation, and emotional volatility. ❉ [Tier Four] - [2 Slot] » The Mystic has been conjoined with another phantom, the presence of the two phantoms taking a heavy toll upon the Mystic’s sanity and soul, traits from each of them slowly melding with the Mystic, yet also growing their power and connection to the Ebrietaes and the Elysian. It is often during this stage, above all, save Wightdom, that the Mystic is put into true mental agony, the two spirits within them wrestling for dominance and respite, nigh tearing the occultist’s own apart. Additionally, hallucinations, fragmented speech, and difficulty distinguishing living from dead will be experienced by the Mystic. ❉ [Tier Five] - [2 Slot] » The Mystic has now completely mastered all they can as a mortal occultist, their connection to the realm of the dead as close as can be for one still bound to the material plane. They have balanced themselves with their phantoms, now able to draw upon all mortal powers of Mysticism and its Sacraments. They may now maintain an apparition within them to ascend to Wightdom. Upon reaching the final tier, the Mystic will find their mental state affected by the following: persistent delusions, loss of emotional restraint, and partial identity bleed with bound phantoms. Additionally, beyond the traditional progression, there exist two subsects of Mysticism that stand out: Amputation, a ritual that may be performed from [T3] onwards and grants novel abilities- and Wightdom, the apex of the Occult arts that requires one to both be a [T5] Mystic and being amputated to perform. These are slightly more-detailed as follows: ✸ [Amputation] - [+1 Slot] » Amputation is a rite that can be performed upon a Mystic of Tier Three or above- the individuals performing it sever the arm of a mystic at the shoulder before weaving their magic into a stone ring known as a Menhir Ring. Replacing the hollow limb with a spectral arm, which grants them new liturgies, thus christening them with a litany of abilities- especially those that align with the mindset of those who wish to exalt their prowess in the mystic arts through the lens of an exorcist. ✸ [Wightdom] - [4 Slot] » The Mystic has just chosen to consume an apparition, being slowly petrified in stone over the course of a week, the mortal vessel fading as they wrestle with the apparition within them. To perform this, they must both be of Tier Five and have an Amputated limb. Once this phase is completed, the Mystic will now emerge as a Wight, still rather disoriented with all the souls conjoined within them, yet over time they may become more accustomed to such a presence, the Wight now having completely mastered Mysticism in all its aspects. Redlines: » Mysticism is a Dark Magic that requires a Magic Application (MA) and consumes the listed slots as described above upon each tier, and by fulfilling the requirement to progress. » A Mystic may not drop Mysticism voluntarily, and the only way for them to be disconnected is through a Wight’s sapping ability or death. » Mystics are capable of holding [3] soul fragments at a time within their conjoinments. » Mysticism is incompatible with other heavily soul-altering arts or creatures. Voidal and Shamanism, for example, are permitted. » Only Amputated Mystics (marked on MA) or Wights can teach Mysticism through the Conjoinment ritual, and the aspirant must have at least [1] slot available. » Subclass (Shepherd or Sentinel) is chosen at [T2] and can only be changed via the Amputation ability “Exchange” or Wights » The Shepherd class sacrifices their strength, dropping down to [Voidal Strength] at the cost of magical-long range advantages, whilst the Sentinel retains their strength at a maximum of peak [Human Strength] » A Mystic innately gains the ability to see through Deadbreath and other abilities, gaining Truesight. Liturgies Ectoplasm is a baffling substance- one which begets the phantom beings that propagate the mortal realm. Ectoplasm is an unorthodox cross between mana and lifeforce, wrought of the soul as opposed to the flesh. When conjured materially, it may appear as a quasi-gelatinous substance, composing phantoms, wights, and other spectral entities. Yet not only does it form phantoms, but it is also a key component in the Liturgies of mystics. Often it may take on hues of ghastly cobalt, sickly green, or fiery orange when employed in the occultist arts - though its most common manifestation may only be described as a dark and impermeable fog. Depending on progression through Mysticism, the amount of Liturgies one may bear increases as follows: [T1] - 1 Ectoplasm [T2] - 2 Ectoplasm [T3] - 3 Ectoplasm [T4] - 4 Ectoplasm [T5] - 5 Ectoplasm Additionally, the blessing-malediction of Amputation grants [+1] Ectoplasm to mortals, while bearing Wightdom - the pinnacle of the mystic arts - is capable of granting [+2] Ectoplasm. For example, a [T3] Mystic with an Amputated limb has [4] Ectoplasm, and a Wight - always [T5] - bears [7] Ectoplasm. Redlines: » A Mystic will over [1] OOC day regenerate all their ectoplasm, refreshing their storage. » In the instance a Mystic expells all their ectoplasm, grave sickness will overcome them; this may range between disorientation and heavy headaches, to nose bleeds and vomiting. It should take a great toll on the user, likely making them practically incapable of consistent and well performing combative measures. Gleaming To draw upon the ectoplasm they are endowed with, a Mystic channels their spiritual strength, manifesting forth a state called ‘Gleaming’. Depending on the subclass chosen, the strength of this ethereal bond that permits them to cast either becomes hardier or more fragile. Shepherds- the prophet-priests- have a weaker bond, capable of breaking when faced with anything that would disrupt connection so long as it is physical. Sentinel- the warrior-stalwarts- have a more structured bond, breaking when faced with only more brutal force--either a direct strike to the head, or upon contact with aurum. Wights are considered to always be gleaming when they are not within a husk. When a mystic draws upon their occult magicks, their ties to the mortal plane lessen, resulting in the individual taking on several distinct spectral characteristics. This may often manifest as an ethereal glow, sunken facial expressions that reveal bones, eyes glimmering in a ghostly light, and clothes or garments becoming tattered while casting are signs of Gleaming. The further a mystic delves into the occult art, the more prominent the Gleaming may become. Passively, a Mystic can allow for ‘ghostly’ or Elysian aesthetics to become present in the casting of their other magics (or enchants), such as Voidal magic or Housemagery. This is freeform, though notably cannot serve to ‘disguise’ casting- Fire Evocation, however ghostly and ethereal, will always appear like fire, and so on. Whilst largely freeform, chief examples of Arcane Hindering are as follows: ✦ Arcane Scions - the scion’s soul-shadow may take the shape of one of the mystic’s bound phantoms, going so far as to speak through this incorporeal form should the mystic permit it. ✦ Fire Evocation - hindered flame may appear pale and ectoplasmic, mimicking the colour and texture of the mystic’s ectoplasm and at times host to shifting images of the dead. ✦ Earth Evocation - hindered stone may appear dull and dense, coloured with veins of light to resemble menhir. ✦ Water Evocation - hindered water may appear colourful and luminescent, as well as moving in a thick and sludgelike manner akin to raw ectoplasm whilst ice will resemble the light-warping shields of mysticism’s Walling. Within sizable quantities of water or ice the images of the drowned, waterlogged or frostbitten dead may be visible. ✦ Air Evocation - hindered air loses its transparency, instead becoming a haunting miasma of pale light, reminiscent of a mystic’s deadbreath albeit far less dense and merely translucent. ✦ Life Evocation - flesh, flora and creatures borne of life evocation resemble mundane biomass that has been hindered, their appearances twisted into translucent and ghostly remnants of themselves. Flesh and bone in ‘living’ conjurations must still maintain its structural integrity, however, and will never literally be made from ectoplasm but rather viscous and translucent re-texturing of otherwise opaque matter. Such will always resemble phantasmal undead, as clarified in Phantom as well as Hindering lore. ✦ Translocation - when shifting through the void, a mystic translocator may leave behind a shadow; ghostly, incorporeal remnant of themselves that dissipates completely in the emote following the shift. Redlines: » A mystic’s Gleaming may be disrupted by the soul-searing burn of malflame or the tangible burns of Dragonsflame and [T4+] Fire Evocation due its nature. This effect goes for any other relevant soul harming effects of materials or magics where it is explicitly stated to do this. » The connection of a Shepherd [priorly called ‘Conjurors’] is focus based, akin to voidal connection. If struck by anything which would disrupt a voidal connection, it would cause their Gleaming to stop similarly. » The connection of a Sentinel [priorly called ‘Blades’] is hardier, and may be severed upon either body being struck by aurum, or a clear strike to the head with a weapon. » For both mystic subclasses, upon being tackled down onto the ground, made unable to see, or bound, they will be unable to cast. » Leaving the state of Gleaming intentionally requires the mystic to spend [1] emote during which they dissociate from the state; during this emote, they cannot begin to cast nor connect to another magic until the succeeding emote. Menhirs Mystics bear a capacity to hinder- tug an object closer to the elysian plane, and as such grant it a spectral aesthetic. Though almost any object may be hindered, stone and water are more indisposed to being hindered, which are key in the formation of Menhir. To create a menhir, at least [2] mystics must, in tandem, pull the veil inwards towards a stone spire, statue, or similar, causing the object to gleam with the ethereal light of ectoplasm and its stone to turn menhirous- dark and gloomy, perpetually cold and ghastly. Upon the ritual's completion, the spire’s gleam would become more muted and subtle, trailed by a faint ethereal chorus. Such objects may be made capable of storing soul essence acquired through scavenging, and storing the souls of those slain by saturation within its immediate proximity. While they may vary in size based upon their purpose, all menhir are remarkably resilient to mundane forces, even more so than regular stone, requiring a great deal of blunt-force trauma to even so much as fracture these structures, let alone destroy them. This makes magic far more effective in the purging of menhir as opposed to mundane force and tools, demanding a moderate output of magical energy such as fire evocation, dragonsflame, or even soul-targeting magics such as malflame. Of course, large creatures such as ologs or golems could topple a menhir given time, though most mortals using pickaxes and warhammers would take some time longer. Redlines: » Menhir creation requires at least [2] mystics working together in a freeform ritual, influenced by the methods of [Hindering]. » Menhirs must be created from prismarine structures and retain a fitting palette. » Menhirs require ST approval. » Menhirs can store soul fragments from Harvest and Saturation for use in rituals. » The menhirous stone are more durable than regular stone, requiring significant magical force (T4+ evocation, dragonsflame, malflame, holy magic) or sustained mundane force to destroy (4 strikes with a blunt armament, ex; warhammer, pickaxe, etc). » Large creatures (ologs, golems) can topple a menhir, but standard mortals would require extended effort. » Destroying a menhir releases any stored soul fragments harmlessly into the soulstream. » The faint ethereal chorus and muted gleam are always present but subtle. True Sight An ill gift of the mystic, allowing them to walk between the worlds of both the living and the dead, their gaze piercing the veil which lies between the two. With this ability, the mystic is made capable of seeing what others cannot, forced to witness each stagnant specter and roaming soul that lies within the wastes, even spying phantoms that may attempt to retreat into its deathly embrace. With this ability, those bestowed with Mysticism may see what others cannot, their gaze piercing even occult illusions of ectoplasm and mist. Still, this may incline the mystic to be reclusive, for fear of the scrutiny that might be had upon them should they be seen for what they truly are. Because of this, geists often seek to torment the mystic for their sight, and will take the opportunity to afflict them in both their waking hours and their sleep, often leaving the mortal to be passed off as distraught or possessed by heresy. Redlines: » True sight is not vivication and cannot see NPC ghosts or access any Vivication abilities without the feat. » Should a Mystic also be a Corcitura, the effects of True Sight and other Soul Fragments attatched to their own outweigh the youthful effects of their curse. Shared Liturgies As users of ectoplasm, by a result of their wounded spirit, mystics are permitted to twist the permanent essence of ectoplasm in particular fashions to yield unimaginable feats of phantom dominion. Liturgies are spells which mystics may perform in combative scenarios, taxing the caster’s own ectoplasmic reservoir. Much of the mystic’s arsenal is delegated towards immediate defense as opposed to offense- a rather curious trait for a dark art. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴜʀɢɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄꜱ, ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ. ❉ [T1] Saturation - [Active] [2 Emotes] [1 Ectoplasm] A mystic may enwreathe their blade in a complex form of ectoplasm, allowing it to take a spectral nature. Saturated blades are imperative to mystic rituals, however, it may also be used in combat to deliver the final blow to a victim, taking a count of essence from a victim or turning them into a phantom. ❉ [T1] Hindering - [Passive] Working with Ectoplasm incites a certain magical ‘mark’ unto Mystics, from the very beginning of their practice. This manifests both passively - the hallowing of other cast magics- and actively, wherein the Mystic may choose to bring others- objects, small animals- closer to the Elysian Plane. ❉ [T2] Deadbreath - [Active] [3 Emotes] [1 Ectoplasm] A mystic may imbue ectoplasm into their breath, and let this concoction out in the form of Deadbreath, blocking out the vision of those without Truesight, making for a good way of blinding - or escaping from a possible demise. ❉ [T4] Swathing - [Active] [3 Emotes] [1+ Ectoplasm] By gathering a mass of ectoplasm to mold about their form, a Mystic is capable of becoming almost invisible to the mundane eye - surrounded by their magic, they become cold, almost deathly, as the ectoplasm obscures their position. The Shepherd Where Sentinels embrace corporeal violence, Shepherds walk a different path. These Mystics stand as prophets and sorcerers of the Elysian, their spirit so deeply submerged in the wastes that they glimpse visions of what might be and hear the ceaseless wailing of the damned. They wield the craft as a medium, shaping it into their will and conjuring forth the lingering skills of the dead, and weaving illusions from the very grave. Shepherds are guides and deceivers in equal measure and though their bodies may grow frail and their connection to reality tenuous, their mastery over the intangible makes them formidable orchestrators of fate while they marshal the restless dead to serve their inscrutable purposes. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴜʀɢɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄ ꜱʜᴇᴘʜᴇʀᴅꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɢʜᴛꜱ. ❉ [T2] Weaving - [Passive] A Shepherd's soul, perpetually tugged deeper into the Elysian Wastes than their Sentinel counterparts, grants them an innate sensitivity to the spectral realm and a refined capacity to manipulate ectoplasm beyond mere combat applications. ❉ [T3] Undertow - [Active] [3 Emotes] [1 Ectoplasm] By allowing the innumerable trapped souls within the Elysian a temporary ‘doorway’ of sorts, a Shepherd leverages their grasping, desperate attempts to leave the plane in order to hinder encroaching threats. ❉ [T4] Palespeech - [Active] [3 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] By wreathing their throat and lips in misty ectoplasm, a Mystic Shepherd is capable of augmenting their use of Al’tahrn Durngo - speaking not only to their target’s ears but to their very souls, allowing for powerful, if limited, commands to be wrought. A wight, more attuned to the ethereal, may choose to send such a command directly into their mind, not requiring them to speak any words. In lieu of this, they must still maintain a line of sight with them. ❉ [T5] Tyking - [Active] [3+ Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] Masters of the roaming souls of the Elysian, a Mystic Shepherd can call upon specific geists with ease, taking advantage of skills that would have perished with their wielders, giving the dead a brief chance to ply their craft once more. The Sentinel Possessed of a physical connection to their conjoined souls, the Mystic Sentinels - the spell-blades and assassins of their kind - weave their Elysian magics into combat and bring to bear their full physical strength, albeit at the cost of a potent weakness to aurum due to the presence of the spirit within them.. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴜʀɢɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄ ꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇʟꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɢʜᴛꜱ. ❉ [T2] Spiriting - [Passive/Active] [2 Emotes] [1 Ectoplasm] A sentinel’s weapons, when drawn, will passively glow a spectral gleam when they are held in their hands, unless they will it not to. The weapon, while under this passive effect, will be able to physically contact with phantoms even if they are intangible. Alternatively, they may summon a whole new weapon or tool. ❉ [T3] Enervation - [Active] [2 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] By grasping at an opponent’s soul, the warlike Sentinels are capable of inflicting a portion of the suffering souls trapped in the Elysian undergo - afflicting even the mighty with creeping fatigue. Wights, lords of their craft, may inflict it through a sharp, focused gaze. ❉ [T4] Ambuscade - [Active] [3 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] Weaving ghostly, half-spectral chains out of their ectoplasm, a Mystic Sentinel may cast them forwards to latch upon an opponent’s form, leveraging both their Elysian magics and the physical pulling force of the chain to forcibly bring a target closer. ❉ [T5] Expulsion - [Active] [3 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] Gathering their ectoplasm as an intentional beacon to the swarming souls trapped in the Elysian, a Sentinel may call the ghosts of fallen soldiers into brief corporeality to reprise their role, whether in defense or attack of their conjuror. Sacraments of Pale Within a unified Synod lies the immense capacity for power, for while a mystic’s liturgies may prove effective on their lonesome, when combined with their wayward brethren, they might manifest an even greater power. These might orchestrate great divinations through ritual, commune with fallen spirits through their remnants, and bequeath their ancient knowledge. Unlike most liturgies, which may be cast more frequently and with little notice, sacraments require far greater preparation, enacted not as some brief invocation but rather as some ceremonial performance. However, to beseech the damned offers little that would draw the mystic close to their mortal brethren- instead dragging them further into perdition. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ꜱᴀᴄʀᴀᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄꜱ, ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ. ✸ [T1] Harvest - [Ritualistic] [3 Emotes] A mystic, by imbuing ectoplasm into someone else’s form, may steal a fragment of their very soul, which may be put into a menhir for usage in later rites. ✸ [T2] Beseeching - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [1 Mystic] The signature rite of the occult - imploring those that lie beyond the veil to return to the mortal plane so that the mystic might commune with them. Whether this be through some festive activity to honor one's ancestor, or some profane beseechment of cults uttering irreverent incantations below the earth, it is nonetheless a means to beckon forth the dead. ✸ [T3] Anchoring - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [1 Soul Fragment] [2 Mystics] An ancient rite of Mysticism instituted throughout the annals of antiquity, allowing an occultist to more permanently pull an ectoplasmic being towards the material realm. This is performed by an occultist taking a stone and, drenching it in their own ectoplasm, thrusting it into the core of the phantom, linking their spirit to the relic - converting the phantom into a Graven. ✸ [T4] Orthostat - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [5+ Soul Fragments] [2 Mystics] Damaging something as precious as the veil between realms is a great feat, requiring a grand amount of strain and clear intent. To perform this, an intense concentration of energy must be provided to a menhir- the soul-energy within it slowly dampening the veil more and more as the realm of the dead slowly pours into that of the living, creating hindered land. ✸ [T5] Autochthony - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [20+ Soul Fragments] [3+ Mystics] Fusing together the litany of trapped souls within a Menhir, a group of Mystics may artificially induce the creation of an Apparition - using the copious reserves of fragmented souls to coax out a primeval amalgam of dozens of geists. The being - while typically weaker than its ilk - still remains incredibly powerful and can be released upon the Menhir’s destruction. ✸ [T5] Consumption - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [3 Mystics] Wightdom is a crown that demands dedication and sacrifice to attain - and, above all, a masterful hold on Mysticism. Likely working in tandem with their allies, a master Mystic can prove their worthiness by subduing and consuming an Apparition. Amputated Liturgies The path of the Exorcist is one paved with sacrifice most literal—a shedding of mortal flesh to grasp at greater communion with the Elysian. Through the severance of one's arm at the shoulder, replaced by a spectral limb bound within a Menhir Ring, the mystic trades their physical wholeness for a deeper attunement to the ebb and flow of souls. These maimed occultists become wielders of the very magics they seek to banish, their wounded spirits granting them unique insight into the tethers that bind phantoms, curses, and malignancies to the mortal realm. Notably, a Sentinel which has been Amputated, also gains the innate knowledge of Weaving’s ability to engage with prophecies due to the Elysian touch. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟɪᴛᴜʀɢɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀᴍᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍʏꜱᴛɪᴄꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɢʜᴛꜱ. ✸ [T3] Dominion - [Active / Ritualistic] [2-4 Emotes] [1-2 Ectoplasm] A Mystic’s tether to the Elysian grants them authority over lesser phantoms that wander the mortal realm. Through Dominion, an occultist may bolster spectral allies with ectoplasm, drain essence from wayward geists or compel phantoms to bind themselves to sacred stone. ✸ [T3] Exorcise - [Active] [2-4 Emotes] [0-4 Ectoplasm] The namesake of the Exorcists, the eponymous ability that Amputated Mystics wield is the capacity to Exorcise- to wring forth the demonic, spectral, cursed, and ectoplasmic that scourges an individual, object, or location- and purge it unto the aether. ✸ [T4] Hexing - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [1-2 Soul Fragments] Amputated Mystics may summon a polygeist from the Ebrietaes, binding it to an object, whether that be a mirror, goblet, belt, blade, or other object, in order to grant it a cursed effect which afflicts the living whilst simultaneously sating the geist. ✸ [T5] Sentence - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] [4 Ectoplasm] Fate is a fickle thing, navigating souls through both life and the afterlife, whether that be an eternity of tranquility, or one of sorrow and death. Yet there may be some who wish to atone for their sins, seeking to save themselves from whatever anomalous fate awaits their soul. Thus, respecting this request, those more merciful ranked among the exorcist-mystics may perform a ritual that cleanses the soul who wills to pass on. ✸ [T5] Conjoinment - [Ritualistic] [Freeform] The withering of an acolyte’s soul and the supplanting of it with a phantom to bolster their spirit - Conjoinment is the tattered art of connecting an individual to the mystic arts. An aspirant who has garnered the faith of an Amputated Mystic may present themselves, wherein the Exorcist would inflict a grave wound in the acolyte’s spirit. With the wound inflicted, the Amputated Mystic may then grapple a phantom soul from the wastes- often one that had been chosen by the acolyte themselves- and bind them to the acolyte’s spirit to ‘mend’ the wound. Wightdom The forsaken pinnacle of Mysticism and all of its dark sorceries: transcending life by means of death. Such fell desire is not unlike that which overtook the First Synod many ages ago, whose efforts left them but a wretched amalgamation of desolate souls. These creatures are not unlike regular phantoms, though they are far less potent due to their intrinsic material ties. Forever left to pace the Elysian and linger unseen as the ages of the world pass, such occult dedication is a dark and harrowing burden, manifesting itself both as the sins of the occultist, and the vile apparition that they have dared to consume. Wights are of phantom nature, appearing as semi-transparent creatures of ethereal composition, intangible as a cold mist or eerie fog. Wights resemble the appearance of the occultist who had embodied them in their former life, albeit perpetually gleaming with a mirthless, ethereal light - like that of a dying candle or willowing flame. Commonly, they may hover just slightly off the ground, gliding in a fluid yet graceful motion, allowing them to hover over water or land or fall any distance unharmed, though not equating to flight. Some wights maintain spectral armaments that gleam upon their ethereal husks, whereas others might be adorned in ornate attire that flutters as if carried by some eldritch wind. Since they are phantom undead, they are incorporeal and possess no internal organs, having no need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. An incorporeal wight may completely disregard even the hardest of steel blades, bearing no heed to any form of wear or exhaustion. Because wights have a pure makeup of ectoplasm, their wounds from magical damage or aurum may be slowly mended with time and concentration to patch their tattered souls, but this is a precise process that cannot take place during the heat of combat; they must retreat to the safety of the shadows to lick their wounds over a day’s time. Should they be banished, they would require three days to reconstitute themselves, making banishment a very real and present threat for the Wight. Wights bear spectral powers very similarly to ghosts, gravens, and apparitions. Though they hold a lesser degree of Elysian power than other specters, wights can shift between invisibility and intangibility upon a whim, necessitating only [1] emote to switch between either state. Corporeality allows for the wight to become physical at the cost of becoming susceptible to mundane weapons, alongside their typical weaknesses to aurum, magic, and holy light due to their undead nature. Yet although granted an unprecedented amount of power amidst the covens of mystics and the occult, the existence of the wight is tragic. Being themselves unliving, wights often bear a dissociation with mortals or even may harbor an inherent vehemence towards their kind. They are often inclined to look down upon descendants, though not necessarily any quicker to violence or the utter abolition of those living. Rather, wights no longer bear the lens of perspective that comes with mortality, perhaps even causing them to foster an acute envy for the living due to their possession of senses of which the wight itself is deprived. They tend to become reclusive, clinging to aspects of the life they no longer live. This leads them to surround themselves with reminders of their former being, collecting odd trinkets and baubles that reflect those they had adored in life — but alas, much of this is done in vain. Despite their existence in undeath and their inability to truly perish, wights are averse to direct conflict, as they view it with a deliberate caution. The torment of demanifestation renders violence a costly endeavor, but still not unthinkable, and so they seldom squander themselves in open confrontation. Instead, wights often pursue their ambitions through proxies and associates, preferring to oversee their plans from concealment without unnecessary risk. Still, if circumstances demand it, they are fully capable of engaging in combat. Redlines: » Even when intangible, wights can still be harmed by aurum, Kani, holy magic, Arcanium, or voidal magic. Each requires four consecutive emotes to force a Wight to manifest when intangible. » Wights are undead player-creatures made through the art of Mysticism. They require a valid CA to be played and are not an open race. » Becoming a wight is permanent and cannot be reversed, consigning the character to that path. There is no means by which they may be reverted. » Wights can phase through solids so long as they would be mechanically accessible otherwise. If a Wight does not have access to a door or gate, they cannot pass through it. The same applies to walls. If the Wight is PRO their permission to pass through something extends to anything within that region. This cannot be performed in the midst of combat or to evade conflict. » Wights struck with aurum, alloys like Slayer-Steel, and fire evocation will take “damage” equivalent to that of mortals, though they will not feel "pain" like from Aurum in the case of Slayer-Steel. For example, a mortal blow to the wight’s head or decapitation by the aforementioned could demanifest them, as a mortal wound to the head would kill a mortal. » Upon demanifestation, a Wight shall require 3 IRL days to reconstitute itself and take shape once again. They require a single IRL day to recover from any wounds, lost ‘limbs,’ etc. » Wights may have their ectoplasm be any color or shade within the normal themes of Mysticism (White, Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, or Green of any hue.) » When corporeal, the wight’s base strength is at most equivalent to that of a human knight. When interacting with intangible phantoms such as poltergeists or specters, their strength would be comparable to an orc against an average human, though by no means granting them otherwise inhuman capabilities. This would apply even if the wight was a former orc. » Being undead, wights are unable to sire children or sexually FTB. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴏʟᴇʟʏ ʙʏ ᴡɪɢʜᴛꜱ. ⛯ [Wightdom] Devotion - [Boon] [Freeform] As the no-longer-mortal masters of Mysticism, Wights tend to build followings. Students, soldiers, converts - all drawn together for one purpose. Barrowlords are, of course, quite capable of rewarding particularly useful allies, or perhaps blessing them anticipating a boon’s use. ⛯ [Wightdom] Anointing - [Boon] [Freeform] To most, the elysian wastes serve as a one way mirror; its inhabitants are forced to watch the realm of the living and remain unseen by all in the realm of the living but the clairvoyant, those cursed with phantasmal ‘true sight’. Wights, most baleful beings, may Anoint an individual, cursing their firstborn child to emerge bearing the bitter curse of Vivification. ⛯ [Wightdom] Husking - [Active] [3 Emotes] The spectral nature of Wights grants them a peculiar ability - the capacity to compress their ectoplasmic essence and pour themselves into vessels, both living and inanimate. Through Husking, a Wight may inhabit corpses, animate suits of armor and mannequins, or even possess willing mortals, becoming a twisted puppeteer of flesh and steel. ⛯ [Wightdom] Possession - [Active] [3 Emotes] Unlike Husking, possession is a violent and invasive act. Rather than inhabiting an empty vessel, the Wight attempts to forcibly overlay its ectoplasmic will atop a living mind—an unstable and dangerous process that is difficult to maintain. ⛯ [Wightdom] Wailing - [Active] [3 Emotes] [2 Ectoplasm] Accessing a heavily enhanced but brute-force version of Palespeech, a Wight may release a piercing wail laced with ectoplasm, forcibly disrupting concentration of all those who hear it and inflicting a temporary, supernatural fear. ⛯ [Wightdom] Sapping - [Disconnection] [4 Emotes] Sapping is the twisted act of exhuming and sloughing off portions of a restrained target’s soul, with the intent to preserve the nature of their ill-begot craft - to tear apart what was conjoined, taking one or both phantoms melded with the mystic and pulling it forth through a ritual inherit only to the wight themselves. Credits

Hello, content nukers. There have been some recent changes to the persona closet system (/skin) which should be making managing your skins much better! What’s changed? Skins are now tied to individual personas rather than your entire account. This means each of your personas can have their own unique slots without having to constantly cycle them out. You may, additionally, be wondering; ‘But, how many skin slots will I have now?’ The answer is quite simple! If you had 4 slots before, you will still have 4 slots, but per each persona slot you have, so if you have 4 personas, that’s 16 slots! Additionally, we have made /skin available to all players, with one skin per persona. VIPs have been adjusted to have one additional skin slot than before, so that's 2 for Diamond, 3 for Bedrock, 4 for Ender, and 5 for Aether. New Features /skin transfer <id> <sourcePersona> [-p <sourcePersona>] A new command has been added to help you organize your skins across personas. Since all your existing skins will initially migrate to your current persona slot, you can use this command to distribute them to your other personas as needed. Do remember that your persona index starts at 0, meaning your first persona slot is 0, second is 1, etc … You can check with /persona list - the light gray number on the left. The cooldown for changing skins has been reduced from 5 minutes down to a mere 10 seconds! We found that skin swaps don't put much strain on the server since they're already cached and saved, so there's no reason to make you wait. I know this has been a point of annoyance for many, so hopefully this will help. Do I need to do anything? When the update goes live, all your current skins will be automatically migrated to your first persona (persona slot 0). From there, you can use /skin transfer to move skins to your other personas. … For example, /skin transfer 3 2 Moves skin slot #3 from your current persona to persona slot 2 You can optionally add ⁨⁨-p <persona slot>⁩⁩ if you want to move a skin from a persona you aren't currently on; /skin transfer 4 5 -p 2 Moves skin slot 4 from persona 2 to persona 5. ⁨⁨/skin transfer 1 2 -p 3⁩⁩ Will move skin #1 from persona 3 to persona 2. Credit @Daisy for design, code review, and VIP adjustments.

Argelion Zôrzagar, The High King of Idunia, jumped up and down in joy at this donation of great size with resonating clicks of his clogs echoing throughout the palace.

The High Kingdom of Idunia rallies for war 🥰

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Argelion Zôrzagar, The High King of Idunia, smiled the sun’s smile after opening the letter, and reading it. Another generation of the Adunian folk, one led by a spirit tested by flame and faith, the potential certainly reflected well upon his this introduction--even if it was upon parchment. Tar-Zôrzagar looked forward to crossing paths with House D’Artagnan’s blessed flock. : )

[!] A missive would be spread across the entirety of Azuras, safe for the lands of the Horde and Urguan. In times of war, evil thinks us the most vulnerable. Less than a year ago, the men and women of Azuras, regardless of origin, were haunted by devilish visions of lands long lost in the history of our people. Now, those of us blessed by an Aengul’s radiant light have been granted a second vision, a light of purity in opposition to the shadow that looms above our continent. Though its purpose has yet to reveal itself, it appears as a divine warning of a dark omen yet to befall our lands, a great heresy that stands in opposition to the Righteous. A sign that we should not sit idly; that we should not wait for evil to come for us, but to prepare and strike it down when it dares to rise. Thus, the High Kingdom issues a summons. To all of Saint Malchediael’s Templars, local or foreign to Idunia, to all the Righteous who were blessed with this vision. It is time we gather in the white halls of Minas Aradar, Palace of Alduun, capital of Idunia. We shall speak not as Nobles, Knights, and Commoners, but as the Righteous who seek to protect Azuras from evil. Let us be the radiant light that shall, in time, pierce the night. Sunday 4pm EST @ Idunia Capital in Palace of Minas Aradar Relevant visions/prophecies HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Tar-Zôrzagar Argelion Anorion Harren Arthalion, High King of Idunia, Prince of Númendil, High Lord of Idunia, Chief of the Númenedain and the Tribe of Harren, Templar Justiciar of Saint Michael the Archangel, Slayer of the Gilded Queen HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, Adûnakhôr Auranion Harren Arthalion of the Royal Arthalionath, Prince of Idunia, Defender of the Númenaranyë, Templar of Saint Michael the Archangel HIS EXCELLENCY, Ser Viago Valathor Vitalius Adalwulf Rhomenor, Duke of House Vourkehardt, Chaptermaster of the Order of the White Tower, Templar-Justiciar of Saint Michael the Archangel, Knight of the Dawn, and Slayer of the Gilded Queen

EDICT OF ARCANE PURSUIT A ROYAL DECREE FROM THE THRONE OF IDUNIA To all who bear courage within their hearts and wisdom in their minds, let it be known across the breadth of our blessed realm: The High King of Idunia, by the grace of God-Aeradar and the ancient covenant of our fathers, does hereby issue forth a summons most urgent.. Within the hidden corners of our kingdom, beyond the veil of common sight and into the depths of legend itself, there dwells one spoken of only in whispered tales; THE HIGH WIZARD OF IDUNIA. Known by some as the Keeper of Ancient Words, the Walker Between Worlds, and to the eldest among us as one whose power rivals that of sorcerer (>>MERLIN<<) of yore, this enigmatic sage has withdrawn from the courts of men. His tower stands somewhere in the wild places, shrouded by mist and enchantment, visible only to those whom fate has chosen. The realm has great need for his counsel. We seek to beseech his aid in this hour of uncertainty. Too, would the nature of his presence bring clarity to the unknown reaches of which our flock may not. Should this great Wizard present himself before the throne, a tower shall be erected in his name; a sanctum of stone wherein he may engage with his magical ventures unfettered, supplied with all necessities that arcane study demands. These plans may be provided by the wizard, or erected by an assigned team of architects at the behest of the Crown. Yet, still, let it be clear: the one who claims this mantle must meet certain criteria befitting such a title. He, or she, must demonstrate mastery over hidden arts, possess knowledge of the ancient tongues, and show wisdom tempered by the trials of long years. His loyalty must be to the realm and to God, Aeradar, above all powers. This will be tested over an elongated period of time, wherein their capability will indubitably be brought to its limits. Furthermore, it is decreed that the one who would claim the title of the High Wizard of Idunia must present themselves in the traditional vestments of their craft-robes of wizardly make, be they adorned with celestial patterns, arcane sigils, or the simple dignity of scholarly cloth. Upon their head, they must bear a pointed hat, as is befitting the image passed down through the generations of this legendary tale. For what is a wizard without his robes and pointed cap? Such garb is not mere vanity, lest he be mistaken for a wandering hedge-mage or charlatan. It is written within the history books of Idunia, in the accounts preserved by our most learned scholars, that the wizard of legend was notably—and most curiously—likely not an elf, despite the longevity and power attributed to his name. This detail, though peculiar to some, remains a matter of historical record and scholarly debate within our archives. Therefore, let any being with clues, or any champion brave enough to seek him, come forth to the Palace of Minas Arador or send a bird to the High Court. Bring word, bring map, bring any fragment of lore that might guide the search. BY ROYAL MANDATE AND WRIT OF THE CROWN HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, Tar-Zôrzagar Argelion Anorion Harren Arthalion, High King of Idunia, Prince of Númendil, Chief of the Númenedain and the Tribe of Harren, Defender of the Númenaranyë, Sovereign of Númenost and Alduun, Knight of the Realm, Slayer of the Gilded Queen, Master of the Sharadûn, Protector of the Adunians

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