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Year 119 of the Second Age, 11th of the Amber Cold. It was a cold, foggy evening in the city of Karosgrad. An unease could be felt in the city coming from the direction of the docks. Lord Marshal Sebastian Bishop has received a report of beasts rising from the depths, terrorizing people at night who traveled the docks of Karosgrad. He rallied his forces at the Brotherhood of Saint Karl barracks and gave them a report of the situation, alongside a speech to remind them what they have sworn to do. Soon, the brave men and women of the Brotherhood marched towards the docks, ready to face any enemy to send them back to their watery graves. [!] A depiction of the brave men and women of the Brotherhood of Saint Karl. Lord Marshal Sebastian Bishop led his Brotherhood of Saint Karl soldiers towards the docks and pier, as his force noticed bubbles arising from the depths below. the Lord Marshal ordered Sergeant Weiss and Lieutenant Barclay to form a squad and take the right and left flank respectively. The Lord Marshal led the group on the pier with a squad consisting of Juan-Augosto del Sol Naciente, Cadet Vander, A’lia Vershar Kervallen, Armsman Onon and Viktor var Ruthern to engage the skeletons on the pier. The Lord Marshal led first, slaying one of the foul undead with a great strike of his massive greatsword. Armsman Onon assisted Cadet Vander as the group mowed through the undead, finishing them off with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. The left flank led by Lieutenant Barclay, consisting of himself, Wilhelm Von Berkhoven and Initiate Merce had a rougher fight ahead of them, an outnumbered fight against undead skeleton sailors! Yet they persisted, led by their Lieutenant all soldiers fought valiantly as Footman Kortrevich later joined them, truly turning the tide against the undead threat as too they soon got bested by the detachment of the Brotherhood. Meanwhile on the right flank led by Sergeant Weiss, they too fought a tough battle. Cleverly commanded by Sergeant Weiss, they began hacking through the undead with Initiate Skaul, Ki’el and Aries Kruk at the front. They fought like true beasts, showing the skeletons what metal they were made of. Soon the last skeletons had been bested by these brave men of the Brotherhood. As the battle raged on, all the undead had been dealt with before the roar of battle soon turned into an eruption of patriotic cheers from the brave men and women of the Brotherhood of Saint Karl, from the insides of the city these cries could be heard for quite some time before they proudly marched back into the barracks.

Forsaken Chimera Chimera’s have no set appearance, for they are not creatures that are naturally born into the world, but instead abominations that are formed from abusing and twisting flesh mending beyond the limits of what the living flesh can take. There are so many different types of these creatures that can be born into the world, from what was once one of the humanoid races twisted into an abomination of rage and hatred, to creatures that are fused creatures of monsters. What is known is that these creatures are incapable of breeding, and once they have breached the realm of no return their very bodies themselves begin to deteriorate quickly, giving them only a couple of years before they too will perish and simply fall apart at the seams one day. History The history of the Chimera is a complicated one, born first from a tale, or perhaps a fairy tale within tomes that spoke of a woman with a head of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a serpent. And the immortality that such an entity was able to bring. It had only been a folk lore of course, no basis besides tales and bard song. Yet to the mind of a Necromancer that had reached the peak of their maddened craft it turned into inspiration. Wings of a giant eagle found itself grafted into the back of a woman who desired to have that immortality for themselves. A serpent with deadly venom attached to their spine, somehow still alive and functional. And then finally they moved their head and exchanged it with a lions. Now this should have instantly killed the woman, yet, through some mystery, they had managed to place their mind within the lions head as they fused them together. But it wasn’t immortality that they found with this success. But rapid decay, rot, and a body that was falling away at the seams as a hatred and rage from the monstrous flesh that had fallen upon them had taken over. Physical Appearance As stated already the Chimera doesn’t truly have a ‘base’ origin, just tying itself to the creative madness of those that created them. Some have the base flesh of a humanoid to act as the origin where the grafts and the melding of tissue and flesh had been fused upon it. While others have the base of a monster that was captured alive for them to experiment on. A gryphon could find the hide of a drake fused to its flesh to give it armoured scales, the throat of a venomous great serpent that causes it to breathe out an acidic breathe that burns its own maw, and have its talons replaced with paws with razor sharp claws. They would be an excuse coursing with pain, anguish, and madness, falling to pieces while their mind lingers and trapped them within their torment. With that in mind the threat level of one Chimera can vastly change from one abomination to another. At times it may simply be easier to allow the rot of their flesh to take them instead of reaching out to deal with them, especially if a Necromancer sacrificed their own life to bring something truly monstrous into this world. Like a creature made through the bones of a dragon. The impossibility of it may be high, but not impossible, and there have been horror stories of these creatures taking to the world with armies of their creatures following their path against the land. Mental Characteristics The mentality of the Chimera can depend on the source and head of the creature. Should the head be that of a beast, unless some unknown craft is done to transfer the brain and mind of another creature into that vessel, the intelligence of the Chimera will match that of the beast but driven into a frenzied state. Similarly if the head was that of a man, they would have the sharp intelligence of that of a man, but driven by a sadistic cruelty that would have them taking pleasure in the suffering of others and being unable to comprehend the rights and wrongs of the world. The desires, and passions of the intelligent Chimera still remain, as do their memories when they are driven into this frenzied state. Deteriorating and rotting. Those that had passions of love could find themselves hunting the individual they cared about so greatly, tormenting, and torturing them and all they cared for in their final years of existence. Along with savouring the fear and pain of everything and everyone they can get their hands on. That is - if the flesh that they had grafted too doesn’t take over with its own instincts. The flesh of a sea serpent could consume the chosen Chimera with a sense of hunger that has them feasting on all that they can get ahold of even as their body is unable to keep it all down. Yet it won’t stop them from biting down. With all that said, the mind of a Chimera, can be intelligent, can be cruel, but almost always is unique to the individual Chimera and the body and mind that created them. A saint can be turned into the cruellest entity in the world when driven by the desire of the ‘greater good’ after all. Lifespan and Development The lifespan of a Chimera will only be able to survive for several years. Two at a limit, though there have been cases where they have been able to prolong their existence to the most of four years in this state. Either through a regenerative property or replacing their dying flesh with that of others. Somehow inheriting a limited span of their own creators' magic when it comes to their own flesh. With that said they do not develop any further since creation. Even if they are able to mend and attach flesh to where it has begun to fail and fall from their form it is only a temporary measure and doesn’t add anymore strength to the strength that they already have on the final completion of their form. A Chimera has also been documented as being unable to sire anymore once the magic has been infused with them. Most would consider this a blessing considering the twisted nature of the creatures that there will be no risk of aberrations being born. Territory and Grouping Chimera’s do not work together with their own beings, while they seem to be able to recognize creatures born from the same magic and have less hostility towards them than they do everyone else. It is not usually to the point where they will permit the others existence before them. Though on the rare instance where two Chimera are documented to see each other, there have been chases where they just ignore the presence of the other and go on their own way. Showing themselves to be for the most part solo hunters. This however is not always true. For the Chimera’s that have managed to successfully kill their own creators will find themselves able to direct, and guide the puppets their former master had once controlled. Allowing the Chimera to have their own horde to direct, drive, and push. Increasing the danger that the Chimera falls under by several degrees of threat. When a Chimera of this nature is scouted it's usually a high alert situation for the nearby nation to call to arms to deal with it. Or risk their home and surrounding denizens being ravaged to ruin.

(Due to my previous lore submission being denied because of certain spells being "overpowered", I have decided to make very minor alterations to the spell list in order to see to it that this somewhat new lore submission is acceptable. PLEASE NOTE: This is literally First Generation Necromancy, but just under a different name. I had to name it 'Vocomancy' in order to prevent the confusion regarding Second Generation Necromancy and First Generation Necromancy. Hopefully, this will shed more understanding to the 'but it's like Necromancy' replies.) The Nether's Boon It is known that the Dark Arts are seen as repulsive in the eyes of many. It causes some to writhe with hatred or spit at the surface by simply having a name of a grotesque magic be uttered into their ears. It breeds conflict if one were to publicly mention their support of it, a man who was once tranquil may even lose their sincere state of mind if they were to stand before a proponent of the Dark Arts. Even the most content among men will find their lust tempting them to tap into such prohibited practices. Shades, necromancers and those alike have all been tempted through either weak minded thoughts, pursuits of power, or reasons that they themselves don’t know. The Dark Arts were passed down from the loathed Iblees to mortal men, spreading from troubled minds to pure souls, evolving and advancing one step further when one generates an interdicted spell. With each passing year, magic from the minds of the ill grow stronger and newfangled arts sprawl from the minds of the great and the unhealthily curious. Yet, as the more fiendish side of the Descendant races continue to expand their wicked arts, some older arts tend to die. These old arts were buried among other arts void of practitioners. Even the eldest Art that had greatly influenced other taboo practices was a victim of this cycle. However, there do exist minds so curious, that they seek to traverse back to the source that sparked this domino effect, for reasons that may grant them fine power, additional wisdom, and prime knowledge. ------------------ The Undead were a malignant group. They had utilised the great and substantial powers of their figurative father, Iblees. They brought twisted horrors into the mortal realm with little consideration of the consequences. Repercussions were null to them as long as they pleased the entity of the hand that fed them. Each Undead carried out individual tasks in an endeavour to please the Defiler. None, bar a certain few, had disappointed their leader. The Undead shared havoc with the Descendants when they were nearing the end of their reign, this led to the amounted peak of their conclusion. In a march towards the Druid’s Grove, the remaining Undead and The Deific Shadow tossed aside the druids that made themselves present in an attempt to defend their once pure terrain. With struggle and livid determination, the Undead managed to infiltrate the Father Tree. Within the grand organism, a manifested Iblees conjured the Axe of Krug into his midst and had it meet the body of Lillith Winterleaf. This divine instrument which met sinful hands, soon came into contact with the Aspect Stone. Once the distinctive weapon having connected with the special stone, the object promptly crumbled before the might of Iblees. Though the Undead did leave their mark of grotesque taint upon the Druid’s Grove, it came with the cost of their once admirable power. Fortunately for the descendants, what they knew as baleful agents of Iblees, all eroded back to their petty mortal forms. The loyal servants of the Betrayer had lost all memory of their ignoble drudgery. Though, two individuals were free from this downside -- two of Iblees’ highest soldiers. Joseph and the ***** Sprat had been gifted the boon of recalling vague occurrences during their unlife. Within the foundations of the soul of the accursed ex-Prophet, lay a very delicate correspondence to him and the infernal underworld known as the “Nether”. The frail Elf was quite oblivious to his relationship with the hellish plane, an indirect link to the infernal regions lurked in cryptic regions of Joseph’s knowledge. For weeks, Joseph had been riddled with despondency thanks to his peer’s death. In his state of dejection, he went to hiding in a location that was not known much to the public. In the noiseless vicinity, Joseph scratched at the walls of mystery for weeks in attempt to fathom what ghastly soot-stained his soul. Incoherent exasperation filled his mind. However, he eventually came to the realisation that such emotions were developing fissures in the highway that led him to his objective. He concluded that he must commit himself to days free of distraction emotions in order to dissect what clutched at the core of his being. Meditating, pondering and theorizing consumed most of his days -- Fortunately, his efforts bred results. This watery relationship he had with the Nether soon evolved into something viscous, something that held density but did not easily remain in Joseph’s grasp. Akin to an unannounced bolt of lightning, during his meditation, Joseph had witnessed a virtually indescribable region of the Nether. The murky, twisted environs that filled his eyesight were essentially unidentifiable. The diabolical and distorted landscape broadened Joseph’s cognitive horizons. The visions brought nostalgia to him, both longing and joy befell him. However, before he could completely relish in what his patience delivered, a boundless amount of memories flooded the entrance to his mind. The mass experiences that all occurred in a rapid succession within his mind was far too overwhelming for him to handle. Similar to a household being loaded with copious amounts water, some portions of those memories remained (despite being unwelcomed), while other portions were forced to exit the construction that was Joseph’s psyche. With this bizarre happening, he was quickly broken down into a comatose state. Unexpectedly, after regaining his sense of self, he had garnered the ability to fully recall his nefarious doings from his time as an Undead grunt, to a Zealot and finally to a short lived Prophet of Iblees. The isolated Elf was practically reborn in mind and soul, an ever-burning and eccentric sensation flickered in many areas of his form. Fiendish knowledge which was lost to him, found its way back to the ex-Undead. Despite his efforts, he still wasn’t satisfied due to the fact there existed no confirmation of the deity he still remained devout to being present. Regardless of discovering his newfound prowess, he was still concerned for the confirmation of Iblees being existent. He had wasted time wondering whether if his deity had been deceased or vanquished from his own realm; for he could comprehend a connection to the Nether, but not Iblees himself. Joseph was brought to a perplexed state, he wanted to serve what provided him a purpose. Yet, the alienated Elf was not sure if the Defiler would even approve of his actions of tampering with the Nether. With his concrete link to the hellish underworld, he tried to delve further into the ominous realm. His mind was beating about in its place as he continued to expand his eccentric endeavour. He desired to locate the whereabouts of his praised and fallen Daemon. But, with his limited connection, he was only able to pick on Iblees’ existence on a metaphysical level. Though, that was he assumed to be Iblees due to the immense and overwhelming clutch that held a vague yet wicked grip Joseph’s limited mind. Visibly, he couldn’t notice him. But on a level of abstract comprehension, he was capable of pinpointing his existence. And beyond the Defiler’s existence, Joseph gathered information of other entities that were inhabiting the Nether -- weaker, yet still sturdy beings. The grim vibe these underlings of the Nether set a familiar taste to Joseph’s buds of thought, their souls were stagnant in the the unholy grounds of the Nether, the nigh-spectral lifeforms were seemingly untampered with. After being worn and well aware of multiple existences in the Nether, he grew satisfied with this experience to take note of and promptly he cut his tether to the underworld. It was until the next day, the Elf was approached by another entity that was ethereal, it was far too familiar. No mistake was open to be made. There was something he had felt before, which had clutched at his mind, it bore the power to pluck away at the strings that held his mind together. However, this recognisable, antagonistic force did not do such things. Instead, it spoke. A misanthropic weight clung to these words which fell upon the Elf’s befuddled mind. The voice that resonated in his head was none other than the being which Joseph had proudly served. The voice, that resounded throughout Joseph’s mind held such an iron hand that it pinned down the bewildered Elf in place. No external forces prevented Joseph from trying to move, it was merely the voice of malignant influence that weighed him down. The words that were spoken left acidic spittle of turpitude that seeped through the confines of Joseph’s mind, it instructed him to submit to this force. Be one with it. Accept it. Understand it. Any form of resistance Joseph tried to put up was crushed by the words that carried such an unchallenged strength to them. Not only the words of great influence affect his mind, but it chipped away at the foundations of his soul. The soul of the man, who drowned in the abysmal waters of consternation, was being dislodged. Joseph no longer owned what made him ‘pure’, such an invaluable possession now belonged to The Defiler. The renewal of a forgotten art. This reformation of first generation necromancy has finally stepped foot into land for a second time. The unholy practices under the name of The Betrayer has spawned to offer wicked events in the mortal realm. The art, while considered an ungodly force from such a great being, does not leave its user without any harrowing consequences. While bearing the name “first generation necromancy”, one would expect it to carry a propensity for having more power than Second Generation Necromancy. However, that is not truly the case. Second Generation Necromancy and First Generation Necromancy may seem similar in some aspects, but the pair do share very different ways of functioning. The Summoning/Connection process. 1. The Vocomancer summons taint from the Nether (through the proper channels) to open the Nexus. 2. The Vocomancer then enters the domain of Iblees, utilising their link to Iblees as aid to garner their required tools from the Nether (essentially taint). 3. After mustering enough taint required from The Betrayer, the Vocomancer then makes use of the The Betrayer’s boon in order to bring forth something of their desire within their own power. 4. The Vocomancer will then release whatever power they have manifested into the mortal realm, as a product of Iblees. 5. Once the product of taint is released, the Vocomancer is free to do as they please with their spawn or creation. However, the user must bear in mind they do not have complete, direct control over their ethereal entities; for unlike SGN, the minions of Vocomancy are not a product of life force which is from the user’s self, but a product of the Nether -- a realm which is constructed by Iblees. Mechanics: The magic’s ability is to summon most products of taint from the underworld. Imagine the performance of Vocomancy as a blind person painting. The FG Necromancer doesn’t understand what exactly they are doing or how, just as a blind person cannot see what they are painting and are unaware of what they are producing, however they know they are doing it and are given instructions on what to do. These instructions come from Iblees himself, functioning as a pseudo-canvas and Taint functions as the ‘paint’. When the user is done with their ‘painting’, they can finally bring it into their for all to see Additionally, a Vocomancer can prepare rituals for Iblees’ gain. The source of the hand that feeds them cannot go unrewarded for what marvelous strength it provides. By arranging a ritual, an unfortunate soul can be sacrificed for Iblees’ benefit. A ritual can be prepped in any desired location of a Vocomancer. If an individual is slain as a result of the ritual process, then it is up to the player of the victim to decide whether their death is to be a PK or not. If a perma-kill occurs, then their soul is to successfully be set in the hands of Iblees. This magic consists of a blend of spells from the three branches of the Undead, the Devourer branch, the Obliterator branch and the Blighter branch. The user will be capable of spawning beings from the Underworld, make use of Iblees’ wrath in the form of bolts being hailed from the sky, manipulate deathly miasma and flames from the Nether and soothe the wounds of others. Unlike before, this style of Vocomancy does not entirely focus on the utter, senseless destruction of the Descendants. Because of this, there now exists only two branches: The Priests of Iblees and The Soldiers of Iblees. The Priests of Iblees are the ones that bear the potential to alter the opinions of those who originally loathed the Daemon thanks to their given prowess. They are mostly provided with the spells from the Undead’s Blighter branch. They are gifted with mending the wounds of those who are tainted, or fall under the definition of ‘tainted’. They are capable of manifesting miasma and summoning only a fair amount of entities from the Nether. They are not fighters. Akin to the Blighter Branch, they only exist to wile others into finding trust and keeping trust in Iblees. The Soldiers of Iblees are those who possess formidable strength, they are examples of Iblees’ prowess. They may not be capable of swaying others into following Iblees so easily, unlike the Priests of Iblees, but with their strength alone they are able to give others a taste of what happens if one were to oppose Iblees. They are capable of summoning a fearful number of beings or a fearful being from the Nether. They are gifted with casting dreadful lightning from the sky and are able to produce vehement flames from the Nether which consume the life of opposers. Similar to the Obliterator branch and Devourer branch, they only exist to display Iblees’ power, fending off any who are seen as adversaries and protecting those who are seen as allies. ‘Taint’ Mending (Exclusive to the Priests of Iblees): The Priests of Iblees are granted this altered and watered-down Blighter branch spell, which was originally used in order to keep the forces of Iblees alive. Now, such a spell exists to not only benefit Iblees' wounded acolytes, those who are 'tainted' as well can fall under the effects of this modified Blighter branch spell. Additionally, no agent of Iblees would be able to effectively convince others to follow the will of their overseer, without being able to display that their deity now has but a tinge of being capable of lending aid in the most efficient form. Individuals who are ‘tainted’ are the only ones who can mended by this spell. In order for a Priest to execute this spell, they must make contact or be extremely close to making contact with the being of ‘taint’ they wish to aid. A viscous liquid that resembles the ichor of Iblees will be formulated from a Priest’s hand, if the ichor meets the desired target of the Priest, then the rich ‘blood’ of Iblees will alter its form to match the original lost body parts of the victim that bears 'taint'. If a hand of a tainted being were to be lost, then the ichor of Iblees will function in a sentient manner once it comes into contact with the severed hand. The liquid will try to imitate what the lost limb once was, it will firstly assume the shape of the lost portions of the hand in its liquid form, then it will begin to alter its substance to resemble that of flesh. This will require the priest to continue producing more of Iblees' ichor until the hand has fully recovered. If a tainted individual were to be harmed by Holy Fire, then consuming the ichor will be most suited, as it is taint given form. The victim of lost taint will not be promptly rejuvenated, but the speed at which they recover their taint will be heightened. Additionally, ruptured interal organs cannot be mended by this spell, poison and other deadly toxins cannot be removed the system of a tainted being and mental impairments cannot be repaired. Those healed will be left with slightly grotesque welts and minor bruises that will recover over time, this indicates that Iblees is not the one to be especially relied on for aiding those incompetent enough to end up hurt and all those that are lent his aid will also experience his affliction. However, much like oil meeting water, the ichor will simply run off the body of an injured victim who is free of 'taint', refusing to blend with the pure being. An example of those who fit the definition of ‘taint’ goes as follows: Wraiths Dread Knights Wights Those who have certain noteworthy intent that may appease The Betrayer Necromancers Ghouls (Please note, this is merely an example of what kinds of individuals can be mended. Those who actually bear any form of actual taint, can fall under the effect of this spell.) At tier 1, a Priest of Iblees will only be capable of healing extremely minor cuts. Up to tier 5, a Priest will be capable of recovering a lost hand. Nether Spawns (Usable by both sects): Nether spawns are beastly fiends which reside within the Nether. They are very frequently abnormal or misshapen creatures, never the same as the last and, unlike any other summoning magic, cannot be controlled. Nether spawns are quite literally Taint given form. They are ravenous, unruly, and mad monstrosities that raze and ravage. But just as the other effects of Vocomancy, they do not harm those which are tainted or that which is comprised of Taint just as it does not harm them. They are blind to their summoner and spawned brethren, only seeing them as other products of the Nether. They do not outright harm their ‘allies’ but are definitely not ones to be careful either. Their eldritch bodies are their weapons and what which isn’t corrupted by Taint is their target. Novices who decide to spawn horrific entities from the Nether will only be able to bring forth something as insignificant as an inchworm or insect, unlike a novice Second Generation Necromancer, who can raise something larger such as a dead rat. (A 'tier 5' Vocomancer user can summon a maximum of 4-6 humanoid beings or one large abomination of flesh from the Nether, whereas a 'tier 5' SGN user can raise 12 humanoid beings. A Vocomancer user can summon beings on a whim, whereas a SGN user will have to kill the living to actually garner 12 corpses. This is why a Vocomancer can summon less than a SGN user, for the sake of fairness.) Additionally, much like a Conjuration user summoning a Primordial, both Priests and Soldiers of Iblees can bring forth creatures that bear properties of the Nether. A standard summon of a creature from the Nether might be maintaining decayed flesh and nothing more. However, advanced acolytes of Iblees can go further than just mere flesh sustaining their creatures. They can be capable of having their summons bear 'flesh' of any compatible material from the Nether (this excludes lava though, for it is far too powerful for a summoner to bring forth into the mortal plane). This will of course, be more of a demanding spell for Iblees' acolytes. For example, beings of netherrack can be set ablaze by any fire present that makes contact with their skin, though due to the properties of netherrack, the creatures made of this hellish material are bound to be more fragile than their flesh ridden counterparts. Beings that bear the properties of soulsand become harder to slay, yet their destructive prowess is not as intimidating as beings of netherrack or actual creatures of flesh. It is worth noting that Priests of Iblees can only summon a maximum of 4 humanoid entities from the Nether, while Soldiers of Iblees can summon a maximum of 6 (The larger the body, the smaller the number. The smaller the body, the higher the number). The numbers become lessened if they were to produce organisms that hold properties of the Nether's materials. The cast time of this spell is akin to the time it takes for a conjuration user to summon an entity from the Void, roughly 3-6 emotes will be required for a satisfactory spell attempt. Nether’s Flame (Exclusive to the Soldiers of Iblees) Similar to that of a pyromancer, the flames created from the sheer hatred of Iblees alone are channelled towards the user. It is up to the user to decide where they redirect this embodiment of The Defiler’s loathing towards. The flames that are spawned from Iblees act in a way which can be considered Holy Fire’s polar opposite. Instead of seeking to eviscerate taint like its counterpart, the flames from the Nether ignore such things and instead aim to use its own tainted properties in order to devour the lifeforce of a victim’s body. The flames will persist until its target is utterly void of lifeforce. It can only ‘burn’ organic matter, which causes decay and emits a substance akin to smoke due to the evisceration of lifeforce. Once it comes into contact with nonorganic material, nothing occurs. The 'oxygen' of Iblees' hellfire is life, nonorganic material does not provide that, therefore the flames are most likely bound to ignore inanimate objects and/or vanish if it does not meet its 'oxygen'. Depending on the limb the flames have taken a liking to consuming the life force from, the skin is likely to blacken to the point where it resembles an ebony black pigment. The afflicted limb may be rendered briefly disabled if the victim were to survive a continued assault of the hellfire, for the life force from the victim has been forcibly eviscerated. However, due to Iblees being weakened, the flames function differently from how they once they did. The flames from the underworld are no longer vehement as they once were, now they burn away the life force of entities with a weaker force and no longer spread like wildfire, they cannot challenge the likes of Holy fire, and it is far easier for an individual affected by the flames to pass the ebony fire to another entity (be it fauna or flora), in order to avoid further damage. Additionally, Healing from Clerics/Paladins/Ascended etc... can undo the damage. The cast time for this spell is similar to that of a Fire Evocation spell. Roughly 3-5 emotes are needed for a satisfactory spell execution. Iblees’ Lightning (Exclusive to the Soldiers of Iblees) Bolts come down from a baleful sky once an agent of Iblees makes use of this spell. When a Soldier of Iblees calls forth for the clouds to gather, the once uncontaminated sky becomes populated with a mass of opaque, ebony clouds. Compared to the rest of the tools at a Necromancer’s disposal, this spell is fairly simple. If successful, a small array of bolts will descend towards the surface they are directed to, leaving behind a mark that indicates the ire of The Betrayer. Due to the Defiler himself having lost a portion of his destructive potential, he is no longer able to direct his grim lightning towards the flesh of Descendants exclusively. They are now naturally attracted to the likes other fauna, much like how natural lightning is attracted to the likes of metal. For example, casting this spell while in the centre of a forest will make it difficult to actually strike a single, desired target, especially if one's target is a Descendant who happens to be within said forest. 3-5 emotes will be required to execute a satisfactory spell. Miasma (Exclusive to the Priests of Iblees): Miasma is a thick, cloudy haze of lime green and black mists. Its foggy consistency makes it nearly opaque, the miasma acts like a harming smokescreen and therefore cannot be controlled, only directed. It is mostly fatal when inhaled, but can also be damaging if it makes contact with skin. It of course, saps life force, the rate at which it consumes life force is determined by how much miasma is coating the victim. It varies from being nearly useless to causing its victim to simply be uncomfortable at ‘tier 1’. Though, with more practice over time, the cloud of miasma will be capable of causing immense pain, minor paralysis, and bleaches the skin and scars with causing ulcers and blisters. (This will not be as powerful as Undead Miasma, it will be akin to a necromancer’s drain, without any benefit to user. It travels at a steady, moderate speed; it can be considered somewhat sluggish. It is not fast nor too slow. It can only reach a maximum of roughly 3-3.5 metres) This spell should be treated much like a Necromancer's drain. 3-5 emotes will be required to execute a miasma spell properly. Soul displacement (Usable by both sects): Through aptly manipulating taint and the link to the nether, a user becomes capable of generating a ritual to further Iblees’ goal and his prowess. This will require the aid of other Vocomancers that are also adequate in performing this spell. If enough space is present, the user will be formulating a crooked shape of abnormal proportions with an outline bearing a lime-green pigment tainted with hues of ebony black. The area surrounded by the peculiar shape will, over time, have its appearance be distorted to represent the likes of the Nether. Sand and its delicate texture will turn to malformed soul sand, wood will have its appearance altered to look much like obsidian, dirt and grass will have its aspects degraded to netherrack and so forth. It is much like tearing a vicinity of the Nether itself into the mortal realm, the specific vicinity is a place where only Iblees can act. If someone, a sacrifice, were placed within this corrupting shape, their souls will be ripped from their being by The Defiler himself, soon relocating itself in the hands of Iblees. If Iblees does not obtain a sacrifice within a certain period of time, the Vocomancer is at risk of having their connection with Iblees severed. OOC consent is required before such acts are carried out. The victim must be comatose/immobile. Approximately 7-12 emotes will be required to make a satisfactory execution of this spell. Sever (Usable by both sects): Severing is the act of a master Vocomancer severing the connection of a Vocomancer to the The Betrayer. In a similar act of Shade magic, only a skilled tutor may disconnect ineffective soldiers of Iblees. Through the approval of The Betrayer himself, the experienced Vocomancer is capable of disconnecting those who prove to not aid anyone. Roughly 4-7 emotes will be required in order to execute this spell. A Vocomancer's (expected) endgame: A Vocomancer must adhere to Iblees’ code of conduct. He is the one supplying them with his power in the end and therefore as a cult to an aengudaemon they must serve their master with the intent to achieve his goal for him. Ater Caelum is Iblees’ end goal, meaning Vocomancers are merely pawns for Iblees to fulfill his goals. One who betrays the efforts of Iblees will be an marked an enemy, be it a Vocomancer user, a cleric, or an everyday commoner, they will perish under the name of Iblees. In addition, a Vocomancer must seek to provide Iblees with another power so that they can achieve their forms they once had when the Defiler was truly formidabble (this does not mean that Iblees is required to reach antag-power levels again) Note: This is a deity magic, of Iblees, properties of Undead magic (first generation necromancy) exist within proper reason. Drawbacks - Vocomancers will lose their previously acquired magics after progressing two tiers into their magic. - Much like other dark arts, Vocomancers are prone to being eviscerated by the likes of Holy magic. However, due to Vocomancy being powered by Iblees himself - the personification of taint - they will suffer and experience much greater pain, especially more than a Shade normally would, when coming into contact with Holy magic. Vocomancers may even become paralyzed after a few seconds of exposure to Holy fire. - Vocomancy is bound to render the user more fragile than most magics that currently exist, since they are sustaining power given to them by a dreadful deity whose magic is nothing but taint. This may fuel the lusts for Vocomancers wanting to obtain their (previous) skeletal form, in order to no longer bear with the issues of maintaining their weakly mortal flesh. Red Lines - As it is known, taint does not affect tainted beings. This means that Nether spawns and spells alike will not harm tainted entities such as Wraiths, Dread Knights, Shades, etc... However, Nether spawns can be commanded directly by their summoners to harm specific individuals. - Exceeding the limit and/or size of nether spawns is powergaming, even if it were to occur in-character, the user will most likely be under a mass of stress. - Vocomancers are tainted (extremely tained, even), they must react properly when coming into contact with holy magic. The player of a Vocomancer mustn't treat Holy Fire lightly, since it will eat away at their tainted being as if it were nothing. - The one rule that applies to all magic also applies to this magic, if someone were to significantly interrupt a Vocomancer during the preparation of their spell, then the manifestation of their spell will come to an abrupt end. Ater Caelum - Iblees’ Endgoal "This is the name for Iblees’ end game goal. “Ultimate Goal: Iblees wants to overthrow the Aenguls and Daemons. He wants to corrupt, rule over, and bend them to his will. The mortals are just in the way. Iblees wants to become the Arch-Soul, the Prime God over the Archdaemons and Archaenguls. Essentially he wants to become the Creator and all powerful by making all the Archaenguls and Archdaemons underneath him. Iblees believes it's what the gods do; they want to be stronger than the rest around them so they can be safe above others. Divine survivability. And as Archdaemon of Ruin, this appeals to his desire for ruination. To dissolve the established order (or lack therein) of aengudaemons with their own will and their own purpose. Iblees would degrade this and bring them all under himself. But, note, Iblees is the ‘villain’ of our tale and is likely to never succeed in this goal, albeit it is possible should we wish for some form of lore-wipe where numerous things disappear or change. This being his take on the truth, Iblees wants to become the Creator / Arch-Soul / Prime God to ensure his own success but the implications of that are far from what most other aengudaemons believe, thus their frequent opposing standing. Should this come to be and all the Aenguls and Daemons are under Iblees, there would be no cataclysm or apocalypse for all existence. He doesn’t want the death of everyone and thing, he wants power to have his way, and his way once in that position would be rather peaceful. There’d be no inter-deity squabbles, no fighting divine factions. He’d probably leave the mortal beings alone entirely, likely moving away to make his own mortals with his own interpretation. Iblees intends on achieving the throne by persuading fellow deities, beginning with relatively smaller ones he can manage to turn alone, via corruption." Iblees would sit down with them one-on-one and have a lengthy discussion. "This discussion would be over the matters of how their kind always have a struggle amongst one another that leads to chaos and damage; Iblees means to make one final fight to end them all to instill everlasting order (truly primal chaos, Iblees would just be a bullying superpower) among the gods (if he is to keep them to begin with. Iblees may want to wipe the slate clean than have to deal with those who once opposed him) by any means necessary..." "Corruption is used in the sense that they are turning to Iblees’ side and we are the ones (mortals too) who paint Iblees as evil and vile. As for those who utterly oppose Iblees and say that they will never join his cause, they will meet enslavement or eternal banishment.” (Source: Old Vocomancy lore)

The Draught of Incite “All you need is but a little… spark, to light your soul back up.” [ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/144322-the-darkhollow-the-yoresigil/ ] Note: This lore has been updated via: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/160255-update-the-draught-of-incite/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/169122-draught-amendment-proposal/ It will be merged into one piece soon. For now, make sure you read the update followed by the amendment as it alters how the draught functions. To Know True life is a dream which most undead covet, whether they hail from the Gods or the godless. They, who shamble across the earth as husks, are they true subjects of suffering; Men cannot compare in what they may come to know, for it is the undead who fall into death, only to go beyond it. What waits on the other side of demise is either what path the Soul Stream sets the spirits of Men upon, or a second, more rude awakening; and to be awakened from a sleep which should not be disturbed malforms the soul, denying those who suffer such a fate afterlife. But to live again… that means something. It’s all that some undead have; all that gives them hope. And rightfully so. To regain warmth and flesh and the mythical “Flame of Life” again is a drive for many undead, so desperate to undo their affliction. No magic known has conceived the ability to give unto the undead life again; neither arts from the Gods or the godless, whom both share due cause of many unliving specimens. There are many who suffered the path of reclaiming the Flame of Life, from the first of the Necromancers, the Old Lords, to the one said to be responsible for what is known as “Further Alchemy” and the horrors which it spawns this day. These wretched Men, in all of their darkness, saw the merit in giving undead life again. Whether they were undead themselves or only scratched the surface of what they endured, they all knew it needed some kind of… reprieve. They always relied on one side. It was either the light or the dark that would solve it, yet they did not realize both sides were but pieces to the puzzle. There lies that shattered miracles within the souls of undead Men, the Darkhollow, which is understood by little, and its former form known of by practically known. The Yoresigil, which was once cited by the Ashkeeper Abdiel as the “source of warm life”, is what drives mortals to exist as they do. Without it, their Lifeforce would be astray, and they would be imperfect and astray from the image of their lost, unspoken Creator. In its reanimated form, which breathes ash and exudes only remnant embers instead of the warmth of fire, the Darkhollow exists to erode and punish undead. Where the Yoresigil acted to moderate, the Darkhollow drains and breaks the unliving down until they are mindless husks, craving for the reprieve of Lifeforce, or whatever their madness leads them to desire. It is through the undead known as Liches and Darkstalkers that the Darkhollow is truly embodied, for they naturally gain the power of lifedrain, and tear from the living and all that flourishes their Lifeforces so their soul does not crack and drive them into a madness. Undead, without sustenance, soon become the serpent which gnaws its own tail. To become whole again, Men must peer beyond the machinations of the Gods and the godless, and take from both sides the very core of what drives them. They must look to the art which communes with the very plane they stand upon, Alchemy; they must rip from what lives which drives them to breathe and die, Mortality; and they must pull from the Gods which allows them to last through aeons, Immortality. “The undead are of Men as you are, young moth. They live, and fight, and die… … and it is their persistence of life which frightens our kind. But the nature of their existence is beyond what we can see. The spirit hidden within the shell of an undead is marked by a force which has long since lost its flame… so we must kindle it again, so they may come to know warmth a second time.” - Old Lord Dhurzumkal To Gather “We must rip away the nature of both sides, you see. It allows us to shape the mimicry…” The regents of the Draught of Incite demand that both the essences of Mortality and Immortality be bound to one concoction, one binding which reforms the flesh of undead, yet does not make it defiant to time and the corporeal nature which communes with a mortal coil. To obtain the essence of Mortality, one must merely look to Lifeforce itself in all of its untouchable abundance. What is desired is such a concentrated amount that it takes material shape; something that can usually be found as what houses the souls of Liches and Darkstalkers. If one is not willing to sacrifice that which keeps a fellow undead operable for the sake of regaining their flesh, they must seek a master Necromancer and ask from them a coveted Lifeforce Gem - mortal essences confined to the shape of a dark crystal. The second reagent is much more daunting. To find a physical embodiment of a God, an Immortal, is folly; they are incorporeal by their very nature, and dwell realms which do not bend to the laws of the World of Men. Yet, upon the very same plane, they have embedded seeds of their being which has adhered to these laws without losing the everlasting of those who planted them. Those who are beyond mere connections to the Aengudaemons, such as deific entities that carry ichor or “gold blood” in their veins, must be found and robbed of their essence if not given it without resistance (a rarity, given the circumstances). There are other alternatives which demand more strain and struggle in order to obtain the embodiment of Immortality. It is said Dragonkin blood carries within it the vestiges of their great Father, Dragur, and thus contain the secret to great power and a lasting self. Such a resource works just as well as the gore of Godly slaves. The binding agent which forces both the light and dark of these two mediums is what runs through Men themselves - flesh. It is the flesh and blood and matter of mortals which carries the warmth of the Yoresigil and the Lifeforces which filter through it according to natural law. Without direction and cast astray, both light and dark, especially together, may be purposeless and cold. But with the remnant fire of the flesh to guide it together, it mixes into a substance which defies the Curse of the Undead, and brings unto them a second chance at life. But alas… It is a mimicry. To Create In order to fashion the Draught of Incite, one must first be skilled in Alchemy, and have atleast an introductory involvement in the field known as Further Alchemy. Both the concentrated modicum of Lifeforce and the essence of Immortality must have been obtained within the same year as the creation of the Draught, lest the process fails. The crystal must be shattered, and then ground into a black dust before being poured into a mortar, and then the gold blood must follow. If a third foreign component is added during this, the already unstable mixture begins to become erratic, and may combust before the Alchemist. This could result in violent death. Should one be patient and careful, mingling these two aspects of existence will produce a bizarre, almost ethereal substance of glowing gray shade. It is calm and lingers like ectoplasm, however, this shall not last long, for the worldly forces which define both Mortality and Immortality will soon take notice to this affronting binding and cause the concoction to once again explode. This is why fresh flesh or blood of a mortal must be added -- it acts as the binding agent and establishes a “familiarity” between these embodiments of the cosm. The decoction soon adopts the crimson hues of the lifeblood of Men, and retains the unearthly glow which it formed a time before. The Draught of Incite is created through these methods. To Become It is only the undead, either Godly or godless, who may imbibe this potion and feel its effect. The living react to it like a poison and an acid in the veins; it invades their enfleshed systems and confuses them, causing organs to fail, blood to turn to ash, and skin to crumble. Death is imminent once one among Men drinks the Draught. But the opposite shall transpire for undead worthy enough to get their hands upon the Draught. The skinless Darkstalkers and Liches, who had lost the warmth of their coil after it decayed away amid the passing ages, would find the visage of their past life embedded still in their soul awaken -- and painfully regrow upon them. Sinew, muscle, vein and skin and organs would all take shape as the Draught communes with their spirit and gifts to them the Flame of Life, kindling the Darkhollow upon their soul and returning it the fire which once made it bright. This is one example upon many -- many undead may drink this, may wash themselves in the Draught, and rise again as true Men. But they must know to find caution in defeat; for when their new flesh is torn asunder, they shall awaken as the undead once more, and would have forged the Draught for nothing. To Be Though many undead are able to use this potion to become clasped in skin and warmth once more, if not for a temporary time, there are certain restrictions and guidelines which each undead must follow, lest they are unraveled and made dead again. Darkstalkers The Darkstalkers of Xion are affected by the Draught similarly to Liches, in which they reform into living beings at the cost of retaining the nature of their undead design. Darkstalkers are known as the “perfect” soldier, for within their bodies carry the strength of honed humans and, without flesh, they can carry on through battle without so much as a flinch in the face of normal steel falling upon them. As “Incited Darkstalkers”, they find themselves with flesh again and inclined to reach the peak of mortal strength, yet are still unable to cast magic. Their Curse of Undeath looms over them like a persistent shadow and refuses to fade, for Incited Darkstalkers must continue to drain to keep sane and functioning, lest their flesh falls away and they die, only to awaken as they were in the beginning. Liches Like Darkstalkers, Liches are capable of reforming into “mortal” beings by imbibing the Draught. They regain their flesh and blood, yet like all Men brought into this world, they once more gain the weaknesses of the arcane and suffer what pains mana exhaustion brings. They are cursed to remain thin and almost frail, much like they were as undead, and even by abandoning magical arts are afflicted with an inability to gain proper muscle mass. Liches are cursed with the hunger to feed on Lifeforce like Darkstalkers, but decay brought by ignorance of this is slower, albeit more painful. Dreadknights Incited Dreadknights can breathe once again, if not for a few details which they peculiarly share with their Paleknight kin. As the Draught communes with their souls, Dreadknights reform on the inside of their armor - and because the runes which bind their spirit to it cannot be broken by the Draught, they are cursed with the inability to remove a majority of their armor and must be forced to choose what they must lug around on themselves, lest their runes break and they are unraveled. Like Darkstalkers, Dreadknights cannot use magic as the Incited, and must use their martial prowess in order to protect their coveted and reclaimed Flame of Life. Paleknights The spectral nature of Paleknights does not clash with the nature of the Draught of Incite, but rather embraces it much like other corporeal undead do. The ectoplasm within the stone-plated frame of Paleknights is given the warmth of life, and like Dreadknights they reform inside their armor. As their being is designed around inhabiting their unusual stone cages, Paleknights are rebirthed as naturally strong mortal beings in order to handle the weight forced upon them. Some pieces of armor may be removed from their body, but substantial amounts must remain - such as an entire plated sleeve and gauntlet or the sabatons and greaves. Gravens Gravens are like Morghuul in a way where the Draught is able to commune with their Soul Shadow, but are lesser on account of containing a false spirit. Their ectoplasm reforms into flesh and blood and veins and bones and their bodies are remade as they were in life, yet with no soul, Gravens are unable to reproduce, and with the purpose of their existence tied to their “duties”, they are still driven to commit to them but with the pains of mortality to get in the way. Morghuuul Morghuul are granted life by the Draught, if only to become an even more convincing shell of what they once were. With their Soul Shadow bringing to them convoluted mental agonies and scattered thoughts, Incited Morghuul are able to embrace the life they lost, if not as lesser Men. They also cannot reproduce alongside having to endure the afflictions of the mind, shaping them into outcasts of mortal society. Like Liches and Darkstalkers, they are still cursed with a slow inner-decay, and thus must cannibalize upon the living in order to keep themselves healthy and sustained. Wraiths As adherents of Mordring, the Draught convenes upon the undying Dragaar’s powers and meddling with the inherent nature of the new-age Wraiths. Instead of reassembling into living creatures once again, they instead are “contained” within enfleshed bodies much like how Wights may possess the living, and thus act as they are if they were husks. Their black scar remains upon them, but they can come to truly feel alive once more without the degradation of magic intervening upon what martial skill they bear. Mordring is able to detect this infringement of form, however, and may seek these Incited Wraiths out so he may destroy the coil they have regained. Concluding Details There are guidelines which each Incited Undead must follow in accordance of what they are in undeath. These details are listed here, and behave in a general fashion, applying to all undead who turn Incited. - Most weaknesses which the listed undead share, such as an aversion to gold and holy magic, no longer work upon them once they are Incited, as the flesh they wear is living and rejuvenated. The only exception is Ascended magic, which is able to detect blights upon the soul of the victim and thus damage them regardless of form. - By reclaiming the flesh, Incited Undead also reclaim its weaknesses. Though some are inclined to reach the peak of performance, only because no other alternatives are viable, pain and suffering are reintroduced to them and thus they may die as all other mortals can. - Once an Incited Undead is killed as any other mortal Man can be, they awaken as their old selves once again. They are forced to either carry on as they are, or struggle to find another Draught. - All resistances brought on by forms of undeath are nullified by becoming Incited. As most of these resistances are from lacking flesh in the first place, gaining it once more reintroduces them. - A Draught of Incite can only be created by an approved Further Alchemist. - A Draught of Incite is not a regenerative concoction, so if it’s used to try to heal wounds, it will act as though it is acid to living flesh, and only worsen the condition of the victim. - An undead cannot have a stock of Draughts of Incite, they may only have one at a time for when they wish to turn, and can only obtain or have one made for them until they are undead once more. - Each ingredient has a limit on how long it's "fresh". Whereas the Lifeforce Gem has no limit, the blood or ichor of an Aengulic being only lasts a week after collection, and the mortal flesh or blood needed to complete the Draught must only be one day old. If there is error in these time limits, the creation of the potion may result in some kind of violent combustion.

The Undead Redshrouds (Legion of the Ashkeeper) An order conjured from the will of a lone necromancer of old, the undead legion of the Redshrouds is a militant company of undying souls whose decayed, fragmented existence are collectively dedicated to the reign of the one whom bears the mantle of Ashkeeper. Though it bears an unsettling name as per the mention of undeath, the purpose of the unit is to train and unify wayward undead to combat greater threats to the realm and carry out the clandestine objectives of the yet-known, whispered-of order of “the Lorddom”. The dogma of the Redshrouds heavily involves conceptualization of ashes; therefore, the duties portrayed by the sodality of the Ashkeeper are devised to actively include aspects involving the remnants of the once-was, death, or the past, of which these generalities are easier defined by the duties of preserving ruins or artifacts of yore, bringing death to that which overtly threatens the living, and venerating the past and its fallen for the wisdom it imparts to those of the present. The Redshrouds bear a defining aesthetic that allows for committed undead to keep to their own armaments and stylizations while representing the order itself. As their title implies, Redshrouds adorn cloaks of sanguine shades in order to imply their alignment with the sodality and all it stands for, and as per their devotion to hunting beings they define as “agents of chaos” (paying homage to Xionist terminology) such as mindless undead, otherworldly invaders or entities like Voidal Horrors, abominations of life or demon, and even tyrants. Though their grim visage may easily betray their intent, the purpose of the Ashkeeper’s undead legion is clear: to better the realms of mankind. Alongside the title of Redshrouds, they are also known as Undead Hunters, Demonhunters, and very sparsely Ashen Knights, even though they’ve no direct relation to that knightship of yore besides that of purpose. The undead Redshrouds are trained vigorously to make the most of their sullen forms and confront their enemies with reckless abandon; emulating the strength and method of what the Ashkeeper references as the Old Lords, whom existed as the first godless undead that stood stalwart against the meddlings of beings beyond the mortal world. It is through the use of crimson cloaks and a brand of specially-forged swords that the Old Lords are indeed venerated and respected; and thus most, if not all among the Redshrouds are expected to make use of these weapons and most definitely the sanguine shrouds that define their alignment. Those that are eligible to become Redshrouds are only militant undead; therefore, beings known as Ghouls, Gravens and Darkstalkers may take what is known as the eldritch Lamented Oath and become one with the brotherhood beyond death. The oath is as followed: “... Verily, I submit myself to the dead; Should I exist as flame, my fire shall insulate the ashes; Should I exist as embers, my kindling shall covet the ashes; Should I exist as ashen flame, my duality shall align true to the ashes; Should I exist as shadow, my warm darkness shall preserve the ashes; And should I betray the ashes, I too shall become them.” Those whom are living and willing to give up their flame of life to become a Ghoul, Graven or Darkstalker (the three of which are referenced as “embers”, “shadows” or “ashen flames” respectively as the vow states) must first die before the Ashkeeper in order to prove themselves before being raised as these beings, wherein they may then take the dark oath. The Lamented Vow is an ancient rite of binding said to be extracted from the same Lorddom that the Ashkeeper intends to herald with the use of their sodality. It is therefore implied that the presence of the Redshrouds merely foretells the coming of this very same Lorddom, which under the context of the Redshroud brotherhood mission can be assumed to be similar, world-protecting goals. This is not truly defined, however; such an order has yet to arise. The Redshrouds are bound to an olden definition of inner-order law which, like the Lamented Vow, is said to be extracted from the scriptures of the unknown Lorddom. These laws are damaged, but as the majority of them still survive with their meanings preserved, they can be discerned: i. Thou shall not harm thy fellow a-hen-a-here-t, w-t-er -ive -r -ndead. ii. Thou shall not steal from thy fellow ash-n-adher-nt. iii. Thou shall not spite thy fellow as-en--dherent in excess or with intent to insult dearly. iv. Thou shall not seek to kill or destroy thy fellow -shen-adheren-. v. Thou shall coexist with thy adherent brothers and sisters in peace, if not in respect for one-another. vi. Thou shall not embed the seeds of gods in the Lo-d--m, nor seek to spread their venom through its ranks. vii. (Ineligible). viii. (Ineligible). ix. (Ineligible). x. (Ineligible). Through scriptures written by the Ashkeeper Abdiel himself, the founder of this red legion of the fallen, the purpose of the Redshrouds can be clearly defined: i. Thou shall hunt the true-wicked; the world-invaders; the unnaturalities of life, demons; the stirrers of chaos; the breakers of Man and adherents of dark gods; the dark magi whom seek to stir ill-will; the undead whom terrorize with reckless abandon; and those deemed the enemy of the Red Sodality. ii. Thou shall know the Ashkeeper as thy good keeper, for he leads thee, gives thee purpose, and lessens thy painful cravings with bounties of Lifeforce and restorations of thy forlorn form. iii. Thou shall pay homage to the Old Lords, and reflect them by thy red cloth and granted blades. iv. Thou shall delve into ruins, and behold what they hide; thou shall expunge the undoers of ruins and preserve the history which their visage implies; thou shall protect histories and annals extracted from these ruins, and thus pay respects to the ashes of the past; thou shall honor the once-was, and learn from the mistakes of antiquity. v. Thou shall hold back the Old Dark. ~:;:~ The Purpose The primary goal behind the Redshrouds is to establish a basic order of alignment-gray undead soldiers whom follow the command of a simplistic hierarchy. The design of the sodality compounds a lot on the concept of gray moral alignment in a way where the guild could be designated as an “anti-hero” faction; the majority of it is comprised of undead beings, but they are bound to an oath which motivates them to act as vanguards of mortality as a whole. They are similar to the Marked Men in this regard, where they seek to pursue unnatural creatures, involve themselves in expeditions expected to promise some kind of powerful or dangerous boon, and to defend the world from over-arching threats. This demands that the Redshrouds defy their original nature the best they may; to act as antagonists. It is expected that there will be trouble in this effort - the undead as a whole have been known to terrorize the lands which the descendents have roamed, which will make convincing everyone IC that they are indeed not an antagonist quite the struggle if they are perceived as such initially. In the end, it’s up to the players to decide how they want to interact with the Ashkeeper’s legion; the rest will follow. Membership Directory There exists a simplistic, three-rank hierarchy in the Undead Sodality; the Ashkeeper, whom acts as the primary leader, the Redshrouds, whom are the bulk of the legion itself, and the Marked, whom are undetermined applicants. The Ashkeeper is a title intended to be kept by a necromancer - one able to raise undead such as Ghouls and Darkstalkers, both of which make up 2/3rds of the order’s population by default. The Ashkeeper’s mantle bears a much deeper meaning than to merely lead their legion, and as cited in the guild’s details, they hold the role of heralding what is known as the Lorddom -- meaning the Redshrouds act as a prelude force of what is to come. The Redshrouds are undead soldiers trained to fight worldly threats known as “agents of chaos”, explore and protect old ruins and sites of yore, and to preserve eldritch, dark knowledge. The Ashkeeper assumes the role of leading them, satiating their cravings of Lifeforce (which Gravens thankfully do not have) and mending their sullen forms so they may act as legitimate threats to those they may oppose, as well as to mantain other common functions necessary for interaction with others. The Marked are applicants whose living characters are “watched” and, if deemed worthyby the Ashkeeper, are either confronted or kidnapped so they may become one with the brotherhood of the damned. This allows for a fluid, organic means of recruitment, where roleplay is involved to discern whether a character is suitable to serve the sodality. As only the living can be designated as Marked, undead of the three preferred races (Ghouls, Gravens, Darkstalkers) have a more streamlined induction; this is because the partial purpose of the legion is to contain undead and force them to adopt an orderly existence so the world may not be terrorized by them. Those who are living experience a slower process because they willingly submit themselves to the Ashkeeper’s reign, and therefore undergo the process of being Marked after the player applies so their abilities may be judged. The member roster is as thus: The Ashkeeper: Abdiel Ipos [Swgrclan] The Redshrouds: Varron (Darkstalker) [Bokratz] Drauch (Darkstalker) [BakkaOppai] Lisbeth (Ghoul) [Uboshk] The Marked: Lepidus [TavernLich] Van Ashok Arsden [Avellach] Ashton [Noqda] Wulf Targric [White_Wolf] Vylindrel [Jentos] Ehierir [Corvoo] Arald Carrick [NJBB] Vanlor Severulya [_Riven] Hauxir [JakeFSF] Aech Woodlan [SpaceCoreMC] Application Process What is thy name? What is thy soulname (MC name)? What is thy race? What is thy age? Art thou Undead? If so, what form doth thou take? If not, art thou willing to die to become one with the Redshrouds? What is thy mastered profession of craftsmanship? What is thy mastered martial profession? Art thou godless? [ The documented form of the thread, including referential images at the bottom: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mM5hmReC6qXy6F8CDk6axS_aXB5fBdQh36k_eMk4crY/edit?usp=sharing ]

The Order of the Hunter's Cross The Hunter's Cross ((Once I have an artist, this will be done. See my skin for a general idea.)) What is the Hunter's Cross? The Order of the Hunter's Cross is akin to the UMHG in a few ways, particularly that they are both hunters of monsters. However, whilst the UMHG focuses on the kind of monster that is normally living (or perhaps neither dead nor alive, nor even undead), the Hunter's Cross focuses on the undead of various kinds, including the generic zombies and skeletons, and then the greater threat of the spirits that have recently come to be once more. These individuals will come from many backgrounds. They might be former knights, or perhaps magi. Maybe even a couple peasants or thieves, or even an old orcish bandit. But whatever the case, they have been bound together by a common cause; The threat of the growing ranks of undead. The Order hails from a long time ago, dating back a thousand years. The Order hunted throughout all of Aegis, but soon died out. No one knows exactly when, or how, or why. They just did. The earliest known mention of the Order dates back to a time just after the first Graven had appeared, about 1100 years past. It's in an old, old, book, an heirloom of the Lawrence family. The complete studies of an ancestor long gone, James Lawrence. Not much is known or said about the early order, only that it was often that it's members died for the cause, and that you weren't paid for it; The booty you got was from the corpses of your prey, and the satisfaction of having slain it. Undead and their Strengths and Weaknesses As a general guideline, most undead are severely weakened by the metal gold, rather than silver as in common belief. They have a severe weakness to bright lights, and sunlight seems to destroy them, be it the dead of flesh or those of spirit. The Order will require golden weapons or armour in the Hunting of a spirit, as most of these may not be harmed by iron, and when they are, it is infinitely simpler to bring gold armour and charge at a spirit, or otherwise a golden blade and to make a single slice. Graven: Perhaps the weaker of the two Greater spirits, anything other than flesh that is honed to a fine point, or else a sharp edge, may kill it, should you chance upon the opportunity to strike at where it's heart might once have been. Failing that, a decapitation will serve as well. Holy water and objects consecrated by priest or cleric ((And I ask if you decide to use either, you ACTUALLY obtain it via RP, have an MC object, and show proof (screenies) and object to spirit in question. I have played one myself. It is horrendously annoying and quite impolite when people suddenly start pulling insta-kill objects from their arses)) will also be able to destroy a Graven. They do, however, have the ability to induce insanity through their stares, which may be almost impossible to escape without outside help, as well as the ability to disappear at will. Apparitions: The strongest and most primal of the Greater spirits, an Apparition is nearly impossible to defeat. Very little else is known about these spirits, but it is assumed that gold and a cleric's light will affect it as any other. They too have the power to disappear, but they may also snuff out all lights in an area. If you see one of these, avoid it and come back later with a large hunting party. Ghost: A Lesser spirit, they can be demanifested by a brilliant light, or else gold. They can affect the environment to an extent, however, this is often limited to opening doors, moving about objects, and should it be particularly malevolent, toss furniture around or scratch people. Further classifications will be made in time and with further research. Flag of the OHC ((To come as soon as I have an artist able to do it.)) OHC Ranking System (In brackets are the informal names) The Council Some Slayers as well as all Mediums take place in the Council, organizing Hunts, discussing strategies, making major choices... So on and so forth. Mediums The people who are generally the public face of the Order. Public announcements, recruiting, so on, it comes down to him. Also is relatively knowledgeable about the undead, albeit Slayers will, from time to time, know more about them than the Medium. Whilst sometimes voted in, a few are also born into the position. A Medium cannot be expelled or lose their position, except for in the case that they are compromised in some way, in which case testimony, and proof must be presented. A Medium MUST wear the traditional robes of the Order, unlike most others of the order. Slayers (The Gold Blades) Some of the most skilled Hunters, the Slayers have made quite a few accomplishments. These men and women are quite capable, and it is by no luck that they have survived so long. Often leading a small group of hunters, be they Hunters or simply others they know who have joined in that hunt, they are the shaft of the spear, directing the fight to their targets. So named for the numbers of the dead that have fallen to their blades, and nicknamed for the fact that gold will kill undead without fail. They wear the one of three current uniforms. Honoured Hunters (The Iron Blades) These particular Hunters have been honoured and recognized for their quick thoughts and/or actions, and have slain multiple Greater undead. They have proven that they are ready to die for their cause and for fellow Hunters, and are ready to take the next step. Informally named for the fact that a blade of iron will suffice in a fight with non-spiritual undead. Hunters (The Stakes) The common members of the Order, these Hunters have proven themselves ready by actively participating in Hunts, and slaying their first Greater undead. So named for the fact that wood can kill undead as sure as any blade, given that they strike the right place. The Untested ((Unhooded versions of uniforms are ready, when you join, a PM will be sent containing details.)) You'll be known simply as 'untested' in this phase. This is the phase where you'll be observed, looking at your habits and combat abilities, as well as speed, durability, fighting style, and so on. Once you're ready, you'll be given the go-ahead and set out to actually hunt your prey. The Target List ((Given upon recruition. You would not otherwise have this list)) Current Targets Greater Spirits PRIORITY: The Headless Horseman The Warden: The Hunter: The Bloodied Cavalier: The Lonely Druid: The Retribution: The Bishop: The Highwayman: The Crucified Gravekeeper: The Guardian of Laughter: The Scorch: The Spectral Bard: The Phantom Doctor: The Apparition of Vaerhaven: Lesser Spirits N/A Greater Undead N/A Lesser Undead Hordes N/A *In a bag, there are some application sheets.* The Application ((Note that this is only one way of joining. Otherwise you can seek a Medium out IC)): ((IC Section)) Order of the Hunter's Cross Name: Race: Access to Gold: Readiness to Die: Hometown: Reasons for Joining: Combat Experience: OOC Section MC Name: Skype (Not necessary and unlikely to be used except for the occassional Major Hunts): RP Combat Skill: PvP Skill (With Nexus): Timezone: Members ((Only handed out upon recruition)) -Council- Jack Lawrence -Mediums- Jack Lawrence -Slayers- -Honoured Hunters- -Hunters- -The Untested- Xan'jar Glumpuz'Azog Matthew Dunham Outposts Safehouse 1: Classified Location --------------------------------------- Extra Information to Note: 1. You must provide your own equipment, or otherwise a friend must, or so until there is stable funding. 2. All types of fighters, races, professions, and faiths are accepted. 3. A base of operations will be created should there be need, and should we have the backing, however, until then, locations and times for impromptu meetings will be sent out and about via bird or otherwise. ((A.k.a. Forum PMs)) 4. No formal outposts will be made, however there may be stationing at various areas to patrol as needed, especially in the case of the need of an organized Hunt. 5. Sealing or permanently dispelling a spirit is always the priority, as whilst slaying such will solve the problem for a time, they are apt to return. 6. Upon slaying undead, the bodies are to be burnt. Rules and Tenets 1. You will keep your comrades' and families' lives above all else. 2. You will never abandon a started Hunt, except to save a life. 3. You will not discriminate between faiths or races. 4. You will always burn the body of a fallen comrade, lest he return in undeath. 5. You will always be ready to die in the Hunt. 6. You will never fall from life into undeath. ((Gonna make these obvious.)) ((OOC Regulations)) 1. In the case of using insta-kill objects OTHER than Gold or otherwise, please, PLEASE, actually obtain the object in legitimate RP (a.k.a. No pulling holy water out of your arses unless you have actually RP'd with a priest or Cleric to get such), and have a mod name said item. When using it, you give it to the spirit in question, and if possible, proof. After that, the holy water or otherwise must be discarded. 2. In the case of gold, have the MC object on you. It can be gold armour (emote body slamming, or punching, rather than trying to hit with weapon) or a golden weapon (emote attacks as normal). Having gold nuggets and gold ingots and using those are acceptable if -and ONLY if- the target agrees to allow them to be used to RP, say, a gilded sword or gilded armour. 3. Treat your character's target with respect. Don't go and say stuff to them OOCly that is meant to be harmful, just because they have your character on the point of a sword. I will NOT tolerate that behaviour to the opposing end, and anyone who does will be answering to GM's, or myself. I'm not looking for the best RPers or the best PvPers here. I'm asking for the ones who will be respectful and sympathetic with the other end, whether you're winning or losing. 4. This is meant to be for RP. You want something from a target after you win the combat, you ask it from them, and if they say they don't have it, don't press them. Don't make them /damage 20. Take what you need, and nothing more. It is ridiculously annoying to go searching for items again, especially as a Graven, so I expect that you be sympathetic and let them go, minus some minas or some other object. I sure as **** can't get you in trouble with the server for forcing /damage 20, but I sure can and WILL kick you from the Order if I hear of you doing such. 5. If they refuse to give you that object, just ask to loot some minas. No more than 50. I don't want people being looted blind. 6. In the case of PKing a ghost or spirit, please arrange this with them first, before the Hunt ever starts. Make sure they're okay with being PK'd. If they're not, then don't bother doing it. I don't want to ruin fun for spirits. I want to create RP with them. Not wipe them out. ((I'll finish off prettying this up when I have time. For now, please excuse the horrible looks of this post.))

The Graven Spirits of Duty Unfulfilled Introduction It is a cold, wintry night. The road has not yet frozen over, but the winter snows are due any time now. You are walking along the path, shivering and hurrying towards your destination. A mistake, to have walked this way at night; there might be bandits and such about--but you had to. Suddenly the air turns chill. It had been cold but now it is ice. Your teeth begin to chatter--and over that sound another may be heard: the sound of digging, an iron shovel cutting into the frost-hardened dirt. "Who's there?" you might cry out. Silence. You walk a little faster, attempting to convince yourself that it was nothing. "Just the wind." you tell yourself, on this windless night. The sound of digging does not abate. You break into a run, stopping some distance ahead, sure you have outrun the strangely-terrifying sound. A heavy thud and scrape. A shovel, breaking into the loam and casting it aside in a heap. "Who's there?!" you'd scream again, "What do you want?" If unlucky, one might espy between the trees an awful figure. One of us. A man in a leather cowl, a hunch in his back and a shovel in his green-tinged hands. The eyes beneath the cowl are barely visible, but they burn green, casting no illumination on the darkness of his face. "Need t' bury me quota." it says ominously, raising the shovel and resting it upon its disfigured shoulders. "Q-quota?" "Souls. Tha ward'n collects 'em, brings 'em t' me." it says, hefting the shovel once more, and moving away from digging what is now clearly visible as a grave. "T-the warden?" "O' Lost Souls, yeh. 'Couse, he don't always collect 'em alone." the figure smiles, cracked lips barely visible beneath his cowl. "Sometimes I lend 'im a hand." The gravedigger laughs, moving back to his task. After all, he must bury his quota before he can rest. You run, never looking back. What are the Graven? The Graven are a kind of spirit, a type of ghost if you will. However, they are subtly different. Whereas ghosts generally retain most of the sentience they had in life, and can 'adapt' to their surroundings, Graven are more similar to apparitions--which are bound to one area, the site of the mass death that spawned them, and cannot leave it unless that place is destroyed--in that they are bound to one task or duty for eternity until their quest is complete or they are destroyed for good. Like apparitions, Graven can prove difficult to exorcise fully, but are much more easily damaged with common steel, not requiring gold or silver to slay. Graven tend to manifest semi-corporeal, seeming ghostly but possessing form and figure. Without this corporeality, limited though it is, they would not be able to complete their tasks, and would be tormented for all eternity in a state of agonising limbo. Graven are created by the violent or unlawful death of an individual who is singularly devoted to their work or an ideal. An alchemist who devoted their entire life to finding the cure to a disease, but was murdered by a competitor, might rise again as a Graven, seeking not revenge as a poltergeist might, but instead the completion of their life's task. In this case, it would be the finalisation of a cure, after which the Graven would slowly fade away unless given another task by a figure it recognised in life. Given that most Graven take several hundred years to rise from death initially, this is highly unlikely, although if the alchemist was an elf, a long-lived family member might be able to command him to remain. This remnant would be a bare shell of the alchemist, hardly recognisable as what he was in life. This is the curse of the Graven. Some example of Graven might be a prison warden, forever questing for more criminals to incarcerate that he might practice his foul tortures upon them, but killed by rioting prisoners; a gravedigger, devoted to his work but laid to rest without heirs, or a single-minded general, assassinated the night before a major battle in a war. These Graven would rise with only one task in mind; the duty that consumed them in life. It generally takes a violent or unlawful death to raise a Graven, and most of the people who knew that person would be long dead by the time it happens. Such as it is, Graven are cursed to perform a single task for eternity, be it a warden's duty, a gravedigger's burden, or a general's burning desire for victory over the foulest foes. What can Graven do? The Graven are spirits, meaning their interaction with the world of Anthos is limited to the one duty they treasured in life. A gravedigger is bound to spend eternity digging graves and safeguarding cemetaries. A prison warden must hunt down murderers and worse until the end of days. A general might return as a ghostly leader in the bloodiest battles, or in rare cases lead a small army of Graven to lay siege to strongholds the enemy held in life. The degree to which a Graven returns to fulfil his eternal task depends on his or her zeal in life. Graven are semi-corporeal. They have bodies--commonly wreathed in illusory darkness or spectral flame--that can be harmed like any mortal, and unlike ghosts this harm may be perpetrated by a wielder of steel instead of silver or gold. However, in the case of more violent Graven, this corporeality also means they are able to harm others. In my favourite example, the prison warden hunts down and attacks murderers, intending to drag them back to Fumblemore's excellent Shackle's Silence idea (once it's accepted, wink wink nudge nudge) a giant prison for criminals of the worst kind--in pieces, if necessary. Other Graven may be less violent but can still interact with the world around them; a Gravedigger digs graves to bury the recently departed and fulfil his quota. If someone tried to desecrate a graveyard, the Gravedigger would most likely attack them, but any other person would be able to hold a decent conversation with him, if brave enough. It differs, from Graven to Graven; some are more or less violent or vigorous than others. Graven also sometimes appear to flicker, or fade from sight. This occurs because the spirit energy that ties them to this world cannot bind their soul here for long. Graven very literally work for their living; the task that constitutes their eternal burden refreshes and rejuvenates them. Upon laying a body to rest, the gravedigger would feel energised, but after a period of time spent without digging, they fade away until they can muster enough energy to manifest once more. This process is automatic--Graven cannot choose when they are reborn. It also means that Graven can 'die' or be slain. Disrupting their spectral form--with a sword blade, for example--consumes the fuelling energy that keeps them alive; stabbing a Graven through what remains of its heart will kill it as surely as any mortal man. What do Graven look like? Graven generally appear as undead or spectral beings. They might have blue-green flames instead of flesh, and a blackened skeletal visage; rotted skin and flesh tinged poison-green; or even be translucent, like your common, run of the mill ghost. However, Graven usually appear to have corporeal equipment or apparel, unlike ghosts. This equipment very rarely appears illusory, unlike their spectral forms. Looking a Graven in the eyes too closely reveal the screaming, trapped spirit within. This can commonly drive mortals temporarily insane. What benefit will the server receive, from allowing this lore? In my eyes, the Graven will benefit the server as creators of otherworldly roleplay, as well as a caution to any who think villainy has no consequence. It will bring some defining and landmark encounters with ghostly figures that should make any character stop and think, and create an extra dimension to villain that inspires caution and careful consideration--after all, who knows when a Graven--a fanatical keeper of the peace in life--might step from around the corner and witness a murder, drawing his broadsword and charging with a battle roar. Likewise, a lonely old gravedigger doing his job late at night might be visited by a spectral helper armed with a shovel who helps him complete his task--any grave robbers who approach, looking for easy pickings, are beaten senseless by this ghostly guardian. In short, it will create roleplay. Good roleplay, hopefully--and on that note, I present these screenshots as evidence. I realise it was against the rules to roleplay as this character without an accepted lore post, but I truly wanted to see if the roleplay would appeal to players of the server. It turns out, of the four times I used the character 'Warden', my Graven altchar, I received comments that the roleplay was more than positive no less than four times. I'd say that's roleplay that appeals, wouldn't you? Without further ado. The Harbinger's Trial Fun in Kralta A Merchant's Folly A Haunting In Salvus What benefit will players receive, if this lore is accepted? I'll begin with material rewards, to keep everyone happy. Firstly, if this lore is accepted, all Graven characters will be required to drop a material reward of some kind on the event of their 'death'--represented as an inability to continue manifesting due to excessive consumption of spirit energy in game--for example, Warden drops his lantern with a 'soul' in it. This will be represented as a potion bottle; if Warden is slain whilst using a murderer's soul, for example, it might be a potion of strength. A torturer's soul might be a splash potion of poison or blindness; an innocent soul might be splash healing, or haste. A gravedigger might drop his ornate iron shovel, a general may leave behind an armoured chestplate. It all depends on the Graven in question, but you can depend on some kind of worthwhile reward for slaying a Graven. However, the second benefit is the roleplay Graven create. It is, by all the first-hand accounts I've collected above, 'spooky', 'amazing' and 'badass'. This would seem to make it worthwhile, and the character Damen from the "Fun in Kralta" account has ideas of formulating a ghost-busting service in Kralta, due to my Graven spooking him, and the increasing appearance of monsters and other horrors in our fair realm, such as the drake and river monsters that recently attacked the quaint town. It has the potential to change the way characters look at the world, or to give them a permanent fear of what might lurk in the dark. Criminals should begin to find new consequences for their crimes, as Graven take vengeance for those who cannot take it themselves. This seems powergamey? I've strived all through my roleplaying life not to godgame, as I first knew it on a roleplay forum. I pride myself on not powergaming; of course, that is my own opinion. However, to bring comfort to other users that Graven will not be powergame, they are subject to a number of restrictions: They can die, and you don't need gold or silver. They can't manifest forever, and need to sustain themselves by furthering their burden of duty. They possess the physical traits of the original corpse. A human Graven has the strength, agility and attributes of a human, whereas an orcish Graven has orcish strength and bloodlust. They aren't fully incorporeal. No phasing through walls, no flying or floating, no walking through people. They tend to flicker or appear as an outline when weak or first manifesting, but these effects are purely aesthetic. They may only act in the interest of furthering their burden of duty. Anything else causes a Graven great pain, and eventually to fade and have to remanifest. They are subject to the same respawn-after-death time as other players (30 minutes.) They are as easy or as hard to slay as any other character. A Graven with no neck (i.e. if it has spectral green fire for flesh) can still be decapitated. Graven have no specific special abilities in combat, unless the Graven in question has a MA or some other form of extraordinary attack. Hopefully this is enough to convince people that Graven are not powergame. If not, you can always talk to me about it, and see if I can calm your fears. If you're still not convinced after that, well, I suppose it depends on whether this gets accepted by the lore team or not. Here's hoping! How is this different from the undead of Aegis/we aren't having multitudes of undead again I understand that this idea might cause consternation among the staff and event team. I think I read somewhere that they weren't doing Aegis-style undead again. Well, as far as I can tell Graven aren't similar, nor will they ever be prevalent. Similar to ents, golems and other magical creatures, Graven will have a limited player base. As I said, I shall craft an application form or some such, if that isn't too presumptuous of me. Thank you for taking the time to read this lore post. It is my first, if that's relevant. If there's any way I can further improve it or its chances of being accepted, post here or PM me and I'll see what I can do. Thanks, all! Graven Application Form Spirits of Duty Unfulfilled Post applications in this forum. Please note that I probably won't be accepted more than 4 or 5 Graven (if I even get that many) so be quick. - _Grim1_