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Found 6 results

  1. Hi! Strange request, I know. BUT I am looking for a necromancer/dark arts caster to organize a plot/roleplay to curse my character so I can continue to write/roleplay him the way I originally intended. After talking to one of the story and lore team, I now know that the initial written plan won't work. So the next best thing, I need a necromancer to curse me. I'm happy to go over character details and plot here in PMs, whatever you need. Thanks! Edit: Thanks for the offers of help and friendly chatter! My original vision isn't entirely feasible within the lore of LOTC, which is totally fine. So I'm gonna talk to some peeps and see what we can do and see where it goes.
  2. Necromancy - Amendments/Additions Purpose: Amendments Pestilence - Amendment Current Pestilence abilities may be administered in combat and out of combat, where using plagued bone weapons, boneforged tools, Ghoulflesh, or plagued refreshments where applicable. Beyond Ghoulflesh, all implements are single-use. Modified Pestilence abilities may be administered in combat and out of combat, where using plagued bone weapons, boneforged tools, Ghoulflesh, or plagued refreshments where applicable. Beyond Ghoulflesh all implements are single-use. Boneforged tools and weapons are only usable once per encounter, or once a narrative hour. Branding - Amendment/Addition Just as Branding may be utilized on fallen corpses, it may likewise be applied to those who still walk the earth- at least for the time being. By utilizing another necromancer or any within the weaver’s path, they may embellish a ‘brand’ unto the person by means of touch. Once their lifeforce has been conjured and weaved, they are ready to enact the spell. Taking three whole emotes, where the first two are spent conjuring one's essence, the spell requires full contact to inflict. Upon the third emote they must touch a living person anywhere, as long as it is in contact with either skin or light cloth. This funnels the lifeforce into the living person, acting as an invisible battery that would reanimate the afflicted should they perish. The contact must also be done on skin, as thick armors and hides would protect those from the enthralling spell of the necromancer. A slight numbing sensation would sprawl over where they were touched, though no visible brand would be seen, only felt. There are no effects caused by this brand outright once it is enacted, lasting through only the combat encounter and no longer. The purpose of the brand comes once the brand falls or succumbs to death, as after this brand has been applied- should the branded individual perish, it would take one emote after the death for the corpse to shamble to a rise. Thereafter, the corpse simply acts as a normal Branding reanimation, lasting for 8 emotes until it succumbs to the earth once more. Branding on a living individual requires two emotes of charging with lifeforce, then a third emote where direct touch on skin is required to set the brand. Hides and plate armor will protect against the touch brand, but light cloth will not. The brand has no effects outside of a slight sensation upon anointing, remaining unnoticeable thereafter. The brand only comes into effect is the individual dies, reanimating them in the next emote as a combat reanimation. A necromancer may only use branding when not in use of their oculus, as this follows all redlines of the normal branding spell. The brand will lose its effect after a narrative hour, or after combat has been concluded. Branding is unusable on any undead or likewise spectral/holy or soulless creatures. Should the branded individual be drained of their lifeforce by darkening, the brand would expire. Branded individuals must be culled by other means to raise them from the dead. Branding - Cantrip Often utilized by necromancers in the midst of projects or in preparation of rituals, these masters of life and death may raise the fallen cadavers within their lair to mill about, completing tasks and even cleaning the debris of lost projects if they so wish. A rotted half skeleton may bring their master the herbs and salts they require, while others may simply pile the skulls of the deceased into a ‘tidy’ pile. No matter the task or the empty husk commanded, these corpses range from swarms of small insects to humanoid descendants, their role in the afterlife but one of labour and service to their master until they are once more quelled to eternal slumber. Tasks uttered by the weaver must be simple and clear, unable to give commands such as ‘build a house’, or ‘forge a sword.’ Instead, much more simple commands are optimal for the reanimated, such as ‘sweep this room,’ or ‘bring me two saffvil from my quarters.’ etc etc. By using branding, a necromancer is capable of raising embalmed corpses and skeletons to work as their assistants and janitors outside of combat. There are tools for different tasks, as a few undead rats will be quite useful in retrieving bone matter and viscera from a gutter- but a full sized human will not. As these animations are purely non-combat, anything relating to combat including traps, pit falls, etc are unable to be constructed by these undead. In addition, if combat is to ever start in the vicinity of a risen cadaver, it will immediately fall inert as the Necromancer’s attention is then focused on their oculus, or on a branded combat animation. Cantrip branding may be used in tandem with oculus bound undead, up until combat starts in their vicinity. Anything larger than a descendant is unable to be risen by the cantrip, requiring the handling force of an oculus to restrain the creature. As for miniscule creatures, ‘swarms’ of risen insects may be no larger than a human’s head, whereas rodents and other small fauna may range in their numbers, but are limited to the mass of a human. Notable as well is that swarms of creatures operate in a hivemind, unable to work as individuals in any regard. This spell has no range, as the creatures will simply continue to toil in the absence of their master. This means they may be used as messengers or as aesthetic creatures which simply mill about one’s lair. Should any person touch or jostle the undead minion, it would crumble and fall dead, inert as the last remaining lifeforce escapes from the husk. The cantrip of branding requires two emotes of conjuring one’s aura, and one emote of touching or pointing/motioning to a corpse within quiet range. On the third emote where it is touched, the body will begin to shamble upwards, and on the fourth it will be ready for whatever orders it is given. The branding cantrip is learned once the base branding spell is learned. The cantrip cannot be used in the midst of combat, nor to serve ANY combat purposes (other than an undead retrieving the necromancer’s weapons before a fight, or anything of that caliber.) Should combat start in the vicinity of the undead, it will simply fall inert until combat is resolved. Servants can’t build traps, pit falls, wards, or anything requiring higher intellect. Servants can’t aid a necromancer in reaching areas mechanically unable to be reached, save for if specifically allowed in certain ET events. Commands must be simple and clear, as far too complex commands will offer nothing to the necromancer. The undead must be capable of doing whatever task they are given. Telling a skeleton to lift a boulder will result in a broken skeleton, just as telling one to fly will result in either nothing, or a broken skeleton that has fallen from a great height. Commands must be spoken verbally, in any language. Commands must be made in RP chat range. Swarms of insects may never exceed the size of a human head en masse. Groups of small animals may be utilized within reasonable numbers. (No groups of animals may reach more than a descendant’s worth of mass.) Anything larger than a humanoid descendant corpse is unable to be risen by the cantrip. Thaumaturgy - Addition Mass Plague - Ritual Rite of Malediction Woe be to those who garner the vice of a necromancer, for their covens may harness pestilence to reap the harrowed fields of decaying kingdoms and bastions alike. By gathering a mass of lifeforce is a coven capable of spreading disease across a region of land, varying from fields of grain to entire lakes that subside the populace with water. Twisting and stagnating the land can produce abyssal effects, giving those who enter the area flu like symptoms, and perhaps even benign tumours and growths if exposed for too long. Those who consume the afflicted substance are then wrought by whatever malediction has been planted within the chosen substance. Whatever disease the coven opts to infect the area with, it must be done upon fields capable of life, either farms or grassland, or a body of water. The Rite of Malediction is a ritual that requires at least two necromancers to perform, growing in size and intensity with each additional necromancer present. By fusing twisted lifeforce into the earth and the targeted harvest or body of water, a necromantic pestilence may be fused with the mass. This may extend from a small field of wheat, to an entire lake given the needed amount of necromancers are present to expand the area of effect. This land may be afflicted with a specific pestilence within necromancy, or may simply bring about abyss-like taint and effects. Abyssal taint infers that flu-like symptoms are felt by those who ingest the tainted substance or meddle in the area affected for a narrative hour. After two narrative hours of standing within the region, small bulbous tumours may begin to appear on ligaments and appendages, offering no true harm other than acute sores and a dulling pain. A gathering of two or more necromancers may call upon their lifeforce to twist and plague a field of farmland, flora, or any body of water with a chosen malediction. If no malediction is chosen, abyssal like taint is instead called upon as fields grow grey and the air lingers with stagnant lifeforce. The rite requires two or more necromancers, with the scourge scouring a base range of a 20 meter radius with only two present. With each additional necromancer 10 meters of range are added. The disease has no max range, as long as PRO permission is given and there are the required amount of necromancers. The chosen disease must be an approved pestilence from the necromancy pestilence section. If a pestilence is not chosen, the land is instead given abyssal like taint, lesser to that of the Heith-Hedran scars. One must spend over a narrative hour in these areas to have flu-like symptoms appear. Consuming the afflicted substance, whether food or water, will infect the individual with the chosen pestilence. Plagued land may be mechanically plagued, having either swarms of locusts consuming entire fields, or holding strange growths and abyssal taint within crops. Plagued fields and crops only affect those within the area and region specified. This is locked to the tile that the plague is set upon, with afflicted substances falling to ash when carried long distances. Such prevents intentional transferring of plagued items to be “spread.” Bodies of water may be murkier, or hold strange scents that are not natural. Plague lands may be purged by fire for crop fields, removing the taint once all has been reduced to ash. Blight healing is capable of purging mass plague. One an afflicted substance is consumed it takes 3 OOC days for the disease to arise. This disease lasts for 2 OOC weeks, unless cured. Victims may choose to permanently keep the affliction, if chosen OOCly. Diseases may be cured by means of homeopathy, alchemical remedies, or any general healing magic. Plagued lands must be ST reqed, either having put down a sign to signify its effects, or to show signs of plague. The visual effects of pestilence are left to a notice sign or otherwise, with in game builds requiring RO permission to aesthetically change and alter the blocks. Land outside of a region is determined by WT on if it is viable or not. Mass plague as a ritual is only capable of being done once every OOC month by those who enact it. Likewise, attempts to spam the spell in aims to ruin nations is thoroughly frowned upon.
  3. 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 endeavor 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 were 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 was 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 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 5-7 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 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 slightly more fragile than their flesh ridden counterparts. Beings that bear the properties of soulsand become much 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 5 humanoid entities from the Nether, while Soldiers of Iblees can summon a maximum of 7 (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 channeled 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 non-organic material, it causes it to dwindle and wither away into ash. However, more sturdy materials such as stone won’t be broken down at all. 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 permanently disabled if the victim were to survive a continued assault of the hellfire, for the life force from the victim has been forcibly eviscerated. Healing from Clerics/Paladins/Ascended can undo the damage. The cast time for this spell is similar to that of a Fire Evocation spell. Roughly 2-4 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, an array of bolts will descend towards the surface they are directed to, leaving behind a mark that indicates the ire of The Betrayer. It is worth nothing these bolts are not attracted to metal or water, but instead the flesh of Descendants. These are bolts that come from The Defiler and anything that is spawned from his domain is known to seek out the demise 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 most 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 can only reach a maximum of roughly 4 metres) This spell should be treated much like a Necromancer's drain. 2-4 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. 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. Note: This is a deity magic. 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, 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. - 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. - Edit - Ater Caelum "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)
  4. The Wraiths “They were once Men. Men, blinded by the want for power; lusting after dark forces to escape the curse of old age. They were Lords, once, though blind ones. Greedy as Dwarves, violent as Orcs though lacking the nigh-eternal patience of one of Malin’s brood. Human Lords with a dark cause, willing to strip themselves of the moral boundaries that Oren’s nobility would cling close to. They dabbed in dark things in the First Age; disregarding the tarrying of the mortal races and their wars with a disgruntled Daemon. They dabbled and they studied. They practiced dark things in dark places; they tricked death and bent it’s will in their hands, though they did not regard an important lesson: If the weak court death, they find it. With an intricate series of strange and unexpected events, the Lords that that had shattered the shackles of humanity to chase after the Art of Blackened Mists had warped themselves beyond mortality; reaching heights that only Gods could, but at the same time, condemning themselves to an unending, torturous fate that had been prolonged purely because of the greed, hatred and fear that had amplified tenfold by their rituals. Their screams declared their ascension.” -An excerpt from the Dark Omnibus, written by “Prophet” Maliran. Wraiths, or commonly named Shadowmen, Dark Walkers, Death Knights or Necrolytes in the Dark Omnibus, are the product of high-tier Necromancers. It is not something a Necromancer can make, but turn into -- much like a mage can become a Lich, they sell their mortality away to attain invulnerability and higher magical prowess. However, a Wraith is not exactly focused on the advancement of one’s magical capabilities and there are other advantages that follow a Necromancer’s turn into a Wraith in-hand with the mass of weaknesses. Maliran had described them as such; “Shadows within robes, holding the strength of an Orc and the black, arcanic bane of life at their disposal; darkness incarnate within tattered black cloth, only warded by brilliant light or raging flame.” There are but small descriptions within the Dark Omnibus alongside these words, for there are but rumors and disambiguated rumors of Wraiths dwelling the First Age, let alone the second and third. The Wraiths, for nearly three ages, have been but whispers upon the wind; the antagonists of children’s stories and legends to follow without any viable source or proof of their existence. Little is known of their origin. Even the Dark Omnibus, the insane scribblings and notes of a madman who had delved too deep into dark things, holds but vague mentions of what they actually are, let alone how they were devised. Simple stories of Lords and their mental deterioration upon becoming a band of Necromancers tells a hint of how they are created, but never how they came to be, nor what ritual coaxed them into the Plane of the Living. There are accounts of age-old sightings of these abominations trapped within the tomes of old; locked away in libraries after being dragged through five lands or settled within the charred ruins of the ancestral plane long-passed since it’s downfall. Origins and Lore “We were patrolling the roads. The sky was dark from the coming dusk; the Captain of the Al’Khazar Watch was reluctant in the decision to send men out on patrols so late, but our constant monitoring was vital. If the Dark Ones from the Northern Wastes did not banter us with their magic, then their minions to the South assaulted our gates and cut travelers down without hesitation. With little men to spare to the North to fight alongside the Ascended, an abundance could patrol the opposite side of the city; though with the dangers of the Dark Night, it was commonly known never to patrol at night. Strange things dwell the forests and shadowed corners of the land. There were six of us. We trailed along the King’s Road as per command and saw little besides the common groaning corpse and skeletal archer; but not a single robe-clad Heretic in sight, no distant cracks of dry lightning, not the roaring light of fire summoned of Hell. In such times these occurrences were expected, especially in the night. But the Undead did not dwell these hours tonight. It was as if something scared them away; the will of their dark god could not coax them onto these roads. We saw a distant mob, though not of the living sort. This was not a problem -- our force was split into two groups with one wielding bows and the other plate and blade. Disposing these ten-some creatures in the nearby woodland wouldn’t be much of a hassle if the trees did not cast such an overbearing shadow that seemed to suck the very light from the land as the sun left the sky. We approached the mob, and promptly dealt with them; my comrade, Ser Miranus, had managed to top my count of two kills with three. Gods be damned, I owed him a drink that day, and I mourn that he never got it in the end. The fight had delved us deep into the forest. It was dark, but bearable, and the archers had little trouble assisting us from afar with their arrows. Once the battle subsided, the corpses were promptly piled up and then set alit to both purge the taint they hold and to send them to the Seven Skies, where they would be relieved of the burden of undeath. But something had changed in the area. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew the others noticed it as well. The blazing carcass-fire only reached so far, so the only comfort that was offered was the musk of charred flesh and heat. It was… cold. It was suddenly so, so cold. The fire could not warm us. We did not know what gripped the winds with the chill that felt as if sent from death’s maw, and the fact there laid no breeze in the forsaken forest in the first place had made my men and I on edge and tense. We expected more corpses and their robe-clad leaders alongside them, but we could not gaze through the darkness that surrounded the dying oaks of the forest. We were unsettled, cold, paranoid, and the most prominent: scared. We feared what coaxed such paralyzing cold to cascade upon us. My squadron and I were frozen as we strained to hear something, anything, that dwelt the distant oak-bound land. Our ears caught the distant beat of hooves. One would think our hearts would be warmed -- we were out too long and went too deep, the captain surely set out with a sizable force to find us. But we were not warm, even beside the blazing flames. The chill only intensified; the beating of hooves were accompanied by pained and strained groans of the risen dead. I rallied my men together with haste and assigned their places and prepared for the Necromancers of the North that we thought neared. The Necromancers did not arrive. A sudden cry, inhumane and belonging to no normal mortal pierced the air and rattled our eardrums. The groans of the forsaken dead rose in volume, as if they endured an unrelenting agony from the shriek their master expelled. Both the frigid chill and fear ascended within my group’s numbers, but we stood steadfast and ready. What came our way would face the justice of the Creator; Horen guided our blades and blessed our hearts, but it was becoming rapidly obvious this would not protect against the aberration that neared. As if the moonlight broke through the foliage right as the chill neared it’s height, we gazed upon a black-clad figure clearly, it’s torn robe appearing as if hewn from the very shadows that made up the forest with but a void dwelling beneath the hood that hid it’s being. It rode a steed of rotting muscle and yellowed bone and it wielded a blade of dark iron and malice-bound design. There appeared to be two dozen walking-corpses in the distance; all rushing after but six armed men around a fire fueled by fallen undead. The sight of the strange being had struck us frozen, but Ser Miranus had shouted furiously to shatter the paralyzation that we endured; we hold steadfast as archers pelted the ravenous undead. Whilst the dark figure lingered the shadows, away from the blazing, bright fire, we fought and fought. We three men only remained, with the only other sword-bearer alongside Miranus and I wounded and unconscious from the undead forces and exhaustion. The light was rapidly diminishing now that it’s fuel was being reduced to blackened skeletons. The chill heightened as if the flames’ lacking had amplified the wretched black-clad shadowman’s power. It hopped from it’s steed, blade in it’s grasp as it strode over. I was so weak - my legs could not carry me away. The chill was too strong and locked my muscles up and fear had blanked my might. It was as if I gazed into the eyes of death as the tall, shadow-bound creature neared; I remember it raising it’s blade before there was a sudden struggle, hazed before my eyes. My dear comrade had saved my life by warding the creature off with a blade caught aflame with what fire still dwelt the nearby corpse-pile. I heard the clashing of steel before a thud and groan. Another shriek sounded, and as if my fear granted me clarity, I saw a horrifying sight: my comrade, my dear brother Miranus was being drained of a mist of void-black shade, paling rapidly as if the strange shadowman had pulled the life from his very being. My comrade, my brother, fell into the dirt as paled and disfigured as the corpses that surrounded us before the dark being assumed itself back upon it’s steed, and then promptly strode off. It spared not a glance toward my direction. I ran so hard from the Forest of the Damned that I was rendered unconscious upon reaching Al’Khazar, said the Captain. I bumbled and spoke in ramblings, said the Captain, as if I had seen a Ghost. I was still cold. It wore no Eye of Rage; it bore no staff of Mages’ Gold. It was not a corpse in a robe, it was no walking skeleton. It was malice and spite tucked within the frigid confines of a cloak weaved of shadows, no-doubt made up of the mists it drew from my sword-brother. It led the dead without the banner of the Red Daemon in-tow of it’s cold grasp.” -The first sighting of a Wraith; written by an unknown Al’Khazar guard. Their name spans back to the First Age, when there laid life within the ancestral land and when a war of light and darkness slowly deteriorated and land and drained the plane of life. There had been two sides the coin; two choices a man can make. You could join Iblees and follow his destructive path against spiteful Necromancers bound by a forsaken curse or fight against it against White-Wizards. However… others had found another side. As said in legends locked away in the Dark Omnibus, there was a band of human lords with hearts as black as the void and minds as dark as the night sky; greedy as dwarves, violent as Orcs and without the patience of an Elf. They were spiteful, and their spite had led them to learn the Dark Arts; Necromancy, what rogue-Magi and the followers of the Fallen One had commonly adopted into their arsenal to use against the forces of good. But these Lords held little regard for the conflicts of higher-beings and the toys they used such for. The Lords counted up to five in number, holding as much spite and selfish desire for immortality as the next. They dabbled in dark things in the darker corners of the earth, the years passing in droves as they worked tirelessly to form a ritual that would exact them the ability to defy age. The Creator did not answer their prayers, Aerial did not see them worthy to align with the ever-living Ascended and Iblees would have them thrown into raging hellfire for their demandful audacity for such gifts that he stole the human race from. Taking things into their own hands would be necessary, and in due time, they unlocked … dark things. Evil things meant not for mortal hands; an unbound and forgotten thread of the inner-machinations of the Creator’s works. A manipulation overlooked by the Aenguls and Daemons; a mistake turned awry, having been awoken by men of malicious ways and bent to their will. They discovered rebirth through death. The Five Lords knew what they were doing when they vowed to all follow this path, they knew the dangers that were at-hand, but they could not bear the consequences of life. They knew, past their anger deteriorating mental state, that even if Iblees was defeated, their people made safe and the land cleansed free of the taint that the Fallen One had spread, that they would still have to taste the bitterness of mortality. Whether by the sword or the slow decay of time, they would die. They disregarded their humanity for darker gifts, but they did not realize what they really traded themselves for. Through a ritual unknown even by the deepest dabbler of the Dark-Arts, they were stripped of skin, flesh and bone; they became what they raised - beings made up of dark mists that hold such strength that they were allowed to don robes and wield blades alongside their putrid magics. They became ever-rageful, seeking more power despite not being able to garner any past the skill they hold in the dark craft. They had been distorted into half-incorporeal beings, like ghosts with the strength of mortal men. They held no strand of their sanity in life, but once they all had gradually turned into these forsaken Wraiths, there was a clarity that dwelt their broken, angry minds: They cannot escape this. They once had families. They were Lords for a reason; they were noble once. People approved of them, they ascended to their political positions on behalf of the honor the people of Oren, and their fair King, had seen in them. They were happy before, and it was not a higher-being that twisted them into evil men, but fear. A human could only last so long, and now condemned to this life shrouded in darkness and despair, they would watch as the land they once followed so closely, and all of it’s inhabitants, dwindled away in place of strangers. Their family lines and loved ones withered away without their presence. They watched, and their despair only heightened. They watched as everyone died, and knew that there would be no comfort for them, no comfort to ease the pain of their passing. The Five Lords came to undeath; the very image of the power of those who ascended to a higher state of being, in glory, undimmed before the very breaking of the world. They were immortal, they held ever-lasting power because of themselves, not others -- but they, the good Five Lords once loved by many, had to linger on, in darkness and in doubt, as night falls into winter that comes without a star, as summers pass with unrelenting heat with skies as blue as the ocean; as the seasons pass them by endlessly as if days and hours. In the Plane of the Living the Five Dead Lords would dwell, bound to their grief and anger; under the fading, blackening skies, until the lands are changed and the long years of the four races’ longevity are utterly spent. They faded in time behind the ever-changing canvas of the world, still dwelling amongst the living, but only coming forth to strike innocents down in futile effort to relieve themselves of the agonizing grief. The secret of their turning was forgotten as the Five Lords dwelt farther and farther away from each other until their numbers were gradually slimmed; Clerics and wielders of Holy Light having found them alone and purged them from existence. There laid only one Lord left in the latter times of the First Age, present as the ancestral land broke before his very eyes. He lived longer than any human would ever had, but in turn, would be cursed with an ever-lasting anger and urge to purge the weak and living from the masses in effort to dispel his grief. He was trapped within a broken Aegis after the Four Races had fled to another land; finally knowing the mistake he had made. There he walked endlessly; yearning not for power, but for a release from this curse that could no-longer be shattered now that everyone had fled to another realm. He walked upon a dead land forever-more, a Wraith gripped with agonizing emotion without anything to release it upon. Never would the Last Lord see his loved ones, for death is something he and his four comrades had surpassed; unable to be reached now that death itself had been imbedded into his soul. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Wraith A Wraith has a very selective set of strengths and weaknesses, with the latter being more broad; to become a being that had been tethered to a life of undeath, having forced time to pause on his or her lifetime distorts the turned and grants them a good bunch of weaknesses but also some strengths. These advantages and disadvantages shall be listed below: Strengths: *Immortality. Necromancers who had learnt of the ritual and surpassed it’s requirements are tethered to a strange, sudden pause in time; mortals would cease to age on behalf of their obvious, corporeal-body-dispersing changes. They are reduced to beings of strange, blackened mists and robes, and thus, the disadvantages a flesh-bound body would have are disregarded: they cannot sustain wounds, time does not affect them and the most prominent of all being the fact that their souls are not handled by the Monks after death. Wraiths re-form after a time much like a Druid bound to a soul-tree does; though such time would be prolonged. *Strength. The Wraiths, after being warped into half-corporeal beings, are not bound to the weaknesses of a mortal coil. Using their Dark-Arts does not drain them as much as it had before and they are capable of wielding blades alongside any magic they use. Armor is a possibilty to be worn by a Wraith, but it would be difficult to keep it held up and the Wraith itself would endure a sudden lack of ability to cast any magic except their draining abilities. They are not capable of wearing full, battle-field oriented plate-armor and lighter plate would be the extent of their strength. Wielding a sword would be the most they could muster after that; this weakness is why Wraiths stick to robes to keep close to the power they were blessed with. *Physical defenses. A Wraith is not so easily cut down; alongside it’s offensive strengths is the defense against what mortals would most-often die from. Poisons do not affect them and regularly-forged weaponry does not work very well against them. Large heights are known to damage their corporeal bodies, but not kill them. They cannot drown since they do not breathe. *Fluidity in the Dark-Arts. A Wraith still retains their magical abilities and most-prominently the dark magic that made them what they were. It is most-common to find a Wraith who only wields Necromancy in terms of magical abilities, however, any magic they learned in their past lives is still known and can be wielded in their undeath. The ability to learn other dark magic is also present, though unlikely on behalf of their opinion toward mortals; the ability to learn Shade magic is a prime example of this, though Shade-bound wraiths have never existed thus far. *Reign of the Dead. Because a Wraith is an Undead creature, Undead-oriented creatures are more than likely to simply ignore a Wraith's presence than to actually attack them as if they were living beings. A Wraith can still provoke Undead, however, and can still be attacked. However, because of their fluidity in Necromancy, they are capable of raising the dead and controlling them; especially since a Wraith is supposed to be near mastery (or above) in Necromancy when it's turned. Weaknesses: *Weakness against sunlight. A Wraith despises the sun and light in general; as both undead creatures and incorporeal beings, they fail to operate magically whilst in the open sunlight. Their magical abilities decline rapidly whilst in the light of day and the only the strength to wield their weapons remain; draining is still an ability able to be utilized by a Wraith whilst it is showered by light. It is more likely for a Wraith to be defeated whilst doused in sunlight than in darker places; this forces Wraiths to either seek homage in underground lairs or to build ones that block out the sun completely on the inside. This is one of the prime reasons they don dark cloaks. *Weakness against fire. Much like sunlight, Wraiths are fearful of flames. Flames are able to scorch their black cloaks easily and the blinding light fire gives off frightens them; this make fire-mages one of their many enemies. A fire-mage is more prone to kill a Wraith than a small group of armed men. *Ever-lasting emotional discomfort. Wraiths are very emotionally-distorted creatures; their rebirth is so mildly strange and unsettling that the Necromancer turning into one of them is rendered mentally broken and unable to act like they ever were in their past lives. Long-lived Wraiths often attempt to try to draw their old lives back in; surrounding themselves in what reminded them the most of their mortal lives, like trinkets given by a loved one or pictures. This is futile, however, as their ever-lasting anger prevents them from ever acting normal ever again. Becoming a Wraith is no laughing matter as the individual being turned would be mentally scarred for the rest of their ever-lasting, sinister existence. *Weakness against gold. Gold with it's odd battery-like behavior against life-force can harm a Wraith. Unlike iron/steel weaponry, Gold is capable of killing a Wraith, and scaring it off, as much as a regular blade would to a regular mortal. Any form of gold can frighten or weaken a Wraith, with golden swords/weaponry being able to actually de-manifest a Wraith. *Clerical magic is as prone to defeat a Wraith as easily as fire can. Shaman, however, have little affect on them; Wraiths can be assumed spiritual creatures, though they are actually just undead with a half-corporeal form. Druids are also capable of killing a Wraith; since a Wraith is made up of tainted, necromantic energies, a blight-healer is capable of purging one -- if it can be held down long enough. *A Wraith can be weakened by an alterationist or fi'hiiran'acaele'sair, though it is unlikely for them to actually kill one; similar to Shamans in this. *A Wraith requires life-force to operate. Much like a risen minion of a Necromancer requires a constant flow of life-force to walk, a Wraith requires doses of life-force from time-to-time; failing to drain life-force from a living source and fuel the Wraith will gradually weaken it until it is either too weak to actual mobilize or de-manifest and disperse to another location to regenerate and draw life from the environment to properly fuel the Wraith back into “life.” *Ethereal Rending. One of the more unsettling weaknesses of a Wraith would be the strange, mirrored versions of wounds they, as half-corporeal beings, sustain. If they are struck with a golden blade, it is more than likely than a Wraith would be inflicted with an Ethereal Rend; whilst sustaining such a strange "wound" of sorts, the wound would gradually drain the Wraith of the life-force it is made up of; as if it was mimicking blood draining from a wound. Should a Wraith be inflicted with numerous rends, then it will de-manifest from a lack of life-force to keep it up and running. Only golden weaponry can inflict Ethereal Rends upon Wraiths and the Wraith must garner a steady supply of life-force to seal it's incorporeal wounds soon after sustaining one should the Wraith wish to continue living. There are other smaller, detailed disadvantages that are too obvious to be listed here -- prime examples being that a Wraith cannot breed since it’s undead and lost the ability to fornicate after their body was destroy in place of a half-corporeal one. One must also note that these weaknesses must be discovered in-character; you cannot look at a Wraith and just know it’s an undead creature without properly experiencing it’s wrath first or learning of it through the victims of one. The Creation of Wraiths The creation of the Wraiths were discovered by the Five Lords (The Lords of Black as they called themselves) within the ancient era of Aegis' history. Not only did it involve their dark magic, but it had followed along hand-in-hand with a special relic that had been discovered by the Five whilst they descended into madness. It was discovered by the first Wraith and the oldest of the Five that it would be impossible to create one of these abominations without it. It was suspected by the Lords that the relic was but a misplaced, enchanted bauble; a trinket malformed by their manipulated magics in such an abhorrent fashion that it allowed them to "ascend" themselves to a higher being with the assistance of one of the Five that had specialized in utilizing this relic and turning others into Wraiths. Creating a Wraith is an act that changes lives, and thus, the creator must change his own life in turn. This bauble was not what they expected a first. After the five lords were created by the hand of the First, whom of which learnt the way of creating Wraiths and him alone, they hid the relic away with the suspicion what they had used to turn themselves into the horrid abominations they currently were was the creation of some malignant deity. Not being religious men, the Five Lords of Black kept the relic locked up and hidden for centuries while they terrorized Aegis in secret, only the be discovered ages later on the five land inhabited by the masses... --- The process of creating a Wraith is a difficult and painful one, and as the history states, it requires the "maker" of Wraiths to change himself before taking the initiative to take in willing (and skilled) Necromancers in to ascend to a higher state of being. For reasons obscured and assumed for god-willing purposes, the strange relic that had been passed down through the centuries (along with the book of notes created by the First Lord of Black) had been known only to "allow" five Lords to exist. Perhaps, despite the creation of Wraiths being a strange slip-up and manipulation in how life-force operates, the relic simply is put under too much stress because of these rituals and dimensional-fabric-harming acts that must be done in order to create a Wraith. It had been stated in the First Lord's book of secrets that the relic seemed to simply lock up and shut down; the odd, eerie glow that permeated from it's swirling center cut off and darkened. With the Five Lords of Black having perished long ago and in another plane, the relic had re-activated and it's strange magical mechanisms had been unlocked. To create a Wraith, one of the five who had been chosen to take up such a mantle must endure weeks of study. It is then that, after affirming their understanding in how the relic was theorized to operate by the First Lord of Black, that they endure a ritual that warps the Necromancer at-hand into a Wraith. Only this first Wraith alone would be able to create more because of how the relic works. After the second had been created, there must be a branch-effort to create more; to create Wraiths puts stress on the relic and more power must be siphoned into it's core in order to keep it stable. It acts as a pattern. Once the second Wraith is made, they both must make effort to make a third and they must both agree willingly to do so and actively partake in the ritual whilst it transpires. The same repeats for the fourth Wraith's creation with all three of them required to assist the first to warp another Wraith into existence. Upon following this pattern up until the fifth Wraith, the relic will lock down and de-stabilize itself as it had centuries before until the five new Wraiths would perish. Only one Wraith can create the others and the secret and technique in doing so, with all it's complicated intricacies, are pass down unto another Wraith once the first either suspects it's coming demise or simply wishes to relieve itself of the duty. Clarifying Points There are several specific notes to be made here to clarify specific details concerning a Wraith’s weaknesses and strengths. Firstly, it’s relation to spiritual beings shall be spoken of: The best way to described a Wraith is a manipulation of the natural order of things as Necromancy commonly dabbles in. They are not beings made up of mana, they are beings made up of life-force -- the ritual that the Necromancer invoked to turn themselves into a Wraith involved solely their magic. Since Necromancy is not mana-based, this removes the possibility of a fi'hiiran'acaele'sair being able to actually kill one instead of weaken one. Bolstering this, Shamans are also not very capable of de-manifesting a Wraith with their spiritual abilities. An Elementalist is more prone to defeat a Wraith with it’s powers than the sway in spirits it has at it’s disposal. Again: a Wraith is not a completely spectral being. To put it in another way, consider a Wraith a soul adopted into a body made up of dark mists instead of flesh and bones. A Shaman is as capable of killing a Wraith with spiritual abilities than killing a Dread-Knight with them. Gold affects a Wraith because Wraiths are undead; with gold being the bane of most death-oriented creatures, Wraiths are able to be harmed by gold or gold weaponry. The only reason that gold weaponry is more prone to defeat a Wraith over regular weaponry is because a Wraith does not keep it’s old body and depends on the one they adopted through the ritual, thus removing the possibility of wounds. You can kill a Wraith with an iron sword, but it’s comparable to trying to kill a large dire-wolf with a cracked stick. Because of this, their weaknesses are broad and make it so a Wraith is relatively easy to ward away or defeat, given that the circumstances are properly met. Necromancy and any of it’s abilities renders no effect on Wraiths. Unlike Liches, Wraiths are not bound to phylacteries. When a Wraith de-manifests/is “killed” in combat or otherwise, it’s soul disperses and retreats to a safe area. It will then have to endure a regeneration process that takes up to one to two IRL days; death rules are not exempt from Wraiths. Upon de-manifestation a Wraith forgets all events leading up to it’s defeat. Only the first Wraith of the five may create Wraiths, though with the assistance of other Wraiths so a number beyond two may be made. A Necromancer cannot just make Wraiths out of no-where, they must either be the first or learn how to create them after becoming on themselves. Wraiths are intended to be event creatures. Someone may become a Wraith if they legitimately know how and are at the adequate skill-level in Necromancy to do so. Physiology of Wraiths A Wraith is a creature that is not very easy to be mistaken to be a normal person. First of all, they are tall -- long robes are often adorned upon their person to hide the body made up of black mist. Looking beneath their hoods is like looking into the very void; they hold no actual identity, and because of this, any Wraiths that have ever existed had tended to fashion helmets or specific designs in the dark cloaks they wear to properly affirm who they are. It is an unlikely occurrence, but a Wraith’s eyes can glow, though only with the color of the eyes their old body held. The following image would describe the appearance of a Wraith quite accurately: --- Pixel version! [Pardon the antag-ness.] Because of a Wraith’s half-corporeal form, they are understandably unaffected by disease, sickness or biological harm; there is nothing biological about a Wraith after it’s been made. Also, Wraiths can speak. Their voices are similar to the voices they had in the past, but are seemingly strain-sounding and hold a strange, metallic and distant pitch to them. Glowing eyes and other physical changes that do not cross a Wraith’s physical boundaries are optional and up to the player. Like all Necromancers, the Wraith expels a slightly fatiguing aura on behalf of it's deathly origins. This is not to be confused with a Dread-Knight’s aura, which grips people with fear: slight fatigue felt by by-standers is simply the outcome of becoming a creature born from a Dark-Art and would not physically affect someone so much that they would falter in combat against a Wraith. To accompany this chilling effect, Wraiths have taken to releasing shrill shrieks to notify those they wish to kill that their doom is at-hand; the shriek of a Wraith is a feature emphasized in the sparse legends made of them. Mentality of Wraiths As expected and stated numerous times above, Wraiths are not beings that are necessarily mentally stable. However, this is not to be exaggerated -- they are not feral creatures and are as capable of being devious and open as they were as mortals in the past. However, it is unlikely for a Wraith to actually cooperate with whoever they seek to strike down. Their turning had made them spiteful and seeded their mind with ruthless will to cut down their opposers. Wraiths, because of this, are inherently evil and cannot be used for goodly purposes. A Wraith is made because a Necromancer wants power or immortality -- for a Wraith to assist Aeriel-following Paladins or Druids makes little-to-no sense while Wraiths fighting alongside other Dark-Magi or Death-Knights are a much more common occurrence. A Wraith, through it’s rebirth, actually attains a disgust for living creatures. They exist purely to revel in their own power and to crush any who oppose them with this power; for a Wraith to act other than brutal, sinister and ever-serious makes as much sense as them assisting Paladins and Druids. Alongside being ruthless and evil, Wraiths are also prideful. They are powerful beings, and despite the rather wide list of weaknesses they had been given through their turning, they retain a pride able to be matched with a High-Elves and higher; assuming no mortal man is capable of defeating them. This can be assumed a weakness in some instances. A common example of their pride is the desire to prove they are the best -- to deny duels with another powerful individual is unlikely to occur unless it is obvious they would lose. Since Wraiths essentially despise everything living or anything that puts a damper on their plans, they dislike civilization. The most experience they would have with cities, towns or large groups of people would be either raiding/killing them, sending undead hordes to raid/kill them or plotting to raid/kill them from afar. If another Wraith saw a Wraith somehow comfortably dwell amongst the living, the first Wraith would most-likely attempt to purge the second from existence from sheer anger of the second Wraith’s audacity and lowliness. Wraiths do not often value wealth, but this depends on the character that had been turned into one. Wraiths despise being led by any darker force unless this force proves it is powerful. It is only then that an individual Wraith or a group of them would lend their sword. Wraiths are more prone to lead other Wraiths through show of their skills and power, however, Wraiths are not above deities or higher-beings like Aenguls, Daemons or Aengudaemons. Wraiths, having no real, viable goal in their unlife than to garner power, are more prone to join forces with an Aengul, Daemon or Aengudaemon if interests align correctly. A Wraith joining forces with a higher-being like Aerial or Tahariae is like a Wraith joining forces with goodly Raevir-men in the peasant town of Kralta -- very unlikely. This means that a Wraith is more inclined to join forces with dark higher-beings, like Iblees or Setherian, than goodly ones. While a Wraith is emotionally crippled and cursed with an ever-lasting hatred and anger of living things, this does not necessarily prevent them from being affected by emotional ties with someone they knew in their past life. A Wraith is more viable to grudgingly kill an old friend than their child or the mother of this child. Love and affection is a difficult concept for Wraiths and they are often rendered enraged from the confliction they endure whilst in an instance where they are either opposing their past loved-ones or watching them be opposed -- the latter is often reacted by the Wraith promptly murdering the opposer and then dispersing the area with haste to avoid contact with their past loved-ones. They do NOT, however, have the wish to reconnect with those of their old lives. This is why they are so often emotionally distraught when in the face of those whom they interacted with in their past lives. The “Red Lines” of Wraiths -Wraiths are not goodly creatures. This is lore-breaking. -Wraiths cannot learn holy magic. This conflicts with how they were created. -Wraiths cannot turn back into mortals. Becoming a Wraith is permanent and condemning your character to an ever-lasting life of bloodshed, effort at garnering more power and emotional frustration. -Wraiths cannot not hate living things, it is inherit. They can hate things less than others, like allies, but they are more than likely to turn on their allies in the end purely from paranoia. -Wraiths cannot dwell around the living casually. This is also lore-breaking and makes zero sense with how their mentality works. -Wraiths cannot step beyond the guidelines laid out for them. No matter how strong or “different” a Wraith is, they will always have the same strengths and weaknesses. That means no flying Wraiths who draw power from sunlight that also know Clerical magic and use these abilities to protect their Dark-Elven wife and half-Wraith child. -Wraiths also cannot be un-Wraithed by the will of an Aengul, Daemon or Aengudaemon. The ritual that turns a Necromancer into a Wraith is quite literally warping their soul permanently and the forces of a higher-being fixing it are more than likely able to mangle a Wraith’s blackened soul than remove it’s deformity. -Only the first Wraith of the Five may create another Wraith. You cannot become a Wraith on your own beyond the first's transformation. It is a complicated process that both requires a Necromancer's ability to adequately fuel himself and the ability to assist the first to create the other three, two or the last. --- Thanks for reading! Feedback and suggestions are appreciated.
  5. The Archwraith; The Eldritch One It had been a time since the dawn of the old Gravelords, they who sacrificed their mortal vessels in error and gained immortality that saw no possible end, yet a lifetime of pain that would not subside. As if a mirror, the four Wraiths of Athera slowly dwindled away like the embers of a dying flame, mimicking the fate of the first Wraiths of Aegis; the past and firstmost collection of such wretched creatures, with only one that had survived the plight that forced the other three into obscurity or assumed destruction. Chrodaeros had met his end by the hand of Clerics, wherein his soul was treacherous, and was eager to meet his Creator above instead of remaining upon the mortal plane as a being next to divine. The next was Ordos, who fell by means unknown - thought to have become one with the very element of dark with soul undone, for there is no truer end to the accursed Gravelords than the destruction of the spirit; what binds them to the mortal realms. The fall of these kings of the dead were quick, and in succession; and the pull of the Black Nexus was so great that, in reclaimation of their Rites of Ascension, the artifact touched the last remaining two with the throes of sorrow past what pain they had already felt. Their sparse brethren dwindled, and their kind was threatened to fall to time as they had before. But the Black Nexus, such an incandescent, crystaline figure of distorted beauty, would not allow it's creations to falter again. It was as if it bore a mind that a greater will was sent to one of the remaining few of the souls it had stolen - to Nimdravur, the one beneath the earth who tended to an ancient, dormant power. It was not greater strength or godhood that the Black Nexus granted Nimdravur from the cove which hid it, but it was crown of the Archwraith -- the title and it's rites, the eldritch name and it's power. Thus Nimdravur had been 'crowned' Archwraith; and there lie no subjects to command, no compatriots to rally to the cause of the Gravelord. The answer to this was in the crown that held fast to the endangered Wraith's soul, for it was under this burden of rule that he would give the Rite of Ascension to those worthy of the Gravelord status so that they may rise again in a shroud of blackness, with the bones of dead crawling after in their wake; so the sun would hide beyond dark clouds in fear of casting their shadow. Explanation This change, brought by the ancient artifact that bound the souls of the Gravelords to Wraithdom, had not granted Nimdravur the power to devastate his enemies dwelling the surface of the world, but the ability to issue more of his kindred. In the fall of Ordos and Chrodaeros, the Black Nexus corrected the error of their downfall; with the four unable to produce replacements with the lessening of their numbers, the old title of Archwraith, which was first conceived in the progenitor race of Wraiths that lingered ancient Aegisian eras, had been granted; and it gave it's wearer the ability to instill Rites, which are special privileges granted by the Archwraith to mortals in order to relay a power that had been invested within the Black Nexus since the dawn of it's corruption. When the two Gravelords lost their status of Wraithdom, their Rites of Ascension had been bound back to the Black Nexus in wait for two more worthy necromancers to reassume the keep of the Rites. The Rite of Ascension is the Rite of becoming a Wraith - to obtain the Rite would mean the Archwraith would had deemed the worthy chosen capable of handling such undoing of mortality. Necromancers are able to gain the Rite of Ascension by the trials of the Archwraith alone, for there is no magic known that would be able to sustain the wretched form of a Wraith without the fabled power of life drain. Whereas the Rite of Ascension could only be given by the Archwraith, other Rites are able to be passed onto mortals; often taking the forms of coveted secrets and powers, such as the creation of Deathstalkers - the skeletal servants of the Gravelords and the bladebound brethren to Liches. However, such Rites are more often issued in forms of power granted by the Black Nexus, and unable to be given by any other than the Archwraith. Such Rites are often used for bindings and laws that lock themselves around the souls of the Gravelords; laws they must follow and goals they are bound to. By no means could the Rites give any form of godly power, for the original iteration of the Black Nexus was not created by the immortal divines, but of a beast much more mortal only fabled in legends. As Archwraith, a Gravelord would gain no greater power. Their power comes with their accursed title only able to be passed down to another Wraith by the Archwraith's will. Their 'crown' deems the Archwraith a font of wisdom and authority, but bears no mean to tip the scales of the powerful affinities of the four Wraiths, or anymore that could possibly be created in the future. Only a figurehead do they act as, with the reign total as per the ability of the Rites. What strength the Archwraith does have, however, is the Rite of Annulment, which forcefully strips a Wraith of it's immortal form and banishes them back to mortality, all the while being cursed with the constant need to drain lifeforce. As if they were still a Wraith but encased in flesh, such traitors would be condemned to a life of physical fatigue and weakness, with only their necrotic powers and magic acting as their ally, with the fear of flame, weakness to Clerical arcane and a damaged soul crippling them until their certain doom. Such a fate is rare to be found, for chosen Archwraiths are intended to act in total wisdom - to judge the traitorous lord keenly, and to understand their reasons of treachery. Rites & Doctrines Issued by the power of the Black Nexus are six Doctrines that all Wraiths, and their crowned figurehead, must follow, lest annulment claims them. They are as listed, and are subject to growth and deduction by the power of the Rites; Thou shall not betray thy ken; thou shall not hold a blade to the robe that hides them from the sun, nor treacherous fire to shine upon their dark. Thou shall not war with the Archwraith; thou shall not dishonor Him, with only blade raised to Him in the issue of duel. Thou shall not conspire against the Archwraith; thou shall not seek to usurp, and earn the crown by true immortal effort. Thou shall not ally with the Light; thou shall not align with the antithesis, the Enemy; thou shall not serve the Enemy, the Maker, or His Aenguls, or bow to the changing flame of the Daemons. Thou shall not the defy the act of dissent; thou shall not undermine the mission of betraying the Creator and destroying the imbalance brought to the world. Thou shall not serve the coming of armageddon; thou shall not bring about the end of times. Thou shall not seek to destroy the world, and thus destroy the Gravelords with it's fall. As followed are the known Rites, grantable by the Archwraith; The Rite of Ascension - to make rise to new Gravelords with the succession of worthy necromancers' trials. To become useless in the hands of the innecrotic, and to be fabricated in the form of a dying ember. The Rite of Annulment - to denounce the status of Gravelords by Archwraith will upon the totality of their collective, individual treachery. To be unsummonable by living man, and shaped as the light of mortality enshrouded and enchanted upon blade, axe or dagger; to strike such upon the coil of the treacherous Gravelords. The Rite of Succession - to deem a worthy Gravelord as Archwraith and pass it's rightful powers onto the chosen, and as a result to affirm the prior Archwraith as a one under the Archwraith like it's other brethren. To take the form of a jagged crown of iron that saps the life of the living upon touch, but fits atop the hood of Archwraith. The Rite of the Blackguard - to make rise to Deathstalkers, the 'lesser Wraiths' as created by the Gravelord Nimdravur who sought greater servants. To be useless in the hands of the innecrotic, but to be granted in good favor to chosen necromancers, and to take the shape of a jawless skull, with the blackness of the Void in it's sockets and the closed eye of the Archwraith upon it's yellowed scalp. The Rite of Damnation - to set the gaze of the Archwraith upon a chosen bastion of heresy; to bring about a dark crusade led by the Gravelords and allies to places in which act as the havens of the Enemy. To take the form of a breathless warhorn, blown only by the dead. ~;~ This is the reformed system of the Wraiths, whom I wrote lore for without thinking of a way to properly replace Gravelords who had relinquished their position. The title of Archwraith gives no power beyond authority over their respective collection of Wraiths and acts as their veritable Dreadlord, but without the means to force Wraiths to utmost bidding. The Rites are powers granted to the Archwraith by the Black Nexus, able to issue things like "laws", commands and rituals only pertaining to Wraithdom and declarations fabricated by the Archwraith. More Rites may be made under Lore Master approval, and must follow the guidelines of Wraith and Necromancy lore if the proposed Rite falls into their respective aspects. Rites and their "fabricated forms" are also the result of the Black Nexus' power, which is able to imbue the demanded items with their respective Rites and thus make the holder viable to use them if they bear the proper means to do so.
  6. This thread is dedicated to a lore-document written by myself, with minor assistance from Slic3man. While it's designed to follow Mechanical Standard, I want to try to get it accepted as validated lore on behalf of it's origins and how it operates. The following link leads to the magic's descriptive document: http://tinyurl.com/Warl0cks Feedback and opinions are appreciated, and may be expressed additionally in the thread poll. Updates: Edit 1 - Changes made. Most magic-types now are simply differentiated from their physical qualities, and not the effects they bring - most prominently for the evocation types. ​Edit 2 - Frost Witch's are not as dramatically altered on behalf of the Warlock's taint, and instead only their ice-forming abilities have been subjected to change. Edit 3 - Taint-bolts have been removed and clarification has been given to Blight-Fire's nature when wielded by a Warlock. Fireballs are impossible to form and constant streams of the unnatural element, as explained in the document, would most-likely either knock the Warlock unconscious from the self-inflicted pain or kill them from rapid deterioration. (Major) Edit 4 - The magic has been revamped and given a different source. Instead of relying solely on taint, all by-products are now created from life-force instead of necrotic taint as to distance Warlocks from Necromancers. Warlocks can no longer taint and drain, however, to make up for this, blight-fire has been re-buffed and reinstated at their main and only offensive spell and the one that allows them to gather life-force from their victims. Influential taint is also now created from life-force. Additionally, a guideline section for curses has been added for clarification on how the curses should be role-played.
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