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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)

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