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Acomi su des baro guardi sum nox ton de Death magics have been around for as long as humans have grasped the concept of using magic of any form. Even the most basic division of magics must include a segment for that which is known as Necromancy. Though Necromancy currently has a functional etymology to it, this was not always the case. In the medieval ages, "Necromancy" was called "dancing death ritual" came to be altered into "Necrology" through Greek and Italian influences, the art gained a new face. Now, instead of simply being an art of injuring the human, it came to also be associated with graves, graveyards, spirits, and primarily of channelling dead spirits like a medium and working with The Angel of Death (cf. http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos195.htm). This latter association, however, is clearly tainted by the overwhelming dominance of Christian thought at the time. As such, the beauty of the original Necromancies had been temporarily lost. As time has progressed and information may now be more freely shared across the internet, the new breed of Necromancer finds themself capable of once again delving into the secrets of death and of illness. In contrast to the Healer, the Necromancer embraces those powers which kill, decay, and decrepidate, and attempts to put them to use. This power goes by many names, but primarily among true Necromancers as Death Essence, or Entropic Force. It is the power which kills, harms, and causes decay, and that which is of foremost interest to the practitioner of these death magics. The Necromancer runs into a dilemma while using these essences, however. Regardless how one may try, the fact of the matter is that even Necromancers are living breathing human beings. As such, not even the seasoned practitioner can escape the baneful effects that working with these energies has on the body. Advanced aging, hair loss, sallow skin, and a gaunt complexion are all traits which are associated (in varying degrees) with the seasoned practitioner. Though the effects may only manifest as internal pains, as well, the fact is that to gain power in this art requires that suffering be present. The Necromancer's sacrifice for power is often scorned or considered madness, but for the practitioner it is worth the pain. To gather a sufficient sum of energy, the pain of the Necromancer's own suffering is channelled into a Necromantic Curse, or into a Servitor Summoning. These two components are the basis of every Necromantic spell. Traditionally, the entire art of Necromancy has been broken down into these two branches. The most infamous aspect of necromancy, without doubt, is the creation of phantasmals and undeads. The less flashy but more used aspect is the direct application of the death essences in curses, the imbuement of fetishes, and the decrepidation of organic entities. A common mistake made when attempting to utilize the direct applications of Necromancy is to get caught up in thinking of the effect. If the effect, for example, is to make a person go blind, the most common mistake is for the would-be Necromancer to attempt to try and "think" a person blind. Necromancy, as with all the other castes on contrasts from the Ritual Magicks because of its use of a) a distinct energy type, and b) a distinct methodology in using that unique energy. The would-be Necromancer's most common grief is that they can't "Think Blind" or "Think Sick" someone. The key is in keeping your mind on method, not effect, and in working the methods of necromancy into an occult science. For example, as one may wish to use the blindness spell, there are a few ways to do it. All ways, however, require one to plan their spell out. That, by definition, is what makes a spell a spell. It's a mystical blueprint for the methods of magic. If I wanted to cause blindness, given that Death Essence is the energy a Necromancer works with, the most easy and obvious way to do this is load the eyes of your target with sufficient death energies. The absorption technique outlined page works for Death Essence as well, and its the Necromancer's own pain and decay from absorbing these energies that is channelled into the target. The minor backlash the Necromancer receive throughout their entire body, however, is diminutive compared to the effect of channelling such a vast energy into a concentrated area of a target. With enough effort, this spell will cause permanent blindness, or with a bit of manipulation can deviate to cataracts or optical cancers. Kept in its undeveloped stages, which is sometimes preferable, the Necromancer can blur or dim or outright blind whomever they choose (though never without consequence). Other effects are attainable by using the very same energy in different configurations and places on your target, and altering properties of the energy's performance minorly. Blanket-effect spells are also possible, though they drain more from the Necromancer due to the greater amount of energy needed. Aside from the direct application of death energies to an organic being, however, there is also the unique ability to congeal the essences into a form or shape, thus allowing the famous Undeads and Phantasmal servitors. Legends of the Zombie, Wraith, and Skeleton have been attached to necromancy for as long as it has gone by that name. Visions of the Dead and other such strange phenomenon have been attributed as commonplace to the Necromancer in myth and fable, often making the Necromancer seem insensitive and morbid. These creatures are used, however, in a manner that shows clearly a Necromancer understands the undead's psychological effect fully and that the caster truly feels and appreciates the terror in them. The existence of undead creations of a Necromancer are not fable, yet a few misconceptions of their origin, nature, and ability have arisen. As for origin, it should be noted that Necromancers are not able, nor have they ever been able, to raise the physical bodies of the dead to reanimation in any way, shape, or form. The flesh that has died is dead forever, and that is all there is to it. The Necromantic Undead is a creation of the caster's own mind. Such a creature is the product of the Necromancer's intense concentration, and takes form from the image a Necromancer preordains. These undead or phantasmal servants are given form purely as the Necromancer shapes them, and possess no intelligence. As with any spell, the skill lies in the Necromancer's ability to manipulate these creatures to perform with some similtude of fluid movement. After they have served a purpose, concentration may be broken and the solid, semi-solid, or ethereal construct can vapourise. There are many more surprises to be found in the art of necromancy, but at a price. Success is met with personal anguish and the price of victory -- pain. There is no way to sidestep the long hours of hard practice necessary to make this art work, but in the end it is the Necromancer who twists the death ethers to their will and stands as the scholar of magic and master of their own destiny. The Gifts one might aquire in learning , they have: Death heart and eyes the bones blood and the raven the sygil of acolite mage tri-gam-tree loki's book of night the magnus of record and the darkling angel
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