Once again conflicted about what you want to know more about you decide to flip a coin, heads to cripple enemies from afar, tails to alter the nature of souls. You get heads, and make your decision, beginning to read the book.
It is not a simple matter to do direct harm with necromancy. Necromancy is the magic of commanding souls and ready souls are in short supply. Fortunately humanity is filled with essence ready to become the soul on the death of its vessel, so it is possible use mana to encourage a soul to break free of its cage prematurely. Whilst you will have to build your powerful before using this spell achieves its desired goal the side effect of a body’s magical essence striving to break free is considerable pain. A soul can be called in this manner from anyone within sight but the spell is best controlled if you touch the victim. Here follows the particulars of this spell. This spell is rather different from the necromancy you have learned so far, but it is easily learned nonetheless. You have a lovely nights rest, with the plan to continue on with your life for a while to get your mana back, as you are currently unwilling to take any of the outlined steps to recharge your mana more quickly.
You settle into a routine of picking up a bit more of the slack you’ve been leaving as you’ve been delving into necromancy. You decide to take a more subtle approach to getting sent to see Ifeus, it’s slow going, but at least Arbus doesn’t seem quite so irrationally suspicious of the idea as he was when you first broached the topic and after a couple of days Arbus decides to send you to on an Errnad to see Ifeus. Meanwhile summoning stone is still eluding you, but the practice you’ve had with necromancy is helping your normal magecraft come along in leaps and bounds.
So as night falls on your second day of rest you make your way to the tower of Ifeus, the tallest in the city, with a strange contraption pointed at the sky. Ifeus does her work by night as is too anti-social to have the time for apprentices. Still, after your errand has been done with she doesn’t seem to mind your company so long as you are willing to hand her bits of equipment as she squints up into the sky through your telescope. So you bring the conversation round to the old times where magic was powerful.
“Master Arbus was telling me about how you once walked to the stars and back. What is it like?”
The woman, whose hair is white while her skin is smooth chuckles.
“I think you misunderstand my boy, I was merely around at the time, my old master could walk to the stars, though he didn’t do it very often.” “That’s amazing, and he never taught you the spell?”
Ifeus’ body slumps and she turns to you, her face sad.
“No, he didn’t boy, he taught me everything I know, but he kept the most wondrous secrets of the magic of the stars to himself. I’ve spent the rest of my life trying to imitate his spells, but something seems to be missing.” “I wouldn’t want to find out that my spell for walking to the stars didn’t work halfway through the spell.”
“Exactly my boy, which is why your mast has been such a boon to me, we’ve been sharing theories about why the great spells died out and how to bring them back.” “Is that what the message I got sent with is about?”
“Hmm? Oh yes the note.” Ifeus picks up the letter that you were sent with and casually looks at it, her attention still mostly on the telescope. After a moment she gives her full attention to the note, she looks a little panicked and mutters
“It can’t be.” after a moment she remembers you are still there and composes yourself, turning to you and saying in a clipped tone.
“Go back and tell Arbus to double check his findings. He needs to be certain, do you understand? “You nod, and sensing you won’t be getting any more out of Ifeus today you head back to the tower wear Arbus receives the message solemnly and thanks you.
You still have three days until your mana reserves are full. Would you like to do or practice anything in your spare time? Or examine any of the methods used to regain mana more quickly?
Health: 10/10
Mana: 7/10
Will: 7
Skills:
Competent Magical Theorist (d8)
Competent Mage (d10)
Novice Necromancer (d6)
Proficient Scholar (d10)
Novice Handyman (d6)
Novice Negotiator (d6)
Adequate Observer (d7)
Adequate Manipulator (d7)
Items of import (ask about what else you might have that makes sense):
The Path to Power (+1 to summoning corporeal undead) (Hidden in your room)
2 gold, 9 silver and 4 copper coins worth of coinage
Dagger (Hidden in your room)
Cutlass (Hidden in your room)
Leather Armour (Hidden in your room) (+2 armour)
1 Rat zombie (d4)
Arbus the Sage (your mentor): Trusting, he has worked with you for many years and so trusts your capabilities and has insight into your character.
Bral the Labourer (Your father): Doting, he cares for all her children but has a special place in her heart for the son who will make something of himself even if he sees you rarely.
Ta the Labourer (your elder sister): Cordial, you still have contact with Ta who wants little from life, though she has always been wary of the lust for power she saw in you.
Jia the night watchman (your elder sister): Good, you two share the same drive to better yourselves you both recognise that in each other and respect it.
Ifeus the star mage: Unknown, she is an independent mage with whom Arbus corresponds with most often as such you have run some delivery’s to and from her tower.
Valo apprentice to Apras the fire mage: admiration, Valo and Apras are in the employ of the temple. Valo is a couple of years younger than you and holds your magical knowledge in awe.
Cai apprentice to Didor the Druid: Rivalry. Cai and Didor are in the employ of the kingdom. Cai is about your age and she has a drive similar to yours, this has led to a sporting rivalry which has allowed you to pick up some practical magecraft and her to be schooled in more theoretical matters.
Bind Corpse: Creates a skeleton or zombie servant of varying power. The power depends on the soul’s strength and the skill with which you cast the spell.
Cost 1 Mana.
Difficulty d (4+number of bound undead servants)
Control Undead: Gives you direct control over one of your undead minions for a few hours. It is recommended that your control be returned to your person manually.
Cost 1 Mana
Difficulty d(strength of the undead minion)
Speak with Dead: Allows you to communicate with ghosts.
Cost 1 Mana
Difficulty d4
Pain: Attempts to remove a soul from a target human with harmful and painful consequences. More effective with skin to skin contact.
Cost: 2 Mana
Difficulty d(targets best magic skill)
Arcane Shield: Creates a shield which deflects the actions of spirits of a certain type.
Cost 1 Mana.
Difficulty d4+number of active shields
Spirit Sight: Allows you to see the spirits in an area, determining their numbers and movement
Cost 1 Mana
Difficulty d4
Message: Compels the wind to carry something roughly the size and shape of a parchment a considerable distance
Cost 1 Mana
Difficulty d4
Slow blood: Thickens the blood of a living being, rendering it sluggish and eventually unconscious
Cost 1 Mana
Difficulty d4 or relevant skill
Vicious Growth: Accelerates and controls the growth of a nearby plant, which dies when the spell has ended.
Cost 1 mana
Difficulty d6
Light: Forms a ball of dim light that can be controlled for a while, will momentarily blind someone if summoned in their face.
Cost 1 mana
Difficulty d4
Author
Topic: (SG) You are an aspiring necromancer. (Read 6003 times)