Legend of Ransera

[*]The Soul Totem
While its shape varies, the soul totem of the necromancer is the cornerstone in their work of interacting with souls. It begins by taking a dragonshard and carefully inscribing it with pictography centered around the concepts of creating a focal point of not just aetheric power but of interacting with the soul. The pictography must also incorporate ideas centered around absorbing and interacting with the raw essence of things both living and dead. While the type of dragonshard is not important, utilizing any type other than basic aetherite can have interesting consequences. The wizard then prepares a bowl, typically fashioned of bone, that has also been inscribed with pictography focused on the same concepts done on the dragonshard. The bowl must be filled completely with the blood of the necromancer for whom the soul totem is intended. Fresh blood is advised. The dragonshard must be completely submerged within the blood and the bowl is to be placed within the center of a carefully drawn pictography circle that reinforces the concepts drawn upon both the bowl and the dragonshard itself.

The next step varies in length depending on the skill of the necromancer and the materials used but it typically takes no longer than three days. The dragonshard will be ready when all of the blood within the prepared bowl has been absorbed by the crystal. The prospective totem will then be considered “primed” for the final stage in its creation.

The wizard must ingest the crystal. Once the crystal is ingested they must seat themselves within the center of the pictograph circle reinforcing the concepts they have been working with since the beginning. During this stage, the wizard must meditate on infusing not merely their aether but a very fragment of their soul into the crystal. This process usually takes up to twenty-four hours but more skilled necromancers can shorten that time by up to half. In all instances, the necromancer will know when a piece of their soul has passed into the crystal. It will have a physical reaction in the body that can be likened to being poisoned. Nausea, fatigue, pain and even convulsions have been recorded as signs of the transition. It is crucial that during this stage, the necromancer regurgitate the crystal or they risk serious harm to themselves. In most instances, the wizard prepares a medicinal concoction to induce vomiting.

Success is verified in the creation of a ghostly white crystal that is cold to the touch and that emits a light mist at all times. If a dragonshard other than aetherite was used in the process of creation, the gemstone may exhibit additional properties and may indeed transfer those properties to things the totem is utilized in, if desired. The soul totem is considered stable at this point and cannot be altered except through the creation of an entirely new totem. At this point, many necromancers have their totems fashioned into amulets, rings, or even put onto staves or wands for ease of use. Provided that they are afforded time to recover, the necromancer’s soul will mend over time. It is ill-advised for even the most skilled necromancer to create more than a handful of soul totems every few seasons or so. As a result, soul totems are approached with extreme care and are tools that the wizard guards with extreme jealousy.

[*]Ichor
Ichor is the substance used by necromancers that enables them to interact with spiritual entities as though they were beings grounded in the physical realm. While all entities possess aether and can thus be affected by powers, items etc. that affect aether, some beings are more resistant than others. This is where ichor comes into play. In its unaltered state, ichor is described as a doughy white substance that is cold to the touch and leaves a misty trail in its wake whenever moved. It is created by mixing the necromancer’s blood with strips of chilled flesh. The flesh does not have to be the necromancer’s. At times, some necromancers include various herbs that are known to have an effect on ghostly or spiritual entities (i.e. rosemary, mountain ash tree bark etc.) in order to make it more potent. The necromancer mashes the mixture together, usually with mortar and pestle, until it resembles a congealed gelatinous substance. They then pour the mixture into a container and place their soul totem inside allowing it to set overnight. Once the mixture adopts the doughy white appearance with properties described above, the ichor has been created successfully. The necromancer can then remove their soul totem safely. Left out on its own, ichor will decay after a few days. This can be avoided by storing it in containers specially crafted to handle the substance.

Ichor can be used to a variety of effects. It can be smeared across the body, onto weapons, armor and other objects. In all instances, it will be absorbed by the item it comes into contact with. Following this event, the item in question can then interact with ghosts, spiritual entities and even have an effect on undead. Exactly how the interaction takes place is dependent upon the object being used. Placed upon the body, the part affected can interact with the ethereal as though they were physical objects. Placed upon weapons and armor they can then be used to inflict harm or defend against the same. Precisely how long these effects last depends on the skill of the necromancer who created the ichor. Necromancers have become very creative in their application of the uses of ichor depending on their individual objectives.

[*]Ghost Dart
Typically taking the form of needles or even arrows, Ghost Darts are simply projectiles that have been coated in a necromancer’s ichor enabling them to interact with and pin down spirits and ghostly entities. Exactly how potent and long-lasting the effects are is dependent upon the skill of the necromancer whose ichor is used in their creation. They can be made and used by necromancers of all skill, from novice to master.

[*]Ghost Wine
Ghostwine is an extremely controversial and dangerous brew that only a necromancer can prepare. It must be created in a bone chalice or container that has been inscribed with pictography centered around concepts of release, exploration, and the opening of the senses or eyes. Ichor must be placed within the container and then allowed to soak in the fresh blood of a living thing. Most necromancers utilize either their own blood or the blood of the intended recipient to ensure greater safety when drinking it. Water must also be added to the mixture. Finally, the necromancer places their soul totem within the mixture and allows it to sit for a few hours. The more skilled the necromancer, the less time this takes. Success is verified once the mixture becomes completely translucent, emitting a ghostly glow and a mist from its surface. The soul totem may then be safely removed. So long as the liquid remains within the container it was created in, it will retain its properties until drunk.

Imbibing ghostwine allows the drinker to detach their own soul from their body and walk the physical realm in ethereal form, for a time. This is a dangerous endeavor as, without protection, their body is left vulnerable to things that might wish to possess it. The wise necromancer only partakes of ghostwine only when their physical body has been afforded adequate protection. The duration of their ghostly state depends on the skill of the necromancer who prepared the concoction. If the drinker possesses runes of magic, they are still able to utilize their runes of magic as the Cardinal Runes are imprinted upon the soul, not just the physical body. However, users are warned that while in this state, they are just as vulnerable to the powers of a necromancer as would be any other ghostly or spiritual entity, perhaps even more so.

In any instance, the individual must return to their physical body prior to the duration of the ghostwine’s effects expiring. Failing to do so will have adverse effects upon the physical body as it begins to die without its soul.

[*]Soul Binding
Binding is an extremely controversial practice that, in some places, is outright banned and punishable by death if discovered. Binding can be performed on either the living, the souls of the dead, and other spiritual entities if the necromancer is skilled enough. The first step in binding is achieved through a variety of ways depending on the subject to be bound. For the living, it involves carving pictographs directly over their heart and along their spine. These symbols must be centered around concepts of servitude, domination, a linking or joining of souls, and other such ideas. For ghosts and spirits they must be placed within a circle that reinforces those same ideas. In all instances, the pictographs must be touched by the power of the necromancer’s soul totem. Following this, the subject to be bound must ingest large quantities of the necromancer’s ichor. The more powerful and strong willed the individual, the larger the amount of ichor required.

The necromancer must carefully prepare a dagger, typically fashioned of bone, that has been allowed to soak in their own blood, ichor and the power of their soul totem for no less than 30 days. This requirement cannot be lessened no matter how skilled the necromancer. The dagger will emit an off-white glow and have the trademark chill associated with necromancy tools once successful. It should be inscribed with pictographs tied to the concepts mentioned above. Generally speaking, most necromancers prepare the dagger well in advance.

The subject to be the recipient of the binding will fall into a comatose state, their body will adopt the ghostly chill and mist will emanate from their form when they are adequately primed for the final stage. Once the subject has reached this stage, the necromancer must place their soul totem inside the body of the subject. In the living it is usually ingested before falling comatose when they are in a lucid state and more amenable to the suggestions of the necromancer. For ghosts and spirits it depends on the manner of being one is dealing with how the totem is placed inside them.

For the living, once the soul totem is inside them and they are comatose exhibiting the signs stated above, the necromancer must plunge the dagger into their heart and leave it there. For a period of not less than twenty-four hours, the dagger must remain in place. Following this, it can then be safely removed. The wound will heal and the subject will suffer no adverse physical effects provided all things worked accordingly. The individual must then regurgitate the soul totem. For ghosts and spirits, the dagger must make contact with the soul totem inside their forms. The same length of time and process is then applicable. Success of the binding can be verified once the necromancer is capable of accessing the emotions, thoughts, and will of the intended recipient of the binding.

Soulbound individuals are subject to the will of the individual they are bound to. While many exercise varying degrees of autonomy within that spectrum, in the end their souls and thus they, are subservient to the individual they are bound to. Provided the individual necromancer has the willpower to continue to control their soulbound subjects, the binding will remain intact. Necromancers are cautioned that binding too many to oneself exposes them to being overwhelmed by the combined willpower of those who are bound to them. While the very nature of the soulbind affords the necromancer an advantage over their bound subjects, it is not an infallible and unbreakable link.

[*]Thrall
The creation of a Thrall requires first that the necromancer possess a soulbound servant. The necromancer can force their soulbound servant to possess the body of a dead thing and puppet it as they would their own body. In the case of living soulbound servants already in possession of their own bodies, the necromancer can have them drink ghostwine to achieve this effect. The thrall is akin to wearing a piece of cloth. The soulbound servant can be compelled to leave the body of that which they are possessing at the whim of the necromancer. If they possessed an original body of their own, their soul will return to that body. If they are a spirit or a ghost, they will merely return to the side of their master. Users be warned that while the souls possessing a thrall feel nothing in the way of the physical realm while performing the possession, they are still subject to more aethereal powers, perhaps more so because of the vulnerable state of their soul while performing this feat.

[*]Soul Gems
Considered a decidedly dark practice by most, the act of creating a soul gem is an unpleasant one for the subject. The necromancer must write in blood upon their hands pictography centered around concepts of rending, tearing and grasping. They then coat their hands and arms with ichor that will be absorbed into the skin. Once this is achieved, the necromancer must plunge their hands into the body of the subject, often violently, and are then capable of physically ripping out the soul of the individual. The necromancer can then store the soul into prepared container. Most utilize common gemstones and crystals such as malachite, quartz or in the case of more elaborate containers, a diamond. The container does not need to be a dragonshard but it can be utilized. Exposure to the aether of a dragonshard may have unforeseen consequences, careful study is advised before using them.

The vessel must be inscribed with pictography centered around concepts of absorption, binding, utilization and other such ideas. Each vessel must have been submerged in the necromancer’s ichor for no less than a period of twenty-four hours, longer if the intended soul is particularly powerful. Following this, each vessel must be sufficiently saturated with the power of the necromancer’s soul totem. One hour at a minimum is necessary. The necromancer can then store souls they have grasped into each gem.

Once bound to the gemstone, the soul inside can be used as a fuel source for other purposes if the necromancer so desires. Or it can simply serve as a prison for the individual’s enemies. Soul gems emit ghostly white glows and exude the trademark mist associated with necromancy practices.

[*]Elegant Possession
Necromancers can voluntarily allow themselves to be possessed by ghosts and other spirits. Unlike the common person who is dominated by the invading presence, the necromancer is capable of forming a symbiosis with it. This is achieved merely through the ingestion of their own ichor and the careful grasping of their soul totem. By opening their minds up to the spirit entering their body, the necromancer is able to create a bridge between themselves and the spirit. This allows them to retain control of their body while also benefiting from the presence of the entity now within their body, if such a benefit can be conferred. Hostile entities can be trapped by the necromancer in this same way but caution is advised as the spirit, unless adequately coerced, will undoubtedly continue to seek forceful control at all times.

Advanced practitioners of the elegant possession techniques are able to switch between taking a back-seat and being actively engaged in the possession so to speak. They are able to allow the spirit to take over full motor control of their forms, while willingly offering up support and guidance to the spirit operating their body, including allowing it to utilize any Runes of Magic they might inherently possess. The necromancer is able to seamlessly switch between being in control themselves and allowing the spirit inside them to do so without issue until such time as they chose to expel the spirit from their body, if at all.

Hammer - Hammers for runeforging come in all manner of sizes. They are all the products of runeforging themselves. Each hammer is designed in such a way that when they strike the surface of the object being worked upon, they create a ripple within the aether flow of the item. These ripples can then be guided through careful use of both tongs and other hammers to structure the aether flow in such a way as to enable the properties that make runeforged artifacts magical.

Chisel - Chisels are used to refine very detailed magical pathways into the object that is being worked upon. Alternatively they can be used to break away portions of the object and its pathways in order to be restructured with more extreme precision.

Tongs - Specially crafted tongs that are designed to take hold of the item being worked upon without damaging the fragile aether pathways that are being structured and built into the item. Tongs come in many sizes for uses pertinent to the runesmith’s intentions.

Tonal Fork - Runesmith tuning forks are designed to resonate at certain frequencies that can both guide the magical pathways in an object or confer insight into the status of an object’s stability when crafting.

Mortar and Pestle - For when the likes of a full aether forge are unnecessary, the runesmith’s mortar and pestle can grind up smaller materials into their raw aethereal state for use in crafting.

Aura Glass - Typically crafted from auralyth dragonshards, aura glass is designed to be positioned in front of or around the object that is being worked on. Through it, the runesmith is able to see the item’s aura in order to monitor it for potential problems.

Sorcerer's Glass - Crafted from different types of dragonshards, the purpose of sorcerer's glass is to pass various types of energy through the materials placed either within an aether forge or equivalent. This in turn breaks down the affected reagents into their raw aethereal state so that it may then crystallize into viscerite. Most runesmith's use ordinary aetherite, which is just crystallized aether dragonshards without any significant properties. Other types can be used in order to give added effects to the reagents being broken down.

Anvil - A runesmith’s anvil is typically has a base that is forged from mundane iron that has been covered in pictography designed to charge and assist the forging process. The upper half of the anvil is usually made from aetherite, the most common form of dragonshard available. Aetherite is the preferred dragonshard material due to it being able to channel aether without adding any predetermined properties to the objects being worked on. The upper half of the anvil is removable and can be swapped out for different dragonshard type pieces.

Runesmith’s Workbench - Consisting of a stone slab that has been heavily inscribed with pictography designed to enable the runesmith to work with the raw aether of objects placed upon it. The runesmith’s workbench can be made of any material rightly available to the individual so long as it enables them to perform the tasks they have in mind.

Aether Forge - A special forge designed to break apart that which is placed within it into its raw aethereal state. It requires very careful monitoring and incorporates various aura glass panels to gauge the state of the energies swarming inside of it. It is equipped with the means to dispense molten viscerite into the appropriate containers. Most runesmiths have prepared molds that the molten viscerite can be poured into. These molds are the products of master level Scrivening and are designed to allow the molten viscerite to cool without damaging its potential to be worked with.

Aether Kiln - An oven that has been reinforced with various forms of pictography in order to handle the various energies at work inside of it. The interior can be affixed with differing forms of sorcerer’s glass that pass differing energy types through the objects placed inside the kiln. The kiln has an aura glass incorporated into it to enable the monitoring of the reactions taking place inside of it.

Basin - Used to cool down items that are considered complete by the runesmith. These basins come in all shapes and sizes as would be suitable for the runesmith’s needs. They are filled with water and are outfitted with pictographs that stabilize and solidify the magical pathways that have been built into the artifact that is placed within them.