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Shadowlands Circle Necromancy

Curse of Sands
Cost: 15

The Curse of Sands brings forth the very being of the Southern Underworld to lay waste to Creation itself, summoning up a vast storm of underworld sand which can both kill and confuse. Upon enacting the curse, an area equal to the caster's essence times 100 in yards is engulfed in a supernatural wind storm. Though the caster may direct the storm to begin directly in front of him, behind him or over him, he is not immune to the environmental effects. The wind carries on it the dark black or bone-white sand of the Underworld, ceaselessly raining the grit upon whatever target area the sorcerer desires. For a period of hours equal to the Essence of the Sorcerer, the sandstorm will rage, and when it clears the debris left behind may take months to clean. Art may be defaced and poorly-made building may collapse under the weight of the sand.

Furthermore, underworld sand has unusual qualities. Humans buried underneath the sand and killed are almost certain to rise as Hungry Ghosts. Bodies kept in the sand for only a day or two emerge as though embalmed and dried by a master hand, the sand leeching all moisture they may have contained. Any disease checks made in an area 'contaminated' with a good amount of sand are made at +1 difficulty; any Occultist will observe this phenomina and work quickly to remove the tainted material. The sand itself is saturated with Death Essence, and it is a valuable ingrediant in many Occultish sorceries. Repeated application of the Curse of Sands can speed the transferance of an area into Shadowland.

The Black Gate
Cost: 25

The Black Gate is a form of rapid transit which can only be employed in the Underworld. If this incantation is enacted while within Creation, the words are hollow and have no true power. In the Underworld, however, a dramatic scene unfolds - a screaming mirror with a frame of black oak rises up from the earth, through which the Necromancer may walk to travel anywhere within a number of miles equal to 20 times her essence. A similar mirror manifests at the destination and the Necromancer steps forth. The Necromancer may bring anything or anybody she wishes with her, though the gate is open only three seconds and is invariably eight feet tall by four feet wide.

It is impossible to step through the black mirror into solid rock, and while altitude is a concern, the Exalted can see the intended destination on the other side of the mirror as though it were a window. If the gate was poorly placed, it's a simple matter of recasting the incantation. If unfamiliar with the locale, however, the Necromancer may have to employ trial and error to create a safe link between various locales. In this case, an Intelligence + Survival is needed, with a difficulty determined by the hostility of the terrain.

Bone-Sorting Glance
Cost: 10

With but a glance, the Necromancer commands all remains within eyesight of him to begin hopping, clattering or squirming into rough amalgamations of whatever form they held in life. Via this spell, a mass grave of thousands of individuals can be sorted into individual piles within seconds. These dead cannot be currently animated, obviously, and they must be able to achieve some sort of locomotion in order to reach the desired pile. Bones picked clean will 'hop' until they reach the desired area, but if they are buried more than a foot or two deep, they will probably be unable to escape the soil. If the necromancer desires, bones will grind upon each other until all flesh and skin has been picked free, leaving only pure white remains with strange scrape marks upon them.

Lesser Aspect of Death
Cost: 20

Upon invoking this transformation, a terrible metamorphasis takes place. The flesh of the Necromancer is eaten away by essence maggots. This process takes a little under a minute. When completely devoured, the Necromancer resembles nothing more than an animated skeleton, clearly sentiant by virtue of the pyre-flame motes of light that flicker within her eye sockets. No trace of her former being remains - not a shred of flesh survives the unmaking, and she is entirely a creature of bone and fire. If the Abyssal is already skeletal, this may not imply a very profound change.

This form provides a number of interesting advantages. First, lethal and bashing soak are increased by 3. The Exalted may soak lethal damage with her full stamina. The Necromancer becomes immune to disease and poison for the duration of the enchantment and she no longer needs to breathe, though she will still regain essence as though she was respirating. If she was ill upon the invoking of the Aspect of Death, the sickness will abate for the duration of the spell, yet return when it passes. Furthermore, for the duration of the enchantment, the Exalt may add 1 to all physical attributes (even if this raises them above 5). Hand to hand attacks from the character spread disease as per the undead in the Main Exalted rulebook. She may also cause lethal damage with her bone fingers, and block lethal damage without penalty.

The skeletal form of a Necromancer weighs substantially less than her flesh-clad body. A Necromancer who uses the Lesser Aspect of Death is obviously very difficult to recognise. Twenty-four hours after the spell is enacted it will come to an end, blood and viscera reweaving themselves over the skeletal necromancer until she is whole again. An Abyssal under the influence of Lesser Aspect of Death is completely vulnerable to all wards and effects which are useful against mundane undead.

Labyrinth Circle Necromancy

Evoke Shadowland
Cost: 20, +1 Mote per square foot

This spell allows a Deathknight to bring forth a Shadowland into Creation, though it does not allow the construction of particularly large sites without great quantities of essence. Even given such an incantation, Shadowlands cannot be created just anywhere... a number of ingrediants are necassary to ensure that the dark can be properly summoned.

A sympathetic link to the underworld is the first requirement, and this is often found in the burial sites of the living. The unquiet resting places of those who have been layed to rest without final rites are ideal for this purpose, but even concecrated land will suffice so long as the location has served as burial ground recently. The Sorcerer must stand directly over the grave and desecrate it, either through ritual incantation or other means. A living sacrifice must be dedicated to the Shadowland, to provide the Underworld a link into Creation.

The ritual is, at this point, complete... but the Shadowland cannot be created until a sacrifice is made in the Underworld, as well. The sacrifice of the living victim ensures that the Underworld develops a reflection of the site in question (if one doesn't exist already). Now, all that is needed to complete the incantation is for some sort of spectral or plasmic entity to be Obliviated within the Underworld over the same ritual alter or mark that the living victim died upon in the land of the living. Once this final step is complete, a Shadowland will be formed, with dimensions determined by how much essence the Sorcerer initially devoted to the spell.

Greater Aspect of Death
Cost: 35

Upon invoking this transformation, a terrible metamorphasis takes place. The flesh of the Necromancer is eaten away by essence maggots. The creatures are voracious, and the entire process takes less than three turns. When completely devoured, the Necromancer becomes an animate skeleton, enveloped with a nimbus of underworld energy. For the duration of the charm, the Abyssal will display an anima as if he had spent 8 motes of essence. This spell prevents the typical Abyssal stigmata, but a Castemark is still visible as a bale-glowing brand upon the skeletons forehead.

This sorcerous form is much more powerful than the lesser Aspect of Death. First, both lethal and bashing soak are increased by 8. The Exalt is rendered immune to any damage that does less than 8 full wound levels, as per Invulnerable Skin of Bronze. Likewise, the Necromancer need no longer breathe (though, if applicable, she will still regain essence from resperation) and she is entirely immune to the ravages of poison and disease. She is likewise no longer succeptable to fire or cold damage. All physical attributes are raised by two for the duration of the enchantment. While using the spell, the Abyssal may hover over the ground at a height of about six inches. This prevents her from being knocked down or losing her footing. Those foolhardy enough to clinch the Greater Aspect of Death immediately take automatic lethal damage equal to the essence of the Abyssal sorcerer, soakable only by stamina. Each point of damage so inflicted gives the Abyssal a point of essence as soul-energy streams out of the victim.

An Abyssal evoking the Greater Aspect of Death may demanifest in a fashion very similar to that which ghosts employ. This costs no essence initially, yet it is not without risk, since remanifesting and taking on a physical form again requires an expenditure of essence equal to the full, unmodified personal essence pool of the Exalt. If the Abyssal is unwilling or unable to pay this cost, she must wait until she has the motes required. If she is unable to resperate essence, this may involve a trip to a Shadowland or the Underworld. Sorcery cannot be invoked while demanifested.

The skeletal form of a Necromancer weighs substantially less than her flesh-clad body. A Necromancer who uses the Greater Aspect of Death is obviously very difficult to recognise. Twenty-four hours after the spell is enacted it will come to an end, blood and viscera reweaving themselves over the skeletal necromancer until she is whole again. An Abyssal under the influence of Lesser Aspect of Death is completely vulnerable to all wards and effects which are useful against mundane undead.

The Blood Amalgam
Cost: 15+ Motes

Many expect the undead to be lumbering horrors, stumbling about flaking flesh and dissolving into putrid goo. This assumption serves most Ghost Hunters well, yet not all undead can be classified by this single stereotype. Necromancy is an advanced and complicated art which has devised methods for creating hundreds of specialty servents, and one of the most fearsome of these is the Blood Amalgam.

The Ritual of the Blood Amalgam takes several hours, requiring a number of ingrediants. Foremost amongst them is the human who will become a Blood Amalgam, who must be willing to endure the procedure after having at least a vague understanding of what it entails. Other common ritual impliments are also needed, including bone dust and human (or Abyssal) blood. At the apex of the ritual, the victim is slain and the Abyssal shapes the necromantic essence gathered into an animating force which will serve the Amalgam forevermore.

After a victim becomes a Blood Amalgam, he is undead. He is affected by all powers and wards which have power over the dead and he can never be returned to life. His high and low soul are trapped outside of the cycle of reincarnation. Any traditional motes posessed by the victim are immediately and forever lost. The light of the unconquered sun will blind an Amalgam if they walk in daylight, and therefore many of these creatures are nocturnal by nature. A Blood Amalgam becomes incapable of resperation, though it may choose to continue breathing, and it no longer feels sexual desire, though it may choose to continue having sex. Amalgams are entirely unable to consume traditional food and drink lest they vomit immediately after. Because an Amalgam may retain many human emotions, these peculiar traits can often cause significant mental distress.

However, a Blood Amalgam also enjoys several advantages. Every Blood Amalgam has the charm 'Essence Engorgement Technique' as if they had taken it once, even if they do not have prerequisite Survival skill. This gives the Amalgam a potential essense pool of 10 motes. Furthermore, in a fashion similar to the Celestial spell Imbue Amalgam, a Blood Amalgam may also purchase advanced powers in the form of increased attributes, skills and charms. Just as with the spell Imbue Amalgam, the caster need not posess the charms given to the Blood Amagalm. Unlike the spell Imbue Amalgam, these charms may -only- be Abyssal in nature, regardless of what type of Exalt initially creates the Amalgam. The costs and mechanics used are identical to those of the Imbue Amalgam sorcery, as per Book of Three Circles and the updated Bo3C Errata.

The only exception to this is that unlike Imbue Amalgam, the essence a Blood Amalgam has is always treated as Blood Feast essence. It is not regained through resperation, hearthstones or stunting. No merit can alter this immutable facet of the Amalgams existance. Only essence-draining charms or drinking blood will replenish this pool. Furthermore, an Alalgam must spend 1 mote per day to animate itself. If it cannot afford this cost, the Amalgam will be so fatigued it will sleep nine out of every ten hours and suffer -4 wound penalties perpetually while awake until it can spend the essence required. Blood Amalgams do not generate anima banners.

Blood Amalgams are immortal, and they no longer age. Furthermore, they do not need food, though all report a ravenous hunger for blood which is exceedingly difficult to resist (Temperance roll at difficulty 1 whenever Blood Feast falls below 3 and the opportunity to feed presents itself). Blood Amalgams may spend essence to sprout fangs as Abyssal Exalted do, though this costs them only one mote instead of three. They cannot retract these fangs until another mote is spent. They may likewise feast upon mortals in a fashion similar to the Abyssal Exalted, though they may not consume flesh (only drink blood). Blood Amalgams do not heal naturally. However, they may spend 1 essence per wound to heal lethal damage or bashing damage. This requires a turn of unbroken concentration. Aggravated damage requires a full eight hours of rest and a willpower point as well as 5 essence to heal.

Blood Amalgams are completely aware and intelligent, and many believe they are the same being they once were in life. However, the Amalgam exists in an unnatural state even by the liberal standards of the undead. Amalgams can become dangerously unstable. Each time an Amalgam severly compromises a virtue they hold dear, it must roll the virtue it has offended at a difficulty determined by the Storyteller (Generally 1-3). If this roll botches, the Amalgam permenantly lowers that virtue by one point.

As virtues become lower, it becomes more difficult to offend them. A virtue with a rating of 1 cannot be compromised except by the most cowardly, selfish and senseless of acts. Amalgams who reach a rating of 0 in a virtue are known to become irrevocably mad, like feral zombies drunk with the joy of killing. No Amalgam has ever recovered from this condition.

Amalgam may spawn. In order to accomplish this, an Amalgam must find a human mortal on the verge of death. This victim need not be willing or even aware of the fate in store for him. If the Amalgam allows the dying mortal to drink 1L health level's worth of her blood, that human will rise as an Amalgam upon the moment of death. This Amalgam is created in the exact same fashion as the original, except that it is created as though it had 10 fewer motes devoted to the casting. If this means that the base cost of Blood Amalgam cannot be payed, the corpse will not rise. Blood Amalgam created through this method may only learn charms posessed by its creator, and they may only increase abilities or attributes that the creator has likewise increased. The creator chooses what powers and charms the newly created being enjoys. This 'second generation' Amalgam is also capable of spawning, though of course the resulting child will be even weaker.

Amalgam may not purchase Charms with XP, though they may raise essence as a Ghost does with similar cost. If the Necromancer wishes to change the powers and attributes of an Amalgam, he may, but the spell must be cast again to reforge the old creation. In this way, loyal servants may be rewarded with more power while troublemakers are stripped of rank and privilage. Some theorize that an Amalgam might be able to develop supernatural charms which are unique to them, but these would undoubtadly be substantially weaker than the Abyssal charms imbued in them upon creation. Few Amalgams have enjoyed enough freedom to investigate rumors of such peculiar Disciplines.

Some Necromancers have experimented with imbuing flaws in an Amalgam in order to grant them greater power or otherwise dominate them. Such flaws manifest as a constant resonance effect which never fades, though these effects are generally less dramatic than those the Abyssal Exalted display. At the Storyteller's discretion, such flaws may give the Amalgam access to more points as though a greater quantity of essence was spent upon creation, in proportion with the curse selected. For example, the curse of never showing a reflection might allow an Amalgam to be created as though one more point had been used in the casting, while the curse of eternal rotting might allow them to enjoy two more points.

Void Circle Necromancy

The Doom of Armies
Cost: 75

When the Deathlords tire of confrontation on the surface, the Doom of Armies is unleashed to draw closer those foolhardy enough to challenge them. The Doom of Armies manifests as a swirling black mist which envelops the caster, clinging to her like a fearsome tornado of black ash. Upon the culmination of the necromancy, this fearsome mist rushes out to envelop the battleground, blinding all creatures present before dragging them into the depths of the Underworld. Any living thing within a number of miles equal to the casters essence is affected, though only manifested entities are taken. All creatures effected are transported into the Underworld.

Creation holds a great deal of life. Even an area only a few miles wide contains billions of living things, and the slightest taste of living essence is enough to drive most Ghosts into a maddened frenzy of hunger. Few armies can survive long in the Underworld, where even the most benign of creatures thirsts for living essence. Underworld Predators are drawn from miles around by the scent of living blood, and an orgy of consumption ensues. All flora and fauna will be devoured within a day, and mortals fare little better unless they are capable of defending themselves. Even Tyrant Lizards and other savage animals are quickly overwhelmed by the hunger of the damned. Those protected by powerful wards might have some measure of safety, but they will be stranded unless a Shadowland can be located.