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Fantasy Arcane Epistles

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Observations on Spindlesap
Sinnvane

The spindlesap of the eponymous wood has been a mystery for as long as these lands have known civilization. These woods have been a thorn in the side of Balgamor for long enough, and I have recently made an expedition within their lightless depths to uncover their secrets, and perhaps discover some use for them, or failing that, at least some means of destroying the damnable things so that the cloying strands may be removed far from the boundaries of farmsteads and meadows now so plagued by the marauding spiders who make themselves so at home in the damnable woods.

To begin with, I have dissected one of the spiders felled in the expedition to retrieve its spinnerets and compared the fluid extruded from it to that of nearby webs, then cut down one of the spindlesap trees to investigate the veins of spindlesap running through its rings. Comparison between the two makes it clear that though both of these substances are sticky and pale, they have very few similarities otherwise. The spider webs are spun in strands behind the spider, as is often observed in the more common sort as fits in the palm of the hand and may be found in walls or gardens of even the most well-kept of buildings, and as such these webs tend to be long and slender things, of lighter hue and glistening in the light, often spun into great webs between trees in which I have discovered the emaciated corpses of many birds, rabbits, and in some larger cases even deer, wolves, and a great grizzly bear. Though I say the webs are slender, their thickness varies depending upon the spider who spins them, and the larger creatures are trapped in webs spun by proportionately larger spiders.

Contrariwise, spindlesap is of a darker grey color and extrudes itself from the spindlesap trees, hanging off of them like moss and gathered into clumps like foam at the crest of a wave, only grey and snaring. While the danger of being stuck in a spindlesap web and devoured by the spiders of the forest is well known, and the occasional ancient corpse of some unfortunate peasant with more courage than wisdom attests to the spinlesap trees' ability to ensnare outsiders, local animals are almost never found caught in the foam of the branches. When they are, I have found they are always at the outskirts of the forest, which makes me suspect that when animals are caught in spindlesap, it is animals who live outside and are driven into the forest, perhaps fleeing a predator.

Not all spiders spin their thread into a traditional net-shaped web. I have found tunnels whose interiors are covered in the lighter webs of the spiders, and though the dense-packed netting causes the webs to blend into one another like soup mixing in a pot, the edges of the webs, where they meet the surrounding soil, show clear signs of being formed of individual strands. The subterranean spiders are simply much more thorough than the arboreal ones, it seems, I suspect because the subterranean spiders seek to create lairs which only spiders can enter, while the arboreal ones are laying traps that they hope their prey will not see. Certainly the thin strands can be difficult to spot without the aid of bright lights, in which the webs glisten, and the thickly packed trees of Spindlesap Forest, with all gaps in branches filled in by the dense clusters of spindlesap upon them, allows no sunlight to penetrate. I cannot recommend venturing into Spindlesap Forest under any circumstances, but at minimum one should certainly not even consider journeying there without a reliable light source, a powerful lantern at least and preferably some magical form of illumination.

Further study of the spindlesap and how the spiders interact with it will, I believe, require some of the spiders captured and some of the trees dug up and transported to where a secure enclosure can be constructed. While the Dame Commander of Balgamor has offered her resources to assist, I fear the industrial runoff of the region may prove detrimental to the health of the trees, the spiders, or both. In many ways this is reassuring, but it would be a great waste of the risk and effort of retrieving the trees if they withered and died before a proper study of them could be completed. As such, I hope to find a place for such an enclosure somewhere on the academy grounds.
New hex: 04,07: Spindlesap Forest. A forest full of giant spiders of several different varieties. In addition to the webs of the spiders, the trees themselves extrude spindlesap, a web-like substance that coats most of their trunks and branches and blots out the sun.
 
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Research of The Decaying Swamp
Nyraloi

The vast reaches of the Decaying Swamp are for the most part unexplored. I recently have performed an expedition into this land. The suspected cathedral at the center of this land has in the past been a mystery. I ventured into it myself. Upon entering the cathedral I saw something rather odd. At the center of the cathedral stood a chalice. Adorned in black gemstones and obsidian. I approached the chalice and looked into it. Which is where I found it full of blood. Of what derived from I could not and still cannot ascertain. Upon coming within arms reach of the chalice I heard something outside. A great screech and a roar. Not dark and deep as one might expect. But it rang inside the mind. As if touching upon your very soul. Its effect on me was minimal since well I don't have one. But the effect on my crew was evident. I then saw it come through the cathedral's front door. An amalgamation of bone and rotting flesh. Strew together to form a large behemoth. Which I have now taken to naming a Vaserot (Rotting Horror). The creature charged to attack. I approached it as I drew my sword. But then it suddenly stopped. Only a few paces ahead of me. Seemingly recognizing my undead nature. It then reared back and left the cathedral. After a minute or two we could no longer hear its footsteps. While my crew was taking the chalice for study I continued my observations. I looked outside through one of the broken windows. The swamp extended as far as the eye could see. Mangrove trees dotted the landscape. As did many differing water grasses. Many natural predators lurk here. Crocodiles, Alligators, Pythons, and much more. But many magical creatures dwell here too. I spotted a slime not too far away. It was devouring a nearby deer. Covering the corpse of the deer in itself. Decaying it rapidly and efficiently. Seemingly using some kind of acidic property. I took note of how it seemed able to sense heat. Despite not having any eyes or optical organs. Seems this sense is magical in nature. That is all I had time for, unfortunately. As night was rising. And to be in the Decaying Swamp during the night is not wise. For just about every creature is more active. And many other creatures come out of their lairs. The most common examples are ghouls, blood-sucking plants, corpse flowers, and wights.


The Rotting Horror
An amalgamation of flesh and bone. Stands roughly 7 feet high and 3 feet wide. Walks with 4 rotting legs. Seemingly human or at least humanoid in nature. Has 3 skeletal heads which emit incoherent noises seemingly at all times. Has 8 rotting arms which seem eerily human. Uses these both for movement and interaction with objects/entities. Capable of speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Possesses some kind of higher intellect. Seemingly incapable of speech. The screech which was noted by my living crew members has been documented. This power seems to only affect (at least to a great degree) living organisms. And causes a sense of fear and is also how the creature senses potential food. Further research is required. Further actions will include capturing an instance and studying said instance. Advise extreme caution if you see this creature as the creature is both unpredictable and potentially hostile. The bones of the creature bear a resemblance to bark. Which the creature uses to its advantage to hunt prey.
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The Chalice
Has been taken into my study for research. It is adorned with exactly 9 black gemstones. Which I have determined are some variation of magical quartz. The blood from within the chalice has been taken to the biological (orange) department for study. Most of the chalice is made of a kind of black stone. Seemingly similar in properties to normal stone. And seem to pulse with light every now and then. Obsidian can also be found in decorating patterns around the 9 gemstones. The chalice exudes an aura of purple energy. Other energies are present however I have been unable to detect what they are. The chalice has been placed in the Purple Viewing Gallery for students to view. Direct interaction with the chalice however is limited (for now) to me and a select number of students and assistants.
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The Cathedral
It is almost constantly patrolled by varying undead. Lies in the direct center of the Decaying Swamp. Surrounded by murky waters. No notable magical or physical notes. Advise no entry into the cathedral until more studies of its structural integrity are made.

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New monster: The Rotting Horror
New location: The Abandoned Cathedral
New Item: The Black Chalice
 
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He Who Walks Behind, Or Why You Should Always Bring an Angel Bodyguard​
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Published by: Astrophel
Editor: Solaire(Astrophel's earliest sketch of him, photo, right)
"mgleth fm'latgh li ke fm'latghor. Ng h' tas tes li ke bekatua. Ymg' ah rec all ahh c' l' mgepnog fahf agl? ahor ymg' f' mggoka'ai vulgtmogg, ahor ymg' f' mgr'luh throdog spirs, ahh esker onez llll hh' h' ongi etorria c'? mgng h' ah nafl llllw'nafh, h' ephaimgsyha'h ah llllw'nafh. Mgephai h' doluak, ng mgephai h' ilyaa yogfm'log. "

Translated by Constantine Solaire(and many more names): "The truth burns like fire. And it tastes like sin. Do you recall how we came to this place? Can you hear their songs, can you see their great spires, how gratefully with which it welcomed us? But it is not enough, it will never be enough. Still it mourns, and still it awaits the sun."
A most curious discovery was made tonight! What has began as a mere experiment has unfolded marvellously, in ways even I cannot describe.

We have known of the skies and the heavens, of the earth and its shadows, but what of the things that lurk beneath? What of the things that go bump in the light, what of the dreams of things that do not dream? The rites of the world and wonders have been long since kept unknown to us, the dreams of things man was not meant to know.

As Sol has said: "Astrophel, you are a fool", I have decided to undertake a venture into these depths unknown, and these words immovable. The ruins of Carcasonne have been an elusive subject for decades, why, even centuries, if the legends hold true. As Solaire has described, the bricks of Carcasonne were old when the tarasque's very scales were young, and this realm's great foundations yet to be laid. They say Caiphon itself shines upon this elusive plane, the ruins of grand temples of crumbling stone.

What glorious secrets could these ancient ruins hold?

After being informed of a most curious location by Solaire's own flighty adventures at teatime(I teleported him on accident once, I apologize most fervently for such, thank the Heavens he can literally regenerate), I have made haste to explore this land of eternal darkness. The Ruins of Bolothamogg has been left undisturbed for centuries, the eternal darkness that shrouds the land and the dampening of surronding magicks have made it the most tedious journey to explore. The temple of grand city Carcasonne, if they hold true, should have been recorded in this once grand library's shelves.

The first temple upon the borders of Bolothamogg was a disappointment. There was nothing of note within its rotting halls and crumbling sculptures, nothing but silence, and the faintest hint of decay. Solaire seemed to be ill at ease for the most part, his light strangely dampened by some unknown force. Along our visit to the library, unfortunately, we were a tad sidetracked...

[Her chaotic writing breaks off here, replaced by Solaire's clear, cursive script.]

The temple of Bolothamogg. The abyss in between stars. Honored by coliseums and roofless buildings, who guard what man is not meant to know. Its fetid scents scour my very own feathers from their joints. The statues we encountered were mummified, their forms dried and pasted, their bones ground to paste and plastered within scripts of their foul magicks. I did not introduce these mummified horrors to the students Lady Astrophel had brought along her. As frightened as they were, they had been under the delusion the presence of a Celestial would drive off the darkness before them. How foolish. We of the Upper Sphere and the things Orange brings to being are not so different. We were all made from the same celestial broth where eons break. Death is not merely reserved for the mortals, you know. Allow me to introduce you to his spawn.

Edit by Astra: Sol! TOO MUCH DETAIL!

The Things He Left Behind: The mummified corpses were held together by nothing but time, and one crumbled upon my touch. The dust of it's corpse that I inhaled tasted not quite unlike the nectar of Tartarus, from when I had ventured to its depths upon thunder and hail during ancient Celestial wars. I am not quite fond of those memories.

Their forms were, to put it bluntly, unavailable for translation into common speech. The closest you had to describe it would be as Astrophel had listed so helpfully above, a cat, a dog, a fish, whatever say you, or a chimera of them all. No touch of the stars can affect one of their kin, and if I had the capacity to do so, I would have been heavily offended by its mere gall to continue existing. How cruel and unusual. Many punishments await a servant of a failed god. Some include being locked in the heart of a dead star, where each second is a century, and lifespans are measured in the deaths of galaxies. These are not idle threats, and before these things of ancient dust, they knew to shy away from my light. They do not bear the same caution with mortals.

Its effect on the students Lady Astrophel had chosen to bring within her was immediate. One laughed nervously as their professor reached out to unravel one of the mummies, during which I was engaged in the quite therapeutic activity of correcting the grammar errors on the R'Lyehian runes before us. There was, for instance, no R'Lyehian term for "such as".

I found something intriguing. "Still it mourns, and still it awaits the sun." That is not the chant of Carcasonne, or as fellow Cherubim like I have called it, Krc'sa Chamonleth. That is not a chant from the words of the King, nor the speech of the Upper Spheres, where the sun shines eternally.

How strange. How curious. Unfortunately, Lady Astrophel had other plans.

[Solaire's cursive ends, replaced by Astrophel's scraggly script]
I am mightily tired of writing. I will speak the rest of it now.

[Vocal Recording converted to article via Constantine Solaire's transcription]
In my defence, it was an honorable incident. I tried to unwrap one of the mummies in the alcoves, because, as I said, we got sidetracked searching for the library. The first two fell apart in my hands, and during the third one(while Sol was presumably arguing with the dead over the proper conjugation of "to be like" in R'Lyehian), one of my students offered to take over. The third one fared much better, and we were able to uncover this creature's face, torso, and upper half.

And by great grand-daddy Barbatos' pike, what a face it was! I had thought them lost, scorched from the face of this earth itself eons before sentient life learnt to walk. It was the face of a reptile, with the body that resembled an alligator(a student would later politely inform me that it was actually a crocodile, not an alligator), with similar appearance to that the seal. Roughly the size of a large infant, their forelegs were similar to humans, yet each limb tipped with pincers, their contours scoured by preservation and decay. They were like a cat, a bulldog, a satyr, a human, a serpent, a horned devil, a noseless beast and alligator-like jaws along with pincers and limbs that protruded like decor from its prehensile torsos. They were clad in what had been once the finest of fabrics, wreathed in gorgeous jewellery any rogue would have wanted to rob. But it was not wealth I sought. They had symbols, things tattooed to those indescribable faces, words and runes in ancient prayers and patterns the light of the earth have forgotten.

The student uncovering this dead, serene face held it at arm's length. I heard a happy, excited squeal the moment the runes were revealed, and proceeded to swiftly drop the bundle I was holding upon the sound of her high-pitched, painful scream. She too dropped her bundle, and it fell and splintered into dust and bones, but not before shaking something she held in the clutches of a blackened left hand.

It was those runes, those beautiful, blasted runes. The runes carved and tattooed into that things' nameless skin. It must have been torn off when Caerwyn had dropped it, and weakened by decay and rot, it had simply sheared straight off. The words crawled like insects over her skin, the impromptu flayed trophy she held up putrefying and turning into a blackened residue. It flowed like goo over her clenched fist, the words quickly spreading and slithering over her arm. I heard a roar, a flare of bright light, and the next thing I knew was a brilliant, golden flare as something impossibly heavy yet light crashed into my chest, and it was through this terrible, distant fog when I heard the screams begin.

Solaire tackled me to the ground, his form a gilded blur of pale, his lack of a face making it impossible for me to argue over how utterly unnecessary this action was. In all serious, he doesn't even have a mouth! Just a bunch of eyes. I don't even know how that works.

Ah, I digress. Caerwyn was screaming, Solaire had just tackled me to the ground and was burning my existence from the face of this earth by the existence of his every-so-holy flames(did I mention he was also on fire? Like....constantly?). I barked at the remaining students to get back and they scattered, their scurrying movements bringing down some of the nearby mummies. I heard them fall and crumble like bundles of brittle twigs. By then, Solaire had grabbed me and two other nearby students, and tossed them back. (One would end up with a fractured rib, which is covered under Angel Clause 172.3, and presumably immediately healed by Solaire's Lay on Hands or his healing aura.) As for Sol himself, his everchanging form had transformed again, into something even I cannot name, except for the fact it had roughly a dozen very sharp wings, a few hundred eyes a absolutely terrifying crown(or maybe those or antlers, I didn't get a good look at him). Also, he was on holy fire. Again.

That blasted angel had approached the still-screaming Caerwyn, who was now holding out her arm like it was burning, because well, it was burning. I have no other words to describe it. Instead of pure blackness, it was...simply nothing. Sometimes, I swore I could almost poke my tail-...er my totally-existent-spellcasting focus through her limb. The words were crawling up to her shoulder now, and in its wake they left nothing but black tendrils, her skin turning grey like the mummies, and slowly growing scales. I screamed at my students to get back and for Solaire to stop approaching like she was some kind of shoggoth trying to eat my soul, and hastily uttered the enchantment of the Seven Chains.

Praised be Asmodeus that Caerwyn was never a strong fighter. She stopped struggling right away, mostly because the chains had wrapped themselves around her arm and started pinning it to the floor, partially because Solaire had decided to charge forwards and slam what felt like a literal ton of Celestial-born steel, weaponary and starlight and whatever Celestial Spears are made of into the back of her skull, which had curiously begin being scrawled over with runes as well. And crying blackened blood through the left side of her face while growing scales. (Don't forget that.)

She was out like a light, crumbling to the floor, and Solaire was prodding at the remains of her blackened left side with his spear. I was snapped from my staring stupor at the sensation of the earth rumbling before my hooves- er...feet. It felt like my grandfather Greater Demon Ska- er...my grandfather, some exiled Great Duke, whenever he started snoring. Gathering what wits had remained from the encounter, I ordered my students to prepare lesser versions of the Seven Chains enchantment as I dropped the spell, hastily commanding everyone outside before something worse happened. Caerwyn would need to recuperate, and I have no intentions of being tackled by an angel ever again. I grabbed her(praised be my...uh....very strong genetics), and lead the way out, charging fast enough to probably make my grandfather proud(if he could ever feel any emotion except for rage). We hightailed it out of the library and carried Caerwyn back to the nearby campsite where a temporary medical station could be set up while we observed the effects of the rot. It had transferred itself to her elven hair too, bleaching it and transforming it into the most hideous white. Entire strands of intricately braided loops were already falling and coming undone from her left side, the entire eye socket looks hollow, as if her eyeball had sunken into her skull. She was barely breathing, and I temporarily placed her into the Seven Chain's coma while we attempted to figure out a reversal for her condition. Solaire stood at the side and refused any interaction, although did admit even his Celestial interference could not undo what was done.

“That which was damaged by the beyond cannot be healed by them.” were his exact words. How curious. Did he know of these creatures beforehand?

“I will neither confirm nor deny those accusations.”, he answered and then he walked away. Damn Celestials!

Caerwyn now rests in her temporary slumber, and I will not rest until I find a way to reverse hers. The chains binding her seem to have halted the infestation, although the runes crawling over her are mostly indecipherable to us all. To my best knowledge, they speak of kings and ruin, the edge at the light of sleep, and some kind of candle that burns. With marked reluctance Solaire has decided to join our cause despite his marked lack of actual magic. There is not much he can do, but I appreciate the sentiment. This mission may have ended in a failure, but it is not yet lost. The cure for Caerwyn's affliction is within my grasp, and it is now only a race against time.

Caerwyn will be fine. I promised her this before putting her to sleep. Remember, when the nights are long, and seemingly endless, there is always another dawn.

“That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons, even death may die.”

New hex: 11,12
The temple of Bolothamogg. Or, rather, the part that is visible to mortal eyes.
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    • To whom it may concern,

      As per the academy's request, this letter will seek to inform students interested in the upcoming field trip selection about the region of Mystrise. One thing I must mention before I begin, however, is that I do       not recommend choosing Mystrise for your field trip. Nonetheless, I am all too aware that such warnings are bound to fall on many deaf ears. Whether my blue quiddity fellow's own quirks, the whims of orange quiddity mages, the resolution of the red quiddity... Well, elaborating further would be meaningless. I shall simply hope that a proper presentation of the facts will be sufficient to appeal to the sense of even those most lacking in it.

      Like many blue-quiddity regions, Mystrise was on first impression believed to be the exact opposite, an orange-quiddity region. The difference between the unknown and the unknowable is often hard to discern at a glance. It was only after extensive employment of Arcsis Cenma'Fli that the make-up and origin of the regional distortions was uncovered. Although much remains to be studied, the region's particular number of links with a few other realms was a big factor in many of those phenomena.

      As an example, take the Maze Walls. They appear to be made of some form of basalt and have an uncanny familiar look and texture. They have stopped many on their tracks, and many hunters went home empty-handed after finding a Maze Wall suddenly appeared between them and the injured animal. The thing about the Maze Wall, however, is that if one does not believe the wall to be there (for instance, by failing to notice it) they will be able to pass through it. I must stress that these walls are not in fact illusions. They do exist and do physically impede people. Observers may also find floating windows or curtains, the top of castle towers without the rest of the tower, and strangely deep lakes in the shape of a circumference. These have found to be all the product of a leak from an entryway to Nemuflia, a dreamlike realm with a number of castles. Thus far no sentient creatures were identified from it, though it's properties are akin to the Maze Wall: It's substance is dependent on one's acknowledgement of it.

      Those of you studying with the blue quiddity or medical departments may have heard that studying Nemuflia offered great breakthroughs in the study of the so-called Lascination sickness. This illness's symptoms were believed to consist of hallucinations followed by grievous and often fatal injuries. The belief despite evidence that these injuries were self-inflicted, combined with the most common spread being to those closest to the victim, the youngest they had contact with, and those seeking to provide them treatment, made it to the disease often went untreated. Only after the exploration into Nemuflia was the cause discovered to be Nemufian Walllowers, a faceless humanoid with stretched limbs as thin as rope and long knife-like fingers whose own properties prevent them from being perceived by anyone except the initial victim and those that believe them about the Wallflower's existence. Particular acts of generosity make them grow attached to people of the material realm, from which point they constantly follow the victim and attack those that try to expose them. Dealing with the lifeform or breaking it's attachment were two solutions that could only be discovered once Nemuflia's nature - and that of the Wallflower - was uncovered. It should be no surprise that Mystrise is one of the prime spots for Lascination sickness.

      A number of strange occurrences in Mystrise can be blamed on pixies, who come from the bordering Great Glintwood Forest. The Great Glintwood Forest (so named by the tempting glints people spotted as they passed by it, only to become trapped inside for the rest of their lives) is one of the entrypoints to the fae realm. Pixies themselves are a type of fairy possessing green and blue quiddities (fairy species tend to be possess a green quiddity and often a second, except for the apply-named red fairies), and are renowned as pranksters with a love of tricking people into unfavorable unbreakable promises. If any student reading this thought of the similarity to certain kinds of demon, it is a good comparison to keep in mind, as dealing with either is a bad idea. A certain student of mine could most definitely learn such a lesson. Unlikely, alas.

      The presence of fae has a distinct effect on plant life. The Curlbell (a curly plant with a number of pea-like structures growing all along the stem) has become quite common, for example. There are also a variety of plants that respond to emotional and other such stimuli, such as by changing color or blooming in response to certain emotional states. Between those and the purple rivers from the abundant mana sources in the region, it can be a paradise for a well-prepared alchemist (albeit hell for an unprepared one, as I hope the wittier students are beginning to grasp). Ents, dryads and other-plant based sentient life can of course not be disregarded either, though they tend to live closer to the borders. Some variants of such life do sometimes emerge in the interior of the region as well, however.

      One goldsap branch I will reach to you is that the few inhabitants of the region have a habit of placing several layers of wards around their homes - including the place I myself inhabit, which I will get to shortly - so don't be shocked when you see all the ward-placing stones adorning the streets of villages and around those villages.

      The realm Mystrise probably has the greatest link to however, is known to blue quiddity mages as       Cenmna Noris Krie'Auon or Cenokriau for short. True to its connection to blue quiddity, this realm is only partially naturally formed, as its made up of the collective minds of sapient beings. Its form is influenced by all of them, mixes them and outputs something in between that is both foreign and familiar. Hope and despair, dreams and aspirations, concepts, ideas, our very identities and worldviews, all condensed in a single realm. Interfering with it is not to interfere with a single mind, but with all of them. Fortunately, any lasting direct impact on Cenokriau remains for the moment purely hypotheticals and speculation, though the very existence of such a connection to enter it presents worries in of itself. Large-scale impacts in mindset throughout the world can also affect Cenokriau's landscape. Widespread panic, for instance, can create dangerous creatures.

      Cenokriau's main inhabitants - resembling living dolls of insect-like humanoids seen through a broken mirror - do not really leave it, and busy themselves with their own lives and hierarchy often ignoring visitors entirely. One phenomenon that tends to occur, making regions connected with Cenorkriau excellent for certain militant meditation, is bring out phantom images of one's own worries, hopes or the like, internal concepts given form by the strength of one's focus. It should be noted these are representations, however. A strong focus on a hero's blade might not bring out a sacred sword, but perhaps a creature covered in holy blades that attempts to embrace the seeker. Even if one did obtain the sword, as this is an internal concept it has very little influence on Cenokriau, let alone on Cenokriau's influence on the connected region, it certainly wouldn't live up to par.

      Then there's conceptual creatures. These are not created from the minds of those who come close, but pour directly from Cenokriau onto Mystrise. Many of these take forms reminiscent of animals or animal-like creatures though their features and behavior are largely defined by the concept from which they are formed. Although they are an excellent source of blue mana, they are illusive to catch, but not a rare sight in many regions of Mystrise.

      As I am running out of space, I shall continue on the next letter sent alongside this one.

      I wish you the best,


      Obsiniam Aquantis

      Dean of Blue Quiddity, Imperial-Seal Crafter
      ​
      blackseal crop.png


[ Travel Log ]
New Hex: 12.01


Mentions: @sunsmither
Might Also Want to Read: N/A


 
The Beginnings of Necromancy
Nyraloi

Many have asked where to begin in Necromancy. What to know, what to cast, what to practice, and so on. Here I have compiled everything a new necromancer needs to know. And for those simply curious this is a good place to start as well.

Apprentice Necromancer Spells

Prevent/Cause Decay (1 Purple)

Upon casting the user touches, points to, or otherwise acknowledges a nearby corpse. The corpse does not decay. And reverts to a form with the least amount of visible decay. If it is not already in this state. A corpse affected by this spell also does not attract animals that eat corpses (such as carrions). And animals will not eat the corpse. This effect lasts indefinitely or until dismissed by the caster. The spell can be removed if the spell is cast on the corpse again. Thus causing decay once more. This spell cannot be cast on a skeleton or corpse with little to no flesh.

Notes: A corpse affected by this spell can still be raised as an undead. And once it becomes an undead decay resumes at a normal rate. These kinds of undead are usually more intelligent (due to more brain matter being present) and flexible (due to less decay).
Speak with Dead (2 Purple)

When cast the user names a dead person that the caster knew personally. The caster must have a personal item that was of significant personal importance to the dead person. The selected person's souls come up from the underworld. They take the form of glowing orbs of light (or balls of darkness). The caster is allowed to speak with them for up to 5 minutes. The dead are allowed to lie, deceive, and more unless otherwise compelled not to. The dead also maintain their memories and personality. The dead communicate in the voice they had in life. And spells which force the truth or otherwise compel them to say something have no effect. The dead cannot be direct in their answers. As such usually communicate through gestures, riddles, poems, and more. The dead cannot name any person (including themself), reveal anything of grave personal importance, and similar things. The dead person can only be seen and heard by the caster.

Notes: Best used with someone you are in good standing with. Considering a dead man (or woman) can still lie. And due to their indirection towards riddles, it is advised that you perform this spell with another. And since no one else but the caster can see the dead they see you as speaking to nothing.
Summon Lesser Undead (4 Purple)

Before casting the summoner chooses a nearby corpse. The corpse animates as a skeleton (if a skeleton) or zombie (if recently deceased). The undead is controlled by the summoner via a form of telepathy. The undead stays indefinitely or until dismissed. Its instructions must be crafted carefully. For if the creature sees any living entity (other than its summoner) it will kill it. Unless explicitly told not to. And while it can perform complex tasks. It must be given careful instruction on how to do so. The less brain matter the creature has the less intelligent it is. With skeletons being by far the most unintelligent. The creature does not maintain any memories of its former life. And is incapable of speech. However, maintains the skills (non-magical) it had in life. Such undead also cannot (and will not) move against its summoner in any way.

Notes: Skeletons are fragile and large kinetic forces can crack or break their bones. Effectively killing them. Since they maintain their skills ideal targets for reanimation are swordsmen, archers, and other non-magical professions.
Necromancy Concepts
There are many necromancy concepts. But what I think is the most important is what fuels necromancy itself. What it was built to control, summon, and sometimes oppose. The undead. Many know of them in a general sense. But don't know how powerful some of them are or what fuels them.
The Undead
Undead take many forms, shapes, and sizes. But what defines an undead? An undead is a creature that does not breathe. Its heart does not beat. In a literal sense, this means its biological functions don't function at all. And the creature should be deceased. However, has been animated by the magical force of Purple. Undead are usually (though not necessarily) neutral or evil. Undead is the predominant ability for necromancers. Necromancers can control, summon, destroy, and harness the powers of the undead. It is what defines a necromancer. Undead are organized into 3 tiers.
Tier 3 undead "The Lowly"
Tier 3 undead more commonly called "The Lowly" are the least dangerous. And thus least powerful. The most common examples of these kinds of undead are skeletons and zombies. These undead are usually the most numerous. And often found in hordes. And are usually commanded by more powerful undead. These kinds of undead are not very intelligent. However, can perform complex tasks if given specific instructions to do so. These undead are also created by necromantic magical effects, areas, and more. Be warned. All undead of this tier attack living entities on sight. And although they might not be powerful alone. In hordes, they can prove devastating. Even for experienced spell casters. All undead of this tier are evil.
Tier 2 undead "The Harrowers"
Tier 2 undead also known as "Harrowers" are moderately strong undead. These undead are commonly found in small groups or alone. Some common examples of this tier include wraiths and ghouls. These kinds of undead sometimes have magical powers. Which are usually passive. Undead of this tier are also as intelligent (and sometimes more) than the regular human. As such extreme caution is advised. These undead are strategic in nature and approach. Expect tactics and strategies to be used by these undead. These undead usually do not attack every living creature they find. These kinds of undead however are not considered sapient. And also barely (if at all) have any personality to bear. Undead in this tier can be neutral or evil.
Tier 1 undead "The Unbound"
Tier 1 undead or simply "Unbound" are the most powerful kinds of undead one will encounter. These undead always wield magical powers. Both passive and active. And many are spell casters. These undead are extremely intelligent. And are commonly found leading undead hordes. Undead of this nature are sapient. Common examples of tier 1 undead include Revenants, Liches, Mummy Lords, and Vampires. Undead in this tier can be any alignment. However, are normally neutral.
Necromantic Deities
There are a number of deities associated with necromancy. Below are the two most powerful and influential.
Nalishor
The god of nightmares, shadows, the unknown, and souls. Commonly associated as the deity some necromancers draw power from for the strange and nightmarish. But also that of soul spells (notably Revenant Ressurection). Nalishors policy with mortals is rather simple. Don't speak to them but grant them gifts should they acknowledge it. When it does communicate with mortals it is usually through nightmares. Some common gifts from Nalishor are not related to necromancy (il leave it to the orange department to explain those). But there are also some common necromantic gifts that come from Nalishor. Which include the ability to speak to the undead, the ability to harness nightmares into necromantic energy, the banishment of the undead, and similar powers. Nalishors appearance as described in the {Redacted} is as follows.

"The figure whatever it was meant to be was of vaguely anthropoid appearance with silk green skin, a head of strange angles and shapes. It had a large canine skull like a jackal where a head should be. It had no eyes, simply dark sockets where eyes should have been. It had no hands like a human should imagine them. Instead various tentacles of varying size and form extended from its forearm. And various fins and “flappers' ' were found all around its arms and legs acting as aquatic limbs in a way. Strange spectral wings sprouted from its back in strange glory. Up raised high over its head. Casting a long shadow like the night. The wings seemed skeletal but with green fire floating where flesh should be. The entity had no legs or feet; it simply floated in place. Like an ominous ghost or damned spirit. Watching the living of which it once was."
Benaphala
The goddess of flesh, decay, and consumption. Benaphala is the deity from which many necromancers draw power to create something new. New kinds of undead and flesh constructs. And also for the various spells of decay (such as Prevent Decay). Benaphala directly interacts with mortals. Usually through a necromancer's own undead. Which it uses to speak through. Some common gifts from Benaphala include flesh manipulation, decay manipulation, and the ability to consume the unedible. Benaphalas appearance is described by many as follows.

"The creature takes a large fleshy form. Which encompasses a large circular base. And hundreds of eyes extending from long stalks. Underneath are hundreds of fleshy tendrils. Which floats the creature and its form. Various bones jut through its form. The stalks have no color in their eyes. No eyeris to behold. They simply stare into your soul. You can see the bodies of humans and humanoids attached to it. Still screaming in sorrow and pain. Don't get close. Don't become one of those screaming souls."

There are various other details and specifics of these subjects. But to comprehend these is to wrap your mind around madness and magic itself. If you would like more articles such as this you may attend my advanced classes.
 
Blackthorn Pass Travel Advisory
Sinnvane

As a professional courtesy, I wish to advise all academates that the Blackthorn goblins are acting up once again. Whilst riding from Balgamor to the Academy to deliver my latest findings on Spindlesap Forest, I was ambushed by five goblins who, in the traditional way of the tribe, shot arrows and hurled stones at me without warning, then turned and ran when I was not immediately slain. I was not able to catch any of the fleeing goblins, as I did not want to risk chasing them into a second ambush and the rocky terrain of the pass provided ample cover from any attempt at return fire. Nor did I stay to determine whether they had been more successful in other ambushes, although the boldness of the attack upon the main road suggests they cannot be facing much resistance. I did not make camp in the abandoned guardhouse, for fear that the goblins might be preying upon travelers there as well, it providing an obvious and mostly-intact place to rest, but I did investigate it in the morning and discovered no sign of habitation, goblin or otherwise.

I hope to speak with Dame Commander Kalisto about reoccupying the old guardhouse, but do not expect a swift response from Balgamor, as the strain on their resources that led to the abandonment of the guardhouse in the first place has not yet abated.

As this publication is circulated amongst the student population of the academy, and knowing the sort of intellect that passes for an apprentice in this day and age, I wish to stress that the Blackthorn goblins are considerably more dangerous than training dummies, and if you insist on forming a farcical imitation of an adventuring party in an effort to drive them back, please do so in sufficient numbers to crush them with the weight of your corpses, rather than trickling in to be picked off in twos and threes.

New Hex: 06,06: Blackthorn Pass. Blackthorn Pass is a region of the mountain range that includes both the academy and the citadel of Balgamor. It is inhabited by a hostile tribe of goblins, called the Blackthorn Goblins. Balgamor once maintained an outpost at the pass to keep the road from Balgamor to the academy safe, but they have withdrawn their forces in recent years, leaving the outpost abandoned.
 

Incident Log Report: A Message to all Orange Students​

This is a message from Professor Astrophel to all her students(looking at you, Nerola…), scholars, apprentices, and novice recruits of the Orange campus!

Please do not, I repeat, by any means, under any reason, for any cause, summon a shoggoth. There is no reason to summon a shoggoth, a moon-beast, a night-gaunt, or a Mi-Go to fight goblins, nor is there any reason to invoke the chant of the Sun Between Stars, or speak the name of the Drowned King, to fight goblins.

It will, in fact, slay all goblins or drive them immediately insane with glimpses of the Far Realm, but it will also summon a shoggoth, a Mi-Go, a night-gaunt, or an unidentifiable blob of Orange energy, which will not solve your problems, and will most definitely not present a better choice than the goblins. When Sinnvane recommended you to “crush them with the weight of your corpses”, that saying was not mean to be taken literally by summoning outer forces to…well…crush them under the weight of their corpses. (Because they do not leave corpses, and thus cannot crush them either.)

All Orange students should refrain from manifesting glimmers of the Far Realm upon the material plane, as these glimmers are frequently madness-inducing, highly hostile, and have tentacles, and are uncontrollable given an incomplete or failed summon that manifest as a…blob. A blob of Orange. It will not solve your goblin problem, it will, in fact, eat two goblins in front of you, turn the third into a squid and the fourth into a potted plant, drive the sixth and seventh insane, then completely ignore the rest and charge straight at you. Then you may or may not a) scream, b) flail around, c) forget all I taught you against the encroaching influences of the Far Realm and proper banishment rites, and d) commit all of the above while running around screaming like a monkey and accidentally make things worse.

Note from Solaire: That was…oddly specific, Lady Astrophel.
As a professional courtesy, I would like all students to cease summons of elder creatures immediately, as impressed as I am that you somehow managed to summon a shoggoth on the first try, and a Mi-Go on the second when you panicked and tried to reverse the first try, I would not recommend either. Yes, you may be trying to (endearingly) follow in my hoovesteps footsteps, but with the wisdom of Solaire repeatedly telling me I am an idiot, I can tell you for certain that this is not a path you’d wish to walk on. Or trod near. Or even…walk in the general direction of.

Thank Asmodeus that a Hospitaller paladin happened to be wandering past the crossing, heard the screaming, and decided today was the day he smote some….unidentifiable blob of ominously glowing orange back to the Far Realms. It is, after all, common knowledge if you annoy an eldritch creature enough, it gets bored to the point of leaving this plane.

The blob was successfully “banished”(or most likely, de-manifested given the incomplete summons), and the Knight Hospitaller swiftly rushed all three injured students to the Citadel’s curse-management wing for immediate treatment. Three goblin corpses were recovered, two others had been melted into goop, and two are suspected of being transfigured into a squid and a potted plant.

All three students are currently under intensive care at the nearby Lux Requiem Citadel, and will be exempt from their upcoming field-assessments due to “Orange radiation damage”. Currently delayed over at the ruins of Bolothamogg, I will not be personally chewing them out in person, but Solaire has agreed to manifest as a pillar of flame to chew them out for me once all three have regained consciousness. Their injuries are severe, but their conditions are - praise Asmodeus - thankfully stable.

Remember, students, summoning elder creatures or dabbling with the Far Realm is never the answer. It may be a question, yes, but right as of now, the answer is not “yes”. None of you fools are capable of handling that power. As it may be tempting to deal with goblins swiftly, let us remember that there are other, more appropriate methods to handle them, specifically ways not involving ominous, Orange blobs, screaming faces, and accidental summonings gone wrong.

An Apology from Professor Astrophel​

Goodness, sulfur, hellfire and brimstone, by my grandfather's daemonic axes...! I cannot apologize enough for the chaos and danger caused by several Orange students running amok trying to deal with goblins. Apparently they took my misadventures as advice to go, and I must emphasize that summoning shoggoths, moon-beasts, night-gaunts, or Mi-Go is not a suitable solution. I sincerely apologize for the distress, and I am writing this from the candlelight of a nearby campsite close to Bolothamogg’s ruins, unfortunately unable to be present in-person due to significant travel delays.

For all professors and academics, please do not take this incident as an example, these rogue Orange incidents were the result of uncontrolled, well, more uncontrolled summoning than usuals, that was not my intention when I started the shoggoth-summons program last month.

In the meantime, please do not take this incident to heart, I will be strongly urging my students NOT to follow in my example, and to focus on more conventional methods of dealing with goblin encounters that do not include shoggoths, exploding shoggoths, summoning shoggoths or any shoggoths at all(and Mi-Go are right out.)

I also want to extend my gratitude to the Knight Hospitaller who intervened and assisted the injured students. (Thank you kindly for sparing Solaire a few months worth of paperwork for Revivify and Regeneration). Flowers will be accepted at the Lux Requiem hospital during visitation hours, although the paladins kindly request you to keep all flowers and organic materials away from the druidic wing. They have been known to grow wheat. The three students are since recovering at the Lux Requiem side wings, and have been given written doctor’s notices from paladins excusing from their upcoming field-assessments due to "Orange radiation damage."

An official apology from Nerola:​

As one of the students involved in the summoning goblin incident, and since one very strict paladin has insisted on me writing this to “repent”, I am here to express my sincere apologies over the inappropriate act of summoning a blob to fight goblins, regardless if the goblin was being annoying, being very annoying, or if I thought I “had it handled”(because, as several paladins have repeatedly pointed out much to my annoyance, I did not, in fact, “have it handled”). I am very, very, very sorry, and I will be sure this incident will not occur again, regardless of how much a goblin annoyed me by chucking a rock at my familiar, and regardless of how much I picked up said familiar and tried to chuck him back at said goblin-

Note from Sister Joan: Good, very good start, although I recommend less detailing.

Note from Paladin Lucian: She came from a family of half-orcs, orcs and wild magic barbarians. I think we can cut her some slack.

Note from Sister Joan: No.

-and I will not chuck familiars at goblins, regardless if the familiar would not be harmed in the process of the chucking. This my entirely sincere apology, and I promise not to do that again, upon threat of smiting, academic discipline, and having to write “I will not summon a shoggoth” five hundred times again.

(-IT WAS WORTH IT, YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE, FLUFFY WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I THREW HIM AT THAT SMUG COWDUNG-WORTH GOBLIN’S FACE AND THEN INTRODUCED HIM TO A TENTACLED FRIEND-)

…continuing where I left off. I will sincerely never repeat that mistake again, as it was an incredibly stupid mistake, and very suicidal, and I might have died if not for the fact I did not, and thus should not repeat said mistake(as it might end with me actually dead.).

Note from Sister Joan: Patient has been recommended for anger management counselling and highly advised to discontinue use of the Orange quiddity due to “unpredictable nature” and "demonstrated lack of control and necessary maturity".

…continuing on. I was....very M A D at the goblin(listen, they threw a rock at fluffy and no one, NO ONE I REPEAT, MESSES WITH FLUFFY), so...well, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Really.

Note from Paladin Lucian: Her heart was in the right place. I'm sure she'll come around.

06,07: Lux Requiem Citadel: A gleaming mountain fortress inhabited and tended to by paladins and clerics. Both Lux Requiem and it’s sister citadel, Lux Aeterna, were based off of the Celestial Lux Aurea Citadel rumored reside within the Upper Spheres. Created by an order of paladins as a sanctuary for the sick and the injured, it serves as a general hospital for all injuries, both magical and otherwise. Patients are treated through both magical means by paladins and clerics, and through more traditional ways. Given it’s proximity to the Academy, Requiem has welcome many an injured students through its silver gates.

Once a fortress, Requiem has a small security force of paladins, although they exist mostly for defence. Multiple wings make up the hospital, with specific wards for curse-removal, eldritch influences, dragonfire burns, etc.
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    • Following my last publishing, I was informed that several students wished to know more about the Great Glintwood Forest. As I believe I previously mentioned, this name is largely born of the glint from the pranks of fairies at the edges of the forest, trying to lure in unsuspecting victims. Well, the golden sheen grass I suppose was also a factor, but a minor one. As such, while I still do not recommend students carelessly or even with just some care approach it, I will accede to the request to expound upon it further.

      The Great Glintwood forest is a luscious place, with all manner of life be it plant, animals, monsters and even proper sapient species, such as the fairies which I mentioned previously and the Talian elves, also known as fae-elves though this name should not be used on any formal documentation as it fails to account that a bloodline connection to fae is a universal constant for the elven species, though admittedly Talian elves have considerably more fae in their blood. Contrary to their beliefs, this likely stems not from being closer to their original ancestors but to heavy exposure to the many entrances to the fae realm within the Great Glintwood forest. Students should should care to avoid doors seemingly perfectly carved in a tree-side with no other signs of habitation, strange holes with no bottom in sight among leaves (even if this one is not an entrance, it's almost certainly a pitfall trap regardless), thick bushes fairies fly into, and other such transitional signs within the forest that appear out of place or actively luring. One which might seem particularly tempting are the fresh springs near hills or forming small lakes in the middle of the forest, the most famous among which are the Distorted-Moon Springs (known in the Talian language as       Ish-Hruim, in case you ever require elven assistance near them), famous for their transformative properties that have been the subject of many a folk tale. While some basic care to not be attacked by a wild animal or monster should be sufficient to make these safe, diving to the bottom is ill-advised. Should one do so by necessity or accident, remain as stationary as possible in your point of entry and remember your lessons about survival in the fae lands.

      You will recognize Talian elves by small rainbow-colored or color-shifting blobs that sprout around their skin, their single-color (typically yellow) almost insect-like eyes, exceptionally lanky and stretched-looking yet still refined figure, and if you happen to see one's back, their small wings. That being said, do not insist on seeing their back as this is considered a great offense outside of those one is most intimate with. Protector types - like these elves consider themselves to be, towards the Great Glintwood Forest - tend to be very sensitive about a lot of minor things. Great caution and respect must exercised within the forest, and in particular care with anything one damages or touches intentionally or otherwise. Layers of territory may be the difference between an acceptable harvesting or hunting ground and an attack towards them. The silver lining are the many festivals Talian elves hold, likely derived from traditions passed down from their fae ancestors or learned from their fairy co-inhabitants. During these celebrations of bounty in which the elves gather and often even share the fruit they collect within the forest, you will most often find them in a good enough mood (or inebriated enough) to sneak in some hunting or harvesting.

      There are many Talian villages in the Great Glintwood Forest, though a few notable ones are       Aoemda'Livi ("village of many fruits". It's one of the biggest farming villages among Talian elves, especially in their most numerous and high-quality fruit), Tyur-Ara'Livi ("village of farther beyond". Talian elves wishing to leave the forest to the outside world must come here to prepare within their traditions lest they be considered escapees and outcasts.) Aiia'Livi ("village of guidance", one the first and leading villages among Talians. Meetings between villages are often held here and they are turned to when complicated matters arise), Kul-Ara-Tashim'Livi ("village of the great fortress that shield us", a far more fortified village that is typically more hostile than the most. Avoid it unless you wish to participate in a combat tournament within, and even then a certain degree of favor will need to be earned first).

      Aside from elves, many other sapient species live in the Great Glintwood Forest, even disregading sapient monsters. Fairies of various kinds for instance, including pixies and even pockets of red fairies, come from the fae lands and like to explore the forest and play pranks on the inhabitants and especially passerbies. There's also treants, dryads, various spirits and elementals among others. Strangely for forest areas, few beastfolk of any kind are seen, though some intelimals (animals which through intentional or unintentional magic developed some form of human-like intelligence and capacity for speech) are indeed found and could be good familiars for the bold and respectful. All of these group tends to live isolated or in small groups, but they do occasionally gather in larger number to meet as a species/kind or between species/kinds. In particular there is a massive clearing around the center of the Great Glintwood Forest known as the Greater Covenant, which is a spot inspired by fairy rings where major gatherings of nearly all if not actually all species among the forest gather to discuss the most important issues. It's seldom used outside the greatest emergencies for the forest as a whole, though it has also been a place for diplomatic talks with those from outside the forest or from the fae lands. As such, keep in mind that while you are technically allowed to traverse it, it's not a spot to camp or try anything funny in. It's an important diplomatic site.

      I've taken the liberty of bringing an old quest made at the adventurer's guild from the kind if verbose alchemist and botanist named Anod Chamuk, who had the grace to allow me to send it alongside this letter for your viewing (though whether he ceded it to me out of my reputation or my looks is disputable). I would like to extend my thanks to him as it quite informative on some of the plant life in the region (going over all of it would be impossible in any reasonable amount of time. If you'd like to know all the species in the Great forest, feel free to dedicate your life to do so).

      Sincerely,

      Obsiniam Aquantis

      Dean of Blue Quiddity, Imperial-Seal Crafter
      ​
      blackseal-crop-png.1133197



In the Great Glintwood Forest there also lives a spirit master smith whom Obsiniam knows. He is able to beautiful manipulate metal using his powers, body and a rudimentary forge supported by a large pocket of red fairies. He is also really secretive and one of Obsiniam's main suppliers for certain shapes and alloys for her golemcrafting. It just wouldn't conceivably be in character for Obsiniam to give this secret away, and the consequences could be judge for someone being masochistic enough to expose this forgemaster in a public publishing. As such this note is pure OOC to state it is there because there's no non-immersion-breaking way to work the information into a post.
[ Travel Log ]
New Hex: 11.02

Summary: The Great Glintwood Forest is a massive forest characterized by heavy fae influence from both fairy inhabitants and a number of entries into the fae lands/fae realm. There are a number of useful plant-based ingredients for alchemy and more uses, and has clear magical springs including the transformative famed Distorted-Moon Springs, as well as a large clearing in the center known as the Greater Covenant. It's the homeland of the fae or Talian elves (thusly known for many physical similarities with fairies likely due to the density of fae blood in them), with several villages across the forest including Aoemda'Livi, Aiia'Livi, Kul-Ara-Tashim'Livi and Tyur-Ara'Livi, the latter of which Talian elves must train in to be allowed to leave the forest.


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Concerning Blackthorn Pass
Sinnvane

Scarcely had I returned to the academy before I was informed of the unfolding situation of the Blackthorn Pass. It is, of course, the chaos apprentices who are to blame, to no one's great surprise. I have been forced to forestall the oversight of construction on the new habitat for the trees and spiders of Spindlesap Forest, delaying my planned research expedition, to instead run fire control and doublecheck to see if there is anything salvageable of Falker, an apprentice I am not otherwise familiar with but who I am told has yet to return. I have found neither hide nor hair of this Falker in my return trip to Blackthorn Pass, but the density of shoggoth bits does suggest ongoing efforts to summon protectors from the protectors from the protectors from the protectors from the goblins, which suggests he may still be alive somewhere.

I have also found no trace of the goblins, though this does not reassure me. Unsurprisingly, when shoggoths are loosed in the area, they have gone to ground, but I have no doubt that uncontrolled eldritch monsters shall have little desire and, given the random assortment drawn out of the void by the apprentices, little capacity to hunt down so elusive a menace as the Blackthorn Tribe. Once we have cleaned up the immediate threat posed by the shoggoths, I anticipate the goblins will return, and require a far more thorough solution.

As an immediate response to the shoggoth situation, I have summoned a kyton with instructions to burn away all traces of chaos it can find. I did not linger to observe its progress, but this should, at least, keep the shoggoth from consuming so much flesh as to become a full-fledged colony.

5O/2R/1P: Phlegethonic Gate. The caster opens a rift in time and space and from it plucks a Phlegethonic creature. The population of that region being what it is, this will most likely be a kyton, an extraplanar creature of living metal. If a specific creature's name is known and it is of Phlegethon, they can be called upon by name. A variant on Eldrtich Gateway, using mana of more stable quiddities to aim it at a more specific target. One of the Five Plutonic Gates.
 
The Darkfold Temple
Nyraloi
During a recent expedition into unclaimed lands, I came across a strange structure indeed. A massive structure of marble and obsidian. Covered in alien runes and sigils. The structure was at least 150 feet high, 300 feet long, and 50 feet wide. The place was patrolled by wandering undead. Creatures I have come to call Flesh Hulks. Because of these creatures, we could not get near the structure. However, we did find a human skeleton. And what seemed to be a journal of some kind. It only had one entry with no mark of date or time.
The Journal Entry

"I was investigating a case befalled to me by a professor - whom I knew very well as an expert on history especially around the Middle Ages. He had contacted me through a letter addressed specifically to me. I never got letters nor much mail at all. It described that she had found something of great interest which even she could not glean the meaning of. Which I found greatly prospective for she was knowledgeable in many fields of study and history. For her to not know the meaning of something seemingly so important is unheard of and potentially something of worry. So I departed at once and brought all my tools of expertise with me. I arrived at the site a few hours later and what I saw was bewildering indeed. A strange temple dedicated to a seemingly abysmal god. With angles and proportions seemingly inhuman yet human at the same time. Strange angles and drawings on the marble walls showed alien patterns. Which I was not acquainted it was strange indeed. The professor greeted me with open arms upon my arrival. The site around this strange seemingly temple was codenamed, Site Belphas. A name given based upon strange texts found upon the inner walls of the structure.

This was of especially great interest to me for the words seemed to form no word or phrase. At least from any known language of our world. It was only around an hour outside Arkham City. How it had been undiscovered for centuries, potentially thousands of years still remains unknown. Just outside what many would call the capital of archeology and mysterious historical works. Arkham City is a city almost as populous as Boston. There must have been a very solid reason for it to have remained undiscovered. At the time I had more important matters to think about. I set up my various equipment and took out my various books and texts on similar discoveries. I could not find anything of close relation to this new discovery. The professor whom I now know is Alenia Ophor. Requested for me to venture into the temple and note any findings I have. She would remain outside to organize the group of archeologists she had rallied. So I took various pieces of my equipment and walked to what seemed to be the front of the temple. I entered inside and found something both awe-inspiring and of great terror. Strange markings adorned the marble walls, sculptures, and statues of which I had no comparison, geometric figures seemingly studying the stars and far more than I could hope to detail here. I quickly took out my journal and began to detail what I saw. At first, I presumed the geometric figures were meant to study astronomy and the stars. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to me that they seemed to be for a greater purpose. Something which was kept very hidden and seemed to not be written down.

I used my scientific instruments on the various figures and forms adorned on the walls. According to the instruments the figures and forms seemed to form a sort of language. Which the instruments were unable to translate. One thing they were able to decipher what seemed to be directions into a deeper area of the temple. Which it called “The Abyss” of what this meant at the time, I did not know. I collected my instruments and decided to venture into this “Abyss.” I ventured through the temple through various labyrinths and what I thought were tunnels. The trail to get to this hidden room was perplexing. I eventually made it to the mysterious room. Which to my surprise seemed to be a kind of cathedral. Great walls adorned each side made of dark black obsidian. All the walls were at least 40 feet high with an arched ceiling seemingly made of suspended magma. At the center of the room, there was a chalice standing atop a table made of strange rock. I walked closer to the chalice which seemed almost gloomy. I set up my equipment and started examining it. Seemingly was made of gold, obsidian, silver, and some strange purple crystal. I decided to pick it up and hold it in my hands. Oh, what a grave mistake that would be. I picked up the chalice and looked inside of it. To my surprise, there was liquid within it, blood. Blood was flowing in the chalice seemingly in a small eternal whirlpool. Like something invisible was moving it through ghastly fingers.

Initially, I was confused more than anything. As I looked at it with intrigue I saw something in the flowing blood. What looked to me like a face staring back at me. It seemed to form a growing smile as it looked at me with blank eye sockets. I then heard the scream. Someone was screaming from a nearby section of the temple. And it echoed with great speed towards me. It sounded terrified of something or someone it had seen. I tried to put down the chalice. But when I tried to put it down I couldn't. Whenever I tried to put it down my body simply froze in paralysis. I would then be flung a good distance away. And the more I tried, the more painful it would become. One thing of important note is that the blood inside the chalice never spilled out. It was always the same no matter how much I was flung. The best relation I can give is it felt like something unseen was holding me and then throwing me with great strength. I eventually decided to stop attempting to put it down and ran towards where the scream originated. Once I arrived where I thought it had come from I saw a sight. A corpse mangled across the wall. I recognized the corpse as a member of the archaeological team. Her throat was slashed with what looked to be a blade. Her ribs were all broken. Her eyes were torn out of their sockets, them visible on the floor. Her arms and legs were snapped like toothpicks. Something was written in black ink beside her. I took out my journal and noted what it said but I did not have time to read it. I only barely managed to write down what it spoke of.

Something I took notice of was a note in her pocket. I carefully took the note and examined it. It was carefully wrapped into a small ball. Inside was a small piece of her brain covered in some black goo-like substance. Out of panic, I dropped it onto the floor. I looked around me for anything else of such gruesomeness. Why? Well, I was curious about certain deeds which had been done in my absence. There I saw it. The creature which I dare not name. Which I shall simply call a Unnamed; a title for it so I can speak of it. For I shall not say its true name for to do so would be maddening. All I can say is to many it is a god. And to many, it is a demon of great horror. Something of such abysmal regard to look upon it would be to invite madness. I looked upon it, I was simply frozen and it stopped in its tracks. For what reason or purpose seemed unknowable to me. It was a massive form of black flesh and black slime. Shifting and contorting to its own whims and motives. I was instantly bewitched by its gaze. I could hear its voice inside my mind, it spoke to me in some language which I innately understood yet could never put to words as to its complexity. It spoke and said “You behold the chalice. Tsyrunia. I require it.” I looked at the chalice in my hands then back at the creature. I could sense the creature in front of me was of indescribable evil. This was not a temple, but rather a prison. The blood within the chalice formed words within it. Forming the words ``Run! Run far away from it!” I clutched the chalice within my hands. I could hear the creature scream into my mind “Give me the chalice mortal!” I turned and started running as fast as I humanly could. Running through the seemingly infinite passages of the ancient temple. I looked back as I ran and saw swarms of thousands, possibly tens of thousands of beetles. But they were simply exoskeletons and nothing more, no flesh underneath the bony surface. I looked in front of me once more and continued my sprint.

Eventually, I stopped as I had reached a dead end, nowhere else to run. I looked back at where I had run from, I didn't see the skeletal beetles behind me. Nor the Unnamed that monstrosity of black flesh and tendrils. I decided to look around where I had ended up. The walls were made of black brick and seemingly etched with strange runes on their surface. I looked upon them and took out my notebook and took note of them. I looked at the chalice once again to see if anything had happened. Nothing seemed to have as the blood still swirled the same pattern and formed no words. So I continued my observations of the runes etched on the wall. They seemed to form a pattern of sorts which I was able to roughly translate. As something along the lines of “This is the prison and tomb of an entity so evil and vile we dare not speak of it. It is locked away with the chalice. Its own haunting creation of vile evil. It must be protected at all costs and be kept away from the monster. If you are unfortunate enough to hold the chalice. Run as far as you can from the monster and its minions. This is the only information I can give you without damaging your soul.” I simply stared at the translation for a few minutes. The chalice was still clutched in my hand as I looked at it. I thought of something. If this chalice was that beast's creation why did it wish to flee from it? Why did it wish to not be with its creator?

I looked upon the blood within the chalice and its constant moving form. And the blood slowly formed the words “We are souls kept in an eternal torment when the creature holds us or uses us. We cannot be released from this hell. You will slowly become one of us, your only hope is to hope it doesn't find us.” I picked up my notebook and started walking through the seemingly infinite liminal passages once again. Various torches of purple flame adorned the various walls. Each wall was made of gray stone cut in perfect squares and circles. I continued walking for what seemed like hours until eventually I saw a metal door down one end of a passage. I approached the door and grabbed the handle. Slowly opening the door and looking at the other side. On the other side was a strange room made of pink flesh and strange red clouds. Which seemed to form smearing skulls facing towards me as I entered the room. Once I entered the room the door instantaneously closed behind me. As if by a powerful wind, yet there was no wind to behold. There were corpses adorning the flesh walls, in various states of decay. Some seemingly ancient with only bone remaining. While some seemed to be still alive or fresh. Each of various differing make of every sort. And then the blood in the chalice formed the words. “I am not sorry Tsyrunia. You shall meet your end as the others have.” And with that, the chalice flew out of my hands. Into the center of the flesh room and simply floated. Then a mass of flesh engulfed me and adorned me on the wall of the place. Slowly taking everything of use from my body. I had been tricked to flee from one monster to go to another. And so I will die soon. You are already here but you have not awoken the beast. You have a chance unlike me. Flee, run while you can. You cannot hide from it for long. It will find you and it will hunt you down if it sees you. Like it saw me when I brought the chalice. I have been damned by Belalphala the flesh beast. It will eventually feast upon my soul. Run! Run while you can Tsyrunia. "

This seems to have been recorded and written down by a person who managed to find the archeologist in that flesh wall. And managed to make an account of the events he encountered. But failed to get past the Flesh Hulks.

Flesh Hulks
Flesh Hulks are creatures of rotting flesh and malformed bone. These creatures seem to be only capable of being created by vastly powerful spells or areas with innate Purple magic. They are blind from flesh contusions however seem to possess great hearing. And stand roughly 8 feet tall. Almost all are incredibly strong. Most have limbs too long for their body. Usually their arms. I have placed these creatures under Tier 2. As they seem to be powerful but incapable of higher intelligence. I had my scribe draw an image of one of these creatures.
monsterzombie.jpeg
The Temple
The Temple seems to be dedicated to Nalishor and Benaphala. It is constructed of black marble and obsidian. The entrance is covered with vines and other flora. At the entrance stand 13 giant obsidian pillars which hold up the ceiling. The entrance has no door or opening. Simply a carved-out piece of marble which makes a large gate-like entrance. Constantly patrolled by dozens of Flesh Hulks. Seemingly created by radiant magic emitted from the temple. Possibly as guardians.
The Unnamed
The unnamed seems to refer to a number of god-like entities. Possibly Benaphala and Nalishor. Seems to be a way to prevent corruption or the spread of mass panic. Further investigation is required.
New Hex: The Darkfold Temple, 05.07
 
A letter from Sister Oriana of Lux Requiem:
The Paladins of Lux Requiem express our sincerest condolences for Professor Sinnvane and Professor Astrophel, and the incident of Blackthorn Pass. You will be pleased to find out Nerola has been recovering quite well given her injuries, praised by the sun.
Let us pray for the search for Falker. Knight Hospitaller orders will not rest until the poor student is returned safe and sound.

A letter from Professor Astrophel:
As irked as I am by my beloved gaggle of Orange-flavored well-meaning beloved idiots questionably chosen apprentices, a few ounces of respect must be at least garnered for the creativity inherent in such an attempt.

But do not take this as endorsement! I am, yes, impressed by your ingenuity, chaotic Chaos apprentices of mine, but I have been told numerous times by academic friends(and enemies) that such a summoning, however “effective” it may be, is not without it’s inherent risks(and I can personally attest to the final part). Now listen up, you chaotic Chaos apprentices, Professor Astrophel is deathly serious when she says she’s gotten her scales singed and nearly flayed by monsters from the beyond on accident.

Addendum by Solaire: Not that it has stopped her from trying again.

Ah… I can practically see Sinnvane's pointed glares even from this realm….thank Asmodeus I’m halfway across the continent. Well, at least, he’s taken it in stride, despite the diversions from his botanical pursuits required. But, do give Sinnvane my thanks, ever the bearer of excellent news. A kyton? Well, well, Sinnvane’s sure not messing around. Rather efficient, I must admit. But, what of Falker? Despite what his academic records say, Falker did show true promise in his talents(although he singed my eyebrows a few times…but bah, that’s forgivable!)
Let’s hope he hasn’t been turned into an hors d'oeuvre for a wandering Mi-Go. That would be quite inconvenient.(and very tragic, he still owes me an exam paper for the singed eyebrows incident…)

But all that aside, apprentices, be sure to pass my thanks to Sinnvane, for maintaining as much order as can be had in the face of you and your amazingly catastrophic creativity. I must stress, once again, not to summon shoggoths to fight goblins, and that I do not endorse summoning shoggoths to fight goblins. (And give my apology to Nerola too, for siccing Solaire on her with his three-hour prepared lecture on ‘the safeties of summoning’)

As a closing, I have but a few words to speak upon the shoggoths. I would heavily recommend against summoning more of them, as they are quite versatile(especially within aquatic enviroments), and can replicate at a horrific pace if left unchecked. Salt, contrary to popular belief, will not ward against them. They are not slugs, do not treat these ancient things from beyond mortal eye as if they were slugs. It is offensive to them, and they may just be tempted to take a bite out of you for the mere suggestion of doing so. I recommend instead re-containment, or outright obliteration and banishment( if you’re a paladin). Bribes of food may or may not be rejected, it’s a 50/50 chance, although I have heard certain shoggoths have a fondness for tuna.

Addendum by Solaire: They do not, in fact, have a fondness for tuna. It was merely confusion when she offered the first one tuna that prevented it from slurping her arm off.
~~~
Travelogue: Lake of the Nadir
Onwards! Ancient tongues once called the entire land surrounding Bolothamogg the Betiko Ametsa, with only one term for its day and night: Fhtagn Syha'h. If the runes are correct, it roughly translates to the “Land of Endless Sleep”, or more literally, “Dream Forever”. It seems to reference the fact the sky is eternally dark, all light strangely muted. Clouds endless cloak this entire region, stretching from Bolothamogg itself all the way to the sea, where some ancient cataclysm had perpetually closed the sun’s eyes before this world. Night and day blend together, and the clouds are not so merciful as to grant an excuse even during the midst of high noon. Since the recent Caerwyn and the unearthed horrors in the temple have cast a curious light, and forced a hasty retreat to our campsite, we have since moved onwards. Her condition will not be helped with tardiness, and there is little interest in returning to the library. In Solaire’s own words,“that which was damaged by the beyond cannot be healed by them.” We will not find a cure in the ruins of Bolothamogg.

I write this from the crook of some sluggish, ancient lake that once lead out to the sea. From what I can sea of it(pun intended), it was once vast enough to traverse in at least a day or so, but the destroyer known as Time have drained its cauldron and left the once-majestic riverbank hollow. Little more than oddly black, sluggish water flows over this ruined landscape. It must have once been beautiful, if the calcified trees are any indication, but since some ancient force had so savagely disrupted the cycle of day and night, it as no more.

My journey here was not in vain, for within the silence, the ancients sing. It’s merely a matter of what we listen to. From its remnants of calcified earth, to its smoothed over riverbed of countless cracks, the very stones seem to pulse with some strange energy. What forgotten gods were once worshiped here?

The runes on Caerwyn's skin, remnants of the creature from the temple, continue to disturb the mind. My attempts to decipher their meaning have led to dead ends and unsettling revelations. The chant, "Still it mourns, and still it awaits the sun," sings like some ancient lullaby.

They speak in ancient runes that should not have been. But when placed together…it’s almost like they’re prose, written across her skin. We cut off the root of the magic before it could spread any further, but an incomplete story is still a story, of course. They tell some tale. And one that is strangely corroborated by the carvings on the rocks we’ve found along this riverbank…

I have translated what I could, and listed a few choice sentences below.

“The First Principle, regarding words screamed by those that haven't been blotted from all things that are, and were, and that will be….”

“The Sundering of the Sky, how we stood where the last wall fell, and the feast of ichor sung..”

“"And So the Thunder Spake, and called to the light at the edge of sleep.”

…they tell some tale, of course.

“They live forever, and they long to live.”

But, relax, not all runes are of doom and gloom! For example, take the following, taken from a half-buried stone tablet engraved with skulls and bones!

“IV: The Sins of the Flesh
V: The Chambers of Mirrors
VI: The Last Cup
VII: To All Things, An End”

Well.

That’s…that’s just cheery!

Either way, let us depart, onto the Lake of the Nadir, where ruins come alive with ethereal echoes. Caerwyn's skin crackles with every breath, she will not last long should we abandon her. And so, let us forge on ahead, perhaps the lands past this light-forsaken lake will hold further mysteries. Perhaps beneath the dead waters of this once-majestic lake might hold some secret key, some ancient cure to this curse.

Travellogue II: Midnight Blue
…by Asmodeus.
Even Solaire could hardly believe this watery grave.
Nothing but a few inches of rotten wood had stood between us and the depths.
We found a shipwreck, but it was not a ship. It was made from some bone-like substance, as cold as steel, and glimmering as gold, as cold as frost.
We ventured aboard. And dear Asmodeus. The memories. The words. The skeletons of once-drowned servants scattered belowdecks, their masters long since gone. We found nothing but the torn uniforms of servants, their flesh mummified by salt and storm.

The journal entries were no better:
“We pray for His light, although He does not reign here. The storm has taken our captain, and the Ah'ehye'drnn do not wish to linger any longer than we dare to stay. We dare not question them. They hail from realms where stars die, and the sun has abandonned the sea, who are we to mourn where they do not? We will not dare question these star-killers. We await rescue, and pray our drowned comrades may find solace where the sun forever shines.”

The reason why I have chosen to include the above journal entry was not due to its tragic circumstances, but due to how Solaire’s reaction. For a creature without emotions, he expressed great distress over the presentation of the journal, especially over these “Ah'ehye'drnn”. What are they? Otherworldly beings with control over the sea and storm? Creatures who hail from realms beyond the mortal understanding? Shouldn’t you, Solaire, being a celestial entity, have insights into such creatures?
The ship, N'ghftyar N'ghftor, or Midnight Blue, was little more than half-submerged ruins when we piled in, and eagerly rifled through the pockets of the long-dead. The dead were all servants, of this I was sure, their clothing were simple, without even a trace of silk or finery, and quite different from the lavish robes and armors uncovered just beneath the deck. From what could be deduced from the remains, the masters of these servants must have been titanic, far larger than a human, or even a Goliath, so vast was their armors. I was almost tempted to call them Celestials, although Solaire has been mightily unhelpful when presented with these apparent ancient clothes of the Ah'ehye'drnn.
Solaire has resolutely refused to field any questions, regardless of how innocuous, stating flating that all on board died on the sea, and that was the end of the story. That is understandable enough, but even so…one question gnaws at my mind.
What of the corpses? If they had truly died upon the boat, shouldn’t the masters be entombed upon this deathship with their servants? Shouldn’t these Ah'ehye'drnn bones be scattered across this deck much like their serfs were? Why do only the servants lie dead, their masters departed, and nowhere to be found?

Lake of the Nadir: A black, hollow riverbed, where mighty waves once roamed.
 
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Glowing Lotus At Cammendale
Sinnvane

Sourcing the plantlife of the Great Glintwood Forest has traditionally been difficult even in close proximity to it, on account of the untamed and magically saturated nature of that wood, as well as its not inconsiderable distance from the academy making it difficult to pawn the work off to apprentices even when students of sufficient capability to safely retrieve such items are in ready supply, and gods know such fortuitous abundance is rare. So it is with some surprise that I have discovered a large quantity of glowing lotus for sale in Cammendale market whilst attempting to source some materials for the construction of the Spindlesap habitat. Just my luck that the unexpected abundance would be a source of green mana.

Further inquiries suggest this is the doing of some band of rat catchers called themselves the Moonlight Company. The merchants who dealt with them were slim on details, but from the sound of things there are at least three of them: Harriet, a heavily armored swordswoman styling herself "Dame" though no one seems certain whether this is in reference to a genuine aristocratic bloodline or a self-styling,Trevelle, a woodsman of some sort, and Ennelle'limar, a Talian elf from the forest itself. The merchants did not ask many questions, and it remains unclear to me how many of these are permanent members of this "Moonlight Company." The Talian elf in particular may be a temporary ally for their dealings with the Great Glintwood Forest specifically, although the fact that she is so far from home suggests at least a medium-term involvement with the rat catchers.

The quantity of glowing lotus available makes me suspect that there are considerably more than just three members of this Moonlight Company. A total party of a dozen or more seems more likely, perhaps eight or nine if a significant portion of them can navigate the woods alone. No word on where they came from or why they're selling glowing lotus in relative bulk. The name suggests they might have been assembled for exactly the purpose of harvesting glowing lotus, which is most easily acquired at night, but that they bothered to give themselves a name suggests long term organization and a desire to interact with those outside the Company as a unit rather than as individuals. Two immediate reasons for doing so suggest themselves: To recruit new members, or to threaten smaller governing powers. I have found no evidence that they have done either, and it is always possible that the name is the result of that one person in an otherwise informal group who insists that they need a special name, an emblem, and a secret handshake.

08,04: Cammendale. A market town ruled by an independent council of guild masters who elect amongst themselves a guild lord once every five years. Maintains a town guard for day-to-day protection, but reliant on mercenaries for defense against large-scale threats and force projection, which means sellswords and smugglers pass through the area regularly looking for work. A fairly major economic center in the region.
 
    • About the Language of Magic


      In this world whose beauty compares only to mine, a number of races possess their own language. While most do speak the common tongue as well (hence it's name), the assumption that this make the common tongue a "truer language" as I've heard some misguided yellow quiddities assert, is not true. You needn't observe more than blue and orange - two quiddities opposite in nature - to realize than even in such an opposition there is a world of complexity on both sides. Simplicity, the common tongue's hallmark, is an advantage in speaking and learning and not something which speaks to any deeper truth aside from the prevalence of laziness.

      More misguided than even that, however, is the remark I've heard some (admittedly newer, a hopeful remedy for the foolishness) students claim that blue quiddity mages should speak the spell's "real names". Both in the honor of blue quiddity mages, and to correct this bit of festering ignorance, I must correct this statement. Most spells are named by the one that discovers them, or else by a qualified group of mages, though the era and situation will vary which one. The mechanisms by which a spell may or not activate by pronouncing a chosen name is not something I approach on this letter. Instead, my focus is on why blue quiddity mages use a different naming system for their spells.

      We blue quiddity mages pursue a true understanding of magic. A truly motivated mage of a different non-orange quiddity might pursue the secrets of magic more than an unmotivated blue quiddity mage of course, but as a general rule there is a gap that is simply not overcome without intricate and systematic analysis of the most fundamental levels of a spell, the territory of blue quiddity. We have thus far much to grasp about the nature of magic - perhaps we always will - but the changes it does to the world are something we currently lack even the vocabulary to express.

      Blue magic naming is, to put it simply, descriptive. It utilizes the language found through symbolic analyses. When a blue quiddity mage invokes a spell, what they wish to invoke is the true nature of that spell. It speaks, to the best of our ability, to the spell's true method of functioning. The secondary names in the common tongue are merely rough approximations of that meaning.

      Take the spell       Auon'Wai Cvic, Auon Antatus, for example. The first part, in the common tongue, has been translated as "Mental Layer Folding". To cast this spell, a particular mental image must first be adequately achieved, on regarding the concept of the separation of the mind's interior and exterior, as well as further layers deep within. It's akin to conceiving of each layer of an onion if no one had ever cut one. This image is necessary to forcefully change mental boundaries, creating 'gaps' or 'fissures'. Seldom does the mind yield to mere brute force though, and even if one were to succeed making such openings this way could have dire and very permanent consequences. A failed spell by brute force could permanently cause a person's thoughts to leak, a sort of waking coma. Further it would invalidate most uses of this spell.

      Another thing this spell demands care for is when using it on oneself, a feat frankly not recommended to even the most experienced blue quiddity mages. Fissures in mental layers mean that the boundary between "inside" the layer and "outside" the layer is open. It becomes simply for a though to escape into the ether. Swiftness, precision, calm, focus, gentleness, all necessary ingredients simply to achieve manipulating the layers in the first place, not to mention the mental image to grasp them. However, a strategy to prevent your very thoughts and memories from leaking out as you are attempting to use the spell on yourself (particularly thoughts regarding how to use the spell given it is at the forefront of your mind). Many expert blue quiddity mages have failed time and time again to use this spell, and found the eight quiddity blue spell easier than the seventh because of this issue. In a sense, they were lucky. Many talented blue mages were lost to trying to use it on themselves ill-prepared.

      The second part is referred to in the common tongue as "mind placement". Most applications of the complete spell do not intent to simply evaporate part of someone's mind by releasing it into nothingness, but to capture part of that mind, wrapping it in a fragment of the layer and moving it elsewhere. In the new place it'll have less protections, but it means a memory, sensation or such could exist outside of the individual themselves. This has been use in high-profile cases (due to the great dangers and requiring the services of a powerful blue quiddity mage willing to use a seven quiddity spell it's seldom used) to extract evidence from victims, accused and witnesses alike, some long lived mages have used it to relieve themselves of trauma or undesirable parts of their personality, and it has even been used to store certain important memories. Memories are merely one aspect of the mind the spell is able to extract, though it is also by far the most commonly used.

      One other use I should mention: Mental protection. As the spell both controls the mental "position" and can warp mental layers, it can increase their efficiency by making the mind occupy a smaller space that is easier to wrap the mental layers around with the manipulation, making for a more dense mental defense.

      Without being too precise here, partially because I cannot be, "Auon" as a word refers to the idea of the mind. It's the mind as a state, the mind as an abstract and form. Of the mind, from the mind, as the mind. In truth, one of the more complicated words to explain. "Wai" tends to imply something akin to an aura or mild force, something which goes around without source from within or from outside. "Cvic" 's meaning is close to "changing the shape without altering the contents or the total", but with a connotation of a warping outside of the normal or intended state. "Antatsu", as even mildly attentive readers may have caught onto, also does not entirely translate to "placement".

      Common tongue naming of spells is usually a useful informative, or else chosen for "being cool", or something along those lines. Blue quiddity mages are the ones who attempt to pinpoint the correct name for spells instead. Well, yellow quiddity mages do make their attempts as well, admittedly. And whatever weird tongues orange quiddity mages speak may also lead to deeper truths...if one is willing to madden themselves for that purpose.

      Sincerely,

      Obsiniam Aquantis

      Dean of Blue Quiddity, Imperial-Seal Crafter
      ​
      blackseal-crop-png.1133197



Another thing that would never be mentioned in-character, but an expert application of this spell is one of the secrets behind Obsiniam's form of immortality. She transferred her own mind into an automaton body. Furthermore she has also prepared things such that she can use this magic to escape a possible death.
[ Arcane Study ]
Auon'Wai Cvic // Auon Antatus (Mental layer folding // mind placement)

Summary: [7 Blue] - A spell requiring an precise mental image of the mental layers, as well as great care and focus together with the great amount of blue mana needed, this spell has a two part chant which begins by warping the boundaries between the outside and inside of the mind, as well as the inner and surface parts of the mind, then it is able to extract parts of the mind and place them elsewhere with the second part of the spell. Some of the most baseline applications include memory storage or extraction and mental protection. The spell is capable of so much more though, and even failing with it can have catastrophic consequences on a mind, such as leaving it permanently unable to retain any knowledge. Use on oneself is possible, but risky and should not be attempted without due strategy as otherwise one might leak out the very process of using the spell, forgetting how to use such a dangerous spell mid-casting. One of the most powerful uses is body swapping by switching the minds of two beings.


Mentions: N/A
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Golems of Nevermore
Sinnvane

I have recently delved Nevermore looking for additional sources of blue mana to prepare myself further for my return to Spindlesap Forest. The spiders of that fell place are frequently ambush predators, and those which are not tend to swarm. Sensory powers shall hopefully safeguard myself and my allies from Balgamor from a surprise attack. Some additional magic items wouldn't go awry, either.

Whilst here, I have discovered a sort of golem which pulls itself along the ceiling by means of a system of wheels and pulleys anchored by a rail. It has dozens of spindly arms with a seemingly random array of tools mounted on the ends of them, everything from scalpels to sickles to a ball peen hammer. Like most of the rogue creations of Nevermore, the thing flailed wildly and with hostile intent as soon as it spotted anything living. It was not difficult to defeat, and I doubt it was intended for military use. Surely this thing was some sort of artisan or physician or perhaps both. While it was difficult to discern details from the charred remains of the chassis, it does seem like it was designed with easy swapping of golem cores in mind, which suggests the chassis may have been intended to perform many different tasks depending on what core had been installed.

To my knowledge there is no previous record of this construct, yet it was not found especially deep in the ruins. I would be very much surprised if I were the first to ever have so much as caught a glimpse of it. Rather, I suspect that it either did not happen across Folliette the Delver's path during her well-known venture into the city, or else it did so briefly enpugh to get crowded out by other details of the location. This raises questions as how thorough Folliette's work was. We should consider making a more thorough investigation of the place, to document more exhaustively the achievements of that fallen civilization. We are lacking a complete map of the city, which means we do not even know for certain that we are anywhere near complete in our explorations of it. Certainly what we know of is already sufficient to be an independent society and does not imply the existence of a much greater city even further below, but it is nevertheless possible that what we think of as a great city of the ancients is only an outpost of the true urban core.

07,08: Nevermore. An abandoned ancient city heavily saturated with magic and magic items. Everything known to be of significant value has been looted, but there remain many unexplored chambers as well as many lesser magical knick-knacks and detritus of a fallen civilization scattered about. Nevermore used a considerable number of golems before its fall, and many of them are still active and hostile.

[/OOC]
 
    • Giavanne Melosa. Teacher of entry-level magic. Volunteer caretaker. Accomplished user of the yellow quiddity. And more than anything, exemplar case of overabundant kindness. This fellow professor at the academy has come to puzzle me for many years, no matter how predictable (it still surprised me how ecstatic she was when I requested her permission to mention her in this article, without being told the contents or nature of that mention, no less). It has become entirely expected how often she approaches me offering aid and asking how I'm doing whenever I set foot at the academy, or her continuous worries and requests that I travel with more protection when I leave to conduct field research. Well, I suppose there's some point to it. With looks like mine, it would only be expected to be assailed by bandits or rough, struggling adventurers every few miles. Naturally your average bandit or adventurer wouldn't be able to come anywhere near me, but I must admit her worries are not entirely, absolutely groundless.

      Still, I suppose I was able to meet her requests for additional personnel for a chance during an expedition to the Nevermore ruins. As an automaton crafter naturally I'd visited the city a number of times before, particularly during the era where it was still hailed as a place to collect ancient and powerful relics or unknown treasures. Short of some major oversight (admittedly not so unlikely a possibility), it does not appear to be that anymore, but new things of interested can be found within it. A particular article from my colleague Sinnvane brought my attention to new golem types apparently found in the ruins, which I simply had to come observe for myself.

      It was on my way to the ruins that I caught rumors of a particular adventurer with equipment lacking compared to her experience, long hair barely tied by long ribbons, and rather pale skin. In fact this seemed to be associated with a supposed curse, as the skin had such sensitivity to sunlight she focused on questing at night, and was unnaturally prone to getting into trouble. Despite her troubles she had a jovial and rather naive personality, as well, but her ambitions drove her to continue pursuing the life of an adventurer. In short, she was precisely the manner of adventurer one would want for encountering undiscovered threats in a highly explored area. Furthermore, her services were relatively simple to obtain, no pricier than making her a bit of equipment and enough to sustain herself for a bit, including during our exploration.

      Since I was hiring her through the guild, and despite the fact my golem and automaton guards were more than sufficient for my protection, I decided to hire a couple more adventurers as well, partially to quell the guild's worries and partially to quell Giavanne's. I might as well take the opportunity to address a common mistake for mages when handling the hiring of adventurers. Guilds will not actively select the best adventurers for your particular job, and any willing to take it that falls under predetermined specifications can attempt it. Naturally this speeds up the process, though you may end up with lower quality resources if a party isn't appropriate for handling those resources or what they had to go through to obtain them. Conversely, being too needy or specific will result in a lack of takers. Right alongside the guild many students will aim to request a standard party composition with every essential role filled out, plus any highly specific extras needed for a particular kind of collecting or gathering. In terms of preserving your funding as well as ensuring a more successful gathering, it is essential to define precisely what assortment of adventurers is most adequate for each of your particular requests. As a token of example, since our scouting, gathering, combat and protection needs were met by my golems and automatons, there was no need to add additional adventurers in such roles, and I could easily limit myself to just one healing specialist, a red quiddity mage for helping with golem inspection and sensing, and the adventurer I mentioned above in this article.

      For the most part, the results of the proceeding expedition were unremarkable. The adventurers presented some early stubbornness before the golems stomped through (in quite literal terms) some of the weaker defense golems still found within Nevermore, after which point they were more understanding of my choices. Nonetheless, while the 'cursed' adventurer was not as carefree as I expected and took the job seriously and with due caution, she still found herself caught in a few traps and even successfully encountering an extremely rare golem type that I did not manage to get my hands on before for inspection by tripping over two or three pressure plates on the ground, and placing her hand on the precise location that triggered the opening of a stone door that previously just seemed like a wall. The golem was rather large, composed of metallic materials with a silvery sheen and claw-like hands forming a circle on the extremities of their limbs, around a small hole. Size aside, the golem's primary weaponry consists of a "burning light" emitted from that particular hole.

      Upon defeating the golem, I was rather surprised to find the construction of the light-projecting hole involved a number of openings around the golem's "hand" and crystals at the bottom of those openings. They were positioned such as to gather light that got in through the opening into one point. Some materials containing red quiddity would then trigger a spell amplifying the heat being generated by this relatively simple mechanism.

      Although not a monumental success, some progress was made an an avenue to explore in terms of golem crafting was opened. I'll look forward to exploring it, and I thank my colleague Sinnvane for their recent article for prompting this inspection.

      Sincerely,

      Obsiniam Aquantis

      Dean of Blue Quiddity, Imperial-Seal Crafter
      ​
      blackseal-crop-png.1133197



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Summary: Obsiniam conducts an expedition to Nevermore in search of new golem types. Fails to encounter one, but encounters a rare type, which she inspects. Introducing a yellow quiddity professor, Giavanne Melosa, and the adventurer Nimi Elna, jovial and naive but hardworking and serious, rumored to be cursed due to her pale sun-sensitive skin that often forces her to work at night, and her tendency for finding herself wrapped up into trouble.


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