The Ashen Path

From SPS
Jump to: navigation, search

Necromancy as it is currently practised began in Cordona around 1000 A.E., when a tribe of griffin stumbled upon a series of clay tablets within the caves along Balor’s Wall. The tables are written in an ancient Arin dialect, and describe a hero’s journey into the underworld, and the hero’s ultimate encounter with powerful entities called the ankou. Upon making a pact with these creatures, the hero escaped once more into the living world, but brought with him incredible powers and magics.

To become a follower of this path, an apprentice has to perform a journey into the underworld. Any near-death experience will begin the process, allowing the apprentice’s soul to step into the land of the dead. From there, the apprentice must descend into the Deep, the heart of the underworld. There, the apprentice must find the ankou, petitioning them for the knowledge of necromancy. A living person can not remain in the Deep very long, and often find themselves ferried back into Creation. A necromancers must perform this ritual each time they would get a new Benefit.

Necromancers often fall into two modes of thought. The group known as the Wardens believe that the barrier between the living and the dead is important. They are often tasked with hunting undead, and ensuring that the souls of the dead can pass on peacefully. The Wardens study the fate of the soul, and wonder at the meaning and significance of the soul’s place in Creation. The second group, simply called necromancers, are those who consider the barrier of the underworld to be a restraint that prevents them from harnessing the true power of death. This group often attempts to bypass death, and seek immortality through the underworld, drawing upon the powers there to command undead, while holding off their own demise. Many within this group eventually become undead themselves.

Titles: Necromancer, Wardens