The Maleficium
Collectively, the Maleficium, or Dark Arts, are areas within other forms of magical study that are deemed dangerous and forbidden by the Guild. Of course, the seductive lure of these arts attracts many curious students with little regard for their own safety; indeed, the price often far outweighs the benefits. Part of the lure is that it doesn’t require the student to be a magician, although most practitioners generally are. All that is required is study, as monstrous creatures, ancient relics and twisted powers of the Pale, connect the disciple to the aether.
Not all students of the Maleficium are tortured souls ready to embrace sin or seeking immortality. The Guild has long understood that in order to combat practitioners of the Dark Arts it must first understand those Dark Arts. Thus, worthy members of the Guild are granted Maleficium licenses to probe at the edges of these forbidden lores in the hopes that they learn something worthwhile without becoming lost to the Maleficium themselves.
In this section two Maleficium, Pact Magic and necromancy, are covered, although there are many more. These will be dealt with in future Victoriana supplements.
Corruption
The Levantine faiths are correct to warn against the Maleficium; when a sapient taps into the darker side of Entropy her mind, body, and soul are corrupted by it. This sets her down a very different path than the Liberators of Entropy, although she may have cogs in Entropy (or even Order!) as well. Nevertheless, the mechanical effect is the same. Once a sapient acquires the 6th cog in corruption she is lost, no matter where she sits on the Celestial Engine; similarly, cogs in corruption will not prevent a Liberator or Templar from being lost to Entropy or Order. An individual’s Corruption Points are always totalled together. If, for example, an adventurer acquires no matter what shade of Maleficium they encounter. If they acquire 100 Corruption points in Pact Magic and 100 points in Necromancy, then she has 200 Corruption Points and
moves to the 2nd cog of corruption (taking a -1 Presence penalty as well). Corruption often leaves physical marks; each Maleficia offers examples, but Gamesmasters are encouraged to be creative when Corruption Points from different Maleficium are mixed together.
Using Maleficium to Recover Quintessence
While all magicians dip into the aether from time to time to replenish their essence, Maleficium users can call upon the darker powers within the aether, generally from the Pale, to refuel their quintessence pools more rapidly. Unfortunately, calling upon such powers also corrupts the Maleficium user more quickly as well, hastening her damnation. Calling upon dark energies to refuel enables the Maleficium user to make a Resolve + Concentration roll while using a Maleficia magical skill as a complementary skill. As these dark energies are more difficult to handle, the Maleficium user takes 3 black dice when making this roll in addition
to any other modifiers that the Gamesmaster deems appropriate. As with a regular recovery roll, the Maleficium user must make 2 successes for the recovery to work and he regains 1 quintessence pip per success. Unlike a regular recovery roll, this roll only takes a single action, not an hour.
That said, using the Maleficium to recover quintessence has its price. Every point of quintessence gained grants the Maleficium user 1 Corruption Point. Even if the Maleficium user fails in her attempt, she still gains a single Corruption Point. On a Foul Failure, the Maleficium user receives 5 Corruption Points. Finally, the Maleficium user may only call upon the Maleficium to recover quintessence a number of times a day equal to her Resolve.
Drawing upon the Pale or other dark corners of the aether so quickly also affects the magician and the world around her. The effects of this depend upon the type of Maleficia used as the complementary skill and the number of Corruption Points she gained from the roll. The Gamesmaster is free to interpret this as she sees fit, but here are some guidelines.
Gaining a single point of quintessence has a small, immediate effect. Plants may wilt around a necromancer, while the veins may pop out of a Haemomancer. A Pledge may leave scorched footprints on the floor, while a Oneiromantist may make everyone around them feel sleepy.
Gaining 2-4 quintessence points either keeps minimal effects occurring for several minutes or causes a spectacular immediate effect. A necromancer may cause an entire tree to wither away or the steps of a staircase may disintegrate as she descends. The curtains behind a Pledge may burst into flames or she may leave a trail of scorched footprints as she walks.
Gaining 5 or more quintessence points creates a spectacular effect as well as lingering minor effects, often up to an hour. In addition, the Maleficium user may attract the attention of a Pale Archon or even the Heavenly Host. Many a powerful Pledge or necromancer has called upon an impressive amount of Maleficia-fuelled quintessence only to receive an appearance from an Ophanim and hear that frightful monotone, “We are righteous, we bring serenity.”
Pact Magic
Pledges are those who have bargained with Pale archons for knowledge or power in the mortal world. In some cases pact magic is learned through study of forgotten grimoires, but most accomplished Pledges were directly taught by the entity to whom they struck the bargain. ‘Pact Magic’ is a bit of an umbrella term; it is whispered that some Pledges bargain with indescribable creatures such as the old gods and other entities beyond our world. Almost every society has a terror of, and loathing for, those that make pacts with Pale archons and simply call them all ‘Pledges.’ Pact Magic generally follows the rules of hermeticism, although Pledges prefer the term ‘invocation’ to ‘operation.’ But we don’t care what they think.
Summoning Archons
As well as casting dark invocations, the Pact Magic skill can be used for summoning and commanding Pale archons. Many archons despise, or at best envy, their summoners, but are bound by contracts to do their bidding. Most love to be summoned (so that they can bring Entropy to the world) but hate being bound. Since they serve against their will, Pale archons will almost invariably attempt to do the minimum amount of work possible to fulfill the letter of the contract and, if at all possible, will pervert the intent of the contract so as to actively cause problems for the summoner. There are Archons, on the other hand, who truly enjoy the art of the bargain and always attempt to craft contracts for their ultimate benefit. Many a Pledge has thought that he bargained for one thing, only to find that he’d signed away something far more dear to him or become bound by terms he can’t stomach in the fine print. The devil, they say, is in the details.
The first time a Pledge summons a particular archon, a lengthy summoning ritual must be carried out, complete with assorted paraphernalia. The ritual works in the same way as spell-casting but summoning rituals often take hours, not rounds, and, as with conjuration, often have material requirements. The duration of such spells is not applicable (effectively ‘Instant’), as is the range. If successful, the adventurer must wait an unspecified amount of time for the desired archon to appear and may commence contract negotiations. If the Pledge does not even get a single success, some dire consequence will result, typically the accidental summoning of a hostile monster of a different kind, or the attraction of a minor curse to the adventurer. The details are left to the vindictiveness of the individual Gamesmaster.
It is also possible that a grimoire or object is ‘primed,’ allowing an adventurer with no magical knowledge to summon a Pale archon to perform a particular service merely by reading a passage or performing some act. The archon then offers to fulfill the promise of the primed object. As the archon now has a relationship with the adventurer, he is free to lead the unwitting soul further astray.
When summoned, the archon appears in its physical form, though this might be any number of forms, given who has been summoned. Pledges know immediately when they see the archon that it is the right one (or wrong one, in some cases) While there is nothing preventing the archon from harming or ignoring the summoner, often they are more curious and willing to converse with the Pledge. Pledges may take certain precautions if they feel the archon might attempt to hurt or harm them in some way.
Contract Negotiation
Summoning the archon is only half the job; the summoner must also negotiate a contract with the creature. Depending on the power of the entity and the terms of any eventually agreed contract, it may be possible to dispense with the lengthy summoning ritual on future occasions, with the archon coming on command, though this is unusual.
Once the archon has been summoned, the Pledge explains what she wishes from the contract, and makes a ‘ contract’ roll. If successful, she is able to negotiate peacefully with the archon, though the terms of the contract may not be entirely favorable to her in any case. A powerful demon, contracted to perform a major task, will certainly demand a suitably momentous payment in return, up to and including such things as:
The summoner’s immortal soul (a perennial favorite)
Sapient and/or animal sacrifices, in quantity
Desecration of the buildings of, or physical attack on, Aluminat people and property
Corruption of innocents
Temptation of the moral and upright
The contract roll is made using Presence + Pact Magic opposed to the archon’s Mental Competence (or Presence + Bull, or Presence + Pact Magic). If successful, the number of successes the caster gains more than the archon did are recorded as the ‘control margin.’
A summoner who rolls a decent-sized control margin may drive a more favorable bargain, but a single success will only be sufficient to begin negotiations. A failure on the contract roll indicates that the creature is under no obligation to even negotiate peacefully, or indeed at all, and
will typically attack the summoner before wreaking havoc on the land. Some archons simply question the will of the summoner and leave, knowing that the summoner will call again.
Fulfilling or Breaking a Contract
Once the contract is completed, the archon is, in theory, compelled to return to wherever it came from. While many archons would simply leave, some may attempt to resist the compulsion with an average Resolve roll, with the control margin acting as a black dice penalty to the roll. If it resists, it may remain in the region as long as it desires or is able to. Most try to exert some level of control over a host (of any form) as quickly as they can before they run out of quintessence.
If either party to the contract fails to fulfill its end of the bargain, the contract is immediately regarded as broken. The archon will do its best to fulfill its end of the bargain (as it sees it), as the contract temporally and magically binds it to the region where it can potentially do more harm. So, when the contract is broken, the archon must make a roll to remain as detailed above.
If the summoner breaks the contract, but the demon manages to remain in the region, the demon is still forced to fulfill its end of the bargain (but the summoner need not do so). Needless to say, summoners who break contracts tend to attract the eternal hatred of the archon involved, and summoners who make a habit of it may find it much harder to negotiate future contracts (adding a black dice penalty of 1 for each contract broken to future contract rolls with any archon).
Pact Magic Operations
Invocations with asterisks (*) are available for a Maleficia License.
Aer Taenia
Aether Ribbons
Cost: 1
Difficulty: 0
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Minutes
Upon manifestation, this invocation creates aethereal sinews of shadow that entwine around a victim, grabbing them with an effective Strength of 5. In addition, the dark strands have a life of their own.
Aer Amiculum
Aethereal Cloak
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Self
Duration: Minutes
The invocation makes the Pledge and her apparel incorporeal; she is unaffected by and unable to affect the mundane world, and is able to walk through solid objects. The Pledge is still visible as a ghostly imprint on the retina as she passes. However, if the invocation wears off while the Pledge is moving through something, the damage is quite severe.
Maledictum ex Deformitas
Curse of Entropy
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Hours
If the victim fails a resistance roll, they become deformed and monstrous in appearance. The nature of the deformity cannot be chosen unless a Good success (3 successes) is made when performing the invocation. The abnormality is usually unpleasant to behold, adding a 4 black dice penalty on social rolls. The curse may be regressed with a casting of Quiet.
Principatus Snimi Evertitur
Pale Dominion
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 6
Range: Touch
Duration: See description
This invocation deteriorates the mind of the victim if they fail a resistance roll. The victim’s Wits and Resolve are reduced by 1 point each. The effects are permanent and cumulative, taking the victim closer to gibbering lunacy with each casting. The purpose of the invocation is to reduce a prospective host’s resistance. Time (and Experience Points) can heal the damage.
Sigillum Daemoniaci*
Pale Sigil
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Minutes
This invocation creates a symbol which the Pledge marks on their chest in their own blood. If a manifested archon wishes to attack the Pledge, it must succeed in a Resolve roll with a penalty of 2 black dice. The Pledge may increase the number of black dice for the penalty by adding 1 to the invocation’s Difficulty per black die added. The Pledge cannot add more black dice than she has points in Pact Magic.
Marcescebat
Fade
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 6
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instant
This invocation causes one victim to fade from existence, becoming increasingly transparent until she is gone. There is no half effect for this spell. If the victim rolls better than the Pledge, the invocation is a failure; if the Pledge wins, then the victim fades. The whole process takes several seconds, allowing a fading character a single round of hasty actions before finally disappearing. The victim has actually been sent to the Pale Court, directly to the Pale Queen’s feet, never to return.
Era Celebratio
The Lady’s Audience
Cost: 5
Difficulty: 12
Range: Self
Duration: Minutes
Often this invocation is disguised as a less auspicious invocation, in order to better capture innocents. The spell transports the Pledge to the Pale Court for an immediate audience with the Pale Queen. There is no way of ensuring safety against such power, but the Pledge
should be sure to have something interesting to say or do for the duration.
When the duration expires, the Pledge is thrown back to reality, taking 2 Health pips per success in damage from the shock. What she looks like when she returns is variable to say the least.
Tutela Domus*
Protected Domain
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Days
This invocation protects an open area from archonic intrusion. The area extends in a 10 yard radius of the Pledge (but stays where it is if she moves!). If an archon (whether manifest or possessing a host) wishes to enter (or leave) the room, they must succeed in a Resolve roll with a penalty of 2 black dice. The Pledge may increase the number of black dice for the penalty by adding 1 to the invocation’s Difficulty per black die added. The Pledge cannot add more black dice than she has points in Pact Magic. The Pledge may extend the radius of the invocation at a rate of 5 yards for each additional Quintessence pip spent during manifestation.
Quies*
Quiet
Cost: see description
Difficulty: resistance roll
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instant
This invocation forces an archon from a host. If the archon is physically manifesting, the invocation sends them back beyond to the Void. However, this can only occur if the archon
fails the resistance roll. The base quintessence cost of the invocation is equal to half the archon’s Mental Competence.
Acclaro ex Totum
The Revelation of All
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Eye contact
Duration: Days
This spell reveals the true beauty of Entropy and the glory of the planes to the victim, but in about 2 seconds flat. The result is a coma that lasts for as long as the spell’s duration (although sometimes longer, even for life, at the Gamesmaster‘s discretion). The shock of the revelation often turns the victim’s hair white.
Castimonia Subtrahar*
Stolen Decency
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 6
Ritual Length: 1 hour (this is an exception to other invocations)
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Pledges would love to be rid of this invocation but, as the Pale despises weakness, evil archons enjoy teaching it to as many as they can. The ritual to complete the spell takes about an hour, at the end of which the invoker sacrifices another Pledge. The victim is free to do what they can to resist, so the Pledge better have him restrained. If the invocation is a success, the caster loses an amount of Corruption Points equal to half the Corruption Points the victim had. If it fails, well, there is still one less Pledge in the world.
Tutela*
Warding
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Days
This operation protects an enclosed space from archon intrusion. All the doors and windows of the room are marked with sigils (which usually takes about an hour to prepare). If a archon (whether manifest of possessing a host) wishes to enter (or leave) the room, they must succeed
in a Resolve roll with a penalty of 2 black dice. The magician can increase the number of black dice by adding 1 to the operation’s Difficulty per black dice added.
Susurrus Vexilli
Whispering Colors
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Days
The victim is exposed to chaotic emanations that appear to the victim as shimmering unearthly colors, though the energy is invisible to others. The energy causes insanity and catatonia for as long as it is present. Every 12 hours, the victim may make a Resolve + Concentration roll. Success for the victim dismisses the effect immediately.
Necromancy
Like Pact Magic, Necromancy is at best frowned upon and, more likely, abhorred by even the most amoral societies. While a mixture of arrogance and foolishness is enough to set a Pledge on the dark path, there is something inherently twisted about anyone who seeks out Necromantic lore. Trafficking in the distortion of life may not be regarded as quite so inherently evil as making pacts with Pale Archons, but it is clearly unnatural and not a little disgusting. It is also against the precepts of Aluminat teaching, not to mention decidedly disrespectful to the living and dead alike. Still, like Pact Magic, it is a sure route to power and knowledge. Most necromancers learn their vile art by studying tomes of ancient lore, though this is often supplemented by direct, pseudo-scientific investigation of, and experimentation on, fresh corpses and the living. Necromancy spells are cast using the same rules as hermeticism.
Nocturnal Power
It is commonly believed that the aethereal barrier between life and death is weakest during the night, enabling the living to contact the spirits of the dead and vice versa. While spiritualists and other magicians have not noticed any significant variation in performing magic during the night as opposed to day, necromancers clearly have an advantage.
Between sunset and sunrise the Difficulty for necromantic operations decreases by 1. Lunar phase is also important; the Difficulty of a necromantic operation is reduced by a further 1 (or -2 Difficulty total) seven days before and after a new moon. The Difficulty is reduced by another 2 (or -4 Difficulty total) on the night of a new moon.
Necromantic Operations
Operations marked with an asterisk (*) are typically permitted with a Maleficia License.
Adoptivum Corpus Fragmentum
Graft Body Part
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 0
Ritual Length: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
With this operation the necromancer can graft a body part onto a living body and enable it to be controlled by the target. The target operates the graft as if it was the original and ‘feels’ pain through the graft. Blood does course through the limb but it bleeds significantly less than a normal wound and some preservation fluid is mixed in with the blood.
Anathema
Anathema
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 12
Ritual Length: see description
Range: Worldwide
Duration: See description
This potent curse is a complex but swift ritual, accomplished by handing or posting the victim a single raven feather. When the victim receiving the feather sees it for the first time, the curse comes into effect. The victim’s 20 most loved items, people or institutions are destroyed, killed, or suffer shattering blows to reputation (in that order). Persons and objects on the hit list all suffer a bout of terminal bad luck with mysterious accidents (usually causing 10 damage dice each); victims may resist the ‘accidents’ with luck and anything else they can muster.
Institutions and the effects of a blow to their reputation are left to the Gamesmaster’s discretion. Each item on the top 20 list is subject to one attack, and then the curse passes them over.
Conservo Cadaver
Preserve Corpse
Cost: 1
Difficulty: 0
Ritual Length: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Duration: Months
This operation prevents a corpse or partial corpse from deteriorating any further. The body is bathed in preservative oils and the operation protects it from the ravages of time. This operation does not return a corpse to its living condition; a rotting arm won’t rot further, but the previous rot would remain. This operation is important for characters with necrotic grafts, as such grafts do continue to deteriorate after being attached to a living body.
Luridus Persona
Ghastly Appearance
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Hours
A reversal of Decoro, this operation makes the target less desirable, transforming them into an ancient, emaciated version of themself; skin wrinkles and hangs from bones, liver spots develop, teeth are yellowed and missing, hair becomes thin, stringy, and white. In addition to making this a curse on others, necromancers have found this operation useful as a disguise.
They often perform necromancy while having this operation in effect so that when hunters chase them they can remove it or throw them off the scent by ending it and casting it on someone else. At the end of the duration the target returns to normal.
Mors Forma
Necrotic Form
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 6
Ritual Length: 2 hours
Range: Self
Duration: Hours
With this operation the necromancer can transform her body into a corpse-like state; while she is still technically ‘alive,’ her body becomes corpse-like. She can still move and act normally, but her body can’t heal from injury (conversely, any viruses or diseases the necromancer may have are suspended while she is in necrotic form), nor does she feel pain while in necrotic form. Any cursory or medical examination identifies the body as dead. She also doesn’t need to breathe, eat or sleep while in corpse form. The ritual for this operation is bathing and wrapping oneself as if preparing a corpse for burial. The necromancer needs to spend most of the ritual time resting in a coffin or other burial structure.
Mortifer Sanctimonia*
Deadly Purity
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Ritual Length: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Necromancers use this operation much like Pledges do, and rarely teach it to their apprentices. The ritual to complete the operation takes about an hour, at the end of which the necromancer sacrifices to another necromancer. The victim is free to do what they can to resist, so the necromancer better have him restrained. If the operation is a success, the necromancer loses a number of Corruption Points equal to half the Corruption Points the victim had. If it fails, well, there is still one fewer necromancer in the world.
Postremus Imago
Final Image
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Rounds
It is said that the eyes keep an image of the last thing they see before a sapient dies. While that isn’t literally true, there does remain a bit of necrotic-tinted quintessence that enables a necromancer to see a sapient’s last seconds before death. While the vision lasts only a few seconds, it is often enough for the necromancer to glean some clues as to the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death.
There are two key points to keep in mind. First, the necromancer sees these final moments through the victim’s eyes. If he was shot in the back he likely didn’t see his attacker. Second, this is not an actual recording of the victim’s last moments but his perception of them; sometimes a victim may see things that aren’t there or mis-identify the killer, means, or circumstances. The Gamesmaster should use degrees of success to determine the clarity of the vision.
Segnis Foetor Mortis
Death’s Lingering Stench
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Range: See description
Duration: Instant
Creates a poisonous cloud of stinking corpse gas around the necromancer; the gas has a radius of 10 yards plus 5 yards per success. The gas is also a potency 6 poison, to which the necromancer is immune. This operation presumes actual corpse material is used in the preparation.
Resarcio Carnes
Mend Flesh
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
This operation uses necrotic energy to bind wounds and heal injuries. It is very similar to the Vigeas operation; instantly ‘healing’ 1 Health pip per success, this operation only repairs injuries and knits flesh back together.
Requietum*
Rest
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
This operation can put a dead spirit to rest, sending it home to the netherworld. The spirit may attempt to resist using its Mental Competence with a 3 black dice penalty. The necromancer can also use this operation to force a dead spirit just to leave a host body, although its first action will be to attempt to possess another.
Tactus Mortis Frigus
Death’s Cold Touch
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 12
Range: Touch
Duration: Rounds
Once cast, the necromancer’s hands become cadaverous, and radiate cold. Anything touched ages; the extent of the aging is dependent upon the number of rounds it remains in contact. With 1 round, cloth dissolves into dust; with two, wood becomes weak and fragile. With three, a young man becomes an elderly cripple. With four, metal devices such as locks, guns and swords turn to flakes and chunks of rust. Living targets may spend quintessence to resist the
effects (2 Quintessence pips buys them an extra round) but they still take 4 dice of Health damage.
Torpor
Torpor
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 6
Ritual Length: 3 hours
Range: Touch
Duration: Weeks
With this operation the necromancer can put herself or another in a death-like state with the body minimally functioning to survive. While in a state of Torpor the body needs no sustenance, slowly feeding from its own fat stores. The body also needs only the slightest amount of air to breathe, enabling it to survive even when sealed in a coffin. Necromancers have found this operation useful when preserving living captives as well as a means of survival when hunters are closing in or a lich necromancer needs to preserve her body from further deterioration.
The ritual for this operation involves preparing the target and giving him a full funeral rite, after which the target is buried. This could be a full ‘in the ground’ burial or simply an interment in a closed coffin, sarcophagus or other type of enclosure. If the body is disturbed in any way the target awakens; this has led to most hunters chopping off heads immediately upon finding a ‘fresh’ corpse, just in case.
Oro Morti Phasmatis*
Séance
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 0
Ritual Length: 1 hour
Range: Self
Duration: Minutes
The necromancer attempts to communicate with specific spirits from the netherworld. With success, the spirit requested is found, but information gleaned may be nebulous, unrelated or meaningless. With a Good success, the information gleaned is relevant to the questions and accurate. With failure, nothing useful comes of the attempt; a Foul Failure calls the attention of the Void. The dead may only be questioned concerning matters of the past.
Vita Candesco
Life Glow
Cost: 2
Difficulty: 0
Range: self
Duration: hours
This operation enables the owner of a necrotic graft to disguise its true nature by making it appear to be a living body part. When the magically treated embalming fluid is applied the graft loses all imperfections (including stitches or staples) and looks like a healthy, normal body part. This operation does not, however, alter the actual nature of the graft, so an Ogre arm treated with this operation would still look oversized if attached to an Orc.
Vox Ex Morti
Voice of the Dead
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Ritual Length: 30 minutes
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
This operation enables the necromancer to speak in the voice of someone who has died. The ritual involves removing the tongue from the corpse and turning it into a focus worn around the neck. When the necromancer touches it and speaks, her voice sounds exactly like that of the deceased person. Other than the voice, however, this operation imparts no special insight into the deceased or the deceased’s relationship with anyone living.
Vox Dominor
Voice of Control
Cost: 3
Difficulty: 3
Range: Eye contact
Duration: Hours
With this operation, the necromancer’s eyes and voice become captivating. Any victim looking into her eyes must make a resistance test or be overcome by an unnatural obsession for the necromancer, which lasts for the operation’s remaining duration. Note that this is not a charm operation: the victim may loathe the necromancer but find herself compelled to do as the necromancer whims in any endeavour, be it amorous or murderous. Specifically, the victim cannot bring herself to directly harm the necromancer; also, they must obey any orders given by the necromancer.
The necromancer may charm multiple victims during the operation duration but, if one manages to resist, the operation is broken for everyone.
Pando Victum Mortuum
Warp the Living
Cost: 4
Difficulty: 12
Ritual Length: see description
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
The necromancer permanently endows a living target with an unnatural attribute; it requires several hours of necromantic ritual and operation each time it is used. Gamesmasters must supervise and approve the nature of such an attribute; examples are batwings, fiery breath, or a hypnotic gaze. Once cast upon the undead, treat this attribute as a Skill that can rise with experience, but never above 4.
Haemomancy
Since ancient times it is believed that sapients, and all things, are simply quantities of quintessence trapped in physical form. Some sapients also have a bit of unshaped
quintessence inside them and this can be used to manifest magic or connect them to the aether. As magicians running low on quintessence can tap their own vitality to fuel spells, it is believed that all physical creatures, especially sapients, may have the quintessence that shaped them drawn out of them. This is the domain of haemomancy.
Haemomancy is perhaps the most reviled of the Maleficium. The worst effects of Pact Magic can at least be ascribed to Pale Archons, while necromancy generally involves the manipulation of life and death. While both of these disciplines do sometimes require harming the living, neither is so completely dedicated to killing as haemomancy. Each use of haemomancy requires the sacrifice of a living sapient, something little tolerated in most civilised societies.
It is believed that haemomancy has its origins in the earliest of civilisations, where the loss of magic during the Great Devastation caused survivors to search for new sources of magic wherever they could. Haemomancy provided the ultimate source, usually couched in terms of sapient sacrifice for the benefit of an Old God. It also kept communities manageable, as captured enemies, in addition to being enslaved, could also be used to fuel magics or grant warriors greater abilities in battle.
As civilisations advanced haemomancy fell out of favour and its adherents were driven underground. Haemomancers and their followers survived, largely as a tool for those resisting superior forces. As a result, many civilized governments adopted a ‘kill on sight’ policy regarding haemomancers, lest they teach their magic to others. Unfortunately for them, many of these hunters find abilities used against the next band of hunters. Traditionally, haemomancers used the authority of an Old God to give them legitimacy and a rallying point. Many an old god has had at least one haemomantic cult dedicated to them; in truth most of the Old Gods, and indeed the Heavenly Host, have had sacrifices made in their names at some point in history.
The Consortium of Hermetic Guilds takes a dim view of haemomancy. It is a completely forbidden discipline; Maleficium licenses are never issued for its practice and any magician found guilty of practicing haemomancy is put to death. In addition to the Consortium, most nations have anti-haemomancy laws above and beyond those for Maleficium in general.
The Ritual Sacrifice
Each haemomantic ritual requires the death of a sapient. The length of the ritual depends on the individual spell. Anyone participating in the ritual must offer some of their own blood and mix it with that of the sacrifice. This primes the participant to be able to activate the enchantment later.
As a Maleficia, haemomancy requires no special talent to learn; haemomancers learn the dark art during play. This skill enables you to transform the blood of sapient sacrifice into quintessence that you can use to fuel blood enchantments. In many ways haemomancy is even
more disgusting than necromancy, as necromancy may do some obscene things, but you kill the living for personal gain. You have an understanding of those like you and you are aware of the signs of haemomantic cults all over the world. You can also use this skill with Presence to notice when someone has performed or is using a blood enchantment. (See Haemomancy Skill)
Blood Enchantments
Commutatio Aspectus
Change Appearance
Ritual Cost: 3 Ritual Length: Two hours
Difficulty: 3 Activation Range: Self
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Hours
This enchantment enables an activator to switch his general appearance, subspecies and gender based on the characteristics of the victim. This is extremely useful for spies and assassins, as it not only allows them to disguise themselves but also allows them to fully pass as a member of a different gender. An activator that changes his subspecies gains the benefits of the new subspecies but loses his old ones.
The enchantment involves burning the skin of the sacrifice while performing the ritual. The ashes must be sprinkled on the caster to activate the focus. The activator can only change into the subspecies or gender (or both) of the sacrificial victim. Only one focus may be created per
victim.
The caster cannot determine the details of his new appearance and generally retains his original appearance, albeit modified for the new form. A human caster that changes into an Eldren, for example, would still be recognisable, except that he has pointed ears, pale skin, and cat-like pupils. Certain characteristics will still change; a Dwarf would shorten or lose his beard when changing into an Eldren, while a human that turns into a Beastfolk would be virtually unrecognizable. Casters that change their gender look a bit different, as if they were a brother or sister of their original form.
Destillo Quintessence
Distilled Quintessence
Ritual Cost: 2 Ritual Length: 3 hours
Difficulty: 0 Activation Range: Touch
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Hours
Perhaps one of the most common uses of haemomancy, this enchantment drains a victim of his or her blood and distills it into pure quintessence. When drunk, this concentrated blood imparts the quintessence into the imbiber. The amount of quintessence transferred is equal to the Health (not the quintessence score) of the victim. Quintessence dice gained in this manner may be divided into separate vials of varying potencies, but always measured in dice.
Sanguineus Remedium
Blood Healing
Ritual Cost: 1 Ritual Length: 1 hour
Difficulty: 0 Activation Range: Self
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Instant
This enchantment allows the haemomancer to transfer the Health pips of a sacrifice into a small paste that may be used to heal later. The paste must be made from nuts mixed with
blood. The paste is then mixed with caramelized sugar and hardened into a brittle, which can be broken into chunks. The total brittle includes a number of health pips equal to that of the sacrifice minus 2 (as 2 pips are used in the enchantment). When a chunk of brittle is consumed it confers the benefit on the consumer.
Strangulator
Choker
Ritual Cost: 1 Ritual Length: 2 hours
Difficulty: 0 Activation Range: Touch
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Permanent until removed
The Strangulator is a strap or necklace that will constrict and choke a victim to death upon contact. It is prepared by strangling the sacrifice to death with it. Just before death, the sacrificial victim’s throat is slit so that some blood is sprinkled on the Strangulator. Only one Strangulator may be created per sacrifice.
The Strangulator must be activated while it is around a victim’s neck. This could be in the form of an attack or, if the activator is being deceptive, he could offer the Strangulator as a gift and touch it after it is worn. Once the Strangulator is activated, it tightens around the victim and starts choking him to death.
The Strangulator is treated as a grapple. On the first round, the Strangulator chokes the victim with a Strength of 10. It takes the victim two rounds to remove a Strangulator, once to stop it from choking and once to remove it. If the removal fails, the Strangulator makes another choke attack and the victim must start again. Grappling is resolved normally.
Subduco Artis
Steal Skill
Ritual Cost: 1 Ritual Length: 2 hours
Difficulty: See description Activation Range: Self
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Hours
This enchantment allows the caster to steal all of the ranks in a single skill that the sacrificial victim possessed. The difficulty is equal to the skill rank. Extra foci may be created
by adding a black die to the difficulty for each extra dose. The enchantment involves burning the body part most associated with the skill and putting the ashes in cooking oil. Activating the focus involves rubbing the oil on the caster’s palms. The caster now has the skill at the same ranks as the victim.
The benefit is not cumulative. If the caster has 3 ranks in swordplay and the victim had 4 ranks, then the caster will only have 4 ranks (not 7) after activating the focus. Also, the enchantment does not grant the haemomancer knowledge of the victim’s skill list. If the haemomancer does not know whether the victim has a certain skill, then he needs to take a chance if he wants a certain skill. If the victim doesn’t have it, then the enchantment fails.
Subduco Ingenium
Steal Talent
Ritual Cost: 1 Ritual Length: 2 hours
Difficulty: 2+ Activation Range: Self
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Rounds
This enchantment allows the haemomancer to steal a talent from the sacrificial victim. Casting this ritual usually has a 2 Difficulty; for every 2 additional points another focus may be created. The focus is a curry sauce made with the blood and ashes of the sacrificial victim. It must be heated and consumed for the focus to take effect.
The haemomancer gains no knowledge of a victim’s talents. If the talent wasn’t observed, then the haemomancer must guess whether the victim has the talent (if he doesn’t then the enchantment fails).
Subduco Intelligentia
Steal Knowledge
Ritual Cost: 2 Ritual Length: 2 hours
Difficulty: 3 Activation Range: Self
Activation Cost: 1 Duration: Permanent
This enchantment allows the caster to steal the memories of his victim. This is a potent spell and requires strict Gamesmaster supervision. Essentially, the caster mimics the Know Living History Sensate clairvoyant ability by studying the blood of the sacrifice. Unlike the clairvoyant ability, however, this spell offers more clarity on a focused topic.
Generally, the caster can get clarity on a particular life experience in the sacrificial victim’s memory. This could be the floor plan of a palace, the battle plan of an upcoming conflict, or vivid conversations with a particular person. The life experience must be chosen at the time of the sacrifice. Gamesmasters should feel free to increase the difficulty for very detailed information.
The brain fluid is kept in a vial and is spilled out in a seemingly random pattern and read as a series of “veins” or “branches” which link memories together. The potion can only be created for one use.
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