Via Mortis

Overview

Necromancy is, at its most basic level, the practice of manipulating Nether Energy. Of course, in order to manipulate even the smallest amount of Nether Energy, it must be surrounded with Dol energy, and so only those who have more than a meddling ability to work with traditional magic will even be able to coalesce the Nothingness. However, for those with the ability and the desire, Nether Energy offers advantages few can pass up. Thus, the study of Nether Energy was quickly begun during the Demon Wars, and Shadow Magic was spawned.

History

Shadow Magic, or more traditionally

Via Mortis

(The Way of Death; i.e. necromancy), was first taught to humans by L'ruk and his demonic servants. Soon afterward, the Weavers of Nothing sprouted into existence under Unification rule, though the initial death toll was high amongst its practitioners. Shadow Magic was very well suited for causing the destruction and mayhem desired in wartime, and many victories for the Unifier cause were won with its potent strength, but even the lethal spells it granted were piddlesome in the face of a new discovery that tipped the odds of the war in favor of the Unifiers.

While a person lives, his body is enmeshed with Dol energy, just the same as all matter. However, his body is also a container of Life Energy, and it is this Life Energy that gives him the ability to heal wounds and continue living. When a person's Life Energy can no longer support his body that person dies, and the rest of the energy disapates over the course of a week or so. Some Weaver who's name is lost to the sands of time got the bright idea to shove a dead body chock full of Nether Energy and see what happened.

Hauling a fresh body out into the middle of nowhere, the necromancer began the usual ritual to bring Nothingness from beyond reality near to him and encase it within a container of Dol, just the same as he had done a thousand other times. When finished with his coalescing, he made the energy suffuse the freshly killed corpse. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Sighing, the unknown Weaver left the body to the birds and returned to his study to figure out what might explain his problem.

He returned to the location a few days later, the body not much worse for the wear. Once more he tried the ritual, and this time he got a twitch out of the body's arm. This stunning accomplishment was monumental, and very quickly it was discovered what his problem had been: a fresh corpse still had a significant amount of Life Energy within it, and it required a few days for the energy to leave the body. Soon after this discovery, the Triguian forces found themselves fighting a nearly hopeless war, for the addition of undead troops into the Unifier army quickly tipped the scales of war against the Creator's devotees, who were already struggling against the power wielded by the Weavers of Nothing.

Spells of Shadow Magic tend to be destructive in nature, due to the negating action of Nether Energy when it encounters Life Energy (which all living creatures have to some extent), and the corrosive effect it has on otherwise lifeless matter. In addition, they also are very draining on the caster, for he must attract both Nether Energy and Dol energy to contain it, both at the same time.

These spells are rated on a scale of 1-4 stars, with 1 star requiring the least amount of Nether Energy, and 4 requiring the most. Few casters should be able to cast more than a handful of Shadow spells in a day, and even less should be able to cast more than a single 4 star spell without serious rest.