Book of Bone and Ebony

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energy flows outward in the blink of an eye, the crest of its wave crackling with purple lightning. As it passes a ghost, that ghost is briefly surrounded by the same crackling energy. Once the light fades and the dust settles, none are harmed. But the physical representations of the ghost’s Fetters — any they happen to be bearing — are rendered inert. They no longer provide Essence on a daily basis. A Fetter representation is unable to be drawn upon for Essence for a length of time dependent upon the Fetter’s strength: Fetter Rating Duration Inert • Two months •• One month ••• Two weeks •••• Six days ••••• Three days Alternatively, the necromancer may hurl the bright and flashing sphere at a specific ghost within 15 yards with a Dexterity + Thrown roll. That ghost alone is caught in bands of glaring necrotic energy before it dissipates within the turn. Using the spell in this form permanently severs the ghost from all Fetters whose representations he bore. For both versions of the spell, any Fetters whose physical representations were secreted elsewhere are safe. NECROMANCY AND ARCANOI Arcanoi are a set of powers that, in general, only a ghost can use. Necromancers can often also affect ghosts in manners similar to the effects of Arcanoi, but a necromantic spell will almost universally be more powerful than an Arcanos effect, so a spell that resembles an existing Arcanos will usually be more effective or combine multiple effects. See Black Candle Visage and Bonfire Visions in the text for examples. Most such spells are of the Shadowlands Circle. LABYRINTH CIRCLE Only the darkest Solar necromancers grew powerful and learned enough to touch upon the powers available in the Labyrinth Circle. Their curiosity, however, exceeded their care. As they studied spells in the safety of their workrooms or the twisting veins of the dead gods’ dreams, the Labyrinth, several of the dozen that practiced dark magics of this magnitude found themselves hearing strange whispers in the back of their heads. The voices grew stronger in the dark, during Calibration or whenever they were heeded. Two of those who now call themselves Deathlords began their journey toward submission to the Void by listening too closely. BANEFUL SUN Cost: 22 motes Target: One creature 131 CHAPTER FIVE • NECROMANCY THE DANGER OF THE DEEP Despite the vast number of necromantic spells that are intended solely to have utilitarian effects, binding or affecting the dead without harming them or raping their will, as necromancers explore the mysteries of the deeper circles they find that, in order to achieve their desired ends, souls are going to be abused or destroyed. Casting a Labyrinth Circle spell is manipulating the spiteful nightmares of the dead gods, and it is difficult to tease power from their dreamstuff without some of their hatred coming with it. Evoking the power of the Void Circle draws directly from Oblivion itself, bypassing the whispers of the Malfeans and reaching directly for the Essence of the Void. It is nearly impossible to cast a spell of that magnitude that does not, in some way, inflict suffering and pain on the spirits of the Underworld. It is within the power of the Labyrinth Circle to place upon a creature’s soul a taint that resonates violently with the spiritual timbre of Creation. When in the sunlit realm, the victim of this spell feels a shivering weakness and vaguely ill. If he remains there for too long, he begins to decay as the disharmony in his soul tears him apart from the inside. After too long, he dies. Mechanically, the affected individual is at a one-die penalty when in Creation, for it is inimical to him. For every month that he remains there, he is struck with an unsoakable level of aggravated damage that will not heal by any means. Eventually, this will kill even the most resolute of heroes. Should the victim retreat to the Underworld, he at once feels at ease. His unhealable wounds fade at the rate of one every month, and they can be healed no faster. If this spell is cast upon a heroic character, the necromancer’s and the target’s players may both roll their characters’ Essence and compare successes. If the necromancer is victorious, the target is struck with the effects of the spell until tended by countermagic or until the necromancer chooses to lift the curse. Baneful Sun was used originally near the end of the First Age. The sorcerer-kings had begun wielding necromancy with abandon and cursed those who offended them to wander the Underworld or die slowly. Today, the Deathlords use it to bind ghosts away from their worldly Passions, punishing them. Some use the reverse spell, Baneful Shadow, to curse ghosts to forever wander Creation where they can regain no Essence or to banish heroes from the Underworld so they can do no harm. A being cursed by either spell can travel the shadowlands without penalty.
EXALTED • BOOK OF BONE AND EBONY 132 CLAMORING SHACKLES Cost: 21 motes Target: Two creatures Holding his hands cupped as through around an invisible sphere, tiny motes of darkness flow from the necromancer’s palms to slowly form a thin black shaft between his shaping hands. As the spell concludes, the shaft sprouts fletching and a dangerous point that glints in the available light. The caster then chooses a target, and the arrow fires itself with the speed of his dark thought. The necromancer’s player rolls Wits + Archery for his attack roll. The arrow inflicts a base damage of (Occult x 3) lethal and ignores the effects of Arcanoi or ghostly artifacts that increase the target’s soak. If the target is reduced below Incapacitated by the arrow, she is assaulted by a swarm of dark spots, until she appears only as a miniature storm of flickering light and dark. Then, black chains of soulsteel burst from the tempest, locking around the wrists, ankles and neck of another ghost of the necromancer’s choice. Treat these shackles as Artifact •• grave-prison chains (see Exalted: The Abyssals, p. 257). The necromancer can spend 6 experience points at the moment of casting to make the resulting grave-prison chains permanent and to strengthen the spell to shatter only when struck by Obsidian Countermagic. Otherwise, the chains created by Clamoring Shackles remain for one day per point of the caster’s permanent Essence. The shackles made by this spell are shaped by the will of the caster, and necromancers who use this spell repeatedly may have their handiwork recognized. There is a Void Circle version of this spell called Blackstorm Wagon. For a cost of 48 motes, the necromancer summons a rain of these arrows. He makes a single Perception + Archery attack roll that is applied to all available targets within a 100-yard radius of a point within 500 yards, chosen by the caster. Arrows that strike only earth, stone or metal quickly dissolve into an acrid black smoke. Any ghost that is slain by an arrow suffers the same fate as one slain by Clamoring Shackles, and the chains reach out to imprison the nearest ghost not slain by the attack. Two shackles will not latch onto the same nearby ghost. The grave-prison chains created by Blackstorm Wagon cannot be made permanent, but they last until they are removed or until a month has passed, whichever occurs first, before dissolving into the same acrid smoke as arrows on the battlefield. The arrows created by either spell inflict only half damage, before soak, on living targets. CRYSTAL GHOST SHARD Cost: 15 motes (committed) Target: Caster Taking a step into the air as the spell is completed, the necromancer’s body becomes encased in a blackly opaque
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AND A Compendium of Necromantic Lor
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