Book of Bone and Ebony

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INTRODUCTION Welcome to The Book of Bone and Ebony. This book covers two closely related topics. The first is necromancy, a dark form of magic that draws on the fundamental powers of the Underworld. Pioneered by the Twilight Caste before the Usurpation, perfected by the Deathlords and practiced in the Second Age by those dark beings and their Abyssal Exalted servants, necromancy is a form of power distinctly different than sorcery but of comparable power. This book is, in effect, a Savant and Sorcerer for necromancy, expanding the grimoire of necromancy spells and discussing the logistical implications of assembling large necromantic war machines. It should help expand the horizons of necromancers. Yet, necromancy is a more limited form of power than sorcery. While it is as mighty as sorcery, the scope of its effects is limited, and there are fewer master practitioners ”Not that I put any stock in names, nor should you.... You should be proud we have a special part for you to play, such a talented artist. In time you will forget yourself entirely in your work, as all do eventually. Myself, I go around with a trunkful of aliases, but do you think I can say who I once was really?” —Thomas Ligotti, “Teatro Grottesco” 5 devising new wonders and even less sharing between them. Most of the spells in this book that are not Shadowlands Circle utility sorceries or survivors of Solar experimentation are probably known only to one or two Deathlords and their cadre of deathknights. But that’s not all that’s here. This book also deals extensively with the dead as well. This is no small topic — the dead vastly outnumber the Abyssal Exalted, by a factor of millions. They populate the entire Underworld and, even in Creation, form a distinct class of spirits that , while not comparable to high-Essence celestial divinities, are capable of delivering miracles to coax worship from their descendents. They interfere in the world of the living whenever they are able, and the Immaculate Philosophy strives to oppose them and stem the flow of sacrifice into the Mouth of Oblivion. The Deathlords INTRODUCTION
EXALTED • THE BOOK OF BONE AND EBONY live among the ghosts of the Underworld and use them as servants and raw material. The dead will play an important role in the coming Time of Tumult, as well as in many different Exalted series. This book details both the milieu of the dead and their powers. From their great mausoleum-city of Stygia to the strange plasmic creatures that inhabit the Underworld, this book details the unique conditions of existence among the dead. It also details the many wonders they manufacture, driven by the occult principles of their own Essence and of the Underworld itself. These items, often used by the Deathlords and the Abyssal Exalted as well as the dead, are a characteristic trademark of the dead and extend their power greatly beyond the painstaking revelations of the Arcanoi. THIS IS AN ABYSSALS SUPPLEMENT This is primarily a supplement for players using Exalted: The Abyssals. There might be some very interesting stories taken from this material and told with other types of characters, but this is material that almost solely concerns the Underworld and the sorceries of the Deathlords. If you don’t have Exalted: The Abyssals, you are going to be very lost reading the contents of this book because most of the mechanics and all the setting material are detailed in that hardback. If you’re looking for an introduction to the Underworld in Exalted, Exalted: The Abyssals is a much better place to start. THE ARTS OF THE NECROMANCER The Solar Exalted of the First Age were masters of the art of sorcery — and of other arts as well. Toward the end of the Solar Deliberative’s reign, a number of the Twilights explored the Underworld and began to deduce from experiments the principles of initiation that might be explored to master the occult forces of the Malfeans’ tomb-world. This was just the beginning of their learning. After the Usurpation, the dark apotheosis the Deathlords underwent when those murdered Solars submitted to the domination of the Malfeans increased their knowledge considerably, as have many years of labor and studies afterward. This book concerns itself with two main topics: necromantic spells and information about war machines animated through necromantic ritual. A selection of powerful spells and a mighty host of deathwarriors are the hallmarks of the deathknight, and this book attempts to round out the selection of powers 6 available to the lords of the Underworld and their servants to encompass all the most logically likely possibilities for effects. This book is also a text on black sorcery in the world of Exalted. It assumes an understanding of the game’s extended rules for sorcery. While these are not required for the use of the material in this book, things such as the cost notation for the creation of artifacts and many references to “initiation” and other aspects of theoretical sorcery all presume that the reader has a familiarity with Savant and Sorcerer. However, that book is not necessary to actually use this material, merely to understand some of the technical matter in this book. THE LORE OF THE DEAD In addition, this book also expands the game’s material on ghosts. It contains extensive descriptions not only of the city of Stygia, but also of various forms of Underworld fauna. Called plasmics, these many strange creatures haunt various locations in the Underworld. Some of them have actual origins, but many of them are nothing more than self-mobile equivalents of haunts. Many are potentially dangerous, and all are of interest to Underworld savants. In addition, The Book of Bone and Ebony also details an assortment of Arcanoi practiced by the dead, both those used by ghosts and also those specifically developed for nemissaries, the possessing ghosts who roam the lands of the living serving their own ends or those of the Deathlords. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The Book of Bone and Ebony offers a guide to occult matters concerning the Underworld, covering both necromantic and ghostly matters. Its chapters cover their contents in a topic-by-topic format, with each chapter covering a single matter as completely as space allows. These chapters are written with the assumption that the reader has the Exalted books at hand, and page references to Savant and Sorcerer, Exalted and Exalted: The Abyssals are frequent. Introduction This chapter describes the general intent of the book and discusses the text’s presuppositions. You’re reading it right now. Chapter One: Stygia covers the greatest city in the Underworld or Creation. Stygia, capital city of the Underworld, seat of the Dual Monarchy and metropolis on the very well-lip of Oblivion, is a source of endless adventure and intrigue. This chapter details the Dual Monarchs, the city’s system of justice and certain of its more famous districts and officials. Chapter Two: The Arts of the Dead details new and specialized Arcanoi for use by the dead. These
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