Necromancy

 

Similar to the Praxes of Spirit Calling or Summoning, this path allows you to control the spirits of the dead, including wraiths and Spectres. Wise necromancers know that the Restless Dead, ghosts in common parlance, make very bad enemies and use this ability with care. In some cultures, dealing with the dead in such a fashion is akin to black magic, and a necromancer who does not take care may find herself in a great deal of trouble. A complete description of the Underworld and the Restless Dead may be found in Oblivion. Necromancy does not affect Risen. Those wraiths who have managed to climb back into their bodies no longer belong to the world of the Restless Dead and are more akin to vampires than wraiths for the purposes of this Praxis.

 

Basic:

 

Deathsight

Focusing upon your awareness of death, you can cast your vision into the Shadowlands. You will see everything, including any nearby wraiths and Spectres, as if you were present. They will not be aware of your presence, although a wraith using Lifesight may become aware of your inordinate concentration. You must have the Merit: Medium to converse with any ghosts at this level.

 

Forbiddance

There is a reason that wraiths are called the Restless Dead. Sorcerers who study this path quickly learn that the dead do not like to be disturbed by the living. This spell allows you to hold a wraith or Spectre at bay. If you defeat your opponent in a Social Challenge, he may not approach you as long as you remain passive. Slow movement or quiet conversation will not disrupt this effect, though initiating any other challenge will immediately cancel the spell.

 

Intermediate:

 

Death’s Call

This spell allows you to summon one of the Restless Dead, drawing him to you. Wraiths called through this spell must be in the nearby Shadowlands. In addition, you must know your target's name or have some direct link to the individual, such as a Fetter. This effect requires a Social Challenge and the victim must remain for at least one full minute once called. You may speak with the ghost inquestion as if you had the Merit: Medium, but the effects only last while your target is in your presence.

If performed as a full ritual, this spell calls a wraith or Spectre to your presence from anywhere in the Shadowlands. This effect does not convey any special movement abilities, so it may take some time for your target to arrive. Wraiths who have Transcended or fallen into Oblivion are beyond this effect, as are wraiths who have no Fetters. Compulsion

By defeating a wraith in a Mental Challenge, you may require her to perform one action. Though this task may be almost anything, it may not take more than one scene (10 minutes) to complete. Alternately, a successful Social Challenge will render the target non-hostile for one hour. She may not harm you or other targets you designate (you must be specific -spirit of the law is just a bad joke), though any other action is fair game.

 

Advanced:

 

Soul Bind

This terrible power allows you to snatch a wraith or Spectre from the Shadowlands, trapping it in a specially prepared prison. You must defeat your target in a Mental Challenge, though no test is required to set the soul free once you have trapped it. While imprisoned, the wraith is aware of its condition but is under no obligation to do as you bid. Each night, the wraith may call for a Mental or Willpower Challenge against your remaining (not total) number of Traits. If it defeats you, it is released from the prison. Most spirits never forgive or forget this type of binding -once free, they may act as they see fit, and ghosts make lousy enemies.

It takes one week of dedicated effort to prepare this prison, which may only be used once. The prison is rendered useless with the release of the prisoner, and you must construct a new one. Wraiths who suffer Harrowings while imprisoned will snap back to their prisons instead of their Fetters.

 

Master:

 

Crossing Styx

This powerful spell allows you to cross from the world of the living into the Shadowlands, in effect becoming one of the Restless Dead. You retain your normal Attributes and Abilities, as well as your skills in Sorcery. Inplace of Health Levels, you have Corpus Levels equal to your permanentWillpower rating. You do not gain Pathos or Angst, you cannot be Harrowed for Corpus loss, nor do any Shadow-specific powers work on you. When youcross the Shroud, your body is left behind and becomes your only Fetter. While in this state, you may be affected by any Necromancy spells, and Arcanoi affect you as if you were a ghost. If you lose all your Corpus Levels, you will be violently ejected from the Shadowlands back to the living world. No one seems to know what happens to sorcerers whose bodies are killed or destroyed while the soul is sojourning in the deadlands.

This effect lasts for the remainder of the game session, though you may extend it for one additional day for each temporary Humanity Trait you spend. While in the Underworld, you must indicate your alternate location to other players with the appropriate hand signal.