he continuing progress of the Necromancer is defined by constant refinement of the magics by which the power of Spirit is manipulated. When training and experience are rewarded with spells of increased power, another Chapter in the necromancer's life has begun; more tactics are available, the differences between summoners' styles become more apparent, and a greater portion of the world is brought under Arawn's gentle touch.

Those who embrace this ever-growing power with an enthusiasm tempered by responsibility find mighty rewards at the end of their corpse-laden career. The reckless find glorious oblivion. Those in between, who show neither the Strength of control nor the Courage of conviction, are doomed to walk the eternal path of the shadows until their very essence is horrifically Consumed by the forces they failed to grasp, providing great Entertainment for the rest of us.

Beware their rituals of Unspeakable Darkness ere your spirit Be lost.

The prime ability of the Necromancer is the manipulation of spiritual energies through the means of an undead minion, the necessity of which having been expounded upon at length elsewhere will not be recapitulated here. Thus, the casting of a spell is a twofold process shared between the shade and the shadow.

For the majority of these spells, the summoner simply Issues an instantaneous silent command, the servant then performs the proper gestures, and the mighty force of Death bears down upon the target. Note that in this case the undead, like any mortal spellcaster, is subject to interruption and spell failure should the gestures be spoiled by physical or magical attacks; this can be offset somewhat once the necromancer becomes adept in ways to Facilitate Painworking. It is also worthy of note that the undead flesh lacks the Dexterity found in the living, resulting in a somewhat slower completion of spells in comparison.

There are, however, other spells for which the necromantic shade completes the casting, at which point dark power bursts from the servant. These effects cannot be stopped save by the annihilation of the minion, although they may be delayed should the minion become stunned, mesmerized, or otherwise paralyzed. It is common for spells of this nature to have a limited range, reliant as they are upon lesser focus from the servant.

Additionally, there are a very few spells which bring forth a sudden blast of power from the servant upon merely the Will of the necromancer. Such is the Influence of the grave.

Base Spell Lines

The core rituals of darkness are to be found in every Necromancer's spellbook, for they are the primary Spells by which Arawn's will is worked. As experience is acquired, improvements to the rituals present themselves where a greater effect can be achieved with a greater expenditure of power, thus resulting in a "line" of spells of increasing efficacy.

There are three distinct Bodies of Knowledge which are formed from these spell lines:

• Deathsight, in which the flow of Spiritual energy is explored. The hallmark attacks of the Necromancer, stealing life and consigning an enemy to mortal doom, are here to be found.
• Painworking, in which the natural Decay of the body is accelerated. These mysteries of decrepification are not revealed to Disciples until they are pledged to the Temple as full participants in the dark rites.
• Death Servant, in which the might of the Undead is made manifest. Spell lines dedicated to the animation and regeneration of dead flesh lie herein.

All of the spells which fall within a single spell line, although differing in scale with regard to cost and effect, share similar characteristics, which may be considered as such:

As can be deduced from the above list, any experienced necromancer can readily perform all of the tasks necessary to work Arawn's will. But this is only the beginning.

Specialized Spell Lines

While the progress of every necromancer is Marked by the acquisition of the array of rituals previously noted, so too does every necromancer pursue more individualized studies in an attempt to gain Mastery of Arawn's gifts. With dedicated delving into the Dark Demesne of Death, guided by training from the Arch-Necromancers of the Temple of Arawn, further spell lines are revealed which expand upon the previously established themes in each body of knowledge, while simultaneously the base spells of the studied line become more reliable in effect. Unlike the more general spells, these incantations are more powerful in some sense; they are also less common, being achieved as they are solely with training. Given the disparate nature of these distinct masteries, the necromancer who reaches the pinnacle of One area of study is but poorly versed in the arcana of Another. Thus we find:

• Deathsight Mastery, in which the flow of Spiritual energy is perfected. Commonly known attack methods are refined, and Pure power is given or taken at will. This branch of study brings all of its force to bear on a single enemy while simultaneously replenishing health and energy in a vampiric cycle of grim effectiveness.
• Painworking Mastery, in which the Decay of the body is brought to supernatural levels. Debilitating spell effects are broadened, and vicious toxins are put to deadly use. This branch of study specializes in the deterioration and slow consumption of many enemies at a time, mirroring death's own inevitability.
• Death Servant Mastery, in which the glory of the Undead is exemplified. Arawn's essence is concentrated and released in bursts of soul-shattering power. This branch of study specializes in the rapid disintegration of many enemies at once, forgoing fine manipulation for raw destruction.

Specialized spell lines proceed in like manner to those which are common to all, in that they are identical in usage despite differences in potency:

Based on this great diversity in specialized spells, we may expect to see wildly different manners and methods between necromancers of various persuasions, and indeed this is the case. The Deathsight Necromancer eliminates foes one at a time but at a rapid pace; the Death Servant Necromancer gathers many foes together at once and blasts them apart; the Painworking Necromancer (should one be found) specializes in a mass debilitation of gathered enemies most suitable to the defense of the realm.

The Preferred Path

The most common question posed by the Disciple is the question of which path to follow, most commonly voiced as, "What do I specialize in?" While there is no firm answer, for the different styles will appeal to different personalities, it is worth noting what others have chosen.

Nearly all necromancers specialize in Deathsight, with some preferring instead to specialize in Death Servant; of the latter, a well-balanced combination of Death Servant and Deathsight is not uncommon. A solitary few walk the path of Painworking.

Choose wisely.

[Translator's Note: Much to my surprise, completely detailed information on each of the necromantic spells was not to be found within these pages. Instead, the writer seemed more focused on the broader scope of how the spells are used, leaving the detail of how much a particular spell hurts to the interpretation of the recipient. There was to be found, however, a curious item of note which illustrated the experience and training required for each of the spells, carefully tinted with quaint combinations of blood and ichor. This colourful Spell Acquisition Schedule is therefore presented not only for its informative value but for its artistic use of organic pigments. The use of gloves is strongly encouraged. – B]