A Collection of Magical Treatises

A Treaties on Celestial Transforms and the Spirit

Circa Evendarr in the year of 610

Saishen Necoine Evermore

Of the Bear and Wolf

Mage of Time

Loyal citizen to the crown of Evendarr

All of my research is soundly based in the studies published in the Evendarrian library. Some of my theories are also defined by personal experience through adventuring. To fully understand this work, please read Janos Rigly’s “The Tyrran Cosmology” and the works done by Amaliel Golindreth, specifically his masterwork , “A Treaties on the Planes.” I will also be referencing Malaclypse and the treaties that he penned titled “The Free Road” which is about free choice and enslavement. This work will take a deep look at the nature of Celestial Transforms; how they effect a Spirit, are cast, and power up before and after permanent death.

The Nature of a Spirit

The Tyrran Spirit is the energy that makes up the existence of all creatures on Tyrra. Each Spirit will eventually pass into one of the Great Graveyards. The Great Graveyards are twelve spiritual Planes that Spirits pass to when they can no longer resurrect and permanently die. I am here to identify the base components of the Spirit and the alterations that we of Tyrra have done through High and Formal Magic to escape the eventual fate of this final trip to the Graveyards.

By all accounts Tyrran’s share a similar ancestry with the Faerie in that our plane of existence is made up of all twelve of the elements. All spirits are built from thirteen elements which have been identified by Roger Gaubreau in Arch Wizard Golindreth’s work “A Treaties on the Planes.” These elements are broken down into sequences of pairs, there exists twelve plus two more; Earth, Fire, Air, and Water, which are the four prime elemental planes. Then there is Life – Death, Order – Chaos, Reason – Dream, Light – Dark and finally there is Time with Void trying to consume all. The Prime Elemental Planes are the largest and most solid in their place in reality where as the other planes are more unstable and exist within their opposites shadow and around the four prime elemental planes. In the works of Arch Wizard Rigly, she talked about the Planes and how the base four Planes and the eight additional Planes all are basic in nature and have singular driven goals. Each of these Planes is controlled by an Icon which is the personification of a Plane. These beings have full control of all aspects of their element on their Plane and on Tyrra. There are also places referred to as Pocket Planes, places that come in to existence when Planes crash into each other and create small pockets of reality built from multiple Planes that intersect. These have shown adventurers and mages that the more elements you combine into an elemental the more rational a being you begin to see emerge from the celestial bodies. Mages would recognize this just from dealing with beings from Pocket Planes that exhibit higher levels of reasoning outside of their elemental driven goals.

A Tyrran Spirit is constructed of all twelve of the celestial elements plus a portion of Time. When all of these elements work together, they create a cohesive whole that is greater then the sum of its parts. This is where we see a rise of free will. Depending on how much energy the Spirit is able to harness from the base elements determines how strong one might grow.

These identifying characteristics are integral to understanding the living cycle of a single spirit. Because of the balance and harmony of all twelve elements plus Time, a person can be born, grow, become old and eventually pass away while what they were is whisked to The Great Graveyards. Both Arch Wizards Rigly and Golindreth make mention of the possibility of avoiding the Great Graveyards and binding ones self to a new plane of existence. This is possible through the building blocks of life, the elements and the Formal Magic we have developed called a Transform.

Transforms and Their Working Process

In Arch Wizard Janos Rigly’s “Tyrran Cosmology,” you will find information about how the elemental planes and the elements are eternal and their power source is limitless. One can harness this energy by allying ones self with an element and being granted access to the power of that element by its Icon or the Plane itself. While still alive it is impossible for this energy to supplement the life force one uses during their time on Tyrra due to the ever present opposing element within their Spirit and the binding of their energy to Tyrra at birth. But in death, that one singular strand of elemental energy in the Spirit can blossom through the formal magic of a Transform, and the life energy of Tyrra can be replaced with the sustaining force of the element that the individual is bound to. This in turn fully awakens the Transform that was cast on their Spirit and shrugs off the other balancing forces of the elements and brings to the full front that one element. In doing this, the individual keeps that one aspect of their spirit from traveling to the Great Graveyards and instead turns their reality to serve a new realm.

For a Mage to begin this process, they need an Earth or Celestial Transform scroll. Using a Transform scroll will grant access to that element through a transformation, but as I have seen in Greyhorn often times these scrolls are individualized and specialized for the person to be the target. So to use a random scroll is ill advised. There are general scrolls that the Planes and other creatures of the Earthen magics give out, but specialized Transforms appear to wrap the individual’s Spirit like a glove and feel far more comfortable then say, grabbing a Transform off the rack. Think of it akin to wearing a suit of armor, a person would not wear heavy plate without first getting it fitted for them. Specialized transforms are born from deals made, duties fulfilled, and jobs done for the plane the individual would like to be a part of.

Now lets look at the process of attaining a Transform. Once the components have been gathered and the Formal Magic has begun, the target should feel a warming sensation in their torso or core. From this a tingling should spread from head to toe as the magic attempts to identify the chosen element or elements for the Transform within the Spirit. During this ritual an intense amount of energy from the Plane being focused on will gather in the Circle of Power and be contained by the Circle’s protective nature so that elementals of the opposing field will not arrive to destroy the source of the disturbance. Now the individual should start to feel pain as a part of who they are is unbalanced. The ritual channels elemental energy into one of the twelve elements that makes up the Spirit, unbalancing it and their mind. There are complications with this form of magic from the very core idea of balance. This form of magic infuses one piece of thirteen with energy inside an individuals spirit. This will have effects on an individual that will vary from casting to casting depending on what is being cast, but one could expect to feel pain as their spirit is assulted in a way that is far different then a Spirit Forge, which just rearranges a part of who an individual is, not give more power to a specific part of who the individual is. They can expect to feel bloated as their Tyrran form takes in this energy and processes it. They can also expect an assult on their concious as the opposing elements that make up the individuals spirit yell out at the inbalance. Of course this just stands true during the casting, once the Formal Magic is done, the individual becomes suseptible and sensative to their new element but the balance of their Tyrran form is restored.

There has been an anomaly that has arisen since the founding of the Transform magic. The initial intention of this magic was to grant beings of Tyrra the ability to live on after death while serving another Plane. There was no designation for this magic to allow a person to Transform into any entity before their permanent death. But it is obvious that this has occurred through out Evendarr, Tyrra, and in many of the other realities that I have adventured to. There are several possible reasons for this. One is an innate flaw in the writing of the magic that no one has yet to identify so there is no way to predict when a Transform might go active. Another is through an influx of elemental energy; a being with a Transform is susceptible to the energy of their chosen element. If enough energy is present in an area then the effect on the Spirit will have enough power to come forth and try to protect the individual. A further theory is for the Plane or Icon itself to open a conduit to the individual, infusing them with the energy they need to cause the Transform to go active so the person can act for their cause or the cause of the Plane. In doing this the Icon can also command the mind of the individual if they focus on them while their Transform is active. A final theory is Time or Void energy, the manipulation of these forces might cause instability of the elements in an area and the Transform might go active as a reaction to reality being weakened. I am sure there are more reasons then what I have listed here but these have been the most common that I have studied and can speak on comfortably.

Finally, once in the elemental form after suffering a permanent death, aspects of the individual will remain. The person’s memories and thoughts will stay the same and some emotional aspects will take time to fade. From research I believe that the core of who a person was is embedded into each strand of elemental energy that made up their Spirit, the foundations of the personality sparked from the different elements. So when the Transform goes active, those memories and emotions are consumed into the new form and transferred to the new creature, bringing with it the strength and skill the individual had while they were alive and adding to it the strength of their new form. There are only a few reasons why these individuals maintain a sense of who they were after their Transform takes effect. First shards of the individual’s spirit are embedded into the core of the new creature. These shards can not be dislodged without the elemental furthering their ascent to power on their new Plane. As the elemental climbs the ranks of power, each new rank will shed a few more shards of Spirit until only the elemental and memories remain. Another is the memories of the individual are still so vivid that the new creature reacts as the living person did out of memory reflex. This will fade with time as the elemental form becomes more accustomed to serving its Icon and Plane. Finally Arch Wizard Rigly made reference to an elemental form known as a Knight. These elementals are created from the Plane and given free will to act on their own and in an independent manner. Further study has not revealed the true intent or purpose of this elemental. If this form acts out of consort with the Plane though, the Icon will try to reasimilate the energy of that troublesome entity, consuming the Spirit the Knight was granted to be used and manipulated as it pleases the Plane and reborn into a new form with more of a restricted will.

However this quandary is approached, the transformed individual will eventually loose themselves to their chosen element. Finally it is possible, theoretically, for the individual to be consumed by their plane and be reformed without parts of their memory. It is also plausible for the individual’s memory and skills to be put into a different elemental of the Plane since every aspect of the former individuals existence is now susceptible to manipulation by the Plane they are bound to and its Icon’s will.

Elemental Granted Transform

There are a limited number of reasons the elements would seek out individuals to take on their cause. As was stated earlier, the elemental planes are vast, limitless in most cases and in no need of the aid of living creatures of Tyrra. For many reasons the Planes do not want Tyrran Spirits because of the problems they can cause through free will. Anything that an adventurer would do to go against the betterment of the Plane they are working for is considered bad and will attract the reprimand of the Icon that individual serves.

But there are exceptions to this rule. Primary among these is balance, an over balance of one energy will see its counter to try to re-stabilize the scales, sometimes this can only be done by recruiting from powers in the area on Tyrra, establishing a link to an adventurer or noble would give a Plane an advantage and continued Ally in the area as well as a familiar entity after their permanent death to send back. These are advantages that can not be ignored when your entire existence is to bring more power to your element and to expand your world, sometimes through physical force, other times through plotting and scheming.

Transform magic at its core is an alteration to the natural process of the world. The Tyrran Spirit is a celestial work of wonder. It is a vision of perfect balance and harmony. Altering the base elemental components is a serious matter. During life this magic singles out a thread of our existence and unbalances our very core. In death this magic is beneficial if any wish to stay away from the Great Graveyards, granting unlimited power from their new Plane. It will tie and bind a person to an element and path of their choosing, to pursue that path for eternity or until that Plane grows tired of the individual. One must be cautious in these matters because when they turn to a set path, after death there is no returning, changing of mind, or going back. The recipient of a Transform is stuck with their life’s choice for all time after permanent death. Sometimes a Plane chooses their own champion or representative and a Transform is bequeathed due to loyalty and servitude. Sometimes a mage or adventurer piece different forms of magic together and construct their own scroll. This work was not about defining why we acquire Transforms, but how we constructed the magic. It was about finding some truth in a quandary no one had thought to investigate further. If there is information out there on this Plane or in other worlds that pertain to this topic, find me and we shall talk over a good hobling made pie.

I have taken the time to break down what happens with celestial and elemental transforms, but there are far more transforms out there then I have listed here. For example therianthropy, where does this change fall in the cosmological grand scheme of transforms? (The changing of a person into any animal form.) I will follow up this work with a study of non-celestial transforms as I pursue my studies of time, void, and the nature of transform magic and the resistance to death and avoiding the Great Graveyards.

A Treatise on Advanced Magical Theory

Written in the year 603

By Johan Tandrake, Archwizard of Rifts and Reason

Funded by the Institute of Knowledge, located in the Duchy of Avendale

For the past few hundred years, scholars and intellexia have primarily been involved with the research of new magics. The development of formal magics, cantrips, and harmonic spells have been thrilling advances in the arcane arts and sciences, igniting our ever increasing interest in the field of magic.

However, where we have focused on magic, we have left behind entire bodies of research. We have made some advances in the mundane sciences, but the opinion of the academic scholar is that there is little to be gained from simple physics and chemistry. A mage can channel a dragon’s breath much more parsimoniously than one can construct and detonate a flame trap. Magical healing is much more practical than alchemical elixir, and formal magic can make a sword stronger and sharper than the finest weaponsmith.

I implore you this: Do not so quickly discount the mundane sciences, they have life in them yet! With the aid of the Wizard’s Sight cantrip and powerful magnifying apparatus, I have seen things no mortal eye has yet beheld. The inner mechanics of the Celestial and Earth Magics are no longer merely theoretical…

The Essence of Magic

Surrounding and penetrating the universe, there are tiny non-corporeal particles which I have called aurons. Spherical, round, colorless, nearly invisible, drifting weightlessly in random directions, they fill the universe around us. They are small enough to be invisible to the naked eye, and yet they are everywhere. Thousands of aurons could fit in a single tea spoon. There are millions of them in a cubic foot, and yet we are unaware of them. These, I postulate, are the very essence of magic.

Aurons have two origins. Aura Astrae emanate from the sun, the moon, and the stars. They constantly float down from the skies, filtering carelessly through the air. Being noncorporeal, they are effected by neither the wind nor the unseen magnetic forces. The celestial magics utilize these aurons, channeling and manipulating them.

Aura Tyrrae are borne of the planet beneath us. They radiate up through the ground from the very heart of Tyrra. They will rise up from the earth beneath us and hang in lower atmosphere of Tyrra, drifting aimlessly. These are the particles manipulated by the earth magics.

There are “rivers” in which high concentrations of aurons sometimes flow, floating in a unified direction. These lines can be charted on a map, and can stretch for hundreds of miles. These highways of aurons have been called Ley Lines. Their function, cause, nature is still unknown to me.

Aurons sometimes cling together, massing up in dense concentrations. In large enough quantities, these can be seen by the naked eye, and appear as a radiant, often spherical glow with a vaguely corporeal form. One can pick up this concentration and bear it in hand as magical aura. The aura that a mage wields is actually a collection of millions of neutral aurons, concentrated into a dense cloud.

The Charge of Energies

Aurons, in their natural state, are uncharged. That is to say, they are neutral, innocuous, and indecipherable from the air around us. An uncharged auron is imperceptible without the use of high powered magnifying devices and magical aid unless it’s in a large cluster with others.

There are many natural and arcane means of charging aurons. The simplest, and most common, is through a combination of incantation and intense inner focus. As we all know, it takes a great deal of concentration to cast a spell. During this concentration, the spell caster is focusing internal energies on the effect of the spell, mentally shaping it in his or her mind, and channeling it into physical form. This act of willful channeling causes internal energies to seep into a mass of uncharged aurons held in the casting hand.

The mass of uncharged aurons, at this point, are considered a spell.

Charges can take a variety of forms and types. For purposes of this discussion, there are about thirteen basic types, called spheres: “I Call Forth…”, “I Call Forth Mystic Power To…”, “I Call Upon Chaos To…”, “I Call Upon The Earth To…”, “I Command You To…”, “I Curse You With…”, “I Grant You the Gift Of…”, “I Grant You The Power Of…”, “I Rid You of…”, “I Summon a Force To…”, “With Eldritch Force I Build A…”, “With Eldritch Force I Grant You…”, and “With Mystic Force I…”. All of the basic spells learnable by an earth or celestial spellcaster fall into one of these spheres. Each of these spheres has a unique charge.

Furthermore, once the neutral aurons have received one of these charges, they tend to bond together in geometric formations. These formations are natural to each “level” of spells, becoming increasingly complicated in higher levels. A first level spell has no particular formation, whereas the aurons in a second level spell cling together in pairs. Third level spells utilize three aurons per formation, and therefore form triangles. Formations become larger and more complicated as spell level increases, with the largest formations at the ninth level of spells. For example, a Bless involves one particle charged with “I Grant You The Power Of…” energy, whereas a Greater Bless utilizes three linked charged particles.

In the event that a sphere has two different spells at the same level of complication, there are subtle variations in formation. For example, a Cause Disease spell looks like a linear chain of chaos charged aurons and a Help Undead spell looks like a triangle of chaos charged aurons.

Nearly all of the uncharged aurons within a unit of aura will be charged and fall into formation immediately as the incantation ends. This is why the spell has no power if it is released before the incantation is finished – the spell will contain mostly uncharged, unformed, free floating aurons.

The Effects of Spells

The term “hot aura”, for purposes of this treatise, refers to aura which contains charged aurons built into level-specific formations (with the exception of first level spells which have no formation), ie, an active spell.

When hot aura comes in contact with another object, it will react in a number of ways, depending on the sphere of the charge. At the moment of contact, the hot aura will either transfer its charge to its target, or disburse. The Gift sphere, for example, will disburse if it does not contact another spirit. Summoned Force only targets inanimate objects with no spirit. How the aurons interact with their target specifically is contingent upon their formation, though there is a general rule for each sphere. Some examples follow:

Summoned Force Spells (Disarm as an example)

Summoned Force charges with no formation will divide into two roughly equal groups. The first group surrounds the object they target. The second group surrounds whatever holds that object. The two groups of aurons become repellant to each other and will push each other away as would two magnets. After five seconds, the aurons will lose their charge and disburse into the surrounding atmosphere.

Binding Spells (Pin as an example)

Mystic Force charges with simple paired formations will form a noncorporeal vertical rod which pierces the right foot of the target. This rod bonds to both the foot and the ground which the foot stands on. Why the right foot is specifically targeted remains unknown at the time of this writing. As with all line-of-sight spells, the aurons form a chain leading from the target to the caster. Once this chain is broken, all aurons it involves will disburse. The chain can sustain itself and remain unbroken even if the caster puts a physical object to obscure the line between himself and the target, but it will only be able to maintain integrity for ten seconds.

Protective Spells (Greater Bless as an example)

Granted Power charges with triangular formations, upon contact with a spirited being, will disburse from the hot aura but will not lose their charge or formation. The aurons will spread out and surround the target. They are drawn instantly to quick movements or other charged aurons, and will move to physically intercept these intrusions to their territory. For example, if a target is effected by a greater-bless spell, and a magic missile spell is cast at the target, the greater-bless aurons will intercept as much of the magic missile aurons as they can, being eliminated in the process.

It should be noted that aurons from the Granted Power sphere have the potential to block aurons charged with the chaos sphere, whereas their cousins in the “With Eldritch Force I Grant” sphere do not have this capability.

Spell Barriers (Shield Magic and Reflect Magic)

Mystical energies of the fifth and eighth level, upon contact with a spirited being, will disburse from the hot aura but will not lose their charge or formation. The aurons will spread out and surround the target. The charge of these aurons makes them sensitive to other aurons. They will be instantly drawn to any other masses of aurons.

The Shield Magic spell utilizes a cancellation effect. Upon contact with another mass of charged aurons, the Shield Magic aurons will bond to the foreigners. Once bonded, the aurons from the Shield Magic spell will transmit their charge, which has a cancellation effect on the charges of Aura Astrae and Aura Tyrrae.

The Reflect Magic spell works in a similar manner. However, the charges of the foreign aurons will not be cancelled out, but instantly drawn back to their point of origin.

As anyone knows, it is possible to bypass this barrier. There is some degree to which one can consciously control the movement of the aurons, but only if the foreign spell forms a direct link from the caster to the target (or from the caster to himself). This takes a conscious effort to “receive” the spell, otherwise the barrier aurons will immediately attack it.

Celestial Damage Spells

“I Call Forth” energies of any level of complexity directly damage their target by absorption. The aurons transmit their charge directly to the spirit of the target. As with any eldritch spell, if the target does not have a spirit or some similar animating force, the aurons will not transmit their energies, but lose them to the surrounding atmosphere.

In addition to the basic aurons within the spell, some free floating energies from the surrounding atmosphere are drawn to the aura as it becomes hot. An ice bolt, for example, is enveloped in freezing energy which bonds to the charged aurons.

Charms

Commanding energies, including the fear related abilities of monsters, specifically target the brain humors, causing temporary changes to take place. The nature of these changes is still uninvestigated. The Awaken spell serves to reset these humors to their original state.

Necromancy

Necromantic energies have a parasitic effect on the spirit, latching onto it and weakening it through osmosis. Even after the necromantic effect is cured by it’s reverse counterpart, the necromantic energy that was bound to the spirit is released into the surrounding atmosphere. Necromantic aurons are sometimes not un-charged by this process, and will remain as free floating necromantic energy that will then bind to other living or dead forces. High concentrations of this energy can cause meteorological aberrations, such as cold days in mid summer, biological ailments, such as trees dying for no particular reason, or magical aberrations, such as the dead rising as if animated.

The create undead spell specifically targets a body which still has a spirit, but only works where the spirit is laid dormant by physical death. The create undead aurons will spread out through the body and cause it to function unnaturally, as if the body tissue had been being directed by a natural spirit. The spirit is in this way supressed and isolated so that a life spell will not effect the body until the necromantic energies are disbursed. The spirit will remain in the body for up to an hour after it’s natural time of escape, though as soon as the necromantic energies are removed, the spirit will follow them out of the body and be drawn towards an earth circle.

In areas of high concentrations of free floating necromantic energies, many charged aurons may bond to a permanently dead body, drawn to its absence of spirit. Over time, the energies will fill the body in the same way a spirit once did, though the concentrations of these energies can often be denser than the create undead spell, allowing some undead to randomly arise with greater power than a standard zombie.

Elemental Energy

The raw energy generated by elementals or certain celestial cantrips have unique properties. I believe these utilize a different type of auron charge, though there is currently little data on this phenomenon. An elemental shield spell has success in blocking these attacks much like a shield magic spell will intercept normally charged aurons.

Conclusion

There is still much research to be done in this area. This theory of magical theory is still young and has much to gain from the following years. I advise future researchers to be careful in reporting findings and avoid jumping to early conclusions. Much of this work would have been sacrificed if I hadn’t taken the proper time to test and re-test many of my findings.

The amount of testing this work required consumed years of my life and hundreds of gold worth of components and equipment. I would like to thank the Institute for putting up with me and encouraging me throughout this trying time. I would also like to thank Archwizard Mathias Ravaloch for his words of encouragement in my times of stress and desperation.

A Treaties on Elemental Planes

The following treatise has been carefully preserved at the Elven Institute of Learning & Magick at Helevorn in Quentari, and translated from ancient Elven.
It has been dated from early in the Fourth Cycle of Ages, some 3000 years ago, and is considered the earliest and most reliable elemental study because of its ability to ring true through the Cycles of Ages. The author is unknown.

Amaliel Golindreth

Master Archivist

Arch-Wizard of Records & Lore

The Elven Institute of Learning & Magick

Helevorn

Kingdom of Quentari of the Nations of Avalon

The Elemental Planes

I have reached a number of conclusions in my studies that are both enlightening and troubling. It appears that the vast network and web of beings that I have named elementals exist beyond our small consciousness in a greater expanse of knowledge in vast realms of great power. The most troubling aspect of my research is that these beings of power, who can easily affect our very being, care as little for our existence as a small child may lose interest in a broken toy and discard it. Their battles involve us, certainly, and occasionally we appear to be the foot soldiers of these conflicts, but do they battle us? I think not. Their struggle is greater, and with each other. We are merely tools of their destruction.

The appearance of the elementals in this area has been of great concern to the local peasantry and nobility alike. It does appear that they have indeed not come to this place because of us but as I have feared, it is rather their struggle that must be played out here with consequences that reach far into their realms.

I have watched with trepidation a creature so hideous as to make my blood freeze, with a small wave of his hand kill scores of townspeople as they faced him. It was later that another came, appearing as a creature of life with healing and life-giving magics that then replenished the town and saved a good many of the fallen. But again I wonder why they have brought this conflict here and why they struggle against each other using creatures as frail and weak as we in comparison. Why do they not take this great conflict to their realms? Unless, of course, for some reason they cannot. I have been unable to get clear answers to this question but I shall try to make contact with one of the more approachable of these creatures to test my theories.

I have heard reports of many types of elementals and have questioned those with the more reliable tales and reputations. I can only conclude that there are pairs of elementals, linked through there opposite nature and destined to battle forever their opposite. I have observed beings of Life and Death, Order and Chaos, Sanity and the Dreaming, Brilliance and Shadow.

These creatures are different than the base elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, which are more physical in their nature. The latter creatures seem to battle in a duel that is somehow carefully balanced. They spar one another but rarely directly, as it seems that these beings, while their powers are great, cannot so easily destroy their counterparts.

The creature that I cannot place is the one that seems to manipulate time itself. I have heard a tale where such a creature interceded between the battles of light and shadow, the battle of these two had altered the cycles of the season in a small valley. The crops had failed and despair spread throughout the people. The creature of time itself appeared and seemed to banish the combatants. With a gentle look at the starving farmers, the creature set the season to right and deep snow blanketing the high summer melted away. The creature then told them to replant the fields. The farmers set to their task and within days, the grains had matured. It was as though the creature had somehow sped the growth of the crops, restoring them to where they would have been before the terrible battles.

Elemental creatures seem to have a structure of power within their ranks, not unlike our own great nobility. There are leaders, called Icons that control a specific part of the plane and all elementals within that part. Beneath the Icon there are great elementals which act like generals of an army. Their purpose is focused and it appears that their motivations and behavior are somehow aspects of the encompassing Icon. Beneath the Greaters are countless lesser beings, they are of even narrower behavior and much weaker in comparison.

One other interesting note is that the Great elementals vary from region to region and even the Iconic class seems to manifest itself differently. I am positive that in truth, they are all basically the same but are merely extensions of the plane that governs them.

As for the planes themselves, the great realms of power that have so affected us, I have extended my study to include the notes of Arillara Quel’Insiron. This amazing woman has actually had contact with an iconic elemental and has ventured to what I believe is another plane. Arillara was a great healer involved in the battle that I recorded earlier in my notes. When the Life Creatures appeared, Arillara approached them and asked many questions. The leader of these creatures, I believe to be Iconic, spoke with her at length and without warning, she disappeared! Shortly thereafter she returned and spoke of a vast place that she knew was not of this world. She also was acutely aware that while she was in no immediate danger, the very nature of her surroundings could not support her life. Her different nature and mortality would not allow her to survive on this plane and so she was returned, unchanged, to the village.

The interview with Arillara revealed much information and I have been able to draw some conclusions about the nature of the most powerful of the elemental beings. I believe that we are being presumptuous when we assign labels to these creatures such as “good” and “evil” or “right” or “wrong”. It is without question that some of these creatures are at odds with our basic nature and we will always be at in an adversarial stance with them but there are others who seems to be far more aligned with our views. This is singularly the most controversial subject when dealing with elementals and the discussions about them. I have considered other countries, where perhaps there is oppression and wondered which of these beings they would consider good or evil in comparison. I can only say that the best way of dealing with these creatures is to have no expectations and to be wary of them.

Those elemental creatures that we find ourselves at odds with and would wish to destroy have an impact to us that cannot be denied or withheld without disastrous results. I am inspired to an analogy. Our world is a piece of delicate fabric. The threads of which are made up of each of the planes I have mentioned save time itself. Time is the loom on which the fabric is woven. Each thread holds an important and undeniable place in the fabric. Remove one and the fabric unravels, never to be woven again as it was before. I have seen a transference of power between Iconic elementals but I have never seen a planar influence cease on our world. I do not believe that an action that would so remove us from the planar realms can and should be endeavored.

Treaties on Undead

Every undead being was once alive, and was either directly transformed into that state, or roused from their grave. The living dead are usually classified as either “greater” or “lesser” undead. Greater undead are those which have retained their living intelligence even in undeath, and they are usually physically more powerful and more resistant to attack than others. Lesser undead are usually totally mindless and very destructive.

All undead take damage from healing spells, and heal when necromancy is cast upon them. Gustav’s Spirit Evictor and Folson’s Somnolent Vapors spells do not affect them, nor do poisons. All undead are immune to ice-based spells, Charm, and paralyze. Undead cannot be waylaid. Many types of undead cannot stand sunlight.

Banshee

A banshee is the spirit of an evil human or elven female who was unjustly killed. These greenish-white glowing ghosts are unable to move far from their physical remains and are often found weeping over their corpses. Once a living being is within their sight, however, banshees will begin to wail, bringing death to those around them. Despite this fearsome attack, a banshee does not possess much strength of body; a Destroy Undead spell will reduce it to dust.

Death Knight/Lord/Rogue

Death knights, lords, and rogues are powerful, intelligent undead, their might eclipsed only by liches and vampires. Formal magic is used to transform a living creature into a decaying corpse and to grant innate enchantment to their weapons. They possess the ability to resist magical spells and are totally unaffected by blows from un-enchanted weapons. They can phase through weapon strikes a few times a day. They may also spellstrike with Thorna’s Accelerated Entropy. Death knights are known to be able to control lesser undead with the sound of their voice.

Ghast/Ghoul

These undead are very similar, except ghasts are a little stronger. They may be older versions of the same creatures. They possess a ravenous hunger for living flesh and will generally try to eat any victim they paralyze with their deadly claws. They smell horrible and may cause nausea in those around them. A Destroy Undead spell or a Lightning Storm should kill either type of creature.

Liche

Liches are among the most powerful of the greater undead. They can raise and control the living dead at will and have the ability to resist magical spells cast upon them and phase through physical blows. Enchanted weapons are needed to affect them. Much like vampires, the abilities of each individual liche are different.

Mummy

Beware the Mummy’s Curse. If this cloth-wrapped zombie-like undead strikes you down and administers a killing strike, you will be beyond the reach of Angelica’s Death Bane. They may bring disease or paralysis to their victims with their claw-like hands, but they move very slowly. They possess the strength to rip out of Pin and Bind spells. A Dragon’s Breath will nearly kill a mummy, and one Destroy Undead will certainly do it.

Revenant

Revenants resemble zombies, but are much more powerful. For example, they may rip out of Peranore’s Minor Binding and Lasset’s Mystic Binding spells. Spells are much more useful against revenants than swords, for their undead bodies seem to deflect half the damage a weapon strike does. I believe it takes at least a Dragon’s Breath and a Lightning Bolt to destroy a revenant, but Destroy Undead works wonders. There are natural revenants, called “Spirits of Vengeance,” created when a person suffers his final death from a vampire’s bite or, sometimes, when death comes unjustly. These cannot be destroyed but will go away with the sun, or once they have avenged their death.

Skeleton

These undead have lost all their flesh and are walking bones held together by magical forces. Their lack of skin makes it difficult to harm them with weapons, it seems that weapon strikes harm them only half as much as they would a living being. A Lightning Bolt will finish most skeletons; two are needed for the bigger ones. A Harm Undead will destroy the smaller ones and almost finish the biggest skeletons.

Spectre

Spectres are ghostly humanoid figures. They usually retain their intelligence beyond the grave and with it the ability to speak. Most of them chose not to exercise this, though. They are immune to binding spells and require silver or magical weapons to affect them. Their bodies are weak, however, and a Harm Undead spell will almost dissipate a spectre. They can resist a few spells thrown at them, and even will their bodies totally insubstantial so that a few weapon strikes will phase through them as well. All spectres have hands stretched into terrible claws, which they can use as weapons, but many choose to wield physical weapons as a memory of life. Regardless, the cold of a spectre’s unbeating heart is so terrible that it can reach you even at the end of claw or blade and leave you bereft of strength or life essence.

Vampire

Vampires are a curious form of undead. They are not created by spell or ritual, yet they have the taint of chaos upon them and are harmed by earth magicks. The elders of their kind possess incredible powers and are near immortal, but they are cursed with a craving for the blood of the living. Each vampire is different, and there is little that is common among them save those things that are common to all undead. Most vampires have the ability to turn their bodies into a mist, which makes it difficult to capture them. They can also bind a person in a powerful enslavement merely by staring into his eyes. Most vampires are unharmed by normal weapons. Only the very oldest and most powerful of their kind can walk in sunlight. There is a great deal of superstition concerning vampires. Rumors persist that they cannot enter residential dwellings unbidden, cross lines of poppy or mustard seeds, or cross running water. It is said that if the vampire believes in them, it will be affected by such constraints.

Wraith

These undead are very similar to spectres, but they like to scream a lot. Some say wraiths retain their intelligence initially, but they are usually insane. They are unaffected by normal weapons, but rarely have the ability to resist magical attacks. Much like spectres, wraiths have the ability to drain life essence with their very touch.

Zombie

Zombies are the lowest forms of undead. They are mindless walking corpses that can barely follow the orders of their creator. They have minimal skill with weapons and cannot cast spells. A Cure Serious Wounds spell or a Flame Bolt will destroy most zombies.

A Trestie on Advanced Earth Magic

Dacranthu Undergrell

Ex-Squire of Greyhorn

Faustus Evermore has a deal with the infernal plane

Never use a sword if you are going to be a scholar. Embrace what your role is and use a dagger like a professional.

I have never seen proof that there is any ill effect on the land from necromancy. It’s hogwash. If anything I feel that the use of chaos magic imbues the air with a little something special.

Often you use necromancy for the love of the game not because it’s effective. You are sending a message about the kind of person that your enemies have decided that they want to mess with.

Control Undead

is really good. Just control undead them and tell them to stop. Sometimes I make them Kneel. Remember if you are in a public place to make the it a bit more subtle I just tell them to dance or stop and give it to them with my dagger or make a warrior cut them down.

Desecrate

Is not a visible effect. Actually there is no way short of hitting to to determine if you have a desecrate up. I normally keep my arms crossed so if push comes to shove I can do a quick magic desecrate. If I have spell store I keep my desecrate in there so I can’t be caught with a necromantic item. Have that magic armor up and be ready to go add if they start attacking you make the decision if you want to leave it up. Remember even if you take no effect you still call the magic armor. I find that some monsters will not even attempt to target you if they see the coffin corssed arms. Use that to your advantage.

Taint Blood

I really like how your victim cannot screm for help but can still beg and plead. I wish it didn’t occupy the same level as Shield Magic but with the innovations in magic in recent years where memorization is not needed it’s something you can make the decision on in the moment.

Create Undead

Dominate your enemies and have them stay on the ground. when their friends attempt to heal them BAM zombie lunch. If you are killing folks turning them into undead and sending them deep into the woods is a great way to guarantee that resurrection and that their stuff is just lost. I like that it kind of disposes of itself.

When bargaining with an undead remember that while they have all the time in the world they are often foolish and lack the spark of imagination. Feel free to trick them.