Necromancy is a dangerous hobby
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| Standard Banlist 24.09 (active) |
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AugustusCaesar 1446
Evidence Submitted in the Inquisition against Necromancer1
Exhibit 2 - A journal recovered close by Necromancer1's body.
~ 13th day of 2x27
It is a tragic day, my fellow artist, Mulch, has been sentenced to death for meta crimes. The demons buried it with a stake through its heart and a severed head. But this does not deter a determined necromancer, with the right rituals all barriers to resurrection can be removed. This is but the beginning of my work, by the time I am done with this cemetery the whole world will be in a prison of my making, mark my words!
~ 15th day of 2x27
A good scavenger recognizes the skill of the hunters that leave it sustenance, and qtm sure are some masterful hunters. But life is fleeting, only undeath can be permanent.
At its core, Mulch's might comes from 2 axis, traversing the wilds with ease, and adapting to all environments. This will be harder to sustain without the bodies internal organs, but the skeleton of tricks is a luxurious bounty for necromancy. Well preserved enough remain it's springing legs, its waste-recycling bacteria and it's skin, perfect for camouflage. The killing appendages of Imp and Audrey v2 punish intruders with force just like old, though they have lost their fast acting venom. This venom will have to be replaced by black magic.
Without an immune system, this bounty will quickly turn to dust. Great care must be taken then to preserve its integrity.
~ 16th day of 2x27
It is elementary knowledge that a beast such as this requires a metal heart as it's original organ was removed in burial. It is dangerous to be caught with one, but with enough connections they can be acquired. These metal replicas are inferior in most ways, but do offer some unique advantages that are not to be underestimated.
Naturally, these require a power source since the body is now inert, and scarce fuel to work. They can only channel power to existing organs, not facilitate they adaptation of more. But for these costs a necromancer is granted the ability to chain together multiple hearts, greatly increasing efficiency at the cost of volatility and space.
~ 20th day of 2x27
There are many points in the reconstruction of a beast where a necromancer either finds a suitable tool, or they doom themselves completely. The finding of an alternate source of fuel for metal hearts, is one such point for this resurrection. Without a reliable and non-volatile fuel to power this beast, it would be no more dangerous than a fire, easily combated by covering it so that it burns itself out.
Synthesizing fuel from the stars is a forbidden and dangerous Astrological art, not fully understood by scholars. For reasons not observable with current telescopes, this starlight distillate is only flammable inside metal hearts and not the metabolism of demons.
We need not understand the mechanics of this fuel to use it, but it's unknown nature does cause me to issue a practical recommendation: extract all natural fuel that is in your vicinity before resorting to starlight distillate, as a well read opponent can trap the hitpoints where it's collection must happen.
~ 22nd day of 2x27
The majestic beast's powerful ribcage was one of its most underestimated aspects, it allowed it the ability to carry incredibly powerful internal organs. But it has been permanently damaged by the burial process.
Many aspiring necromancers have restored dragon ribcages in an attempt to reach the beasts strength, but this is a very flawed approach. For one, the beast was more powerful than dragons available in all human markets (legal or otherwise). To increase difficulties, draconic entities are poor instruments of necromancy, and loose almost all of their magical abilities when used in these endeavors.
But this is a spot to apply some occult intuition, we need not seek a powerful being and take its ribcage. We seek just an appropriate compartment of sufficient size and stability, and the creature it belonged to can be discarded. There is no more fitting object for this than the deep dwelling swamp flora. It is easy to harvest, spacious, extremely resilient. And it is so well adjusted to climates of decay that if autonomously adapts to any circumstance in the internals of our great beast.
~ 24th day of 2x27
It is done, the beast is fully functioning, but I remain sentimental, I must make it clearly my beast, so that no one mistakes it for some other necromancers work.
In this endeavor I turned to a favorite techniche of mine. The simple ritual of skeleton self-correction is learnt by all aspiring necromancers to support the growing of stronger appendages with ease. It is quite fitting here, being particular helpful to set up as anchor to facilitate work on the beast, but still being useful once the beast nears completion for the additional limb strength.
~ 25th day of 2x27
The beast performs excellently in all tests, even in the semi-dormant state it lingers in for futher modifications, but its situational awareness could be improved. For that I have pressed a flock of bats to guide the beast.
~ 26th day of 2x27
THE TIME FOR REVENGE IS UPON US, I SHALL RELEASE THE BEAST ON THE UNSUSPECTING TOWN OF CAMBRIDGE
~ 27th day of 2x27
My hubris has backfired again...
It was a lowly blacksmith, HOW COULD THAT BE?!?
Not only did it strike a blow to my precious, it managed to escape and call for the Inquisition, frustrating turn of events.
~ 30th day of 2x27
I am tired of running.
There isn't any ways out of these mountains
I see the web all around me
I cannot escape the knives
I should bury the beast
It could fall into the wrong hands
But my pride prevents it
Inquisitors notes
Necromancer1 was apprehended using maximum force, they attempted to destroy the presented journal but was prevented from doing so.
It muttered something like "i could only managed9th at Cambridge regionals and 2nd at Italian nats... my precious was so great, it could rule the world..." before succumbing to wounds from our agents.
It is very likely that the mastermind of this operation was another Necromancer, believed to be named Brandon "TheKing". He will also be apprehended soon.
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1 Oct 2024
Council
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The guards lead their prisoner to the close, gloomy vaulted prison- in the ancient palace of the Holy, inquisition and shut him in it. The day passes and is followed by the dark, burning, 'breathless' night of Seville. The air is 'fragrant with laurel and lemon.' In the pitch darkness the iron door of the prison is suddenly opened and the Grand Inquisitor himself comes in with a light in his hand. He is alone; the door is closed at once behind him. He stands in the doorway and for a minute or two gazes into His face.
"'Is it Thou? Thou?' but receiving no answer, he adds at once. 'Don't answer, be silent. What canst Thou say, indeed? I know too well what Thou wouldst say. And Thou hast no right to add anything to what Thou hadst said of old. Why, then, art Thou come to hinder us? For Thou hast come to hinder us, and Thou knowest that. But dost thou know what will be to-morrow? I know not who Thou art and care not to know whether it is Thou or only a semblance of Her, but to-morrow I shall condemn Thee and burn Thee at the stake as the worst of heretics. And the very people who have to-day kissed Thy feet, to-morrow at the faintest sign from me will rush to heap up the embers of Thy fire. Knowest Thou that? Yes, maybe Thou knowest it,' he added with thoughtful penetration, never for a moment taking his eyes off the Prisoner."
Dost Thou know that the ages will pass, and humanity will proclaim by the lips of their sages that there is no crime, and therefore no sin; there is only hunger? "Feed men, and then ask of them virtue!" that's what they'll write on the banner, which they will raise against Thee, and with which they will destroy Thy temple.
Where Thy temple stood will rise a new building; the terrible tower of Babel will be built again, and though, like the one of old, it will not be finished, yet Thou mightest have prevented that new tower and have cut short the sufferings of men for a thousand years; for they will come back to us after a thousand years of agony with their tower. They will seek us again, hidden underground in the catacombs, for we shall be again persecuted and tortured.
Know that I fear Thee not. Know that I too have been in the wilderness, I too have lived on roots and locusts, I too prized the freedom with which Thou hast blessed men, and I too was striving to stand among Thy elect, among the strong and powerful, thirsting "to make up the number." But I awakened and would not serve madness. I turned back and joined the ranks of those who have corrected Thy work. Tomorrow I shall burn thee. Dixi.
When the Inquisitor ceased speaking he waited some time for his Prisoner to answer him. His silence weighed down upon him. He saw that the Prisoner had listened intently all the time, looking gently in his face and evidently not wishing to reply. The old man longed for him to say something, however bitter and terrible. But He suddenly approached the old man in silence and softly kissed him on his bloodless aged lips. That was all his answer. The old man shuddered. His lips moved. He went to the door, opened it, and said to Him: 'Go, and come no more… come not at all, never, never!' And he let Him out into the dark alleys of the town. The Prisoner went away." "And the old man?" "The kiss glows in his heart, but the old man adheres to his idea."