Way of the Abyss

Also known as Shadowmancy, this school posits that the primordial state of all things non-existence, and that by understanding this state as a true point of origin, true understanding of the universe can be achieved. In the pursuit of true-nothingness, one must master the arts of destruction, corruption and the manipulation of absent forces, like darkness, death and emptiness. Way of the Abyss specializes not in the creation of effects that cause destruction, but in inducing destruction directly by removing concepts and forces from their surroundings.

This school has a reputation to yield deranged and nihilistic wizards, capable of ending life without a shred of emotion. Even though many study nothingness and continue to live normally, such studies are still deemed heretic by most religions, with Way of the Abyss being barely mentioned in most Colleges of Magic. Way of the Abyss also often attempt to tap into the forces of the Shadow Realm in the pursuit of higher understanding and unimaginable destructive power. However, prolonged exposure to the realm is known to cause unknowable madness, paranoia, and accidental conjure of a Void Self.

## Ordinary

At ordinary attainment you begin to understand the absence of something can also be understood and manipulated, you gain **Darkvision.** You can see in dim light within 20-meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, if the darkness was not created by a spell or other magical effect. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Additionally, whenever you take this attainment, add a Mortal Card bearing at least one Numen symbol to your Gambit.

## Master

At Master attainment, your understanding and control of the absent forces increases, allowing for greater destruction, and control over darkness, you gain **Magical Darkvision.** Your darkvision also works in magically created darkness.

Additionally, whenever you take this attainment, add a Hero Card bearing at least one Numen symbol to your Gambit.

## Grandmaster

At Grandmaster attainment, existence and non-existence become a clear duality to you, allowing you to easily switch something into nothing, manipulate nothingness to your will, and reach across the Shadow Realm for greater power. You gain the feature **Shadow Walk.** You gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as an action, you can teleport up to 40-meters to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness.

Additionally, whenever you take this attainment, add an Exalted Card bearing at least one Numen symbol to your Gambit.

**Casting Time:** 1 Hour (ritual)
**Range:** Touch
**Duration:** Concentration

You can perform a dark ritual on an unconscious creature to remove knowledge or magical abilities. If the ritual is completed without interruption, you may apply one of the following effects on the creature:
·         You remove any spells or magical effects the creatures knows;
·         You remove 1 Kavana from the target, if it has any;
·         The creature loses proficiency on a certain skill, or saving throw;
**Casting Time:** 1 minute
**Range:** 10-meters
**Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hour

You call forth a Shadow Beast with a CR rating of 5 or less. The Shadow Beast is friendly to you and your companions for the duration. Draw initiative for the Shadow Beast, which has its own turns. On its turn the Shadow Beast will attempt to attack the closest living existence it doesn’t deem friendly.

Breaking Concentration on the spell will cause you to lose control of the Shadow Beast, causing it to rampage and attack anyone nearby, until it is killed or until 1 hour has passed since it was summoned.

**Casting Time:** 1 minute
**Range:** Touch
**Duration:** Until dispelled

For the duration of this spell, a target within range is hidden within a rift in reality, preventing it from being targeted by attacks, as well as magical and divination effects. While hidden, time ceases to flow for the entity, preventing aging.

**Casting Time:** 1 action
**Range:** 4-meters
**Duration:** Instantaneous

Choose a point within range. Any non-magical materials and objects that aren’t being worn or carried within a 2-meter cube centered on that point are obliterated, leaving behind no evidence of their existence or destruction.

***Enhance Effect:*** When you cast this spell, target up to 3 creatures, the targeted creatures are unaffected by any darkness or light reducing effects created by this spell.
***Enhance Effect:*** If this spell has a cost of 6 or more, and its damage leaves a creature with 0 Condition, the creature is disintegrated. A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, is destroyed leaving behind no evidence of its existence or destruction.
***Enhance Effect:*** Creatures or objects inside the darkness created by this spell experience rapid decay. Objects inside the darkness decompose or rust 100 times faster than they normally would, while creatures age 10 times faster instead.

## Scion

At Scion attainment, you can finally grasp the concept of pure nothingness. Allowing you to erase sectors reality on a whim, and your control over the absent forces becomes absolute.

Additionally, you gain **Reality Removal.** You can use an action, or reaction, to remove one concept or property from an event, creature or object, that is occurring or exists within 10-meters of you and doesn’t occupy more than a 4-meter cube, for up to 1 minute. Choose and apply one of the following effects:

·        **Remove Physicality.** Remove the physicality from a wall or object, allowing creatures to simply phase through the material as if it was not there, for the duration of this effect.

·        **Remove Shape.** Turn a willing creature or object invisible, or grant them an unrecognizable shape for the duration of this effect.

·        **Remove Sound.** For the duration a willing creature or object becomes unable to produce sound in any way, including colliding with other objects, as per the Dark Obfuscation effect.

·        **Remove Circumstance.** As a reaction to taking damage, you remove a key property from the attack, making you only receive half the damage you would otherwise take.

In order to maintain these effects, you must concentrate on this ability as you would concentrate on a spell, otherwise these effects cease to function, and the creature/object returns to normal. You can also expend additional Numen to increase the area you can affect by 2-meters for each Numen expended. Alternatively, you and your DM can come up with additional effects not described here that would make sense for your story, being recommended that the player expends Numen to achieve increasingly powerful effects.

Additionally, whenever you take this attainment, add one Aeon Card bearing at least 1 Numen symbol to your Gambit.

**Casting Time:** 1 action
**Range:** 20-meters
**Duration:** Instantaneous
**Casting Time:** 1 Action
**Range:** Self (4-meter-radius sphere)
**Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 hours

A 4-meter-radius invisible sphere of antimagic surrounds you. This area is divorced from the magical energy that suffuses the multiverse. Within the sphere, spells can't be cast, summoned creatures disappear, and even magic items become mundane. Until the spell ends, the sphere moves with you, centered on you.
Spells and other magical effects, except those created by an artifact or a deity, are suppressed in the sphere and can't protrude into it. A Numen expended to cast a suppressed spell is consumed. While an effect is suppressed, it doesn't function, but the time it spends suppressed counts against its duration.
**Casting Time:** 1 Action
**Range:** Sight
**Duration:** Instantaneous

You attempt to temporally remove the intellect of a creature that you can see within range. The target must make an Intellect saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s Intellect and Glamour scores become -5. The creature can’t cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them.

**Casting Time:** 1 Action
**Range:** Sight
**Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minutes

You create a 6-meter-radius sphere of shadow and destruction centered on a point you can see within range. For the spell's duration, the sphere and any space within 40-meters of it are difficult terrain, and non-magical objects fully inside the sphere are destroyed if they aren't being worn or carried.

For the duration of the spell, on your turn, you can use an action to unleash a wave of dark and corrosive energy, dealing 1C necrotic damage to all creatures within 1-kilometer of the sphere, except you, or any creature within 2-meters of you.

***Enhance Effect:*** A creature reduced to 0 Condition by the damage of this spell is removed from reality. The creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, disappear. The soul of the creature is also purely destroyed, being unable to be resurrected and disappearing from the known universe.
***Enhance Effect:*** The darkness created by this spell reaches closer to the Shadow Realm, inflicting madness as they gaze upon the true-nothingness. Whenever a creature, who is not protected against magical darkness, enters or starts its turn inside the darkness, it automatically takes 1C necrotic damage.
***Enhance Effect (Concentration, up to 1 minute):*** After casting the spell, you reduce your physicality for a short period. While in this form, you have resistance to all damage except radiant bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage.