Curses and Hexes

“By the rise of the Blood Moon I invoke this curse. May my enemy be ensnared by the magic of my intent. May their eyes darken. May their voice fall silent. May their breath fall still as my intent is carried out. May this offering be a sufficient sacrifice that those unseen forces I claim this pact with work their malevolence upon thine foe. And by this curse I invoke may my will be done and the cursed one be as no more!”

- Unknown, 3rd  Era engraving on a stone altar

Wicked, malicious, and twisted are but some of the words to describe this form of magical practice. Not so much a school of magic but rather a perversion of magical processes with the intent of causing harm or worse to a target, this is what makes a Curse. Cursing is a rather peculiar form of magic working in that it is seen in just about any and every culture across the Continent and the long history of its existence in some form or another. It is not tied to any particular faith or system of magical study, rather it is the taking of magical understanding and warping it to the malicious use of a single caster or others involved.

This is not to say that some forms of religion haven’t adopted their use. It is very commonplace in faiths like Ahmoar’An and the Cult of Skorm. While most curses tend to fall short of full lethality and fall instead into a category of cursing called a Hex. The difference between a hex and a curse is that with a hex it can be sporadically invoked and to about the extent of anything from mild inconvenience to grievous harm and/or injury; when compared to a curse which tends to be more often than not, more deadly in nature and intent. While it is unknown where exactly the practice originates in terms of history when regarding the Battlemages of old, one thing is certain is that it was well known to them and the evidence of such magics are seen still today.

Amidst the ruins and landscape of the Continent one can see the effects of magics like curses and hexes. Ruins that bear damage not consistent with weathering or war are evidence to powerful hexes, while such places on the landscape like the Wastes are evidence of powerful curses that linger still to this day. Curses and hexes while not as commonplace as they once were then are still in use today time to time. It is not rightly clear as to how a person learns them. Usually from a tribal shaman, a local witch, a crazed mage, or even a scholar of magic with a grudge.

As long as there is a person with anger or resentment in their heart enough to want to cause harm to another, and they know a bit of magic, then they themselves can indeed invoke a curse or hex. Clerics of other faiths normally abhor curses as dark workings and heretical practices that destroy the soul of the caster and endanger others, while some see them as a just means or power and revenge. Whatever the reasoning one may have for invoking one, they do so at their own peril. Magic as is widely known, is dangerous, but to willingly add malicious intent to any spell working is far worse in some cases. The magus beware.

* AS WITH ALL MAGIC IN GAME RP CONTEXT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! MAGIC IS NOT ALL POWERFUL AND HAS LIMITS!\*

Due to the nature of such magic each level of mastery pertaining to such will have 1 curse and 2 hexes, in order to mitigate any future magical hostilities. That being said, a Master of curses and hexes is a formidable magical foe to be contended with and seldom underestimated.

### Novice Curses/Hexes

Hesha Wotam: a hex to bring misfortune or bad luck (RP hexes a player with bad luck)

Hesha Salinis: a hex to wither a crop or garden (RP hexes a plant to do poorly or wither)

Daegna Financio: a curse to make a person lose wealth (RP invokes a curse to diminish a player’s wealth)

### Apprentice Curses/Hexes

Hesha Benvae: a hex to bring illness upon livestock (RP creates sickness in livestock)

Hesha Iluvae: a hex to bring illness to a player (RP invites illness onto a target player)

Daegna Shaltero: a curse to destroy a player’s home (RP curses the house of a player)

### Journeyman Curses/Hexes

Hesha Ennilis: a hex to give someone restless sleep or terrible nightmares (RP hexes a player with unrest or nightmares)

Hesha Caelas: a hex to make a person get lost (RP hexes a player to get on on their way somewhere)

Daegna Slancara: a curse to destroy a person’s reputation (RP curses a player character name and casts them in unfavorable lights)

### Expert Curses/Hexes

Hesha Rartla: a hex to make a person fatigued or sluggish (RP hexes a player’s vitality)

Hesha Wanero: a hex to spoil a person’s food stores (RP hexes a player’s food supply to spoil and rot)

Daegna Solrenis: a curse to cause grave harm to a character (RP curses a character to suffer massive harm)

### Adept Cures/Hexes

Hesha Sertae: a hex to turn friendly characters against each other (RP hexes instability between friendly parties)

Hesha Aetera: a hex to make a play lose a prized possession in the home (RP spirits away a prized item belonging to another player)

Daegna Tantem: a curse that meant to bring death unto its victim (RP curses a character to die)

### Master Curses/Hexes

Hesha Urnam: a hex to cause a crippling injury in a target (RP hexes a crippling injury to befall a victim)

Hesha Canim: a hex to deny love to a victim or to steal love from them (Rp hexes a character to to remain unwedded or charms their beloved from them)

Daegna Morcalis: a curse to bring death to the victim and their first born or heir (RP curses death upon a victim and their eldest heir)

### Ritual Casting

Pactus Pactorum Sanguinis:

The Blood Sealed Curse, the blackest of black arts if ever there was one. This is a curse to be taken when one or more wishes certain demise upon an entire house or line. The mage level of mastery needed here is Adept or Master to undertake. It can be performed alone but for better results the more the better. A central figure must lead the ritual before the rest (if any) and sacrifice a white or black sheep, a swine, a chicken, and a bit of blood from themselves.

The blood is to be placed mixed together in a bowl or cauldron in a central altar space whilst chanting in unison the names of the victims, the intent of the ritual, and the dark forces being invoked. In addition to the blood sacrifice the central mage is to offer a stack of gold blocks, a stack of redstone dust, and a stack of bone blocks and rotten flesh. The central mage calls out to the power that be invoked and declares the targets and the intent of their demise in exchange for the aforementioned offerings and sacrifice. They then must pass 2 of 3 high success rolls. Any other mages aiding the ritual need only roll the same for 1 of 2 rolls.

If the rolls fail to meet the needed requirements then the ritual ends, the materials are taken, and the mage(s) in question are terribly scarred for attempting such a profane ritual. If a Crit Fail happens from any supporting mage(s) then the same happens but those mages in question are killed on the spot (thus IRP character death occurs) by means of massive blood loss and being set aflame. If the central mage Crit Fails then they must pass a luck roll of high success or greater to be offered a choice.

Either they die there horribly instead of the target or they are aged 35 years forward and given a further 6 years (6 IRL months) to live from there as the curse will have recoiled onto them. This is a black ritual and a bloody sacrament dealing in death. One must understand in dealing death unto another you must also expect death could come your way in the process. The terms of this ritual are absolute and non-negotiable. If the ritual succeeds however, the target victims will be open to murder or slaying with little to no warning. However, unless the victims are in on the RP event and give consent to being smote in the after effect of the ritual, it is STRONGLY advised assassins be sent to “make good” on the curse’s power.

This ritual casting may be attempted only once a year in game (1 time per every IRL month). Said ritual is to be conducted in the presence of a Staff Member or an Admin to ratify its attempt, success, and/or failure. Make no mistake this is a high stakes ritual, a life to be extinguished along with others poses a very real risk to character with little to no work around. Consult Admins or Staff about any concerns prior to undertaking this ritual.

* BE AWARE CURSES AND HEXES ARE RP INSTANCES AND MATTERS TO BE VIEW AND DEALT WITH IN IRP ONLY! THERE IS NO PVP APPLICATION! AND ANY HARMFUL EFFECTS MUST BE HANDLED AT THE BEHEST OF A MAGE CASTING SAID CURSE OR HEX TO GIVE THE ILLUSION OF MAGICAL EFFECT, OR ELSE IF THE VICTIM OF SAID SPELLS ARE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THE RP THEY MAY PLAY ALONG!\*