Realm of Vadakel

A home of sickness, disease, and pestilence, Vadakel teems with mountains of dying flesh and hives of living plagues, its silence only broken by the howls and wails of its ghouls and fiends, un-natural compositions of decay and rot than scramble across the hellscape known as Vadakel’s surface. It is said that descendants of an old humanoid race that once inhabited the realm survive in sunken chasms and subterranean holds, waiting for something or someone to grace them with a victory against the cancers that dot the grounds above them.

Vadakel was once a world of luscious green fields, beautiful sandy-white beaches, and bright cyan waters, a sister-realm of Sephra. Its lands were clean and fruitful, grazed upon by marvelous land-giants and tended to by its graceful inhabitants. Life on Vadakel was tranquil and pleasant, considered the ‘vault of heaven’ by any who set their eyes upon its landscape.

Purity can only last for so long, however, and eventually, the old world’s purity would be tainted, a malign plague spreading from Vadakel’s grassy fields as all its creatures shifted into abhorrent abominations, ravaging its civilizations as the once green scapes of Vadakel turned accursed black, flesh-like growth sprouting from cracks in the world’s surface as the skies were shrouded by a sickening fog, blinding all the poor souls who were unlucky enough to bare witness to the death of their homeworld.

Rumors speak of Sephra one day arriving to aid in the destruction of the horrors that plague Vadakel, so that one day it's skies may once again flourish under the golden sun of purity.

Those seeking to journey down and accustom to the realm of Vadakel must meditate within an area embodying the overgrowth of it; places of extreme overgrowth, filth, plague, disease, abomination, et cetera. To become closer and advance up their proficiency to the realm of Vadakel, one must dedicate themselves to causing harm through their spells, developing their knowledge of plague, overgrowth, and abominations, and embodying the realm of Vadakel in its entirety.

## **Summons**

### **Apprentice:**

#### **Swarm (BEAST)**

A fledgling summoner of Vadakel may harness the smallest blights upon the realm in overbearing quantities; a large number of locusts will harass a single target. Bare flesh will be torn into on the surface level, causing agitation and tender rashes. While typical garb and gambeson can be ripped apart by the locusts if one were order them to focus on the specific area like a hivemind, chainmail armor and above will negate their effect, providing safety from any form of harm.

#### **Blighted Brambles (SPELL)**

A fledgling summoner of Vadakel can bring forth a five-foot barbed tendril of rotting mass, using it as if it were one of their appendages, wielding weapons or outright jabbing through gambeson on its own, resulting in an infectious wound of varying severity through injecting Vadakel’s vitiating poisons. These near-immediate illnesses can be cured by an appropriately leveled summoner of Sephra as stated in the description of Radiant Light.

*Unless granted PTC/RTC, these symptoms only last the duration of a combative encounter.*

* As an **Apprentice**, a summoner’s Blighted Brambles result in symptoms similar to a common cold, implying coughing, sniffling, and overall discomfort.
* As an **Expert**, a summoner’s Blighted Brambles result in symptoms similar to type-B influenza (the lesser one), implying fatigue/lethargy, soreness, and dizziness.
* As a **Master**, a summoner’s Blighted Brambles result in symptoms similar to type-A influenza (the worse one), implying a more perilous strain of the symptoms that an Expert commands.
* As an **Oracle**, a summoner’s Blighted Brambles result in symptoms similar to any Azuran illness they aspire to inflict onto another within reason. Symptoms cannot be immediately debilitating and still abide by PTC/RTC rules.

### **Expert:**

#### **Blood Armaments (ITEM)**

Your soul is bound to the realm of Vadakel by blood, through channeling into the dark world a summoner is able to fabricate two shortswords. The shortswords are described as having a pitch-black blade with a maroon handle. Upon slicing into one’s own flesh varying from a scar across the hand or arm, the shortswords are empowered with a sickening dark hue. Prolonged exposure to the weapon will inflict a person with nausea, intense paranoia, and dizziness.

* ***As a master***, the summoner is capable of imbuing this spell into **any bladed weaponry for 10 turns**, yet only 2 at a time. Once coated, these weapons maintain a similarly sickening red color for the duration of the spell.

#### **Carneling (BEAST)**

The Carneling is a being frequently encountered throughout the perilous realm of Vadakel, when summoned it is capable of possessing and utilizing various larger forms of plague bearers on Azura. Able to shift into a hound-sized rat or an eagle-sized crow while being controlled by the summoner for any desirable reason whether it be relating to combat or intrigue. The summoner is able to see through its eyes. The presence of a Carneling can be discerned by the notable smell of death and the appearance of decay on its form. Being bitten or scratched by either form of the beast inflicts nausea.

#### **Miasma of Pestilence (SPELL)**

The summoner is capable of shrouding themselves in a putrid cloud of pestilence causing intense nausea and disorientation to those in a 10-foot radius. This follows the summoner wherever they move until they choose to dispel it. Conflicting winds provide a useful counter to this ability, as well as any mask (e.g.; full-hooded with goggles and a nose scarf covering) to help lessen the effects to be **minor**. Meanwhile, a **respirator** would grant you **immunity** to it.

#### **The Essence of Death (SPELL)**

Once pure pools of water now contain a terribly potent acid throughout the realm of Vadakel. An expert summoner is capable of manipulating this acid to the ability of an intermediate hydromancer against their enemies, causing gambeson to fall apart and chainmail to weaken. Against bare flesh, this substance is capable of causing second-degree burns. Though the summoner must be cautious it is not reflected back unto them or they will sustain similar damage.

### **Master:**

#### **Scourge of Vadakel (ITEM)**

The summoner can call forth a curved axehead, bound to their arm, wrapped in tendrils of rotting and putrid mass. The axe has the ability to slice through higher-tier chainmail armor and gambesons. Upon being struck by the axe, the enemy’s flesh begins to rot and decay. The effects become worse through prolonged exposure. The axe itself will regenerate if broken off.

#### **Vadakel’s Retribution (BEAST)**

Pulled from the pits of plague and blight of the realm, the summoner is capable of bringing forth two masses of tendrils, similar in nature to the Blighted Brambles invocation. The size is on par with that of a Master Carnomancy beast. It is capable of enveloping a fully grown man and shredding through chainmail armor with relative ease. The wounds it inflicts are prone to infection and necrosis if not treated immediately.

#### **Ailing Aura (SPELL)**

Once a summoner has tapped more in tune with the realm of Vadakel, they are able to conjure forth a powerful aura that causes spiked masses of rotting flesh and bone to protrude from the ground at a radius of 30 feet. The user is capable of controlling these spiked masses at the level of a Master Carnomancer. It can be used to hold people down, rip through their armor, batter them, etc. It is a versatile summon that can be used in more ways than one. The spikes are able to pierce up to chainmail.

### **Oracle:**

#### **Phantom Nemesis (ITEM)**

Channeling into the darker depths of Vadakel, the summoner is able to summon a ring of overgrowth, emanating a thick, green, choking fog, replete with fleshy growths that dig into the skin of the wearer. Upon wearing the ring, the user becomes an embodiment of Vadakel’s blood-craving beasts. The summoner’s flesh slowly decays at its outlines, while the blood flowing through them turns into a greenish-reddish-like goo spewing out a horrendous fragrance of death and decay. A channeler’s emotions slowly fade away as they no longer know the faces of fear, paranoia, happiness, love, or any mortal feelings that may have once defined them as human. The summoner gains the ability to completely ignore the pain and utilize their summons even when injured, regenerate wounds (not limbs, but lacerations, punctures, and fractures) grow claws and fangs that can cleave through chainmail and dent plate armor, and obtain chitin-like armor on par with a hardened leather brigandine. However, the longer the summoner remains in this form, the more they are at risk of devolving into a complete animal, unable to transform back into a sentient creature.

*· **This ring is unable to be used by those without ties to the Realm of Vadakel, as well as those without sufficiently strong ties to Vadakel (Oracle+) as they aren't deemed worthy.***

#### **Calling of the Wanderer (BEAST)**

The realm of Vadakel holds great sicknesses to the world of Azura, however, some plagues are exerted through beasts rather than plants and parasites. One beast is known to be the most benevolent but strongest of the Vadakelite creatures, the Wanderer. Standing at a height of 15 feet, Wanderers guard the gates to the realm of Vadakel, maintaining the corpulent defenses that shield the realm from Sephra invasions. They feature one vile head with many eyes, usually humanoid in nature, and various either animal-like or humanoid heads along the shoulders or collarbone. Their arms reach down to their legs, looking spiny and thin on the outside but having durability enabling them to withstand the majority of attacks, save for strong blunt force strikes. The claws at the end of these arms are able to easily claw through gambeson and high-quality chainmail, alongside being able to dent plate. It has a few tendrils near its waist, which can be used to stab, grab, or slap away at enemies. Wanderer is vulnerable to Sephra attacks, and a few focused attacks at an adjacent level (Oracle) will bring the Wanderer down.

Vadakelites can only summon one of these at a time, per battle. The summoner’s vitor is heavily reduced upon summoning the Wanderer.

#### **Blighted Steams (SPELL)**

A summoner can call upon the very steams which are emitted from the plagued pools of Vadakel. An Oracle is capable of completely melting apart anything that’s not plate armour, while severely denting the plate and weakening it, causing it to break more easily to physical blows. When touching flesh, the steams will decay its victim rather than melt them through heat. This process in its entirety is extremely draining to vitor and will leave the user weakened depending on the quantity of steam used.

#### **Plagued Hearts (SPELL)**

A summoner can create the worst of plagues unknown to the people of Ludwag. Such plagues can cause horrendous mutations and even death. A summoner can only pick 1 custom plague from the given list. All plagues end completely once the caster dies. They can also get their custom plague approved through a Staff vote.

##### ***Poisoned Ivy (PLAGUED HEARTS 1)***

A type of plague in which the summoner fabricates one of Vadakel's exotic plants infested with parasites. Upon planting the seeds into an environment and burying it, the plant will slowly grow and warp everything within a 30-40 foot radius except for living beings. If the source seed is undisturbed for an extended time, the process will complete and establish a biome within the infested area. Those accustomed to the realm of Vadakel can regenerate their health and vitor at a slow speed. Upon a threatening incursion, the biome activates a permanent dome, as well as Vadakelites within the Ivy receiving master-level boosts to their abilities. Poisoned Ivy can only be destroyed through constant Sephran attacks, constant fire attacks, or in other ways that are inherently logical. Green fire causes Poisoned Ivy to die but very slowly.

##### ***Bloodbound (PLAGUED HEARTS 2)***

A summoner is able to fabricate a steel black needle from the realm of Vadakel. Upon stabbing and injecting this needle into a victim (upon being granted PTC/RTC), several parasites are inserted into one's body. During the victim's first contact exposure, they could, in all essence, feel their body being manipulated and controlled by the parasites, slowly losing control of their own limbs even. These parasites grow within a person, before killing them within a span of a few hours if not treated quickly by a summoner of Sephra. The victim will slowly be overtaken and placed under the full control of the summoner, becoming a mindless mutated undead. These victims are often described to have split heads, rotten flesh, disfigured faces, and ribs torn open from the back into a shape resembling that of horrific wings, yet they’re not able to fly. Bloodbounds are practically cursed undead and have the same abilities, being able to spread the plague through open cuts to the skin, or by coughing into open orifices within very close proximity. Upon death, Bloodbounds explode in a greenish-reddish ball of filth. If this filth is ingested or lands on the skin, the victim is infected. They have only a few hours until they are infected, and the cycle continues. Green fire causes Bloodbounds to develop and worsen at a slower rate (1 OOC day), stalling the demise of those afflicted until they can seek help. Kinoro greenfire mitigates the effects of Bloodbound indefinitely, effectively sparing an individual unless they lose access to it.

##### ***Hands of Malice (PLAGUED HEARTS 3)***

Your flesh turns into an armament of sickness, a summoner can turn any fauna to followers of their will upon touching them and allowing a black goo-like substance to flow into the fauna’s mouths, infesting their brains and plaguing them, turning them into mindless monsters. Whilst inflicted with such a plague, the fauna will follow the summoner’s commands until they are killed or severed through green fire.

· ***Approved Combat NPCs** from other players **require PTC to be infected**, same for player-controlled non-hostile animals.*

· ***The infected fauna** may only follow other people if the Summoner who controls them is **in-game** at the time.*

## **Auras**

### **Expert:**

#### ***Plague’s Amity***

It is the goal of every Vadakel to forward the expansion of his blessing and gifts, far into the mortal realm that the user now walks. Wherever the individual goes, his gifts will follow- flora becomes twisted decayed versions of themselves, and the soil beneath their feet becomes stained in an array of sickening colours. Within a **10-foot radius, pre-existing *minor* plant life can now be manipulated by the Vadakelite, demonstrating the ability to control them at an intermediate herbomancer level along with their strength.** This manipulation could result in small rashes and bruises if struck by them while the skin is exposed, or temporarily restrain and bind limbs.

#### ***Vadakel’s Laborer***

Just as many things are within the realm of Vadakel, the user has become his labourer. **Food and water that others touch will have sickening effects while retaining its normal appearance.** If an individual is to drink or eat these affected indulgences, they will **fall to nausea, vomiting, and feel sick to their stomach for the next 24 hours. Affects inflicted on drinks or food will remain for 30 OOC minutes before fading away.**

#### ***Pestilent Blessing***

Every warrior of Vadakel and his realm must be outfitted appropriately, as such his pestilence will be affected upon the user's teeth. **Transforming these teeth into fangs permanently and allowing them to inject their toxin into an opponent, will cause nausea and vomiting. Small wounds like gashes and minor cuts will be replenished with disfigured flesh** upon successfully injecting these toxins.

### **Master:**

#### ***Hateful Flora***

Within a **20-foot radius of the summoner, any flora will become flesh-like and hostile; hateful. Grass will turn goo-like and force everyone except for the summoner to sink into it like thick mud.** Nearby trees within these 20 feet will turn flesh-like and begin to indiscriminately attack anyone nearby with vines and flesh-like branches with relatively normal strength akin to a regular person. This hateful flora can be easily combated against with fire and be burned with the same consistency of flesh. The summoner cannot specifically order the Flora to attack one certain person. Attacks by these constructs can vary in damage depending on the size of the Flora, and **foliage will grasp onto those attempting to climb flora or tunnel into the earth, making it difficult for terramancers and climbers to manoeuvre.**

#### ***Nauseous Plague***

**This individual exudes an odour** so wretched that even other followers of Vadakel cannot describe it. Others recoil as their senses are overwhelmed, and others are **inclined to vomit from the individual's mere presence** alone. The aforementioned effects cause eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation if one is to continue inhaling the odour while in the presence of the figure. This aura will remain around the individual in a 5-foot radius, with effects drastically increasing the longer one remains in their presence. **Once the afflicted leaves the AOE, the effects will rapidly fade.**

* Unlike the Miasma of Pestilence, **this aura cannot completely be blocked out by any face protection or respirators** due to its volatile nature.

### **Oracle:**

#### ***Blessing of the Filth***

Individuals within this aura, **namely other Vadakel users, will feel a sense of rejuvenation if they are to sustain any injuries or drain before** being around the one with the aforementioned Blessing of the Filth. While remaining inside of this 10ft aura, any individual the user touches with a limb of choice will have their injuries healed over in a disfigured mesh of flesh and scarring; which will last until they leave the individual's aura ***(This does not include PTC/PTK injuries)***

#### ***Aura of Pestilence***

To become the bearer of plague is to become the voice that spreads decay across all the remaining lands of beauty. The summoner's surroundings become tainted with an unknown rotting disease that when used against animals and people alike up to 10 feet- **will give them a mild burning sensation all over their body**. Animals affected by this rot **eventually become consumed by it if not slain,** becoming an **eventual puppet of death that the summoner can willingly use and command**. People however cannot be consumed to the point of ‘puppethood’, but they can die if left untreated. Radiant light can outright dispel this rot, including any other summoning spells or auras capable of dispelling plague and disease.