Resurrection (Old)

## Introduction

Resurrection is the central Form of Necromancy and by far the most widespread. It deals with the resurrection of corpses to create Zombies and other undead Servants. Its masters are known as *Demiurges* and its tome is called *Book of the Dead*.

## Known Powers

### Aspirant Powers

**Danse Macabre-** Allows the Aspirant to take controll over a Zombie bound to them. They may controll it as if they where inside the corpses body. When doing so they are vunerable and unable to perform actions with their own body.

**Endurance of the Grave**- Allows the Aspirant to become much more resistant as their unliving husk can function no matter how much of it is cut away.

**Rigor Mortis-** Allows the Aspirant to cause *Rigor Mortis* with a touch. For mortals and other Afflicted this is temporary and restricted to the region that was touched. When touching other Undead it will spread until the turn back into a normal corpse.

**Ashes to Ashes-** Allows the Aspirant to turn a corpse into Necrotic Salts, removing any trace of its original form.

**Spark of Rampancy**- The Aspirant may trigger the Hunger for another Undead with a touch. Note that Afflicted have a high chance of resisting this power.

**Gift of Unlife-** Allows the Aspirant to strengthen the Binding of an Undead with a touch.

### Master Powers

**Remedium Mortis [Requires Gift of Unlife]-** Allows the Demiurge to cast *Gift of Unlife* on all Undead within range.

**Black Death-** Allows the Demiurge to wither flesh and bone away using the pure pollutant of rot. To do so they must touch a target and may directly sever limbs or dissolve their (un-)living bodies.

**Curse of the Undying-** Allows the Demiurge to resurrect themselves after their final death. Severing or burning their body makes this impossible however.

   **Lifeless Legion [Requires Danse Macabre]-** Allows the Demiurge to controll several undead at once without loosing the ability to perform actions of their own simultaneously.

## Known Rituals

### Aspirant Rituals

**Bind Undead-** Allows the Aspirant to resurrect and bind a corpse to them. This might also be used on severed body parts. To do so they must induce the corpse with some of their Essence. The resulting Gravespawn must be regularly fed with Essence to avoid the loss of Binding. They may be able to follow basic orders if they are able to understand them, yet in a very sluggish und uncoordinated manner.

**Fabricate Vitae-** Allows the Aspirant to create a substance similar to the Essence of an Afflicted. To do so a human corpse must be filled with destilled water and left to rot for up to a week. After that the corpse may be cut open and all of its fluids must be extracted. All of them must be mixed and slowly cooked while sacrificing small animals in the pot chosen for the process while reciting texts from the *Book of the Dead*. The arising fumes may be gatered in a cold glass where they will condense, forming a liquid that has the same magical properties as regular Essence. Adding the Essence of a real Afflicted into the pot before heating it will grant the resulting liquid the characteristics and form of the chosen Essence, effectivly multiplying it. Should this not be done, the liquid is known as *False Essence*.

**Alchemists Salts**- Allows the Aspirant to create *Necrotic Salts*, an essential ingredeance for many rituals and a sustenance all Afflicted can use to replenish Essence. There exist various types of *Necrotic Salts*, the most common of them are based on *Sodium Chloride (Sea Salt), Salpeter, Natron, Potassium Dichromate, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Bisulfate, Copper Sulfate* or *Ammonium Nitrate*. One of these salts must be soaked in *Essence* and various secretions extracted from rotting corpses.

**Rest for the Wicked-** Allows the Aspirant to create a substratum in which Undead replenish their Binding. To do so they must combine fresh soil with ash and two types of *Necrotic Salts* before burring a small living animal in it. All Undead completly covered by the resulting mixture regain energy from the Underworld, allowing Afflicted for more replenishing sleep and Gravespawn to retain their energy should they rest inside it for atleast one day per week.

**Lift the Chains of Death-** Allows the Aspirant to remove *Rigor Mortis* from a corpse. To do so they must be surround the corpse with candles made from animal fat, *Essence* and grinded coal. After each of them has been lit the Aspirant must recite three passages from the *Book of the Dead*. After all candles have burned down the corpses muscles will be fully operational again.

**Inscribe Command-** Allows the Aspirant to program the behaviour of undead raised by them. To do so they must prepare a parchment made from the skin of any lifefrom and inscribe it with an ink made from the Aspirants Essence, the blood of the chosen lifeform, vinegar and ash. The length of the parchment is irrelevant to the ritual. On it the Aspirant must detail the commands the Undead shall recieve including events that may trigger specific actions. After the ink has dried the parchment must be given into a bowl filled with boiling water, *Essence* and any form of acid capable of dissolving the parchment. After the resulting brew has been boilied down to a thick liquid it must be instilled into the corpse.

   **Restoration of Unlife-** Allows the Aspriant to bind several parts of corpses together to restore a destroyed corpse. This can not be used to create constructs violating the basic anatomy of the chosen corpses species. However you may for instance use a dogs eye to restore a human corpse. The chosen corpse part must be washed in a mixture of *Essence* and atleast one type of *Necrotic Salt* while reciting a passage from the *Book of the Dead*. After that the part may be pressed against the chosen corpses opened flesh. If necessairy the skins of both parts must be stitched together.

**Gift of False Life [Requires Bind Undead, Lift the Chains of Death]-** Allows the Aspirant to instanly raise a corpse and cure it from *Rigor Mortis*. The caster might instantly issue a vocal command the Undead must persue. To do so the Aspirant must prepare an elixir made from Essence, three types of Necrotic Salts and the ashes of a burned corpse while reciting five passages from the *Book of the Dead*. The resulting mixture must be poured over the corpse, resulting in its resurrection.

### Master Rituals

**Remove the Taint of Rot [Requires Lift the Chains of Death]-** Make a corpse immune to *Rigor Mortis* and any form of rot for up to a decade. To do so the corpse must be fumigates for an entire night. A bowl filled with ash, *Essence*, *Necrotic Salts*, sulfur and destilled alcohol may be lit while reciting passages from the *Book of the Dead* for the entire night while the arising fumes cover the corpse. Shortly before a new day dawns the corpse will be freed from any limitations of continued death.

**Reshape Visage-** Allows the Demiurge to give a corpse the appereance and voice of a person. To do so they must place a drop of blood, a hair or an image depicting the chosen target into a bowl with ash, sulfur, destilled water and *Essence*. The mixture must be boiled for an entire night while reciting a passage from the *Book of the Dead* by the hour. The resulting liquid must be rubbed into the flesh of the lifeless corpse until every part of them is covered. Their skin will form bubbles and reform itself in fresh flesh representing an exact counterpart to the chosen target exept by the size. Note that if the chosen corpse is missing parts, these will not be regenerated.

**Shadow Form [Requires Voice of Destiny (Contortion)]-** Allows the Demiurge to create magical muscles and tendons from necromantic energies transforming Shades. A large amount of these may be created to allow animated objects with no natural muscles movement or enhance that of an Undead. Afflicted and other forms of sentient Unlife tend to reject these magical bonds. At their highest extend these might double the strength and agility of a Gravespawn. To do so the Demiurge must first draw a circle using black coal and the blood of a small animal. After that the Demiurge must gather a desired amount of Shades and turn them into a black mist using three passages from the *Book of Aberration*. Then the Demiurge may touch or move the smoke between their fingers and place it on the desired object. Once Shade may form a single muscle or three tendons. After all the smoke has been used the Demiurge may recite a passage from the *Book of the Dead*. Afterwards the artifical muscles and tendons will turn invisible and allow the object movement using these should it be possessed by a Spirit or animated in the case of a corpse.

   **Curwens Alchemy-** Allows the Demiurge to burn a corpse into ash while adding some of their Essence into it. Said ashes can be thrown into a pool large enough to store the body previously burned. The pool must be filled with a mixture of destilled water, Essence, grinded coal, two types of *Necrotic Salts* and the blood of a lifeform of the same species as the burned corpse. Afterwards the ashes must be given into the pool which must be heated until the liquid inside begins to boil. During the entire process, passages from the *Book of the Dead* must be recited. The liquid will turn black and thicken very quickly after reforming the burned corpse. It will be freed of all rot and appear as it did during the end of its lifetime. Should this be used on the corpse of an Afflicted, it will instead be restored to their form before being burned. Should the right soul be bound to the ashes before the ritual, the dead will come back to live again. Although this might be used on Afflicted aswell it can not cure their *Affliction*.

**Demiurges Creation (Requires the Beckoning (Distortion))**- Allows the Demiurge to create a Wight. To do so they must drain a fresh corpse of any form of fluid. These fluids, mostly a mix of blood, water, lymph and bile must be mixed with atleast two types of *Necrotic Salts* and *Essence* until a thin paste emerges. This mixture must be slowly cooked while reciting passages from the *Book of the Dead* until a wet powder emerges. The arising fumes must be collected and condensed into a bowl. While the powder dries the corpses organs and brain must be extracted and placed into said bowl. There they must soak for an entire night. After that they must be dried and salted with a mixture of *Necrotic Salts* and grains until all fluid is extracted. The corpses abdominal cavity must be filled with the previously created powder and the dried organs. The brain may be placed anywhere in the corpse, note that its destruction will lead to the final death of the Wight. After that the opened belly must be closed either through stitches or necromancy. Through a modified version of **The Beckoning** (Contortion) a spirit may be bound into the corpse, turning it into a Wight.

**Weave the Bonds of Unlife [Requires Eye of the Webworker (Prospection)]-** Allows the Demiurge to redefine the magical webwork that makes up the Binding of an Undead. Through this ritual the anchor points of unlife may be relocated to less vunerable places for instance. Ritual BTFO.

**Harbinger of the Last Judgment-** Allows the Demiurge to cast **Gift of False Life** on all corpses within an area. Ritual BTFO

Flavourtown magic (100000000000000 points)-

In order to do magic, one must first have a source from which to extract magical energy. To access such a source, this ritual is needed. The Aspirant must assemble at least 25 puppies or alternatively 30 kittens or 40 baby bats (at storytellers discretion, any other animal baby may be taken, just keep in mind, that the overall mass that is collected should be about the same as the mass of 25 puppies). Then the Aspirant may cook them in a stew made out of carrots and lentils, thus binding magic into spicy flavour. The amount magic gained equals the number of used lentils divided by the amount of used carrots multiplied by the natural log of the amount of animals sacrificed.