Dark Sphere

The dark sphere is one of the nine elemental spheres available to magicians within Thaelis-y'aada.

## **Overview of the Sphere of the Dark**

Demonic magics which inflict entropic damage.

## **Dark Sphere Magics**

### **Level 0 (1 Point)**

#### **Seeping into the Cracks**

Everyone possesses weaknesses and this ritual allows you to find them regardless of how well they are hidden. Once this ritual is cast the subject rolls their Meditation (Mind Control) against your Insight (Interrogation). If you defeat their roll you gain knowledge of their failings, for every Boost you gain on this roll you gain an additional piece of information as determined by the FT. This information may be their frailty, derangements, fears, traumatic events from their past, the easiest way to tempt them or anything else that could be used to exploit them. If used well this information should grant you bonuses to Guile or Intimidate rolls against that subject.

### **Level 1 (1 Point)**

#### **Summon Demon**

This ritual allows you to summon dark spirits. Those spirits descended from Oblivion. The table below details the most powerful level of spirit you are able to summon. You are able to see, hear, and speak to any spirits you summon. A spirit will only understand you if you share a common language. All spirits understand the language of the primordial of their type. Level 1 spirits cannot speak and only some level 2 spirits can; however, they can both understand instruction in this language. To successfully summon a spirit when you cast this ritual you must roll at least 10 + 5 per level of the spirit on your Caster Check. If you roll lower than this the spirits simply ignores you. There are two methods of evocation through which a summoner may deal with a spirit. The first is the road of tribute and the second is the road of compulsion. The road of tribute involves dealing with the spirit respectfully. You must build a relationship with it and make offerings to it to earn its favor and aid. The downside of this approach is it takes time and resources. You must get to know each spirit and learn what they want, so you may make pleasing offerings to them. Those that employ this method are likely to slowly build a strong reputation amongst the types of spirits they work with. It should be noted that spirits communicate with each other and a favored topic of theirs is the flesh bound they deal with. Clergy that deal in this way with the spirits associated with their divinity are likely to become more pious. No additional rolls are needed if you deal respectfully with a spirit. It either will or will not do what you want based on how well you have pleased it.  The road of compulsion views spirits merely as sources of power and holds no concern for their wants. This form of casting can be much quicker and cheaper; however, the spirit is likely to do everything it can to disrupt your effect. Those that practice this road can quickly gain a bad reputation with all spirits, not just those they have forced themselves upon. This reputation can lead to spirits seeking you out and attacking you, in direct and in indirect ways. This reputation can also lead to many new enemies, including powerful ones that a spirit you dominated may have been working for.  Spiritual hierarchies are vast and complex. It should be noted that even imprisoned spirits are usually easily detected by other spirits of their type who may wish to attempt to free them. Those that practice this road often find they need to use the Intimidate skill on spirits they have forced themselves upon to make them submissive and compliant. To force a spirit to your will you must roll Intimidate against the spirit’s Meditate (Fear). If you win the spirit is forced to do what you want. Unless you are able to achieve 3 or more Boosts on your roll there will be some level of resistance from the spirit. Spirits have long memories. It is not uncommon for wronged spirits to take vengeance against your descendants long after your life has ended.  If you are able to speak with the spirit you may request favors from it which usually require some sort of offering. These favors may include fighting for you, giving you information, watching someone for you, delivering a message for you, guarding an area, etc. The spirit is likely to be well disposed towards you if summoned respectfully. The Diplomacy skill can be useful in helping you deal with spirits. Summoning spirits consumes a great amount of time, often taking days to complete one summoning. Many level 3 and all level 4 spirits have true names and you must learn these names in order to invoke them.  Spirits are extensions of the elder creators thus clergy are required to deal respectfully and honorably with them. Failure to deal with the spirits associated with the Precepts of your divinity is likely to result in the loss of Piety by the cleric. This is always the case with elder creators; however, with the gods there are rare exceptions to this. For example a cleric of Shi is far more likely to use compulsion on a demon than deal with one honourably. Loptif also extends no protection to spirits thus her followers may do as they like with them.

### **Level 2 ( 2 Points)**

#### **Despondency**

After using Seeping into the Cracks you may utilise the information gained to exploit the subject sending them into a state of crushing despair. After casting this ritual the subject receives a -2 to all rolls for the rest of the scene but more importantly their mental state becomes so hopeless you may easily convince them to perform nearly any action as long as you do so with the promise of hope. For the rest of the scene they suffer a -10 penalty verse your Guile rolls as long as you’re telling them something they could construe as aiding their current mental state. It is thought that many fell to this power during the Shadow Purge seeing the annihilation of all as the only way to end their personal suffering.

### **Level 3 (3 Points)**

#### **Veil of Night**

When you cast this ritual you extinguish light. You make a Caster Check 10 being one torch, 15 a bonfire, 20 a row of lanterns along a street, etc. With the highest levels of this ritual you can even make the sky overcast and gloomy. This casting can also lengthen shadows during the day which aids with the use of your Shadow Play ritual

### **Level 4 (4 Points)**

#### **Entropic Ruin**

When you cast this ritual you call upon the forbidden power of the black well from which creation came. This power unmakes life itself. It kills all small animals and plants around you and causes all subjects within your melee range to roll Conditioning (Life Force). Those that fail take your successes x3 entropic damage. It should be noted that this ritual does not discriminate and inflicts damage on friend and foe alike. This ritual can also be used against inanimate objects. There is a price to be paid for calling upon these primordial forces and each time you cast this ritual you take 1 point of VIG damage. This damage returns at a rate of 1 point per day.

### **Level 5 (5 Points)**

#### **Shadow Play**

You can construct items out of darkness. The FT sets a difficulty against which you roll your skill in Artist (Sculpting). You may decide to make your creations permanent by refusing to regain the Zeal spent on this ritual. These items function exactly as their matter equivalent would. You are limited to items the size of a two-handed sword. You can also attempt to bind an opponent with this ritual, the Resistance Roll is Sleight of Hand (Escape Artist) against your Artist (Sculpting). If you successfully bind them you may choose to conceal them in darkness as well rendering them blind. If you create a weapon with this ritual, it can be any sort of weapon you desire but the damage it deals is equal to your Status and is capable of striking ghosts and spirits. You may use this ritual to give yourself or another subject a +10 bonus on Stealth (Hiding) rolls. You may also use the Intimidate skill through this ritual without your subject needing to see you. Any Intimidation attempts made while using this power are granted a +2 bonus. When using this power you may separate a shadow from its source leaving the source shadow-less as long as this power is in effect. The light of the moons may also be sculpted in the same fashion as darkness. You can see perfectly through the darkness caused by this power.

### **Level 6 (6 Points)**

#### **Shadow Spear**

You summon a tendril of shadow to solidify and mercilessly skewer a victim. Medium range, single target, successes x3 in damage, split equally between the entropic and thrusting types.

### **Level 8 (8 Points)**

#### **Shadow Master**

As Shadow Play; however, the item’s maximum size is that of a large building.

### **Level 9 (9 Points)**

#### **Tenebrous**

After this ritual is cast your physical body disappears and you become a shadow meaning only weapons capable of hitting spirits will harm you; however, if you were not already you become Hypersensitive to Gold and if you could not previously see in the dark you can now see as well in the dark as you could in light. This also means you are virtually invisible as long as you are careful when moving around through areas of high light.  This also allows you to move through even the smallest crack. Additionally, you may step into one shadow and out through any other in the world. This power lasts the entire scene and you may step through as many shadows as you like.

### **Level 10 (10 Points)**

#### **Cast into the Void**

This ritual allows you to hurl a subject into the Outer Darkness. By drawing Tartarian mathematics in the air you tear a portal through the fabric of creation. This portal swallows up your subject. Only Arikel has ever returned from being thrown into the vacuum of ripping chaos which is uncreation. You roll your Caster Check against your subject’s Conditioning (Life Force).