2nd Cycle, 8th Rotation Year 1367 GF
Log 44
My studies have been going well and I’ve learned both the healing touch cantrip and the draining touch cantrip. On the subject of Necromancy, apparently Goream, led by their Lich Queen, has declared war on Eril so we’re learning more about necromancy. I suppose this explains the hostility towards necromancers from the Academy.
Cecilia also expressed her worries. She fears she might be called to war as a warrior although the Academy has told her that until she passes the leaving exam, it is unlikely.
The Types of Spells: Touch, by Archon Verill
Copied by Church of Illustria
Among the many cantrips, by far the most widespread are the touch-based spells. These are spells classified as having a range of effect with an arm’s reach and include spells such as burning hands and freezing palm. However, there are a few outliers such as the Finger of Death spell and the Ghoul Touch spell which are not cantrips but are still touch based spells.
While at first glance these spells seem useless, it is important to realise that everyone will try to get close to a mage once they realise that they are one and having a spell such as this in your arsenal will be incredibly useful. The main reason there are few high-level touch spells however is due to the same reason. The cast time of spells is necessary to consider when using them and due to the increased cast time that comes with higher level spells, it can often be worse attempting to cast one. On the other hand, cantrips take very little time to cast and as such are exactly the spell a mage will look for when in close quarters. Not to mention the ability that battlemages have when using touch spells. However, do not expect cantrips to have great effects. Burning palms is exactly that. Should the enemy not come into contact with your palms, the spell will have no effect, and even should it connect, it will have little effect. The main use of these spells come in the form of disruption. Shocking touch for example can make the enemy’s muscles spasm – perfect for a battlemage or a mage trying to escape. Draining touch will sap the enemy’s energy allowing the mage either a chance to run or a way to fight.
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The Workings of Lichdom, by Archon Verill
Copied by Church of Illustria
Lichdom, unsurprisingly has been the subject of numerous hours of research on my end, eventually resulting in my conversion. There are a few misconceptions about Liches. Firstly, they are not evil. The emergence of Liches being evil was due to a large propaganda campaign against the Empire of Goream, an empire notoriously led by Archlich Queen Evera, during the Goream-Eril wars of 1367-1389. Thus, in this book, I will attempt to detail the inner workings of Liches and Lichdom.
Before being able to understand liches, one must first understand the structure of the soul. The soul is the source of a mages power, and vital to every living thing. By definition, a living being must have a soul – hence the reason undead are termed as such. The reason the soul is important is because it houses the identity of the being. Should this identity be damaged, the being may fall into a coma while their identity heals. Sometimes, however, the identity may not fully recover or may not recover correctly causing the mage to hear voices, or believe they are someone else.
The first section of the soul is called the core. This is the centremost part of the soul and houses the Identity. It is also the part of the soul which stores mana. When the mage meditates, they absorb the mana into this part of the soul. The second section is known as the shell or membrane of the soul. This controls the flow of mana into and out of the soul and protects it from dissipating.
Lastly, it is important to note that the Soul itself produces mana from Identity. This mana supports and nourishes the soul and is what gives mages the ability to passively regenerate their mana.
Finally, the accepted theory is that the soul is made up of mana and thus the identity and consciousness as well. This is the reason for the ambient mana in the air; as living things die, the soul dissipates into mana. During childbirth, the parent’s soul splits and creates the soul of the child. This final process is important as it is the basis for the phylactery method used by Liches.