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Necromancer

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"'Medical necromancy,' said her adept [Palamedes] drily, 'there's an oxymoron for you."[1]

A Necromancer is an inhabitant of the Nine Houses System born with "thanergetic nervous systems,"[2] or the ability to perceive and influence thalergy (life energy) and thanergy (death energy). Though each House is ruled by a necromantic scion, necromancers may take a variety of roles in life such as careers in the military, researchers, roles in the clergy, and more.

History[]

A myriad ago, before The Resurrection, there was no necromancy in the then-thalergetic Nine Planets. Following the extinction of the First House, The Emperor resurrected first his guardian, A.L, and then the Planets themselves— permanently changing their character to thanergetic, or planets that produce death energy on a stable basis (i.e.: without dying), in nature.

"One moment I was a man, and then the next moment I was the Necrolord Prime, the first necromancer, and more importantly, a landlord with no tenants."[3]

It is with this shift that the inhabitants of the Nine Houses began to birth necromantically capable children. With the re-establishment of the Nine Houses, each House founded a necromantic line of leadership passed down (with the exception of the Ninth House) from the resurrection to the present day. The miracle of necromancy is thought to be a gift from God and has spurred a culture that ties necromancers closely to their home planets.

Characteristics[]

Biology[]

There is nothing within a person's genetics that points to a necromantic aptitude, nor is there a presence of any additional organs ("apart from heightened activity from organs we would otherwise mark as vestigial").[4] Instead, necromancy seems to be based in proximity to the thanergetic planets during foetal development, as children born out of the Dominicus system are never necromancers. Parents will keep their newborns on grave dirt until they are able to land on a thanergetic planet.[5] In fact, there is no inherent hereditary quality to necromancy, as both adept parents and non-adept parents produce necromantic children in similar proportions. Most of the Nine Houses have taken to using vat-wombs and necromantic experts to increase their ability to sire necromantic heirs, including creating children several years after their genetic parents have died.

Physical Appearance[]

In many cases, the necromantic aptitude results in a physical weakness of the necromancer's body. Adepts tend to be small, slight, and frail in nature, though there are always exceptions to this rule. Some researchers, such as the Seventh House mystics of "the perfect death", believe that innate frailty in the necromancer (such a terminal illness) can boost the necromantic abilities and create "the perfect necromancer." Palamedes Sextus refutes this assertion with: "The technical fact that dying enhances your necromancy is vitiated considerably by the fact that you can't make use of it. You might have access to a very personal source of thanegy, but considering your organs are shutting down—"[6]

Abilities[]

Schools of Magic[]

Necromancers tend to specialize in one of three main schools of necromancy: Bone Magic, Spirit Magic, and Flesh Magic (with the subschools of Blood and Lymph Magic). This necromantic specialty is often tied to the specialty and culture of the necromancer's House, though not always. Despite the specialization, all necromancers retain the ability to practice all forms of magic, and a well-rounded necromancer will seek instruction in all types of magic.

Classifications of Necromancers[]

  • Anatomist - an expert in human anatomy.
  • Animaphilia - a flesh specialist.
  • Generalist - an un-specialized jack-of-all.
  • Occultist - taboo, one who studies the River and its mysteries.
  • Psychometry - reading thalergy/thanergy signatures of objects.
  • Siphoner - taboo, one who draws thanergy or spirit magic from others.
  • Speaker to the Dead - a summoner/medium of ghosts.

Limitations[]

"Deep space was a necro's nightmare, because nothing had ever been alive out there, so there were no big puddles of death lying around for Harrow and her ilk to suck up with a straw."[7]

Necromancy requires the presence of a large amount of thanergy. In the Nine Houses, the thanergetic planets themselves provide ample energy for necromancers to work. Off-planet, necromancers are aided by Lyctors, who kill planets to generate thanergy, or by cavaliers, who kill smaller organisms such as animals and humans to create thanergy. Deep space is a necromantic impossibility and many necromancers will choose to travel with dirt from their home planet to limit the ill effects of the thanergetic void on their bodies.

Known Necromancers[]

Bone Adepts[]

Spirit Adepts[]

Flesh Adepts[]

Thanergetic Specialists[]

Generalists (Or Unknown)[]

References[]

  1. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 12
  2. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," A Sermon on Cavaliers and Necromancers
  3. ↑ "Harrow the Ninth," Act IV, Ch. 37
  4. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Glossary
  5. ↑ Harrow the Ninth
  6. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act IV, Ch. 30
  7. ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act I, Ch. 5
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