Author Topic: The Book of Za'am  (Read 24926 times)

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #75 on: April 13, 2018, 06:03:44 PM »
March 8, 773

Administrator Daher:

You will find the research project that was requested attached to this letter. I would also like to inform you that Instructor Za'am has authorized the assistance of two guests. They are our strongmen and laboratory assistants, with the objective to ensure the safety of our expedition. Their names are Varga and Kane. We may also bring a runt that collects our samples. It answers to the name Balzaabar.

- Tubur of House Za'am.

TITLE: Stabilization of Transient Undead State through Early Development Transformation Procedure: A Case Report.

AUTHOR: Tubur of House Za'am.

INTRODUCTION: Recent research in the area of undead creation and corpsecrafting under the supervision of Instructor Mentalos Za'am has arrived to the serendipitous finding of a Transient Undead State (TUS). However, the properties of TUS subjects have not been measured properly due to its short duration. It appears that TUS will only remain as such for a few minutes before having the subject perish and later become preserved corporeal undead. All of the test subjects so far have been human adults. We do not believe this to be a coincidence, as a transformation of this magnitude is expected to be too traumatic for the fully mature human body. However, a subject in the early stages of development may prove to be more adaptable to change, both from a physiological and a mental standpoint. In earlier studies we have come to the conclusion that stable TUS subjects cannot be made, but if this experiment is successful, we may prove they can be bred.

AIM: The aim of this study is to produce a stable TUS subject through Early Development Transformation Procedure (EDTP).

MATERIALS: The EDTP requires a pregnant human test subject of good health, a ghoul host subject, and the standard tools required for transplant surgery (amputation knife, scalpel, hacksaw, mallet and sutures).

METHODS: The EDTP consists of a fusion of two common procedures: Hysterectomy and Transplant Surgery. It's comprised of three steps: The removal of the ghoul overgrown stomach and vestigial uterus, the vivisection of the impregnated uterus from the human specimen, and the careful attachment of such organ onto the undead host.

HYPOTHESIS: The unborn test subject will enter TUS and sustain it indefinitely.

RESULTS: Pending.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #76 on: April 13, 2018, 06:04:33 PM »
Esteemed City Administrators:

The Za'am Family is interested in renting an abandoned property within your jurisdiction. We are willing to pay the adequate soulorbs required for such.

In the attached map you will find the details of its location within the city.



Sincerely,

~Mumed Za'am~

[the Za'am family seal can be seen under his signature]

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #77 on: April 13, 2018, 06:05:05 PM »
[A missive is delivered, penned in Vaasi, and in the distinct, fastidious handwriting of Administrator Daher and left at the leased property of House Za'am]

Quote
House Za'am,

Enjoy your furnishings compliments of the Zulkir, himself.

-Administrator Daher
Aide to Zulkir Vahid


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #78 on: April 13, 2018, 06:10:25 PM »
Entry 69

Good fortune? Unlikely.

I have played this game for too long for this success to be simple luck. I knew immediately what sort of man he was.... Spoiled, fat and arrogant. I have played into his weakness and now he names me Senior Instructor. Perfectly played if I do say so myself.

Amaya Mazdak is no more. A prize to fuel his ego. The reward was satisfactory. My reputation restored, now I can continue my true purpose...... to build a dynasty!

House Za'am will grow.... and in time rival even that of the Kyrillian brood.

For now... I am pleased.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #79 on: April 15, 2018, 07:36:57 PM »
Entry 70

Incompetent fools and ambitious foreigners. I understand now why the Zulkir purged his faculty. Should I follow his example?

This distracts me from my research. That aggravates me.


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #80 on: April 22, 2018, 01:52:58 AM »

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #81 on: April 22, 2018, 01:54:41 AM »
Entry 71

The chess pieces are moving. This is a game I will survive... House Za'am is all in.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #82 on: April 27, 2018, 08:42:35 PM »
Notes Copied: The Advanced Necromantic Incantations of Transference by Zulkir Ossur Gamal


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Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #83 on: April 27, 2018, 08:44:31 PM »
[Sketched diagrams]



Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #84 on: April 27, 2018, 11:33:34 PM »
Entry 72

I continue to gather evidence. Barovia is just as miserable as I remember it.

The Black Fox has delivered as my son said she would. The Knight has also contributed, his written testimony is forth coming.

Last is the lodge. No word as of yet but a mysterious letter was left.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #85 on: April 30, 2018, 12:12:34 AM »
Entry 72

Check Mate.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #86 on: May 01, 2018, 09:29:26 PM »
Entry 73

Expedition; El-Koth Shrine Part 1

Recently discovered beneath the city of Ramulai under a maze of water logged tunnels an expedition uncovered an abandoned shrine. A large chamber hollowed out from a conglomerate of limestone and volcanic igneous minerals. Flooded with black stagnant water we searched the shrine only to deduce it was not carved by human hands. The shrine itself was positioned above the cliff of an even greater subterranean sea, the depths of which can only be guessed at this time.

Central to the shrine was a large altar sculpted from a black unidentified stone. The craftsmanship, though crude and grotesque was fashioned to suggest the appearance of a monstrous insect or crustacean-cephalopod aberration.  A circular disk was discovered set within a notch of the figurine altar. I have since procured the disk for further examination.

Curious note; blood applied to the rough surface of the altar seemed to active movement of the waters below. This  suggested something massive moving beneath us.

Further research is required. It is my hypnosis that we have discovered a shrine to the semi-mythical El-Koth civilization from prehistoric Hazlan.


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #87 on: May 02, 2018, 10:08:03 PM »
Entry 74

Expedition; El-Koth Shrine Part 2

One week after the original journey to the undersea shrine I returned using the short cut located at XXX. Student K, my laboratory assistant B, and my body guard KM, positioned themselves at the new entrance with ropes just in case I failed to return.

The shrine was much as I remembered it. This time I came with a suitable sacrifice, three barrels of scrag intestines. The luxury of time allowed me to clean the shrine from centuries of algae and exam it under more favorable circumstances.

Under better scrutiny I discovered additional relief sculptures displaying insect shaped humanoids prostrating themselves at the base of the large ichthy-cephalod creature. The message was clear; the El-koth had a god!

After I completed my measurements and notes, I placed the rotting meat at the ledge of the great underground sea. Followed by liberal preparations of the abjuration spell mindblank, I used my own blood and the relic previously liberated to summon whatever beast slumbered beneath.

The thing I called forth answered. I glimpsed only a portion of the great titan. Black tentacles the size of towers emerged creating a near tsunami of brackish water to inundate the shrine and cavern walls.  Then I glimpsed the three luminescent eyes and I knew that of which I had summoned. I stood eye to eyes with the ancient god of the El-koth and I knew its name….

Aboleth!

« Last Edit: May 02, 2018, 10:18:34 PM by Alternate Account »

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #88 on: May 09, 2018, 10:23:57 PM »
Entry 75

Expedition; El-Koth Shrine Part 3

Thankfully the mindblank spell protected our psyche, though unfortunately this also blocked any attempt at telepathic communication that this “god” might have initiated.

We reconvened to safety above the ledge of XXX. As we contemplated our next course of action, my laboratory assistant, B was abducted through a means I am not entirely certain on. I felt a psychic shockwave originate from the depths and flow up to our location on the ledge. The wave of force was almost palpable. In the blink of an eye, B was gone. I later discovered that B’s spell was an inferior version and didn’t offer him adequate protection from the aboleth’s psionic influence.

Moments later B was returned. He was stunned and only confessed to a vague description of his encounter with insect humanoid beasts chattering back and forth as he lay prone and vulnerable in a dark chamber of an unknown locale. His return was quick and forceful.

The event, seemingly concluded followed by a review of the relic which has revealed that the strange ivory disk is in fact a three dimensional map. The locations presented in relief have yet to be identified.

Further analysis of the expedition is required. A more detailed interview of B’s experience is also a necessity in order to fully comprehend what he witnessed.

The map-relic will also require strict scrutiny and evaluation. The implications of a surviving ancient culture such as the El-koth invites both boon and curse, one that both fascinates and frightens at the same time.


« Last Edit: May 09, 2018, 10:32:21 PM by Alternate Account »

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #89 on: May 15, 2018, 10:48:21 PM »
Entry 76

The Queen's Gambit was set.

White Bishop to Black Rook, Black Knight to White Pawn, White Bishop to Black Knight....

Except here in Hazlan we have 18 pieces to a side, not 16.

White Magi to Black Queen, Black Inquisitor to White Rook.....

The pieces are set.... Now I wait...and wait.... and wait.....

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #90 on: May 25, 2018, 11:22:14 PM »
Expedition; El-Koth Shrine Part 4

A return, with apprentice M… and assistant B…, we returned to the abandoned laboratory and descended into the now familiar ruined temple. As we expected an assortment of deformed serpents and abhorrent water dwelling denizens assailed our presence immediately. There was never any really threat against the combined force of three Red Wizards.

The complex was explored with partial satisfaction. Numerous passageways have yet to investigate. B… fell later in our expedition, his wards expired leaving his mind open. A telepathic link was forced upon him and thus as a proxy he served as a mediator. A dialog was established between myself and the hidden master of the temple.

The unseen entity made its desire clear. It wanted the artifact-map returned. We of course declined favoring a more suitable position of negotiation at a later time and location. Frustrated the force released B…, but not before revealing to him the vision of a “House of Power” far from the subterranean water logged tunnels.

Regrouped and with our wards renewed we continue our exploration returning to the abandoned mines we originally entered from near the academy. The undead laborers have since been annihilated by the undersea predators. Although a slab of black granite was discovered half submerged in the mud. It is a large cumbersome thing covered in pictograms. With the aid of spells this new artifact was returned to the academy for further observation and research. I expect M… to have the carved images decipher within the coming week.

B… seems to not have shaken off the effects of his encounter with the unseen force. He appears dazed and at times his attention divided as if he is still communicating with something unseen.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #91 on: June 01, 2018, 10:05:32 AM »
Entry 77

It has been brought to my attention that my laboratory assistant B… has been executed by the Ramulai militia. Evidence suggests that he acted irrationally and instigated a slave revolt. How curious and out of his character.

The question comes to mind our recent experience within the ruined temple. Did his communication with the aboleth corrupt his mind? Was he still under the elder thing’s influence?

The possible influence of this beast gives me serious pause to future expeditions.

And oh yes, he will be missed. He was an effective assistant and he will be hard to replace.


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #92 on: July 02, 2018, 08:37:43 PM »
Entry 78

[A detailed drawing to include measurements and a rubbed relief can be viewed below]


I have studied the black granite slab brought fourth from the depths. It measures 1 cubit by 2 cubits by one half cubit. It has been carved from a black hard stone of particular dense nature. The slab has been cleaned by several apprentices using a diluted lime acid. A millennia of mud and algae have been removed and I have studied the antique in full and I am satisfied that all its secrets have been revealed.

To preserve the integrity of my investigation I have elected to submit and retain my original notes to properly capture the essence of this monumental discovery.



Once I fixed the water eroded artifact into the matching position this elicited a most wondrous response form the black stone.


I have chosen not to record the second location within this record as a security measure against rival academics and espionage.

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #93 on: August 06, 2018, 08:54:46 PM »
Entry 79

I have accepted a new apprentice. A foreign woman naming herself Jadis of Kendara. She is a skin grafter. The zulkir himself examined her handiwork, rudimentary but  promising. She'll do well under my son's instruction.

She is an ambitious student. Already she has submitted two thesis statements with corresponding reports.


Title: Optical Graft 1: The Bodak Eye
Case 1: Undead Remnant (Bodak)

Test Subject: Grizzle
Notes- Human, early forties, Mercenary lifestyle. Fit of physique and stature. Lost his right eye during the sixth month of 773 to a pair of vampires.

Research Stipend/Brief Note- Few types of Undead I have encountered are noted for their clarity of vision and unique associated abilities as much as the Bodak.

Hypothesis: Applying Necromancy utilizing a theory of Transmutation; By Augmenting a Bodak's Eye from a functional, unliving Bodak I will be able to bind through animation of the eye, the optical nerves of the subject to unliving matter and restore the subject's vision.

Conditions:
Recent (Within Months) Injured Subject
Freshly Harvested Bodak Eyes (Bodak still 'living')
Augment Undead applied before final Animation.

Procedure:
1. Acquired Materials including chirurgy kits and lab equipment, as well as the capture and transport of 2 Bodaks.
2. Cleanse Test Area.
3. Secured Bodaks to Operating Table. Priest Contact and assistant applied Death Wards. Bags covering the heads of the Bodak removed. Experimental Procedure refined through practice during the experiment removing eyes without harming Optical Nerves. 3/4 Eyes successfully removed, one prematurely damaged.
4. Moved Bodaks to storage, restored them with negative energy rays.
5. Cleansed Work Table.
6. Sedated Test Subject and secured with ropes and bindings.
7. Removed sutures and scar tissue. Found Optical Cavity to be suitable to bind optical nerves.
8. Carefully set Bodak eye into the optical cavity and Augmented.
9. Performed Final Animation Process

Observations/Results: The subject experienced harsh convulsions and nightmares. This nightmare was a vision of a house in Barovia. A family was there. Test Subject saw himself acting through the vision with no power to change or interact with it. These seem to be remnant's of the Bodak's memories from its life as a human. No mind-protecting or physical augmentation spells broke the stupor, but a domination spell was able to control and halt his movements to prevent risk of self-harm. Subject eventually awoke with perfect vision. The eye never blinks partly due to the subject's lacking eyelid; but is cold and moistens itself naturally without need for other body functions. Subject continues to have nightmares that interrupt his sleep. Memories of a life not his own. The Bodak Eye is sensitive to sunlight but otherwise confers perfect vision; Perhaps with a refined process, its unique ability could be conferred to a subject. While I have eyes remaining; that would require more test subjects and research.

Thesis: Bodak Eyes make for very functional Undead Grafts. The Augmentation of the Eye before the procedure seems unnecessary but seems to have affected the outcome by causing nightmares in the Test Subject; Further study required for verification.

Future Avenues of Study with Optical Grafts and hypothesis:
Augment Undead upon transferred eyes. Will this confer memories of the extracted person to a new host? Does this method of augmentation confer memories using non-optical grafts or memories from other types of undead or is this a unique property of Bodak Eyes alone?

The Rakshassa Eye. Another Side-project. Rakshassa are said to be planes-travelers. If I can animate and augment a Rakshassa Eye in the host, perhaps memories and insights into other planes or even the Mists themselves can be gleamed by recreating this experiment's effects.

Viability of transferring a Bodak's Gaze ability to a living Host.'

Signed: Jadis Kendrara
Apprentice to Senior Instructor Mentalos Za'am

Note- I am still compiling my notes on Graft 2. I will submit it with a second Thesis.


Title: Flesh Graft 1: Vampire
Case 1

Test Subject: Jadis Kendara
Notes: Subject is a Cripple. The entire right side of her body is weak and lame from surgury and various injuries. Subject was 19 years of age at the time of the operation in month 7, 773. Her Right leg was injured by an improperly treated bolt of acid melting away large portions of muscle tissue never properly healed. Simply lacks the physical muscles to function. She cannot muster a brisk jog more than briefly without sharp pains preventing her mobility. Her right arm and chest is scorched from fire. An event from the subject's past leaving the limb gnarled and broken. While healed physically, it lacks any strength beyond the opening of and closing of the hand, unable to grip objects heavier than a pound or two and incapable of articulate motion. Subject's right eye is also blind. She is small of stature and scarred by previous captivity. This Test Subject is Me. Modus Operandi required I have two hands for both of my first two grafts, and thus I enlisted the aid of trusted assistants with steady hands.

Research Notes: Vampires possess fair skin with a unique durability to harm as well as enhanced strengths due to their unique state of undeath. Expected vulnerabilities to sunlight in the grafted flesh deemed acceptable to the subject.

Hypothesis: Cutting away the flesh and scar tissue of the subject's right arm from just past the shoulder down to the fingers and replacing it with prepared and neatly flayed vampire flesh sewn into flesh and bound through animation ritual will convey some of the vampire's strengths to the subject. Expected Results: Enhanced physical durability with the potential for renewed functionality of the limb.

Conditions:
Vampire Flesh and right arm willingly given.
Flesh freshly harvested.
Subject Crippled for nearly four years.

Procedure:
1. Gather Materials. The Vampire Warrior Marcellus to be the Flesh-Donor.
2. Enhance a silvered scalpel with magic to cut the durable skin.
3. Perform incisions along the shoulder to expose bone. Blunt-Force utilized to break the bone from the donor and remove the entirety of the right arm.
4. Remove the bone from the arm and flay the flesh, removing unnecessary musculature.
5. The flesh is far in excess of the test subject, her arm doesn't have a 34 inch diameter. Much work was performed, diagrams included with this submission, to thin the flesh and cut it down to proper size and shape.
6. I reviewed the entirety of the next procedure with my assistants.
7. Test Subject Sedated, assistants took over.
8. Test subject's scarred flesh flayed and cut away.
9 Vampire flesh, with some excess prepared, set over exposed musculature. Final cuts to precise size. Sewn neatly into place.
10. Final Animation Ritual Performed by assistant.

Results/Conclusions: I awoke from the procedure cold and required time to recover; however, the results far surpassed my expectations. I have regained fully the use of my right arm and by some means I don't yet understand, the ritual strengthened the entirety of my body. Despite my right leg still being physically injured, the remaining musculature has been strengthened to compensate and I can move my limbs as though I was never crippled at all. The right arm is stitched along a seam on the inner arm. It is near translucent in its silvery grey color. No negative side-effects have been observed of any kind without any augmentations performed. The limb is not vulnerable or susceptible to sunlight.

Thesis: The Vampire Skin Graft was a success. Further study will have to be conducted to see if its effects can be replicated, but the subject is no longer a cripple in body having been entirely cured.

Additional Note: I've noticed that since this procedure I have not gotten sick. Being from another world, I suffered from varying degrees of allergies and sicknesses being exposed to this land's foods and diseases. Multiple encounters with mummies and lycanthropes, both capable of afflicting disease have also not afflicted me at all. I believe that this graft may have bolstered my natural immune system against disease

Signed: Jadis Kendara


//OOC Note//
Slight edit to her first Thesis- It was Grizzle's left eye, not his right.


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #94 on: August 16, 2018, 09:53:29 PM »
Entry 80

Stasis Clone. The clone is copied from the original with one exception. The cloned body or "Copy" falls immediately into stasis and does not rot.

If the original is damaged or expires the consciousness of the original occupant will transfers to the stasis clone, which leaves stasis and immediately begins to function as per the normal clone spell. If multiple stasis clones exist for the same original creature when it is slain, the soul goes into the most recently created stasis clone.

Brilliant, I must have one of my own!

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #95 on: August 18, 2018, 11:07:35 PM »
[Draft]

Quote

A Treaty on the Discipline of Conjuration, Instruction and Theory thereof.
by Mentalos Za’am

The Forward.

Allow this brief introduction to state the intention of this literary project. I am Mentalos Za’am, instructor and alumni of the prestigious Red Academy of Hazlan.

The purpose of this endeavor is to supply the students of the academy an additional resource while exploring the tradition Conjuration Arcanum. The objective is to provide the practitioner with a working manual to experiment and annotate the sublime mysteries of magic.

I am compelled to give credit and praise to our benefactor and rightful sovereign, The Red Wizard of Hazlan, King Hazlik. None of this would be possible without his benevolent counsel and generous patronage.

Chapter i. Introduction.

Conjuration is defined as a tradition of magic resulting in the movement of a material object, entity or form of energy from one location to another. Some spells of this school allow items or creatures to manifest at the practitioners command. Spells of this school may also move or teleport the practitioner to a desired location. Spells may even materialize objects and entities out of thin air!

The five disciplines or sub-schools of Conjuration are as follows, Summoning, Calling, Creation, Healing and Transposition.


Chapter ii. Summoning:

Through the sheer force of will spells of this variety shall allow the practitioner to conjure manifestations of objects, creatures, or some form of energy to a location, of which when bound within a foci or ritual circle can result in the manipulation of the said subject. Summoning occurs within the practitioner’s current plane and will not draw fourth subjects from an outside realm, dimension or plane.

A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is cancelled the summoned subject is instantly sent back to whence it came.

The summoned subject will dissipate if it is killed or destroyed, although it is not really dead. Depending upon the situation it can take as little as a day or even as long as a century for the creature to reform on its natural realm of origin. During which time it can’t be summoned until the physical form is restored.



Chapter iii. Calling:
Calling is the movement and transportation of a subject from an outside plane of existence. In essence the practitioner can “Call” or command an outsider entity through a portal to travel, arrive and serve. The inherit danger of this variety of spell should be obvious so extreme caution and preparation is urged within the practitioners ritual work.
According to various arcane sources, the “Called” is granted a one-time ability to return to its plane of origin at the conclusion of the ritual. Curiously I have found this to not be the case. From my own communication with extra planar entitles there has been made a claim that a barrier, something unique to our dimension prevents the returned of called subjects. Be cautious of hostile actions from the released subjects. Further research is required on this phenomenon.

Creatures that have been called actually expire when they are killed. They do not disappear and reform, as do those brought by a summoning spell. The duration of a calling spell is instantaneous, which means that the called creature can’t be dispelled, dismissed or banished.

Special note, again I stress to take great care in the preparation of such rituals. Wards and ritual work should be thoroughly checked and double checked. As a general rule, an ounce of caution and double checking ones formula can save a gallon of one’s own blood being spilled.

Chapter iv. Creation:

A creation spell manipulates matter to form an object or creature in the place the spell caster has so designated. If the spell has a fixed duration the practitioner’s force of will holds the creation together. When the spell concludes, the conjured creature or object vanishes without a trace. If the spell has an instantaneous duration, the created object or creature is merely assembled through magic. It lasts indefinitely and does not depend on magic for its existence.

The created is in theory not real… but a mental simulation of the practitioner imagination which has manifested for a specific purpose and task. At completion of the spell the created form may also dissolve into the nothingness of space from which it came.

Chapter v. Healing or Channeling.
Healing is the channeling of forces; usually divine, for the expressed purpose of mending flesh, setting bone, cure wounds, diseases and other such mortal aliments. Certain divine conjurations also have the ability to bring a once deceased subject back to life.

This is different than necromancy and has been incorrectly referred to as  “White Necromancy”, although some similarities can be drawn between them. 

Chapter vi. Transposition.
Teleportation is the physical movement of one or more creatures or objects a great distance.

Although similar to Calling it is not the same. The major difference being that the practitioner will voluntarily move themselves.

The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unlike summoning spells, transportation is, unless otherwise noted, one-way and not often subject to cancelation.

Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane which allows the practitioner access to a multitude of realms, dimensions and alternate realities. Anything that blocks astral travel can also blocks teleportation.

Again I shall make only a precursory note alluding to the phenomena I have labeled, “The Barrier”. Further study will be required to understand this force.

Chapter viii. The Laws of Conjuration.
A creature or object brought into being or transported to the practitioners location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in an empty space. It must arrive in an open location on a surface capable of supporting material mass.

A creature or object must appear within the rituals range, but it does not have to remain within the designated area.

Conjuration is an opposition school to Transmutation. As with many forces in nature, magic also seeks a natural balance or equilibrium. The practitioner would do well to remember such laws during ritual work.

Chapter vii. Conclusion.
The art of conjuration is a complex discipline. Mastery of this school may take life time of practice, experimentation and devotion. I encourage the student to exercise caution and take all measures of protection prior to experimentation.

Good luck
Mentalos Za’am


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #96 on: August 20, 2018, 08:23:29 PM »
She's back.

She sealed the gates and locked us all in like the rats we are.

I fear her..... I hate her!

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #97 on: August 31, 2018, 10:54:15 PM »
Entry 83

Evidence surrendered to Lord Kyrillian.







The written, sworn testimony of Zachary Dalensbane, Knight of Ilmater, upon the character, faith and allegiance of Sirus Willensbane.

I hereby decree all that is written thus is the truth as it has been found and uncovered and from the very mouth of the one accused.

In regards to the matter of faith;  On numerous attestations, has Sirus Willensbane declared his allegiance to Bane.  His allies also, on his behalf and in his name.  His associated followers of the faith, his garb and his actions, all attest to him being of the faith of Bane.  When he struck down the knight Delarion, it was the symbol of Bane he desecrated his flesh with.  He has and always will be of that faith, the native faith of his homeworld, and from that faith do all his actions spring, not least of which is to use the systems already in place for his own means to secure power.  The faith of the Lawgiver is one that he would and has used to achieve such.

In regards to the matter of allegiance;  Upon the left hand of Sirus Willensbane he wears a signet ring that has a purpose unknown to most.  That ring bears the signet of a house known in Barovia as the Von Khorvich family, to whom Sirus Willensbane has been a servant of for many years.  Not simply a servant, but a member of the family itself, an agent of their will.  On their behalf he recently conducted a raid upon a noble house in Barovia, the Wachter family, which was blamed upon Gundar rebels.  This was spoken from his own mouth.

The reason that this is a matter of contention goes to the nature of this Von Khorvich family.  Each and every one of them is in fact an undead vampire.  It is to them, not the Lawgiver, not Hazlan, and perhaps not even truly Bane that Sirus's allegiance truly lies.  On their behalf, he will lie.  On their behalf, he will betray.  On their behalf, he will use whatever means he can to secure power from anyone whom he can seize it from, for his own ends.

I make no secret of the fact that this man is my enemy, and that our faiths are so deeply opposed that they will never be reconciled.  However I am no liar, and I gain - nor wish for - nothing from this.  I am however sworn to tell the truth.  So the truth will be said, and spoken, and offered unto you.  So I swear it, by my life and my faith, in the name of Ilmater the Enduring.

Signed and sealed,

Zachary Dalensbane.



Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #98 on: September 07, 2018, 11:21:30 PM »
I do believe I have located a nest of serpents..... Thirteen perhaps?

Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."

Mentalos Za'am

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Re: The Book of Za'am
« Reply #99 on: November 10, 2018, 10:57:16 AM »


To Master Za'am:

As you had assigned me the task of conducting an experiment and producing a thesis for submission, please accept this as the completion of this task. My desire to be accepted into the most prestigious arcane school, The Red Academy, endures. My studies and travels continue, but doing so without a true master’s guidance is reckless. I humbly request to be placed under your mentorship.

Sincerely,
Zolas Sespet


To Turn Back Time
By
Zolas Sespet


Rationale:

This experiment, and those to follow, is rooted in a desire to live longer; and if not to live longer, or indefinitely, then to be able to get more out of our limited time. The experiment that is outlined in this paper is the first of my efforts to discover or create magic that can contribute to any of the following: to stop time, to reverse time, to slow or retard the body’s aging, to increase the rate of speed of our mental processing.

Being a woman approaching the winter of her years, my sense of urgency is quite different than what I had experienced as a much younger woman. For the young, perhaps they somehow believe they will be the exception to the rule, that they are special and will escape the fate of death or old age. For those who survive long enough in this world to experience life fully, they discover otherwise.

The school of transmutation offers some know spells within the 3rd Circle that lend themselves for further study and inquiry: slow & hastening magic. While the benefits of each of these spells is well documented, most of the documentation relates solely to their benefits when in a combat situation. My experiment, and those that may follow, explores other effects or possibilities with regards to these two transmutation spells.

Here are our essential questions:

  • While it is well-known that the spell commonly referred to as ‘haste’ affects a target’s physical movements, does it also accelerate the rate of mental processing?  For example, could the spell haste be used to read a book or write a thesis at an increased rate?  The practical applications of such, should it be possible, should be apparent, especially to those who study the arcane, where time is required to both study and master new knowledge and spells. To be able to accelerate how much we can read in a given amount of time can bring us towards mastery that much sooner.

    Does the spell haste, when increasing one’s movement speed, also age the body? If so, does the body age at a rate that is comparable to the rate of increase for movement?  If one were to use the spell excessively to a point of nearly or always being hasted, would they dramatically shorten their lifespan? Could we be unknowingly aging ourselves? Could hastening magic be used against an adversary to accelerate their aging? Could a mother or father, who would rather see their young children develop at an accelerated rate, use hasting magic to their children’s benefit? Could a pregnant mother use hasting magic to safely shorten the time needed to carry the baby to term?

    As with the haste spell, the spell commonly known as ‘slow’ is well-known to have the effect of slowing the body down.  However, is the mind also slowed down? Is our mental processing speed slowed or is it only the limbs of our body?

    Does the spell ‘slow’ also slow down the rate of aging within the body? If one were in a dire situation in which food and water were running out, would the slow spell result in their body’s functions requiring less food and water, thus extending how long they can survive on limited supplies?

    Can we use a combination of these two spells, haste and slow, to slow down the body’s aging, while increasing the speed of our mental processing?  They’re known to be able to cancel each other out, but can a combination of the spells potentially lead to a new spell?

No single experiment will be able to completely answer all of the above questions. But with the following experiment, it is, at least, a beginning.

Transmutation Experiment 1: Haste

As a rat’s lifespan tends to end after only two or three years, they make ideals subjects for the study of aging and how the spell haste affects the body.

I used rats that were born from the same parents and who were the same age. I separated them into two groups: a control group and an experimental group.  I provided each group the same amount of water and food. Each group was placed within an identical cage.

The control group had no magic cast upon them, while the experimental group had haste cast upon them once per hour for eight hours per day, for the duration of one month.

Findings: The experimental group required more food and water in order to sustain their bodies due to the acceleration of bodily processing. With using a magnifying lense so that I may more closely examine signs of accelerated aging, I did find earlier signs of aging within the rats, as was evidence in the accelerated hair growth and eventual graying.

Implications: This experiment does suggests that the haastening magic accelerates aging and the body’s demands for energy for functioning. Whether the spell haste also accelerates aging in humans remains uncertain, and it may be an effect that not many would notice, unless if they were using hasting magic upon themselves with great frequency. As I wish to slow down the aging process, I will not subject myself to such tests, as the results may be irreversible. However, it would be in the greater interests of the arcane, that such a study is conducted with human subjects. 


Nazara Xethos - "House Za'am is as contagious as Lycanthropy. Get afflicted."