Treatise on Necromancy

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Treatise on Necromancy

by

King Talon Skyfire

June, 2006 Necromancy is one of the most hotly debated topics of our world. Necromancy is the forbidden art of manipulating the fabric of life and death. The most known necromantic practice is that of raising the dead and binding them to the will of the summoner. This is but one facet of the dark art. Necromancers use their power to corrupt, taint, coerce, manipulate, and terrorize.

The sources of necromantic power are those of Entropy, Oblivion, and Shadow. Entropy can be defined as chaos; Blackthorn’s supposed 9th Virtue and the natural state of mankind. Oblivion is the unavoidable natural end of all things: death and nothingness, the void, if you will.

Shadow or Darkness is a more easily defined term. Many followers of Virtue also believe in “The Light.” The Light is the force of positive energy that exists in all beings; the force that makes Order possible. Order is the foundation of a lawful, good society. It is the cause that Lord British believed in when he shaped our society. Shadow, as it will be referred to from this point on, is the force of evil which seeks to return mankind to its natural state of disorder: Chaos. The Light and The Shadow are two halves of the whole of reality. Without one, the other loses its meaning and clarity. Reality as we know it would not exist. Shadow is the force that fuels the power of the necromancers, who are the tools of chaos and disorder. Only through discipline and dedication to the Virtues can our society hope to endure under the ageless pressure and temptation of the Shadow. Why is necromancy evil? Most necromancers try to legitimize their art through clever wordplay. Necromancy has no place alongside the noble practices of chivalry, magery, and the druidic magics; which have proved beneficial to our world. Necromancers disturb the remains and spirits of the dead, often bringing them back from the afterlife to involuntarily serve them. The practice of Necromancy on a large scale corrupts the physical world around it. Compare the vibrant, lush city of Luna with the hellscape of Umbra, and this fact is evident. The barren tundra of the ruins of Caina are another example of how necromantic arts disturb the natural world.

There are many examples which illustrate the catastrophic results of necromancers gaining power. Minax used the undead Lord Jou’Nar to sack the city of Trinsic, where many innocent people died and irreparable damage was caused. The Ebon Skull, perhaps the most famous of necromantic orders, terrorized followers of Virtue for decades and even went so far as to seize the capital city of Britannia. Only through the united efforts of all lightbringer nations was the world saved from complete destruction and the Ebon Skull crushed.

The answer to the necromantic question is cleansing. Only by removing the necromantic threat completely can true Order and harmony exist. It is the duty of believers of Virtue and Order to take up the crusade against necromaners. Governments that have been infiltrated by necromancers must cleanse them, or be entirely corrupted themselves. People ruled by those who tolerate or keep council with necromancers should overthrow their governments in order to re-establish a government of Order and Virtue. To destroy a necromancer is not murder, but the path to Order and Virtue.

In conclusion, there is no place for necromancers in a society of Order and Virtue. Only by piety, discipline, martial strength, and devotion to the Virtues can our society be preserved.

Talon Skyfire

King of Sanctus