Necromantics

Developer’s Note:
Tarentum's powers have been developed into two paths, representing the fictional beliefs that have been fleshed out within the Keepers, a project developed by Sith Bloodfyre and Maxamillian von Oberst, of the Tarentae, with the assistance of the Clan Tarentum, in general, through various competitions and run-ons. The path of the Death Dealers focuses on the conditions of life, and the ability to affect corpses; the path of the Watchers includes some of these, but delves deeper into affecting the spirit/soul after it has passed beyond physical realms.

Path of the Death Dealers:

(1) Eyes of the Keeper--  The Eyes of the Keeper sees all that mortal men might see, and so much more. One of the fundamental powers of both paths, the Eyes of the Keeper allow one to gain insight into the conditions of life, death, beyond death, and everything in-between. Keepers use this power to see how healthy or sick a person is, how close they may be to death, Force-sensitivity in beings, and other such things. Even "minor" occurrences can be gleaned, such as heart rate, quickness of breath, pulse rate, anxiety, etc. Keepers may also use this on corpses, to see how long they have been dead, and whether it was a Force-sensitive person in life. Though the name implies that this merely affects the eyesight, it actually affects all the senses, and could more appropriately be referred to as "The Keeper's Sense."

(2) Buffer of Life--  As a Keeper taps into greater powers, so do does the cost of such manipulation increase. The life-stuff does not like to be tampered with, and can cause disease and death to "backlash" upon the Keeper. In an effort to prevent such occurrences, the Buffer of Life is used, to protect one's self from the possible remunerations that may come. This power also protects a Keeper from the powers of another of their own kind; in basic, no Keeper can truly harm another, as long as they possess this power.

(3) Awaken the Fallen: Mold the Laborer**

(4) Shelter of Passing--  Though the living can feel pain, emotional and so much more, the dead can feel nothing. The dead are beyond the realm of life, and where they tread, the curtain of feeling is left far behind. This power allows a Keeper to be incapable of feeling anything, just as if he were dead, without the necessary step of actually dying. Wounds do not stop a "sheltered" Keeper, unless they physically remove the ability to move (hacking off limbs, etc.). However, as the dead feel nothing, they also have little motivation to do anything, as well. A "sheltered" Keeper is overcome with extreme lethargy, and antipathy; only by great willpower can one so "sheltered" force themselves to do anything.

(5) Awaken the Fallen: Summon the Overseer**

(6) Cannibalism--   Though the Keepers have a respect for life and death not often found in others, they realize that even the dead must sometimes be sacrificed in the quest for greater power. Through this power, the Keeper is able to take upon him/herself some of the inherent attributes a body would've had while living. By consuming portions of a Wookiee, a Keeper could take upon themselves the strength of the creature, or the eyesight of a hawk, etc. Through this power, the life-stuff of the universe is channeled back into the body, to provide the Keeper the link he/she needs to gain the enhanced attributes. While it is possible to consume animals to gain their noted abilities, this power is mostly used to consume human body parts--arms for strength, legs for speed, brain for intelligence, etc.; the reason is, there are less "side affects" from consuming human remains. The drawback to this power is, after consuming corpse parts, the Keeper tends to take on a pale, corpse-like complexion, and begins to resemble the consumed species in minor, but noticeable ways (growing slightly fuzzy from a Wookiee corpse, facial features becoming "angular," and acting predatory from hawks, etc.); consuming a member of one's own species merely limits the physical affects to taking on a corpse-like demeanor.

(7) The Doom Within--  Many of those who practice the arts of Necromantics have found that nothing can be quite so insidious a weapon as a person's own body. As beings, we come to trust our own bodies, and rely that they will sustain us, and as long as we care for ourselves, it will not fail; not so. Those gifted with this level of control can turn a person's own body against them, causing the life-stuff to expel violently, forcing blood to discharge from every orifice of the body, and even burst through the pores of the skin. As more of the body's life is expelled, whole sections of the physical form can be ripped away, as organs, and entire areas of the body are expelled; in simple terms, the body implodes. Though some may live through the expulsion of blood, the major trauma caused by organs and more bursting from the body kills the person instantaneously. Truly, it can be a gruesome, painful death.

(8) Awaken the Fallen: Rise of the Favored**

(9) The Tide of Life--   Though the patterns of life and the universe are often unpredictable, it is possible to become so attuned to existence, that a Keeper can begin to affect the ebb and flow of existence with great precision. With this power, the Keeper can affect the mortal shell in a variety of ways, some healing, others damning. Long life, health, a quick demise, plant growth, these things and more can be manipulated. A planet can be turned into a lush, populated Eden in short years, or can even be reduced to a barren wasteland in short time. It is much easier to remove the force of existence than it is to cultivate it, which is why this power has been taught to so few. Though the Keepers could be considered "of the Dark Side," their powers affect life as a whole. The Dark Side cannot exist without a counterpart, which is light, and life. This power is able to affect all organic life, from plants and grasses, to humans, and other large, living creatures. It has a wide range of effects, of which the following are just a few examples: (truly creative Keepers can do so much more, by utilizing the wide berth allowed within the tide of existence)

   Winter: The plant life touched by the Keeper begins to wilt, and wither away, as its entire form begins to react as if it were in the dead of winter. Due to the rapid pace at which the plant is forced into hibernation, some plant life is often killed, and eventually crumbles into dust. This type of use only affects plant life.
   Blight: Much like the touch of Winter, a Blight causes a person's skin to begin to blacken, and rot away, eventually falling off completely. The skin begins to look pale, and sickly, once a Keeper enacts this power upon flesh; within days, the limb, or portion of the body begins to grow dark, and takes on the appearance of impending death. Most victims often experience pain, and possibly external bleeding, or fluid seepage associated with the Blight. There are very few cures for this, save the healing powers of the Force; anyone affected so would either need to seek out a Jedi Healer, or attempt to call upon the capricious graces of the Dark Side. Limbs that fall off from this will cause great pain throughout the process, but will usually cause more emotional despair, than anything; if used upon a person's head, they obviously die as it nears falling off.
   Plague: This would cause dreadful illness to occur within a victim, generally causing intense suffering, or death between 24- 48 hours (if the victim is lucky). Sunken eyes, swollen limbs, bloody sweat and excretions, swollen nodes and weeping lesions are common from this power. The exact "affliction" or disease infected upon the victim can be manipulated with concentration, to speed it up, slow it down, or even remove it, as well. The Keeper can even choose what disease or affliction he/she wishes upon the intended victim, but it must be one the Keeper knows specific details of (i.e. the Keeper must've studied it, or witnessed it, or even gone through it, which is better, since it's easier to recreate from vivid memory); in other words, the Keeper cannot just "create diseases" from a conglomerate of various symptoms, and such. One of the more common uses, lately, is cystic fibrosis; the fluid buildup in the lungs is more rapid than normal, but the Keepers find it oddly appropriate, considering the watery homeworld they now inhabit with Tarentum.

(10) Awaken the Fallen: Call of Euthanatos**

(11) The Immortal Curse--  Some rumors exist among those who know anything of the Keepers that, such beings are impossible to kill. To a certain extent, this rumor is correct. Certain powerful Keepers have the ability to manipulate the life-stuff within them, causing them to be immune to decapitation or amputation. By whatever arts of the Dark Side allow this power to exist, the Keeper causes the life-stuff within themselves to almost instantaneously "reattach" if a weapon ever severs a portion of their body. As weapons pass through the Keeper's flesh, blood, organs, and other parts of the body "grasp at each other," re-growing the bonds between them. In cases where limbs actually are somehow removed, they will move of their own accord (whether crawling, hopping, or flopping about), and return to their body, or the Keeper will move to acquire the appendage. However, if this power is used too often, the Dark Side becomes less willing to heal its servant. Limbs will reattach slightly out of alignment, the affected part may not move as quickly, or be as strong, but in some manner, the Keeper will never be one hundred percent ever again. In time, this may cause gross deformities and limitations to a Keeper. It is said that some Keepers have ended up having limbs attached backwards, or eyes that were gouged out never sit properly in eye sockets, and other such limitations and deformities.

(12) Kingdom of the Dead--  As the Keeper's knowledge of death, and the dead progresses, they are able to affect a specific area, which becomes an area of "movement" for the dead, so to speak. Corpses brought into the affected area will be animated, and subject to the will of the Keeper who enacted this power. The affect is semi-permanent; only "cleansing" through the Light Side will remove this power over an area. Corpses must remain within the area to be animated; if they ever move outside the area-of-effect, for any reason, they will immediately fall to the ground, and become lifeless once more. The area-of-effect is a circle from where the Keeper stood upon enacting this power, with a radius of 75 meters.

Path of the Watchers:

(1) Eyes of the Keeper--  The Eyes of the Keeper sees all that mortal men might see, and so much more. One of the fundamental powers of both paths, the Eyes of the Keeper allow one to gain insight into the conditions of life, death, beyond death, and everything in-between. Keepers use this power to see how healthy or sick a person is, how close they may be to death, Force-sensitivity in beings, and other such things. Even "minor" occurrences can be gleaned, such as heart rate, quickness of breath, pulse rate, anxiety, etc. Keepers may also use this on corpses, to see how long they have been dead, and whether it was a Force-sensitive person in life. Though the name implies that this merely affects the eyesight, it actually affects all the senses, and could more appropriately be referred to as "The Keeper's Sense."

(2) Buffer of Life--  As a Keeper taps into greater powers, so do does the cost of such manipulation increase. The life-stuff does not like to be tampered with, and can cause disease and death to "backlash" upon the Keeper. In an effort to prevent such occurrences, the Buffer of Life is used, to protect one's self from the possible remunerations that may come. This power also protects a Keeper from the powers of another of their own kind; in basic, no Keeper can truly harm another, as long as they possess this power.

(3) Summon the Soul--  Keepers possessing this knowledge are able to summon a Force-spirit to them. By using a physical fetter (an object to which a spirit is attached), a Keeper may draw upon the powers of the Force, which call out to the spirit, and cause the spirit to be overcome with a need to bring itself to the location of its fetter, no matter what the cost. In using this power, the speak must speak the true name of the spirit to be summoned, and though it is not necessary to have a fetter, the chances of failure are almost complete without such an object. When the spirit is summoned, though, the power is at an end; this ability can only summon a spirit, and offers no possibility of dominating the spirit, or defending against it without the use of other abilities. And, as a small note, spirits rarely react "happily" when they are so summoned.

(4) Grail of Life--  While some powers of the Keeper have the ability to raise the dead, or bring beings to unfathomable states, this power is one that is often used for its healing purposes. The Keeper enacts this power, using a specially prepared item to receive the life forces. If this is used upon a willing subject, part (or all) of their life energies flow into the receptacle. Anyone "siphoned" in such a manner is typically infirmed for a month, until their life energies heal naturally (or more quickly if healed through other means); those drained completely by this power are instantly killed, and the body begins to wither into dust within an hour. The life energy inside the receptacle is much like a gaseous vapor, but can be consumed by anyone, and will heal the person as much as the stored energy can ("full" bottles will bring back "near dead," etc.). Keepers can use this power upon themselves, to siphon off as much of their own life as they desire, though most choose to use other participants to fill their reserves. In ancient times, flasks or chalices were used as the receptacle, but these days, bottles able to be sealed are preferred. The item itself must be crafted of metal that was forged by a master craftsman, and cooled in a solution containing at least a pint of blood from a Force-sensitive individual (the donor need not be willing).

(5) Compel the Shade--  This power allows a Keeper to subjugate a Force-spirit, and force it into servitude. To do this, a Keeper must be of strong will, extremely powerful, and usually must possess a fetter of the spirit; extremely old and powerful Keepers of great willpower may attempt this without a fetter, but the power is much easier by possessing a fetter (chances of failure are doubled without having a fetter present). If a Keeper attempts this through will alone, it is typically accomplished through threats, and using the Force to harm the spirit, dominating it into submission. With a fetter, this power empowers the fetter with the ability to "harm" the spirit; by causing the Force-spirit pain that it actually can feel in its lifeless state, the spirit will almost immediately submit. Sadistic Keepers prefer this method, even if they possess the strength of will to subjugate a spirit without a fetter.

(6) Kingdom of the Dead--  As the Keeper's knowledge of death, and the dead progresses, they are able to affect a specific area, which becomes an area of "movement" for the dead, so to speak. Corpses brought into the affected area will be animated, and subject to the will of the Keeper who enacted this power. The affect is semi-permanent; only "cleansing" through the Light Side will remove this power over an area. Corpses must remain within the area to be animated; if they ever move outside the area-of-effect, for any reason, they will immediately fall to the ground, and become lifeless once more. The area-of-effect is a circle from where the Keeper stood upon enacting this power, with a radius of 75 meters.

(7) The Tide of Life--   Though the patterns of life and the universe are often unpredictable, it is possible to become so attuned to existence, that a Keeper can begin to affect the ebb and flow of existence with great precision. With this power, the Keeper can affect the mortal shell in a variety of ways, some healing, others damning. Long life, health, a quick demise, plant growth, these things and more can be manipulated. A planet can be turned into a lush, populated Eden in short years, or can even be reduced to a barren wasteland in short time. It is much easier to remove the force of existence than it is to cultivate it, which is why this power has been taught to so few. Though the Keepers could be considered "of the Dark Side," their powers affect life as a whole. The Dark Side cannot exist without a counterpart, which is light, and life. This power is able to affect all organic life, from plants and grasses, to humans, and other large, living creatures. It has a wide range of effects, of which the following are just a few examples: (truly creative Keepers can do so much more, by utilizing the wide berth allowed within the tide of existence)

   Winter: The plant life touched by the Keeper begins to wilt, and wither away, as its entire form begins to react as if it were in the dead of winter. Due to the rapid pace at which the plant is forced into hibernation, some plant life is often killed, and eventually crumbles into dust. This type of use only affects plant life.
   Blight: Much like the touch of Winter, a Blight causes a person's skin to begin to blacken, and rot away, eventually falling off completely. The skin begins to look pale, and sickly, once a Keeper enacts this power upon flesh; within days, the limb, or portion of the body begins to grow dark, and takes on the appearance of impending death. Most victims often experience pain, and possibly external bleeding, or fluid seepage associated with the Blight. There are very few cures for this, save the healing powers of the Force; anyone affected so would either need to seek out a Jedi Healer, or attempt to call upon the capricious graces of the Dark Side. Limbs that fall off from this will cause great pain throughout the process, but will usually cause more emotional despair, than anything; if used upon a person's head, they obviously die as it nears falling off.
   Plague: This would cause dreadful illness to occur within a victim, generally causing intense suffering, or death between 24- 48 hours (if the victim is lucky). Sunken eyes, swollen limbs, bloody sweat and excretions, swollen nodes and weeping lesions are common from this power. The exact "affliction" or disease infected upon the victim can be manipulated with concentration, to speed it up, slow it down, or even remove it, as well. The Keeper can even choose what disease or affliction he/she wishes upon the intended victim, but it must be one the Keeper knows specific details of (i.e. the Keeper must've studied it, or witnessed it, or even gone through it, which is better, since it's easier to recreate from vivid memory); in other words, the Keeper cannot just "create diseases" from a conglomerate of various symptoms, and such. One of the more common uses, lately, is cystic fibrosis; the fluid buildup in the lungs is more rapid than normal, but the Keepers find it oddly appropriate, considering the watery homeworld they now inhabit with Tarentum.

(8) Receptacle of the Soul--  This power anchors a Force-spirit to a certain physical object, which must be present to be affected by this power. The Keeper must have called the spirit, and subjugated it to his will before this can be performed. The object to which the spirit will be anchored must be of perfect creation, and must be inscribed with the true name of the Force-spirit. One this rite is completed successfully, the spirit must forever be within 100 meters of the object; it will always feel "compelled" to remain within this distance, even if the object is transported. Force-spirits do not usually like being so anchored, and if the item is ever destroyed, the spirit is free from the effects once more.

(9) The Harrowing--  With this power, Keepers call down a host of ghostly beings to torment, and harrow specific individuals or places. The ghostly beings depend on the age, power, and will of the Keeper, but truly demonic Force spirits may be called by the eldest, and most powerful. These spirits and ghastly beings are not able to cause any actual "physical harm," but can whisper of their torment, and dooms only they can imagine, and cause great emotional stress, even insanity; some have been found to have committed suicide to release themselves from this form of torture. The Harrowing will last for a week, unless banished by a Keeper, or if the victim forces themself to "disbelieve," through strength of willpower.

(10) The Immortal Curse- - Some rumors exist among those who know anything of the Keepers that, such beings are impossible to kill. To a certain extent, this rumor is correct. Certain powerful Keepers have the ability to manipulate the life-stuff within them, causing them to be immune to decapitation or amputation. By whatever arts of the Dark Side allow this power to exist, the Keeper causes the life-stuff within themselves to almost instantaneously "reattach" if a weapon ever severs a portion of their body. As weapons pass through the Keeper's flesh, blood, organs, and other parts of the body "grasp at each other," re-growing the bonds between them. In cases where limbs actually are somehow removed, they will move of their own accord (whether crawling, hopping, or flopping about), and return to their body, or the Keeper will move to acquire the appendage. However, if this power is used too often, the Dark Side becomes less willing to heal its servant. Limbs will reattach slightly out of alignment, the affected part may not move as quickly, or be as strong, but in some manner, the Keeper will never be one hundred percent ever again. In time, this may cause gross deformities and limitations to a Keeper. It is said that some Keepers have ended up having limbs attached backwards, or eyes that were gouged out never sit properly in eye sockets, and other such limitations and deformities.

(11) Wail of the Banshee--  One of the most powerful abilities known to a Keeper, the Wail of the Banshee is both frightening and awesome to consider. By using this power and keening his/her voice in an ungodly melody, the Keeper forces the life-stuff to violently reject physical existence, creating a very vulgar zone of unlife. Anyone without the ability to protect themselves from such energies (i.e. not Force-sensitive) is immediately destroyed, creating a powerful Force-spirit at the behest of the Keeper. Those with the ability to defend against the energies (i.e. Force-sensitive) still have a great chance of being destroyed by the vulgar effects of this ability. Only those Keepers able to buffer the life-stuff around themselves have the best chance of surviving this; even the Keeper enacting this power may be caught up, and destroyed in the effect. However, once the effect is accomplished, anyone within the area-of-effect is immediately destroyed, and empowered with a great surge of the life-stuff of the universe. For the duration of 30 minutes, these Force-spirits are nigh-indestructible, and spread outwards in a wave of death. Anyone caught in the path of these spirits are immediately attacked, and have a 90% chance of being killed by the awesome energies comprising these unliving souls. Unless directed by the Keeper who enacted this (i.e. if he/she were killed), the spirits will spread out in a circular pattern, attacking anything, and everything in their path. If the Keeper survives, he may direct all the spirits on a path dictated by his will, channeling their destructive powers towards a singular goal. Though the people destroyed will forever after remain Force-spirits, during the duration of the Banshee's Wail, their abilities are heightened, and could be considered a literal "wave of death." The drawbacks to this power are the inherent danger, but also, the limited "range" of the spirits themselves. Commanding the army to "destroy the Hoth system" would be impossible, as would be "destroy the fifth planet of the Carrida system." They are limited to attacking singular structures within the range of 1,000 meters. This power is typically used in front of fortifications, with armies on both sides battling, to be destroyed for the sole purpose of decimating the structure. Once the spirits have been turned upon the structure, and all defenders are dead, the spirits immediately cease hostilities, and dissipate into the wind, towards whatever fate awaits them. If the structure is not taken by the end of 30 minutes, the spirits will cease fighting, and dissipate to the wind, as well, leaving whoever is left to finish the battle.

(12) The Quickening--  With this power, Elder Keepers are allowed to shrug off the mortal form, quickening their destruction, so to speak, to become Force-spirits. This effect is temporary, as the body is not actually destroyed so much as it is left behind, for a time; however, it is not unthinkable that a quickened Keeper would be forever trapped as a Force-spirit were their body destroyed. When Keepers quicken themselves, they retain all of their Force abilities, and gain the added benefit of being immune to harm by physical means; attacks through the Force, however, may harm a Quickened Keeper. Also, powerful effects of the Force (indirect attacks), and weapons of Light Side creation ( lightsaber created as a Jedi, a staff empowered by the Light Side, etc.), or "artifacts of the Dark Side" (i.e. Sith Swords, Sith talismans, etc.) may cause a Quickened Keeper damage. This power may hold a Keeper in a quickened state for two hours for ever decade of life lived 50 years and above (two hours at 50, 4 hours at 60, etc.).