Severance of Vim

The Severance of Vim is a secret and dangerous magical ritual, discovered by the early priests of Nuwa in the decades after Martyr's Day. Though its existence is rumored in learned circles, there are few reliable accounts of those who have undergone it. It is difficult to come by instructions on how to perform it, and attempting the ritual is hazardous in the extreme. Fit only for the mad and dangerously ambitious, the ritual is said to kill almost all who attempt it. The few who succeed, are blessed with eternal life.

Discovery

Those granted their powers by the goddess Nuwa find within themselves mastery over life and death, the ability to manipulate the life force of themselves and others, for good and ill. It is these priests of Nuwa and their predecessors who first discovered the mechanisms of the mortal soul. Finding that in death, the link between body and soul is severed and the soul fades somewhere between reach, the Nuwans failed to discover the secret of truly resurrecting the dead. However, their discoveries enabled something else.

Performing the Severance

The goal of the Severance is no less than to break death itself. Requiring at least one assistant, the subject of the ritual is placed within a ritual circle of salt, jewels, and funerary items. A special focus is prepared, and the assistant then kills the subject of the ritual. For most, this is where it ends, as the subsequent steps fail and the soul passes into an unreachable beyond. However, with a strong willed subject and a skilled assistant, the soul may be temporarily captured within the focus. As the soul strongly resists this step, it must be returned to its vessel immediately. The focus is then forced into the dead body.
If this step is successful, the soul is on its own. Trapped within a dead body and yearning to break free and vanish into the beyond, the subject must overcome the lure of the grave and reinhabit their body. Keenly aware that they are a disembodied spirit within a prison of flesh, they must forge a new connection to their former mortal shell. The failures either never regain control of their bodies and choose to pass to the beyond, or fail to resist the lure of the grave and also die.
The successful become Severed.

Effect

A successful Severance of Vim breaks the hold death has upon the mortal soul, as the Severed is no longer reliant upon the natural link between body and soul that might be severed by death. Thus, the Severed cannot die. Shackled to their bodies by force of will alone, the Severed soul comes to inhabit the body completely, gaining conscious control over the mortal shell. Freed from aging, and continuing to function despite grievous injury, becoming Severed bestows true immortality. As the will of the Severed has overcome nature, the only certain way to kill one is to convince them that they should pass on.