The Animus domain is centers around the manipulation of life energy itself. Practioners of this dark art can bring life to the dead, create powerful tulpas imbued with the life force of others, and drain the vital essence from enemies and imbue themselves with it. While people who practice Animus are widely regarded as evil and unclean, the desperation of those living in the bastions and out in the wilds of the Shroud creates a kind of wary and fearful acceptance. Even when Animus is used beneficially, such as amongst the Hunters of Oron-Jai, the Marks of this domain forever propel its users towards an unnatural state of undeath. Unavoidably, Animus magic causes the breakdown of the body. Orders with the Animus domain have rituals which can offset this unnatural and accelerated decay, but there are some who fully embrace this transformation.
Death Magic
Spellcasters who practice Animus become conduits to the spirit realm by transgressing the boundaries of life and death. Half alive and half dead, they ultimately become possessors and manipulators of their own ragged forms, puppeting their own deteriorating bodies just as they would their victims. With each point in Animus, the creature effectively gains a point in
Undead, gaining all the associated bonuses and penalties such as a sensitivity to
Cleansing or
Respite spells.
Dessication Rites
Conditions: To avoid the decay and disease brought on by the ravages of Animus, the character must engage in rituals designed to dry the body of extra fluids and increasingly atrophied organs. If the character is unable to sap life for sustenance, the character will be ravenously hungry for fats, oils and resinous materials. Many orders have procedures and rituals designed to ease this process, such as the removal of organs and the stuffing of interior cavities with dessicant materials. This requires application of tar, linen and other materials which greatly increase the flammibility of the body.
For every Spellpower point Dessicated Husk, the character receives a -1 to movement and reflex, but piercing and slashing damage as well as bleed damage are reduced by -1. Burning damage is increased by +1.
Unchecked Rot
As the character continues to practice Animus magic, the body's natural processes begin to break down. Rather than attempting to stop this process, some Orders believe that letting nature reclaim their forms is the price of such powerful magic. To the average member of society, these are by far the most reviled and unwelcome envoys. Their oozing, reeking forms are deeply unpleasant to behold and difficult to ignore. The character craves blood, raw meat and offal, gaining only half satiation from cooked meat and no satiation from vegetables.
For every Spellpower point in Rotting Form, the character receives a -1 point malus to Coordination and Reflex, but piercing and slashing damage as well as bleed damage are reduced by -1. Bashing and Shocking damage is increased by +1.
Spectral Wasting
The character's body is slowly being consumed by an intense and unstoppable divine hunger that eventually wastes them away to nothing, leaving them precious few ways to interact with their fellows other than continuing to use Animus spells. While they may not have the ability to communicate or interact normally with the world, their physical presence is otherwise notable. Characters who have fallen victim to Spectral Wasting will appear as eerie apparitions that universally trigger fear and discomfort in those unacclimated to their presence.
For every Spellpower point in Spectral Wasting, the character receives a -1 point malus to strength and presence, but +1 to resist all damage of a nonmagical nature. The victims of Spectral Wasting are able to pass through walls, ceilings and other non-magical barriers.
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