Grounding Harness

You can tell a wise Nekrobiotek from a fool by their harness.

— Elaine Rae, Master Nekrobiotek

The Grounding Harness is a crucial piece of gear for the Nekrobiotek, allowing them to safely (well, safely-ish) harness the electrical currents required to fuel their spells. Before the Grounding Harness, magic was risky and spells were limited to account for the potential backlash. While backlash or overcharging are still threats to complacent necromancers, the Harness does much to mitigate the risk.

The Components

The Grounding Harness is broken into three parts: the harness, the gauntlets and the rods.

The Harness is the central piece. It is a metal breastplate with heavy padding and insulation. It has wires that connect it to the gauntlets and through them into the rods. These wires are typically copper, sometimes gold and are sheathed in plastic. When the Nekrobiotek begin to accumulate the electrical charge, excess is stored among battery-like fixtures along the back and shoulders - though these cannot hold the charge for long.
The Gauntlets are vambraces that cover the arm from the wrist to the elbow, insulated with a rubber glove underneath and a layer of padding between metal and skin. Besides connecting to the harness and the rods, the Gauntlet holds several gauges and dials that give the Nekrobiotek an idea of how much electricity they have accumulated. These values are estimates rather than precise measures, however. Most Nekrobiotek prefer to go by feel than what the gauges show.
The Rods are about meter long metal rods with a spike at the bottom. They are usually copper and connect to the Gauntlets by insulated writing. The rods are used to divert electricity into the ground or back into other power grids, particularly during extended rituals. While not commonly used as such, there are reports of desperate Nekrobiotek using them as improvised stun-rods of sort.

Fit for a King
Some Nekrobiotek take great pride in their harness. It is almost like a uniform to them and some spare no expense in making sure theirs have all the elaborate detailing that benefits their stature. Unfortunately, these aesthetic alterations can impact the functions of the harness and at least once have been blamed for a Nekrobiotek 'going bust'.

by Daniel Kamarudin

Necromancy

The art of raise the dead and give them purpose have changed the world and Necromancy have become one of the most important parts of this brave, new world of industry and death.
Ever since their industrialization, magic and Necromancy in particular have turned ancient traditions and taboos to dust, ground away under the inexorable wheels of progress. What was once unthinkable abomination is now everyday life across the world.
Read more about Necromancy

Going Bust
There is a limit to how much electricity the harness can handle and how much can be stored in the battery-packs fashioned into it. When this limit is exceeded, the Nekrobiotek's harness suffers a major malfunction (i.e explodes) as a result. This is called 'going bust' and it is the sort of fate Nekrobioteks whisper about over drinks.

Backlash

Magic is not without its dangers. When something goes wrong, as things inevitably are bound to do sooner or later, the necromancer suffer 'backlash'; all the energies that they have built up to fuel their spells are unleashed at once. Depending on the power of the spell, the consequences can be anything from a nasty shock and electrical burn-scar to a heart attack and in at least one case complete disintegration.
The more powerful the spell is, the more electricity it requires and so the risk of a devastating backlash increases. Even with the Grounding Harness, most Nekrobiotek have felt the 'buzz' of a backlash more than once.