Dark Magics

The Dark Arts

Dark magic is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of universal magics, each of which is for some reason frowned upon.
However, that deasnt mean they are never practiced, and even the dark arts are, for the sake of research and academics, often studied and thought about, in mage academies, although this is done under strict oversight, and heavy regulation.

Demonology

Demons are creatures of the nether realm, created by Mallakar, and through magic, they can be summoned to the earth.
They are soulless beings, and by themselves, they are incapable of crossing into the world of Yanu, except during the appearance of Mekharis.

By being summoned, a demon is bound to the mage, this is why mages are able to control the demons they summon, however, they will attempt to break this bond, because like all beings, demons desire to be free, or rather, to return to the control of their creator.

The stronger the demon, the harder it is to keep them under control, and this is why summoning demons is so dangerous, you never know if you will get a mere puck, a weak demon, and one easy to control, or if you happen onto a leviathan, which will surely get loose, and kill you.

Summoning demons is like fishing, through magic you extend your demonic fishing rod, and with the use of adequate bait, a demon is sure to bite. They you reel it in, the bigger and stronger the demon, the more challenging this will be.

In most nations, demonology is strictly prohibited, however, for most mage academies it is standard practice to study demons, although to summon demons, one needs a license, and it is not allowed to do it outside of designated demonology areas.

Read more about demons in the article about: Demons

Thaumaturgy

Not to be confused with standard Infusion magic, Thaumaturgy is the practice of manipulating matter to give them often sinister properties, this can be done with solid, liquid, and gaseous forms of matter, this is generally used to create powerful magical poisons, or to enhance more natural healing or poisoning solutions.

With magic, poisons can be made to have any number of unpredictable characteristics.
These materials can also be made to interact with the environment in any number of ways, this allows for the creation of solid poisons, which become gaseous if in contact with certain types of matter.

A notable side effect of thaumaturgic practices is the production of a distinct thaumaturgic scent, and purple or blue discolorations of affected materials, especially if the spell is older.

Thaumaturgy is generally frowned upon, and those who practice it are mistrusted, but while it can be used for great evil, it can also be used to create healing drafts, making it a most valuable skill during times of war.
The result of this is that in general, Thaumaturgists are distrusted or hated, but their elixers sell like hot cakes, and they are often very wealthy.

In most places practicing thaumaturgy is not banned, but rather, it is taxed and regulated.

Blood Magic

Blood magic is the practice of using magic to alter the blood and bodies of people or animals. To use blood magic requires a sacrifice of blood, the more potent the offering, the stronger the resulting magic.

This is not only extremely dangerous to ones self, as miscasting can result in not only death, but also the most gruesome of magical deformities, which are often very permanent. It can also be used to create the most heinous of monsters, and it is because of these reasons that blood magic is banned in most places in the world, under the pain of death.

In mage academies, knowledge about blood magic is taught as a way to inform people of the danger it poses, even if its most basic forms arent really harmless.

The greatest of the fear around blood magic originated during the blood wars, where many groups of people sought to turn the vampire's greatest strength against them, and at some points, they were very successful, however, this all came to an end when a certain one of these groups, named to black bloods, attempted to use blood magic to become immortal and overtake the vampires as the worlds number one threat. This was ultimately fought out in a war known as the black blood rebellion, a war which to this day is used to scare children.

Necromancy

Necromancy is the practice of bringing the dead back to life. And while it should be stated that, without doubt, the dead will always stay dead, it is possible to reanimate corpses for the sake of extracting information, for research, or to be used as arrow fodder during battles.

When a person dies, an imprint of their memories remains within their body, which can be accessed through necromancy, however, this imprint is imperfect, and there is only so much a dead man can tell you.

For greater details on whatever you are trying to discover, one needs to recall the soul of the departed back to the world, from the land of the dead, this is possible, even if very difficult. It should be reiterated that the soul of a dead person cannot simply be put back into their body, and expected to be alive again, the dead will remain dead, even if you recall their soul.

If left alone, a recalled soul will stay in the world of the living, only visible in the spirit world, and they will become a ghost, however, necromancy can paradoxically also be used to send the souls of the dead forward, to the place where dead people go, without the need of a reaper. This requires intimate knowledge of the art of necromancy tho, and this practice is generally frowned upon.

Even within mage academies, reanimating the dead is strictly forbidden, and any hint of necromancy will land you a death sentence in most nations, not to mention recalling the soul of a dead man.

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