The Crypticran Incantation Spell in Zepharog | World Anvil

The Crypticran Incantation

The Crypticran Incantation was the magic created by the Exorcists and their Creeds. It was used for communication, defense, and locating.

Effect

The desired effect of the Crypticran Incantation is to send a message to another sentient being on the same plane of existence. It also can summon a skull of user to be send as an attack and knock back whomever it strikes. It also has the ability to communicate with the dead, temporarily raising them so the user can speak with their fallen loved ones.

Side/Secondary Effects

Secondary effects of the Incantation is the user has something around their eyes. Umbra Drakks usually have sharper thorns in their eyes, Ursalian have their pupils dilate until their scleria is black; while Rakashan and Humans have symbols of importance branded on their heads.

Manifestation

If the spell is being used to communicate, then the user will invoke the spell and speak what they wish the message to be. The creature receiving the message will have their vision completely surrounded by black and a skull of the sender will appear infront of them to deliver the message.
 
If the spell is being used to attack, then the user will invoke the spell and send their skull at the creature of their choice. When the creature has been struck, they will sometimes be knocked prone or they are pushed back several feet.

Source

The source of Crypticran is drawn from the Weave of Nether or Nether-Weave as some Arcanists have called it. The Nether-weave is the weave of darkness and death, unlike the Aether-Weave where life and the spirit are designated to that Weave.

Discovery

It was founded by Exorcist Harrete Crypticran, a Rakashan for the Creed of The Poltergeist.
  The story is as follows:
Harrete flew through the Wild Wood of Arkenwald. She was on the hunt for a runaway Kazzra nest. She had been tracking that nest since it appeared in The Shalian Shores off the coast of Zepharog. They had gotten smarter, but it was when she extended her fist out that the Incantation Crypticran flew from her clenched fist. This massive Rakashan skull with fangs streaked through the air and knocked into the insectoid monstrosities.
 
Later on that day, Harrete wanted to figure out more of the incantation and so she attempted to use it more and more, studying it with each use. She figured out that the Incantation could communicate over vast distances with others and temporarily awaken the dead to have communications. Her research was accompanied with Exorcist of the Creed of The Technomancer. After what felt like months, Crypticran's Incantation was given to Invokers so they may further spread it to the world of Rakasha.
 
The discovery of Crypticran has further helped with investigations and contracts that exorcists have taken because they would no longer need to ask the contract holder, but they could ask the deceased if there was a body available.

The Crypticran Incantation Symbol by LordGalakrond
Related Organizations
Gestures & Ritual
The invoker of the Incantation has to raise their pinky, forefinger, and thumb out. After that, they will draw the thumb in and then from point with the remaining fingers and lower them into a fist. Once the fist is made then the Incantation has been invoked and a skull with launch from their fist at their destination.
Related Discipline
Poltergeist Exorcist
Related School
Weave of Nether
Related Element
Death, Decay, Skull
Effect Casting Time
Instantaneous
Range
Unlimited/120 feet
Level
Basic Practictioner- Expert.
Applied Restriction
The Communication aspect of the Crypticran Incantation cannot function if the receiver is on a different plane of existence. If the reciprient is deceased then you need the head or skull to be able to talk to them.
 
Another restriction Crypticran found with the Incantation is when using it on the deceased, the user only gets five questions before the dead returns to their slumber.
Crypticran Incantation Traits
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    • Sending Skull:
      Requires: A short piece of fine Elfyn copper wire.   As an action, you send a message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar. The creature's is blinded while receiving the message, instead seeing tnothing but black and your skull speaking. The cretaure recognizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately. It enables creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 1 to understand the meaning of your message.   You can send the message across any distance and even to other planes of existence, but if the target is on a different plance than you, there is a 5 percent chance that the message doesn't arrive.   As you advance in rank with the Crypticran Incantation, Sending Skull's message increases by five.
     
  • ●●○○○
    • Cranium Seeker:
      As an action, you throw a skull toward a creature you can see within 120 feet. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 force damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw. On a failed saving throw the creature is pushed back 5 feet.   As you progress in rank, Cranium Seeker's damage increases by 1d10 and is pushed back an additional 5 feet.
    •  
    • Cryptic Object Search:
      Requires: Concentration, up to 10 minutes; a forked twig   As an action, you describe or name an object that is familiar to you. You sense the direction to the object's location, as long as that object is within 1,000 feet of you. If the object is in motion, you know the direction of its movement.   This feature can locate a specific object known to you, as long as you have seen it up close-- within 30 feet-- at least once. Alternatively, the feature can locate the nearest object of a particular kind, such as a certain kind of apparel, jewelry, furniture, tool, or weapon.   This feature can't locate objects if any thickness of lead, even a thin sheet, blocks a direct path between you and the object.
     
  • ●●●○○
    • Corpse Speak:
      Requires: Burning Incense   You grant the semblance of life and intelligence to a corpse of your choice within range, allowing it to answer the questions you pose. The corpse must still have a mouth and can’t be undead. The feature fails if the corpse was the target of this feature within the last 10 days.   Until the feature ends, you can ask the corpse up to five questions. The corpse knows only what it knew in life, including the languages it knew. Answers are usually brief, cryptic, or repetitive, and the corpse is under no compulsion to offer a truthful answer if you are hostile to it or it recognizes you as an enemy. This feature doesn’t return the creature’s soul to its body, only its animating spirit. Thus, the corpse can’t learn new information, doesn’t comprehend anything that has happened since it died, and can’t speculate about future events.
    •  
    • Cryptic Hunt:
      Requires: Concentration, up to 1 hour; a bit of fur from a Brak   Describe or name a creature that is familiar to you. You sense the direction to the creature’s location, as long as that creature is within 1,000 feet of you. If the creature is moving, you know the direction of its movement.   The feature can locate a specific creature known to you, or the nearest creature of a specific kind (such as a human or a unicorn), so long as you have seen such a creature up close – within 30 feet – at least once.   This feature can’t locate a creature if running water at least 10 feet wide blocks a direct path between you and the creature.
     
  • ●●●●○
    • Trap Sight:
      As an action, you sense the presence of any trap within 120 feet that is within line of sight. A trap, for the purpose of this feature, includes anything that would inflict a sudden or unexpected effect you consider harmful or undesirable, which was specifically intended as such by its creator. Thus, the feature would sense an area affected by the a Create Ward, Ursa's Symbol, or a mechanical pit trap, but it would not reveal a natural weakness in the floor, an unstable ceiling, or a hidden sinkhole.   This feature merely reveals that a trap is present. You don’t learn the location of each trap, but you do learn the general nature of the danger posed by a trap you sense.
     
  • ●●●●●
    • Distant Brain:
      As an action, you create an invisible, magical and malleable skull within 30 feet of you that hovers in the air for 8 hours. You mentally receive visual information from the skull, which has normal vision and darkvision out to 30 feet. The skull can look in every direction.   As an action, you can move the skull up to 30 feet in any direction. There is no limit to how far away from you the skull can move, but it can't enter another plane of existence. A solid barrier blocks the skull's movement, but the skull can pass through an opening as small as 1 inch in diameter.


Cover image: by LordGalakrond