GD Lore: Necromancy

Grim Dawn General Discussion
1

I love to write lore for fun, and what better game to use as a basis than Grim Dawn? If there’s sufficient interest, I may choose to write more. After all, I’m feeling very stir-crazy waiting for the expansion, and I know that lore is a popular subject on the board (hint: this is an alt account).

The following is an excerpt from the journal of Harvuuk, a Deathlord and Spellbinder in the service of the Order of Death’s Vigil:

[i]After the cataclysmic event now known as the Grim Dawn, the practice of Necromancy as we know it deserves to be revisited in order to accommodate the new knowledge gained from this catastrophe. On my journey to locate any signs of my master, Uroboruuk, I have found myself displaced from the other members of my organization somewhere in the remote wilderness near Burrwitch. Those that were with me at the time of the Grim Dawn have all fallen to various forms of Aether monstrosities, but they have nonetheless provided valuable data. I have conversed with a small number of survivors in the region, and after hearing tales of the devastation wrought by the Aetherials and others looking to take advantage of the chaos, I have decided that any attempt at travelling back to the headquarters of the Order is likely futile. Accordingly, I shall take this opportunity to study the Aetherials from the relative safety of this trapper’s cabin in the wilderness. After extensive study, I have concluded that the Aetherials engage in a form of life-manipulation that is similar to, but fundamentally different from, the life-manipulation magic used by those skilled in the art of Necromancy. It is my goal to eventually put forth a tenet detailing my theory about Aetherial “necromancy” and how current necromancers may use this knowledge to counter the raging Aetherial threat, but first I must review the basic principles of magical practices and the arcane known as it is practiced on Cairn. After all, it is unknown how many members of my Order remain, and I do not wish the practice of necromancy to be lost to the ravages of time. Although the search for Uroboruuk has been a fruitless one, I can at the very least pass along a small portion of the knowledge he has graced us with should anything happen to the Order.

As is known by those who dabble in the arcane, all magic originates from three main sources. First, one may be imbued with inhuman power or magical abilities by appealing to the fickle gods for a variety of celestial blessings. Although this practice is relatively rudimentary and subject to the whim of the gods, its usefulness as a source of raw power is inarguable. Those who are skilled primarily in martial combat and do not ordinarily dabble in the arcane may call upon the gods for renewed strength and vigor, and even this can be considered a form of magic in its loosest sense. Second, one may manipulate existing energies and matter on our current plane of existence in order to better suit the practitioner’s wishes as the situation demands. For example, those skilled in the arcane arts are able to manipulate thermal energies, electrical impulses, the flow of water or wind, and other forms of matter. Whether conjuring a swirling inferno of flames, ice, or sharpened blades, the energies and matter in our world are playthings to the skilled arcane practitioner, and both heaven and earth are treated as clay to be molded. Finally, the truly reckless practitioners or visionaries (depending on perspective) may not be satisfied with the arcane crop to be harvested upon Cairn and may instead seek to breach the Veil between the various planes of existence and call upon otherworldly powers. Whether tearing open the Veil to access the Void, the Aether, the Eldritch realm, or the realm of death itself, esoteric powers are brought from these planes of existence to alter our very own, sometimes with catastrophic results.

Necromancy at its core can be considered to be a blend of the second and third derivations of magic. Beginning necromancers are first taught to control the flow of vital energies within an organism. Vital energies are subject to manipulation in the same way that one may manipulate thermal energies, and the skilled necromancer controls the ebb and flow of life just as the skilled Arcanist may snuff out or stoke an inferno. Small amounts of vital energy manipulation may cause sensations of fatigue, unease, or fear in the target, whereas larger amounts may cause mental deterioration or necrosis of bodily tissues. Some necromancers choose to dabble in thermal energy manipulation as well in order to chill the flesh and further inhibit the body’s ability to heal grievous wounds. Skilled necromancers also become adept at refining the direction of the flow of vital energies rather than simply letting it spill from the target, and they may direct these energies into their own bodies to enhance their own stores of vital energy. These vital energies must first originate from another organism, though, and cannot be created at will.

In order to be a fully fledged necromancer, one must not be content with simply directing the flow of vital energies. Instead, what separates a true necromancer from a simple death-dealing manipulator of vital energies is the ability to pierce the Veil and pull a soul from the world of the dead and bind it to an empty vessel. The human will is a powerful source of energy, and this energy can be bound to the vessel and forced to serve the will of the necromancer. Although the practice may appear abhorrent to the uninitiated, a necromancer does have the ability to pull specific souls, such as those who are willing to serve the necromancer, from the plane of Death. Notwithstanding the ethics of the practice of necromancy, it is much less taxing to pull a soul at random from beyond the Veil, and necromancers in dire circumstances may not have the luxury to select a preferred fruit to pick from beyond the Veil. As a last statement regarding the ethics of the practice of necromancy, my teacher once said “One does not control the contingencies of one’s birth, so why should one be expected to have a choice in the contingencies of one’s rebirth?”

The Aetherial threat Cairn now faces bypasses some of the known rules of necromancy in its current form, and perhaps knowledge of their reanimation techniques will be the key to their undoing. I have a theory about the inner workings of the Aetherials’ pseudo-necromantic techniques, but I must gather more data to be certain. Accordingly, I will keep a record of all of my studies in this hut, and if some untoward fate awaits me, may I be resurrected by the Order to convey the full extent of my knowledge.

As I serve in life, so shall I serve my brothers and sisters of the Order in unlife, unbound by the tyranny and inevitability of Death and his shackles.

Harvuuk, Spellbinder of the Order, Lord of Death, Aetherial Unmaker
[/i]

Chapter 2: http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showpost.php?p=525520&postcount=8

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Since you (like me) loves GD’s Lore, you might find this thread an interesting read.

3

That’s where I got the inspiration to write this. I wanted to put my lore speculation in a more accessible, first-person format similar to the lore notes found in the game. I figured if the demand was enough to spawn a 58-page topic, there would be considerable interest.

4

Crate should hire you as a lore writer. :stuck_out_tongue: I’m a sucker for anything that explains a game’s fantasy mechanics in a realistic, loreful way - you make necromancy sound like a branch of biology, I love it. :smiley:

5

this is some good shit man, like really good shit

a piece of gold perhaps :stuck_out_tongue:

6

I’m still hoping that some of the more literary-minded modders out there will begin adding new Lore to the game (thru notes etc). Which would be nice in conjunction with new quests/questlines.

7

A good read i like it. :slight_smile:

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I’m glad some people liked the first entry, so I plan to write a few more entries about Harvuuk specifically, so look forward to more entries in the coming weeks in order to scratch that expansion lore itch!

The following is another excerpt from the journal of Harvuuk, a Deathlord and Spellbinder in the service of the Order of Death’s Vigil:

[i]The Aetherial threat is growing stronger with each passing day, but luckily I’ve been able to remain relatively undetected in a dilapidated cabin in the heavily wooded area near Burrwitch. Luckily, the resident beasts of the forest seem to have taken a strong disliking to the Aetherials as well and, although not the ideal neighbors, are greatly preferable to the Aetherials. The beasts defend their territory fiercely from both humans and Aetherials alike, and their numbers have grown greatly since hunters and trappers have abandoned the area. No one has actively come to search the cabin, so as far as I am concerned, my presence has remained undetected.

I have located a few specimens which I shall refer to as the “Aether Risen”, those brought to life by Aetherial rather than Necomantic magic, courtesy of the local briarthorns in the area. The results are astounding and unlike any Necromantic technique I have ever encountered. As I explained in my previous entry, the traditional technique for reanimating a corpse consists of pulling a soul from beyond the veil and adhering it to an available corpse (in various states of decay). The soul is the energy source behind the reanimation, and the soul of the deceased is inextricably intertwined with the will of the necromancer, and the necromancer’s will acts as the catalyst in the reaction. In other words, without an energy source, the corpse cannot reanimate. Since Necromancers work in the art of directing the flow of souls and vital energies, we have the capacity to easily identify how long a soul has been absent from a corpse, and fresher corpses make for more difficult reanimations because there is a period during which the body does not readily accept the re-introduction of a soul. These bodies of these Aether Risen I’ve recovered have been remarkably fresh and showed only rudimentary signs of decay, so unless Aetherials are naturally exceptionally skilled necromancers, they must be circumventing the normal Necromantic processes. Although the bodies were relatively intact, I could sense that the bodies had not been inhabited by a soul in quite some time.

I have a theory regarding the process by which Aetherials are able to reanimate these fresh corpses, but if true, the implications would be catastrophic for the human race. In order to test this theory, I must find an Aether Risen to be my unwilling subject. If reanimations can be done with such ease, certainly there must be a way to undo them and, in doing so, considerably hamper the spreading Aetherial presence. I do not want to make assumptions without evidence, so I must begin making the preparations necessary to capture and subdue one of these monstrous Risen. Perhaps Uroboruuk’s disappearance is related to his knowledge of this twisted necromancy, and if so, perhaps he has separated himself from us in secrecy in order to prevent this perverse knowledge from coming into the wrong hands. In this, I must disagree with my Master - this knowledge must be uncovered at all costs in order to bring about its unmaking.

May Death guide my mortal hand in piercing the veil of uncertainty and elevating the practice of necromancy to new heights.

Harvuuk, Spellbinder of the Order, Lord of Death, Aetherial Unmaker
[/i]

9

Another good read!:smiley: This really got my hands itching to play the xpac and uncover the lore and secrets. I also can’t wait to play the necromancer mastery. :stuck_out_tongue: