By Mitchell J. Gross (mjg@io.com) (18 June 1995)
Copyright (c) by Mitchell J. Gross except for excerpts from books published by White Wolf Game Studio.
"The dead talk more quietly than other people..." -- Didi, "Death: the High Cost of Living"
This is included as information that relates to the use of Necromancy on Wraiths who have Vampiric counterparts.
When a Vampire is embraced, she actually suffers death; not the appearance of death, but the actual end of existence in the mortal world. At the moment at which the soul begins to depart the empty physical shell, a shard of the soul of Caine, contained in the blood of a Vampire, wrests much of the sense of self from the Wraith. This leaves the Shadow weak and confused. The new Wraith is in a somewhat unique position, as one of her fetters is a vampiric version of herself, walking around the mortal world with the Wraith's mortal memories and appearance. It is even possible for such a Wraith to meet her 'other half' and question her regarding the things the Wraith cannot remember. Finding a Vampire who will freely give out such personal information is no easy task, however.
"Therefore fear not the Spirits, but be firm and courteous with them; for thou hast no right to despise or revile them; and this too may lead thee astray. Command and banish them, curse them by the Great Names if need be; but neither mock nor revile them, for so assuredly wilt thou be the led into error." -- Aleister Crowley, "Liber Librae"
As long as there have been Wraiths, there have been mortals and others who have wished to know our secrets. The quest for such knowledge is sought in many ways, but most often, those who seek knowledge of the afterlife do so by attempting to summon and control the spirits of the dead. Foremost among those who seek such knowledge are the Necromancers, those who spend endless nights in dark crypts and moldy mausoleums performing arcane rites in pursuit of the unknowable.
Through ignorance, arrogance, or an uncaring attitude, Necromancers do more harm than good to Wraiths; driving us into slumber, inadvertently aiding the Shadow, or even putting many of our kind onto the path that will lead to the Tempest.
Although it is possible at times for Wraiths and Necromancers to bargain with one another for that which the other needs, this is a rarity indeed. "Why bother bargaining," thinks the typical Necromancer, "when I can summon and command a helpless soul to do as I wish?" This attitude has done untold damage to Wraiths, which will only increase as time goes by and the knowledge of the Necromancers increases.
It is even rumored that the real reason our Lord Charon left all he had created was in frustration from the damage being done to our kind by the Necromancers. There are some among the Hierarchy who even believe that Charon is locked in an endless struggle in some distant part of the Umbra, battling the leader of the Giovanni, the vampiric Necromancers. Not a battle of might, but of bargains; each seeking the advantage over the other, so they might gain control over the minions of their opponent.
Most Wraiths scoff at this idea, especially the older ones. But as Charon has not been seen in many years now, who is to say?
On those rare occasions that Necromancers and Wraiths come to terms with each other, a Wraith will most likely ask the Necromancer to allow him to draw upon the emotions of the summoner to fuel his Passions. If possible, the Wraith may ask the Necromancer to aid the Wraith in discovering more information about his mortal life.
"It is sad how ignorant those of the mortal world have become. They give strength to the Shadows and will have to pay the price when they join us here. Some day, our Lord Charon will emerge victorious from his battle, and then shall we be free." -- Opal, member of the Hierarchy
"For many years now, we of the Underworld have endured the whims and lust for power of those arrogant fools. Some day, we shall find a way to turn the tables on them! It is a sign from the Advocates. By turning our backs on the true path, we have left ourselves open to the influences of these mortals and vampires. Only through the Advocates can we protect ourselves. Turn back to the true path, lest ye be swallowed up by the Tempest!" -- Aloysius, priest of the Heretics
"Man, I was just cruising along, just minding my own biz, when, BAM! Suddenly I'm in some graveyard, with all these guys in cheesy robes standing around and chanting. When I asked what was up, one of 'em came up to me and told me that I was their slave and would do their bidding. 'Yah! Right!' I said. Then they began to chant louder and louder and everything went black. Shadowy, ya know what I mean? Next thing I know, I'm haunting some guy into a heart attack! When the deed is done, I pop back to the graveyard and everything starts to fade. Before I disappeared completely, I gave 'em all the finger. Man, being a ghost sucks." -- Indigo, of the Renegades
"We have been given a great gift by our founder, and through it, we shall conquer all of the mysteries of life and death. Only through understanding and controlling these two great forces can one understand what it is to hold true power in his hands. Our dealings in the mortal world merely aid us in covering up our true goals. When we finally reveal to others of our kind what these goals are, then shall they know what power is! many of our Clan treat the spirits of the Underworld casually, as things to be tossed aside when done with them. I myself have done this many times. These tormented souls, perhaps, deserve better treatment. But the lure of the power they represent outweighs all such petty concerns..." -- Giuseppi Mercede, Clan Giovanni
"[Necromancy] works on the bodies of the dead, and gives answers by the ghosts and apparitions of the dead, and subterranean spirits, alluring them into the carcasses of the dead by certain hellish charms, and infernal invocations, and by deadly sacrifices and wicked oblations." -- Francis Barrett, "The Magus"
Of all those who practice the rituals of Necromancy, the Vampiric Clan known as the Giovanni have commited the worst crimes of all against the Wraiths. Powered by the blood of Caine himself, the powers of the Giovanni far surpass those of other Necromancers, save perhaps those of the Euthanatos and other wielders of Magick. But in terms of damage done to the society of the Underworld, no one can match the Giovanni in their blind, uncaring pursuit of knowledge.
The discipline of Necromancy is the most destructive of all the powers used by the Necromancers to summon and control Wraiths. Countless numbers of Wraiths have been driven into deep slumber centuries long, or even succumbed to the power of their Shadows, because of the insane lust for power of this Clan. Beyond their natural Willpower, Wraiths have no direct means to defend themselves from such powers. Even their Arcanos may only be used to attack the summoner after the actual summoning has taken place. Should the summoner have the foresight to set a ward before the summoning, the Wraith is helpless before him.
The different levels of Necromancy are summarized below with notes on how they affect Wraiths. Should a Wraith ever gain 10 or more temporary Angst during a single ritual, thereby gaining one or more permanent Angst points, he immediately goes into shock and is incapable of any action for a number of rounds equal to the number of temporary Angst points gained. Necromancy does not affect Vampires who reach Golconda. Should the Wraith have a Vampiric counterpart who has reached Golconda, she will be free of the influence of these powers as long as they retain the vampire as a fetter. It is suggested that Storytellers who intend to use the Giovanni as a major part of their chronicle refer to the Vampire Players Guide for more information on Clan Giovanni and the Discipline of Necromancy.
* Insight: This is the ability to see the last image seen by the eyes of the dead. When a Giovanni employs this power he is unknowingly summoning the Shadow of a Wraith and is subconsciously fed the information he seeks by the Shadow itself. The Wraith must stand by as a helpless observer during all this, until the ritual is complete. Should the information the Giovanni seeks be something the Shadow has kept hidden as of yet, the unprepared Wraith suffers terrible confusion and shock. Too much information may overload the Wraith completely, stunning her for a time. Shadows, of course, seek to encourage the use of these and other powers by any means necessary.
System: The Giovanni rolls Perception+Occult (difficulty 8). Each success gains more information and reaches back several minutes more before death. The Wraith gains a temporary Angst point per success the Giovanni rolls.
** Summon: At this level of power, the Giovanni is able to actually summon a Wraith. It is a simple ritual and does not require much in the way of trappings, although many Giovanni prefer to use traditional methods. Many Wraiths become dazed when summoned as they are suddenly snapped from one realm of existence to another in an instant. When they recover, their reactions may vary. Some Wraiths, especially newer ones, may cower in fear or beg for mercy. More mature Wraiths may attempt to calmly bargain. Wraiths who are impetuous or were involved in something important may become angry and attempt to attack the Giovanni through their Arcanos. Most Giovanni have the foresight to protect themselves through wards and other such protections, however.
System: The Giovanni must know the the name of the Wraith, or have an impression through Auspex, and there must be a person or object in the room with a personal connection or fetter to the Wraith. A roll of Perception+Occult versus the Wraith's Willpower is required should the Wraith not wish to be summoned. Successes indicate how strong the contact is. When subjected to this power, Wraiths suffer a -1 die penalty on all actions and gain a point of temporary Angst.
*** Compel: Using this ability, the Giovanni is able to force the Wraith to remain in the area for a short time, to answer any questions the Giovanni may pose to him, and to force the Wraith to do the bidding of the Giovanni. Many Wraiths just cave in to this power, especially if it has been used on them before. To resist it is dangerous as it gives the Shadow more and more power.
System: The Giovanni rolls Manipulation+Occult versus the Willpower of the Wraith, each success indicating how strong the contact is. The Wraith gains a temporary Angst point in addition to that gained in the summoning ritual. Furthermore, the Wraith gains another temporary Angst point every time they attempt to resist the bidding of the Giovanni using this power.
**** Haunting: One of the most feared powers of the Giovanni, as far as Wraiths are concerned. This power enables the Giovanni to force a Wraith to remain in the physical world until released or the power fades. When subjected to this power, Wraiths become listless and tired. Their drive subsides and they find the bidding of the Giovanni even more difficult to resist. Many Wraiths become almost claustrophobic while under the influence of this power and may even fall into slumber or become deranged (Storyteller's discretion).
System: After a roll of Manipulation+Occult (versus the Wraith's Willpower, or 4 if the Wraith does not resist), the Giovanni keep the Wraith from returning to the spirit world. While subjected to this power, Wraiths may not use or gain Passions, and gain an additional temporary Angst point for each day after the one they were first summoned.
***** Soul Stealing: Using this power, a Giovanni literally rips the soul from a mortal, leaving the body to decay and die. If the soul is not returned before the physical shell dies, the soul becomes a Wraith. These 'artificial Wraiths' are in even more shock when created than Wraiths who are 'born' under more normal circumstances. Assuming they are released by the Giovanni, they wander the Underworld aimlessly suffering from shock. It takes some hours for the Wraith to recover and start to slowly adjust to the change. During this period, the new Wraith is easy prey for Tempests and other denizens of the spirit world.
System: Giovanni roll Manipulation+Occult versus the Willpower of the victim (assuming they are unwilling). Wraiths created in this manner are dazed and must roll Willpower to take any action. This lasts for a number of hours equal to the successes rolled by the Giovanni. Should the Wraith botch a Willpower roll, one point of temporary Willpower is lost. The Giovanni who creates a Wraith in this manner is always considered a fetter of that Wraith.
****** Zombie: Using this power, a Giovanni may use a dead body to create a mindless and souless automaton. Zombies have no connection to Wraiths, unless they are the mortal shell of a Wraith. Should a Giovanni create a zombie from the remains of a Wraith, the Wraith will do whatever it can to destroy the zombie. This is difficult of course, as the Wraith has just been 'born' and has little concept of what it's capabilities are. As time passes, the Wraith slowly starts to form a link to the zombie and begins to leak his own Passions to the zombie. This link is created by the Shadow, which seeks to strengthen the link and preserve the zombie. Zombies linked to Wraiths do not become self-aware, but they do experience the most basic of emotions and instincts. Meanwhile, the Wraith slowly becomes muted, able to experience less and less Passion.
System: The Giovanni merely feeds the zombie a blood point per day, this must be done before eight hours have passed since death. The Wraith immediately gains one temporary Angst point when the zombie is created. When this occurs, the Wraith experiences a strange draining feeling and slowly grows less capable of Passion. After the first week of the zombie's existence, the Wraith loses one temporary point of a randomly chosen Passion each week. Should this bring the Passion down to zero, then the permanent rating of the Passion is reduced by one. Once the zombie is destroyed, the Wraith regains one randomly chosen permanent point of Passion per week.
******* Torment: This power is even more feared than Haunting as it is able to inflict actual damage to a Wraith. When a Wraith is subjected to this cruel treatment, they writhe in agony and are unable to concentrate for long on anything but the urge to escape, if they can. If the Wraith is subjected to massive amounts of damage, they may retreat into a deep slumber for their own safety.
System: The Giovanni rolls Stamina+Empathy against the Wraith's Willpower. Each success equals a level of damage. Once a Wraith has suffered over 10 levels of damage from this power, he instantly falls into slumber. Wraiths who fall into slumber from this power, do so for 10 years per permanent Angst point, unless some means is found to awaken them.
******** Soul Exchange: Giovanni who have attained this level of mastery, may actually remove the souls of two living creatures and place them in each others bodies. Souls that are exchanged by this power become confused much like those subject to Soul Stealing. Upon death, their Shadows are much stronger, as the Wraith is even more confused about their former life.
System: A roll of Manipulation+Occult versus 7 is required, and the number of successes must equal the Willpower of both targets, who should be in eyesight and within 10 feet. Souls that become Wraiths after this power is used on them begin with an additional permanent Angst point. Furthermore, if either of the bodies is still alive or a Vampire, the Wraith will have one or both of them as fetters. At the time of death, the Wraith suffers the same daze effect as in Soul Stealing as the soul tries to sort itself out.
********* Possession: This is the ability to actually place a summoned spirit into a recently dead body. Wraiths subjected to this power act much as if they were using the power of Possession, whether they have the actual Arcanos or not. Most Wraiths will refuse to enter the body of a Vampire as they know it will only cause them great pain and shock. Some Wraiths, especially newer ones, do not know this. Shadows jump at the opportunity to arrange such a scenario, despite the fact that it puts them in great pain.
System: Within 30 minutes of death, the Giovanni must place a willing Wraith in the body. Placing a Wraith within the body of a Vampire requires five successes on a resisted Willpower roll. Wraiths who are put into the body of a Vampire suffer excruciating pain as the shard of Caine's soul and their own Shadow war with each other. Each week in the body of a Vampire, the Wraith makes a Willpower roll versus 8. Shadow dice may be used. Should the roll be failed, the Wraith immediately falls into a deep slumber, which lasts a century per permanent Angst point. Should the roll be botched, the Wraith immediately gains one permanent Angst point per botch die rolled.
********** Death Pact: The Giovanni is able to act as if he were an agent of the Underworld and create pacts that make the signer the complete slave of the Giovanni after death. Should the Giovanni uphold her side of the pact, the Wraith becomes their slave for a number of services. These services must be performed, and the Wraith is a slave to the Giovanni until the services are completely fulfilled, or until released from the pact (not likely). Mortals and others who sign the death pact, automatically become Wraiths upon death.
System: An Intelligence+Occult roll versus 6 is made by the Giovanni at the time the pact is signed. Each success represents one service the Giovanni may expect from the Wraith. For every service performed, a Wraith gains a permanent Angst point.
These rituals are similar in preparation and casting requirements to those of the vampiric discipline of Thaumaturgy. Some of the Thaumaturgic rituals related to spirits have even been incorporated into this category as there is little or no difference between the Necromatic and Thaumaturgic versions.
Necromantic rituals are powerful spells that are highly specific in their procedures and requirements. The effects are very focused and much more limited than the discipline of Necromancy. Any user of the Necromancy discipline may cast these rituals, but only if their level of Necromancy is equal to the level of the ritual. These rituals take five minutes per level to cast, unless otherwise noted.
Material components are often used, the most vital being a object or person who is connected in some manner to the spirit being affected. This is assuming the ritual is being cast with a specific spirit in mind.
Necromancers automatically know one Level One ritual at the first level of the discipline. In order to learn more, the Necromancer must find a mentor or written source to study. Rituals take anywhere from a few days to many years to learn, depending on the level of the ritual.
Some of the Necromantic rituals are also based on the path of Spirit Thaumaturgy. Such rituals are known only to the Giovanni and are closely guarded.
System: When casting Necromantic rituals no rolls are usually required. There are several modifiers to the casting, however. Should the ritual be cast with a specific Wraith in mind, fetters or other objects or people with connections to the Wraith will aid the casting. If a object or person with a personal connection to the Wraith is used to focus the casting of the ritual, then the power is increased slightly. Using an object or person with an actual fetter to the Wraith in the ritual grants even greater power to the ritual. Determining these effects are at the Storyteller's discrection.
Below are a number of sample Necromantic rituals. Necromancers may create their own, but this requires appropriate laboratory and library facilities, and takes an amount of time equal to the time to study rituals of the level being created. Necromancers may only create rituals of a level equal or below the level of their Necromancy discipline.
* See Spirits: This simple ritual allows the caster to see any spirits within eyesight. This ritual lasts only as long as the caster stands still.
** Speak with Spirits: The caster may now speak with spirits (but must have some other means to see them, if so desired). This ritual only affects the room or general area the caster is in. Spirits cannot be forced to answer questions or such with this ritual. The advantage of this ritual is that every spirit in range can communicate with the caster and vice-versa.
** Jinx: This ritual will cause a spirit to bedevil one person for as many hours as the caster has levels in Necromancy. No damage can be caused to that person directly, but minor annoyances like stumbling, objects falling out of their grasp, shoelaces tieing together, and so forth, may occur. If a focus is used, the spirit may then use their more powerful abilities. Wraiths gain a temporary Angst point when forced to do this.
*** Spirit Slave: The caster may demand one specific task of a spirit if successful on a Manipulation+Occult roll versus the spirit's Willpower. The spirit must be in the general area. Extra successes force the spirit to complete the task more rapidly. It must be something the spirit is capable of, however. A Wraith gains a temporary Angst point from this ritual.
*** Soul Net: This ritual is only effective on Wraiths and other spirits dependent on Passions. The caster throws a 'net' made of a specific Passion into the Umbra. This net can hold a number of Wraiths equal to the caster's level in Necromancy. It only lasts for one night. Once the net is pulled in, it cannot be thrown back into the Umbra, and the ritual can only be cast once per night. If a Wraith approaches the Net, if they have a score of at least one in the appropriate Passion, they roll that Passion versus 7 (+1 if a focus is used, an additional +1 if the focus is a fetter). If they fail the roll, they are snared in the net, and cannot escape until the ritual fades. Passions cannot be gained from the net. This ritual cannot do anything but snare the Wraiths or other spirits. Wraiths gain a temporary Angst point if snared, two if a fetter is used as a focus.
* From an idea by a Mage who goes by the initials LWR aka September *
**** Fetishes: A power that terrifies spirits, it enables the caster to snare a spirit in the area and imprison it within a previously prepared magical object. A resisted Willpower roll is required, but only one net success is required. The ritual takes an hour to cast and the caster must not be disturbed in that time. The spirit and caster are unable to do anything else during the casting. Once the ritual is successful, the caster may access any of the spirit's powers through the device. Once a week, the spirit may at any time it chooses force another resisted Willpower roll. It only needs one net success to escape. If a Wraith is imprisoned in an object it has a fetter to, a permanent Angst point is gained when escaping.
***** Circle versus Spirits: This ward affects all spirits and Wraiths equally, unless a focus of some sort is used. An area is encircled with pure sea salt, and everything within that area cannot be affected by any of the powers of a Wraith or spirit, including Arcanos. If a focus is used, the spirit is powerless while within the circle as well. This ritual takes 10 hours to cast, but once complete, it lasts until the circle is broken. The ritual does not imprison spirits within it. It merely renders their powers useless on anything within the circle. Spirits cannot use their powers to physically break the circle, but may use certain powers to convince other beings to do so. Wraiths compelled to stay within the circle gain a temporary Angst point for every hour forced to do so. To escape succumbing to their Shadow, they may choose to voluntarily enter slumber, in the hopes the Necromancer will give up and release them. Some Necromancers take this opportunity to create Fetishes instead (see above, instead of a resisted Willpower roll, the necromancer makes a Intelligence+Occult roll versus 7).
The paths and rituals of Thaumaturgy may affect the Spirits of the Dead, although not to as great a degree as Necromancy. The basic rule for such powers is to give Wraiths a temporary Angst point per level of the path or ritual when such powers are used against them, assuming the path or ritual is successful. Wraiths do fear these powers as they may control them or even imprison Wraiths in magical items as energy sources.
Anytime a Mage uses one of the Spheres of Magick to summon, capture, or control a Wraith, there is a chance the Wraith will gain temporary Angst points. There is also a chance the Mage will gain Paradox.
The difference is between whether the Wraith is willing to be summoned or to assist the summoner. Should it be a situation in which the Wraith cooperates with the Mage, then the Magick is considered coincidental and no Paradox or Angst is gained. Should it be an adversarial situation, however, then the Magick is considered vulgar. In such a situation, the Mage gains Paradox as per the usual rules, and the Wraith gains temporary Angst points equal to the Paradox. A self-destructive Wraith can do great harm to the summoning Mage. Any effect caused by the Wraith which would be seen as a vulgar Magick effect, incurs Paradox upon the summoning Mage. The Wraith, of course, gains equivalent temporary Angst and may succumb to slumber or even to their Shadow.
Many Mages take care to treat the Spirits of the Dead with great respect, especially those of the Dreamspeakers, Celestial Chorus, and Akashic Brotherhood Traditions. The Euthanatos are respectful of Wraiths, but they do much harm with their meddling in the affairs of the afterlife.
The basic rule of thumb when a 'Hedge Mage' summons a Wraith is to give the Wraith one temporary Angst point upon being summoned. Should the Wraith perform some major task, additional temporary Angst points may be gained, especially if the Wraith is forced to do the task.