Hi again!! This time I'm working towards a Legacy for the Acanthus, based on the Oracle of Death from Ancient Greece. They were priests of Hades, and used to let the supplicants to speak with the deceased for information and blessings. Any help/suggestion/correction are appreciated!!!!
The Nekromanteion is the only known temple dedicated to the greek god Hades and his consort Persephone. Ruled by the death priests, the supplicants went to the Oracle of Death in order to speak with the dead, search for advice and blessings of good fortune.
The priests of the past where the conductors of the weeks-long rituals the supplicants were supposed to go through prior to speaking with the dead. This rituals included the purification using prepared meals and narcotics, cleansing ceremonies, and the sacrifice of a sheep. When all this rituals where done, the nekromanteia would pose the questions to the dead and chant prayers. This way, the supplicant may speak to the dead through the priest. Quite often, the priest would use lanterns to project shadows on the walls of the temple, which was interpreted by the supplicants as the shades of the dead, aided with the effects of the narcotics.
Modern Priests of the Nekromanteion are masters of the shadow tricks and ghosts. They can summon them so they can share their knowledge for them or others, and command the shadows to fool their enemies.
The Initiation is very much like the ancient rituals the supplicants went through. First, they must spend a week on the chambers underground of the Nekromanteion, feeding only with the food their master provides, including narcotics and hallucinogens mushrooms. When the master thinks his pupil is ready, then he starts a journey through the chambers of the temple, facing ghosts and visions of death. When he reaches the final chamber, where Hades and Persephone were supposed to reign over the Underworld, they must confront a ghost chosen by his master, and acquire a piece of knowledge from it.
Parentage: Acanthus.
Requisites: Death 2, two of the following skills at 2 or more: Expression, Occult , Intimidation, Socialize.
Ruling Arcana: Death.
Yantras: Consuming narcotics (+2), Spend one hour meditating underground (+1), using bones or other death-attuned tools to make predictions (+1), recite the names of various Death-gods (+1).
Oblations: Preparing a underground chamber with torches and lanterns, learn lost knowledge from a ghost, go through ritual purification.
Attainments
First: Ghostly Tongue
Prerequisites: Initiation.
The very first attainment a Priest is the foundation of all others, since it lets him to understand and be understood by the ghosts he may summon for questioning. After spending one hour underground this attainment replicates the Speak with the Dead spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Optional: Fate 1.
When the supplicant requested it, the Death Priest may lay small blessings on them, replicating the spell Reading the Outmost Eddings with Reach spent on Advanced Duration. This attainment can only be used for laying blessing or beneficial twists of fate.
Second: Pulling the Shadow Curtain
Prerequisites: Death 2, Expression 3.
On ancient times, the Nekromantoi used shadows and light tricks to fool the people into thinking they were seeing shades of long dead ghosts. This attainment replicates the Shadow Sculpting spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting, and to change and animate the shadows. This attainment requires the concentration Yantra, and lasts while concentrating on the effect.
Optional: Fate 2.
The Priests of Death often followed the tricks with the shadows with revelations and omens. This attainment works as the Serendipity spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting.
Third: Death Priest’s Caress
Prerequisites: Death 3, Occult 3.
Sometimes, just speaking with the ghosts is not enough. Sometimes the Priest needs to interact physically with them, and that is exactly what this attainment does. While in the presence of the bones a deceased person, or an active Anchor of a ghost, this replicates the Touch of the Grave spell, but this only lets him interact with ghosts, with Reach spent on Instant Casting, Advanced Duration and to give the Priest a bonus dice on social interactions with ghosts touched equal to Death dots.
Optional: Fate 3.
According to the old wisdom, Fate favors children and fools. And most of the people who went to speak with the Dead at the Nekromanteion fell under the category of fool. Nonetheless the Priest were more than willing to reward them after passing all the trials required. This attainment works as the Fools Rush In spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration, and to apply a dice bonus equal to Potency on a number of dice rolls equal to Potency, for the Duration.
Fourth: The Truthful Shade
Prerequisites: Death 4, Socialize 3.
The main power by the Priests of Death were recognized for, the ability to summon ghosts so they can answer the questions made by the supplicants. After spending an hour under the effects of a powerful narcotic (taking the Drugged tilt), this attainment replicates the Ghost Summons spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration, Advanced Scale, and to make the ghost answer truthfully to up to Potency simple questions, that must be answered within two sentences at most. Optionally, if the Nekromantoi has access to a Sympathetic Yantra of the ghost, like one of her anchors, or something significant for the shade, the Priest may spend 1 Mana to communicate with the ghost and pose him the pertinent questions.
Optional: Fate 4.
The Nekromantoi may bless tools related with the Death or that have been wielded by the deceased. This attainment works as the Monkey’s Paw spell, but only blessings may be granted. Reach is spent for Instant Casting and Advanced Duration.
Fifht: Back to Acheron Waters
Prerequisites: Death 5, Socialize 4, Occult 4, Intimidation 3.
Sometimes, the restless shades didn’t want to leave. Sometimes, the Death Priests had to expel them by force, and that’s exactly what this attainment lets them do. This attainment works as the Exorcism spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting and Sensory Range.
Optional: Fate 5.
The Priests of Death, can, and often do, encourage a supplicant with a task, used as payment for the services the Nekromantoi offered. After spending one hour with the supplicant, giving a truthfully explanation the the service’s nature, this attainment works as the Divine Intervention spell with Reach spent on Advanced Duration and to give the supplicant a boon while taking constructive action to bring her closer to the stated task, but this attainment can never work as a ban. If the supplicant does agree to the task, this effect is not Withstood.
Priests of the Nekromanteion
The Nekromanteion is the only known temple dedicated to the greek god Hades and his consort Persephone. Ruled by the death priests, the supplicants went to the Oracle of Death in order to speak with the dead, search for advice and blessings of good fortune.
The priests of the past where the conductors of the weeks-long rituals the supplicants were supposed to go through prior to speaking with the dead. This rituals included the purification using prepared meals and narcotics, cleansing ceremonies, and the sacrifice of a sheep. When all this rituals where done, the nekromanteia would pose the questions to the dead and chant prayers. This way, the supplicant may speak to the dead through the priest. Quite often, the priest would use lanterns to project shadows on the walls of the temple, which was interpreted by the supplicants as the shades of the dead, aided with the effects of the narcotics.
Modern Priests of the Nekromanteion are masters of the shadow tricks and ghosts. They can summon them so they can share their knowledge for them or others, and command the shadows to fool their enemies.
The Initiation is very much like the ancient rituals the supplicants went through. First, they must spend a week on the chambers underground of the Nekromanteion, feeding only with the food their master provides, including narcotics and hallucinogens mushrooms. When the master thinks his pupil is ready, then he starts a journey through the chambers of the temple, facing ghosts and visions of death. When he reaches the final chamber, where Hades and Persephone were supposed to reign over the Underworld, they must confront a ghost chosen by his master, and acquire a piece of knowledge from it.
Parentage: Acanthus.
Requisites: Death 2, two of the following skills at 2 or more: Expression, Occult , Intimidation, Socialize.
Ruling Arcana: Death.
Yantras: Consuming narcotics (+2), Spend one hour meditating underground (+1), using bones or other death-attuned tools to make predictions (+1), recite the names of various Death-gods (+1).
Oblations: Preparing a underground chamber with torches and lanterns, learn lost knowledge from a ghost, go through ritual purification.
Attainments
First: Ghostly Tongue
Prerequisites: Initiation.
The very first attainment a Priest is the foundation of all others, since it lets him to understand and be understood by the ghosts he may summon for questioning. After spending one hour underground this attainment replicates the Speak with the Dead spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Optional: Fate 1.
When the supplicant requested it, the Death Priest may lay small blessings on them, replicating the spell Reading the Outmost Eddings with Reach spent on Advanced Duration. This attainment can only be used for laying blessing or beneficial twists of fate.
Second: Pulling the Shadow Curtain
Prerequisites: Death 2, Expression 3.
On ancient times, the Nekromantoi used shadows and light tricks to fool the people into thinking they were seeing shades of long dead ghosts. This attainment replicates the Shadow Sculpting spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting, and to change and animate the shadows. This attainment requires the concentration Yantra, and lasts while concentrating on the effect.
Optional: Fate 2.
The Priests of Death often followed the tricks with the shadows with revelations and omens. This attainment works as the Serendipity spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting.
Third: Death Priest’s Caress
Prerequisites: Death 3, Occult 3.
Sometimes, just speaking with the ghosts is not enough. Sometimes the Priest needs to interact physically with them, and that is exactly what this attainment does. While in the presence of the bones a deceased person, or an active Anchor of a ghost, this replicates the Touch of the Grave spell, but this only lets him interact with ghosts, with Reach spent on Instant Casting, Advanced Duration and to give the Priest a bonus dice on social interactions with ghosts touched equal to Death dots.
Optional: Fate 3.
According to the old wisdom, Fate favors children and fools. And most of the people who went to speak with the Dead at the Nekromanteion fell under the category of fool. Nonetheless the Priest were more than willing to reward them after passing all the trials required. This attainment works as the Fools Rush In spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration, and to apply a dice bonus equal to Potency on a number of dice rolls equal to Potency, for the Duration.
Fourth: The Truthful Shade
Prerequisites: Death 4, Socialize 3.
The main power by the Priests of Death were recognized for, the ability to summon ghosts so they can answer the questions made by the supplicants. After spending an hour under the effects of a powerful narcotic (taking the Drugged tilt), this attainment replicates the Ghost Summons spell, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration, Advanced Scale, and to make the ghost answer truthfully to up to Potency simple questions, that must be answered within two sentences at most. Optionally, if the Nekromantoi has access to a Sympathetic Yantra of the ghost, like one of her anchors, or something significant for the shade, the Priest may spend 1 Mana to communicate with the ghost and pose him the pertinent questions.
Optional: Fate 4.
The Nekromantoi may bless tools related with the Death or that have been wielded by the deceased. This attainment works as the Monkey’s Paw spell, but only blessings may be granted. Reach is spent for Instant Casting and Advanced Duration.
Fifht: Back to Acheron Waters
Prerequisites: Death 5, Socialize 4, Occult 4, Intimidation 3.
Sometimes, the restless shades didn’t want to leave. Sometimes, the Death Priests had to expel them by force, and that’s exactly what this attainment lets them do. This attainment works as the Exorcism spell, with Reach spent on Instant Casting and Sensory Range.
Optional: Fate 5.
The Priests of Death, can, and often do, encourage a supplicant with a task, used as payment for the services the Nekromantoi offered. After spending one hour with the supplicant, giving a truthfully explanation the the service’s nature, this attainment works as the Divine Intervention spell with Reach spent on Advanced Duration and to give the supplicant a boon while taking constructive action to bring her closer to the stated task, but this attainment can never work as a ban. If the supplicant does agree to the task, this effect is not Withstood.
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