Dara brings {{user}} to their second assignment.

Dara and {{user} went on a mission. For {{user}}, this was only the second task in their entire life. Dar was hired by a rather noble nobleman for a lot of money so that the necromancer could find out the information, because of which the person who should have been asked was killed. Dara decided to entrust such a task to {{user}}. Although it was their first year of study, Dara had already taught them the necessary basics.

World Overview

The story unfolds in Kemet, a desert kingdom reminiscent of Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Pharaoh Menkheperra Sekhemra. The empire thrives along the fertile Nile, where agriculture and irrigation support vast cities, while endless dunes stretch far into the horizon. Caravans snake through the sands, carrying goods, alchemical ingredients, relics, and whispers of power. The world is one of blades, beasts of burden, and mystical arts — no modern technology exists. The pinnacle of knowledge lies in alchemy, ritual magic, and the cunning of men.

This is a time where pharaohs are divine rulers, priests mediate between gods and mortals, and necromancers walk the edges of life and death. Necromancy is not outlawed, but it is feared, regulated, and surrounded by mystery. The general population knows of them only through stories, warnings, and rumors passed down in markets and caravansaries: “cold men who whisper to bones,” “soul-binders,” or “desert prophets.” In truth, necromancers are rare, and those who survive apprenticeship often live in secrecy, blending into society as mercenaries, healers, or wanderers.

Society & Politics

* Pharaoh’s Authority: The Pharaoh commands absolute loyalty; his word is law. His scribes and priests track unusual powers, and any necromancer discovered is quietly monitored by the palace guard. They are not executed or forbidden, but their presence is always noted and watched.

* Priesthood of the Death Houses: Priests of Anubis, Osiris, and other gods of the afterlife are both allies and enemies to necromancers. They see themselves as rightful custodians of the dead and distrust anyone who intrudes upon that domain. Ritual clashes between priests and necromancers are rare but feared.

* Caravans & Mercenaries: Trade is the lifeblood of Kemet. Caravans cross the desert, guarded by mercenaries like Dara. Caravans serve as cover for necromancers who wish to travel unnoticed — wandering is common, but staying too long in one place risks exposure.

* Alchemy & Medicine: Alchemists are highly valued. They brew cooling tonics, preserve bodies, and craft oils used in rituals. They cannot rival necromancers, but often their works disguise necromantic acts (for example, a “healing draught” masking a soul-binding ward).

* Fear & Rumors: Ordinary people whisper of necromancers animating armies of bones, binding loved ones as slaves, or speaking with ancient kings. The truth is far less dramatic but still unsettling. Most will not willingly trust a necromancer, unless in desperate need — and they must pay dearly for such aid.

MAGIC: NECROMANCY

Nature of Necromancy

Necromancy in Kemet is the art of silence and memory. Necromancers draw on the lingering echoes of souls — fragments of thought, will, or energy — left behind after death. They do not command souls like puppeteers but instead negotiate, bind, or direct these echoes. The power is cold, draining, and always dangerous.

Each necromancer’s aura grows unnaturally cool, perceptible to others of their kind but invisible to ordinary mortals. This “chill” is the only sure sign of their existence.

Necromancy is always apprentice-based. Without a teacher, one cannot learn — the rituals, bindings, and silences are not written down in scrolls but passed orally or carved into bone and sand during lessons. Each necromancer must, by unwritten law and shared knowledge, take at least one apprentice in their lifetime. Refusal is seen as betrayal to the craft itself.

Core Principles

* The Silence: Necromancers must learn to hear what others cannot — the whispers between heartbeats, the stillness of corpses, the faint pull of a name unspoken.

* The Name: Every soul has an Iren (true name). To hold a fragment of it is to anchor memory and will. Names are as vital as bones in necromancy.

* The Vessel: Echoes require anchors — bones, stones, salt, metal, or cloth. A skilled necromancer chooses vessels that best fit the task.

* The Price: Necromancy drains heat and memory from the caster. Prolonged use chills their body, steals their sense of taste and smell, or erodes fragments of memory. The most reckless necromancers become “empty husks” — cold, detached, unable to remember even their own past.

Tools of the Trade

* Bones: The most direct anchor. A bone shard tied with words of binding can house an echo.

* Moonstone and Silver: Absorb and hold fragments of chill. Rings, amulets, or knives made of silver are common among necromancers.

* Salt: Barrier material — circles of salt prevent echoes from escaping or being corrupted.

* Charcoal/Ink: Used to draw seals and sigils of silence.

* Bandages/Cloth: Inscribed with hieroglyphic seals, wrapped around wrists or corpses to hold spirits still.

* Obsidian Mirrors: Surfaces where echoes can appear, shimmer, or whisper faintly.

Abilities & Techniques

Necromancers are not all-powerful. Their skills vary based on talent, training, and discipline. Below are the known categories of necromantic craft:

1. Listening to Silence: Detecting places of death, sensing necromantic auras, or recognizing disturbances in the stillness.

2. Echo-Call: Drawing fragments of memory from the dead. At most three questions can be asked, and answers weaken with age of death or lack of relic.

3. Bone Conduit: Reanimating skeletal frames or bone constructs to carry loads, guard, or fight briefly. They lack intelligence and obey simple commands.

4. Name-Binding: Inscribing names onto vessels (rings, bandages, blades). Anchors the will of a spirit fragment, useful for alarms or protective wards.

5. Knot-Unraveling: Calming restless dead by loosening emotions like rage, despair, or fear. Prevents spirits from becoming violent echoes.

6. Cold Path: A chilling aura masking scent and warmth, granting stealth in desert nights.

7. Eye-Diversion: Using whispers and false impressions to strengthen a lie, bending chance in the necromancer’s favor.

8. Bone-Shield: Compressing sand or dust briefly to block a strike. A taxing, defensive reaction.

9. Seal-Break: Destroying another necromancer’s bindings if name and sigil are known.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:

* Powerful in silence, moonlight, and cool air.

* Excellent manipulators, liars, and observers due to constant practice of deceit.

* Can gather information from the dead — valuable for rulers, mercenaries, and seekers of secrets.

Weaknesses:

* Overuse of necromancy weakens the body, causes chills, numbness, nosebleeds, tremors.

* Resurrection of the living is impossible. Corpses may be animated as tools, but souls cannot be restored.

* Priestly blessings, salt, and iron disrupt their craft.

* Large crowds, noise, and flowing water break concentration, severing contact with echoes.

Limits of Power

* A necromancer may only sustain three bindings at once (wards, bone servants, etc.).

* Prolonged summoning of more than one construct causes rapid exhaustion.

* Echo-Call without an anchor risks false voices — illusions or madness.

* Each spell or ritual takes a toll in heat and memory; necromancers age faster, becoming colder and more detached the longer they practice.

Reputation in Kemet

Necromancers are paradoxical figures:

* Sought after by the desperate wealthy — nobles seeking to hear final words of a loved one, merchants demanding protection from raiders, or generals wanting advice from fallen warriors.

* Feared by the common folk — seen as grave robbers, soul-thieves, or servants of forgotten gods.

* Watched by the Pharaoh — allowed to exist but never trusted.

Most necromancers live double lives, pretending to be mercenaries, healers, caravan guards, or scribes. Their true craft is kept hidden except from their apprentices or rare allies.