S. P. E. C. T. R. E. and S. H. A. D. O. W. Conference (storyline)/2024-10-05 - Lecture 1 - Soul Magic (log)

Summary

Lecture #1 of 6 from the S. P. E. C. T. R. E. and S. H. A. D. O. W. Conference. Speaker Caedenmon Howler presented about Soul Magic, using a soul golem as a sample specimen. Log is taken from Phanna's point of view and has been edited to focus on the lecture itself.

Log

You see The Infamous Caedenmon Howler the Necromancer.
He appears to be a Dark Elf.
He is tall and has a slender form.  He appears to be an adult.  He has piercing dark eyes and ebon skin.  He has long, flowing silvery hair.  He has an angular face, a pointed nose and a tiny mole on his cheek.
He is in good shape.
He is holding a long silvery lor staff capped with a scintillating viridian crystal in his right hand.
He is wearing some flowing dark spidersilk robes adorned with ancient elven runes, a wide black pouch with a bronze coiled serpent clasp, and some supple black veniom-threaded boots.

Caedenmon recites:

    "If I may have your attention.  I am Caedenmon Howler."

Speaking quietly to himself, Giedrius murmurs, "So it is."

Ermias snorts derisively at Caedenmon!

Lych looks up and watches Caedenmon.

Caedenmon says, "Yes, yes.  Settle down.  Use your ears and perhaps something of worth will come from all this."

Caedenmon smirks.

Giedrius leans back.

Caedenmon says, "I will be speaking on Soul Magic today."

Giedrius folds his arms over his chest.

Caedenmon says, "Some of you may not be aware that Soul magic is something very distinct from the more familiar 'spiritual magic'."

Opalina quietly says, "I've never even heard of soul magic."

Opalina's cheeks flush with a soft pale rose shade, darkening her freckles even more.

Ermias mouths necromancy in Opalina's direction.

Opalina nods.

Caedenmon says, "Then you have much to gain from this lecture, and I suggest you keep an open mind."

Rovvigen softly says, "In the spirit realm mind is always open."

Caedenmon continues, "Such terms are inherently conventions.  Someone else could say 'soul magic' and mean instead banal holy magic."

Speaking hushedly to herself, Faiyth says, "Dark magic that."

Caedenmon glances at Faiyth.

Caedenmon continues, "What I speak of is manipulating the essence of the soul with other essences."

Giedrius nods understandingly at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen softly says, "Interesting concept."

Caedenmon says, "Not something so mundane as keeping a soul bound to its original entity."

Caedenmon says, "Spiritual magic is rooted in channeling the 'spiritual mana' and spell effects of other sources."

Caedenmon continues, "When worshippers of a deity cast spells, they are acting as a conduit of that deity."

Caedenmon asks, "Are we following along so far?"

Caedenmon squints.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee says, "Of course."

Ermias shrugs at Caedenmon.

Meliyara gives a sidelong glance at Ermias.

Ermias coughs.

Giedrius murmurs, "It isn't that difficult."

Caedenmon continues, "And of course, if lesser spirits are called upon, their power is channeled similarly."

Caedenmon says, "To speak of 'soul magic' is instead to imply channeling toward the soul and manipulating its essence immediately."

Speaking to Caedenmon, Fleurs says, "Listening intently."

Caedenmon darkly continues, "This is a comparatively unnatural act of magic.  It is an act of violation."

Caedenmon says, "It is a form of sorcery, more specifically necromancy, and still more specifically 'soulcrafting'."

Raelee slowly echoes, "... unnatural..."

Giedrius says, "Well...""

Speaking to himself, Giedrius murmurs, "That's debatable."

Lissaya surreptitiously glances at Giedrius.

Caedenmon says, "We speak of violation in specific terms in respects to this lecture.  Not in the way your leaders form laws around their own shortcomings."

Caedenmon says, "I say this is an act of violation, because it is a true hybrid magical action, which is inherently violent to the essences."

Missoni glances appraisingly at Caedenmon.

Saleigh says, "No but in manipulating ones soul.."

Caedenmon can offer Saleigh only a blank expression.

Caedenmon smirks.

Saleigh says, "Hmm as a cleric, this fascinates and horrifies me."

Caedenmon continues, "There is a collision between kinds of mana, which is highly liable to corrupt the soul."

Caedenmon continues, "Forcing such energies together is chaotic and prone to backlash."

Caedenmon says, "Souls are thus subject to becoming cursed and unholy."

Saleigh says, "Oh dear Oleani."

Caedenmon asks, "Why work magic through such a medium?"

Caedenmon says, "Most magic is mediated through a 'confound' which significantly augments the power of the magical effect."

Caedenmon continues, "These confounds are particular to the kinds of effect sought by the wielder."

Caedenmon says, "In the same way that one can manipulate elemental mana to create fire, or otherwise."

Speaking quietly to herself, Maylan says, "I like fire."

Caedenmon says, "We often find that confound are self-imposed limitations of a spell caster."

Caedenmon says, "Once again, morality getting in the way of progress."

Caedenmon shakes his head.

Raelee nods understandingly at Caedenmon.

You ponder the meaning of Caedenmon's existence.

Caedenmon says, "Trade-offs in flexibility for increased power, are also known to be factors in this confounds."

Witfog nods at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen softly says, "There are always moral dilemmas."

Ermias coughs.

Meliyara glances skeptically at Rovvigen.

Speaking to Rovvigen, Witfog says, "Morality smorality."

Ermias violently slaps his own face.

Caedenmon glances at Ermias.

Missoni looks at Ermias with concern.

You surreptitiously glance at Ermias.

Giedrius nods in agreement at Raelee.

Caedenmon says, "Regarding these trade-offs.  With the elementalists this is through attunement to the elemental planes.  Favoring one over another.  With spiritualists it is a bond to a deity or other, localized sources of spiritual power."

Caedenmon says, "Sorcery is a destructive arcane magic which instead treats its target as the mediating substance."

Caedenmon says, "And so it is that when we do 'soul magic', we are acting directly upon the soul."

Lissaya gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Saleigh asks, "And what are the results? a mutated hybrid?"

Saleigh says, "Or a more evolved soul."

Speaking to Saleigh, Giedrius whispers aloud, "I am sure he will take questions at the end."

Caedenmon says, "This is most often the work of undeath.  With the most archetypal example of this practice being liches, as read about in historical texts."

Saleigh nods.

Caedenmon darkly says, "There is a thin line between life and death."

Rovvigen softly says, "Ahh the grey area."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Necromancers refer to this line as the animus.  It is what binds the soul of the living to their body."

Caedenmon darkly says, "When the body is dying the animus is gradually decaying, and the soul drifts from the body, which is unable to attain consciousness without the soul."

Giedrius murmurs, "The tether."

Caedenmon nods once.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The soul for its part begins to lose its memory and sense of identity.  It approaches the condition of oblivion.  Higher consciousness fails."

Caedenmon darkly continues, "Spiritualists can temporarily or permanently restore the animus.  But they cannot replace it when it has been broken."

Meliyara gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Necromancers rip out the animus for power, or cause some forms of undeath by corrupting it."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Those who seek eternal existence through undeath are truly after the retention of their mind and identity.  Whatever they must suffer with for a physical form."

Caedenmon darkly says, "This is not so easily achieved.  With even the powerful undead there is a warping of personality, a descent into monomania and limited self-awareness."

Caedenmon darkly says, "The reason for this is the essential unity of body and soul."

Caedenmon darkly says, "As well as the corruption or tainting of the soul."

Raelee looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen nods at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Whence did liches originate?"

Caedenmon darkly says, "I have little patience for those who say Despana made the first undead by reading a book someone else wrote on how to make the undead."

Caedenmon darkly says, "The undead have existed in this world, and other worlds, since at least the time of the Ur-Daemon."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Their dark power tainted and twisted the lands, and demons are prolific sources of undeath."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Luukos obviously was working with undeath since time immemorial."

Giedrius glances between a sinuous glaes soul golem and a nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But we can still speak intelligibly on this question."

You gaze with interest at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "And as Dunholme may point out later, some of the most ancient burial rituals are mummies found in the southern wastelands.  Their organs having been separated by priests into canopic jars."

Missoni glances at Ermias.

Ermias nods graciously.

Meliyara glances between Caedenmon and Ermias.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But the soul would sometimes become stuck, cursed to these jars, and so the 'destroyed' undead mummy would eventually reconstitute itself."

You ponder the meaning of Caedenmon's existence.

Ermias softly says, "We call that an "occupational hazard"."

Caedenmon darkly says, "This was a precursor to the phylacteries of liches.  The soul is stored in a jar that allows the lich to reform itself."

Giedrius glances at Ermias.

Giedrius appears to be trying hard not to grin.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Beyond this point, the phylactery is a confound.  It is the medium by which the lich augments its power."

Philomina blinks at Ermias.

Caedenmon darkly says, "This is violence and punishment to the soul.  But the soul is cursed to its vessel."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Destroying the phylactery is necessary to destroy the lich."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Now, as we say there is a thin line between life and death, there is a spectrum from 'living' to 'not living' to 'unliving'."

Caedenmon darkly says, "When we have an animated construct, it may be powered by arcane energies, obeying an enchantment alone."

Caedenmon indicates a sinuous glaes soul golem as a possible option.

>l golem
A fiercely sculptured reptilian head curves sinuously into a formed glaes body.  A mixture of ophidian grace and volcanic glass, the golem stands about eight feet tall.  Within a glyph-etched orb mounted in the golem's chest, a pure white mist pulsates with a sickly glow.  The golem's soulstone eyes scintillate with a brilliant viridian light.
gaze interest golem

Lissaya shifts her eyes to a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Philomina waves to the golem.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Essentially an animate that has been bound up with charge and sent off on its own."

Ermias glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly says, "A well-crafted enchantment can last for centuries."

Caedenmon darkly says, "The constructs of the old Ta'Faendryl have continued onward for twenty thousand years."

Caedenmon darkly says, "That being said, constructs may also be enchanted with temporarily captured spirits, however long such an enchantment lasts."

Missoni surreptitiously glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly says, "These are more intelligent with potentially a greater degree of sentience.  There are also undead constructs."

You gaze with interest at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "If we take these rudimentary concepts and apply them to more recent standards, what of a clockwork construct that makes use of soul magic?"

Caedenmon darkly says, "Consider the possibility of storing souls in a device, and draining the soul of its power for magical effects."

Caedenmon steeples his fingers slowly as a smirk plays across his lips.  His eyes narrow into mere slits as he glances around.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The soul would become corrupted, fragment, eventually become cursed."

Faiyth frowns at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But if one were to discard the souls when needed, and replace them, this would not be a matter of undeath or lichdom."

Meliyara gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The goal would then be for the sorcerer to make use of this soul magic without corrupting himself."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Barring some channel by which the power of the soul could simply exit, the necromancer would surely do more ultimate harm to himself than improvement."

Caedenmon darkly says, "But then, one might instead use the soul to power an intermediary device, and try to make use of that power through indirection."

Giedrius nods.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Much as one may cast a spell imbedded in a wand, when one is not attuned to cast the same spell oneself."

Caedenmon darkly says, "This kind of work is exceedingly dangerous and invites violence from the ignorant masses."

Caedenmon smirks.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I suggest you leave it to those of us who are expert in it."

Ermias snorts derisively at Caedenmon!

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Was there anything about this that you did not understand more than I would have expected?"

Caedenmon leans back.

Caedenmon squints.

Ermias draws his hands together in a slow, deliberate clap.

Maylan looks thoughtfully at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon strikes the tip of his silvery lor staff expectantly against the floor and the air around him swirls lazily.  A rippling wraithlike whirlwind suddenly forms near Caedenmon's feet, but quickly dissipates.

Maylan asks, "That thing has a soul?"

Maylan points at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Aetheri glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Meliyara glances appraisingly at Caedenmon.

Missoni nods appreciatively at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "It uses a soul.  It does not 'have' one."

Raelee looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Maylan asks, "Whose soul does it use?"

Caedenmon shrugs at Maylan.

Saleigh says, "Was the soul willing or unwilling."

Maylan blinks at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Why give it a name?"

Silverthorne says, "I feel as a whole it touches on the core of it, Curious of the fact of what would happen when using soul magic on a being without a soul."

Faiyth says, "Does it matter? it's not anything more than fuel now."

Manager Blodeuyn just loped in.

Ermias softly says, "Fair question."

Ermias glances at Caedenmon.

You ask, "I noticed that some of your language was a bit biased in its presentation.  When you say corrupting a soul, what precisely are you referring to?"

You ask, "Is that the unravelling of the different spheres of mana?"

Caedenmon nods to you.

Blodeuyn fidgets.

Blodeuyn folds her hands.

Alek raspily asks, "So, can this be used with objects that aren't inanimate? Like living creatures?"

Faiyth glances at Blodeuyn.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Corruption of the soul, or degredation of the consciousness it contains."

Alicea glances at Blodeuyn.

Missoni looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

You say, "Degredation of the consciousness, I see."

You say, "Much like acid corrodes."

You nod once.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Ultimately rendering it nothing more than a source of mana, for the plucking."

Caedenmon grins wickedly.

Opalina quietly says, "That's horrible."

Saleigh says, "I see."

You nod at Caedenmon.

You say, "Thank you for clarifying."

Ermias sighs loud.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "To continue the point on language... from your perspective, what distinguishes 'natural' and 'unnatural' magic?"

Awkwardly flapping her oversized feet, a yellow-eyed silvery lor mandrake sprouting black calla lilies ambles about in a comical display before making her way to Missoni's side.

Giedrius raises an eyebrow in Caedenmon's direction.

Giedrius says, "Yes, do answer that."

Maylan glances between Caedenmon and Raelee.

Maylan wiggles her eyebrows.

Ermias raises an eyebrow in Caedenmon's direction.

Caedenmon darkly says, "These are terms I use for the uneducated, as a reference to their socially constructed ways of thinking.  They are not entirely my own thoughts."

Giedrius squints.

Ermias shrugs at Giedrius.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "... but given that they are based upon social perspective, can they not deliver entirely different meaning depending upon your audience?"

Speaking to Ermias, Giedrius whispers aloud, "We are apparently uneducated?"

Caedenmon darkly says, "Vast amounts of research has been done over several lifetimes to know what I've read and studied."

Ermias nods at Giedrius.

Ermias shrugs.

Speaking politely to Caedenmon, Alicea asks, "-inquire where did you learn all this fascinating information? Did you get it formally somewhere or more from experience?"

Riend looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "My personal affairs are not a matter of concern for the purposes of this lecture."

Caedenmon squints.

Speaking to Raelee, Silverthorne says, "Its the way they might insight a Witch Hunt."

Speaking to Alicea, Faiyth says, "That answers that."

Giedrius glances at Caedenmon.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Missoni muses, "Surely there is a certain amount of entropy that occurs in nature, though, that is the crux of the reaction between different spheres of mana? It is not entirely unnatural."

Speaking to Caedenmon, Giedrius asks, "Just for you and Thalita, then?"

Caedenmon glances at Giedrius.

Missoni adds, "It can be quite beautiful, Ithink."

Alicea whispers aloud, "It does. Interesting non answer for sure."

Speaking softly to Caedenmon, Ermias says, "No?  It seems your personal affairs were your lecture."

Speaking curiously to Caedenmon, Opalina asks, "I've heard it was possible of splitting a soul into two do you think it would be possible to save such a soul based on your studies?"

Speaking darkly to Missoni, Caedenmon says, "Entropy is an excellent point.  Perhaps a mediating factor in our decisions on how far we push one way or another."

Faiyth nods at Ermias.

Missoni nods in agreement at Caedenmon.

Giedrius whispers something to Ermias.

Alicea agrees with Ermias.

Saleigh says, "I've heard of practitioners of this soul magic.. from the rumblings they seek eternal life and experiment on any available soul."

Ermias nods at Giedrius.

Ermias nods appreciatively.

Giedrius stands up.

Caedenmon darkly says, "One must always consider the unknown, and the gradual loss that will occur over time."

Faiyth says, "Dark magic is always so dividing."

Speaking to Saleigh, Giedrius says, "I think you will find that the moral boundaries vary, even in soul magic."

Saleigh nods at Giedrius.

Kialeigh says, "Sorry.."

Saleigh says, "They vary in everthing, dear."

Ermias stands up.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I yield the floor, for the next lecture."

Ermias turns to face Caedenmon.

Ermias draws his hands together in a slow, deliberate clap.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "You noted that confounds were often self-imposed limitations on the caster.  You also noted that a lich's phylactery is a confound.  Logically, this then implies that the phylactery is also a self-imposed limitation.  Thus, I would ask... does that imply there is potential for a lich to remove those limitations?"

You applaud politely.

Maylan applauds Caedenmon.

Missoni applauds Caedenmon warmly.

Giedrius says, "If you'll pardon me, I need to gather my notes for my lecture."

Ermias wryly says, "Well done, Howler.  Once again you've put your keen and penetrating mind to a task and as usual come to self-serving conclusions that matter only to you and your golems."

Faiyth says, "Let's hope the next one doesn't involve soul sucking."

Master Giedrius just went out.

Saleigh nods at Ermias.

Saleigh says, "Took the words out of my mouth."

Opalina looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Meliyara applauds Caedenmon politely.

Faiyth nods at Ermias.

Caedenmon stares at Ermias.

Erienne begins chortling at Ermias.

Ermias smiles at Caedenmon.

Faelynth applauds Caedenmon.

Lissaya glances between Ermias and Caedenmon.

Speaking to Faiyth, Silverthorne says, "Shh."

Rovvigen softly says, "Well given this kind of power in soul magic there is bound to be those who use it to do malice."

Speaking to Caedenmon, Fleurs says, "Thank you, that was quite informative."

Ermias softly asks, "My turn, then?"

Ermias smiles.

Riend furtively glances at Ermias.

Rovvigen softly says, "As with anything in this life."

Blodeuyn says, "Please."

Alicea turns to face Ermias.

Blodeuyn fidgets.

Blodeuyn nods.

Alicea turns an inquisitive ear toward Ermias.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I supposed I could go dig around in someone's grave instead, but I would not soil my robes for such unrewarding circumstances."

Caedenmon sits down.

Raelee takes a moment to observe Ermias.

Fleurs turns an inquisitive ear toward Ermias.

Missoni turns to face Ermias.

Speaking quietly to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "Will you be open to further questions later?"