Other Setting Differences
From Lavosbyssals
Underworld
- Thorns is not under the control of the Mask of Winters, who never had Abyssal servants. It remains a Realm tributary, under the control of Satrap Cynis Falen Jalide.
- While Stygia has never been invaded by the Deathlords, the Underworld yet fears them, mostly unsure of their true capabilities, as they build their nations and cults, many putting on the airs of perfect devotion to the Dual Monarchy.
Necromancy
- Certain enlightened mortals and ghosts are capable of using Necromancy, the latter usually being the spirits of the former. However, it is known the Dual Monarchy, Aki the Sword, and others presumably without a tie to Necromancy in life have mastered the art up to the Circle of Iron.
- It is believed among the Abyssals that Five Days Darkness has covertly manipulated the direction of the art among the living and dead. He personally knows Necromancy up to the Labyrinth circle. He encourages the dissemination of Iron circle spells which do not violate the natural order overmuch, or even work with it. He knows that ultimately, he can never prevent the spread of Necromantic knowledge, and thus works to encourage its spread in ways that do not trouble his duty overmuch.
- The Deathlords have mastered up to the Labyrinth circle(and have lost the ability to use sorcery, much to their chagrin). They also are responsible for the spread of Necromantic knowledge, though always in such ways as befits them, tempting power hungry necromancers with forbidden knowledge. The Deathlords are feared for mastery of spells that allow disturbing amounts of control over the dead.
- The Necromantic circle of the Void is known of, but has not yet been used, for no being thus far has proven capable of using it. It is believed, however, that the Abyssals may be able to master it.
- The Trial of Infliction may be performed on oneself.
Spectres
- The Whispers of Oblivion ever mumble within the Labyrinth, barely, if at all audible
or comprehensible to most. However, to those who wish to hear it, or are opened to it from a moment of emotional weakness, the Whispers may be heard clearly, speaking to the weakness within the soul, that all that is is but a hollow lie, a passing vision.
- If a ghost succumbs to this harrowing, their corpus sinks into the substance of the Labyrinth, and they are remade as Spectres, a process which is, as far as anyone knows, utterly irreversible. Spectres often remain similar in appearance and retain previous intelligence. Some are capable of pretending to be their former selves, or ordinary ghosts in general. Ultimately, though, the very being of a Spectre is completely restructured as a thing that loathes all that is, that desires to tear down, and break, and feed everything to the hungry Void.
- One known classification of Spectre is the Shades, Spectres who have drunk perhaps to deeply of the Void, through some manner or another. Shades possess great power, often enough to rival even the Exalted, but their minds have been annihilated, and they possess no intelligence beyond the most instinctual level, and no true personality. Shades rarely exist for more than a few weeks, before they are consumed by Oblivion. The forms of Shades are often monsterous, defying the humanity they once possessed.
The Labyrinth
- Players with an Occult score of 3 or higher know that the Labyrinth is not just made from the dreams of the Neverborn, but also of their sub-souls, who collapsed into the underworld in the war along with their progenitors.
- The Labyrinth has an uncanny awareness of a person, or at least the mad sense that control and compose it do. It is said that this awareness will create things within the Labyrinth for a person as it were, create beasts and places in accord with memories and passions.
- It is also said that some of the souls of the Neverborn formed places of power within the Labyrinth, akin to the Manses of Creation.
