Corpse Magic

The character can use Corpse Magic to temporarily revive a corpse. The target of this Supernatural Ability cannot have received any burial rites from a Divinely-sanctioned religion, and the corpse must be relatively intact, having as a minimum a spine, a skull, and more than half of its long bones. There need not be any flesh remaining. It takes fifteen minutes to chant the spells sufficiently to awaken the dead.

Casting Total: Communication + Corpse Magic + Aura modifier + stress die

Commanding roll: Communication + Leadership + stress die; Leadership may be limited by Language Ability

Compare the result to the following Ease Factors to determine success:

Ease Factor Outcome

• 9 Speak to the dead. The corpse is not compelled to answer truthfully or directly, although it may do so anyway.
• 12 Speak to the dead and compel it to speak truly.Protect a corpse from being affected by further Corpse

Magic. Any attempt to do so has the Ease Factor increased by the Corpse Magic score of the character. 15 Animate a corpse. Orders are followed to the best of the corpse's abilities, but the character must remain in sight of the corpse else it will cease all movement until he returns Take control of an animated corpse. The Commanding roll must be greater than the original animator's (if any), else the corpse continues to follow its previous orders. 18 Animate a corpse and place it under the direct mental control of the character; if he can see the corpse he can issue it orders. He can leave the presence of the corpse and it will continue to obey its orders, but once they

are complete it remains motionless until given another

order by its creator.

The corpse animates and sits up, allowing the character to converse with it directly. A character who is particularly skilled can cause the corpse to rise out of the grave and walk abroad. The character asks questions or issues commands by making a Communication + Leadership roll; the corpse does nothing unless commanded to do so using a roll of this type. Single word commands have an Ease Factor of 6, simple questions or commands require a 9, and more complex instructions or questions need a 12 or more. The character must know the language that the corpse spoke in life to ask it questions or issue commands. If the character is not fluent in this language (that is, a score of 5 or higher), then the character's Leadership is limited by his Language Ability. Once the character has failed three commanding rolls, the corpse sinks back into its grave or ceases movement, and cannot be subject to Corpse Magic again until the moon has risen. All corpses are also laid to rest if their heads are removed from their body.

Walking corpses typically have a Magic Might of 9 (see Realms of Power: Magic, Chapter 6 for more details). The Penetration Total of the Corpse Magic must exceed this Might to cause it to leave its grave, otherwise it is confined to the earth.

Specialties: kings, soldiers, compelling truth, animating the dead.

A cult of undying sorcerers is an excellent source of stories.

Theft of the Dead

A vis source of the characters is being raided by an adherent of the Cult of Dedun. He is clearly not taking it for himself, but due to his Prohibition he will not tell the characters for whom he is working or lead the characters to his temple if he suspects they are watching. Forcing him to do so triggers the Prohibition. This might be the characters' first introduction to the Cult of Dedun.

Soon after clashing with the Cult of Dedun, the characters are approached by a potential ally. She has been fighting against the corruptive influence of the cult, and in secret is a knowing servant of the Black. She asks the characters for help freeing her friend who has been captured by an Undying One. Her friend is secretly an akh(see Chapter 4) who could be another important ally for the player characters against the cult.