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Shyish

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"To know Shyish is to know the continuity of time, the constant transition of past to present to future, from birth through life to death and beyond. No, we are not seers -- we leave that to the astromancers and the priests of the Lord of Dreams. We are, rather, philosophers. And our knowledge is a burden."

—A Magister of the Amethyst Order lecturing his apprentices.[14c]
Amethyst College

Icon of Shyish and the Amethyst Order of wizards who wield it.

Shyish (pronounced "Shy-EESH"[8a]), also called the Lore of Death, Spirit Lore and the Sixth Lore,[14b] and known in Grand Cathay as the Spirit Winds or the Elemental Wind of Spirit[9], is the Purple Wind of Magic or the Amethyst Wind of Magic[1c][14a], and best understood as the Aethyric embodiment of the certainty of mortals regarding the passage of time, endings and death. Shyish is a metaphysical projection of mortals' dread, a reflection of all trepidation felt when faced with the unknown and the fear self-aware life feels towards death and its own ending. Yet, it was also the terrible awe of death, a manifestation of the non-divine reverence and respect mortals projected onto that which they considered sacred or special.[1a][1c]

Most profoundly, Shyish is said to be formed by the realisation of the transience of mortal life. It is reminiscences of days gone by, acceptance of the day currently lived, and longing for the days that may come. And yet for its focus on endings, it is said to be the belief that there is something larger than life -- the knowledge that creation itself is permanent, even if all things within it are not. Shyish must be the dusty murk where all the above concepts meet.[1c]

Shyish blows strongest wherever death must soon be faced and endings take place, or where they already have. Its energies are drawn to death and doom follows in its wake. It is drawn to battlefields, for those are where all soldiers must embrace or submit to their deaths, or at least accept the possibility of their own demise as part of their daily life. It is also attracted to the Gardens of Morr, the sacred cemeteries of Morr, the god of the dead. It hangs in the silence of graveyards where mourners gather in longing and reminiscence, and lingers around the gibbets of execution, the charnel pits, and near what is dead and decaying. It even lies heavy on ruins, those "corpses" of buildings and civilisations that once teemed with life.[1a][5b][7a][14b][14e]

Yet despite its association in popular folklore with graves, death and Undeath, the Magisters of Shyish believe it to be just that -- an association, and mostly a misconception. Rather, they would say, Shyish is the Wind of Magic that embodies transition, time, and memory. To delve into its secrets is to study and contemplate the transitions of life as it ages, how it ends with time, and how its essence moves on from the world. It is suspected that a high concentration of Shyish could take a person or place 'out of phase' with the material world, leaving behind a husk. There is even the idea that the Purple Wind of Magic itself is sentient and can know the intentions of others, but few like to consider that possibility.[14e][14f]

Shyish is most often described as a puppet to the passage of time. In fact, the Purple Wind of Magic flows in and out of the stream of time, following the undetectable current of fate as it goes, leaving behind a record. It carries with it dry, dusty winds and the insistent rustling of sand passing through time's hourglass. It blows from the past, because the past has ended and is gone, through the present, because endings and the expectation of death are intrinsic parts of the living of life, and into the future, for the future leads inevitably towards endings and death. Some have equated Shyish with destiny, for it does not control what was, is, or shall be, but instead permeates and reflects these things with absolute intimacy.[14e][1a][5b][7b][14b][14e]

Shyish is said to be strongest in times of the most obvious transition -- at dawn and dusk, for one is the end of night, and the other is the end of day. Many of the Amethyst Order's rituals occur at these times. Shyish also blows powerfully during spring and autumn, and yet also the solstices of both summer and winter, for they mark the longest and shortest days of the year and therefore the beginning of the end for each of the seasons.[1a][7a]

Amethyst Magic[]

The Purple Wind of Shyish is manipulated and channelled by the Human wizards of the Imperial Amethyst Order, whose adherents are called Amethyst Wizards or "spiriters," though they prefer to call themselves the "Brethren." It is the most mysterious and terrible of all the wholesome forms of magic practiced by Men, the closest of the Eight Winds to the Dark Magic of Chaos. With it, one can command the essence of life and death, and gain mastery over the passage of time. It is the hardest Wind of Magic to detect and use, but at the same time probably the most powerful because it works directly on the living world, and thus can be used to do untold harm in the wrong hands.[1c][1g][5a][5b][7a][13a]

The Lore of Death deals with direct physical effects to living bodies, with death and with doom, and it is true that Magisters of the Amethyst Order have power over the dead and the power to cause death. The signature attribute of the Lore of Death is its life-leeching, the capacity of its users to channel the life forces of their foes into their spells, sometimes without even directly harming them (although this does help significantly). Targets afflicted by spells from the Lore of Death are drained of life, enervated, and listless. Amethyst Magisters can even steal the soul of their enemy (hence the Lore of Death is sometimes called "soul-stealing") leaving nought but a flesh and blood husk.[1d][3a][5b][7b][10][13a]

Once a man or woman has grown to full maturity and the point has been crossed where growing up is replaced with growing old, the Magisters of Shyish are said to be able to actually see in a noticeable and measurable way their slow demise as death claims them in tiny increments, second by second, hour by hour, and day by day. They see the approaching end of all things that live. These Magisters are reputed to even be able to see spirits and souls as they travel between the mortal world and the next.Shyish is also the magical wind of existence after death, and Amethyst Wizards ultimately draw upon the powers of the afterlife. Rather than fear it, the Magisters view death as just another state of being within the Purple Wind's flow through time, which they accept with equanimity.[1d][5b][13a][14f]

Amethyst Magisters are also said to be able to communicate with the spirits of the deceased, after a fashion. The most powerful amongst them are rumoured to be able to contact the spirit world and whatever remains of the souls of the dead that exist within the Aethyr. These spirits may sometimes be encouraged to speak through Shyish's Magisters, for they have a degree of mastery over spirits both benign and otherwise -- although this ability ends, or so they say, when that soul is embraced or devoured, respectively, by one of the many gods of Mankind or the Daemons of Chaos. It is even rumoured that, when Shyish blows strong, Magisters who have "crossed" to the other side themselves can return to the Amethyst College for a time to visit old colleagues and even conduct lectures. The order denies this, however, fearing charges of necromancy.[1d][14f]

The spells of Amethyst Magisters have been designed to accommodate their traditional and often practical problems with speech that emerge as a result of their continuous exposure to the energies of death, allowing them to safely cast only with short invocations, and sometimes none at all.[5b][13a]

Symbolism[]

Amethyst Wizards scorn trivial ornamentation, but certain recurrent symbols are associated with the order, iconography commonly seen on gravestones throughout the Empire that were erected long before the Amethyst College was founded. These symbols include a scythe (itself based on the shape of the rune for Shyish), a skull and bones, an hourglass, and a thorned rose.[5a][5b]

The bones of self-aware creatures feature heavily in the magic of Amethyst Wizards, as do the trappings of death, including wood and nails from coffins, embalming fluids, hourglasses, silver coins, and grave dirt, all carefully presented or engraved. Purple gemstones, materials, and flowers (particularly roses) are also common.[7b]

The Amethyst College itself uses the symbols of the hourglass, the thorny rose, the amethyst skull, and the scythe. The belts of Amethyst Magisters are often hung about with bleached Human bones that symbolise the transience of life, bones often carved with occult runes and the various emblems of their order, like the hourglass and the thorny rose; symbols by which the people of the Empire recognise them.[1c][1d]

Of the symbols used by the Amethyst College, the scythe carries additional meaning, for it is always portrayed inverted to represent a heavy burden propped against the ground, as that is what it is to be a practitioner of the Lore of Death. Amethyst Magisters often carry a razor-sharp scythe instead of a staff, an elegant object designed for combat and as a symbol of the Magister's order.[1d][2a]

Other Shyish Users[]

Outside of the Empire's Colleges of Magic, the Hag Witches of Kislev were known to utilise Shyish, tapping into life-forces to heal or debilitate.[10] The Spirit Dragon Shiyama of Grand Cathay, eldest daughter of the family of Cathayan Dragons that ruled the Celestial Empire, slept beneath the Dragon River, guiding the souls of the dead to the Ten Courts of Shyish under the stewardship of her Ancestral Monks.[15]

As for Elven wizards, few High Elf Mages dispensed death like the wielders of Shyish, and the High Elves' archmages held a deep understanding of the abstract principles that underlay the manifestation of Shyish. Meanwhile, the Dark Elf sorceresses of Ghrond who wielded the power of Shyish were more adept than most in the arcane arts of murder.[10] Wood Elf Spellsingers were not known to harness Shyish, but the Oak of Ages took on its most twisted and sinister aspect when the Purple Wind of Magic was ascendant.[16a]

Shyish was also wielded by those Ogre Butchers who revelled in the final act of their slaughterous work, their spells focused on death and dying.[11a] Giant River Troll Hags were steeped in the hateful, deathly magic absorbed over the ages into their stagnant mudholes, which they used to lay spiteful hexes on those who walked beneath the sun.[10]

One particularly rare species of Dragon -- Carmine Dragons -- were infused with the power of Shyish, such that their sorcerous breath weapons were capable of withering metal and disintegrating flesh as if millennia had passed in only seconds. They were said to come to be when their spawning place became so saturated with Shyish that it gathered and magnified in their unborn heart and soul, and they would naturally grow into Emperor Carmine Dragons, mighty wizards in their own right able to instinctively wield the power of Shyish.[17a]

The Chaos Sorcerers who wielded the Lore of Death used it, predictably, to rip apart their victims, while the most powerful of them consigned their opponents to endless, tormented oblivion. To some of the Bray-Shamans of the Beastmen, death whispered, and they spoke the words back to their enemies with hideous, incorporeal power. Among the Chaos Gods however, it was Nurgle specifically who wielded the arcane ways of death. The despair that comes with the fear of it is merely a reflection of the Plague Lord's own most dominant aspects, and through his sorcerers he leeched away the souls of his foes.[10]

Perhaps most reliant on the powers of Shyish were the forces of the Undead. As the Purple Wind of Magic blew strong the hosts of the restless dead were instilled with newfound vigour and strength, and where they were absent the bindings that tied the Unliving to both the mortal world and the will of their necromancer masters became tenuous at best. Gallows were thus a source of strength for Undead overlords, and known to be used liberally for the slightest infraction, for as the living met the rope, the Wind of Shyish blew ever stronger.[10] Vampires themselves, when perceived with witchsight, were wreathed in Shyish and the aura of Dhar.[12a]

One must also consider the Incarnate Elemental of Death, the quintessential embodiment of the most destructive aspects of Shyish. Eerily silent save for the whisperings of the grave, they are nightmarish apparitions, bound to the mortal realm by the power held within a rare Hourglass of Shyish. It is said that anyone that glances into the hellish eyes of these Dragon-like creatures will see their own destruction, but if they are that close then they are undoubtedly doomed. The malodorous vapours one expels reek of the grave and visit horrific injuries on those caught within them, withering flesh and stealing the breath of its victims. Such Incarnates may also shatter their Hourglass to unleash the energies trapped within, unleashing a storm of deathly power at the expense of their own existence.[14i]

Similar to these Elementals are Nightmare Dragons, entities believed to have been created from wild currents of the Purple Wind that have taken on the semblance of life. Their breath weapon is like a Black Dragon's, but more potent, a noxious gas that can wither lungs and rot flesh.[2b]

Shyish-infused Armaments[]

In order to stand against the many encroaching foes of the Empire, the Dark Lady of Nuln, the Amethyst Wizard Elspeth von Draken, had begun working with the city-state's Imperial Gunnery School to create an "Amethyst Armoury," a stockpile of blackpowder weapons and war machines infused with the energies of Shyish. This combination of science and wizardry resulted in a series of weapons and troops that even other Imperial regiments feared.[10]

The ensorcelled rifle munitions of the Amethyst-infused Nuln Ironsides would degrade the flesh of their wielders if not for their heavy armour, and the withering shots of the Amethyst-infused Outriders drained the lifeforce of any they struck. Some specially-enchanted Deathstorm rockets each contained a condensed, volatile mote of the Purple Wind that erupted into an amethyst vortex of swirling Shyish, and Cremation Engines created deadly fogs of ash and magic that choked and killed anything caught within them.[10]

Death Magic and Necromancy[]

"'Shyish. Is. Not. Necromancy. Yes, the two arts look similar -- we're both fascinated with death and the dead. We both deal with the Undead. But there the resemblance ends. The necromancer is a madman who at heart both lusts for power and fears death. Dying and what lies beyond death terrifies him, and he will do anything to avoid it, to remain in this world, even to the point of becoming Undead. He perverts Shyish by blending it with Dhar against all laws and sanity and uses his magic to give him power over others, living and otherwise. We of the Amethyst College do not fear death -- we seek to understand it and all its implications. Yes, we can speak with the dead, but we don't want to dominate them. Rather, we want to know what they know, or destroy them if they're hostile. We are implacable foes of necromancers, because they corrupt what we love."

—A spiriter explaining to their sister, a priestess of Morr, the difference between Shyish and necromancy.[14a]

There are those who would dub the practice of the Lore of Death necromancy and accuse the Amethyst College's Magisters of dabbling in that dark art, but this is not entirely accurate. Certainly spells of the Lore of Death generally resemble necromancy to the untrained eye, but they are distinct practices with fundamental differences despite their similarities. Necromancy is the magic of the past, of withered flesh and faded times, and so too is the past an important aspect of the Lore of Death.[1a][1d][3a][7a][13a]

Where the distinction lies is in the fact that the Lore of Death is also a magic of the future, and in this aspect the two schools of magic and the philosophies their wielders uphold are in direct conflict. The Amethyst Order embraces endings as necessary parts of transition, and views death as part of the natural order, treating it as a universal rule to which even they are bound. By contrast, necromancers despise endings and wield the Lore of Death in conjunction with the magic of Dhar in defiance of mortality's very nature, using it as a means to cheat death and live forever.[1a][1d][13a]

In truth, necromancy was something of a corrupted version of the Lore of Death. It abused the elegant Purple Wind by crushing it into the brackish soup of Dark Magic, mixing the distinct Purple Wind into a stew of itself and all seven of its counterparts. In fact, some necromancy eschewed Shyish entirely in favour of the exclusive use of Dhar. Only the spiritualism and spellcraft of the Amethyst College can be practised without causing the detrimental psychological, spiritual, and even physical effects of true necromancy. Having said this, practitioners of the Lore of Death can never reach the levels of raw power achieved by the corrupt and cold-hearted necromancers.[1b][1d][1f][7a][13a]

Despite the differences, the line between the Lore of Death and necromancy can be especially blurry at times. It is entirely possible to delay death almost indefinitely, trap souls and even create Undead Ghosts using only Shyish. Furthermore it can be used to achieve mastery over such spirits, and bend the dead to a wizard's will. The Magisters of the Amethyst Order have embraced the formal term "Cessationary Thaumaturgy" for their magic, as adopted from the Articles of Imperial Magic, but still the Amethyst Order of Shyish remains tainted in the eyes of many by their apparent association with the powers of darkness and death.[1d][1h][1j][14b][14g]

Arcane Marks of Shyish[]

Known long-term effects of Shyish usage include an increasingly corpse-like figure. The muscles may atrophy, the hair become limp and patchy until most Amethyst Wizards shave it, and the skin become taut, creating a gaunt, skeletal frame and skull-like visage. Such individuals may also become cold, sallow and pale, and their near-jaundiced eyes covered in a white film (although these cataracts do not impede vision). Talking audibly becomes increasingly difficult until its impossible to shout and the user can only speak in a hoarse whisper. The user might stink of the grave and so start attracting scavengers, which in the wild could accidentally bring larger and deadlier carrion feeders than what would otherwise appear.[1k][14d][14e]

All of these features made long-term Shyish practitioners incredibly difficult to be around for most people. Their stare was unnerving, their voices unsettling, their stench repulsive and their touch repellent. Were it not for clear signs of consciousness, they could be mistaken for the dead. But the alienation most feel towards Shyish-users extends in both directions, for the Purple Wind's mental influence is a burden of its own. Their steady gazes and quiet, grim demeanors often create the sense that Shyish practitioners look at others like corpses on slabs, and this is not entirely inaccurate.[1k][14c][14d][14e]

Most Amethyst Order Magisters see Shyish not as a blowing magical wind of colour, but dark purple fragments of corpse-shrouds drifting on a slow-moving breeze in a desultory, melancholy manner. Some say that they can see these patches of Shyish brush up against a person or a building, flowing over and enveloping them in a purplish glimmer that only the magister can see. As the wizard watches, they glimpse the ageing and decay of the subject, the inevitable fate the future holds for all. Some magisters are morose at knowing the fate of all things, and so lock themselves away behind the Amethyst College's walls as much as possible. Others grow cold and clinical, as if showing any emotion would make them too close to someone who will be gone soon.[14d][14e]

Conversely, those sensitive to the Purple Wind of Magic can sometimes view fragments of the past, like a painting that has faded and grown patchy. Some practitioners are followed by apparitions of the dead and hear their voices wherever they go. This susurrus was usually easily ignored, but it could be a distraction, and focusing on the voices, while able to provide helpful insight from the local dead, could prove a corrupting influence.[1k][14e]

Thus Shyish is a wind of sombre melancholy, carrying the burden of what was lost and resignation to what will be lost. It is this sense of gloom that so affects Magisters of Shyish, encouraging them toward quiet contemplation and giving them their dour reputation. Furthermore, Amethyst Wizards, like all wizards, had their eccentricities, and the threat of an Amethyst Magister succumbing to morbidity and madness was a truly terrible and far more likely fate than them betraying the Amethyst Order's ideals.[1d][14e]

Despite the many negative aspects of Shyish exposure, it did carry with it benefits. For all the fatalism, Shyish fuelled determination to see things through to their inevitable end. The most experienced magisters of Shyish become minor avatars of the magical paradigm that they have embraced and so have no fear of endings and are completely fearless of growing old or dying. Furthermore, Amethyst Magisters also do not necessarily become overly sombre or miserable as they grow in power and experience. They cannot be disappointed by life because they have no expectations of it, and are generally content and devoid of ambition. What does universally change is that they speak less, but when they do they showcase a very dry and dark sense of wit.[1d][1k][14e]

There are also more tangible boons to being marked by the Purple Wind, although these could be just as much a blessing as a curse. Those inundated by Shyish may be surrounded by an aura of death, causing plants and organic material to wither in their presence, or passively curse any born too close to them, accelerating the aging process and shaving down their lifespan to less than a quarter. They might also siphon the life force of anyone who died while under their draining influence. And though they no longer fear death, those who embrace Shyish have their lifespans extended considerably, even in comparison to the longevity boosts granted by the other Winds of Magic.[1d][1k][14e]

Lore of Death Notable Spells[]

A[]

  • Acceptance of Fate - The words of the wizard emboldens their targets, causing them and themself to temporarily put aside their fear of death and making them immune to both mundane and supernatural forms of fear and terror. Though obviously useful in preventing allies from running in the face of danger, it could also be used offensively to make enemies heedless of danger and unwilling to disengage. It also permanently removed all psychological effects of grief.[1h][14h]
  • Amaranth - The wizard's skin takes on a faint purplish hue as they become tougher, and more resistant to poison, disease, corruption, mutation and death.[5d][14h]
  • Animus Imprisoned - The spiriter touches their target and imprisons their soul, sealing it in a durable vessel of their choosing such as a bottle, vial, or pouch. While the soul is so imprisoned, the victim's body lives on as a mental vegetable, carrying on the barest functions of life -- breathing, swallowing, excreting -- without initiative or awareness. Though technically living, this husk cannot shuffle around or even sit up on its own and must be fed by others or die of thirst or starvation. Damage, diseases, poisons, and other sources of harm affect it normally. It similarly heals over time and can be healed as usual by magic or normal medical practice. The caster can restore the imprisoned soul to its body at any time by opening the sealed vessel in the presence of its body. Any priest of Morr or any other Amethyst Wizard who knows this spell, can do likewise. In either case, the restored individual likely goes insane from the experience. If the bottle is opened away from its body or is opened by one who does not know the proper rituals, the soul becomes lost in the mortal world, wandering and damned to become a Ghost. If the soul is lost, the body can be maintained in its state, but there is little point. Due to the disruption caused in the fabric of life and death by the nature of this conjuration, all wizards in a five mile radius are aware of the disturbance in the Aethyr that this spell causes. The lords of the Amethyst Order do not look kindly on those who use such powerful magic without appropriate cause.[1h][14h]
  • Ashes and Dust - A choking dust cloud erupts form the wizard's fingertips, suffocating all in its path. Particularly potent castings of this spell summoned a Purple Sun of Xereus (see below) in the cloud's centre. This 1-foot-diameter globe of purple-edged darkness causes fear and disintegrates anything it touches, burning through obstacles like walls automatically and instantly killing those without the will to resist it.[2a][14h]
  • Aspect of the Dreadknight - An invisible aura of horror surrounds the wizard's allies. Only the bravest foes will now stand before them, and they themselves are emboldened. If the wizard wishes they can empower the spell to make the targets even more horrifying. Attacks by those enhanced with this spell also became magical.[3a][10]

C[]

  • Caress of Laniph - Laniph was an Arabyan sorceress whose ardent passions were eclipsed only by her capriciousness. It takes little effort to call her back from the spirit world to caress a new lover of the caster's choosing. Victims of this spell were engulfed and trapped in purple lights which no amount of durability or armour could protect from, which then solidified, constricted, and crushed the life out of them. Meanwhile, the caster's outstretched hand, appearing withered or even skeletal, drew Shyish from the target's corpus, restoring their own body as the victim's was destroyed.[3a][5e][14h]
  • The Choking Foe - Purple energy oozes from the caster's eyes, ears, nose and mouth to form a misshapen, suffocating mass that engulfed an enemy and forced its way into their mouth. The energy slowly killed the subject as it oozed in, ignoring even magical armour, and even if the spell ended before they died the victim would be left breathless and unable to stand.[2a]
  • Compel Spirits - The caster exerts their authority over ethereal Undead, pulling Ghosts through the mortal veil and making any present flee or fight as they command. The spell only lasted until sunrise, and the spirit summoning aspect was forbidden altogether by the Amethyst College.[14h]
  • Crystal Maze - The wizard reaches into the Realm of Chaos, drawing forth a portion of the great crystal labyrinth of legend to bind their foe. While affected, such a target cannot be harmed, nor can they move, cast spells, or anything of the sort. The target may instantly escape, become confused for a brief time before making their way out, become lost for several hours and experience Chaos corruption, or be doomed entirely, forever lost in the realm of Tzeentch.[2a][14h]

D[]

  • Death's Door - The caster's power over death is such that they can briefly delay the inevitable. Death's Door lasts a short time, but affects the wizard and all their allies within the area. Those affected, if slain during the spell's duration, remain alive to do one final act. As soon as the action is resolved, death beckons.[1h]
  • Death's Messenger - The spiriter infuses themselves with the power of Shyish, and begins emanating an aura of menace that strengthens their attempts at intimidation.[1h]
  • Death's Release - The spiriter conjures forth the Purple Wind of Magic to swirl about a target ethereal Undead. Said-target is forced to confront its state of existence unless it can resist the spell. Continual failure results in their release from the mortal world.[1h][14h]
  • Deathsight - For one hour, the wizard can see spirits and souls that are normally invisible to the naked eye. When living beings die, the caster can see their souls leaving their bodies.[1h][1i]
  • Doom and Darkness - Spirits of the departed assail the caster's foes, sapping their resolve and causing dread among their numbers.[3a][10]
  • Dying Words - The wizard calls back the spirit of someone who has died within the last day, and communicates with it. Recalled souls could do nothing but communicate -- though were under no obligation to -- and could not lie.[7b]

E[]

  • Embodiment of Shyish - The wizard transforms themself into death incarnate and is unleashed upon the battlefield.[6a]

F[]

  • Fate of Bjuna - The archives of the Amethyst College do not record who Bjuna was or why he died this way, but the story goes that he was a mighty warrior who famously never smiled -- leastways not until the trickster god cursed him to laugh until his sides ruptured and split. Tellers of this tale cannot agree whose fate was worse: Bjuna's, or the servants who had to clean up the mess. Following the fate of the unsmiling warrior, the targets of the caster's ire will laugh themselves to death. Targets will first begin to smile, then gradually succumb to hysterical laughter. The exertions of convulsive hysteria may cause organs to rupture and blood vessels to burst. Empowered versions of the spell can cause Shyish energy to surround a target and invade the mouth if they lacked the will to resist, causing them to immediately start suffocating and continue to do so for the spell's duration. Even if a target survives, they suffer from lasting mental damage.[2a][5e][10][14h]
  • Final Words - This spell allows the spiriter to ask one question of the departing soul of a slain individual within several yards range. This must be done within the first minute of the individual's death or the soul will have already passed on to the Realm of Morr. The soul is not compelled to answer truthfully (or at all, for that matter). Final Words cannot be cast on creatures without souls, like Daemons and many of the unintelligent Undead.[1i]

G[]

  • Grief's End - The wizard speaks comforting words to an individual bereaved by the recent passing of a blood relative. The target's emotional pain is lessened as their understanding of fate deepens. Any psychological effects that were brought on by the death are eliminated or nullified.[1i]

I[]

  • Icy Grip of Death - The caster uses the icy tendrils of Shyish to bind enemies within a large area, leaving them stunned until they can summon the will to break death's hold on them.[1i]
  • Iyrtu's Embrace - The wizard's arms surge with power as they are sheathed in pulsating, purple energy. These gauntlets of Shyish bestow the strength of many, which can be employed to great, crushing effect in combat (although magical shields, torso armour and other protective gear may offer protection) and to perform other feats of strength.[5d][14h]

K[]

  • Knock of the Departed - The spiriter asks and can receive an answer to one question thus asked of a specific deceased individual, as long as that question can be answered with a number of audible knocks other than zero ("How many robbers came into your house on the night you were beaten to death?"), or answered with a yes or no ("Would it please you for us to bring your body on our pilgrimage to Altdorf?"). In the case of yes/no questions, the spirit of the deceased knocks once for "yes," and twice for "no." No matter the question, the spirit is not compelled to answer at all, has no knowledge beyond that which they had in life, and can lie if they wish. The act of answering is neither inherently pleasant nor odious to the deceased, though it may well be emotionally painful because of the living who are present or due to the nature of the question. This spell must be cast in the presence of either the deceased's body or the presence of one of their living descendants. It is said the dead answer by knocking on the gates of Morr's Realm.[1i]

L[]

  • Lesser Caress of Laniph - Amethyst energy grabs the target's heart and squeezes it. This looks to an observer (or to someone doing an autopsy) as if the victim has suffered a massive heart attack, and there is no way of detecting that magic was involved if no one sees the spell being cast. Armour, even magical, gives no protection. The teaching and use of this spell is strictly monitored and controlled by the Amethyst College. It is said that the senior Magisters of the college can tell from a corpse if this spell was used to kill the victim.[5d]
  • Life's End - The wizard forcibly expels the soul from a target within the immediate area, killing them immediately and horribly shrivelling their earthly remains to a husk unless their will is strong enough to resist, in which case the spell fails. Due to the disruption caused in the fabric of life and death by the nature of this conjuration, all wizards in a five-mile radius are aware of the disturbance in the Aethyr that casting Life’s End causes. The lords of the Amethyst Order do not look kindly on those who use such powerful magic lightly.[1i]
  • Limbwither - The wizard deadens one limb -- arm or leg -- of a single target nearby. The caster may choose which exact limb of the target to affect, and it becomes utterly useless for several minutes. Alternatively the spell can be cast to ward a gravesite, afflicting the first person to rob it within the next year with a "tomb-robber's curse" that randomly deadens one of their limbs for several days. Normal use of the limb returns when the spell ends.[1i][14h]

M[]

  • Manacles of Caloe - The caster causes a heavy manacle of purple energy to form around the waist of a single enemy or group within 48 yards. The spell's targets cannot move until the manacle is dispelled. They are not affected in any other way: they can still fight if engaged in combat, they may fire missile weapons, and wizards may use magic. While the spell lasts, the caster cannot create a second Manacle of Caloe, but it can be extended once it runs out through further expenditure of magical energy.[5d]
  • Mental Decay - The wizard curses one of their enemies with forgetfulness -- no trivial thing if the victim is another wizard.[6a]
  • Morr's Peace - The wizard blesses one of their comrades with the ability to have no fear of death.[6a]

P[]

  • Purple Pall of Shyish - The caster summons a purple funeral cloth woven from fine strands of pure Shyish, granting them protection against attacks and a terrifying aspect.[7b]
  • Purple Sun of Xereus - A colossal orb of purple-edged darkness materialises upon the battlefield, spreading fear among all who see it. Those who do not escape its touch and cannot resist its magic are turned to inert and unfeeling purple crystal often in the form of a small amethyst gemstone. The Purple Sun burns through all other obstacles in its path, destroying walls and even mountains without slowing. Particularly bold wizards can put even more power into a Purple Sun, making it even bigger. There is one recorded incident of this spell being cast in a town. In any histories of magic, the incident is described in graphic detail and is immediately followed by a short section on the swiftest trial and subsequent burning of an Imperial wizard.[3a][5d][10]

S[]

  • Sanctify - The wizard inscribes a magical circle and wards it with Shyish to create an impenetrable barrier which no Undead can cross, whether to enter or exit.[7b]
  • Scythe of Shyish - Also called the Reaping Scythe or Purple Scythe, the spiriter summons a huge scythe comprised of purple magical energy which they may wield against their enemies. It acts as a normal scythe, save that it draws power from the wielder's will and weakens any Undead nearby. The scythe is both fast and powerful, and can be swept down to lop off heads and limbs as if they were ripe corn. Once the spell's duration is over the caster must focus to keep using it.[1j][5e][7c]
  • Shyish Uncovered - The wizard becomes aware of all deaths that occurred in the spell's area within the past month, although more magic could be used to go further back. They learned the number of dead, their species, and when it occurred, but not their names of manners of death. Knowledge of a name and use of additional magic allowed the caster to ask one query of the deceased in question, answered with a knock for 'yes', two knocks for 'no', and multiple to answer numeric questions.[14h]
  • Soul Harvest - Uttering fell words of power, the wizard suffuses the stone of a fortress with a sickly aura. Those that fall beneath this dread emanation lose more than just their lives. Those defending the wall, tower or gate recover from wounds for each they inflict upon the enemy.[4a]
  • Soul Vortex - The wizard hurls an orb of shimmering Shyish towards their enemies, which bursts into purple flames swirling with ghostly faces, mouths agape in silent terror. Targets within the area of effect have their will to continue drained while Undead are hit as if by a powerful magic missile.[7c][14h]
  • Soulblight - Harnessing the sickly power of Shyish, the wizard weakens the will of the opposing forces to survive the battle, leaving them physically debilitated.[3a][10]
  • Speed of Lykos - The wizard imbues themselves or another target with supernatural speed, if not special agility to avoid obstacles or the ability to walk on substances that could not be walked on, such as water. Upon moving, their actions are invigorated by leaping corkscrew bands of magical energy. Even if dead before the spell ends, they are fast enough to make one final action.[5d][14h]
  • Spirit Leech - The signature spell of Shyish, the wizard extends an ebon hand towards the chosen foe, leeching its spirit through tainted spellcraft. The more magical energy put into the spell, the further its reach.[3a][10]
  • Steal Life - Thin, magical strands of purple mist connect the wizard briefly to their target as they suck the life essence of a foe. This bypassed armour and physical resilience, draining the target's energy and causing them to waste away unless they have the will to resist. Meanwhile, any wounds the caster may have suffered or fatigue they had experienced was healed. The spell has no effect on Daemons or the Undead.[1j][7c]
  • Swift Passing - With a touch of their fingers, the caster can dispatch a mortally wounded individual, bringing them the release of death. This killed any living creature, whether humanoid, animal or monster, that was horribly wounded. Souls dispatched in this way may become immune to certain spells. In some cases this can prevent them from being raised as Undead, while in others they remain at risk of necromantic resurrection, but spells such as Final Words will not function.[1j][7c][14h]

T[]

  • Taste of Death - The wizard makes living enemies acutely aware of their own mortality. This is a potentially corrupting influence, if only slightly, and can cause targets to fall unconscious on the spot or be stunned. Particularly poor coping results in fatigue and despair, causing the victim to awake tired every morning.[14h]
  • Telepathy - This form of silent mental communication and limited mind-reading was designed for Amethyst Wizards to exchange thoughts, questions and ideas amongst each other without speaking. They can only use it to transmit the most rudimentary of messages to anybody else, and it is a laborious and strenuous process -- for each attempt to communicate with anyone other than another Amethyst Wizard, the caster must make sure they are accurately comprehended, lest there be a significant misunderstanding. To communicate, Amethyst Wizards need only think what they want to say, and any Amethyst Wizard within 100 yards will hear it. Alternatively a thought can be targeted at a specific wizard, in which case no other Amethyst Wizards will have any chance of "hearing" it. To read another person's mind is more difficult, and if intrusion is detected can be resisted. Furthermore, it only works on other Amethyst Wizards; no version of this spell has been created that lets wizards pry into the minds of other magic-users, let alone ordinary people. Anyone found researching such a spell would be turned over to the witch hunters without further ado. Soul vessels created using Animus Imprisoned (see above) can be used as ingredients to enhance Telepathy, provided the soul in question knew who was being contacted. The soul acted as a medium on the spirit-plane, enabling an infinite communication range, but a miscast would break the vessel and subject the soul to the same fate as if the vessel had been opened incorrectly.[5c][14h]
  • Tide of Years - The spiriter touches a non-magical item, causing it to age and decay, with poorly made objects turning to dust. A more potent casting of the spell worked on living things, and unless they kept calm they would grow older, weaker and infirm in seconds. This spell did not work on Undead, Daemons and plant-based creatures.[1j][14h]
  • Tomb Robber's Curse - The spiriter casts this spell in the presence of a corpse or at a tomb or grave site. Anyone who desecrates the dead body or site over the following year feels the effects of the curse, becoming weaker in will, intellect, and social skills for at least a week and slightly more likely to become insane.[1j]

W[]

  • Ward Against Abomination - Upon casting this spell, and for as long as the wizard remains motionless thereafter, Undead creatures are incapable of coming within several yards of their person. Mummies, Vampires, Wights, Wraiths, and other powerful or strong-willed intelligent Undead may attempt to resist the spell, however.[1j]
  • Wild Kin of Zandox - Purple shadows form and lurk at the caster's heels like two great guardian hounds. If looked at directly the shadows disappear, but from the corner of the eye they resemble a pair of slavering dogs with needle-sharp fangs and long slobbering tongues. They attack any enemies near the caster and cannot be attacked themselves, whether directly or through methods that harm groups.[5d][14h]
  • Wind of Death - This spell calls down a lethal wind of Shyish upon a large area nearby. Those touched suffer serious injury, regardless of mundane protection or obstruction. Due to the cataclysmic nature of this conjuration, all wizards within a five-mile radius are aware of the disturbance in the Aethyr that casting Wind of Death causes. The lords of the Amethyst Order have many cruel and unusual punishments for those that tarry with this spell needlessly, or too often.[1j]

Y[]

  • Youth's Bane - The casting of this spell causes one individual to age years in a matter of seconds. A target lacking the will to resist grew withered and feeble. While the spell affects animals, it has no effect on Daemons, the Undead or inanimate items, including objects made of organic or once-living materials such as food, plants and leather.[1j]

Notable Shyish Users[]

  • Elspeth von Draken - Von Draken was a Magisterix of the Amethyst Order and an archmage of the Lore of Death so saturated with the force of Shyish that she stands between life and death. It is not clear how old she is or if she is even technically still alive, and she remains fiercely independent of the Colleges of Magic, but still seemingly acts for the benefit of the Empire.[10][14g]

Sources[]

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