Alter Aeon The Great Library

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Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  16034
Title: a book called 'Primitive Necromancy'

Primitive Necromancy by Resaech, Guildmaster of Mages

Necromancy was a branch of magic practiced anciently by clerics.  It was
first conceived as a set of spells and skills based upon a cleric's ability
to learn to 'rebuke undead', which was a reversal of the 'turn undead'
technique in which they learned to channel negative energy instead of
positive.  Only clerics who were extremely proficient in their craft could
use this skill.  The cost of employing negative energy was severely harmful
to the cleric channeling it, but with it a cleric was able to raise, 
animate and bolster undead.

One such spell was 'animate dead', which used to be taught alongside such
spells as 'detect undead', 'hold undead', and 'sacred touch'.  While the
latter three spells utilize positive or divine energy to see and control
undead, the 'animate dead' spell was used to imbue the nervous system of a
corpse with just enough negative energy to provide it locomotion so it
could move to a safe place for retrieval.  This spell was used less and
less after the 'preservation' spell was developed, since that spell slowed
the decomposition of a corpse and did not carry the high cost of the
'animate dead' spell.  Later a 'resurrect' spell was developed which could
be cast on the spot, thus eliminating the need for the 'animate dead' spell
altogether.  Additionally, since channeling negative energy was incredibly
toxic to those employing it, modern clerics are not even taught how to do
it anymore.  Being a biological function lacking any divine attachment, the
'preservation' spell later fell under the purview of necromancers, w ho
used it slow the decay of cadavers so that they could be converted into
undead.  The cleric and necromancer versions are cast exactly the same way.

The 'fear' spell was taught anciently as a specialized charm with a very
specific purpose.  A cleric basically attempted to strike the fear of their
god into the target, which would cause the target to panic and flee if
successful.  It was actually more difficult to learn and execute than a
'charm person' spell, so it gradually fell into disuse.  'Fear' began to be
taught again as an spiritualism spell, where a necromancer strikes fear
into a victim by making contact with the spirit of the target.  It is 
essentially the same concept with a necromancer himself taking the place of
the deity, but it is a much easier version to perform with a more efficient
mana cost, as well.

A rudimentary form of spiritualism was practiced among clerics in times
past.  This ancient school of necromancy is now referred to as "Spiritism"
and is considered to be the forerunner of modern Spiritualism.  Most
notable among this antiquated category of magic comes in the form of the
'Durham's guiding spirit' spell.  The spell behaved exactly as it does now,
summoning a copy of the spirit of Durham the Adventurer.  However, nowadays
the interaction does not occur by commanding the Durham's spirit with 
divine control, rather it is made with a more subtle and less obstrusive
spirit-to-spirit contact.  Thusly, the modern necromancer spell is much
less costly in mana than the old cleric version.

Many of the other necromantic spells practiced by priests were part of a
now-extinct category of magic called "White Necromancy".  White Necromancy
included spells which restore and fortify the living body or life force
(such as 'empathy', 'fortitude', 'shield other', and 'virtue') or derived
their power from the caster's own life force (such as 'death deflection'
and 'miraculous vestment').  Although White Necromancy can be used to heal
wounds and bone fractures, it was a poor substitute for divine healing.  
White Necromancy derived its healing power from a volunteer's source of
life energy (often the caster's).  Divine magic, in contrast, bestows
healing through a combination of faith and holy authority.  Thusly, White
Necromancy spells usually shuttled life force from a donor to recipient. 
Add to that the horribly inefficient costs of mana for performing such
spells, it is no wonder why they were almost completely subsumed by divine
healing spells.  The only such occurrence nowadays takes shape in the
'bloodbond' spell.

Ancient necromancy saw its heyday during the Sacred Necromancy period of
the Quelese Empire.  The Quelese necromancer-priests mingled with angels to
learn their craft.  Angels were highly proficient in several necromantic
fields, including Animation (imbuing inanimate matter with life energy),
Oathbinding (rituals for summoning angels to perform tasks) and Spiritism
(as described earlier).  However, angels were choosy about whom they would
teach and would only bequeath their knowledge to those who met their high
moral standards.  Of course nowadays, those conferences with angels have
been replaced with the consultations of demons, who are far less judgmental
and fickle about to whom they dispense the secrets of their trade, and are
also seemingly far more knowledgeable.