Warlock

Warlocks are weavers that, by choice or circumstance, delved too deep into the dangerous powers of the void. Many are driven insane by the altered perception their growing connection to the void brings. Those who master these powers reap great rewards, however, ascending to immortal revenants. In many cultures they are ostracized, and the practice of warlockery is punishable by death. Due to this, many warlocks have formed secretive covens outside the bounds of the law to practice and study their dark arts. During the Black Age, the black faiths grew greatly in popularity and warlocks began to grow in number.

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Because the dark arts are punishable by death in most, if not all cultures in Thendarr, to even say that revenants are loosely allied and united is a stretch. Many revenants choose to practise their work in seclusion, or at most, in groups of several. Cults and sects which number in the dozens are uncommon, but not unheard of. Even rarer are those that stretch to the hundreds.

In times of old, however, such as theDemonic Incursionand the , it is written in the history books which depict the era that revenants were far more bold, to the point where they were freely terrorizing villages and even entire kingdoms. Cults could number to the thousands during this time, and the largest ever recorded was, which numbered well over ten thousand. However, by the end of the , the revenant cults suffered many losses and eventually declined to where they are today. Today, revenants still attempt to reclaim the "glory age" where anarchy and fear ruled the world.

Some master revenants choose to gather apprentices to teach after they themselves have learned and experienced more than enough as mortals who choose to teach others and grant them some of their own power often lose their lives in the process. This behavior is not condoned by demons, as it translates to the apprentices in question being less dependent on them for aid, and thus, less susceptible to the deceptive and manipulative tricks they employ on those who ask for their help directly. Although the usual way of obtaining the ability to darkcast is throughThe Binding, some revenants choose to learn through the help of other mortals, in search of independency. Others with a clear mind and steady thought sometimes choose to discard their former demonic masters after getting a certain dose of aid from them. This not always prevails, as often, it backfires on the mortal in question, resulting in his death or slave status (often in undeath).

Thus, in terms of affiliation, two main groups are separate. The first - those who garner knowledge and power through demons, and the second - those who steer clear from the devilish monsters. Often, it is the latter who ascend to the status of master revenant, as the former often lose their will and sanity during their servitude.

Those who dedicate their lives to demonic servitude focus their efforts on allowing their masters to step back into the world as they once did during the Demonic Incursion. Others choose to use their power for their own merits - to exact revenge on a past foe, to conquer villages and cities, or to gain immortality and make a fool out of time itself.

While many revenants loathe those outside their kind, not all ambitiously seek to wipe them from the world. Some revenant spend years, if not decades in their study chambers, quietly performing their spells and rituals without harming the living. In the present, most books on black magic and demonology no longer exist - having been burned by either the Grand Paladin Order, or lost to the dusts of time. Therefore, it is difficult for one to obtain such knowledge. Some spend months, if not years, gathering books before they can begin their learning.

It is important to note that if a revenant chooses to more directly affiliate himself with demons, such books may be of less use, as the demons will grant the user knowledge and power (at a price to be paid, sooner or later).

While many try, not all succeed. Black magic and its masters often cripple the minds and flesh of weaklings and fools, using them as mere puppets. Few manage to obtain the power, even fewer manage to wield it successfully, and almost none live to master it.

Revenants and other users of black magic have created a culture over it's use. Beliefs and practices can vary from cult to cult, as well as the severity and morals of the group.

The most common form of demonic worship, regardless of experience and expertise, are altars. No two altars look the same, as they often differ, depending on the demonologist's goals. Because very few of its users possess the power to summon a demon whole, many altars have the torso and head of a corpse mounted on them, to act as a vessel for the called demon, assuming one is ever able to enter the material world. This has become a tradition, however, as some revenantss consider this gesture as an act of respect - showing the demon that they are welcome. As well, altars are often garbed with various herbs which revenants use in rituals which they believe will increase the potency of their incantations, and those who utilize these unholy places of prayer for necromancy have them coated in corpse dust as well. Candles are an uncommon but not unheard of addition to an altar, existing usually only for aestetic purposes. Some cults, however, use them as neccessities for calling upon black magics.