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The first type is the Tenebrous, Created through a Ritual conducted beneath a full moon, the Tenebrous are the most common type of Stygian. Like the Gloamlings, they resemble the silvery face of the full moon, but their wings and markings have taken on the same shadowy hue of the Shadowbinder’s magic. Any Necromancer, Servus, or Wraith may become a Tenebrous.
They are primarily adept at manipulating diseases and illnesses that affect the prefrontal cortex of the brain. They often cause memory issues, such as memory loss, or trouble recalling or forming memories, and greatly impair the ability to perform higher levels of thought and communication.
The Tenebrous branch of the Stygian Order function mainly as envoys to the inhabitants of the Tangled Wood. Because the Tenebrous most closely resemble the Shadowbinder’s Moonborn, they are most suited for the task of spreading the word of the Plaguebringer, as those of the Tangled Wood are more receptive and willing to trust those who appear to have been touched by their own God.
Primary: Moon | Boulder, Crystal, Giraffe, Ground, Iridescent, Speckle
Secondary: Shadow-Iris | Alloy, Bee, Constellation, Facet, Fissure, Foam, Paisley, Shimmer
Tertiary: Shadow/Blackberry | Thylacine
The second type is the Gloamlings. Created through a Ritual conducted beneath a new moon, Gloamlings resemble the face of the moon flanked by total darkness. Their primary colors have become the same silvery white of the moon’s surface. The patterns on their bodies have changed to resemble the face of the moon, while their wings and markings have changed to resemble the dark side of the moon. Any Necromancer, Servus, or Wraith may become a Gloamling.
They are primarily adept at manipulating diseases and illnesses that affect the motor cortex in the brain. Paralysis and loss of control of one’s movements are common effects caused by a Gloamling, although very few are able to cause involuntary movement in the host.
The Gloamling branch of the Stygian Order studies the Void. Entry into the Gloamlings is very strictly controlled, as the Void is still a largely unknown and little-studied place - if it can be called such - and so great care is taken to reduce the margin for error as much as possible. Unlike the other branches of the Stygian Order, where one need only to gain the approval of the Council in order to join, a Necromancer must also gain the approval of the Stygian Committee in order to become a Gloamling.
Primary: Moon | Boulder, Crystal, Giraffe, Ground, Iridescent, Speckle
Secondary: Gloom-Eldritch | Alloy, Bee, Constellation, Facet, Fissure, Foam, Paisley, Shimmer
Tertiary: Gloom-Eldritch | Thylacine
The third type is the Maleficar. Created through a Ritual conducted beneath a blood moon, the Maleficar sport dark primary colors and markings, while their wings keep the same deep crimson of their Necromancer brethren. The patterns on their bodies have changed to resemble the face of the moon, while their wings have become blood-red reflections of the night sky.
There are very few Maleficar amongst the Stygian Order, as they are visually very similar to a Lich that has been completely consumed by the Shade, and there are many who find it off-putting or suspicious. However, these fears are, more often than not, unfounded, as the Stygian Order has discovered that the Maleficar have a greater resistance to the Shade’s influence than most other dragons. The reason for their resistance is largely unknown and therefore the subject of a significant amount of ongoing research. Any Necromancer, Servus, or Wraith may become a Maleficar.
They are primarily adept at controlling diseases and illnesses that affect the limbic system of the brain, such as the regulation of emotions, behavior, and memory. Maleficar are typically known for their uncanny ability to induce and manipulate the fear response via the amygdala.
The Maleficar branch of the Stygian Order primarily studies Lichs and the Occluded, including the lasting effects the Shade has on organisms. The Maleficar are also known to hunt down Lichs and Occluded using the knowledge their researchers have gained.
Primary: Obsidian-Shadow | Boulder, Crystal, Giraffe, Ground, Iridescent, Speckle
Secondary: Crimson-Blood | Alloy, Bee, Constellation, Facet, Fissure, Foam, Paisley, Shimmer
Tertiary: Obsidian | Thylacine
The fourth type is the Ecliptic. Created through a Ritual conducted beneath a solar eclipse, they resemble their non-Stygian Necromancer brethren the most. Although their primary colors are brighter and more saturated than the average Necromancer, their markings have taken on the dark shadowy color of the Shadowbinder’s magic. Their patterns have also changed under the influence of the Moonpool’s magic, taking on a texture and appearance that resembles the face of the moon, while their wings have become the dark shrouds of the night sky that surround the moon. Any Necromancer, Servus, or Wraith may become an Ecliptic.
They tend to be more adept at controlling diseases and illnesses that primarily affect the eyes, as well as manipulating the brain’s ability to perceive and interpret sensory input.
The Ecliptic branch of the Stygian Order studies the stars and their effect on magic, particularly how it may affect the Plague-given magic and abilities of Necromancers. They have also been known to study illnesses and diseases that are magical in nature, or that stem from magical sources.
Primary: Gold-cinnamon | Boulder, Crystal, Giraffe, Ground, Iridescent, Speckle
Secondary: Shadow-Iris | Alloy, Bee, Constellation, Facet, Fissure, Foam, Paisley, Shimmer
Tertiary: Shadow/Blackberry | Thylacine
The fifth type are the Necrotomists. Created through a Ritual conducted beneath a new moon, the Necrotomists are the result of a Ghoul undergoing the Moonpool’s transformation. Like the Maleficar, the Necrotomists resemble a Lich at first glance due to their darker coloration, but the patterns on their bodies and wings retain the sickly appearance of a Ghoul. Any Ghoul, be they Virulent or Neutralized, may become a Necrotomist.
Because Ghouls were not able to beat back the Infection from their Trials, the effect of the Moonpool Ritual is usually fatal to Ghouls who choose to undergo it, as their bodies cannot seem to handle the added stress of the transformation. It was later discovered - through the willing sacrifice of many brave Ghouls - that there is only one version of the Ritual they are able to withstand: the new moon Ritual. Many Virulent Ghouls apply to become a Necrotomist in the hopes of it saving them from their grisly fate, but very few find the Ritual to be the salvation they had hoped for, as it does not cure their encroaching infection.
Due to their status as a Ghoul prior to undergoing the Moonpool Ritual, Necrotomists are unable to manipulate or recall the diseases they spread to other organisms. While they may spread any number of diseases commonly associated with the Stygians, the types of illnesses they infect others with often affect the nervous system, causing damage to the nerves and their ability to relay and receive information to and from the brain.
The Necrotomist branch of the Stygian Order is primarily focused on the adaptation of research done by the other branches of the Order, and how it may be applied and utilized by Necromancers to serve Mother’s will. They are also charged with compiling this research into a database, as well as presenting copies to the Council and Necromancer scholars for preservation.
Primary: Coal-Shadow | Boulder, Giraffe, Ground, Iridescent, Jupiter, Metallic
Secondary: Shadow-Iris | Alloy, Bee, Constellation, Facet, Fissure, Foam, Paisley, Sludge
Tertiary: Shadow/Blackberry | Thylacine
The Occluded are the ghastly result of a Stygian who has succumbed to the dark mysteries of the Void. Many have equated the Occluded to Lichs, and indeed they are quite similar in both appearance and abilities, but researchers among both the Gloamling and Maleficar ranks wish to make it clear to the Council that they are not the same thing; the Occluded do not seem to be affected by the Shade in any way.
The primary difference is that the patterns on the body and wings of an Occluded are significantly different from those of a Lich. In addition, while the Occluded tend to be similar in color to Lichs far along in their consumption by the Shade, they retain a narrow range that Lichs generally do not display. The third, and most notable difference, is that the Occluded seem to be suffering from some form of otherworldly madness that makes them incredibly unpredictable and dangerous. The few Occluded that the Maleficar of the Order have been able to communicate with during their hunts have all referenced strange entities - their names unable to be parsed by any dragon tongue - that are believed to reside in the Void. Observation and research into their connection does not indicate any kind of possession on the Occluded’s part, merely that contact with these entities seems to have driven them mad.
Despite the heavy precautions taken by the Stygian researchers in their observations of the Void and its properties, accidents, miscalculations, and missteps are an unfortunate inevitability, especially with something as new and unknown as the Void. Of course, not every Occluded is the result of a workplace accident, as many of the known Occluded were themselves once highly proficient and acclaimed researchers and magic users - or perhaps a desperate Necrotomist who had hoped the Ritual would save them - and there have been rumors circulating that the dark taint afflicting them was by their own doing…
As former Stygians, an Occluded may retain some ability to infect others with disease and control the resulting infection, but to a significantly reduced degree. In exchange, they have gained a mastery over the strange Void magic that not many Stygians have, allowing them to step through shadows and space as if they were tunnels, and manipulate them at will. They have also been observed to be capable of summoning creatures from the Void into the material world to aid them.
Primary: Oilslick-Shadow | Boulder, Chrysocolla, Metallic, Pharaoh, Python
Secondary: Oilslick-Shadow | Edged, Eye Spots, Malachite, Myrid, Sarcophagus
Tertiary: Oilslick-Shadow | Thylacine
