Good morning class. It appears most of you have returned. I’m not sure if that is a matter of bravery, stupidity or morbid curiosity. After all who hasn’t slowed down their stroll, or caravan to better view a tragic accident. Fear not, as long as I, Draen Do’gra am teaching this class, those who survive will be better spellcaster for it. Those who survive will undoubtedly also have stories of what happened to those who did not. As the Council Arcana has made it mandatory for me to teach, as much as “mandatory” applies to me. Your survival is completely optional.
By now you have realized I will not be like others who came before me. I do not coddle. I do not pretend. I have no ill will towards any of you. In the same breath, I do not care what happens to any of you, whether by my hand or your own. As always, all I can say is that ignorance irritates me. So irritate me at your own peril.
Today should be an interesting lesson as we will discuss the intricacies of Infernal magic. I am aware that this course is usually taught in a more advanced class. I do not care. Even the bare introduction I give this topic, will be more informative than the paragraph the advance class will give it. Let me spare you the suspense. That class will tell you only this about Infernal Magic. It is magic primarily practiced by the denizens of the Abyss. It is a corruption of all things arcane, divine, primal or psionic. It is profane, it is vile, and it is forbidden. So much so that the Council Arcana refused to have a seat at the table representing it, until I chose to spend a year mastering it. Now that chair sits empty. They don’t want it filled. I don’t want it, I have my eyes on bigger things. Perhaps one of you will fill it.
Yes, I did say it was forbidden. That is what the other headmasters will tell you. That is a lie. All magic is ultimately the creation or by product of an earlier creation of Kor’Tunni. Only she can forbid or censure in any way the practice of magic. She did so with chronomancy, after humans nearly unraveled Creation. However the school still exists, even if the spells themselves are “just outside” the normal flow of time, making them difficult to research and study. If not for today’s lesson, most of you, well the more studious of you, would have uncovered some evidence of Infernal magic. :Likely in some “academic” tome talking about lost magic. It would be full of myths like the forbidden aspect, and emphasize the danger of it. It may even educate you that only the Infernal Court, are the true masters of Infernal magic. A handful of you, particularly those lacking in arcane potency, or those with a true hunger for power, would have sought out those powers, seeking to empower themselves. I’d wager only one or two would succeed enough to become an actual master of the craft. The others would be lost to the powers of the Abyss.
When Kor’Tunni first taught magic to her Titan children, magic was raw and pure. In many ways it was similar to how sorcerers practice magic. It was more intuitive in nature. One shaped the desired result with pure will. This is why dragons will always respect sorcerers more than wizards. While wizards are more concerned with the intricacies and they why’s and how’s of a “fireball” spell for example, dragons and sorcerers, simply wish to obliterate an annoyance and will the magic to make it so.
At some point, and history is hazy here, but the legends say an acolyte of Neissithaar, others say Neissithaar himself, began to dissect the nature of that primal magic in order to better understand it. As an aside, for you fledgling mages of all flavors, the only god you should fear more than the goddess of magic, is the Keeper of Secrets. At least you will know when Kor’Tunni is angry with you, your punishment, if not your demise will be swift. The Keeper of Secrets is as likely to torment you until the end of your days, as he is to leave you alone and obliterate your grandchildren for your offense.
At any rate, In doing so, that acolyte created the schools of magic. Kor’Tunni was pleased because it meant more practitioners of magic, which of course swelled her own power base. It is said that Neissithaar was both pleased that secrets had been unraveled, and irritated that those secrets got out. Depending on what origin myth you believe, that acolyte was never heard from again. Nor was his bloodline.
At any rate one of the schools that was discovered was the school of Infernal magic. Practitioners are known as diabolists, or demonologist depending on whether they are influenced by devils or demons respectively. It is very rare to become an Infernalist, one who mastered both types of magic. In my centuries I’ve only encountered two. One became a minor lord in the Abyss, the other , well he’s little more than a head now. He still alive and would be a terrible threat if he had hands. Tried to bind a demon lord to his service. The good news was that the spell almost worked. The bad news is the demon, was a Duke.
Infernal magic is much like the primal magic of old. Raw, unfettered. Where the difference lies is that it is not without cost. Learning Infernal magic forever binds you to the Powers of the Abyss. By this I mean the primordial energy that makes up the realm. No one knows where the energy comes from. Some sages believe there is a long hidden power asleep deep in the realm. What is known is that the more powerful nobles of the Infernal Court can claim that tether to the Abyss, making you beholden to them. The more you use Infernal magic the more it binds you to the Abyss. Severing that tie, is extremely difficult. I would say just short of impossible.
Infernal magic is powerful and insidious, even as it is seductive and invigorating. Like the Abyss, it draws on the power of souls. The practitioner’s, the target of a spell, or captured souls used as foci. On the surface it looks similar is structure to other schools of magic. There are plenty of cantrips for apprentices to learn, and spells range from the simplistic that more advanced students can handle to the the complex spells that can rewrite reality. Those spells are so powerful that even if successful, the caster’s soul is forfeit. Unless…
Why learn Infernal magic? The same reason that every spellcaster on the planet seeks out rare and forgotten spells. To have an edge on any other spellcaster. No matter how noble or cruel, we as a collective are driven to be the most powerful we can be. Infernal magic is just another path that others fear, rightfully so to tread. I cannot overstate the dangers of learning such magic. Once learned, it is nearly impossible to unlearn. Worse, even if you choose to never use such spells again, the tether remains, and will pull you inexorably to the Abyss.
There are 4 levels of Infernal magic. The first is the more general version of the school. Most spells won’t differ much from the schools we all know save for their purpose, and material components. For example, an apprentice level spell akin to magic missile, would be infernal sting. Not as useful as the former, however the damage it causes heals the caster by the damage it causes. There are some gems in there, some quite different that they can bypass typical protection spells, save those designed for Abyssal threats.
The second tier are quite simply known as “evil” spells. These spells of dark magic can only be safely cast by those of evil nature. Note that I said safely. The very act of casting one of these spells no matter how minor an evil act as far as those that govern the cosmic scales are concerned. Yes, this means the gods and their servants. Casting a spell will likely alert any paladin or celestial being within range. And the taint will linger on you for a few minutes for a minor cantrip, to days for a major spell. Anyone tracking evil beings will be able to detect you as well, no matter how your moral compass normally swings. In fact, the more noble you are, the more likely you will require atonement to cleanse your soul, particularly if the taint lasts longer than you are comfortable with. The dark powers of the Abyss may become aware of you, the more you cast these spells.
The third tier have “corrupt” spells. The similarities of these two spells is singular. They are also evil spells, the warning I gave earlier applies here. There are two versions of corrupt spells. The more common variety is the ability to corrupt a normal spell: arcarne, divine, or primal, and infuse it with the essence of evil. Typically this ability is gained by research into infernal magic, although any demon lord or higher station can bestow this gift on a faithful follower. Any such spell that inflicts harm on another, inflicts roughly half of that damage as unholy. Yes, I said unholy, the exact opposite of holy. This alternate damage will bypass many defenses that aren’t specific to counter it. Every sane adventure should know you don’t bring fire magic to fight a red dragon. However, by adding corrupt spells, a corrupted fireball for example, and the red dragon will suddenly find itself burning with abyssal flames. The other version are spells penned by beings so abhorrent to reality, the nature of the spell itself is corrupt. This usually means the rulers of the Abyss, but some otherworldly beings fit this category. Particularly vile illithids or gith can fit the bill. Many of the corrupt spells have a cost. When dealing with the powers of the Abyss, always remember EVERYTHING has a cost. Generally the cost you pay for casting a spell occurs after the spell’s duration wears off. The Abyss will drain you, it can be physical, mental or spiritual. Make no mistake, you will be less after the spell. If your enemies are dead, or you are able to whisk away, then you may have time to recover. There have been many Infernal archmages, who in the heat of battle, cast too many corrupt spells and were left on the battlefield, weaker than a mewling kitten. Easy prey. You should be warned, that learning corrupt spells puts a target on your back, by holy organizations everywhere. It will also get you noticed by the dark powers of the Abyss. While not guaranteed, you may get a visit from a demon lord seeking an ally.
The final tier are known as “vile” spells. If learning corrupt spells put you on the list by holy organizations, vile spells move you to the very top. EVERY good and even some neutral divine force will note who you are, and send beings to end your existence. Usually in the form the aforementioned holy organizations. Also the Infernal Court will seek to recruit you. Well, recruit is a pleasant word for it. They will notice. They will fight for who controls what’s left of your soul. And they will offer a dimension’s worth of treasure and magic for it. Temptation is to simple a word for what will occur. Choosing one Duke or another earns you the emnity of the others. Vile spells are a corruption of the natural order. They all deal damage of some sort. However, the damage is so virulent, so toxic to life, and in some cases death, that the damage can only be healed on consecrated ground. A smart wizard choose a cursed, or unholy site to do battle. Unleashing vile spells at his foes, they would try to heal the damage, only to have that magic come undone. Like corrupt spells, many vile spells have a cost.
As a final warning. Unless you are especially well versed in “evil” magic, you will never know if a spell you find on a scroll or an acquired spellbook is corrupt or vile. In almost all cases, the caster who penned didn’t know at the time. If he or she survived long enough to scribe a useful spell onto a scroll, or a traveling spellbook, warning about the cost of a spell would be a waste of ink. It would also serve as a final insult to anyone who claimed it from them.
Now I will teach you a minor infernal spell. Learning the spell is voluntary. The one who performs the best will earn this spellbook I retrieved from a fledgling necromancer. He won’t be needing it. Any takers?
Excellent.
A Darkness Rising 