Ward of Ghostly Luminance

Entry for Spooktober 2025

Ghosts in Scarterra are potentially dangerous, but at lot of their danger comes from their ability to act unseen.   Ghostly Beacon creates a warded area which will not block ghosts or weaken them, but it will make any ghosts that enter the warded area (or were already present) plainly visible to the naked eye. Some ghosts relish the opportunity to be more visible to living and others fear it. Whether the ghost wants it not, they can't avoid it. The effect lingers about fifteen minutes after they exit the area.   Per the The Law of Sanctums, this spell is longer lasting when cast over a clear boundary rather than an intangible boundary.

Effect

Whether they want to visible or not, ghosts that enter the warded area appear more solid and glow brighter than normal, making them clearly visible to even casual onlookers.   Even if ghosts do not possess the means to speak to the living, ghost in the warded area may speak freely, assuming they still have a mouth and assuming they retain the sanity and memory to make coherent speech.   Ghosts create an obvious tangible aura when they use their powers in a warded area.   Ghosts that possess a living person or join with a spirit loas are clearly seen superimposed on the person they are possessing.   It was recently discovered that is a spirit loa in the warded channels power of one of the the honored dead rather than channels the power of a ghost, the honored dead is not visible, but the loa is wreathed by a multi-colored shifting aura, manifesting all nine variants of divine auras.

Discovery

There are spotty and possibly fabricated tales of this spell popping in and out of history.   The most prominent such tale, is a legend of an ancient king during the Red Era who was a spirit loa and had his royal wizard enchant the castle so the king's ghost friends cannot sneak up on his living retainers.   In the last century, this was spell was (re)discovered by trailblazing Swynfaredian Dragonblood necromancers in House Selwyth seeking to create a safe space to engage in research on ghosts, safe for the living at least if not safe for the ghosts.

RPG Mechanics

    Ward of Ghostly Luminance is a third circle Necromancy, classifed as a Rare Arcane Spell   It requires about 10 drams of reagents per casting. It's cast with a Perception + Necromancy roll.   For the initial casting, the caster needs to walk around the entire warded area before the spell takes effects, but renewing the duration of an existing spells with a subsequent casting doesn't require the walkaround. Renewals still expend 10 drams of reagents.   Cast over an empty area, the spell will last for about 6 hours per success rolled.   The Law of Sanctums   If cast over a rope fence or other mostly symbolic perimeter, the spell lasts for 12 hours per success rolled   If it's cast over a wooden fence, the spell lasts a full day per success rolled.   If cast over on a stone wall or an roof building, the spell lasts three days per success rolled.   If the spell is cast on a castle or fortress, the spell lasts seven days per success rolled.   The The Law of Sanctumsdoesn't care about how good the castle. A rundown rotting castle with no living person in it is just as mystically effective as a freshly painted, well maintained and fully manned castle. As the area embodies the idea of a castle.


Cover image: by me with Midjourney

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