Final Summary

When in battle with a Common Mermaid, always make sure to avoid being outnumbered, and maintain vigilance and a cool head when facing them, as their standard tactics work best when their enemy is paniced or otherwise in a state of disarray. Aim for their soft parts and use weapons with a long reach, and avoid being hit with toxic weapons unless one has access to a healer of some kind or injection-ready antidotes.

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Necromancer
Occult
Traitor

BIOLOGY

Physiology

Necromancers retain the vague form of the person they used to be, but it is warped and corrupted by the darkness they've willingly let into their heart. Their skin is ice pale, and pronounced veins can periodically be found shifting on their skin from time to time. Though their heart beats, the blood it sustains is black as night and cold like ice. Whatever hair the Monster originally had is now white or black, depending on if it was a light or dark shade respectively in life, and the eyes glow with unnatural power and strange unearthly colors, most often green, yellow, or bright teal. Their nails are blackened and their body becomes gaunt, losing any unnecessary weight to it. Because of the curse they have embraced, they do not age, and centuries may pass while the Necromancer appears the same as it always did. Wounds mend on their own over time, and even blows to her vital organs are unlikely to be fatal in isolation. The Necromancer's breath smells foul and is cold as the grave, and she suffers no pains from extremely cold environments.

Intelligence

By nature, Necromancers share the intelligence of a human, and once awoken, gain an instinctual understanding of much of their power. Because of this, Necromancers are devious on average and geniuses at their best, as they have years to cultivate experience and their needlessness makes it so that they can spend as much time away from humanity as is necessary. As a result, the longer a Necromancer lives, the wiser she becomes, and the wiser she becomes, the more powerful she becomes. A Necromancer who lacks cunning and resourcefulness will not last long, but these are in the end few and far between, as Necromancers that cannot become powerful Monster Lords on their own often instead come to serve other Monsters for them, summoning the Undead from the safety of their master's fortress.

Diet

Necromancers are needless, and do not require food, water, or even sleep to maintain their corrupt existences. They are sustained only by the pure necrotic energy produced in their soul, near-limitless given the curse they have embraced.

Habitat

Necromancers can be created anywhere there are humans, and as a result, exist in every environment across the world. They tend towards living in lairs far away from humanity, but close enough that they can summon the dead to serve their ends - abandoned settlements are a favorite of theirs, as are ancient tombs, and finally, the Nether, where they often make their home in the darkness and gloom below. Because of their unique talents towards creating Wights in comparison to most Necrotic Mages, even areas absent of dead humans, but full of dead Monsters serve their purposes well.

Reproduction

Necromancers, like all Occult Class Monsters, do not reproduce in the traditional sense - they are created from humans who willingly choose to embrace Monstrosity. In the case of Necromancers, much like humans can be born with an innate talent for the traditional schools of magic, human girls can often be born with the potential for the black art, forbidden to humans - Necromancy. This potential goes against their nature as humans, and much the same way misfortunes are drawn to humans who come to love a Monster, so are misfortunes drawn to these "witch children." A child with the potential for Necromancy does not necessarily have to turn to the dark path, and those who survive the influences of their curse often become extremely skilled healing or holy mages. However, extreme emotional highs can unlock the path to darkness, and when older and persecuted because of their bad luck or cursed nature, oftentimes they can no longer resist the pull, and embrace the darkness in retaliation. However, this is not universally the case, and many Necromancers, often the most ambitious and power hungry, eventually became so proud, greedy, or otherwise full of vices they unlocked their potential simply through this dark yearning. As with all Occult Monsters, once a girl embraces the path of the Necromancer, there is no turning back - her humanity is lost to her, and Monstrosity takes its place.

SOCIOLOGY

Community

Necromancers inevitably take part in Monster society - they either join it, or create it. Because of their mastery of Necromancy, Necromancers will inevitably create Revenants to serve them, and attract or bind Spirits to their service as well. The question is simply whether they will strike out on their own, or choose the comfort of serving another Monster. Those who strike out on their own, should they find success, become masters of legions of the Undead and can pose threats to communities, and, if powerful enough, entire nations. Those who choose to serve other Monsters become valued advisors and sorcerers, summoning additional forces to the army of any proud conqueror or warrior. Necromancers may often form orders together, pooling their resources to create legions of the dead and bring more and more Necromancers into their fold. Oftentimes, Necromancers will pursue the dream of Immortality, and become a Lich, a path to guaranteed glory as a Monster Lord.

Technology

Necromancers are unlikely to have much technological experience or expertise upon entering their accursed new life, but are prone to gathering it over time, especially as the steady rate they obtain completely loyal followers gives them plenty of chances to experiment. Necromancers in particular are prone to discovering, or perhaps creating, new forms of Revenants and Constructs to serve them, and their black knowledge often spreads quickly among their kind, though just as often will it be greedily protected by its inventor. They are prone to conducting horrifying experiments with life and death, humanity and monstrosity that they have a reputation as makers of madness and horror, similar to Illithids. It was the Necromancer's endless pursuit for more knowledge and life that lead to the creation of the Lich, an evolved, and nearly immortal version of the Necromancer, a higher stage in their personal evolution as Monsters - terrifyingly rare for a Monster outside the Abomination or True Demon class.

Theology

Necromancers, while not exactly religious, are not exactly irreligious either. They are selfish by nature, and as such are unlikely to partake in sincere worship, but still may come to worship and give offerings to certain monster deities, chiefly Mon, Else, Reven, and Selara, the Traitor Goddess. They do this for power, favor, and out of a sense of respect towards other masters of darkness and death.

Diplomacy

Necromancers do not tend towards the diplomatic when it comes to humans. Their personal history often poisons them against humans due to the actions of the depraved and rotten among our kind, and over time they are guaranteed to grow even further distant due to their needlessness, longevity, and ability to enact their will miles away from any humans as needed. However, certain exceptions exist, especially among those who became a Necromancer from greed and desire rather than tragedy and sorrow. These Necromancers are often devious manipulators who will turn a human society into another one of their puppets, oftentimes before enacting a complete undead takeover, and as such should never be trusted to have pure intentions. With Monsters, Necromancers are more willing to be diplomatic, even if it's often for the purpose of securing additional followers or their own safety. They tend towards being more genuine with Vampires and fellow Occult Monsters, and in general are likely to be engage in truly genuine diplomacy - hostile or friendly - with fellow Necromancers.

Hostility

Necromancers are almost always hostile in some way. Normally they are hostile to humanity and will wage war with humans with undead minions, but independent Necromancers are just as often hostile to other monsters, and will be indiscriminate in their conquest and destruction, especially given their unique ability to easily create Wights. Even Necromancers who seem neutral or friendly towards Humans or sometimes even Monsters will often have sinister plans in mind for them.

HUNTING

Range

Necromancers can be found the entire world over, both in the Known World and in the New World, though certain regions find them to be more common, such as in Klythe due to the Klythe New Kingdom's veneration of death, the ancient ruins of old Zhukge-ko due to its history with necrotic magic, and especially the remnants of Aquila, once the capitol of the venerated Aquilan Empire and seat of the Great Church of Stel, now a city of the dead. They can also often be found in the depths of the Nether, especially in countless catacombs and necropolises, and of course make up a large population of Irkalla, the Great Necropolis in the Nether below Stelethae and the rest of western Yuaja.

Magic

As one may expect, Necromancers are inherently exceptionally powerful in magic, having power over the necrotic arts often only rivaled by powerful Vampires, Spirits, and True Demons. Unlike many Monsters, they have an innate, instinctual access to the sorcerous arts, and can resurrect the dead as Revenants as well as bind spirits with great ease, as well as having the ability to create Wights from dead Monsters naturally, an art that is difficult for many lesser necromancers among Monstrosity to perform. Their corrupt power extends to battle magic as well, and in addition to necrotic and death magic, they tend towards having innate skill with frost, poison, and shadowy magic as well. Such is the power of a Necromancer that it is not uncommon to witness some of the rarer forms of Revenants in their ranks, and in battle their shadowy arts are impossible to predict with ease.

Combat

Because underneath all their corruption and black magic Necromancers are still human, they lack any innate access to non-magic attacks or defenses, and as a result their approaches in combat are often hard to predict and vary from individual to individual. Some may choose to fight using illusions or trickery, while others will attack with blackened artifacts and similar. However, in my experience most are content to sit behind their strongest servants as a shield, and are often unprepared when faced without any backup.

Strengths

Vast magical potential, complete needlessness makes it so that they need not live in traditionally habitable areas.

Weaknesses

Great necrotic energies renders them vulnerable to holy magic. Often supremely arrogant at first.

Final Summary

If you are hunting a Necromancer, you are most likely among several others assaulting their lair. Watch out for their minions and always make sure mages are with you. Avoid casualties as much as you can - while this is true among all Monsters, it is especially pronounced for the Necromancer due to the likelihood she will immediately raise any of your fallen.