Necromancy origin

Necromancy origin is a short story about the origin of Necromancy in Antagarich, told by Professor Marcus Finch. It was written by employees at New World Computing and originally published on The Nether Gods, a Heroes III fan site that has since disappeared.

The story is copied in its entirety below.

Necromancy origin

""The origins of Necromancy can be traced back to the time of the Silence, though not as directly as you might imagine. The art of Necromancy is a spin-off, really, of Alchemy, which in itself is a spin-off of Wizardry, which is a spin-off of, of all things, Religion.

Now let me explain. Not to sound cliché, but "in the beginning," there was Religion. The basic principle behind Erathian Religion is that if you properly follow all the rituals, that which you ask for shall be granted. This belief holds true even today. But centuries ago, those who dabbled in the mystical arts changed the basic precepts of Religion. Living high in the southern mountains, they became the first Wizards, using rituals of magic not to ask for reward, but to create it themselves.

Sure enough, there were some Wizards who were not content to be Conjurers. Rather than create something from nothing, they changed the practiced rituals in an effort to change their environment - they attempted to animate the inanimate. Now comprised more of science than of magic, the art of Alchemy was born.

Still, there were a few who took this "new religion" one step further. Rather than give life to inanimate objects, the goal of this new group was to re-animate previously living creatures. By blending the magic of conjuring with the science of alchemy, the Necromancers sought the complete and total resurrection of the dead. However, it quickly became apparent that in order to restore life in this fashion that life must be taken from somewhere else.

Such a practice was so blasphemous (even to the Wizards and Alchemists) that the Necromancers' cult was exiled from the nation of Bracada (the southern mountains I mentioned earlier). Wandering the continent, the cult eventually settled in the AvLee - a region teeming with life. As time passed, the Necromancers, trying to reach their goal of a perfect resurrection, slowly drained all the life around them.

The closest the Necromancers have come to a resurrection is the creation of the Lich. The Lich itself is not evil - it is merely the attempt of a mage to keep himself alive after his death by *trading* his life for his own resurrection. Far more sentient than the animated Zombies or Skeletons, the Lich retains the abilities of its previous form, but must continue to feed on life to survive.

Today the nation of Deyja, barren home of the Necromancers for nearly a millenium, continues to grow like a cancerous scar in the heart of the AvLee. The elves have been unable to stop this slow spread of lifelessness, nor has any other nation even tried. No war has ever been declared on Deyja - even if the Necromancers were completely destroyed, the land is uninhabitable.

But the Necromancers have two true enemies: the Wizards and Alchemists who spawned them, and the Elves who must now live with them. In my humble opinion, it is but a matter of time until someone does declare war upon Deyja."

-Finch"