Forlorn Mages

Introduction: The Path of Darkness and Power

The Forlorn Mages are a unique and tragic group within Aina, individuals who have embraced the dangerous art of Magick beyond mortal understanding, channeling the tortured remnants of the fallen gods, the Dead Gods. Where most practitioners of Magick use only measured doses of this energy, the Forlorn Mages plunge deeply, drawing from the dark memories and pain of the Dead Gods, sacrificing mind, body, and even their souls in exchange for unparalleled power.   These mages are marked by their willingness to embrace divine death, a path that has transformed them both physically and psychologically. To the people of Aina, they are figures of awe and fear, respected yet avoided, for their mere presence can cause unsettling phenomena.  

---

 

Origins: A Tragic Legacy of the Dead Gods

  The origins of the Forlorn Mages date back to the First Black Fire War, when fifty-nine gods perished, leaving behind volatile, undying energies. In the war’s aftermath, scholars and mystics attempted to harness these energies, creating what we now know as Magick. Yet for some, the allure of this raw power was irresistible. They sought to absorb as much of it as possible, believing they could gain the abilities of the fallen gods themselves. Thus began the path of the Forlorn Mages, practitioners who chose not merely to use Magick but to become conduits for divine suffering.  

A Quote from Zastor

"To drink from the well of death itself—to channel the screams of gods—is a temptation for some, and a sentence for others. The Forlorn know this well, yet still, they choose."

— Zastor, Pioneer of Magick

 

---

 

The Transformation of the Forlorn

  The journey into Forlorn Magery is marked by physical and mental transformations, the intensity of which often drives them to madness. Every time a Forlorn Mage channels a Dead God’s essence, they draw fragments of the god’s final moments into themselves. These echoes of divine death are powerful but come at a steep cost, permanently altering the mage.  

Physical Changes

Each Forlorn Mage bears physical marks, signs of their exposure to the essence of Dead Gods. Some common features include:

**Crystalline Growths**: Many Forlorn Mages develop crystalline formations on their skin, often painful and continually shifting in hue, as if the very essence of divine light and darkness refracts through their bodies.

**Eyes of the Dead**: The eyes of a Forlorn Mage may begin to glow with a faint light, tinged with unnatural colors. These “Eyes of the Dead” allow them to see traces of residual energy in the world, revealing the lingering spirits of fallen gods.

**Blood of Shadows**: Some Forlorn Mages have blackened veins, filled with a dark energy that courses through their bodies, giving them enhanced endurance and physical strength but subjecting them to bouts of intense agony.

Psychological Changes

The Forlorn’s minds are equally affected, as the memories and emotions of the Dead Gods take root within them:

**Haunting Memories**: Mages are plagued by the final moments of the Dead Gods they channel, constantly experiencing flashes of these divine deaths—burning agony, betrayal, fear, and despair. These memories blur with their own, leading to an inability to distinguish between personal identity and divine fragments.

**Obsessive Compulsions**: Many Forlorn Mages develop fixations or compulsions, drawn to Dead God Sites or specific relics associated with the gods they channel. Some report an insatiable urge to return to these sites, as though the gods themselves are calling them home.

**Emotional Turmoil**: The psychological toll can manifest as heightened states of sorrow, rage, and despair, reflecting the emotions the gods felt as they perished. This can make Forlorn Mages unpredictable, and some say that they are forever cursed to feel the divine sorrow of the gods they’ve touched.

Quote from a Forlorn Mage

"To feel what they felt…to bear their pain…sometimes I can’T tell if I am myself or something more. Or less."

— Lorana, Forlorn Mage of the Sunlit Grove

 

---

 

The Abilities and Techniques of the Forlorn Mages

  The Forlorn Mages wield powers that ordinary practitioners of Magick can barely comprehend, for they do not simply channel energy; they become conduits for divine death. The Dead God essence they embrace allows them to perform unique, powerful, and often devastating abilities.  

Deadlight Visions

A Forlorn Mage can channel the memories of the Dead Gods to gain insight into past and future events. Known as Deadlight Visions, these moments of clarity allow the mage to perceive the world through the eyes of a god as they faced their own end. However, these visions are often unreliable and deeply traumatic, each one pushing the mage closer to madness.  

The Screaming Soul

The ability to invoke the Screaming Soul allows a Forlorn Mage to unleash the anguish of a Dead God upon their enemies, manifesting as a wail or a scream that shatters stone, ruptures flesh, and leaves those who hear it temporarily disoriented or insane. This technique is both feared and despised, as it channels not only pain but hatred, making even the Forlorn themselves wary of its use.  

Necroflux Binding

Forlorn Mages can manipulate Dead God essence to create bonds that anchor spirits to objects or locations. This binding technique, known as Necroflux, allows the mage to create powerful cursed items or haunted relics. These objects are often as dangerous to the user as they are to enemies, for they retain a part of the god’s fragmented consciousness.  

"The Dead Gods are not silent. They rage, they scream, they want. And through us, they find a voice."

— Aered, Forlorn Mage of the Howling Crater

 

The Isolation and Suffering of the Forlorn Mages

  The Forlorn Mages are both feared and misunderstood by society. Many see them as cursed individuals, their bodies and minds twisted by powers beyond mortal understanding. They live isolated lives, wandering from place to place, often unwelcome wherever they go. Those who attempt to reside near Dead God Sites often face hostility from local inhabitants, as the sites tend to attract strange phenomena when a Forlorn Mage is near.   Some have sought to purge the Forlorn, forming zealot factions aimed at driving these mages from Aina entirely. This persecution has driven many Forlorn Mages underground, living in hidden covens or among other exiled communities.  

The Brotherhood of Sorrow

One such hidden group is the Brotherhood of Sorrow, an organization of Forlorn Mages who have dedicated their lives to understanding and honoring the Dead Gods. They believe the gods’ suffering serves a higher purpose, and that by embracing their pain, they can reach new heights of spiritual awareness. They perform ritualistic acts of self-sacrifice, binding their essence even closer to the Dead Gods, in hopes of achieving divine insight.  

"We do not suffer in vain. Our pain is theirs, and in their pain lies truth."

— High Sorrowbringer of the Brotherhood

 

Legacy and Impact on the World of Aina

  The Forlorn Mages remain a polarizing force within Aina. Their powers, while formidable, carry a heavy price, and their presence is both a reminder and a warning of the cost of meddling with divine energies. Some revere them as saints of divine suffering, others as cursed beings marked by the wrath of gods. The magickal practices they have pioneered—such as Necroflux Binding and the Screaming Soul—have expanded the boundaries of Magick, introducing powers that can reshape reality and challenge the gods themselves.  

The Forbidden Tome of Mourning

Within the Brotherhood of Sorrow, there exists a text known as the Tome of Mourning, a forbidden manuscript detailing the deepest secrets of Dead God Magick. Written in blood and bound in enchanted vellum, the tome is said to contain spells that channel the Dead Gods’ rage in its purest form. Legends say that reading it binds the reader’s soul to a Dead God, marking them forever.  

Quote from the Tome of Mourning

"To bear the power of the Dead Gods is to invite eternity into one’s soul. Do not seek this path lightly, for it will end as it began—in sorrow."

 

The Enduring Curse of Divine Death

  In the end, the Forlorn Mages are living testaments to the consequences of wielding divine death as power. They are warriors, martyrs, and scholars of sorrow, yet their lives are defined by loneliness and torment. In a   world where power is both a gift and a curse, the Forlorn Mages serve as a reminder of the dangers of Magick—an art born of death, rooted in sacrifice, and fueled by the screams of gods.  

"Perhaps the gods never truly die. Perhaps, in our sorrow and rage, we keep them alive. Or maybe we are nothing but their dying dream."

— Serethiel, Forlorn Mage

 

---

  The Forlorn Mages walk a path few dare to follow, and their legacy, steeped in darkness and power, remains an indelible part of Aina’s magickal landscape. They are guardians of forbidden knowledge and carriers of ancient pain, forever bound to the gods whose deaths echo through their every spell and breath.