Necromancers of the Night
In 12,570 AE, a cult of necromancers practising illegal forms of magic was uncovered in The Land of Night Magic. After their discovery it was estimated that they had been in operation for near eighty years and that their numbers were in the thousands; with many members having been born into the cult or kidnapped as children and raised with it as their primary religion. Because of their large numbers it was impossible for those who tried to stop their crimes to completely end the cult, and remnants of the beliefs still remain across Demrefor, resurfacing every now and again in small groups.
Though at the time they were discovered they had no name, due to their origin on Night Magic the cult was eventually given the name Necromancers of the Night, or Night Necromancers. It is believed that they chose to begin their operations on Night Magic due to the magical nature of the Mystic Islands and the resources provided by the farms in the nearby Ferraset Ocean.
Modern Cult Behaviour
The Necromancers of the Night hold the belief that necromancy is the key to immortality, and that if it was allowed to be properly studied on Sentient races, rather than being forbidden, the ability to end death entirely will eventually be uncovered. While a surface-level description of this belief may seem initially harmless, the Necromancers of the Night gained their infamy for committing horrendous crimes against Sentient-kind; murder, forced-birthing, torture, and cannibalism are all a part of their “studies” on life, death, and reanimation.
The Necromancers of the Night hold a complete disregard for both the living and the dead, treating both with a great amount of disrespect. The Necromancers of the Night that remain around Demrefor are often discovered because of the desecration of graves or an increased number of missing persons in a small area that lead authorities to isolated communities living on the outskirts of civilisation.
Severity of punishment for those discovered to be practising these beliefs is decided on a case-by-case basis, with effort being put into the rehabilitation and education of those who were raised in isolation from regular Sentient society. Though the Necromancers of the Night are known for their brutality and strict social structures, there is a 80% success rate for reintegration of its non-leader members into regular society.
Original Cult History
The credit for the discovery of the original Necromancers of the Night’s operations is given to Jaisa Bavie, a kidnapping victim who spent close to two years held captive by the cult after xer genitor, Hinlo Bavie, took high rank and got xer forcefully involved against xer will. After xer escape from the cult, Jaisa made xer way to Canis La’Can to speak with Queen Distro and plead for help. Xie made xer way in record time, a multi-month long journey made in a week, and it is thought xie was aided by a magical force that wanted the Necromancers of the Night stopped. Many believe it was the spirits of other victims that carried xer to Canis so quickly.
Jaisa was able to report that the Necromancers of the Night had plans to take over the Ferraset Ocean and its farms, with further plans to spread their operations onto the Nurlak Islands once they had secured a stable supply of resources.
As soon as she was made aware of the danger in Night Magic, Distro contacted several other highly respected powers in the explored territories to prepare for the fight that was sure to come. Together, the countries within the International Alliance were able to prevent the cult from causing too much more harm to the surrounding ocean and islands, though the war against the Necromancers of the Night was at a great loss of life. The cult was extremely difficult to take down due to their blatant disrespect for the dead; when a living soldier was killed, their body would be stolen and used to strengthen the power of the cult’s own army.
Though Jaisa was originally sent away by Distro to a secret location for xer protection during the war, xie eventually came out of hiding to help fight against the people who had held xer hostage. Though xie did not join in the physical combat, xer knowledge on the inner-workings of the Necromancers of the Night proved invaluable in the war-room and their unique battle strategies helped to win several major conflicts with the cult that led to the end of the war and the stopping of the cult’s major operations.