Nihilism

Only available to Nihilists, this specialization in cosmic magic creates a bond between the adept and the Tainted Plane of Nil, where lives the Demon Lords. The Nihilists form pacts with these dread beings, who will allow service of a demonic thrall to the Nihilist to help create mischief.

Skill	Learned At	Description
Wings	Master+0%	Sprout bat-like wings.
Link	Master+33%	Channel the energy of wild astral nodes to your nexus.
Reviled	Master+66%	Make a pact with a demon lord.
Imp	Gifted+0%	Dominate a puny imp.
Demonscales	Gifted+25%	The pain of unholy scales strengthens your body.
Demoncloak	Gifted+50%	Cloak your demonic thrall's movements.
Accursed	Gifted+75%	Make a pact with two demon lords.
Demonmarks	?+?%	Investible powers will now mark on your victims.
Fiend	Expert+0%	Command the will of a small fiend.
Torture	Expert+25%	Agony of the tortured heart: spasms of an unknown joy.
Barbedtail	Expert+50%	Transcend your physical body into a stronger form.
Harrow	Expert+75%	Inflict greater torment by your unholy minion.
Unholy	Virtuoso+0%	Make a pact with three demon lords.
Channels	Virtuoso+0%	Open aetheric channels to other planar entities.
Demon	Virtuoso+33%	Control a malevolent demon.
Beckon	Virtuoso+66%	Call your foes out of hiding to confront your spite.
Syphon	Fabled+0%	Force your minion to endure your suffering.
Damned	Fabled+25%	Make a pact with four demon lords.
Archdemon	Fabled+50%	Subvert a mighty archdemon to your bidding.
Symbol	Fabled+75%	Receive an unholy symbol from a Demon Lord.
Excruciate	?+?%	Stripping demonmarks causes great suffering.
Spawn	Mythical+0%	Innumerable nameless horrors hector your inferiors.
Demonweb	Mythical+25%	What is truly deadly is not the webbing, but the poison...
Scourge	Mythical+50%	Unleash Nil's unending hatred upon the weak.
Abomination	Mythical+75%	Make a pact with all five demon lords.
Wrack	Transcendent+0%	Destroy the soul of those unworthy of existence.

Symbols of Nil (by Alodia)

Wings

Syntax

DARKCALL WINGS

Demonic wings are yours for the asking, allowing you to soar and look down upon insignificant souls.

Link

Syntax

DDARKCALL LINK NODE

Travel to the astral plane and link to a wild energy node. This will automatically channel its latent powers directly into the Megalith of Doom.

Reviled

Syntax

DPACT <Demon Lord> PACTS PACT BREAK <Demon Lord>

Power: 10 (Megalith of Doom) (to pledge)

In your journey to master the nihilistic path, you are now officialy considered Reviled by most civilized standards. This pleases the Demon Lords of Nil, who will now allow you to form a PACT with one of these dark masters. This pact cannot be broken, barring the unlikely fall of that Demon Lord. Contemplating upon PACTS will also reveal what investable powers are granted. The first pact formed with a Demon Lord is seen as an indicator of the general path that Nihilist will travel throughout his or her life, even if that person subsequently forms pacts with other Demon Lords; thus, the first pact is generally made only after a much consideration and reflection by the nihilist.

Note that you can also break a pact, which will also break deep bonds (if you have one).

PLEDGING LUCIPHAGE: Luciphage is not called the Supreme Master for nothing, for he is adept at dominating and controlling others. Though his powers can be quite formidable, he prefers cunning and manipulation over brute force. Indisputably, those Nihilists who follow the Path of the Dominator often reflect this same cool, calculating approach, many rising to become leaders whose patient ambitions know no bounds.

PLEDGING ASHTORATH: Unlike the more thoughtful followers of Luciphage, those Nihilists who embrace the Path of Rage revel in brute force and destruction. Patience and forethought are seldom considered admirable traits, as Ashtorath prefers immediate, direct and spectacular action.

PLEDGING NIFILHEMA: The Path of Cruelty is a terribly difficult and subtle path to follow. As Nifilhema cares little about intrigue, ambition or power, she is only concerned with causing pain and suffering, considering it the highest form of artistic expression. Nihilists on this path develop a twisted aesthetic view of pain, creating ingenious and horrible new methods of torture.

PLEDGING BAALPHEGAR: Certainly the most intelligent of the Demon Lords, Baalphegar brings his considerable mind to formulate complex and elaborate plots. Those Nihilists who walk the Path of Dark Fate prefer to work behind the scenes, masterminding insidious schemes and intrigues.

PLEDGING GORGULU: Very few Nihilists choose the Path of the Devourer, for Gorgulu is the most warped and incomprehensible of the Demon Lords. Those Nihilists who do are considered insane and unstable.

Imp

Syntax

DARKCALL THRALL DARKCALL THRALL DISMISS INVEST <demonic thrall> WITH <list of powers> DARKBOND

Power: 5* (Megalith of Doom) (to call the thrall)

The Demon Lords of Nil will send you a squat imp to serve you as your thrall, who may be invested with two powers.

INVESTING POWERS INTO A DEMONIC THRALL: The specific powers granted by a pact with a Demon Lord allows you to INVEST those powers into your demonic thrall. You may invest no more powers than your thrall is able to learn, though you may invest less if you wish. DARKBOND will list the powers invested into your demonic thrall.

*Note: There is no power cost to call a thrall that is already summoned or if it is summoned on Nil itself.

Demonscales

Syntax

DARKCALL DEMONSCALES

Damage Modifier: 1/8 universal resistance

Just as your perceptions and passions change from your contact with Nil, so too does your body, which can be made manifest by calling forth demonic scales to cover your body and protect you from harm.

Demoncloak

Syntax

DARKCALL DEMONCLOAK <ON|OFF>

While your demonic thrall is cloaked, he or she will not be easily visible, and will move entirely silently.

Accursed

Your soul has been forged through pain, suffering and conflict, which has made you stronger and more cunning. You are now considered an Accursed One. You may maintain pacts with two of the Demon Lords of Nil.
See AB NIHILISM REVILED.

Demonmarks

Your pacts with the Demon Lords have strengthened to the point where they have granted you the power of Demon Marks. The third time that your thrall afflicts a victim with an affliction of a Demon Lord, that victim will also be marked by that Demon Lord. Each Demon Lord has their own mark so it is possible to have multiple marks on the same person. A Demon Mark will passively afflict your victim with afflictions associated with its Demon Lord, as well as slowly drain mana from the victim. If your victim also has a necromantic Deathmark, that deathmark will darken while the Demon Mark remains.

Supreme Master Luciphage leaves the Mark of Darkness. Duke Ashtorath leaves the Mark of Damnation. Prince Baalphegar leaves the Mark of Despair. Queen Nifilhema leaves the Mark of Pain. Gorgulu leaves the Mark of Corruption.

Fiend

A sensuous fiend will now be sent to you as your thrall, courtesy of the Demon Lords of Nil for your services. A fiend may be invested with three powers.
See AB NIHILISM IMP.

Torture

Syntax

DARKCALL TORTURE <target>

Power: 3 (Megalith of Doom) Damage Type: 100% Cutting

You can order your thrall to torture the unlucky soul, causing bleeding, damage, and a plague affliction.

Barbedtail

Syntax

DARKCALL BARBEDTAIL STING <target>

Though a painful transformation, you may grow a barbed tail. Though it does no damage, it is used as a stinging weapon, injecting random poisons.

Harrow

Syntax

DARKCALL HARROW

Power: 1 (Megalith of Doom)

If your lazy thrall servant isn't performing to your satisfaction, show it who is the master and force it to harrow your enemies. A harrowing thrall will discharge two powers on its next attack.

Unholy

You may now proudly wear the the title of Unholy, such is your advancement upon the nihilistic path. You may maintain pacts with three of the Demon Lords of Nil.
See AB NIHILISM REVILED.

Channels

Syntax

OPEN CHANNELS

Power: 10 (Megalith of Doom)

This power will open up aetheric channels between you and summoned planar entities. Once such channels are open, you will not use any equilibrium when summoning (though you must have equilibrium).
Opening your channels while on Nil will only require half the normal power cost.

Demon

For your superior efforts, the Demon Lords of Nil will grant you the services of a demon thrall. A demon may be invested with five powers.
See AB NIHILISM IMP.

Beckon

Syntax

DARKCALL BECKON [target]

If your demon thrall is in your location, this will order it to beckon all others in adjacent rooms to you.

Syphon

Syntax

DARKCALL SYPHON

Your demonic thrall will suck out ailments from your blood stream.

Damned

Having served the Demon Lords of Nil well, you join the ranks of the Damned. You may maintain pacts with four of the Demon Lords of Nil.
See AB NIHILISM REVILED.

Archdemon

The Demon Lords of Nil are quite impressed with you and will grant you the services of an archdemon thrall. An archdemon may be invested with seven powers.
See AB NIHILISM IMP.

Symbol

Syntax

PACT DEEP <demon lord> SYMBOL CALL SYMBOL STRIKE <target> SYMBOL EVOKE <power> <target>

Power: 10 (Megalith of Doom) (to form pact) Damage Modifier: 1/7 universal resistance, 1/8 Variable (see below)

One of the most important and difficult tasks a Nihilist undertakes is forming a deep bond with a Demon Lord. This can only be accomplished after subjugating souls imprinted on spikes into the Necromentate that correspond to the Demon Lord with whom the bond is being sought. Once enough souls are enslaved (and it takes quite a lot), the Nihilist may journey to Nil and seek to form a deep bond with that Demon Lord.

A Nihilist may only ever have one deep bond with a Demon Lord. This reflects a special relationship between Demon Lord and Nihilist and should be given much thought. If a pact is ever broken, so too will the deep bond be broken.

Once a Nihilist forms a deep bond with a Demon Lord, he or she may call forth a symbol of that Demon Lord. This symbol must be wielded in order for its powers to be enabled. It can strike an enemy as a weapon, as well as being able to directly evoke one of the powers of the Demon Lord whose symbol it represents (i.e., an investible power). Finally, wielding the symbol adds a small protective field around the Nihilist, though the field is stronger depending upon which symbol it is:

• Luciphage offers more protection against blunt damage.
• Ashtorath offers more protection against fire damage.
• Nifilhema offers more protection against cutting damage.
• Baalphegar offers more protection against cold damage.
• Gorgulu offers more protection against poison damage.

Excruciate

Syntax

DARKCALL EXCRUCIATE <target> [HEALTH

Power: 5 (Megalith of Doom)

If your victim currently suffers under at least one Demon Mark, you can rip them from his or her person. This will cause your victim to be stunned and drained of either health or mana (at the Nihilist's choice). The more Demon Marks on your victim, the more excruciating the suffering.

Spawn

Syntax

DARKCALL SPAWN <target>

Power: 2 (Megalith of Doom)

By indicating an enemy in the same location as your archdemon, it will give birth to a demon spawn that will attack that enemy.

Demonweb

Syntax

DARKCALL DEMONWEB <victim>

Damage Type: 50% Poison, 50% Psychic

Wielding your unholy symbol, you can cast a few strands of the Web of Despair at your victim. Too little to entangle them, but it is not the dweller of the web that kills - it is the poison woven into every strand.

Scourge

Syntax

DARKCALL SCOURGE

Power: 10 (Megalith of Doom)

When your circumstances become dire and your thrall isn't pulling its own weight, beat it into a frenzy and it will become the scourge you expect it to be. For the next 10 attacks, your thrall will perform 2 powers instead of one.

Abomination

Your soul has been remade beyond recognition, and you are now considered an Abomination. You may hold pacts with all five Demon Lords of Nil.
See AB NIHILISM REVILED.

Wrack

Syntax

DARKCALL WRACK <target>

Power: 5 (Megalith of Doom)

If your victim is at half mana and bound or paralysed, you may wrack his or her soul and rip it out to feed to the Demon Lords of Nil.