Mirtul 27, DR 1373:

I had a troubling discussion with an elven clergyman of the Triad named Sywyn. From the start he was condescending and vicious. Case and point, when the party left me behind on their task, forcing me to walk unescorted through the chaotic and dangerous streets of the area known as Lower Sanctuary, he clarified that he was not a babysitter, and cared little that I had been nearly assaulted while catching up. Later, upon attempting to educate him on the difference between the use of necromancy and negative energy as a whole and the specific implementation of animated corpses in undeath, he became belligerent, coarse, and insulting. Further attempts at rational discussion degenerated into threats of violence on my person. I've decided to let the matter go for now, and will begin to formulate an cogent description of the school of spells itself. Perhaps that will be a more productive method of conferrance.

<============= A Lesson on the usage of Necromancy =============>

As all magic, necromantic arts are created through manipulation of the Weave. The Weave is the fundamental force of both arcane and divine magic, from which all spellcasters, whether they are aware or not, draw their strength. The Weave acts as both a barrier and a gate between raw magic and the world. With the Weave in place, we mortals can access magic and are protected from the harmful effects of contacting raw magic while still able to tap its refined energy.

Historically, the first necromantic arts were used as a companion to divination, reaching beyond the barriers of death to gain information and knowledge from contacting spirits and residents on the other side. Now, however, the definition of necromancy has expanded to envelope all magical practices that tap into the related forces of, or bend the rules of natural death.

Being that we exist on the prime material plane, the force that fuels our existence is defined as “Positive Energy,” and we can see it's presence in it's raw magical form in the healing miracles that clergy deliver in the name of whatever god grants them their blessings. Therefore, in order to counteract the nature of the rules of the prime material, necromancers use “Negative Energy,” which is anathema to the other.

When fed liberally into a living creature, negative energy negates the positive energy that binds the soul to the body in the prime material plane, thus harming the creature to a degree relative to the amount of negative energy involved in the process. It is also the raw energy that binds unlife to a form, either corporeal or incorporeal, here in the prime material plane, where such creatures are not native. These two isolated usages of negative energy along have, over the years, given negative energy and necromancy as a whole a very disreputable image.

While philosophers and clergy can agree that the binding of unlife to the prime material plane, i.e. creating or raising undead creatures, is an inherently evil act due to the fact that undeath is not a natural state of existence on the prime material, there are many other ways negative energy and necromancy can be used to less questionable effect. One example is the blessing harnessed by favored Kelemvorite priests, usually called “Kelemvor's Grace,” which makes the recipient immune to all death magic, magical effects that would cause instant death, life drain, and the physical effects of negative energy. In addition, the subject is immune to attacks we refer to as ability drain and magical disease (such as mummy rot). Another simpler incantation cloaks the recipient in negative energy, in a similar way to a robe. This weave, usually called “Invisibility to Undeath” prevents undead creatures from detecting the life force polarity between themselves and any hapless adventurer who finds himself surrounded by shambling unlife, thus negating undead animus towards the recipient(s).

Even though necromancy is more commonly used by power-hungry wizards and more often priests, usually in the cause of nefarious purposes, necromancy itself is but a tool available along with many others to magicians and divine casters, and is inherently neither disposed to being in itself good or evil, with the arguable exception of forcing unlife into a vessel that is in the natural state of death. It is only the intention of the caster and the method in which she directs the energy she controls that creates a moral or ethical affiliation to what we call good or evil.

Written by Shandralyr dur'Faeris, 28 Mirtul, Sanctuary Year 151, 1373 DR

28 Mirtul, DR 1373

I presented the first draft of my discussionary piece on necromancy to a number of spellcasters and a few laypersons looking on at the Rock Bottom Tavern, and it was for the most part well recieved, with the exception of Master Best succumbing to narcolepsy mid-dictation.

Particulary Master Frors Boulderlock bid me to delve further into the mechanics and history, expanding the treatise into more of an intellectual assessment and theory. I am not certain if I shall, being that I designed the work to be understood by those not already knowledgeable on arcane matters, however the unavailability of arcane writings in this settlement is both lacking and troubling.

Meanwhile, I have been comissioned to research, identify, and expound on the process used by the spellguard to ward from scries of magic detection, and the governing concepts particular to scrying and the abjurative weavings necessary to combat it. I shall undertake this task readily, if only to allay the tangible sense of suspicion many of the residents of Sanctuary hold towards the spellguard and the vagueness with which they share information of their workings.

[The rest of the pages are unreadable. Scorched and pocked with acid, the cover has been melted off of the front face, and there is a good deal of blood adorning various remaining surfaces.]