THE GAME MECHANICS OF MORTAL SOULS

Mortal Souls is not a true game, but regardless, there are many hypothetical game mechanics that tie into the game's narrative, and would provide variety of experience and character in a real game.

They are listed below:

BASIC GAMEPLAY

Since it is based on the Souls series, Mortal Souls has a similar formula regarding progression:

1. The game is split into Areas, each with a Boss that must be defeated in order to progress.

2. Defeating foes bestows Souls, which may be used to customize your character and purchase helpful gear.

3. If the player is defeated, they are reduced to a weaker form (In Mortal Souls, Soul Form), and drop all of their Souls where they died, forcing them to either venture to reclaim them or lose them forever.

4. Soul Form is undesirable and gives the player a disadvantage, and so in order to ease their progression, they must either interact with other players, or use valuable cosumable items to return to their normal form.



But before the game can even begin, you must create a character:

Character Creation:

Many aspects of your character can be customized before they enter the Aeon Ruins.

Name:

You should know what this is already.

Origin:

Your character's class, starting statistics, and why they decided to explore the Ruins in the first place. Except for your starting situation, Origins have no effect on gameplay. Depending on your Origin, you may have a choice between multiple Kingdoms, but some Origins are irrevocably affiliated to a certain Kingdom. Conscript: A villager, forcibly recruited by their country to scout the Aeon Ruins. Comes with a light but sturdy shield, a short sword, and several support items. Can choose any Kingdom, or None.

Knight: A valiant knight who volunteered to explore the Aeon Ruins for their country. Comes equipped with iconic armor, a heavy shield with plenty of stability, a long sword, and a spear. Not too agile. Can choose between Tiolez, Lencoter, or Addol.

Hunter: A hermit who lived off the land between Kingdoms, who fled to the Aeon Ruins for their own safety against the Phantasm. Comes equipped with light armor, a scimitar, a bow, and arrows, and a weak shield. Also carries several attack items. Affiliated with no Kingdom.

Bandit: A no-good criminal who was chased into the Aeon Ruins for his crimes. Comes equipped with a knife, a shield that parries well, weak armor, and a Thief's Ring. Can choose between Motus, Qero, Vestum, or None. Has a suspicious Rating in every other Kingdom.

Cleric: A holy one who can channel divine power. Came to the Aeon Ruins as a form of holy retribution. Comes equipped with a mace, a magical shield, a Talisman, and holy robes. Can use Talismans to perform holy miracles. Can choose between Doraine, Yuho, Lencoter, or None.

Magister: A student of the Yannite Magic Academy, who seeks to discover old magic in the Aeon Ruins. Comes equipped with a rapier, a sub-par shield, a Catalyst, and robes. Quite fragile. Can use Catalysts to cast magic Spells. Affiliated with Yannia.

Pyromancer: A Pyromancer, who traveled to the Aeon Ruins to bring honor to their family. Comes equipped with a whip, a fire-proof robe, a Pyromancy Flame, and a fire-resistant shield. Can use a Pyromancy Flame to release blazing Pyromancy. Can choose between Addol, Qero, or None.

Blaze Knight: A Royal Knight of Addol who has also mastered the art of Pyromancy. They explore the Aeon Ruins in search of greater battles. Comes equipped with a great sword, sleek armor, and a Pyromancy Flame. Can use a Pyromancy Flame to release blazing Pyromancy. Affiliated with Addol.

Heretic: An outcast, shunned from any Kingdom, who studies the art of Demonica in secret. His true origins are filled with mystery. Comes equipped with a sickle, a light shield, a Catalyst, and minimal armor. Can use any spell tool to transform Souls into dark Demonica. Affiliated with Vestum, and has a Scoundrel Kingdom Tendency in all other Kingdoms. (See the Kingdoms tab for more info)

Samurai: A warrior who abandoned his responsibilities in Yuho to face the Phantasm. However, when it was obvious they were outmatched, they could not bring themself to return home, and instead delved into the Ruins. Comes equipped with dual katanas, and powerful armor. Can choose between Yuho, and None.

Barbarian: A wild fighter who came from a land far away. Decided to investigate the Ruins on a whim, not knowing what they were getting themself into. Comes equipped with a Club. No Kingdom affiliation.

Gift:

A special item that you can start the game with. They are of varying usefulness.

Lux Gel: Heals HP to full, and cures all status ailments, including Curse.

Phantasmic Eye: Revive yourself from Soul Form at Beacons.

Soul Beacon: Attract allies to your world.

Black Firebomb: An explosive that releases a powerful blast.

Illumination Soapstone: Causes extra messages to reveal themselves.

Ancient Spice: Odorless powder that restores all casts for your current spell.

Cling Ring: 75% HP in Soul Form.

Blank Ring: A ring that has no power by itself.

Empty Charm: Prevents you from Wandering.

Binoculars: See further away.

Appearance:

The physical appearance of your character. If this were a true game, there would be many customization options.

No matter what is chosen, every character starts with the Wanderer's Charm equipped.

Vital Statuses/HUD:

These represent the important statuses of your character, and are displayed on the screen either at all times, or when they are needed.

Soul Level: A number displayed in the Status Screen. Displays the total amount of times that you have leveled up to increase your stats. Some Origins come with Soul Levels already in place. The minimum Soul Level is 1.

Health Bar: A red bar in the top left corner. When it is emptied by being damaged by enemy attacks, you die. You can see the Health Bar of anyone who you are targeting or anyone who is being damaged.

Stamina Bar: A green bar underneath the Health Bar. It costs Stamina to attack, guard, dodge, and sprint. It regenerates quickly, but will only regenerate if you aren't doing anything that costs Stamina. When holding up your shield, your Stamina will regenerate slowly. If the bar empties, you will be unable to take any actions that cost Stamina until it fills back up at least a little bit.

Souls: A number displayed in the bottom right corner. You gain Souls from defeating enemies, and can spend them to buy items, upgrade items, level up, or use Demonica.

Kingdom: A symbol displayed in the top right corner of the screen. Indicates your current Kingdom.

Form: A symbol displayed to the left of the Health and Stamina Bars. Indicates your current Form:

Body Form: The image of a black figure, with a white background. In this form, you Wander in areas where you have beaten the Boss, you can Summon and be Invaded, and your world can be Wandered into.

Soul Form: The image of a hazy white figure, with a cracked black background. In this form, your Health is halved, and you cannot Summon, be invaded, or have your world wandered into. You Wander in areas where you haven't beaten the boss. Typically, these things are detrimental to your progress, and so it is in your best interest to revive as soon as possible.

Build-Up Bars: Small bars near the bottom of the screen. Normally, they are invisible. But when you begin to receive Blood Damage, or Poison or Water Build-up, they will become visible and will start to increase. When they are fully filled, you will be inflicted with a Status Ailment.

Corruption Bar: A small purple bar under the Health bar. It increases when you are struck with Shadow Weapons or when you use Demonica as part of the Vestum Kingdom. When it is full, you are Cursed, and will be locked into Soul Form when you next enter Soul Form. There are two methods to break Curses:

-Invade another Explorer, and kill them to pass the Curse on to them.

-Seek out a member of Yuho, who can break Curses.

Equip Burden: A small white bar beneath the Stamnia Bar, which turns yellow at 25%, orange at 50%, and flashes a darker orange at 75%. Represents the heaviness of the items you have equipped. Your maximum Equip Burden increases with your Endurance. The higher your percentage of total Equip Burden, the slower you move, regenerate Stamina, and dodge.

Ready-Use Slots: Four slots arranged in a cross pattern at the bottom-left. Top: Current Spell. Bottom: Current item. Left and Right: Current Left and Right Hand equipment.

Base Stats:

At Beacons, you may upgrade these with Souls, provided you have enough. Each subsequent upgrade costs more than the last. Your Vital Statuses are derived from these.

Vitality: The fortitude of the body. Increases Health.

Memory: The fortitude of the mind. Increases Memory Slots.

Endurance: The resilience of the body. Increases Stamina and Equip Burden.

Strength: The strength of the body. Increases attack damage. Allows one to wield heavier weapons.

Dexterity: The agility of the body. Increases spellcasting speed and rolling speed. Allows one to wield precise weapons.

Intelligence: The strength of the mind. Increases the power of Sorcery.

Faith: The dedication of the mind. Increases the power of Miracles.

Spirit: The strength of the Soul. Increases the power of Pyromancy and Demonica.

Equipment:

Items that you equip in order to increase your chances of survival. Having equipment on that is too heavy can impede speed, stamina regeneration, and dodging. There are several types of equipment:

Held Equipment:

Weapons: The things you beat enemies with. Weapons can be augmented by blacksmiths to be stronger, or have other effects.

Shields: The things you protect yourself with. Shields can be upgraded to increase their stability, and defensive power.

Spell Tools: The things you cast spells with. Except for Demonica, every type of spell requires a different Spell Tool. Some Spell Tools can serve dual purposes.



Wearable Equipment:

Armor: The things you wear to increase your defense. There are Helmets, Chestpieces, Gauntlets, and Leggings.

Rings: Wearable items that grant special abilities. You can only wear two at a time.

Charm: Wearable items that draw you into other worlds under certain circumstances. You must always have a Charm equipped.

Elements:

The different types of damage that can be inflicted. Equipment can inflict and protect against various elements differently.

Physical: Damage inflicted by matter and ordinary weapons.

Pierce: Damage inflicted by things such as spears and arrows.

Slash: Damage inflicted by things such as swords and axes.

Blunt: Damage inflicted by things such as clubs and staves.

Magic: Damage inflicted by pure supernatural energies. A common alternative to Physical.

Fire: Damage inflicted by heat and fire. More powerful than Lightning, but commonly resisted.

Lightning: Damage inflicted by electricity. Difficult to guard, and does increased damage to those who are heavily armored. Relatively rare.

Cold: Damage inflicted by the Cold and Ice. Deals extra damage on those who are wearing less armor.

Status Ailments:

Inflicted conditions that effect victims negatively.

Poison: Infections or toxic materials being forced into the body. Poison build-up, Normal Poison, and Deadly Poison can all be cured by an Antidote.There are two stages to Poison:

Normal Poison: When the Poison bar fills up, the victim is poisoned. Their Health is slowly lowered over a long period of time, and the effects of healing are reduced.

Deadly Poison: When one is poisoned, and they are poisoned again, represented by an extra poison bar filling up. Similarly to poison, but the damage is dramatically increased.

Blood: Damage that causes painful bleeding. Blood build-up and Bleeding can be cured by Bandages. There are two stages to Blood damage.

Bleeding: When the Blood bar fills up, the victim begins to bleed. It is similar to poison, but does more damage over time, and does not reduce the effect of healing.

Blood Loss: When one is bleeding, and the Blood bar fills up again, they take a certain percentage of their Health in damage.

Water: When one gets wet, they take Water build-up. When the Water bar fills up, they become Drenched. When Drenched, you cannot cast Pyromancy, and you take reduced damage from Fire, but increased damage from Lightning. You are also heavier, which may cause your dodging to suffer. Water build-up is easily cured by the reusable Towel item. You eventually dry off naturally, but the more armor you wear, the longer it takes.

COMBAT

[Same as Souls, with few key differences: more versatile combat controls, pummel]

Light Attack (R1): The weakest attack you can perform, as well as the quickest. Usually combo-able.

Heavy Attack (R2): A stronger basic attack. Good when the enemy is thrown off-guard.

Rolling Attack (Roll-R1): An attack following a dodge. Take advantage of enemy downtime.

Sprinting Attack (Sprint/Backstep-R1): An attack that can be used while Sprinting. Good for chases.

Kick (Forward+R1): A non-damaging kick. Knocks enemies back, or knocks away shields.

Dodging Attack (Backward+R1): A dodge following an attack. The attack itself is usually a formality, and causes little damage.

Jumping Attack (Forward+R2): A highly damaging jump attack.

Backwards Attack (Backward+R2): An attack that targets behind you.

Plunging Attack (Falling+R1): The strongest non-critical attack possible with a weapon.

Backstab (DIRECTLY behind someone+R1): A precise stab to the back. Interruptible by outside forces.

Guard (L1): Hold up your shield, left-hand weapon, or two-handed weapon to defend against attacks. Depletes Stamina instead, but some damage may bleed through depending on the attack, and depending on what you are guarding with.

Parry (Tap L2): Knock an attack away with your shield. Perfect timing is necessary for the best effect. With good enough timing, can even knock away projectiles, even Magical ones.

Shield-Bash (Hold L2): Bash forward with your shield, to knock your enemy's shield away, or to knock them back.

Riposte (Parry+R1): The strongest critical attack possible. Following a parry, attack the enemy dead-on.

Grapple (Parry+R2): Following a parry, wrestle your enemy to the ground, and continue punching them until your Stamina runs out. Does not count as a critical attack.



Weapon Types:



Knives: Weak weapons that specialize in puncturing attacks. Deals Blood damage and has increased critical damage.

Straight Swords: Balanced weapons that alternate between slicing and thrusting attacks.

Fencing Blades: Light weapons that excel at quick attacks. Increased counter damage and can attack from behind a shield.

Curved Swords: Swords that specialize in quick slices.

Greatswords: Long, heavy swords that alternate between slicing and thrusting attacks. Have wide attack areas.

Curved Greatswords: Large, curved swords that can deal relatively quick attacks. Deal mostly slicing attacks.

Ultra Greatswords: Extremely large greatswords that take immense strength to wield. Attacks often break guards.

Spears: Long piercing weapons that can attack from behind shields. More defensive at the expense of power.

Halberds: A class of special polearms, including halberds and scythes. Powerful and quick hitting, but misses can be costly.

Lances: A class of large spears better suited to offense. Usually wider or longer than spears, their two-handed heavy attacks are forward charges. However, they lose the ability to attack from behind shields.

Hand-Axes: Small axes. Provides quick, short ranged chopping attacks.

Waraxe: Large axes designed to cut large swaths in warfare. With outstanding momentum, they send enemies flying.

Hammers: Handheld blunt weapons that offer satisfying hits. Effective against armor.

Great Hammers: Huge blunt weapons that are little more than clubs. Have enough weight to smash enemies to the ground.

Katana: Exotic swords from Yuho. Cut quickly and deeply, causing Blood damage. However, they are thin and brittle. Effective when dual wielded.

Chain Weapons: Weapons connected to chains. Tend to have unique movesets.

Fist Weapons: Weapons attached to the hand. Includes gauntlets, claws, etc. Tend to be weak, short ranged and fast. Dual wielding makes attacks difficult to escape.

Staves: Technical weapons that can only be used with two hands. Nullifies projectiles with attacks, and heavy combos are long and difficult to interrupt. However, missing leaves the attacker dangerously vulnerable.

Muskets: Powerful explosive projectile weapons from Qero that completely ignore all defense. However, it must be loaded before every shot.

Bows: Projectile weapons that must be wielded with both hands. Allows one to attack with precision.

Greatbows: A class of heavy bows, whose ammo carries powerful momentum. Additionally, the user cannot move while shooting, and each shot requires much Stamina.

Crossbows: Mechanized bow that can quickly fire a variety of ammo types. However, it cannot fire with true precision.

DEATH

In Mortal Souls, both living and dead Explorers may traverse the Ruins, by the power of the Beacons.

The dead persist as disembodied Phantoms, their condition being called SOUL FORM, while the living, who retain their physical bodies, are in BODY FORM.

When your Health reaches zero, you die, and if you are in Body Form, you fall to Soul Form.

As a bodiless spirit, you are faced with numerous disadvantages:



-Your health is cut by 50%, leaving you more vulnerable to death.

-You may no longer Summon friendly Phantoms to your world.

-Periodically, you may Wander into the worlds of others as a Blue Phantom, according to your Charm.



However, there are some perks to being in Soul Form:



-The damage you inflict is very slightly raised.

-Your world can no longer be Invaded or Wandered into.

-You can travel to other worlds, whether it is by Invasion, Summoning, or Wandering.

But despite this, Soul Form is generally undesirable, and should be escaped as soon as possible...

REVIVING

In the Aeon Ruins, a place steeped in death, there exists ways to undo it, but none of them are easy to come by:

-At Beacons, one can use a Phantasmic Eye in order to return to Body Form. This is the simplest and quickest way to revive yourself, but Phantasmic Eyes are rare and in limited quantities.

As a rule of thumb, it is best to use them only in times of desperation.

-When in another Explorer's world (except in the case of mundane Wandering), you enter it with a mission to accomplish, whether it be to aid the Explorer, kill them, or anything between.

If you accomplish your mission, you will be rewarded with swift revival upon your return.

-If you Wander into the world of a member of Yuho, you're in luck, as they frequently carry powerful healing items. By using the Light of Yuho, they can bless you, allowing you to return to Body Form when you return home no matter what.

-There is one final way to revive, but, while being consistent, it is quite difficult. If you defeat a Boss in Soul Form, upon their defeat you will return to life, emboldened by the sudden rush of Souls.

Thus, death is not the end. But it does leave a mark...

BLOODSTAINS

When you die in your own world, your accumulated Souls are dropped on the ground as a Bloodstain, which can be touched to reclaim all Souls within.

If you fail to return to this symbol of death, and die before reaching it, a new Bloodstain will be created and the old one, along with all the Souls contained within, will be forever lost.

However, while this may be a familiar concept, the world of the Aeon Ruins has a habit of animating wayward Souls with memories of the dead.

If too many Souls are contained within a Bloodstain, it will instead become a Bloodshade, a dismal red creature that grows stronger with each Soul it holds within.

This new monster must be defeated in order to gain your Souls back, but if you manage to do so, it will multiply the Souls it had by 1.5x, making it a worthy gamble.

WANDERING

In the Aeon Ruins, the borders between worlds are shadowy veils, divisons far less rigid than the world above.

When Explorers are in Soul Form, they can fall between the cracks, and accidentally Wander into the worlds of others.

The exact nature of the Wandering is variable: Explorers wear Charms, keepsakes full of precious memories, to keep themselves from dissipating in the shadow, and depending on which one they wear, it causes them to Wander differently.

But usually, when one Wanders, they will enter the worlds of others as Wanderers (or Blue Phantoms).

Wanderers are neutral Phantoms, able to harm and be harmed by both Explorer and Shade alike.

They can serve either as a beneficial force, aiding in the defeat of foes, or as a detrimental one, having the ability to pick up most items dropped by foes, their very presence draining a portion of the Souls of kills away from the Host Explorer, or simply attacking the Explorer outright.

If they or the Explorer is killed, or if the Explorer enters a Boss room, they return to their own world immediately, but otherwise they will vanish back to their own worlds after a certain amount of time.

BEACONS

Luminous magic devices, resembling miniature lighthouses, are strewn about the Aeon Ruins, placed by old Explorers.

These are the Beacons, curious invention whose wondrous light can perform a wide array of useful jobs:



-Level Up: By dispersing Souls in a Beacon's light, Explorers can improve their Base Stats, letting them customize themselves, and become stronger for the obstacles ahead. This is one of the most important functions of the Beacon.

-Revive: Whenever an Explorer dies, they reappaear in Soul Form at the last Beacon rested at. Here, they may expend a Phantasmic Eye, which restores them to Body Form.

-Ferment: Whenever an Explorer rests at a Beacon, their supply of Light Gels, fermented Souls that can be used to heal wounds, are raised to the maximum of 5.

The number of Light Gels carried (and their effectiveness) be increased by using certain items at Beacons.

-Teleportation: If you are a member of an ally of the Kingdom of Qero, they give you the ability to quickly travel between 'key' Beacons you have discovered in the Ruins, typically one per Area.

Being a Champion of Qero gives you the ability to travel to any Beacon instantly.

-Kingdom Status: Once the 'Warlord's Eye' item is found, it becomes possible to examine the relationships between Kingdoms at Beacons.

Not only can you check your personal relationship with each Kingdom, you can see which Kingdoms currently detest each other.

-Map: If you are a Champion of Yannia, you may use the Aeonic Map here, which gives you a bird's eye view of the entire Ruin. Mostly for fun, but it could be useful...

THE AEON RUINS

The structure of the Aeon Ruins is convoluted, and confusing at first glance, but careful analysis reveals a simple pattern, and the path that Explorers must eventually take in their journeys:



1. There are five Main Regions in the Aeon Ruins, each with a Soullight at the end, a mysterious and vital object.

2. There are three Optional Regions in the Aeon Ruins, which do not contain a Soullight, but may contain valuable treasure and challenges.

3. Each Region contains three Areas, each with their own specific theme, routes, shortcuts, treasure, and Boss.

4. Each successive Area in a Region connects to the next, though it may also connect to other Main or Optional Regions, giving the Explorers freedom to choose whether to soldier on or explore elsewhere.

5. Thus, the Ruins have distinct areas, but are interconnected as to make progress flexible.



But the Ruins are not to be taken lightly, even if you master their structure. Sometimes it takes aid to make it through this nightmare...

MULTIPLAYER

Explorers can connect to the worlds of their fellows through the use of enchanted artifacts of obscure origin. These include:

Soapstones: These cool, waxy stones create a connection between two worlds, but in order for the connection to be stable, both Explorers involved must agree to it.

Thus, the Soapstones are mostly reserved for COOPERATIVE FUNCTIONS.

The quintessential Soapstone is the RESONANCE SOAPSTONE, which allows an Explorer in Soul Form to be summoned to the world of an Explorer in Body Form, to aid them in their battles.

Crystals: These sharp shards of mystic crystal can slice through the boundaries between worlds, allowing one to break into the world of another.

Crystals are mostly forbidden among common folk, as they are typically used for HOSTILE INTERACTIONS AND KILLING.

The quintessential Crystal is the DISTORTION CRYSTAL, which allows an Explorer in Soul Form to become an Invader (Black Phantom), and chase down a Body Form Explorer in an attempt to take their life.

Charms: These scraps of cloth hold great meaning to those who carry them, and allows them to preserve their sense of self when the shadow attempts to take them, instead dragging them into the world of another.

These unpredictable keepsakes result in HAZY, UNCERTAIN ENCOUNTERS. The quintessential Charm is the Wanderer's Charm, which causes Explorers in Soul Form to enter another Explorer's world as a Wanderer (Blue Phantom), who may end up being friend or foe.

All variations on the above items are derived from their quintessential forms, altered to suit specific purposes, or serve a particular Kingdom.

However, there are two other methods to cross the boundaries between worlds...

Soul Beacon: These small domes contain a small chunk of Soapstone, in the center of an intricate Beacon-like contraption, and can only be used by Body Form Explorers.

It temporarily pulses out to other worlds, acting as a call for help. Any who respond to the call appear in the Explorer's world as friendly Phantoms, as if they had been summoned by a Resonance Soapstone's effect.

Dark Beacon: A Demonica rather than an item, this hateful spell acts as the reverse of a Soul Beacon, inviting Soul Form Explorers to the caster's current world as Invaders (Black Phantoms).

Terrifyingly, this spell can even be used in the worlds of other Explorers, to wreak havoc...

BOSS SOULS

Special Shades contain special Souls, and when you defeat them, you claim them as your own. However, only a fool would waste their valuable essence and simply consume it; No, such treasures must be refined into greater forms...

Demon Blacksmithing: Using a talent that was once used to counter the demon hordes of Wuueim, certain Blacksmiths can infuse powerful Souls into weapons to create refined instruments of death.

Demon Weapons are among the strongest in existence.

Ringsmithing: Using a similar method to Demon Blacksmithing, this unique art instead infuses a Blank Ring with a Soul's essence, creating a powerful enchantment that may do any number of things to the wearer.

Soul Synthesis: Certain talented magic-users can render unique spells from Boss Souls, creating forces to be reckoned with.

But remember, Souls can only be used once. Sometimes, once must sacrifice one possibility in order to open another.

MAGIC

Even outside the Aeon Ruins, the world is filled with supernatural forces that have become an integral part of everyday life in the nine Kingdoms.

While one's proficiency at Magic depends on various stats, Memory is the most vital, as it increases the amount of spells that can be memorized at one time.

Spells have a limited amount of uses, the number different for each one, but this can be increased through a variety of means, including memorizing two or more copies of the same spell.

These schools of Magic have varying uses, but in the hands of the Explorers, their power is best used to ensure their survival:

(The capitalized word indicates the Base Stat that most influences the school of Magic.)



Sorcery: The arcane art of reshaping and directing raw Magic, gathered and articulated by the caster's INTELLIGENCE.

It has the most utility spells out of any school, thriving in illusions and misdirection, but it is no slouch on offensive power either, able to inflict consistent damage with volleys of Soul Arrows and similar spells.

On the surface, the Yannite Magic Academy researches and distributes ever more advanced forms of Sorcery, but deep below, the ancient knowledge of the Mystics is revealed to those who venture into the Rotting Stones.

Miracles: The act of beseeching a god (or other divine beings) for divine intervention, proclaiming one's FAITH in exchange for power.

Out of all schools, Miracles have the highest potential for mending, as well as imposing, godly attacks that cover a wide area.

Dorainian Clerics still report to their mysterious, wrathful God, while holy men from Yuho instead call upon nature spirits to perform fantastical feats of magic.

Pyromancy: The manifestation of one's raging SPIRIT, the 'inner fire' becoming a true flame that can be thrown, manipulated, and infused into weaponry.

Originating in the battle-hungry Addol, it is used almost exclusively for combat. You can do much else with fire than set things ablaze, it seems.

Cryomancy: The frigid mirror of Pyromancy, which occurs when one's SPIRIT rejects the flame and turns cold.

It originated in the Badlands, the wastes to the north where nothing warm can live for long.

Much like Pyromancy, it is centered around destructive spells, yet they tend to kill with more refinement, in indirect ways.



COMPLETE LIST OF SPELLS

However, there is one last school of magic so foreign and forbidden that it has long since fallen from the public mind...

DEMONICA

Demonica is the art of Demon Magic, supposedly orignating in Wuuheim.

With foul rituals, the Demonicans of Wuuheim turned the Souls of the dead into Demons, living weapons against the other Kingdoms.

But this school of Magic is not just limited to the creation of twisted life, as it has multiform uses, each one cruel.

And worst of all, Demon Mages are not limited to a set number of uses: as long as they have enough Souls, they can continue casting their dark art even after other magic users have fully tapped their reserves.

This, combined with the insane destructive force of Demonica, makes its wielders a force to be reckoned with.

Corruption: The Demon Mages of Vestum take particular relish in their skills, and thus accumulate Corruption as they cast Demonica.

Once their Corruption reaches 100%, they are Cursed. While this is a detrimental state to most, they revel in the Curse...

CURSES

The Curse is a terrible status ailment that locks the afflicted in Soul Form. Phantasmic Eyes are unusable, and not even defeating Bosses can return you to life.

Thankfully, there are only a few ways to become Cursed:



-Be killed by another Cursed Explorer (An Accursed One)

-Gain 100% Corruption (Only inflicted by Shadow Weapons, certain foes, or using Demonica while a member of Vestum)

And when Cursed, your fate is grim indeed. There is no consumable item that can break your own Curse, and so you must follow one of the few routes that can:



-Go to the Hill of the Skylights, and have your Curse broken by Mother Cosima.

-Enter the world of a member of Yuho, and hope they either use the Waters of Yuho on you, or else kill you with the Blade of Peace Miracle

-Prevent the Curse by using an Angel Feather to reduce Corruption

-Or, the final option is to Invade or Wander into the world of another, and kill them. The Curse will pass on from you, and be inflicted on them instead.

If there is any upside to becoming Cursed, it is that when you enter the world of another, they will not know what you are by the message on the screen.

Rather than: 'Phantom XXX of Tiolez has been summoned.', or 'Black Phantom XXX of Addol has invaded!', it will instead read: 'Accursed One XXX has arrived.'

Additionally, if an Accursed One is killed, they will drop a Demon Ore in addition to their Souls.