Selected Volumes from Brightvale Library

     To whoever discovers this time of such unspeakable evil, beware!

     Contained within is the work of the great Hubrid Nox, the most powerful warlock to walk these lands in generations. Only a being of extreme magical power should attempt the incantations detailed inside, for they have driven lesser mortals to insanity, death, and far worse fates.

     I. In the first chapter, we shall discuss that most evil of magics, the power to summon the dead.

     An army of ghosts and zombies can prove a useful tool in destroying one’s enemies, and make menial tasks like housekeeping trivial. The process of summoning the undead is considered by most to be a difficult and consuming process, but necromancers know the truth of the matter — the only difficulty is in sourcing the main ingredient, the corpses of your soon to be minions. I find there is a certain irony in using the bones of your vanquished foes, forcing their spirits to serve you in death. But it is a matter of personal preference.

     You will need:

     - The bone or flesh of your intended thrall, flesh allowing for the creation of a zombie, while bone summoning forth the spirit as a ghost.

     - White chalk.

     - An infusion of Black Bogberries. These can be sourced from the Bogshot swamplands, though any necromancer worth his weight will cultivate his own supply.

     - Scamander gizzards.

     Under the power of the pale moon, encircle oneself with the chalk in an unbroken line. Begin by mashing the Scamander gizzards into a fine paste, then apply generously to the bone or flesh. Next, boil the infusion of Bogberries and then pour over the bone or flesh. Many necromancers will at this point chant, though spells are not strictly needed. A mage of reasonably strong power need only apply their will to summon the spirit. Maniacal laughter, however, is compulsory.

     If you can summon a bolt of lightning, do so. It will make you look twice as evil.

     And thus, the spirit will return to this realm, bound eternally to your will.

     II. Odial Spheres are useful creations that no self respecting evil-doer should be without. They allow instantaneous communication across vast distances — the perfect tool for keeping one’s minions in check.

     The base is a common crystal ball — the kind any two-bit fortune teller may use. But a necromancer employs it in a way that is anything but common. Properly divined, the orb can be used to send equipment and artefacts to those in need. I myself once used one to raid the vile Faerie Queen’s Hidden Tower. She never even suspected that it was I, the great Hubrid Nox, who had stolen from her!

     You will require at least two orbs to make a connection, though in truth any number can be linked into a larger network of magic. In order to divine them, you will need:

     - A psionic singularity. This popular tool of swamp witches can be created by mixing the Essence of a Nova with Maudlin Root.

     - Spectral essence. This can be created by mixing crushed Bloodfern Loam with desiccated Leafy Slorgblossom.

     - A drop of your own blood. While not strictly required, magic of the blood will strengthen the spell and make sure you have full control over the spheres. Just in case your enemies think to use them against you.

     To begin, submerge the orbs in boiling water for at least two hours, then add in the spectral essence. Stir counter-clockwise for ten minutes. Next, stoke a fire, the hotter the better, and break the singularity into it — the flames should turn black. At this point, immediately throw both orbs into the fire, turning them for three minutes.

     Finally, focusing your magic, allow a single drop of blood to fall into the fire. Immediately drown the fire with the boiled water.

     When you reclaim the orbs from the ashes, they will be reborn as Odial Spheres.

     III. Noxious Blades are one of my proudest arcane creations. The first prototype was designed centuries ago, and I have since perfected the process. The blade, an average weapon in most cases, springs to life when facing a certain foe — Lupes.

     The key is in the main component, the tortured soul of one who held such animosity towards Lupe kind. In death, the twisted rage takes on an entirely new power.

     First, you will need to summon a soul using the method described earlier in this tome. Chias, with their ancestral conflict with Lupes, make ideal targets.

     It is important to note that whilst the Noxious Blade targets Lupes, the blade can target anything provided the soul is so hateful towards it. Blades can be made to target Acaras, Qasalans, or even Faeries. The latter has eluded me thus far, as I have been unable to source a soul that so completely hates our winged captors. I have high hopes, however, for a young embittered witch who has recently moved to the Haunted Woods.

     To begin, you will need a forge. Place a normal blade into the fire and heat until the metal becomes white-hot. Then, apply magic to the blade through your will. Next, summon the soul to the heart of the fire, instructing it to wrap around the blade as you yourself wrap your magic around and between both. This process can take many hours.

     When you feel you have done enough, remove the blade from the fire and strike it into shape on the anvil. You will know at once if the entwining process failed, as the soul will float away from the blade.

     The only way to test if the soul’s hatred was enough is on live subjects. I recommend keeping some captive nearby.

     IV. Shape changing is one of the most useful spells a necromancer can master. The pursuit of the dark arts often takes a toll on mind, soul, and indeed, even body. Many necromancers can be badly scarred by their craft. This makes mingling amongst the common folk difficult. As such, a chance of face can be useful — if nothing else, it helps outwit one's enemies.

     Changing form is a magic that becomes easier the more it is performed. The first attempt will be difficult, or even painful. But a master necromancer like myself can change shape quickly and without considerable effort.

     This is a spell of pure magical will, nothing else is required. However, when first learning the craft it is considerably easier to attempt to assume the form of someone living. At very least, this allows you to focus on an image of them, and preferably have them imprisoned nearby so you may study them in person.

     First, study the subject in detail. Memorise their every flaw and blemish, even the way they move. This can take many days by itself. When you are ready, bring the image of them to the front of your mind’s eye. Bring forth your magic and allow it to snake around your body, covering you entirely. Next, imagine your own form imposed upon that of the subject to be copied. Slowly, remove yourself from the image and focus all your magical energies upon it.

     Here, for the first time, you will experience pain. When it is done, you will be changed. You will need to reverse the process to return to your normal form.

     Only after you have mastered the shapes of the real should you begin assuming the forms of people and creatures of your imagination.

     V. My puzzle box is perhaps my most fiendish creation to date. When properly used, it will drain the victim of a third of their health, allowing a skilled warlock to quickly finish them off.

     The problem, of course, of having such a powerful weapon, is that it can easily fall into the wrong hands. To have such a weapon used against you would be dreadfully embarrassing. The key then is to make the box only useable by those who know a specific combination to transform it. It is this that is the true wickedness of the artefact — for in the wrong hands it is nothing more than a useless trinket.

     The first step is in creating the Evil Hubrid Statue into which the box will transform. I have constructed this in my own glorious image, and I would advise you to do the same, but if you must you can vary the shape. The statue is hewn from solid lodestone, or lightning stone as some call it, for its ability to conduct vast magical forces. When you have crafted the totem, you will require a power source — the supernatural creature commonly termed as a Vampire.

     Vampires are rare creatures, and extracting a soul from one is no easy task, even for a master like myself, but it is their life leeching ability that is all-important here. A captured Vampire must be starved of blood for at least a month to make their soul appropriately ravenous. Killing them and summoning their spirit will not work here, as the body will turn to ash. Instead, the soul must be drawn from the victim while it still lives.

     For this, you will need:

     - Five lengths of rotting vines, commonly found in the swamps.

     - Boiled Meowclops saliva.

     - Moonwater, creates by boiling water under the rays of a full moon.

     - Platinum Mist, creates from Sharpgrass, Bronze Sansom, and Madvine Root.

     - Garlic.

     Begin by boiling the vines and the Meowclops saliva, and mash the resulting mixture into a fine paste. Next, have the Vampire ingest the Moonwater. A good necromancer should feel the Vampire strengthen and those keen of sense should be able to see their aura shine.

     Next, smear the paste onto both statue and Vampire’s chest. Magically charge both areas. Then take the Platinum Mist and pour it in a trail between the two. Finally, have the Vampire ingest the garlic. Their body will begin to combust, but freed by the Moonwater, their soul will follow the path of the mist into the statue.

     Your weapon is now ready. Any skilled warlock should now be able to apply some rudimentary locks to transform it into a puzzle box.

     VI. The Obelisk of Doom, as the public call it, is at the heart of my increasing power as the world’s finest necromancer. Very early on in my career, I discovered that every single Neopet holds within them a small amount of magic. Not any amount capable of performing feats, but an amount nonetheless. Now, imagine if you could take that power from a dozen Neopets and pool it for your own use. Imagine a hundred Neopets, or a thousand. Imagine if you had access to the magic of every single Neopet on the planet. Imagine such power.

     This is the true doom wrought by the obelisks I have fashioned. For every Neopet that picks one up, I grow stronger. The key is in only borrowing the magic, not stealing it altogether, as that would be noticed. The obelisks are in fact a one-way psychic link to myself, and I have used them to perform feats of magic that lesser beings cannot even comprehend.

     Again, lodestone should be used to sculpt the statues, for the vast magic they will be channelling. But at the heart of this magic is a sample of crystallised Faeryllium. This naturally magical material forms large lumps — each resonating at a different frequency. In fact, slivers taken from the same mother crystal will resonate the same. It is this you must make use of. Within each obelisk, place a tiny sliver from your crystal. They will now absorb nearby magic and transmit it back to the larger whole. However, it servers no necromancer to have the crystal charged — the magic must be forwarded on to oneself.

     Here is the deep, dark magic of it all. To gain the magic, you must cut out part of your soul and place it into the crystal lattice. It is a dangerous procedure — those who make mistakes will die, or worse become liches. Be fully prepared for the worst if you attempt this magic.

     In order to split one’s soul, an ethereal blade must be used to cut it in twain. Plunge it deep into your chest until you feel the pain of it connecting with your soul. Now cut the tiniest sliver. This alone will cause you more pain than you have ever felt. The smallest slip and you may cut more — this will surely have dire consequences.

     With the sliver of your soul freed you may call it forth freely with your magic, and direct it into the crystal. You may recall it to your body at will should your fortress be stormed, but beware — once broken, a soul can never be rejoined.

     VII. Of a necromancer’s pursuits, none can be more elusive than the desire for immortality. Hundreds of practitioners have devoted their entire lives to fouling death, only to have their fragile lives swept out from under them. There is no greater magic on the face of Neopia.

     Many have claimed success. Through tinctures and tonics, most necromancers can extend their lifespans beyond normal ranges. I myself have used diluted Vampire blood to live for centuries (Faerie blood is more potent but harder to source) — but there is always a cost, and even then, such things are not permanent. To prevent ageing is not to prevent death. Mortal wounds may still undo us.

     Some claim shaving off slivers of their soul to anchor them in the mortal realm has met with success, but they are invariably undone by plucky younglings destroying the soul vessels used. No, there is but one necromancer who can claim to have defeated death. It is I, Hubrid Nox.

     The first step was to accept that death, and the destruction of your physical body, are constants that cannot be avoided. To defeat death, you must only ensure that your soul remains in the mortal realm and that it is drawn back to a new, reborn vessel.

     To ensure that your soul remains (not just as a ghost, a mere shade of yourself), you must prepare it for death in life. An elixir of cinnabar will strengthen your soul if taken regularly. With a strong soul, it can be anchored to the mortal realm if, upon the moment of death, you willingly draw it from your own body. This will be immensely painful, and require all of your available magic.

     Next, you must have a new vessel. For many years, I trained my protege Magax in the hopes of stealing his body upon my death, but then he turned against me. Since then, I have come to a new conclusion. Why steal another, inferior body, when you can remake your own?

     This is a more dangerous magic, as it requires others to perform your work while you are dead. You will need minions that you have complete faith in. They will need to gather your remains and place them in a cauldron. Add to it a sprig of bloodfern, and crushed Slorg eyes. Next, add cinnabar to act as a beacon to your soul. Finally, you will need a sacrifice — a minion must willingly give their life in exchange for yours. Your body will defy nature and return to life, drawing your soul with it. This process can be repeated eternally, and thus immortality achieved.

     VIII. The Darklight Axe wielded by my former ally Magax is, in fact, an object of my own creation. Darklight, the substance from which it is made, was invented by me. It is an unnatural thing. Once made, it binds to the user, and becomes malleable, as an axe, a shield, or even as magical energy bolts. In addition, it can be summoned and dismissed at will, occupying a strange ethereal dimension when not in use.

     The base is Kreludite. This mineral originates from the moon and was only found in scarce meteors, fallen from the heavens. Now, with access to Kreludor common and mining operations on its surface, Kreludite has become far more common and Darklight as a result far easier to make.

     You will need to soak the Kreludite in Anti Gravitic Goo. This can be made by mixing Babaa Wool, crushed Jurpleberries, and Baguss pulp. The Kreludite must be soaked for two weeks, and every day, discharge as much magic as you dare put into the mixture. The more magic, the more powerful the resulting Darklight will be. After two weeks, you will need to place the mineral in a fire with Nova Essence and two Blumroots. Keep heating until the Kreludite starts to become molten. At that point, extinguish the fire with Ice Plasma (made with more Nova Essence, Blumroot, and added Sharpgrass).

     The result will be cold like steel to the touch, but malleable in your hands. It is imperative that if you are not the intended user of the Darklight, you do not touch it. It will bind to the first being it has contact with and once bound, the two cannot be drawn apart.

     The Darklight now is a powerful weapon, responding to the will of its master without any magical input. Of course, a mage may focus additional magic into it during use, greatly increasing power.

     IX. Of the creatures from the Void Between, I would provide a warning. It is not uncommon, encouraged even, for magic users to take familiars. They can be used to sense danger and make perfect rest subject for your craft. Most select Petpets as their familiars, but a few are tempted to call forth eldritch abominations from beyond the mortal realm. They often hold the promise of greater power, but as with all things, power comes with a price. These are intelligent creatures and though you may feel skilled enough to control them, you are not. They use unsuspecting mages to gain access to our world and then turn on them.

     Of particular danger are the Shadows and the Wraiths. The Shadows cannot take form in our world, appearing as blackened creatures with crimson eyes. They practice a deep magic known as Shadow Magic. Many witches on the verge of death are known to make deals with the Shadows for their magic. It always comes back to haunt them. They possess a hive mind, and hate all things flesh.

     The Wraiths, however, I consider to be far more dangerous. They can enter our world with form, like giant purple beasts, and drain life from those they encounter. Even worse, as each Wraith dies, it merges with the other fallen until there is enough mass for the hive mind to manifest — it calls itself Oblivion and is a nigh-unstoppable beast.

     The only reason I include them in this tome is because they do have a single use — as a weapon. A rift to the Void Between opened above one’s enemies will surely flatten them. Beware though, once your foes are vanquished, the creatures will come for you.

     X. A man’s home is his castle, especially when he happens to live in a castle. But a warlock’s castle must be fortified to withstand an assault from an army.

     The Master Control Platform I have designed for my fortress in the Haunted Woods brings together all of the magical security systems I have in place in one easy to use panel. From it, I can observe and eavesdrop on intruders, while triggering any of the dozens of traps I have laid.

     The first layer of security I recommend is an early warning system. This circle of magically charged vines acts as a tripwire that surrounds my grounds. Simple enchantments cause an alarm to sound whenever the circle is crossed. I always keep an Odial Sphere on my person to allow me to observe any intruders in the act. Most will run away after triggering the alarm, those that don’t will attempt to storm the castle — the second layer of security has been devised for them.

     Once the vines have been triggered, anyone entering the castle will set off a series of secondary hexes which cause all doors in the castle to seal shut, trapping them in the entrance hallway. Now, using the Master Control Platform. I can selectively open doors to guide the intruders about like Miamice in a maze. To this effect, several rooms in my castle are specially devoted to interesting forms of torture.

     I have successfully contained a portal to the Void Between in one room — no creatures can come into our realm, but trespassers may fall into theirs. To further unnerve them, I have a room entirely filled with the skulls of my vanquished foes. Of course, there are also the old favourites of rooms filled with scarabs and wadjets. I even have a death ray hooked up in one room, on loan from the despot, Dr. Sloth. It is important you have fun torturing captives — try to personalise your traps wherever possible. When you are done playing with your victims, return them out the front door and they will surely flee in terror. Or, better still, guide them to your dungeons and make use of them in your experiments.

     A note of caution, if I may. The traps will normally endure your safety, but a particularly resourceful foe may begin to break down doors with force. In this case, make sure you have an escape tunnel nearby.

     XI. Clothing. It is an all-important force in Neopia. Without my dastardly cape, I would be far less imposing. And what of Fyora? Would the Faerie Queen garner as much respect if her dress had green polka dots upon it? Imagine if you could selectively alter the clothing of your enemies and bring embarrassment and ridicule to the battlefield. My latest invention aims to do just that.

     The Transfabulator, as I call it, is still in the developmental stage, but the results so far are very promising. At present, a victim standing in the machine will have his or her clothing transformed into one of a random set of clothes. Currently, I am testing using clothes fit for warlocks of my status, but when the machine is finished I will use more disgusting variants. I have designs based on ugly Faeries, embroidery, and an outfit most vivacious. No one would wish to be caught dead in such things!

     The basis of trasmutating clothing is remarkably simple — I cannot fathom why no one else has concocted this scheme sooner. The machine itself, you see, uses the captured soul of a dead fashion designer. Just as my Noxious Blades use those bent on destruction, this contraption focuses a different obsession. Use the methods I described earlier to capture and contain the soul. Some rudimentary hexes must be applied to the pedestal on which the transformation happens in order to link it to the machine. Then you must make a sample of the clothing and feed it into the machine. The soul will absorb it into its stored ‘blueprints’ and the Transfabulator is ready to go.

     One interesting side effect I have yet to work out of the process is that occasionally the subject will have their clothes transmutated but also pick up a strange aura — so far I have observed auras of an electric charge, Faerie dust like sparkles, petals, and a peculiar mist. I believe it is caused by the interference of ghosts in the area — the machine will need magically insulating further.

     XII. Reading as far as you have, you are now equipped to perform the darkest and most dangerous magic on the face of Neopia. It is time for you to go out and practice your magic and form your own despotic schemes. As inspiration, I shall relate to you one of my finest.

     While mingling amongst the common folk in disguise, I overheard talk of a card game sweeping the planet — imagine my surprise when I discovered that I, Hubrid Nox, was the subject of one of the cards! But it gave me inspiration.

     It was a relatively easy spell to enchant a blank card to become a magical prison for those I threw it at. I tested it on a couple of do-gooders — Magnus and Vex. Ones no one would miss. After I gained confidence in my success, I targeted the sorceress of Altador, Jerdana, and Jeran, the hero of Meridell. During my capture of the latter, the Earth Faerie Illusen attempted to stop me, and was caught in the crossfire. I had never dreamed that the magic would be stronger than a Faerie or enough to contain one, but she was captured all the same. This gave me a fiendish plan — I broke into the Faerieland Palace and captured Fyora herself before making good my escape.

     Now, the capture was big news and many villains offered to help me hide the cards. I sent them to the far north with zombies and ghosts of my making, werelupe minions of the Werelupe King, and an entourage of Dark Faeries. Unfortunately, my minions failed me, and a wizard freed the heroes. But it stands as one of my most successful bids for world domination. It certainly proved I am the greatest warlock in Neopia!

     XIII. We have spoken much of my successes, and they are legion, but a warning on the failures of a necromancer.

     Early in my quest to obtain immortality, I considered, as others had before me, to split my soul so as to anchor it to Neopia should I die. Whilst I ultimately decided my other efforts were superior, I went far down this path before giving up — my soul has been split countless times, and vessels containing such fragments spread all across Neopia.

     The problem was in two vessels I chose. Necromancers for generations have warned against using living beings as hosts, because the soul fragment will overtake that of the host, effectively cloning oneself. Such a situation can only result in the two copies fighting to the death to determine which had the right to live. I was a fool, and believed that if I selected a lower order of life I would circumvent this. I was wrong.

     I selected a moss and a fungus from the Deep Woods and enchanted them so that they might absorb the attributes of things they touch, growing stronger with each passing moment. But they turned on me, devouring my creations and using them to try and kill both each other and myself. It was a terrible battle, but I managed to reduce them back to their base forms and contain them. I could not however, try as I might, bring myself to make the killing blow. They were, after all, a part of me. Even now, they are sealed in the depths of my castle and could find a way to free themselves. My own soul could become my greatest foe, and my greatest error.

     So, necromancers beware! Always think through the consequences of your actions, lest ye regret it.

     XIV. There are times when using undead minions may not be appropriate — such as when you face another necromancer who may turn them against you. You will still need servants however, and for that, you must turn to mortals.

     I once commanded a grand army of Chias in a fortress in the Haunted Woods. The troopers of this army, the so-called Nox Guardians, were merely hired mercenaries. But the others, they were something greater. The Hearts of Nox, Eyes of Nox, and Hands of Nox were soldiers that I augmented with magic. First, I captured them and hypnotised them to my cause — I originally used this on Magax, then just an orphaned child when I found him, though he later came to join my cause out of his own free will. For a time at least.

     But back to my soldiers. Once hypnotised, I altered their brains and bodies — the Hearts, I made stronger and more courageous. The Eyes, I gave better reflexes to. And the Hands, I increased their magical abilities tenfold. Together, they made a deadly army and one that I might have used to rampage across Neopia. Sadly, they were mostly lost to the treachery of Edna the Witch — hypnotising me and forcing me to sit idly by while a group of adventurers stormed my tower and slaughtered my soldiers.

     Oh, the humanity of it all! Still, one day I shall rebuild the army, for I am Hubrid Nox!

     XV. And so, we reach the end of this tome. There is more I could teach you, of course. So much more. I am, after all, the greatest magical mind ever to live! But to detail everything would be to expose all my strengths, and all my weaknesses, few as they may be. My enemies could use such things against me if this book ever fell into the wrong hands.

     Even now they gather. There is word that all the Faeries in Faerieland and beyond have turned to stone and that I am the culprit! Nonsense! Of course, I am capable, but it simply is not my style. If I’m going to topple Fyora, I would do it with far more elegance. Still, this means there is someone out there impersonating me... troubling. I will deal with it in time.

     The fiends grow closer to my mansion by the hour. King Altador and King Jazan themselves, along with soldiers, thieves, a blind man, and that curious Xweetok with the hatred of Faeries. They are nothing compared to me. I shall repel them, or flee into the night if I must. Either way, Hubrid Nox shall live another day!

     But, reader beware! This tome is intended only for those walking the path of necromancy. It carries no curse by reading it, for the magic alone is curse enough. The unprepared will soon know their fate, and the path of necromancy, once treaded, cannot be reversed. Once you, knowing what you do, begin, the only ways are forwards or death. Sometimes even the latter will not offer release.

     Take what you can from my writings. Improve upon them if you feel able. For that is the way of necromancy, to build on the efforts of those whom have come before.

     Not that you will be able to surpass me, for I am Hubrid Nox! The greatest warlock ever to live!

To be continued with another volume…