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| Species | Schiefermeister |
| Order | Tutelary Undead |
| Classification | Undead |
| Dominion | Agikaani |
| Sphere | Oppression |
| Origin | Middle-ranking servants who abused their power in castles or palaces. |
| Lifespan | Inmortal |
| Habitat | Castles, palaces, fortresses, often in ruins |
| Food | Souls |
| Description | At first, the schiefermeister takes a phantasmal form like a translucent version of their living selves, taking control of small objects in the castle. As time goes on and they grow stronger, they become one with the castle. Within a century, the schiefermeister and castle are one and the same, and the phantasmal form is only possible close to their core. A corporeal form wherein they appear as a conglomeration of of objects from the castle formed into a humanoid figure is their final form when they are desperate. |
| Corruption | A schiefermeister is an undead soul of a powerful servant of the ruling class who abused their power. Usually a middle-ranking servant like a butler or even a squire, they abused the lesser servants and corrupted themselves. A necromancer can create one with significant power (20) if the person is suitably corrupt or abusive. |
| Esoterica | Schiefermeisters are beings of imperium and msawhat. At first, their powers from life are only accessible in corrupted and weakened forms (3-7), but eventually they grow strong enough that all powers are fully accessible, though corrupted, save those of qi, the gates, or heavenly essences. |
| Special Powers | Schiefermeisters cause unease in those who are within them. They have control over small objects in the castle, like utensils, armor, tapestries, paintings. They can move small objects, change the appearance of things, make noises, much like a poltergeist. In their phantasmal form, they are more dangerous, able to telekinetically move things, unleash a wail that causes intense pain and fear, command clothing or armor to move on its own, use their voice to command lesser undead or mortals, and warp the walls, floors, or ceiling to their commands. They don't take their physical forms unless in crisis; in this form, they constantly regenerate by taking pieces of the castle or objects within into their bodies. They retain their telekinetic powers but take on the power to hurl msawhat in the form of flame, which drains them of strength. A schiefermeister's corrupted soul is stored within a specific object in the castle, usually one unique or special to the place. When the schiefermeister kills someone or if someone dies within the castle a schiefermeister controls, that soul becomes stored in the same object, feeding the schiefermeister, making it stronger and stronger. Every dozen souls or so, the schiefermeister gains a new power. They can sense everything within themselves. |
| Locus | The locus of a schiefermeister is the castle they served in in life. They torment those in the castle until it is abandoned, and then they haunt the location forever. |
| Necromancy | Creating a schiefermeister requires finding (or manipulating someone into being) a person or persons in a middle-ranking servant or low-ranking noble who feels a deep connection to the place they work (castles, fortresses, palaces) and uses that to feel like they can mistreat lower-ranking servants. This unique blend of emotional connection and corrupting behavior makes them susceptible to a special kind of ritual (20) that amplifies their corruption and links it to the castle itself. If a necromancer wishes to control a schiefermeister, they must either find the object in which the schiefermeister's soul is stored or wield exceptional msawhat power (30). The more souls a schiefermeister has consumed, the stronger it gets, the more difficult to control them. Summoning one is usually only possible in early stages before the soul is fully assimilated into the castle, but they must be summoned to a similar location that they can bond to. It is theoretically possible to summon the entire castle (42), but the physical shifting required would be dangerous. Capturing the core (where the soul is stored) allows a necromancer to draw power from the schiefermeister, wielding their various powers. Mediums can channel a schiefermeister if they are very powerful and bold (20+), but they risk being consumed into the castle. |
| Sending | Ripping (25) a schiefermeister from their castle before they fully assimilate and then preventing them from bonding to another castle will cause them to eventually fade away (in significant pain). Breaking the core vessel of souls will release all but the main soul, weakening the schiefermeister. The core must then be blessed or inundated with heavenly essence (gates or qi will work less effectively). |
| Weaknesses | Liberation power is especially effective against them. Qi, the gates, and heavenly essences can send or destroy them. |
| Behavior | Schiefermeisters start by taunting and tormenting those they made suffer in life, in small, creepy ways, slowly but surely building their power. Once they are strong enough to control the whole castle, they kill or drive everyone out of it. Once the castle stands empty, they use flickering lights and odd sounds to draw in victims. |
| Dominion Culture | The Agikaanis use schiefermeisters to guard certain objects and treasures they do not wish anyone to get to. They are considered part of the warrior class, but they rarely care about being used. They simply hunger for souls; they are placated as long as they are fed. |
| Other Dominions | Schiefermeisters exist in most Dominions except the Qhanuum, who mechanize too much for schiefermeiesters to work. In Fellwood, they usually end up creating illusions of horrors within their castles or thorn mazes. In Durosian, they are in great strongholds with pools of tears. In Dun, they are fortresses amidst the marshes, and in Godless, they desecrate cathedrals. In Kaanian, they are palaces to depravity amongst the waves, and in Raesian, they are fortresses of bone. In Wapek, they are cavernous citadels, and in Sangarian, they are much-used forts in the wilderness. In Pandemonian, they are seaside manors. In the Srisian Dominion, they are massive dark palaces. In Campionese, they are often lavish mansions. |
| Mortal Interactions | Mortals usually think of schiefermesiters as haunted houses, confusing them with uada domen. |
| Afterlife | If a schiefermeister is sent or fades because of hunger, they end up in the in-between for many millennia due to their crimes and corruption. They usually end up in the Hells or the Grey Lands. |
| Notables | Liesl Schreckenstein, Kammerfrau, Schiefermesiter Manifest; Reinhardt the Diener, Kettensee Schloss |
| Special Classes | Squire, Butler, Marshalsea, Steward, Chamberlain, Sergeant-at-Arms |
| Sample Stats | PRO 14 ATH 10 STR 34 (Wall) Telekinetic 17 Core 28 Corporeal 17 AWA Internal 25 External 14 WIL 20 ROG Social 15 Sneak/Hide Phantasm 17 Corporeal Sneak/Hide 9 Castle Stealth 0 Unease Presence 5 Wail 15 Command (WIL) Warping 20 Soul Consumption (WIL) Greyflame 19 Other Powers 14+ |
GrandGuignol
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