Introduction:

With the discovery of the lost cosmic planes, I seek to transcribe histories
and literature that will be referred to in the future as classical doctrine at a
time of discovery. While my works as always will refer primarily to the path of
Nihilism and the cosmic teachings associated with it, I will of course use this
optimum time to write and submit to the World Libraries a brief study of the
rediscovered planes.

But as stated, the focus of this work will be the path of Nihilism. Scientists
and scholars mostly agree that the taint is in dormant state, having seethed
through the Stone of Truth and Magnagora as we once knew it to forever change
it. While those outside of the Taint do not understand this dormancy and tend to
act as if ‘it’ is something we bathe in daily, I believe that the
enlightened and learned have judged too soon on the activity of the Taint. While
some would believe it has left changes in its wake and slipped into remission, I
believe that the Taint and its active, metamorphic powers are most visible in
the Nihilist guild.

While Geomancers might wildly display a show of tainted ability as they rework
the terrain and meld their surroundings to their wills, history and battles have
shown that all but the most ‘pure’ of planes and lands are able to be
contested and melded in direct contrast to their ‘true’ forms. Examples
include of course, the complete tainting of the Celestial plane, as well as the
raising of Fainite shrines that rained mummers down upon the sufferers of Light
for the next few months. The deaths rippled through the aethers and disturbed
the City of Light so much that it has remained crippled of talent and ability
for nearly the last three decades. This assimilation of the Plane of Light was
short-lived but the effects endured onward for the generation to come. The
powers of the Geomancer are not called into question here, these melds and
controls of the terrain brief and a direct manifestation of the power of the
Megalith of Doom until they come into competition from other melders, both mages
and druids alike.

However, Nihilists bear the direct markings of the Taint and are bound deeply
in the pacts that they suffer for the Demon Lords of Nil. Their bodies are
transformed without question and the ‘dormant’ taint causes metamorphic
transformations akin to the emergence of a butterfly from its cocoon. This
reference of course is a beautiful one and perhaps some generations of Viscanti
and Magnagorans would deem the changes of a Nihilist youth to a demonic warrior
just as beautiful. To outsiders though, the rampant changes of both mind and
body to the tainted appears unnatural and ‘evil’. This physical
transformation is near permanent for members of the fold. Their direct relation
to the cosmic plane of Nil and the Demon Lords seems to act as a catalyst to the
Taint within the soul of those who draw from the Megalith of Doom to warp and
twist their beings into forms of wicked beauty and strength.

Chapter 1: Of the Planes and Planar Abilities

As we know, the Basin of Life is reflected on several other planes where the
nexi of power manifest. Whether these planes are ‘higher’ or lower’ or
even within some other dimension is irrelevant. We can be sure that some would
love to believe that Celestia soars high above the Basin of Life on the Cosmic
plane, but for that matter we can believe that Nil, once called the Holy Land of
Shallamar would soar at a higher elevation or perhaps even higher given its
capacity to be tainted above all others. The point that must be considered here
is that the planes are unknown in the slightest, even since the Projects that
attempt to explore make claims to their nodes of power and the essence that can
be found on each to empower the nexi.

So if we are to cast aside attempting to know the planes for the sightseeing
alone, what claims can we make about them? We can be certain that Avechna turns
a blind eye to what happens upon otherworldly planes. That truth alone makes us
cast more shadow and concern to what exactly the other planes may be. But enough
batting at the edges or questioning the workings of the Divine or the Fates.

The cosmic plane is a manifestation of a city nexus on a plane that bears the
creches of the half-formed. The half-formed were near gods that were never
nearly finished in their creation and for that they were either cast to the
cosmic plane or have taken up residence there on their own accord. These
half-formed as far as we are aware make up both the Supernals and the Demon
Lords, once called the Holy Emanations. With the discovery of both Gaudiguch and
Hallifax, the half-formed of their cosmic planes have yet to make an appearance
but the planes do exhibit creatures. Creatures of the cosmic plane bear a direct
connection to the nexus of power and can be slain or empowered to generate or
sap power from the organization they are attuned to. Even the half-formed may be
slain and given to their polar opposites in order to stage massive ‘psychic’
attacks against the protective shields of the cities on prime. These attacks
usually take the form of a shadow or being sweeping across the Basin to attack
the organization they were once attuned to. It is with collection of essence
from ethereal or elemental planes that these beings may be restored. Guardian
guilds are directly attached to these planes and summon forth the creatures
aligned with it for their own doings and deeds and the direct misalignment of
the opposing planes causes creatures of the opposing spheres to simply explode
upon visiting the other plane. Such explosions render the guardian with a lesser
offense while attacking their opposing planes but even still, this has not
stopped wars between Magnagoran Nihilists and Celestians.

While the creatures of the cosmic plane inspire loyalty and are required to be
tasked after with some manner of protection, the elemental plane is completely
the opposite. Aligned to one particular element, these planes are dangerous and
usually confusing places that take the shapes of never-ending lakes, endless
mountains, or scorching infernos that go on without end. The creatures of these
planes are mindless and not attuned to the agenda of the nexus that dominates
the plane, but instead their beings are imbued with power that may be removed to
empower the nexus. Each organization bears some manner of converting this spark
of power to be aligned with their essence. Each nexus seems drawn to some inner
part of the essence that is more than simply power because if not attuned, the
essence will simply seep out of the nexus and net no gain for the nexus.
Conversion of the essence varies in different ways from handing it directly to a
half-formed, to sliding it down a great falls, or to giving it to a giant
creature to be regurgitated upon the hapless subject who wishes to convert
power. The rediscovered cities of Hallifax and Gaudiguch have indeed found their
own elemental planes again and their mages are the first guilds to be refounded
and each organization has begun to scour not only their planes, but the planes
of all other organizations in attempts to raise their nexi to higher state of
power.

The ethereal plane bears the manifestation of communal nexi and the avatars
and aspects of the nature spirits that the communes hold dear. This writing is
intended mainly for the betterment of city knowledge and I will not pretend that
it is not prejudice which causes me to write in this manner so I will simply
state that the avatars number three instead of the usual five of the
half-formed. These avatars do require more essence to return to their plane.
Communes only bear manifestations on the ethereal plane and have no elemental
plane to produce their own essence. But records have shown as well as the
powerlogs of ministers that the carved totems of the communal prime plane far
surpass the power outputs generated by cities. The creatures of the ethereal
plane are crafted through the ‘capturing’ of fae on Faethorn, a seemingly
neutral territory of sprites, pixies, and leprechauns. Each commune differs in
the philosophy of their use of the fae but some seem to bolster the fae’s
spirits before taking them away to serve and other seem to destroy the
personality of the fae through insults and teasing until the fae has such self
esteem issues that it can do naught but bow to the whim of its new master.

Planar abilities that bear some weight in the discussion are quite few.
Conglutination is a prime one that many combatants and planeswalkers seek to
attain. Through a slight mastery of the planar ability, an adventurer may make
some connection between themselves and their nexus. This connection is unclear
as to whether the actual being of the adventure is on higher planes or not, but
when killed with conglutinate, the adventurer’s spirit will linger for just a
moment before completely being ripped back to the prime plane to emerge from the
nexus. The emerging from the nexus is strange as the nexus takes no power loss
for the death of its subject and the adventurer’s body whether destroyed or
offered to the gods in the mean time bears no weight on the reformation.
However, the utility of the ability is unquestioned as it prevents a trip to the
Fates for those who are killed off prime. There is of course mastery of other
nexi which allows someone to directly enter the nexus of another organization
which has been used more than once to escape a hostile plane and land directly
in the middle of a commune or city on the prime plane. Communication skills are
also an important part to the planar abilities which allow communication over
several aethers and wavelengths so that a person’s aethervoice is more
broadcast at either volumes that can be heard or at a psychic strength that
isn’t lost to the winds. Finally, is the mysterious rift which is a lower
planar ability that creates a personal rift for use to store goods from herbs,
metals, cloths, and even cooking ingredients. The history alone of the discovery
or invention of rifts could probably fill a book and the first person who
thought they needed salt on them at any moment so they might season their food
is comical but their usefulness to the situation cannot be denied because even
with a throat slit from ear to ear, being bound within chains and ropes, and
being legless still allows one to attain their herbs from some unseen rift at
any moment.

Chapter 2: Nil and The Unmarked

And so the discussion shifts, the cosmic plane of Nil bears many creatures and
the terrain is a hostile one warped by the taint. The inner beauty of its
existence and the perceptive Nihilist recognizes it for not only its great
power, but for the change that has taken place there from the Taint. It is a
harsh land once even more beautiful than the plane of Celestia. It is filled
with swamps, deserts of ice and fire, fields, and wastes that still slightly
resemble gardens. Each terrain corresponds to a nearby pit of a Demon Lord and
even the demons seem more attuned to particular Demon Lords with imps seeming to
hover about the pit of Lord Gorgulu, fiends suffering from the ‘manse’ of
lady Nifilhema, and demons attuned to the Lord Asthorath. The Supreme Lord has
his own archdemons and has stationed some at each of his subjects to maintain
supremacy and protect the plane.

Cosmic users may decide which plane to attune themselves too upon mastery of
cosmic and those that choose Nihilism become the unmarked. They bear no changes
to their body and yet are gifted with flight from the Demon Lords of Nil. This
gift of flight is not without pain as the wings are summoned from open sores
that open on the back. Nevertheless, this gift of flight is given without
sacrifice of the new Nihilist and without expectation as the Nihilist has yet to
pact to any one Demon Lord. This gift to the Nihilist displays a certain power
and while it is irrelevant to races that can naturally fly, the common Viscanti
or Human who draws from the lessons of Nihilism gains a instrument of stature
and utility over his peers. Demonic viscanti who bear the dark wings of Nil
preen them and keep them clean to show their direct relation to the Demon Lords
of Nil and the power that they have been invested with.

Next comes the ability to darklink on the astral plane to generate power for
the Megalith. The Demon Lords are directly invested into the wellbeing of the
Megalith and while asking no direct sacrifice for the gift of flight, it makes
sense that the next ability would seem to silently demand power invested into
the Megalith from the new Nihilist. Like the ability to link in planar,
darklinking attaches invisible aether to the power nodes of astral and siphons
the power through the user. Instead of stopping within the user however, the
Nihilistic link seeps through the guardian directly in the nexus.

These unmarked are the lowest of hierarchy of Nihilists being taken only as
students or fodder for the Demon Lords as they have yet to comment even a single
pact. Should a Nihilist wish to remain unmarked, clearly there is something
wrong with the subject and they should be removed promptly from the guild for
the Demon Lords do not suffer those who are unable to offer even a portion of
themselves.
Chapter 3: The Reviled

The reviled is someone who has stood the strength against their first pact.
Generally, the first pact is placed with the most symbolism among Nihilists.
This single marking upon the Nihilist shows which Demon Lord they have summoned
a pact with and they become known as the reviled Nihilist. No longer unmarked,
they are granted with additional abilities. Though all pacts require a complete
expenditure of a person’s available power, eligibility for the first is tested
time and time again within the guild.

The body directly reacts to this first pact and demonic scaling may take shape
upon the Nihilist’s form as both a gift of protection against enemies as well
as a display of the relation to Nil. The scaling can vary from person to person
and can take the form of hardened flesh, crystalline formations like a lucidian,
or even plates and scales akin to lesser creatures like insects and lizards.

The Nihilist also gains the ability to directly summon their first thrall, an
imp. The imp is a comical and nonsensical demon without agenda who follows the
Nihilist about. Though the Nihilist has limited powers to grant to the imp with
a single pact, the imp may still be taught up to two tricks to confound and
confuse the enemies of the Nihilist. Naturally, the imp may be hidden from plain
sight after even more study into the Nihilistic arts but this stealth comes not
from cunning or magic on the behalf of the imp but mere tomfoolery instead as it
flits and bats about behind the Nihilist in a giddy, mindless way. Fortunately,
the imp will only seek misfortune on the enemies of the Nihilist and it does not
betray kind emotions like cherubs who seem to tickle those who travel to
Celestia. And no, for my uneducated readers who have not experienced this
before, it is no joke. Cherubs really do tickle you on Celestia.

Chapter 4: The Accursed

The accursed Nihilist has been bound to another Demon Lord and for it more
powers and abilities are gained. First, the Nihilist acquires a new thrall as
Gorgulu summons back the imp and Nifilhema replaces it with one of her fiendish,
asexual thralls. These seductive beings can be taught even more abilities by the
Nihilist and as their arsenal grows through pacts, the Nihilist has even more at
his disposal.

But the greatest of these fiends comes from their ability to torture the bound
and paralyzed enemies of the Nihilist. It is Nifilhema’s great ability and
teaching that shows these thralls the ability to tear one’s enemies to shreds
and leave them a simple pile of flesh. It takes a large portion of the
Nihilist’s power to generate such attacks as it causes fury and excitement
within the heart of the demon to inflict such damage and terror upon the enemy.
It is with mastery of this control of power over the demon that another ability
is taught from the Lord Ashtorath himself, the art of harrowing. The harrow
requires another expenditure of power and a vicious attitude that punishes the
demon in such a manner that the demon is willing to attack with the force of two
attacks in one blow. The motivation does not last long.

The transformation of the body of an accursed takes a new turn as a barbed
tail juts out from end of the spine of the Nihilist in a painful way that I
cannot even put to the word. This direct blessing from the Demon Lords operates
with a mind of its own and can attack the enemy as long as the Nihilist is not
bound, paralyzed, or prone. The tail secretes charbydon poison and it is not
uncommon method for this fatally random poison to cause the death of an enemy by
crotamine or even sun allergy. These comical deaths are the most enjoyable as
they are unplanned by the Nihilist and can be attributed simply to the
intelligence of the tail. I am sure somewhere in the history of the dracnari
there has been one who has said, “The tail knows best”, strange beasts but
the saying holds here.

Chapter 5: The Unholy

Three pacts upon the Nihilist and three marks attributes the makings of an
unholy follower of Nil. An expert conjurer of demons, this Nihilist not only
summons a new thrall in the form of one of Ashtorath’s legion of demons but
the Nihilist may also open the channels at a full expenditure of his power to
summon a demon at anytime without the expenditure of equilibrium. These channels
help prevent the Nihilist from losing track of his demon should they be kept
apart or an attempt force to keep them apart.

The will of the Nihilist grows so strong now that the intelligent forms of the
demon may be imbued with a full arsenal of powers taught by the Nihilist and the
demon has become so tempting and intelligent that they may lure weak-minded
enemies away on the battle field through beckoning them with false promises and
lies. In Magnagoran battles, the beckoning demon is one of the highest strengths
of its armies as it pulls even those cowards who hide under shields into the
direct line of fire of the Legion to be put to the blade and cross.

Even the connection between the Nihilist and his thralls grows here. The
ability to directly feed blood to the thrall becomes available. The thrall
drinks greedily of the life essence of the Nihilist, drinking away afflictions
and curses upon the Nihilist. The demons whose bodies suffer pain unheard of are
unaffected by the curses they withdraw but it is not rare that upon drinking the
tainted flood of their masters that the afflictions visited upon their master
leave new scars on the thrall. However, these scars are trophies to the thrall
as they show the doings of their work and servitude so that they avoid further
punishment in the future.

Chapter 6: The Damned

Four pacts marks the Damned and the Damned are granted a high demon of Nil by
Luciphage himself. An archdemon now follows the Nihilist and may be taught a
full onslaught of powers up to a total of seven abilities that can devastate an
enemy and leave him crippled, paralyzed, shackled, epileptic, inflicted with
worms, reckless, and unable to clot his blood. And in that order if you so
choose. This archdemon is even stronger than the previous thralls and can take
more suffering before being destroyed.
And yet it would appear that Gorgulu is not done with sending dim-witted aid
to your side, perhaps through some inner intelligence that is not evident in the
slimy walls of his caverns, the Devouring Lord grants the Nihilist with the
ability to summon a child-like demon from the belly of the Luciphage’s
archdemons which lashes out at a single enemy with stupor and reckless
initiative. The spawn will rend its enemies with claws and attempt to draw blood
all while ceaselessly gibbering on about nothing.

The mastery of the demons draws to a circle here as well as the Nihilist
becomes capable of scourging its archdemon, a suffering that all previous demons
could not stand to bear. This suffering upon the archdemon costs a Nihilist a
full expenditure of his power to stand up to the eight foot demon and accost it
in such a way that rends the fearsome archdemon a blubbering mess entirely in
servitude to the Nihilist. The archdemon will work twice as hard for a limited
time that will leave the enemy crippled and begging for mercy in much the same
way that the archdemon once did.

Finally, the deep pact which is as highly regarded among the Nihilists as the
first pact. It is typically concluded that the first pact will match the
eventual deep pact. The deep pact is not without much ceremony and preparation
for it requires the twenty five souls to be bound to the Demon Lord of choice
before the Demon Lord will grant such powers upon the Nihilist. The connection
is intimate and as usual requires a full expenditure of powers and along with
the life-force of twenty five individuals. This force is collected through the
spiking of the Necromentate so that all Nihilists are familiar with the quest to
strengthen the nexus. The deep pact grants a symbol upon the Nihilist unique to
their Lord so that any and all know their marking. The symbol summons forth
black fire from the very pits of Nil to kill enemies in a form much stronger
than cosmicfire that the Nihilist is accustomed to. The symbol also grants
protection to various elements and attacks with more defense depending on which
Demon Lord the symbol orginated from. It is not unheard of to hear that the
followers of Lord Gorgulu glisten with a sheen of bile or some other unseemly
liquid as his protection against poison. Lord Ashtorath is said to have caused
his disfavored followers to be eternally sunburnt, but mostly the Nihilist is
wreathed with a circle of fire if they carry his symbol to protect against fire.
And so the examples continue but the strongest ability of the symbol itself is
its ability to directly evoke the powers of the Demon Lord it is associated
with. Those who carry the symbol of their Demon Lord may call down the
afflictions and diseases with utmost authority to plague their enemies with
authority and mastering of the Nihilistic power from the deep pact.

Chapter 7: The Abomination and Conclusion

The abomination is five times marked by the Demon Lords having been granted the
deep pact. Owing parts of their power to all Demon Lords, Nihilists who have
come this far bear the markings of Nihilistic evolution and all its rewards. The
final reward for the Nihilist and for the Demon Lords themselves is the power to
wrack one’s enemies. For those whose spiritual energy has fallen below half,
their soul may be directly removed from their body and consumed by the Demon
Lords in one fatal moment that lives the target soulless and dead. This power is
the peak of the Nihilists rewards and the ability to render such damage upon the
enemy is not only destructive but demoralizing to all foes surrounding the
dying. Knights and warriors with low spiritual energy are the easiest to wrack
and to witness these ‘great’ warriors be reduced to empty husks of beings at
the Nihilist’s feet can spell defeat for the moral and life of an army.

So it is with these powers comes great responsibility. Not in the way that one
would expect either. The Nihilist who has mastered Nil serves himself. Great
things are owed to the Demon Lords but if the Nihilist continually feeds the
souls of others to ever-please the Lords and Lady of Nil, then his own soul will
never come into question. For those who simply bear the marks to bear them and
not make use of the great powers that would be of them, do not fret, it is said
that the river of souls on Nil kindly guides you to your impending doom with
tranquility. Until next time, my dear students. Learn well and darkest tidings
upon your damned souls.

----End----