Horrors of the Legion

“Body and soul are as much a medium as any other. Just as a weaver spins thread, so do we stitch flesh into greater forms. Those fools of the Order may call our creations ‘aberrations,’ but we know the truth. What we create is art, and our art will crush their critics beneath their beautiful forms.”

— Countess Morrida Umberland

Although reports of terrible aberrations within the Malediction have caused much turmoil throughout Selejia, its peoples are not oblivious to monstrosities. Most of them, in fact, are of their own making. Spellbound and Shifters—creatures distorted by magic and made to serve. These are the abominations, horrifying sights created and employed by the great powers. 

In the cold landscape of Belyos, however, one may find monsters unlike all others, borne from an ancient art that never fails to reinvent itself. With bodies perfectly built for the roles they play, it is hard to distinguish common traits between them. Some are many-armed, have tools implemented upon their very flesh, or even possess minds of their own. But for the people of Selejia, they are no better than abominations. Those with an eye for detail, however, will see something different in them: artistry.

For the Legion of the Fallen, so closely in tune with death and what comes thereafter, it is perhaps only natural that a different perspective about the body would flourish. For some necromancers, after death, as the Soulbreath escapes and life fades from a being, the body that is left behind is an incredible medium, not unlike clay that holds infinite potential in the hands of the right sculptors. While narrow-minded fools think raising a body to be enough, these artists take upon themselves the duty of gathering the right parts and sculpting a new physique into being. Some do so through raw magic, while others perform the arduous job of sewing parts together, but the end product is always a sight to behold. A creature whose body respects the whims of its creator, intent made purpose, vision made art: a horror. Still, an artist’s work is never done, and a necromancer will readily return to their canvas whenever the muse—or the necessity—dictates. 

Some horrors go beyond the mere sculpting of flesh and have souls stitched within them, providing a greater degree of intelligence and purpose than any mere Fallen could ever achieve. This technique, once lost and now returned to the Legion by Countess Morrida, has sparked a new generation of apprentices, eager to take their art to the next level. While many traditionalists shun this new age of necromancy, the accomplishments of these new horrors make it clear that they are here to stay.

The Legion is not unaware of the dread that follows in the wake of their creations, and more often than not, have harnessed it as a tactic when facing their enemies. For the poor souls that stand against these monsters, terror comes threefold: fear at the sight of such a being, fear of the grotesque power that such a horror bears, and fear that the same fate may be in store for them, should they fall.