Agaros Xamaroth - Necromancy as a Weapon Against the Undead

This book is...begrudgingly...dedicated to Velsharoon, the Archmange of Necomancy.

He is a perfect example of the relentless, amoral pursuit of power, and possibly the greatest Red Wizard in the history of Thay.

Better luck next time, Szass Tam.

I was born in Thay, and saw the atrocities. Legions of undead were used to handle ceaseless labor of everyday life. All for the ignoble glory of the Zulkirs.

Ask any citizen about the Zulkirs, and the lich lord, Szass Tam, will be brought up. In response to these horrors, Necromancy became my first specialization. As the old adage goes, 'knowing is half the battle.'

I saw what was being done with countless corpses. I chose to combat those who would dare to tread down that dark path.

The process of becoming a lich, in far too many instances, requires amoral and many times, evil acts. Once the transition is complete, a lich must consume souls to coninue its existence.

As a lich ages, the undead's mind deteriorates. This becomes even more troublesome as the necromancer who became a lich was not very far away from madness to begin with.

To combat undeath and madness, you must use spells to protect yourself against negative energy and erect mental barriers to preserve your sanity.

There are many spells that are specific to destroying undead. Vampires are particularly vulnerable to Sunburst. Undeath to Death will destroy all but the strongest creatures.

It is possible to disguise yourself among the mindless shambling hordes to get closer to the true power controlling them. It also possible for a sentient undead to develop a 'blush of life' to fool others for a time.

Always be wary when using this formidable power of life and death. I have said many times, power is an addictive, silent toxin - consume it at your own risk.

The signature of Agaros Xamaroth (Suspicious Activity) appears at the end of this book.