Foul Magic

Odious, Horrid, Dead, Begone

Foul magic is a draining force that leads to the absence of quintessence, creating dead zones. Foul magic is the side effect of many spells and rituals that are deemed taboo or forbidden. Spells of this nature tend to involve tapping into the quintessence of a living being as an ingredient. When cast, the victim perishes and they take the surrounding with them. The aftermath is a lifeless area that becomes tainted for an undetermined amount of time. Those who enter dead zones can fall deathly ill, driven mad, or transformed entirely. The most dangerous effect being the transformation as it saps the quintessence from the trespasser, it turns them into something entirely new. These entities absorb all quintessence around them and widen the dead zone with every step they take. These abominations are to be destroyed immediately and completely before they can cause any more harm.

Other forms of foul magic can occur through agglomerations that involve too many participants, although these zones seem to be temporary and can be easily stopped. Similarly, failed or incomplete spells can cause temporary or small dead zones.