Glyph of Subjugation
When the Fringe Folk are overtaken by the Grey Pox, their will is whisked away from their physical form, but it is still possible to rejoin the two should the vital energies of the victim be recovered from the clutches of the Ashen Baron.
However, should the unfortunate victim make the journey to the Funereal Manor and enter, the Baron will carve upon them the Glyph of Subjugation and it is at this moment the person that once was becomes unrecoverable and joins the ranks of the Faltered.
The glyph takes the form of a baleful eye and it is most often carved directly onto the forehead of the victim, where it will act as a focal point of the energies that animate the resulting undead servant.
It is believed that the Baron has specifically chosen the design to mock the faith of the Resounding Truth, whose trinkets often bear similar designs and are meant to imitate the weeping eyes of the Progenitor.
However, those the Baron wishes to elevate into the leaders and commanders of his forces are emblazoned with a greater glyph. These more powerful and insidious versions of the glyph still retain the distinct shape of an eye, but they blaze and crackle with power that seems fit to burst forth at any given moment.
The greater glyph provides the skeletal commander a degree of autonomy greater than those with a lesser glyph. This is not to be confused with free will, but is rather a loosening of the leash to allow the warrior the flexibility needed to make decisions and devise tactics on a field of battle.
It has also been observed that a greater glyph acts as a literal eye through which the Baron may see what his commanders see, and the infernal glyphs have been witnessed to even be able to focus the magics of the Baron through them, allowing him to exert his power without even being present.
Due to being the locus of the energy that animates them, destroying the glyph also directly translates into destroying the Faltered warrior it was inscribed upon. For this reason, Seekers are trained to always strive to damage or destroy the skull of a Faltered so as to render the glyph incomplete and thus devoid of its power.
The glyphs are not defenseless, however. The magic within them makes them and the skull it is carved on impervious to most mundane weaponry, which is why only weapons of Weeping Steel are considered reliable tools to face the Faltered with.
Those with a greater glyph inscribed upon them will enact a final vengeance in the form of a fiery detonation when the glyph is destroyed.
However, should the unfortunate victim make the journey to the Funereal Manor and enter, the Baron will carve upon them the Glyph of Subjugation and it is at this moment the person that once was becomes unrecoverable and joins the ranks of the Faltered.
Origin and design
As the Baron's power is speculated to originate from the Adversary's Nightmare, the magics that brand these fell marks on their victims are assumed to also be the product of that vile realm.The glyph takes the form of a baleful eye and it is most often carved directly onto the forehead of the victim, where it will act as a focal point of the energies that animate the resulting undead servant.
It is believed that the Baron has specifically chosen the design to mock the faith of the Resounding Truth, whose trinkets often bear similar designs and are meant to imitate the weeping eyes of the Progenitor.
Lesser and greater glyphs
Most of the unfortunates who enter the Baron's manor will be marked with a lesser, more basic glyph with just enough power to uphold the unlife of the recipient and to bind it to the Baron's will.However, those the Baron wishes to elevate into the leaders and commanders of his forces are emblazoned with a greater glyph. These more powerful and insidious versions of the glyph still retain the distinct shape of an eye, but they blaze and crackle with power that seems fit to burst forth at any given moment.
The greater glyph provides the skeletal commander a degree of autonomy greater than those with a lesser glyph. This is not to be confused with free will, but is rather a loosening of the leash to allow the warrior the flexibility needed to make decisions and devise tactics on a field of battle.
It has also been observed that a greater glyph acts as a literal eye through which the Baron may see what his commanders see, and the infernal glyphs have been witnessed to even be able to focus the magics of the Baron through them, allowing him to exert his power without even being present.
Weak point
The Faltered are formidable warriors thanks to the power imparted upon them by the glyphs, but they are also their greatest weakness.Due to being the locus of the energy that animates them, destroying the glyph also directly translates into destroying the Faltered warrior it was inscribed upon. For this reason, Seekers are trained to always strive to damage or destroy the skull of a Faltered so as to render the glyph incomplete and thus devoid of its power.
The glyphs are not defenseless, however. The magic within them makes them and the skull it is carved on impervious to most mundane weaponry, which is why only weapons of Weeping Steel are considered reliable tools to face the Faltered with.
Those with a greater glyph inscribed upon them will enact a final vengeance in the form of a fiery detonation when the glyph is destroyed.
Sight beyond sight, deathless eyes that stare.–A mage, returned from the Nightmare.
by Midjourney
by Midjourney
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