Somaturgist
Somaturgy is the art and science of living flesh - the disciplined blasphemy of shaping life as if it were clay. Where necromancy commands the dead and science mends the living, Somaturgy bridges the two. It treats the body not as sacred vessel but as architecture, something that can be broken down and rebuilt at a whim. The Somaturgist’s laboratory is equal parts morgue and garden, their creations neither alive nor dead but ever in flux. Born from the fusion of vampiric fleshcraft, transmutative self-assimilation, and Lichbound Vitae studies, Somaturgy stands as Skarna’s most tightly guarded discipline - and its most frustrating failure. To its adherents, it is the final answer to mortality. To all others, it is a grievous crime against nature.
History & Culture
The art of Somaturgy did not emerge from a single revelation, but from the convergence of three heresies. Its earliest seeds were sown in blood, stone, and crypts - each discipline seeking mastery over the limits of the self in their own manner. What the Innectiro performed as vampiric instinct, what the transmuters pursued as self-perfection, and what the Liches studied as Vitae manipulation, Skarna’s scholars would fuse into a single, terrible science: life rebuilt from first principles. The first of these ancestries to fall into Skarnan possession - and the most guarded foundation - came from the secrets of Vitae itself. When the Mortiferous ascended to dominion, she slew or subjugated many rival Liches, seizing their grimoires on soul alchemy and the manipulation of Vitae. From these, her scholars plucked the secrets of controlling the flow of life itself, of manipulating and puppeteering the soul.
Soon to follow were the stolen practices of the obscure Innectiro bloodline, whose progenitor, the Pale Sire, is one of the oldest known founders of flesh-shaping magics. Through hemomantic ritual the Innectiro learned to command the body’s substance, flesh reshaped from the heart’s will. Their craft was intimate and predatory, depending upon mysterious and innate properties within vampiric practitioners. For centuries, this art remained confined to their cursed lineage - until fragments of their codices were plundered by Skarnan raiders during the Lich-Queen’s early conquests.
The Pale Sire’s teachings, once sacrosanct, became raw material for Skarna’s scholars. Simultaneously, a rogue transmutation cabal operating in the eastern reaches of Pannotia sought to invert their own discipline. Disillusioned by the sterility of turning flesh to steel, they attempted the reverse: to draw the other into the self. Their self-experiments reduced many to puddles of undifferentiated biomass, but their writings became the theoretical spine of Somaturgy’s principle of generation ex nihilo - the creation of new flesh from inert matter. Their experiments blurred the line between magic and chemistry, combining catalytic reagents, metals, and arcane matrices in pursuit of living synthesis.
By the dawn of the late 1600s, the three arts had been unified in secret under the Mortiferous’ directive. In the Genesis Crypts, alchemists and necromancers laboured to create the first artificial beings capable of housing a bound soul. Their goal was pragmatic - even with the undead forces at Skarna’s behest, they were limited. Their population was growing faster than they could bolster its workforce. Yet as the experiments advanced, the project turned philosophical. So arose Dr. Eleazar Moreau, a rising prodigy whose fascination with the boundaries of mortality bordered on the religious.
Under Moreau’s hand, the Genesis Crypts thrummed with progress. They unified the Innectiro’s intuitive grafting with transmutative synthesis, sculpting organic tissue directly from inert material through catalytic alchemy and complex Vitae channelwork. It was Moreau who achieved the first true synthetic resurrection, binding a living mind to an entirely constructed vessel. The Mortiferous lauded the discovery - until the results became personal. When their test subject, Alethe Valka, survived beyond expectation, they crossed every ethical boundary, reshaping her body again and again in search of perfection - until the Genesis Crypts’ overseers denied further trials, ordering Alethe disposed of. In flagrant defiance, Moreau abducted Alethe and fled Skarna with a smuggler, leaving behind their notes and work. Their escape and abduction of Valka marked Skarna’s greatest scandal in centuries, and the Crypts were sealed in disgrace.
Skarna reacted swiftly with containment and continuation. Under Archmagister Sarthene Callix, the discipline was purged of its romantic eccentricities and institutionalised as a state science. Somaturgists became state-approved workers, crafting labourers and soldiers in the image of utility. The genesis formulae were refined into strict, replicable procedures, and the art was carefully stripped from the practice. In the shadows, however, Moreau still lived.
Amid the lawless anarchy of Von’tel, Moreau rebuilt their work into a cult of continuance. With the aid of Qalnn Orrus, the Vault of Continuance became a clandestine mirror of the Genesis Crypts - a living cathedral devoted to the endless cycle of flesh. Where Skarna’s Somaturgy sought control, Moreau’s followers sought transcendence, their grafted and gilded bodies becoming their own experiments. Thus the art of Somaturgy divided: in Skarna, it is a statecraft of perfection; on Tanrytiq, a theology of mutation; and in the wider world, a terrible science wielded by only the deranged.
Notable People & Places
Eleazar Moreau - Once hailed as Skarna’s foremost alchemist and the architect of synthetic resurrection, Dr. Eleazar Moreau was a prodigy whose obsession with perfection eclipsed any allegiance. Moreau’s mind was peerless, a polymath of immense skill and focus; their obsession was continuity, the preservation of consciousness through the reshaping of flesh. When the first Chyron began to stir in the depths of the Skarnan crypt-labs, Moreau’s fascination turned to fixation. Their theories of synthetic Vitae formed the groundwork of modern Somaturgy - but their passion cost them dearly. After abducting one of the first test subjects with whom they had grown enamoured - or indeed obsessed - Moreau fled Skarna as a traitor, bribing a smuggler for passage to Von’tel. Three centuries later, the doctor still lives, body rebuilt countless times, even now teaching new disciples in the halls of their hidden sanctuary. Some say they are more patient than doctor, now - remade so often that their mind has begun to unravel, their brilliance detached from sanity.
Alethe Valka - The first successful Chyron and Moreau’s ill-fated beloved, Alethe Valka exists now only as a parasitic intellect. Once a scholar of metaphysics in her own right, she volunteered for Moreau’s early trials - seeking escape from a mortal illness - and instead found herself reduced to a few organs sealed within a crystalline vat, capable only of latching onto bodies that Moreau creates for her. Each form decays in time, leaving her consciousness trapped in helpless dormancy until her partner grows her another vessel. Over centuries, her memories have blurred, overwritten by lifetimes of the same cycle. To Moreau she is muse, patient, and partner. To herself, she is little more than a ghost of the woman who once loved a doctor and became their masterpiece.
The Pale Sire - The originator of the Innectiro bloodline is steeped in myth. Known only as the Pale Sire, this Vampiric patriarch was said to have discovered the principle of living transmutation - the art of reshaping flesh through the blood itself. To their disciples, they preached the perfection of form; that all flesh could be remade, sculpted like artwork. Their progeny carried fragments of this knowledge long after their death, and scattered remnants of their bloodline’s once-mighty techniques would become the primal foundation of Somaturgy’s later science.
Archmagister Sarthene Callix - Where Moreau fled, Sarthene Callix remained. A necromantic theoretician of icy pragmatism, Callix consolidated Somaturgy into an institution under the Mortiferous’ gaze. Known for the featureless mask she always wears and her emotionless demeanor, she treats flesh as a machine - a system of alchemical equations to be rewritten at will. Under her leadership, Somaturgy in Skarna has flourished, a carefully held art that fuels the backbone of their labour; though rumours swirl around the Archmagister’s supposed ill designs.
The Genesis Crypts - Deep beneath the Grand Necropolis lies the Genesis Crypts: the birthplace of the Chyron and the tomb of countless early failures. The air hums with latent Vitae; walls of blackened bone and metal pulse faintly as if still alive. Dozens of forgotten prototypes slumber within preserved glass cells, each one a grotesque reflection of perfection attempted and denied. Though officially decommissioned after Moreau’s betrayal, the Mortiferous decreed that the lab remain sealed but intact - “a reminder,” she said, “of the price of ambition unbound.”
The Vault of Continuance - Hidden amidst the storm-wracked cliffs of Tanrytiq, the Vault of Continuance is a twisted cathedral grown from flesh and coral. Its halls are lined with vat-grown conduits that pulse with stolen Vitae, feeding the experiments within. Here Moreau teaches still, surrounded by attendants and acolytes. The Vault’s disciples call themselves the Order of Continuance, a heretical fellowship consisting primarily of members of Qalnn Orrus. Acolytes claim that every few years, the Hall sheds its outer layers, molting like a serpent to reveal new chambers beneath as the old fall into the seas below.
Qalnn Orrus - Among Tanrytiq’s countless fraternities, Orrus are particularly notorious: a sect of Infernals who embrace the transmutative nature of Somaturgy, dwelling in the Vault of Continuance. Drawn by promises of immortality and power, these Infernals serve as test subjects and apostles for the mad doctor. They follow Moreau fervently, believing the doctor’s secrets offer the path to coveted strength. Members of Qalnn Orrus willingly subject themselves to Moreau’s experiments, their bodies marked with sigils and grafts of their master’s design. Other Qalnn somewhat derisively call them gilded, for their peculiar and identifying habit of sealing wounds with golden flesh.
Spells
Husk Rules
- Please note that Somaturgists have several somewhat experimental and complex mechanics! They may not be easy to play for a beginner.
- Somaturgists in combat employ a Cradle, a portable containment vessel of alchemically-cultured tissue and vitae solution. The Cradle is roughly human-sized, and is nearly impervious to attack. The aesthetics of its movement are up to personal choice, but suggestions include mechanical legs, floating through magic, or having organic limbs.
- A 7x7 area centred on the Cradle is considered occupied by the Somaturgist’s Husks. Within this area, they may make melee attacks and attacks of opportunity, and may be targeted by any attacks or abilities that include at least one block of the zone in range.
- Husks attack and defend with the caster’s Mystic stat and have stats based on the caster’s Apothecary talent, as follows:
- 1 Point: Husks have 3 HP, and deal 1d4 damage on a hit.
- 2 Points: Husks have 5 HP, and deal 1d6 damage on a hit
- 3 Points: Husks have 8 HP, and deal 1d8 damage on a hit.
- Each additional Husk attacking a target adds a flat +1 / +2 / +3 damage respectively, based on Alchemy points. This caps at 3 additional Husks per target.
- Husk HP is combined, and damage carries through. For example:
- The Somaturgist has 2 points in Apothecary, and 4 Husks.
- An enemy deals 16 damage to their Husks.
- 3 Husks die. The next Husk will die after 4 more damage is dealt, as it has lost 1 HP already.
- A Somaturgist may have 2/4/6 Husks active, scaling with Somaturgy points. Half this amount is created from the Cradle at the start of combat.
- At the end of combat, all temporary Husks collapse into tissue and are reclaimed by the Cradle.
| Name | Description | Cooldown/Cost | Action Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somatic Genesis | The Somaturgist catalyses their Cradle, flash-culturing fresh Husks from the slurry within. Burning some of their own Vitae to kickstart the process, they may create 1 Husk for a cost of 3 HP.
Apothecary 2: Summon 2 Husks for a cost of 4 HP instead. |
No Cooldown | Action |
| Peristaltic Advance | The Somaturgist directs the Cradle to reposition up to a certain distance, the Husks following their point of origin.
Apothecary 1: 3 blocks. Apothecary 2: 4 blocks. Apothecary 3: 5 blocks. Additionally, Once per Combat encounter, the Cradle may be moved twice in a single turn. |
One Turn | Action |
| Necrotic Bile | At the end of each round, half of the active Husks (rounded up) extrude corrosive spit and hurl it at the nearest enemy outside the zone. Roll Mystic vs Dexterity for each attack. Successful hits deal 1d6 damage as the bile burns through armour and skin alike. If no enemies are present outside the zone, then enemies within may be targeted. | Passive | Reaction |
| Name | Description | Cooldown/Cost | Action Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living Bastion | The Somaturgist merges nearby Husks into a mass of moving sinew with the combined HP of all Husks fused. The combined mass ceases attacking for 2 turns, disabling Caustic Bile and all Husk attacks for the duration, but it automatically intercepts all attacks targeting allies within the zone. Damage is applied to the mass instead. When the duration ends or the HP pool reaches 0, the mass sloughs apart and individual Husks reform. | Once per Combat | Action |
| Catalytic Infusion | The Somaturgist targets an ally, the Cradle launching a needle of flesh toward them. A measured overdose of concentrated vitae floods the subject’s veins, briefly awakening unnatural strength and resilience.
Apothecary 1: Target gains Advantage on their next Attack Roll made within two turns. Apothecary 2: Target gains Advantage on their next Attack and Defense Rolls made within two turns. Apothecary 3: Target gains Advantage on their next Attack Roll, and automatically succeeds the next Defense Roll made within two turns. |
Twice per Combat | Action |
| Viscera Charge | The caster throws a volatile phial anywhere in emote range. Upon landing, it bursts into an unstable mass of flesh with 10 HP. At the start of their next turn, it detonates, dealing 1d12 damage to all targets within 3 blocks. If destroyed, it does not detonate.
Apothecary 2: All targets are also Blinded for one turn as the explosion sprays alchemical mist. |
Two turns | Action |
| Name | Description | Cooldown/Cost | Action Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberrant Overdrive | The Somaturgist injects a subject with their magnum opus, an experimental cocktail of unstable alchemies and primed vitae. The target is transformed into a mutated berserker for 3 turns, compelled to attack the nearest creature regardless of allegiance. When the effect ends, they immediately drop to 5 HP if above that threshold. This can be cast on unwilling targets, requiring a Mystics vs Scrutiny roll.
Apothecary 1: Gains +1d6 damage on hit, +4 STR/DEX, +5 HP. Apothecary 2: Gains +1d8 on hit, +6 STR/DEX, +10 HP. Apothecary 3: Gains +1d10 on hit, +8 STR/DEX, +15 HP. |
Once per Week, shared with Bio-Singularity | Action |
| Necrochemical Decay | The Somaturgist releases a virulent enzyme cloud from the Cradle toward a chosen foe. Roll Mystic vs Dexterity to hit.
Apothecary 1: Target’s next Attack or Defense roll has Disadvantage. Apothecary 2: Target is Blinded for one turn. Apothecary 3: Target is Dazed for one turn. |
Once per Combat | Action |
| Bio-Singularity | The Somaturgist violently overclocks the Cradle, injecting their magnum opus within for terrible power. For 2 turns the zone expands to 9×9. This immediately creates 4 temporary Husklings, which do not count toward the Husk cap; each has 2 HP, inheriting other stats from the Husks. Enemies that start their turn in the zone treat the area as Difficult Terrain for that turn. When the duration ends, all Husklings immediately die off as their bodies burn out from the stress.
Apothecary 3: For the duration, all Husks and Husklings gain +2 HP. |
Once per Week, shared with Aberrant Overdrive | Action |
Trivia
- Practitioners can make stable Husks outside of combat. However, the strain of combat causes these to collapse almost immediately in any kind of fight if they lack a Chyron to control them.
- The Vault of Continuance is always open to acolytes or practitioners of other branches of Noetica. However, only around one in three acolytes make it out into the world as studied Somaturgists; learning to master the inverse transmutation process frequently results in dramatic and grisly ends to study and life.
- While by no means as utterly transgressive as Dreadbinding, Somaturgy is still far from acceptable; of the Noetica, only Thanotism can be said to have any real tolerance.
- Somaturgists are quite capable at masking their art as a more classically scientific pursuit; it isn’t unheard of for one to settle in a smaller town for years or decades, seen more as an eccentric recluse than anything so terrible as the truth.
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