The Vaal Necromancers

Lore & Background

The fall of the Vaal was not caused by mysterious entities far worse than deities, but was a direct result of the Eternal Gods (the Eternal Empire) destroying the civilization due to its hubris and forbidden rituals. The land itself became cursed, turning into a wasteland where time and magic flow strangely. Today, the Necromancers exist only as echoes—spectral figures haunting the ruins they once commanded—but there is no evidence they actively guard secrets; their primary remnants are simply their powerful magic and the ruins themselves.

In Their Own Story

The Exile stepped over the shattered remains of an altar, the air thick with the scent of ozone and rot. A low hum vibrated through the stone floor. From the shadows emerged a figure draped in tattered robes, eyes burning with violet fire. It was not flesh that moved, but memory given form by ancient magic. The spirit raised its hand, and from the ground rose skeletal warriors, their bones grinding together in unison. There was no speech, only the silent command of a master who died centuries ago yet refused to leave his throne.

Reader's Guide

The Vaal Necromancers were not a unified political body but rather a collective of dark mages within the ancient civilization that once dominated Wraeclast. They specialized in harnessing life force to command the dead, viewing death merely as a resource to be manipulated for greater power. Their rituals often involved voluntary sacrifice, binding souls to their will to create unstoppable armies from corpses and spirits. This obsession with forbidden magic is widely believed to have contributed to the fall of their society. The Gods of Wraeclast eventually turned against them, or perhaps the Void itself consumed what they tried to control. Now, only echoes remain in the crumbling stone ruins scattered across the wasteland. Exiles often encounter these remnants as hostile spirits or reanimated guardians protecting ancient secrets. Despite their extinction, their techniques survive through the artifacts left behind. Modern travelers can wield Vaal skills by tapping into this residual energy, though it demands a heavy price of life and mana. The Necromancers serve as a cautionary tale within the lore: power without restraint leads only to oblivion, leaving nothing but dust and bone for future generations to discover in the dark.

Did You Know?

• Vaal skills used by Exiles today cost both Life and Mana, reflecting the sacrifice-based magic of these ancient mages.
• The Vaal civilization predates the current exile crisis on Wraeclast by many centuries.
• Many Vaal Necromancers are encountered as spectral enemies in the game's map system.
• While Vaal Orbs are general currency found throughout the world, it is specifically Vaal Gems that are tied to the lore and loot of the Vaal Ruins.