Nephilim's Resurrection

This spell is a part of the Essence Bolt spell chain and is found in the Essence Bolt rune stone.

When you cast this spell, be it as a result of a botched attempt at Giver of Life, or to resurrect a fallen enemy target, you expect a true resurrection. If you are aiming to raise the fallen enemy target, you do so with the hope that it will switch to your side, therefore you willingly plead to the dark champion of life energy, the fallen Nephilim. The Nephilim answer the call with enthusiasm and without wisdom, flooding the fallen target's body with raw volatile energy that animates the flesh and sets it moving once more. What returns however is not the person. It is not even a shadow of the person. It is a body filled with Nephilim energy, driven by nothing but violent base impulse, a horror wearing a familiar face.

This spell can be activated in one of two ways:

Deliberate Casting: The mystic deliberately targets a recently fallen enemy within 6 spaces, choosing to call upon Nephilim energy rather than true resurrection. Perhaps the mystic believes turning a fallen foe to their side is worth the cost. Perhaps they simply need a body to fight for them and have no better option. Whatever the reasoning the Nephilim answer without hesitation and without mercy.

Critical Fail Trigger: Should the mystic critically fail a casting of Giver of Life - rolling a natural 1 on the cast roll - and the mystic has learned Nephilim's Resurrection, the Nephilim will seize the opportunity. The spell activates automatically at no additional Soul cost or casting speed, animating the target the caster was attempting to resurrect. Friend or foe, the Nephilim do not distinguish. The caster cannot prevent this activation once the critical fail occurs.

The Animated: The animated target retains its physical stats, physical attacks, and any physical combat abilities it possessed in life. However it has no Soul; all spells, skills, and abilities that require Soul are completely unavailable to it. It cannot be directed with any nuance, the mystic can point it at a target and it will attack with savage and relentless energy, but it cannot be commanded to defend, retreat, use items, or perform any action beyond attacking. It will always attack the nearest enemy target to it. If no enemy targets remain it will attack the nearest living creature regardless of allegiance. The animated target fights for the caster for the spell's duration. When the duration ends the Nephilim energy dissipates completely and the body collapses. A target that has been animated by Nephilim's Resurrection cannot be resurrected by any means afterward; not by Miracle Summoning, not by Spark of Life, not by Giver of Life, and certainly not by Nephilim's Resurrection again. The Nephilim's touch leaves nothing worth saving. The soul of the target, wherever it has gone, is mercifully untouched by this spell. It is only the empty vessel that the Nephilim claim. Perhaps the only spells in existence that could hope to bring the soul back to this tainted body either exist in a time before the tainting of the Nephilim, or possessed by only the most powerful necromancers.

Note: This spell can only target those who have fallen during the current battle. The Nephilim have no interest in truly cold flesh.