Raud was studying when the screams began. Shrill cries cut mercilessly short sent tremors of fear, grief, and rage through him. He flipped the large tome he had been perusing shut and a thick tome bound in black leather lifted from the table of its own arcane will. He slid on his chain gauntlet and grabbed the golden amulet wrapped around it. Even through the metal, he could feel the unnatural chill of the artifact. It was a chill that sent power coursing through him and made the lacerations on his face ooze with a black, misty substance.
He stepped outside, and the cries of the dozens of ravens perched atop his stone chapel announced his arrival. Raud watched four Huntsmen cease their rampage through his coven and focus their attention on him.
Raud’s wrath was immediate and mighty. He clutched his amulet and funneled his power through it, channeling the crushing despair that was the Wintersea into hundreds of thin, black tendrils which raced towards his foes. They crossed a dozen meters before two of the Huntsmen could react, skewering them in a dozen ways before shifting directions and tearing after the other two interlopers.
One of the Huntsmen, a woman covered in scars, charged straight towards him, and the ravens behind him dove as one to defend against the assault. They flew as a singular, screeching, taloned mass, and as they passed by his Cursetome, it flipped to a page and the runes began to emit a misty darkness, clinging to the ravens and empowering them. She screamed as the swarm enveloped her, and Raud focused his attentions on the remaining assailant.
The man waved his hand behind him and a tear opened up into a new reality, where tall trees dominated a landscape of blooming flowers. The flood of shadowy tendrils poured into this reality and vanished from Raud’s control. It was unfortunate, but the Ebon Mage had plenty of power left and more than enough hate in his heart to use it.
With a roar, the Huntsman swung downwards at Raud, but the Ebon Mage swatted the corrupted crystal weapon away with his gauntlet and pressed his artifact into the Huntsman’s face. The man emitted a shriek as his cheek froze from the extreme magical chill, and with a shove, the skin shattered and Raud forced the artifact down the doomed man’s throat.
Gurgling in shock, the Huntsman clawed at his own throat until Raud sent another pulse of magic through the artifact and spikes of shadowstuff ruptured the man’s frozen flesh.
The world around him began to grow red, and Raud turned to see the rising moon—and the sky around it—had reacted to his might. Now blood red, the moon continued to rise high in the sky, a beacon that told all who gazed upon it that an awesome amount of occult magic had been used that night.
Raud turned to one of his sisters, “bury our dead, but leave them to the ravens.”
With that, he called his Cursetome to him, and returned to his studies.
Ebon Mage is a Black Specialization that focuses on dealing large amounts of damage at long range and debuffing their enemies into oblivion. Ebon Mages are witches who undergo an oftentimes deadly ritual that sends them to the Wintersea in search of powerful artifacts shrouded in negative energy. Retrieving these artifacts allows Ebon Mages to channel the shadow magic of the Wintersea, granting them intoxicating amounts of power.
All Ebon Mages are covered in magical scars caused by the ritual which constantly seep black mist, this makes it impossible for them to hide amongst the commonfolk of the Skels, by whom they are reviled. Because of this, Ebon Mages are often the leaders of covens of witches which hide in the countless recesses of the wilderness.
As one of the few range 3 specializations, Ebon Mages can cause immense pain before the enemy can get close to them, and their ultimate, Night Infusion, helps them stay healthy while doing even more damage.
Because Ebon Mages are the most powerful Witches, the themes present in Witch cards carry over to Ebon Mages, granting them powerful or incredibly efficient effects at the cost of Silencing themselves.
When paired with Night Infusion, Ebon Bolt turns into one of the most efficient damage cards in the game, and at the meager cost of 1 Silence it is well worth it.
Powerful debuffs and auras are another aspect Ebon Mages have in common with Witch, and they allow you to take advantage of unique effects that warp the game in your favor. Whichever ones you chose to run in your deck, your opponent will always have to answer them quickly or find themselves trapped in a situation they can never escape from.
Ebon Mages, among other practitioners of occult magic, may require set-up time to cast their spells. Various spells have this mechanically baked in with the Hardcast mechanic. Since a card with Hardcast must be revealed to play it, some Ebon Mages must carefully plan out their battles, and need some time to prepare before wading into a fight. However, Ebon Mages also have access to some Hardcast payoff cards, which can be some of the most powerful cards in the game when planned for.
Show your enemies the terror of the Wintersea as the Ebon Mage!
Grab a copy of Winterstorm to play as this Specialization!