Notura

Notura is a type of magic devised by the infamous Karam Gruul, described by Professor Van Heldenghast as a "perverse mixture of magic, alchemy and physiology."

This is a fairly accurate description, and bears a suspicious resemblance to the Marrangha magic first developed in Dree, the later activities of the alchemist of Throben, who created the Mutant Meatballs found in the Mampang Fortress, and the ghastly experiments of Xakhaz. Notura can used in many ways, from cursing someone's luck and erecting a painful defensive barrier, to wiping part of their memory or conjuring a phantasm of sorts to destroy them utterly. Gruul was able to use Notura to create new life forms. One such creation was the Shocker, a monster created as the result of a botched Notura ritual. Another of Gruul's Notura creations were the mysterious beings called "Moonrunners". Gruul was also able to use Notura to gain longevity; at the time of Moonrunner, Professor Van Heldenghast said Gruul's life-force had been sustained for "over three hundred years" by Notura. Karam Gruul discovered that, if brought fully into the Earthly Plane, an Ectoplasmic Lurker would release Notura upon its death - hence, he always kept one imprisoned nearby in the event of emergencies. Gruul also used Notura to build the Ethereal Projector, a deadly artillery weapon capable of destroying whole cities.

However, there were limits to Notura's power; Gruul could not cast Notura spells if he ran out of magical energy to power these spells. And as with everything of a magical nature, Notura could be countered by certain items possessed of the same or similar mystical qualities - these became known as the Wards of Notura - and many were lost over the years since Gruul's initial defeat. Van Heldenghast thankfully located a number of these and led a Bounty Hunter, who had once been a victim of Gruul's Notura, to retrieve as many as possible and thereby survive arresting Gruul and bringing him to justice.

Since Gruul's imprisonment, it is unknown whether or not Notura is still practised by his apprentices, if he had any he trusted enough to teach this dark art.