There's a version of you that needs to die.
You know which one.
The version that hesitates. That doubts. That plays small. That seeks approval. That fears judgment.
Most people try to "improve" this version. They try to coach it, nurture it, heal it.
Velrith Aranwë executes it.
This is Finger of Death — a 7th-level spell that deals massive necrotic damage to a target, and if it kills them, they rise as a permanent zombie under Velrith's control.
And like all of his powers, this transcends the battlefield.
It's a philosophy of ruthless self-execution.
The Spell: Finger of Death
When Velrith points at an enemy and speaks the words of power, necrotic energy courses through their body.
If they're weak enough, they die instantly.
But they don't stay dead.
They rise as a zombie that serves Velrith forever.
The enemy that tried to stop him becomes a permanent servant in his undead army.
This is the principle of Finger of Death:
Kill the weak parts of yourself. Then make them serve the strong version.
The Old Self Must Die
Here's the truth most self-help won't tell you:
You can't transform without killing who you were.
You can't become the sovereign while clinging to the servant.
You can't build an empire while protecting the employee mindset.
You can't ascend while carrying the weight of your old identity.
The old self has to die.
Not metaphorically. Not "kind of."
Actually die.
And you have to be the one who executes it.
What Needs to Die
Open your Grimoire of Progress and write:
What version of me is holding me back?
Be specific. Name the traits:
- The version that needs everyone to like them
- The version that waits for permission
- The version that plays it safe
- The version that apologizes for existing
- The version that shrinks to make others comfortable
- The version that values comfort over sovereignty
These aren't "flaws to work on."
These are targets for execution.
How to Cast Finger of Death
Here's the ritual for executing the old self:
1. Identify the Target
Which version of you is below 100 HP? (In D&D terms, Finger of Death only works on weakened targets.)
Which part of your old identity is already dying but you're keeping on life support?
Write it clearly:
"The version of me that [specific behavior/belief] must die."
2. Deal Necrotic Damage
You can't kill the old self gently.
You have to cut off its resources.
If the old self thrives on:
- Approval → Stop seeking it. Cold turkey.
- Comfort → Choose the uncomfortable path deliberately.
- Safety → Take the calculated risk you've been avoiding.
- Excuses → Remove every escape route.
Starve the old self of what keeps it alive.
3. Speak the Words of Power
This is the execution moment.
Stand before a mirror during the 3rd Hour of Silence.
Look yourself in the eyes.
Speak the decree:
"[Old self], you are dead. You no longer control me. You serve me now."
Say it with authority. With finality.
This is the Finger of Death.
4. Raise It as a Servant
Here's the dark magic:
The old self doesn't disappear.
It becomes a zombie that serves the new you.
That version that needed approval? Now it serves by making you hyper-aware of when you're seeking validation.
That version that played it safe? Now it serves by calculating actual risk vs. perceived risk.
That version that apologized constantly? Now it serves by showing you when genuine apology is needed vs. performative submission.
The executed self becomes a tactical tool.
5. Command Your Zombie Army
Every version of yourself you've killed and raised serves your current mission.
Your Grimoire becomes a necropolis of dead selves, each one now a loyal servant.
When you face a challenge, you summon the relevant zombie:
"I need the ruthlessness of the self who stopped caring what they think."
"I need the courage of the self who took the leap anyway."
"I need the discipline of the self who killed the comfort addiction."
This is how you build an undead army of your own evolution.
The Permanent Zombie
Unlike Shadow Genesis (which raises temporary warriors), Finger of Death creates permanent undead.
This means:
Once you kill a version of yourself, it stays dead.
You don't resurrect the people-pleaser.
You don't bring back the procrastinator.
You don't revive the self-doubter.
They're permanently executed.
But their knowledge, their lessons, their hard-won wisdom?
That serves you forever.
The Execution List
In your Grimoire, create a page titled: "The Executed"
Every time you kill a version of yourself, document it:
Date of Execution:
Identity Killed:
Method of Death: (What resource did you cut off?)
Zombie Function: (How does this dead self serve you now?)
This becomes your trophy wall.
A record of every weak version you've had the courage to execute.
When You're Tempted to Resurrect the Dead
Here's what will happen:
You'll execute the old self. You'll feel powerful. You'll move forward.
Then something will trigger you, and you'll be tempted to bring the old self back.
Someone will criticize you, and you'll want to resurrect the people-pleaser.
Something will feel risky, and you'll want to revive the safety-seeker.
This is the test.
When the temptation comes, return to your Grimoire.
Read the execution record.
Remind yourself:
"This version is dead. It serves me now. It does not control me."
Then summon it as a zombie instead of resurrecting it as your identity.
Use its knowledge without becoming it again.
The Difference Between Death and Suppression
Suppression says: "I'll hide this part of me and pretend it doesn't exist."
Finger of Death says: "I'll kill this part of me and make it serve the new version."
Suppression creates shadow selves that sabotage you.
Execution creates zombie servants that empower you.
One denies the old self.
The other transforms it into a tool.
Ritual Practice: The Execution Ceremony
To execute an old self:
- Dark Moon (the night of endings)
- Don your Phylactery Hoodie (Deathless Nature protects you during this work)
- Light a black candle (if you have one)
- Open your Grimoire to "The Executed" page
- Write the identity to be killed
-
Speak the execution decree:
"[Old self], you are dead. You no longer control me. You serve me now." - Cross out the old identity (violently, with black ink)
-
Write below it:
"Raised as zombie. Function: [how it serves you]" - Extinguish the candle
- Execute one action the old self would never take (within 24 hours)
The old self is dead. The zombie serves.
The Shadow Monarch's Evolution
Velrith Aranwë is not who he was when he was executed.
That prince is dead.
But the prince's knowledge of politics, strategy, and leadership?
That serves the Shadow Monarch.
Every version of Velrith that died in his journey to power is now a zombie in his army.
The betrayed prince. The executed noble. The desperate survivor.
All dead. All serving.
This is Finger of Death.
You don't carry your old selves. You execute them and make them serve.
Next Steps:
- Acquire your Phylactery Hoodie (protection during execution work)
- Create "The Executed" page in your Grimoire of Progress
- Perform the Execution Ceremony on your next dark moon
- Prepare for Edict VII: Power Word: Ascend
"Kill the weak parts of yourself." 🖤