Seth Lindberg

Lords of Dyscrasia Seth Lindberg

Context: Lords of Dyscrasia explores the choices humans and their gods make as a disease corrupts their souls, shared blood and creative energies.   Historically, dyscrasia referred to any imbalance of the four medicinal humors professed by the ancient Greeks to sustain life (phlegm, blood, black and yellow bile).  Artisans, anatomists, and chemists of the Renaissance expressed shared interest in the humors; accordingly, the scope of humorism evolved to include aspects of the four alchemical elements (water, air, earth and fire) and psychological temperaments (phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic and choleric).  In short, the humors are mystical media of color, energy, and emotion; Lords of Dyscrasia presents them as spiritual muses for artisans, sources of magical power, and contagions of a deadly disease.   Over 50 illustrations amplify the art and horror themes.

Synopsis: A blood disease plagues the insectan elders of the Underworld. Desperate to save them from extinction, the golem Doctor Grave infuses the soul of his dying Queen into the blood of a human artisan, Lord Ante Lysis. Her soul passes through Ante's blood into his offspring, thus the Lysis bloodline carries the diseased Queen's soul until the Doctor can execute a grand necromantic rite to resurrect her. Endenken Lysis of Gravenstyne, last lord of his Clan, journeys to the Underworld Forge to extinguish the elder plague consuming his soul. Accompanied by the ghosts of the family whom he failed and the brothers whom he murdered, Endenken must battle his past and the Doctor's minions to end the plague, quench the Queen's soul.