Ancient curse

Ancient curse was a spell used by shugenja in Kara-Tur.

Effects
When cast, the target of the spell, as well as their family, would suffer a long-term curse. This spell could only be cast on evil creatures or a creature who'd performed an act of profound evil. The curse was bestowed by the shugenja's deity and the caster was required to be in the presence of the target.

The type of curse was chosen by the caster. Common curses were pestilence, haunting, crop failure, house fires, and suffering. The spell was long-term, lasting up to several centuries, and the negative effects were usually not immediate. Atonement was able to remove the curse.

If a caster attempted to cast this spell in the Phlogiston, the spell would fail.

Components
In addition to a verbal component, the spell required two material components: a small gong made of silver and the holy symbol of the shugenja.