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[escaped lurker]

Long overdue update. I actually forgot how much fun I always had writing this... ;3
The Plains of Grating, Fifth Age
The Age of Death, Year 625
Day 22, Around Noon

Seeing as they have no obvious ill intentions on sighting an undead, you decide to react in kind. Offer them a peaceful greeting, not baring your teeth, maybe even giving up some of your supply. It also dawns on you that they are the first living beings that you not immediately tried to kill. Either way, you start to address the one who seems to be in charge.

Your inquiry is met with erratic talking among the three – via further snarls, a greater variety of tongue-clicks you previously thought possible and other sounds that most races do not use as main acoustic components in their language, if at all. And you thought the slightly bastardized common the humans up in the mountain use was bad. After a few moments of this, the yellow lizard inches a few steps towards you and speaks up.

Yeah... the reptile has obvious problems in pronouncing pretty much anything the common language has to offer in terms of vowels and consonants, not to speak of the questionable context. You decide to question him further. Or her, as you have not enough knowledge about lizardmen and their physice to have even an inkling of what gender any of these three could be.

You have the slightest hunch that this talk might not reveal anything of importance, at least not any time soon. Using telepathy could resolve the problem, but without a fluently shared language it gets weird, supplementing the words with impressions, slight feelings and somesuch. It might be worth a shot though. On the matter of communication, you really can't read much out of their faces or body language. Well, since the yellow one left behind his cutlass, you doubt them to be plotting anything, but still.

Currently:
202/205 HP
13/175 MP
70 MP Stored

Status:
Hungry - Halfed HP-Regeneration
Lacking Sentient Nourishment - -1 Agility and Intelligence for Skill- and Combat-checks
Light Scratches - 3

Spoiler: Character (click to show/hide)

Ghoulish Vessel
Strength: 11
Endurance: 11
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 5

~10 HPD
~40 MPD

Inventory:
Medium Band of Gathering 0/20 MP
Leather Jerkin
Woolen Pants
Leather Shin-boots
Twohander
Shortbow w. Iron tipped Arrows

Resources:
1 Amethyst Geode - 30/30 MP
1 Rock Crystal Nugget 0/20
1 Schorl Geode 40/40 MP
1 Emerald Chunk 0/100

Items:
1 Saddlebag
1 Shortbow
2 Quivers
9 Iron tipped Arrows
1 Rope – Thin, 4 Meters
1 Tinderbox
1 Hatchet
1 Bronze Axe
1 Quarterstaff
3 Daggers
2 Rusty Daggers
1 Long-Dagger
1 Shortsword
1 Rusty Sword
1 Wooden Spear
1 Knapsack
1 Mino Gold - Intricately minted
4 Mino Silver - Intricately minted
20 Mino Copper - Intricately minted
7 Human Silver – Crudely minted
45 Human Copper – Crudely minted
1 Pair of Linen Clothing
7 Smoked Goat Cuts

Skills:
Adept of the School of Necromancy
Adept of the School of Transmutation
Acolyte of the School of Divination
Beginner in Feral Combat
Capable in Archery

Spoiler:  Spells (click to show/hide)

School of Necromancy - Adept
Branches: Mysticism, Occultism

Animate Skeleton – Ritual - 50 MP
Raise a temporary Skeleton to do your bidding. Lasts 1 Day, extendible by 3 MP per day.
Can be made permanent by spending additional 30 MP on it.

Turn Lesser Undead – Spell - 30 MP
Allows you to destroy, render harmless or straightly take over an undead creature.

Soulspeaker – Spell - 20 MP
Allows you to contact the souls of the dead, and to communicate with them. Duration 1 Hour.

Enslave Lesser Souls - Ritual - 25 MP
Allows the enslavement of lesser, or rather “newly dead” souls.
A soul may be placed into a construct, resulting in an autonomous undead.
A souls essence may be devoured, restoring half of the souls previously held maximum mana.
Devouring a Soul or failing this spell has the chance to transform the affected into a wraith, which will be hostile towards the caster.

Animate Zombie – Ritual - 80 MP
Raise a temporary Zombie to do your bidding. Lasts 1 Day, extendible by 5 MP per day.
Can be made permanent by spending additional 40 MP on it.

Telepathic Link – Spell - 10 MP, Duration 1 Day
Allows for affected and caster to communicate thoughts, even over large distances
To activate the spell at range, the affected needs to be previously marked for 30 MP

School of Transmutation - Adept
Branches: Enchanting, Alteration

Drain Energy – Ritual - 20MP +50% of the drained Energy must be paid in MP
Allows you to drain a prone or enslaved creature of its mana or vitality.

Change Object – Spell - 30 MP, Duration 1 Hour
Allows you to temporary change the properties or shape of an object.

Store Mana – Ritual - 25MP + Desired Amount
Allows you to store mana into gemstones.

Healing Gambit – Spell - 2 MP converts to 3 HP, Duration 5 Hours
Can temporarily close mortal wounds and even re-attach lost limbs, safe beheading

School of Divination - Acolyte
Branches: Kabalism, Mysticism

Improved Sight – Spell - 10 MP, Duration 1 Hour
Your natural vision is improved threefold.

Gauge Nature – Spell - 20 MP
Allows you to gain a limited understanding of the targeted object, spell or creature

Spoiler: Followers (click to show/hide)

	Zombie Owl Permanent, Autonomous
	Skeletal Horse Permanent
	2 Skeletal Humans Permanent
	Skeletal Mino Permanent
	2 Skeletal Goats Permanent

Spoiler: Mind Map (click to show/hide)

Purple Dot: Location of our Old Cave Red Dots: Attacked Places I - Dustower: 300 humans in the greater area. At least 3 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. II - Benstead: 600 humans in the greater area. At least 9 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. III - Guleshore: 400 humans in the greater area. At least 3 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. I - Nearer Desert Nomands – 7 Humanoids, over 20 goats II - Further Desert Nomdas – 5 Humanoids, less than 20 goats

" Taxes. Sure thing, lizard. "

[Worldmaster27]

Wish them the best of luck, and continue on our way.

The language barrier is too thick to get anything out of them, and they will have a hard time convincing any humans that thy saw us through it. I also don't think that killing them will get us anything we won't by raiding those nomads.

[Tomcost]

Wish them the best of luck, and continue on our way.

The language barrier is too thick to get anything out of them, and they will have a hard time convincing any humans that thy saw us through it. I also don't think that killing them will get us anything we won't by raiding those nomads.

+1

[Weirdsound]

Wish them the best of luck, and continue on our way.

The language barrier is too thick to get anything out of them, and they will have a hard time convincing any humans that thy saw us through it. I also don't think that killing them will get us anything we won't by raiding those nomads.

+1

This. Also, keep moving towards the nomads, while having Mr. Owl scout their movements and look for anything intresting.

[Mr. Strange]

Yes, new update!

First see their taxes, then ask lizards if they mean that city we came from (as in, point there and ask "that city?"). At the least we can get directions to another city, or if they are "paying taxes" to our city we could see where they bring them and collect it later...
Also, no attacking lizards! If they are going to our city follow them, otherwise we go with the raid on the nomads as planned.

[escaped lurker]

The Plains of Grating, Fifth Age
The Age of Death, Year 625
Day 24, Some Time before Dawn

After pondering to press them for further information, you eventually decide that they don't seem to be worth the trouble. You actually regret them not being hostile towards you, as that should have resulted in some fresh meat from sentient creatures, but you are sure that you can manage. Either way, you decide to bide them farewell.

How polite it is. Yeah, maybe letting them live might not be that bad after all. You make sure that they don't pursue you, or are up to funny business, but nothing of the like happens. Well, even if they make it to anywhere civilised, you very much doubt that someone would start to scour the desert for an undead. Maybe they would have done so in The Second Age, where the study and alteration of the vampiric un-nature gave birth to what came to be called necromancy, but certainly not by now. It is not called The Age of Death for nothing, with even the most positive estimates assuming at least two undead for every living soul. While you are quite sure that it should be at least double that number, hunting down lone undead in no-mans land is certainly not an endeavour that anyone sane would earnestly consider.

The rest of the journey is far less eventful, with the zombie owl making sure that you do not run into the other group of nomads. At some point, the river gives way to mud, and half a days travel later, you spot the last puddle of water. By that point, the landscape has taken a turn for the worse, with signs of growth restricted to a small line along the dry riverbed, and to the shades of the occasional hilly area.

It is in the early morning hours that you arrive in the vicinity of the nomads, with your avian zombie sure that they are bound to split up in the morning, seemingly leaving one of them behind for chores other than herding the goats. From what it has observed, they return in the evening, leaving you with plenty of time and options, unless you wish to simply attack them in their sleep. Having drained the ring twice, once it became full, you are also brimming with magic, a reassuring feeling for the magician you are.

Currently:
205/205 HP
145/175 MP
70 MP Stored

Status:
Very Hungry - Quartered HP-Regeneration
Lacking Sentient Nourishment - -1 Agility and Intelligence for Skill- and Combat-checks

Spoiler: Character (click to show/hide)

Ghoulish Vessel
Strength: 11
Endurance: 11
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 5

~10 HPD
~40 MPD

Inventory:
Medium Band of Gathering 0/20 MP
Leather Jerkin
Woolen Pants
Leather Shin-boots
Twohander
Shortbow w. Iron tipped Arrows

Resources:
1 Amethyst Geode - 30/30 MP
1 Rock Crystal Nugget 0/20
1 Schorl Geode 40/40 MP
1 Emerald Chunk 0/100

Items:
1 Saddlebag
1 Shortbow
2 Quivers
9 Iron tipped Arrows
1 Rope – Thin, 4 Meters
1 Tinderbox
1 Hatchet
1 Bronze Axe
1 Quarterstaff
3 Daggers
2 Rusty Daggers
1 Long-Dagger
1 Shortsword
1 Rusty Sword
1 Wooden Spear
1 Knapsack
1 Mino Gold - Intricately minted
4 Mino Silver - Intricately minted
20 Mino Copper - Intricately minted
7 Human Silver – Crudely minted
45 Human Copper – Crudely minted
1 Pair of Linen Clothing
7 Smoked Goat Cuts

Skills:
Adept of the School of Necromancy
Adept of the School of Transmutation
Acolyte of the School of Divination
Beginner in Feral Combat
Capable in Archery

Spoiler:  Spells (click to show/hide)

School of Necromancy - Adept
Branches: Mysticism, Occultism

Animate Skeleton – Ritual - 50 MP
Raise a temporary Skeleton to do your bidding. Lasts 1 Day, extendible by 3 MP per day.
Can be made permanent by spending additional 30 MP on it.

Turn Lesser Undead – Spell - 30 MP
Allows you to destroy, render harmless or straightly take over an undead creature.

Soulspeaker – Spell - 20 MP
Allows you to contact the souls of the dead, and to communicate with them. Duration 1 Hour.

Enslave Lesser Souls - Ritual - 25 MP
Allows the enslavement of lesser, or rather “newly dead” souls.
A soul may be placed into a construct, resulting in an autonomous undead.
A souls essence may be devoured, restoring half of the souls previously held maximum mana.
Devouring a Soul or failing this spell has the chance to transform the affected into a wraith, which will be hostile towards the caster.

Animate Zombie – Ritual - 80 MP
Raise a temporary Zombie to do your bidding. Lasts 1 Day, extendible by 5 MP per day.
Can be made permanent by spending additional 40 MP on it.

Telepathic Link – Spell - 10 MP, Duration 1 Day
Allows for affected and caster to communicate thoughts, even over large distances
To activate the spell at range, the affected needs to be previously marked for 30 MP

School of Transmutation - Adept
Branches: Enchanting, Alteration

Drain Energy – Ritual - 20MP +50% of the drained Energy must be paid in MP
Allows you to drain a prone or enslaved creature of its mana or vitality.

Change Object – Spell - 30 MP, Duration 1 Hour
Allows you to temporary change the properties or shape of an object.

Store Mana – Ritual - 25MP + Desired Amount
Allows you to store mana into gemstones.

Healing Gambit – Spell - 2 MP converts to 3 HP, Duration 5 Hours
Can temporarily close mortal wounds and even re-attach lost limbs, safe beheading

School of Divination - Acolyte
Branches: Kabalism, Mysticism

Improved Sight – Spell - 10 MP, Duration 1 Hour
Your natural vision is improved threefold.

Gauge Nature – Spell - 20 MP
Allows you to gain a limited understanding of the targeted object, spell or creature

Spoiler: Followers (click to show/hide)

	Zombie Owl Permanent, Autonomous
	Skeletal Horse Permanent
	2 Skeletal Humans Permanent
	Skeletal Mino Permanent
	2 Skeletal Goats Permanent

Spoiler: Mind Map (click to show/hide)

Purple Dot: Location of our Old Cave Red Dots: Attacked Places I - Dustower: 300 humans in the greater area. At least 3 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. II - Benstead: 600 humans in the greater area. At least 9 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. III - Guleshore: 400 humans in the greater area. At least 3 Priests, All males part of the Peasant Milita. I - Nearer Desert Nomands – 7 Humanoids, over 20 goats II - Further Desert Nomdas – 5 Humanoids, less than 20 goats

" I can't wait to taste them... "

So... back to the style I started with, I guess. Not sure if I really want to use tile-sets for ghoulish, but I'll try how this form works out for now.

[The Froggy Ninja]

Turn a rock nearby into a cup and another rock into water. Pour it down their throats in their sleep. When it turns back into rocks they will have rocks in their stomachs.

[Shadestyle]

Turn a rock nearby into a cup and another rock into water. Pour it down their throats in their sleep. When it turns back into rocks they will have rocks in their stomachs.

genius, +1

[Tomcost]

Turn a rock nearby into a cup and another rock into water. Pour it down their throats in their sleep. When it turns back into rocks they will have rocks in their stomachs.

-1. Not likely to succeed, either for the steath part or for our knowledge of transmutation.

I have a better plan to take them down:

Have two armed skeletons go to the other side of the camp and burrow themselves in the sand. We can also do a telepathic link with them if they are too dumb to know when to ambush.

Have us fire arrows at the nomads, starting from the healthiest looking ones, or at least those who could pose a threat (religious people belong to the threatening category). When they are awoken, we send the undead, but to attack the goats and herd them in the direction of the burrowed skeletons, so that they ambush the goats from many sides. We keep firing arrows in the humans, from our horse, engaging in pursuit of them if necessary. If the plan goes wrong, we call our undead back to help us fight. Also, if we run out of arrows, we use the longest stabby weapon available to poke them while they run. We have to exploit the advantage of a horse to its maximum potential.

[Weirdsound]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

[Tomcost]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

Fine, +1.

But we revive it as a zombie and tell it to stay quiet, then ambush the rest. With skeletons that emerge from the sand. Because awesomeness.

[Worldmaster27]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

+1

[The Froggy Ninja]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

Fine, +1.

But we revive it as a zombie and tell it to stay quiet, then ambush the rest. With skeletons that emerge from the sand. Because awesomeness.

+1 But eating it!

[Weirdsound]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

Fine, +1.

But we revive it as a zombie and tell it to stay quiet, then ambush the rest. With skeletons that emerge from the sand. Because awesomeness.

The whole point is not picking a fight against a bunch of healthy humans at all, but dragging it out, and making a weapon out of the hostile elements.

If we are getting so far ahead that we are worrying about what to do with the one we kill now, my vote is to put its soul in either the Minotaur or Horse (after questioning of course), and then eat the body.

[Tomcost]

Better Plan: We kill the single nomad left behind during the day, destroy all the supplies that we cannot carry off, and then continue to follow the main group and monitor how they deal with shortages via air support. The desert is worse for mortals than it is for us; we have much to gain by dragging this out.

Fine, +1.

But we revive it as a zombie and tell it to stay quiet, then ambush the rest. With skeletons that emerge from the sand. Because awesomeness.

The whole point is not picking a fight against a bunch of healthy humans at all, but dragging it out, and making a weapon out of the hostile elements.

If we are getting so far ahead that we are worrying about what to do with the one we kill now, my vote is to put its soul in either the Minotaur or Horse (after questioning of course), and then eat the body.

What can I say? My intention with that action is not to be efficient, but to be awesome, and have a good narrative. Well, let the rest vote for the best option.

Also, we can always animate a skeleton.

And I would like to only enslave the souls of those who bother us. But, as I said, it depends on if we go for efficiency or not.