The trip towards Death was... less pleasant than it usually is. It generally feels like an overabundance of nothing, or suddenly being somewhere you weren't before. At worst, it was disorienting. This time, it gave you a headache. A small one, the type you get from low blood sugar or something, but still, it's a lot more unpleasant than you're used to. When you arrive, you see that the surroundings have changed significantly. Rather than a tearoom floating through relative infinity, you find an island with a lovely little house on it. Two floors, with floral patterns on the curtains. A lovely little tree, with a swingset on it. The strange part is that the trunk appears to be missing, seemingly to allow for one to use the swing, as one would bash into the trunk, were it really there. It made sense, provided you don't try to make sense of it. The tree's bark is also an odd black, the type of black you feel you could get lost in if you looked too hard. You elect not to do so, and instead knock on the strange doorway, which looks to be made out of a thick wooden doorpost, but only has glass in the middle. A small button is to the side, with a note below it reading "Ring me!". Below that notice is an address
Everywhere 01, Residence of Death.
You wonder if he got a postal code as well, though it's unlikely. Everything ends up with him eventually.
You push the button, causing a strange instrument to play. Some kind of horn, though it has far more tones than you'd ever heard. It seems to be playing a song usually played by a band. A funeral dirge. How delightfully appropriate, though one has to consider that this should be the one song Death would be tired of hearing. You shrug the thought away just as Death opens the door. Despite the glass, you didn't see him until the door opened. You wondered for a moment if he made himself invisible, though he looked the same as most times. As always, a bleached skull gives it's uncharacteristically full expression towards you, little blue pinpricks giving the already charismatic skull a personality. His robes look slightly different, thickker and fluffier, with his chest uncovered. Seems like he's in a bathrobe. No, wait, it's an evening gown. You can tell from the bunny slippers, which are an exceptional shade of pink, to offset the usual blackness his clothing carries. Obviously, Death remains railthin, but somehow, he found a way to remain taller than you. Looking at the inside of the door, you also see the trick of invisibility. He hung up a poster on his end, one that matches his hallway. You were looking at a picture of an empty hallway.
Cheeky.
Ah, you've arrived. It's been a hot minute, no? So much work, so little time. Infinity is starting to feel a tad small. The plague brings paperwork with it and I have been slogging through it. I would have preferred a war, or the Black Death. Haven't seen that one in a long while. Paperwork? Who do you answer to that requires paperwork?Oh, well, I pass on the job from me to myself every once in a while. I keep my paperwork for my successor, who is logically me. I don't require training, and have unparalleled experience. Being one's own apprentice is easy, you never have trouble with your master. I recently gave myself a makeover and I think I made myself look rather nice, wouldn't you agree?You seem a bit distracted, most of all.As I said, I am overworked. For the first time since the creation of your universe have I decided on a self-care month. Maybe a year? Might be less than a second. Infinity makes a lot of things meaningless in how meaningfull it is.Can I come in? This island is making me nervous, the background keeps flashing.Oh, but where are my manners. Come in, come in! The tea was made fifty years ago, so it should still be warm. Stop referring to time, you don't understand it.I probably understand it better than you, which would explain why I can't use it for the life of me.You both sit down at the table, you on pillows while he sits back in what looks like a beanbag filled with water. He waits a moment for the motion to settle, which is a solid five seconds while it squelches and burbles. He sighs in relief, and his pinpricks go out for a moment, simulating closed eyes in a generous world. More accurately, it makes him looks like a straight up skull rather than the typical charming psychopomp. He begins rocking slightly in his chair, but he begins speaking with a twinkle in his sockets.
So, before we move on to the pleasant things of lifeheh,
Lets go over the questions first, no?Good plan, get the business out of the way first. So, first question: what's the deal with multi-souled creatures?Abominations. That's not just an opinion, that's their actual classification. Generally, these are soul-stealing monsters. The rule still applies, of course. All souls return to me, eventually. Yeah, about that. The Unending destroyed souls. Death stops rocking, stops moving. Or, more accurately, everything stopped for a moment. Your heart stops as well, and your hair stands on end.
What. Do. You. Mean. He says, articulating every word very slowly and carefully. Every word is a small pulse of motion in reality. Then, it releases.
You explain what you saw, and Death gets visibly more upset. It's strange to see a skeleton get upset, especially considering nothing truly ever bothered Death before.
This... Is a very grave matter. One I will attend to in due time. You blink, and Death is standing in front of you. His blue pinpricks are out, and his skull has lost any of that charm from before. This isn't Death, this is
Death. He places his thumb on your forehead, and you can't stop yourself from screaming as the thumb burns itself in your skull. After an agonizing second, the pain quickly recedes.
Touch of Death. I will deal with the Unending personally, but you must hold it down. I cannot be summoned easily, the physical realm rejects me. A countermeasure of my own design. I will drag the creature off to the deepest pits I know of.G-got it. A-another question?Your friend? Hal is fine. He got out before the plague spread. He is well on his way of avoiding his curse. I suspect you may see him again, in the future. The far future. And what of the ancients? Should I unleash the others or something?In this reality? Yes. Here, all three must be unleased. Chattur'gha will be the first step. Summon a zombie of their own making as a sacrifice, this will break the seal. They are locked off from their power, not drained of it. They cannot stop Mantorok by themselves, but together, they will create an opening. It will weaken the Heart of Mantorok, provided the Darkest Dungeons may one day be pierced to its furthest point. Beyond the gibbering gates and the veil of madness. Where are the others?I cannot tell you. They are cut off. You know of Chattur'gha. Ulyaoth is another you have met. But Xel'lotath? Not even a clue. Ulyaoth is the most powerful out of them, but they will still require eachother against this common foe. They are not necessary, but they will make a nigh-impossible task a little more possible.And the dragon?That is important as well. There is much power in that dragon, power that will be lost if it dies. Make it your task. Or don't. I am guiding you too much as it is.And what ARE the ancients?You wouldn't understand. They are from before time, and after it. Scourges of countless galaxies. These are but echoes, remainders of Mantorok's animosity. Mantorok himself, however... He birthed your universe, I bet. After it was created. Retro-actively.That doesn't make any sense.I know... Want to watch some anime?WOULD I!?When you awake, you wipe off the black gunk. You wonder how long you were out, but according to Sucy it was about three hours. You feel really good, all round, but you need to wait for the night to get a full scout from your Beak. If nothing else, you already know that there are a few things not aligned with the beaks. Whether they are lizards or some other creature is unclear. It's still looking around for entrance and exit routes for now.
Start making a few plants on who comes with you. Everybody should be available. If you go now, you'll have less knowledge, but you will have the cover of night. Basic Stats
Level: 14
Health: 50/60
Poison stings: 0/1
Restraint 3/3
Mana: 50/50
Items and equipment
Items:
410 gold coins
Magic Cookbook.
Book On Far Eastern Royalty
5 rations
Equipment:
Scimitar
D-VA armor
Skills and spells
Magic:
Summon Tome: You can take out your piece of the Tome of Eternal Darkness from seemingly nowhere. Others cannot see the book unless you want them to, and it's still headache-inducing to do so.
Resurrect vermin: Allows you to resurrect very small creatures such as rats(invests 2 of your max mana) (no mana cost)
Resurrect average beast: Allows you to resurrect creatures such as dogs, cats and other similar-sized creatures.(invests 7 mana) (no mana cost)
Resurrect Humanoid: Allows you to resurrect humanoid creatures. (Invests 10 mana) (Costs 14 mana)
Reshape minion plus!: Allows you to majorly change the appearance of your resurrected minions.
Control Undead: Allows you to attempt to control an undead that doesn't belong to you. (mana cost of 2 per second, unmastered)
Minion Vision: Allows you to see what a minion sees. The minion must have eyes.
Disintegrate undead: Delete a corpse you currently control.
Animate Piece: Allows you to animate just a piece of dead tissue. It requires your constant attention, and cannot act independently. (Drains 0 mana)
Graft: Allows you to use dead tissue as a replacement limb. Requires a lot of mana. (1 per second) (average limb takes around 20 seconds to properly graft)
Gather Soul: Allows you to make a soul visible. You could try putting it in a flame of some sort to keep it around. (9 mana)
Soul battery: Allows you to use a soul-infused flame as a small mana-boost. This snuffs it out, however
Undead flashbang: Allows you to blow up a minion for a flash-bang effect. (9 mana)
Stitch: allows you to close a wound and stop bleeding as fast as you can stitch. Costs zero mana, but requires something to stitch with.
Siphoning Cloud: Breathe out a cloud that drains the life from victims and gives it to you. Adds a LOT to intimidation (4 mana)
Smoke Cloud: Breathe out harmless but thick smoke. (1 mana)
Deathbolt: A bolt that hurts the body's connection with it's soul. Causes minor wounds to appear over the body as it attempts to compensate (1 mana)
Doombolt: A more powerful version of the above (4 Mana)
Pinworks: You can apply spells into a bone spike, relative to the size of the victim. You can also make traps if you use an offensive spell. Allows creation of free zombies.
Cantrip
Spark: Allows you to set something on fire, provided it is flammable to start with.
Skills:
Broodmother: Once per day, you can sting something to create spiderlings, which are large, clever spiders that adore you by default. Your instincts cause you to be VERY protective of them.
Crossbow usage: Novice
Adaptation: You regenerate mana faster than most
Gun usage: Novice
Oral Fixation: Can cast spells spells from the mouth.
Draining: Can drain blood using fangs.
Incredible experience in blocking and swordplay.
Climber
Crafty: Bolas
Cooking skill: Excellent
Corpse Cutting: Quite Decent.
Animal handling: inexperienced.
Necromantic knowledge
Soul Sniffer
Spiders
Lieutenant (Really large spider. Can use magic and is really smart for a spider)
3 Breedlings (White spider, slightly larger than average. Their stings spawn spiderites)
3 spiderites (small, weaker spider that is still highly loyal to you. Expendable and toxic.)
Undead
1 Beak (currently scouting)