Well, I am all for taking Eko, but make sure that we have our supplies, we should be ready to set up a camp outside the forest, make it clear to Eko that we may spend days studying the forest. If Eko backs out at the prospect of days, then it is one less thing to worry about, and if Eko follows, and finds out about us, then we can continue our journey without needing to return to the village.
Have we tested the water as far as eko's attitude toward necromancy? Like his ideas around why all recorded necromancers were hyperhitlers? He may not possess an innate animosity toward necromancy, and he may be flexible. He doesn't seem to be extraordinarily zealous about the imperial order religion.
You speak cautiously.
"I wasn't kidding when I said we would be extremely careful. We could be studying the forest for days." Eko shrugs.
"I've already informed the mayor of my plans; he can handle anything I could, apart from the wards, and those will survive without my supervision just fine. Bale is in charge of the village's defenses now, so I'm really free of responsibility until I return." Omo cocks an eyebrow.
"This town has a mayor? I thought you ran the show here." "Oh, no; when it comes to legal matters, the mayor is in charge. I'm only responsible for religious activities." Eko says nonchalantly.
"And this mayor approves of your excursion?" You ask.
Eko runs a hand through his thinning hair.
"Well... no, but in this instance, he has no authority over me. Aloclesno remains firmly in my jurisdiction, so I have the final say over how I manage it. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't really like me either, so there's no harm done." "And the children are cared for?" "Yes, I've made arrangements. What, did you think I would just abandon them?" Eko says, exasperated.
"Despite popular opinion, I can manage my own affairs. Are we going to spend all morning talking, or are we going to the forest?" You nod.
"Very well, then. Welcome aboard, Eko." Omo coughs into his hand, shooting you a meaningful glance.
"Ah, Nym, is this a good idea? You know, all things considered?" You ignore Eko's curious glance.
"It'll be fine, Omo. Let's get moving." Eko smiles, leading the way to the door.
"Finally! If we're going to do this fool thing, we'd better be about it." You quickly pass out of the temple and into the streets of Bedscaled. Several villagers bustle about in the early morning light, most of them fetching water from the well. The soldier's camp is also active; it's difficult to get a good count, but Omo assures you that several soldiers and horses are absent, probably on some mission or other. Eko doesn't break his stride as he heads for the edge of town, despite receiving several odd looks for his traveling garb and his spear.
It's a beautiful day for a hike. The sun shines bright and hot in a cloudless sky, and a warm breeze from the west blows at your back. You had been a little worried that the portly priest would slow you down, but Eko sets a ground-eating pace, easily keeping up with your longer stride. Once you've put the village and farms well behind you, you slow down a bit to eat Eko's breakfast rations; a hard bread with some kind of nut baked inside, and some creamy cheese to go with it.
"So, Eko..." You begin, breaking the silence.
"What do you think about all the Necromancers that have been popping up lately?" Omo rolls his eyes behind Eko's back. Eko frowns, munching on his bread.
"What do you mean by that? War and strife, pain and death; it is what always happens when Necromancers arise." "Yes, but why do you think that is?" You ask.
"Why do they always go on conquering sprees? It's a question I asked the Sages before leaving Yicelafo, and they did not know the answer. What do you think?" Eko shrugs.
"Well, just as humans are born with the spark of Order because they have the favor of one god or another, so too are Necromancers born with their spark because of the favor of dark Death gods. And just as humans use their spark to become Wizards and priests in accordance with the will of the gods of Order, so do Necromancers spread death and destruction at the urging of whatever dark gods they worship." "Necromancer gods?" You ask interestedly.
"What do you know about them?" Eko finishes the last of his cheese and bread, shaking his head.
"Not much, off the top of my head. They're all dead, now that their worshipers are destroyed. Supposedly, that is the reason Necromancers spend so much time fighting and conquering; the death they cause strengthens the god that empowers them, and if they ever gained their own kingdoms and followers they could establish Temples to Death, which would revive those gods." "So that's why Thrimesdur suppresses Necromancy so harshly? To keep the Death gods from returning?" Eko shrugs.
"Well, that, and the prophecies." He sighs as you exchange a blank look with Omo.
"Right. Elves. Of course you don't know the prophecies. Well. Alright... one of the main schools of Order magic is Divinations, and the most powerful and arcane spells of that school relate to predicting the future. Shortly after the Golgothan War, the Imperial Archmage was called to make a Prophecy, to guide the Empire after the devastation of the war. The Archmage was one of the most powerful Wizards to ever hold that title, and he made a series of prophecies to govern the actions of the Empire and the Order of Wizards. One of those prophecies says that the last Emperor of Thrimesdur will be slain by Necromancy; not in those words, of course, but I forget the exact verse." "The Emperor will be killed by a Necromancer? Wouldn't that just make somebody else Emperor?" Omo asks skeptically.
Eko shakes his head.
"No, it's very clear that this will be the last Emperor of Thrimesdur. His death marks the end of the Empire. And it's more troubling than that; prophecies made at the very founding of the Empire say that when the Empire finally falters, a great cataclysm will befall all of Urak. Many scholars have spent their lives analyzing and correlating the various prophecies of Thrimesdur, and while some passages are open to interpretation, these prophecies in particular seem clear. Necromancy will destroy the Empire and the world, and while it's unclear whether the former will lead directly to the latter, it's still best to take precautions." "By killing every Necromancer you can find?" You ask.
"I don't know... it seems to me that the Necromancers go on their killing sprees because they are so heavily persecuted. If they weren't killed for being who they are, wouldn't they just keep living peacefully in their villages?" Eko barks a short laugh.
"You know, it's funny... I had a similar conversation with Cikul not too long ago. It's hard to argue against the weight of the prophecies, and the High Priests say that the influence of the Death Gods would lead to war and destruction in any case. If the policy seems harsh, remember that it was implemented in the wake of the Golgothan War. The Necromancers of the world had just proven incapable of peaceful coexistence with the Empire, and then a dire prophecy warns that they will attack again in the future? An attack that will destroy the Empire, and maybe the world? I can't fault the decision that the Emperor made." You make a polite, noncommital noise, walking on in silence for a time.
"What did you learn about the last priest to go to Aloclesno?" You ask, pointing at his book.
Eko pats the book in his arm.
"Not too much. The priest was named Kiros Muleclenched, and while he didn't give the reason he entered the forest in his journal, later writers suggest it was an unhealthy fascination with Necromancy, as he grew up in the wake of the previous Necromancer War." "The previous Necromancer War?" Eko nods impatiently.
"Yes, Seto the Necromancer, about two hundred fifty years ago. Kiros entered Alocelsno thirty years after Seto was defeated, and kept detailed notes on his actions while in the forest. He entered Aloclesno under the protection of a Minor Ward against Necromancy- the same ward that surrounds the forest- and made slow progress for two days, sleeping under the protection of a Major Ward. He traveled about fifteen miles into the forest, and cast a Sanctuary on a clearing he found that likely dates to the Golgothan War based on the abandoned weaponry he found there. The Sanctuary lasted for two days, during which he cast several divinations on portions of the forest untested since the Golgothan War, as well as exploring a bit on foot." "And?" You ask eagerly.
"What did he find?" Eko shakes his head.
"Nothing. Nothing Necromantic, anyway; he made notes about plants not found outside the forest, but he found nothing to justify his caution. Ultimately he decided to leave the forest without risking his life further, and when he got out he was censured for priestly misconduct and misappropriation of Imperial funds; the mana potions he used weren't cheap, after all. The two charges together got him remanded to a monastery for... years afterward, anyway. Maybe the rest of his life." "Aren't you worried that will happen to you?" Omo asks.
Eko smiles to himself.
"No, not really. Oh, I'll probably get in trouble for risking my life on this mission, but I didn't waste Imperial funds to come along, and while such excursions are discouraged, they're not forbidden, especially with two recent victims in my care. I rather suspect there was more to Kiros' punishment than a sabbatical in a haunted forest, judging by some comments made by later writers." "You said Kiros didn't go to the center of the forest, right?" Eko nods.
"Not physically, no. He did cast several divinations that covered the center of the forest, however, and detected nothing. That was the greatest outcome of his journey, as the center of the forest is beyond easy divination range for any border village; to my knowledge, that is the only attempt at scrying that portion of the forest made since the Golgothan War." "But if he's the only one to try, then he could have missed something, right?" You ask eagerly.
"Maybe he miscast a spell, or made some other error." "I suppose it's possible." Eko says dubiously.
"It doesn't seem very likely, though. Kiros was described as being quite accomplished at divinations, and by his own account he was quite thorough. His testimony is the strongest evidence that there is nothing physical to find in Aloclesno." "We'll find something." You reply confidently.
The conversation shifts to Aloclesno, and the creature(?) that waits there. Eko gives you a brief summary of some of his spells -a list which include the spells cast by Kiros- and admits that he isn't much of a fighter; his spear belongs to a traveler who left it behind long ago, and his only training with the weapon comes from serving in the militia of his hometown, an experience that is mandatory for youths in Thrimesdur.
Soon enough, you stand at the edge of the forest of Aloclesno, not too far from where you entered it last time. Very little of the mid-morning sunlight manages to shine beneath the dense canopy of the forest, giving the forest a dim, enclosed feeling. The trees which seemed so hostile in the nighttime are now merely disgruntled, unhappy about unwelcome guests.
Eko steps forward, seeming to feel the air in front of his face.
"Well, the ward is just as I left it. No worries there. What do we do now?" The time is upon you; how should you begin in your dealings with the forest?
Vitality- 11/11
Mana- 12/12
XP- 26/35
Inventory- Belt Pouch (
80 Silver Pieces),
Elven Traveler Garb,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife,
Hatchet, Leather Backpack(Bedroll, Flint&Steel,
Weak Mana Potion, Scroll Case(4 blank Parchment,
Charcoal),
Trail Rations Fishing Equipment,
Spare Traveling Clothes x2,
Prestidigitation for the Beginning Practitioner by Joddo Meadtrust, Crystal(5oz))
Abilities-
Sense Necromancy(Passive),
Improved Necromantic Sight(Passive)Skills-
Competent Fisher,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Cautious
7th Felsite,
Twenty two days since Manifestation
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Calm Animal- 1 MP - Causes wild animals to become peaceful
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Brew Mana Potion- A Mana Potion takes twice the potions potency in Mana cost, and requires 1/2 hour per point in brewing time
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Necromancy
Raise Zombie- ? MP - You can take the formerly living body and turn it into a zombie, but you lack understanding or even much knowledge of the particulars. It seems the mana cost is related to the overall quality of the corpse, and maybe the size?
Command Undead- 2 MP - You can merge your awareness with an undead creature, gauging its general condition and issuing explicit orders it will obey to the best of its ability. You can also give orders that will persist beyond the end of the spell.
Steal Vitality- X MP - Range: Line of Sight. You can suck the Vitality out of living things. This spell removes up to 2X Vitality from the target and gives 1/3 of it to you.
Animate Object- 4 MP - You can force Vitality into inanimate objects, things that were never alive to begin with. It seems to be more complicated than Zombification though- your Rock doesn't do anything, which is hardly useful. You'll need to experiment with this more.
Alter Golem- 2 MP- You can make basic alterations to an existing construct or animated object.
Impair Undead- 2MP- Range: 30ft (close enough to see in detail.) You blinded a zombie with this spell.
See Vitality- 1MP- Allows you to see the machinations of Vitality in living things as well as you see the workings of zombies with your Necromantic Sight.
Vitality- 13/13
Mana- 3/3
XP- 29/35
Inventory-
Elven Tunic,
Elven Cloak, Headband, Belt Knife, Leather Backpack(50' Rope,
Camping Supplies, Waterskin(mostly full), Torch),
Masterwork Elven StaffAbilities-
Track,
SurvivalistSkills-
Novice Observer,
Competent Ambusher,
Competent Staff User,
Poor Liar,
Dabbling SwimmerStatus- Curious
Vitality- 12/12
Mana- 9/9
XP- 35/50
Inventory-
Priestly Robe,
Wool Cloak, Belt Knife, Flask(Sewer Brew), Leather Backpack(
Line in the Sand: Discrete Forces and Interactions by Joddo Meadtrust,
A Study of Aloclesno by Shezpa Yarnpoets, Waterskin(full), Torches x5,
Colored chalks),
Tasseled ShortspearAbilities-
Clarity,
Union with OrderSkills-
Novice Spearman,
Competent ResearcherStatus- Optimistic
General
Detect Magic- 1 MP - Detects spells and magical items near you
Sense Vitality- 1 MP - You can detect the Vitality of living things, with a bit of effort
Waterproof- 1MP/Hour duration - Makes an object non-absorbent. Does not prevent corrosion (such as from acid or rusting) or magical effects related to water/liquid
Order Wards
Ward against Disease- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Protects an afflicted area from disease; it cannot cure, but it does prevent new infections.
Alarm- 1 MP - Casting time: 10 minutes. Creates a field that waits on a specific trigger, often the presence of a particular magical energy or the movement or destruction of a physical item. When activated, the field can either create a noise of some kind, or trigger another spell entirely. Has a duration of about one week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each.
Minor Ward- 1 MP - Casting time: 15 minutes. Create a field against a specific Magical Faith in a specific place. Lasts for about a week, though each additional point of mana spent increases the duration of the ward by three or four weeks each. Can be centered on a person or object instead for 3 MP total; duration increases are scaled to hours in this case.
Major Ward- 3 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes. As Minor Ward, but the field is strong enough to disrupt concentrations of the Magic in question, potentially causing spell failure. Durations are measured in days. Can be centered on a person or object for 9 MP instead, with a duration measured in half-hours.
Sanctuary- 9 MP - Casting time: 30 minutes. As Major Ward, but the field is strong enough to physically halt or oppose creatures and objects strongly imbued with the Magic in question. This field cannot be tied to a person or object, and the field is not physically tied to the area it is cast.
Order Divinations
Detect Thoughts- 2 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the mindset of a creature or person, providing clues about their intentions and emotional state. Works less well on those who are strong of will.
Probe Thoughts- 4 MP - Range: 5ft. Detects the surface thoughts of a person, though it works less well on those who are strong of will.
Detect Undead- X MP - Detects the presence of zombies animated by a Necromancer, including a vague sense of direction (but not distance.) Each point of mana spent on the spell increases the radius by about half a mile.
Clairaudience- 3 MP - Range: 500ft. Allows you to hear at a distance by creating an invisible magical sensor at the location. Does not require line of sight, but the location of the sensor must be well known to the caster. Reduce the MP cost by one if the location of the sensor has been prepared beforehand (10 minutes of preparation time at physical location)
Order Equations
Minor Counterspell- 2 MP - Disrupts the casting of a specific spell; easily resisted, target can overcome Counterspell by spending extra mana.
Minor Mana Diffusion- 2 MP - Range: 30ft. Reduces the mana reserves of a target creature by 4 MP; easily resisted
Minor Abjuration- 3 MP - Range: 30ft. Corrects unequal distributions of magical energy; in practice, causes spells to dissipate and repulses magical creatures.
Omo Thunderjaw- Your best friend, brave and true. He is currently an aspiring Ranger, and is eager to leave the Vale.
Eko Cleanvise- The priest of the village of Bedscaled, his wards against the undead have failed him
Bale Matchedstones- The Knight tasked with investigating the crises in Bedscaled.
Curo Nightroar- The Necromancer of Thrimesdur, said to be insane, he controls a massive army of the Undead and threatens the Cremated Empire.
Pirate King- The Necromancer operating along the Jeweled Coast, he commands a mixed force of human and lizardfolk pirates along with his undead minions.
Fale Packunion- A mysterious figure who appeared to you in a dream, attempting to recruit you to the cause of his Death God. May or may not be the Pirate King or some other known figure.
Morka- The aforementioned Death God. You know basically nothing about him/her/it, except his link to the other Necromancers.
-This one's a bit morbid, but bear with me. Take two crayfish. Shell one, leaving the meat inside as intact as possible. Remove the flesh from the second while leaving the shell as intact as possible. Attempt to revive both and compare the results. Is vitality in flesh or in bone? In both? Neither? Regardless of what we find, it should prove instructive.
-Try to find out if zombies have a memory, if they can be made to recognize specific objects. I recomend starting with a ball or something, and instructing a zombie to follow that specific ball wherever it goes. After testing it to make sure it works how we expect, substitute in another ball that has a different colour or a different size, and see if the zombie knows it isn't the right ball to follow. We can move to more abstract things from there, like having if understand things like "any ball" "any non-red ball" "the biggest ball" and stuff like that, or even to sort a pile of pebbles into stacks by colour.
-Attempt to raise a pile of ashes from a cremated corpse.
-Raise an earthworm and then, once it is raised, cut it in half at the border between two segments. Which ends, if any, are still animate? Continue cutting into halves at segment lines until all parts are dead or it has been divided into a prostomium, peristomium, pygidium and a pile of ordinary segments.
-See how much damage a dead body can sustain before it is unraisable
-Also, it seemed interesting that the loop was recognized as the center of life. We should test raising different rope Golems, some who are linear, some who are looped or knotted in different ways. How does the golem react to music, and what if we made one out of clay, with more distinguished features?
- For Animate Object, see if you can make an object levitate, or move to your will. Maybe this could develop into telekinesis..
- we should try pricking our finger, and stealing the vitality of an insect or something, and see if it will heal the cut.
- Another thing we need to play with is fire. Fire golem? HELL YES.
-Play with blood. Maybe that's what the golem needs. Blood. Mix some of your own blood into the clay.
-Like we tried to be the ropeman when we raised our first golem, we can try to be the earth when we make a clay or earthen golem, etc.
- Try to infuse vitality into the crystal to see what it does.
- See what happens if you infuse Mana and Vitality into the same crystal.
1. Imbue a small, uncrushed mana crystal with mana. Cast Detect Magic on it, comparing it to a mana potion.
2. If successful, turn the imbued mana crystal into a golem using 2 vitality. It is important to later experiments that we use exactly 2 vitality. Continue observing with Detect Magic.
3. If successful, attempt to Alter Golem in order to imbue the mana cystal with the ability to cast a cheap spell using the mana stored within it when commanded to. I recommend Detect Magic, since that should be easy to test.
4. If successful, continue to have the crystal cast Detect Magic even after it has run out of mana, in order to see if it can cast the spell using vitality like a mage can. Assuming this works, we will be able to discern the conversion ratio between vitality and mana.
5. If successful and the conversion ratio is > 3 mana per 2 vitality, have a mana crystal that is able to hold at least 3 mana wrapped in thick leather with a single small hole. Firmly attach this leather-covered crystal to a stick that is suitable as a handle
6. Imbue 3 mana into the crystal before turning it into a 1 vitality golem that will cast Steal Vitality as quickly and often as it can on anything that comes within 4 feet of it, draining the vitality into itself.
7. Note to ourselves that, because Steal Vitality works on line of sight, only things that come within line of sight of the single hole in the leather will be drained of vitality.
8. Enjoy our new lightsaber.
- Trying to develop a destroy vitality spell, using the same principles of the steal vitality, except without keeping it usable. It might be possible to do it for cheaper or causing more damage for the same mana.
- Trying to use the principles of the destroy vitality or the steal vitality spell for a disinfectant spell. It will require a lot of fine control, but it should theoretically be possible.
- We could also try to overbuff a zombie. Is there a max to the amount of vitality a zombie can have? And what happens if a zombie gets a lot of vitality?
* Remove someone's soul. Try to store it for a time in a living thing like a tree, or confine it in a mana crystal, then put it back later. See if they're functional.
* Attempt to swap souls between two different bodies.
* Carefully attempt to displace our own soul from our own body. See if we can move around apart from our bodies, like astral projection. See if we can cast while in this state, enter other occupied bodies like a possession, then return to our body later.
World Map
Northwest Thrimesdur
Author
Topic: You are a Necromancer! Chapter 2-36 Decisions, Decisions (Read 685565 times)