[Fanfiction] My first 3 characters' backgrounds

[Golden Xan]

Hi everyone,

 

A few days ago I stayed up until late, not able to sleep, as I kept somewhat involuntarily thinking about what would be the backstory of my first 3 characters. I wanted to write it down here, and only now did I have a chance to do so.

Keep in mind that these backstories are not inspired by the game's lore, because there is only so much available right now. It's just a player's imagination running wild.

 

Locke - Revenant Scholar

I

n the small and fringe academic town of Saratoga lived a lonely man. He belonged to a group of scholars sent out to study the maladies of the body. Young men who were invested in dedicating their lives to making meaningful contributions to the human society: that of learning new truths which to share about health.

However, unlike his peers, Locke always had an interest in more than the physical. He always believed that, by identifying how one's thought processes worked, it could be possible to identify a multitude of afflictions, including physical disorders. Such concept was highly unpopular, just as he was. His firm belief in the importance of the mind since his early years always made him look aloof to others. While most children focused on spending as much energy as possible moving around and causing havoc, Locke focused on observing other living things and trying to mentally dissect them.

His propensity to live in his imagination and ethereal calculations shaped him into an intelligent adult with a keen perception, but ultimately disheartened with a sensation of isolation and nonconformity. With his great desire to understand the world, and especially other people, he felt a calling to the scholarly path of academia. As did every other individual looking to achieve great feats of intellectual recognition, he intended to produce a meaningful enough contribution to the Grand Cathedral, a central institution in the human realm that concentrates all philosophical efforts to protect what is left of their independence against the Undead.

Saratoga was a town focused on the learning of biology, human or otherwise. Never being understood by his medical partners, Locke followed a mostly lonesome path in his belief on the connection of the mind with the body. His ideas were often ridiculed by mentors and colleagues alike, and never did he quite managed to make a truly verifiable connection either. Unwavering in his desire to prove himself right, he spent many years in study and observation of both living and dead things.

He was only being maintained so long as a scholar, barely endorsed by the system and just merely acknowledged by his peers, because he managed to contribute to the least desirable activities, such as the disposing of dejects and the cleaning of paraphernalia, without complaints. Despite the unsavory nature of these and other activities, he often relished the time alone to collect his thoughts. And it was in those many, many days that he spent alone, manipulating dead bodies, that he began to make thought trails in his mind along the years... trails that would eventually lead to his

magnum scriptum

.

There comes a time in the life of any scholar that one must prepare a

magnum scriptum,

a culmination of a major learning achieved in his studies, and deliver it to the Grand Cathedral, where the scholar's work is evaluated by more experienced individuals and adapted into a teaching, if useful. If it's prized enough, it may warrant an invitation to the Grand Cathedral, where one may further discuss his ideas and learn in a more focused manner.

It was through his one great contribution that Locke finally achieved the recognition he coveted. His

magnum scriptum

was titled "

Identifying individual propensity to becoming undead through psychology"

. In his academic work, he also attempted to predict which

kind

of undead one would become if turned by retracing the individual's life-longe experiences.

To everyone's amazement, including Locke's, he was later summoned by Warden Petruvius of the Grand Cathedral to discourse about his findings.

The letter of invitation arrived at noon. Locke eagerly prepared his belongings to travel at first light. Alas, he would be prevented from doing so.

One of his peers woke him up in the night. "Locke, it's me. It's almost dawn already. We were thoroughly surprised with the letter you got, and some of us felt deeply ashamed of the way we've treated you. We want to make it up to you. We are gathering at the door of the monastery to say goodbye. Will you come with me?"

Confused, yet somewhat thrilled about his colleague's unexpected reaction, he followed the man to the exit of the monastery. As he climbed down the stairs, he was pulled by the arms by two men taller than him into the catacomb. There, he met 16 of his fellow medical scholars, and he was painfully put to death by the pitiful and envious individuals that could not recognize nor accept his differences and accomplishments.

As Locke looked up to them from the ground, being kicked, spit on and stabbed, he felt his life force trailing away. He did not feel sad, he did not feel pain. He did not feel surprise, he did not feel pity. He did not feel resentment. All he felt... was rage.

Locke went by his entire life living calmly and solemnly. He never hurt anyone, never desired anyone, and never felt he belonged.

His one goal was to be recognized, by proving useful.

He was but one step away from achieving that goal. For so long, he was afraid he'd never make it. And then, just like that, out of pure jealousy, all that which he worked for was taken away from him.

Locke died with that one thought in mind.

Locke, the Revenant, would be reborn with that same one thought in mind.

Ironically, his

magnum scriptum

would wrongly indicate his type of undeath.

 

Sardok - Liche Priest

S

ardok spent most of his life taking care of the poor souls whose lives had been stained by Deadhaus' corruption. He spent more than a decade helping disinfect the wounded, strengthen the weak, purify the land, and exorcising the few undead that he was strong enough to handle.

One of the victims of the dead's blight ended up becoming his wife, with whom he had a baby boy.

A few years after the birth of his child, with his activities having become more restrained afterwards, he was invited to the Grand Cathedral to lecture to the congregation about his dealings with the undead.

With such an honorable invitation, he could not refuse to help the living in a new, more meaningful, way, and gracefully took it as his duty to travel there at once.

His trip was

uneventful. Sardok and his family were given a private chamber in which to sleep in, and the priest had the first three days after his arrival dedicated to learning the ins and outs of the Cathedral and its surroundings, as well as being introduced to the various individuals with whom he would be dealing with in his new attributions.

On the third night after his arrival, the priest had the most vivid and terrifying dream of his life.

In his vision, Sardok ran through the Cathedral's corridor, desperate to get to his chamber, only to find his wife and son on the bed, affected by some infirmity that was draining their life force.

Sardok woke up sweaty in his bed and put himself immediately upright. He looked to the side and there laid his wife and son, both peacefully asleep and undisturbed.

In the next morning, he spoke to Warden Petruvius, his guide and summoner, about this strange vision, most realistic and unlike anything he ever felt. Petruvius was dismissive about his concerns, stating that dreams are often only our own imagination working its way while we are too busy sleeping to control it. However, upon noticing how deeply his new guest was affected with this ominous nightmare, Petruvius suggested that he should take some time off before assuming his new duties by reading in the Cathedral's library and studying the work of former minds.

Sardok, not knowing better, accepted the Cathedral's curator's suggestion.

To his dismay, however, he was not able to put away the feeling that his family would soon die.

Fearful of losing them and having to face the world in a new way, Sardok embarked on a journey of study and discovery that took him 9 years, beginning by the Cathedral's library.

In the first year, he sought cures for maladies inflicted by the dead upon the living.

On the second year, he believed he would need deeper understanding of the workings of Deadhaus' magick. As such, he looked for the church's understanding of their rituals and magickal manifestations.

On the third year, Sardok lost all hope that the human's and divine understanding of the undead would be enough to ever cure his family's occult plague. Having noticed his concerns and deeper desire for knowledge, Warden Petruvius kindly allowed an exception for the priest to access the Cathedral's forbidden materials on Deadhaus.

On the fourth year, he had already read about rituals which affected one's health and hunt down information on Vitality, Essence and Magick. Convinced that he would have to use the undead's own teachings to counter their influence, he decided to learn their dark powers by the root: performing rituals himself.

Five years into his journey, he started to notice the symptoms of his family's demise. His wife looked pale, his son had little energy. His boy's hair had begun to fall, despite his more than proper nutrition and physical activity. Obsessed with recovering their former states, he delved deeper into the rituals and adoration of the dead by partially sacrificing his own flesh and blood.

Despite all considerations, Sardok felt genuine excitement in exploring that which no other clerical individual had done before, of his knowing. He rejoiced at the idea of understanding how the dead came to be, and how to counter them.

One more year had passed and he was now 6 years into his intense study. His family was becoming more and more weak. His wife, feeling powerless about their condition and saddened to be away from her husband, pleaded Sardok to be close to them, for she feared her son would be taken by the divine soon. She was convinced it was the world's will, and that nothing more could be done. She only wished Sardok would be close to them while they would last.

Naturally, with such a deep understanding of things most mortals would not even dream of, the

former

priest — for he was no longer a priest of the church, in his heart — completely dismissed the notion of having their fate sealed by an unknown manipulative power. He only had to keep finding a way... Passionately, Sardok felt more vivid then than he ever did, and he was adamant in finishing what he started.

On the seventh year, Sardok's only son died in bed, looking like a sack of dried bones, a sight that would send shivers through any human's spine. But not Sardok. Sardok, the former priest, was too busy to attend to the funeral of his dead child, attempting to control magick, drawing runes and calling upon powers he believed he understood. He did not even wince when informed about his passing. Warden Petruvius made sure that he would not be disturbed in this moment of solace.

On the eight year, his beautiful wife died of heartbroke. Having lost any connection to her husband, having lost the most important thing she had in life, and being barely more than a carcass herself, she forfeited her life while looking at the sunset. But it seems that had little effect in Sardok, who by then believed that his now dead family had positively contributed to his grand, grand and ominous achievements... Achievements that neither he, who strongly believed in them, quite understood. Her soul, which had been played with for so long, had now been forever doomed into unlife.

Petruvius comforted his dear Sardok by lending him a book from his personal collection, simply titled "

Lichedom

", for which Sardok was highly grateful.

On the 357th day of the ninth year, Sardok relinquished his human existence to reach a new height of enlightenment and join Deadhaus.

Yet, upon achieving an ascension so strongly sought after, Sardok, the Liche, recovered his then dulled senses and realized what he had sacrificed to get there. In his renewed wisdom and sophistication, he gasped in disgust at his realization that

he

was the very contagion that brought the slow and painful demise of his family.

And now, he had all eternity to contemplate that.

Philandriel - Vampire Blade Dancer

A

very rich nobleman with 17 children inhabited a heavily-populated town in Nogosaua. His eighth child, Philandriel, was nothing besides ordinary.

With his older siblings all being set in their roles in his father's various enterprises, Philandriel was the first of all his brothers and sisters to have no particular place to fulfill. Being born in such a wealthy family, there was no need he had that wasn't met. If anything, his life with few expectations or responsibilities was

boring

.

Throughout his short life, what he most desired was finding something unexpected to take him away to somewhere distant where he would be genuinely challenged.

His desire was answered in the form of a visit from the Mujahadi.

The Mujahadi are a lineage of desert nomads. Merchants and artists, blade dancers — professionals with dual-wielding scimitars and flashy moves. They travel the land, selling spices, buying materials, enchanting the commoners. Their sculptured bodies fascinate all who behold them, their fair and brown-tainted skin are beautiful, and their wild, choreographed movements with their swords amaze any transient in their performances.

Curiously, only the older people of the town thought poorly of them. The elders seemed to believe that these people were a bad omen. An omen of blood. For some reason, they recommended all to isolate themselves from these strangers, and to hold tight to one's loved ones, lest they be taken away. Surely, such concerns were mere nonsense from senile individuals with strong preconceptions.

Amidst the newcomers, Philandriel met Irvina, the most incredible creature he had ever set eyes upon. Her scintillating eyes enchanted him like no girl ever did before. Her dances marked flowing waves in his mind that lingered in his vision even after sleep.

Profoundly enamored of this new girl, Philandriel requested the Mujahadi elder to accompany them in their travels. He cited "cultural exchanges" as his foremost objective. While he wasn't lying about his desire to get to know them, he wasn't entirely faithful about this motivations. In any case, neither the Mujahadi nor his own family showed any reservations. Thus, the young noble, utterly innocent and unprepared, swapped his graceful comfort for what he believed would be an adventurous life in new lands with people very different from the ones he knew.

In their travels, which lasted a couple of years, Philandriel became closer to Irvina. The two of them shared similar desires in life, were of a common age, and had mutual fascination for each other.

As much interest and aptitude that Philandriel had for the Mujahadi's ways, especially in the making of spices and "blade dancing", these were abilities that they had many reservations when it came to teaching others about. Despite being allowed to travel with them, he always felt that they were secretive people. They trusted him, only so much. They allowed him to belong, only to a point.

That, however, was something that Philandriel and Irvina both slowly overcame together. She taught him what she knew herself, bringing him closer to a Mujahadi as possible.

This connection between them did not go by unnoticed and was heavily frowned upon, but at the same time, everyone in the tribe was already quite charmed by the boy's innocent demeanor, constantly inquisitive spirit, and adoration of their ways.

After spending so much time close to Irvina and having shared so much knowledge and understanding between each other, Philandriel desired to take their relationship to a new level. A carnal level. Irvina was no stranger to such desires, and he knew it. They understood each other, they shared a deep bond. Despite a mutual inclination, Irvina wouldn't let him get this close, simply stating she was not ready.

But after two years together, Irvina gave in to her cravings and broke the vows she had with her tribe. She set up a velvet shack in the outskirts of their encampment outside one of the towns they visited. The full moon was reverberating its splendor in space at that night. She invited Philandriel in, and the two lavished each other as their love duly mandated.

That night was magnificent to both of them, but especially intoxicating to Philandriel, who, despite being so intensely focused on the moment, forfeited all notion of space and time, and lost his consciousness during their lovemaking at the arms of Irvina, youngest Vampire of the Mujahadi lineage.

Much to his dismay, Philandriel woke up a long time later with little memory of the events that took place during and after their embrace, and his life had changed to unlife. Irvina was nowhere to be seen... nowhere indeed.

Philandriel would be forcibly welcomed to the undead world of the Vampires, and he would never see Irvina again.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Golden Xan

[Varik Keldun]

for what you wrote and the little amount of lore we have all i gotta say is love it. i'll have to write mine fully down and post it too!

[Golden Xan]

I encourage you to do so! ^^

[Cradlis]

Wow, I love your style : it's short and showing just enough information for us to imagine the surroundings and the characters. I love the story with the Lich, even if it was predictable for me that it was Sardok's fault if his family would eventually die. My favorite is the Revenant one though : good old vengeance story that could easily happen in this kind of world. It's also the story where you expand the lore a little more, so it's a bonus

 

I should do the same but english is not my native language. People around me tells I write well but I don't know if I'll be able to make it right. Having a conversation is something, telling an entire story is really different...

[Golden Xan]

Thanks, @Cradlis.

The Liche is also my favorite one. They are all quite predictable, I think, but there are details I've left dubious for interpretation. For instance, I don't make it that clear, but Warden Petruvius was the one to instill Sardok's mind with visions, taking advantage of his fear of being alone.

 

Likewise, I do not specify what happened to Philandriel, how, or why. I believe it feels better this way.

 

In any case, English ain't my native language either. I do happen to work with words, though. Either way, I think you should try when you have the time. If nothing else, for your own experience. It's fun, and we won't judge, just enjoy.

[Cradlis]

I'll give it a try then. Anyway I will have to if I want to be part of the world's lore x)

[Golden Xan]

I think it's an interesting exercise. I don't have any expectation of having these short stories somehow integrated into the game's lore, nor am I sure that would be a good thing (for my own, I mean), but it was still enticing to write them up and share them, so that's why I did it. ^^

Chances are, even if we can somehow add our own stories to our characters in the game, I would even't use them.

[Cradlis]

I agree with you. For what we know of the lore we'll probably have to change many things to fit in.

 

However I think our backstories can be part of the official world if we do great achievements in the early days of the game. After all, the elder gods are walking the earth during the first age x)

[derula]

Oooh, it's story time (:

 

magna scriptum

 

Pretty sure it should be magnum scriptum

 

painfully put to death

 

One time I learned that violence in a character's backstory can be a tell-tale sign of bad writing. Of course, that's not always the case, and especially if we're talking about undead characters, who probably didn't die a natural and happy death nevertheless, I always think twice before putting violence in a backstory. That said, there's plenty violence in my character's backstory, too

 

he was the very contagion that brought the slow and painful demise of his family.

 

Called it!

This line reminds me a bit of the ending of Lovecraft's "The Beast in the Cave."

 

An omen of blood.

 

I see what you did there.

 

Warden Petruvius was the one to instill Sardok's mind with visions, taking advantage of his fear of being alone.

 

Yeah, I had a suspicion. He seemed to encourage him and guide him rather than help fix the situation.

 

Likewise, I do not specify what happened to Philandriel, how, or why. I believe it feels better this way.

 

I agree. Kind of curious what happened to Irvina though...

 

 

Great to see some stories! I'm having a problem similar to yours, in that I'm unsure if my ideas will even work with the world that is being cooked up. But I think my story is interesting enough to be told, even if it doesn't end up working, so I'm not too worried.

[Golden Xan]

Great to see some stories! I'm having a problem similar to yours, in that I'm unsure if my ideas will even work with the world that is being cooked up. But I think my story is interesting enough to be told, even if it doesn't end up working, so I'm not too worried.

 

Is the scriptum a real concept? I didn't know.

Thanks for your correction.

 

I'm glad you picked the play with words with Blood Omen. ^^

 

Warden Petruvius is an agent of Deadhaus. Not sure of which kind, but he works at the church in disguise, and uses his influence to find and recruit new members to Deadhaus. He also had a hand in the reanimation of Locke.

 

I wasn't entirely sure what to make of Irvina, but my first idea was to have her executed by her people. They were keeping Philandriel, as well as others, as food, but she decided to make him one of them... without authorization, to save him. For that, she was put to true death.

But I thought making it dubious and just leaving the question in the air would be more exciting, so I left it as it is.

 

I would like to read your stories, when you have the time to put them to paper/forum posts.

[CyanStargazer]

Lets see, I guess my first character will be an undead D&D character I once played.

Fris the Revenant

Fris was a loyal soldier for an ancient kingdom, though she was well known to be a terror on the battlefield possessing great almost inhuman strength. With it she could easily cleave an enemy soldier in heavy armor in half with a short sword though she preferred a great sword to leave more destruction in her wake. However though her career as a soldier made no end of enemies on the kingdoms opponents, plenty of officers on her own side feared and hated her for her great strength and unmatched skill. Which was why one night, she was invited to an officers ball despite being a common soldier she was poisoned and paralyzed by the officers, and one by one, each officer took a knife and stabbed her taking care to keep her alive. After all 28 officers has stabbed her, she was bound and placed in a sake and thrown into a deep river. Hatred consumed her as she died and her sheer will and hatred let her come back after death.

 

The second I guess is more a literary reference and a character that I don't really have a backstory for.

U.N Owen the Abandoned

I guess the only backstory he has is that he came back to life with no memory of his past in an unmarked grave. Hence the name U.N Owen (Thank you Agatha Christie because while it makes no sense spelt, if you say it out loud you'll go "Oh... now I get it.")

I don't know what my third one will be yet.

[derula]

Is the scriptum a real concept?

 

My remark was more about grammar. The Latin word "scriptum" is neuter, so the adjective has to be neuter, too. Otherwise you end up with a genderless writing that is female-big, which is weird (on top of being grammatically incorrect).

 

Warden Petruvius is an agent of Deadhaus. Not sure of which kind, but he works at the church in disguise, and uses his influence to find and recruit new members to Deadhaus. He also had a hand in the reanimation of Locke.

 

I like that phrasing.

 

But I thought making it dubious and just leaving the question in the air would be more exciting, so I left it as it is.

 

And I think it works really well that way. It's usually a good sign if the audience wants to know more.

 

I would like to read your stories, when you have the time to put them to paper/forum posts.

 

Well now I have to, don't I

 

Fris the Revenant

 

That's... certainly some kind of Mary Sue

 

(Thank you Agatha Christie because while it makes no sense spelt, if you say it out loud you'll go "Oh... now I get it.")

 

Not if you say it like I do... until just now, I always wondered who this Owen guy is and what he's got to do with the United Nations.

But then, I only ever knew it as a Touhou thing. I guess my knowledge of Agatha Christie is even worse than that of a video game franchise I've never played a game from.

[Livin]

Sorry for the length, but I've never been good at keeping it brief with this kind of thing. Part 2 will come later.

 

Merrick, The Puppet Master

Part 1

 

 

 

As a baby he was abandoned at the local church where he was raised to become a humble deacon with little in the way of ambition to advance to the priesthood. Whenever he wasn't forced into his lessons to learn the miracles and medicines of the faith he'd be found entertaining the other orphans of the church. He had a passion for puppets after catching a show as a boy when a theater troupe came through, making his own puppets that would get ever more elaborate in their designs and the shows they'd put on as time passed. The father of this small church in this town that rested on the border with deadhaus always believed Merrick could be of greater benefit to the church if only he applied himself to the teachings like he did to his puppets. They did many cruel things break Merrick of his fixation, from destroying his puppets and sets to having him lashed whenever caught making new ones; but Merrick simply carried on as he always did, taking the pain in stride and carrying on with his craft.

 

One day a group of adventurers came to the church. They were under contract by the nobility to investigate a tomb within deadhaus that wasn't far from the border and the church was to provide one of theirs as a healer. Merrick was competent in this function, as well as in the best shape for the journey at nineteen years of age while the next oldest member was nearing sixty.

It took over a week to reach the tomb but more than a month to work their way through it. Every undead that they vanquished seemed to rise renewed with each setting of the sun, costing them progress with every night.

 

When they finally reached the heart of the tomb they were unprepared for what they encountered. The heart of the tomb left the decrepit stone hallways and its stale air with the smell of decay for a sizeable courtyard containing a lush garden that filled the air with floral scents, a small fruit orchard with a stream running alongside it, and a pavilion. Beyond this there was nothing else to be found, causing anger among the party as they believed there would be treasures and relics to take. Their arguments were halted as the doors back into the tomb closed shut on them. The party rushed to open but it wouldn't budge, sealing them in the courtyard.

 

They worked to break through for hours but it was impossible to even crack these doors of what appeared to be black marble. Nightfall came and they took turns on watch while the others rested. It was on Merrick's turn that what ruled this tomb presented itself. From within one of the flowerbeds the soil began to turn, as a pair of skeletal hands erupted from beneath and slammed back down on the ground where they pushed the rest of itself up. Merrick beheld skeletal body with dirt packed between its spaces and held in place by the roots of the plants that clung to it, covering the skeleton in a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

 

Merrick didn't even have to speak as the sounds of its rising from the soil had alerted the party. The rest of the party tried to charge at it before it had a chance to go on the attack while Merrick was frozen with fear; but with a flick of its wrist arms erupted from the ground beneath the party's feet, taking hold of them and pulling down as they struggled to break free. Their screams snapped Merrick out of it and he rushed to pull out those that he could get to but another pair of hands erupted and grabbed his legs, holding him in place but not dragging him down like the others. Merrick could only watch as their screaming stopped after their faces sank beneath the earth.

 

The undead reached inside the dirt being held within its abdomen and pulled out a book. The hands released Merrick as the creature approached him and he backed away until he was pressed against the wall. It held out the book for him and he hesitantly took it. It then pointed its finger to the star filled sky and slid it across before bringing it back and dragging it across the throat. Merrick came to understand that he had until dawn to figure out and do whatever it is asking or he will join the rest of the party.

 

The undead didn't move unless to keep Merrick in its sight as he paced back and forth with the book in his hands. He recognized the language from the old tomes that he had to study back at the church and quickly understood that this was a grimoire. It contained numerous spells, incantations, and rituals for all sorts of magic; but he didn't have a clue which one to attempt and what the undead would do if he attempted the wrong one. His head throbbed over what to do, questioning whether to fight or beg for his life. He finally came across a spell that could offer him some insight, a spell that would allow him to speak with the dead.

 

He spoke the words on the page but nothing happened, the undead stayed where they were and Merrick heard nothing. He reasoned he must have mispronounced something, seeing as he never put much time into practicing the spoken form of the word's back at the the church; but the fact the undead didn't move to strike him down was enough to convince him that he was on the right track. He spoke the words again and again, changing his pronunciations here and there from what he could remember of the gospels that were sung. It was more than an hour before he happened to get it right at random, as he heard the voice of the undead for the first time. The undead simply introduced itself with a woman's voice and gave him her name, Thorn.

 

Merrick quickly questioned what she wanted from him and she spoke of her desire for an apprentice, someone to pass on her knowledge to before finally laying herself to rest. Merrick begged for mercy as he expressed no desire for such things. Thorn explained that the choice was not his, that he would need to master that book if he was ever to leave the tomb. Merrick argued that he'd starve long before that would even be possible, but Thorn gestured to the orchard that was bearing fruit despite it being the wrong season and then to the stream. She explained that she had long ago bound herself to this land, using her magic to sustain its vitality and preparing it so as to make it habitable for the apprentice she would one day have.

 

Merrick questioned what would happen if he refused, to which Thorn said she would have to then regard him as a raider that trespassed in her home like the others and dispose of him in a similar manner. Merrick's look of dread was unmistakable as he came to truly understand his predicament, being imprisoned here until he fully comprehended a book that was as large as his head; but Thorn tried to alleviate this by telling him that she would aid him in understanding the book, that he would not be walking this path alone. Thorn then ushered him to move towards the pavilion that contained a bed, table, and chair where she told him to rest while also advising him to study the book when he awakens, that she sleeps during the day and would rise to offer instruction once the sun had gone down. Before leaving she warned that she alone kept the other undead in the tomb from entering the courtyard, that if he were to kill her while she slept that they would become mindless and pour in to tear apart the only living thing in the tomb outside of the rats. Merrick watched as she sank back into the flower bed, with the flowers she carried returning to their previous position; and after the soil became still he looked back upon his new home, spending hours coming to terms with everything that had transpired before exhaustion finally forced his eyes to close.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Livin

[Golden Xan]

Very good, @Livin! Thanks for sharing your story with us. A curious beginning. I'll be waiting for part 2.

 

We'll also be waiting for yours, @Varik Keldun.

[derula]

The story took a while to take off, but then got really interesting. I'm loving Thorn already.

 

Merrick was competent in this function, as well as in the best shape for the journey at nineteen years of age while the next oldest member was nearing sixty.

 

Hmm, I wonder what happened to the other orphans he used to play with. None of them stayed?

Now that I read to the end, I also wonder if the dolls will come into play again.

 

covering the skeleton in a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

 

Nice.

 

She explained that she had long ago bound herself to this land, using her magic to sustain its vitality and preparing it so as to make it habitable for the apprentice she would one day have.

 

That kind of blew my mind, really cool.

[CyanStargazer]

My remark was more about grammar. The Latin word "scriptum" is neuter, so the adjective has to be neuter, too. Otherwise you end up with a genderless writing that is female-big, which is weird (on top of being grammatically incorrect).

 

 

 

I like that phrasing.

 

 

 

And I think it works really well that way. It's usually a good sign if the audience wants to know more.

 

 

 

Well now I have to, don't I

 

 

 

That's... certainly some kind of Mary Sue

 

 

 

Not if you say it like I do... until just now, I always wondered who this Owen guy is and what he's got to do with the United Nations.

But then, I only ever knew it as a Touhou thing. I guess my knowledge of Agatha Christie is even worse than that of a video game franchise I've never played a game from.

Yeah it's a clever thing, I knew about the book it's from long before the Touhou song. I've seen the book has different names it's published under but I think it's the same. I think the most common name is "And Then There Were None". But I will say, the creator of Touhou did the name U.N. Owen justice. My only complaint about it is that it's rather overshadowed the original source so when you use "U.N. Owen" people think Touhou rather than the original mystery story.

Oh also for the Fris part, the original story for her was never developed in the D&D campaign because we had one session. I knew as a character Fris woke up in a crypt having no idea how long she's been dead for with no memory of her past besides her name and that she was a soldier. The DM said she's work Fris' origins into the story, but sadly we never got anywhere after a player had some IRL troubles.

[Livin]

Merrick, The Puppet Master

 

Part 2

 

 

The transition was tough but Merrick eventually adjusted to his new reality and the routine that it came with. His nights belonged to Thorn and her instruction, focused first on improving his comprehension of the old language. After that he would rest until the afternoon and relaxed until the evening when he'd read from the book in anticipation of the lessons in the coming night. Life in the courtyard was easy and safe so long as he never tried to leave through the doors of black marble that were now open with the other undead waiting at the doorway but never crossing the threshold. The only complaint he had was for a lack of meat, but this was soon solved as rats from within the tomb found their way into the courtyard.

 

By the end of the first year he had a full comprehension of the language and a number of lesser spells at his disposal, giving him the confidence to make his first attempt at an escape. That dawn he did not go to sleep after his lessons and faced off against the undead as they huddled at the doorway. For hours he hurled all manor of magic, from fire to bolts of energy; but no matter how many undead fell another would take their place at the doorway. He kept it going until he collapsed from exhaustion, understanding that he wasn't strong enough yet. That night Thorn remarked on the attempt and lectured him on why he failed before continuing the lesson.

 

Several more attempts would occur over the coming decade where he'd hurl ever stronger magic at them but it would always end the same with failure and a lecture from Thorn, until Merrick finally snapped and demanded his freedom or he would march right into the horde. Thorn simply pointed a hand towards the doorway where the horde waited in anticipation, welcoming him to proceed. Merrick stood silent at having his bluff called as Thorn revealed that she understood him better than he did. She spoke of how his attempts to escape had no heart, putting nothing on the line as he pushed the undead back further and further but always staying behind the safety of the threshold. Thorn openly speculated that deep down Merrick was content where he was, that all those attempts to escape were just chances to feel powerful for once in his life; and Merrick said nothing in his defense, as deep down he couldn't bring himself to deny it.

 

There would be no more attempts to escape after this as Merrick decided to embrace the truth about himself that he always denied after this revelation from Thorn. In spite of his upbringing to look the other way and forsake vengeance whenever wronged, he only ever did so because of how powerless he was. Now he had power and he wanted more so that when he left here he would never live by the mercy of others ever again. At this time he had mastered more than half of the book and would now begin covering the principles of necromancy. It was in practicing these principles that Merrick truly began to change.

 

As the lessons into necromancy progressed Merrick felt his body getting weaker in spite of resting and eating regularly. Merrick commented on it one night to Thorn who explained how necromancy is unlike other magic, how with normal magic one channels energy from this world into something else while with necromancy energy is pulled from the other side of death. This created an imbalance between the two sides and the other will always compensate for it by draining energy back from the one channeling it. Thorn instructed him to cease practicing it for a time and his health would recover but Merrick was too consumed with mastering it to take her advice, causing him to collapse in the middle of a lesson. He felt himself sinking deep into the darkness with all the feeling leaving his body until he suddenly became overwhelmed by an intense shock of pain throughout that pulled him back to the courtyard where Thorn stood over him.

 

Merrick asked if that was the other side that he saw, to which Thorn answered that it was for him. Merrick gave her a confused look before asking if the other side looked different for her. Thorn stated that the other side has its own mountains, valleys, and oceans. Merrick expressed a desire to return there, to which Thorn told him that some day he will. Thorn ended the lesson early and Merrick retired to the pavilion for rest.

 

The next evening Thorn rose to find Merrick looking worse than he did the night before and occupied with controlling a number of reanimated rat bones as they danced around. Thorn asked if he had gotten any sleep and Merrick replied that sleep wasn't good enough anymore, that he wanted the feeling he had before. Thorn asked if that was all he will ever want, adding that that is all the other side has to offer and Merrick couldn't find an honest answer. Thorn asked about the rats and Merrick spoke of how he used to do something similar with puppets that he made, saying how they were the closest thing he had to family.

 

Merrick told of how the people at the church would destroy the puppets he made from time to time and lash him over having them. Thorn inquired if he ever fought to save his family, to which Merrick said no. When asked why he answered as he crushed a reanimated rat with one hand and raised a new rat with the other that he could always bring them back, possibly even better than they were before. After being told to rest for the night Merrick turned away from the dancing rat bones and began walking over to the undead at the doorway while saying a single word, kneel. In an instant all the undead got down on one knee as Merrick stopped at the threshold, looking back at Thorn before returning to her and beginning that night's lesson.

 

Mastering the last half of the book took far less time than the first as Merrick became consumed with it, forsaking sleep and relaxation to hone his command over the mindless undead. He reanimated more rat bones, commanding them to cover his body in layers like armor. No longer was he confined to the courtyard as he walked freely throughout the tomb, his aura alone causing the undead to avoid him. All the while his body wasted away, losing weight to the point of his eyes sinking into his skull. Thorn took note of his failing health but said nothing, for her goal was nearing completion.

 

It seemed that he would die having never finished the training until one night when he discovered the final pages of the book to be blank. Merrick demanded an explanation and Thorn revealed that the last pages only share their knowledge with the dead. When asked what he needed to do, Thorn told of the transformation that would make him like her and that it was the only way if he truly wished to learn the rest; but as far as she was concerned he had satisfied the terms of their arrangement and he was free to leave. Merrick answered without hesitation, saying that he couldn't stop after coming this far; and with that the preparations began for the ritual to take place the following night, as Merrick enjoyed his last day as one of the living. Merrick endured much agony during the ritual but he took it in stride, never screaming or begging for it to stop; and once it was over Merrick opened his eyes to feeling like he did when he fell into darkness all those years ago, only this time he still resided in the world of the living.

 

Merrick got to his feet and stood before Thorn, now as an equal. She handed him the book and told him that he must now leave, that the presence of another would create division among the mindless undead as they would become conflicted over which to follow and tear one another apart instead of defending the tomb. Thorn was questioned as to why she went through with this if she knew that this would be the result, that it would force him to be expelled from the tomb; and Thorn answered that she sought a disciple to carry her knowledge out into the world, not a companion to keep her from feeling lonely within the tomb. Thorn revealed that it was always going to end with him leaving one way or another, regardless of what he was when he did so; but Thorn also had another gift for him, a reward for what he endured. Merrick read from the book as he exited the tomb for the first time in more than fifteen years with a family of his own as the skeletal remains of the party he once belonged to followed and encircled him as he made his way to deadhaus, where he might continue to grow both his power and his family.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Livin

[derula]

Loved part 2 ❤

 

The only complaint he had was for a lack of meat, but this was soon solved as rats from within the tomb found their way into the courtyard.

 

Delish.

 

Merrick asked if that was the other side that he saw, to which Thorn answered that it was for him. Merrick gave her a confused look before asking if the other side looked different for her. Thorn stated that the other side has its own mountains, valleys, and oceans. Merrick expressed a desire to return there, to which Thorn told him that some day he will. Thorn ended the lesson early and Merrick retired to the pavilion for rest.

 

Nice.

 

occupied with controlling a number of reanimated rat bones as they danced around

 

There we go, I knew the dolls would make a return!

[Cradlis]

At first I thought that the character would give life to the puppets (or even killing young children to raise them as undead, becoming puppets), but I prefer this. Especially the "rat armor"

 

Good text, it's inspirent. I assume this is the background of a liche. A revenant does not have this kind of magic and this is not how vampires are usually created.

[Livin]

I'm glad you all liked it.

 

@Cradlis

I thought about including stuff like that, but I wanted to keep it an origin story and leave what comes next for deadhaus.

 

It is a liche. I purposely kept either of them from using that word, for Merrick because he likely wouldn't have learned of such things while locked away in the church; and more importantly to hint at how long Thorn had resided in that tomb, possibly predating that name be given to her kind.

[Golden Xan]

I liked part two even better, @Livin. The story became more and more interested as we went along. I wished you would have told us more about his way of thinking, what he was feeling throughout the exploration of the book. I'm also curious to know what was written in the last pages, if we ever find out.

 

It seems that Thorn is more efficient at transforming/recruiting new members to Deadhaus than Warden Petruvius is. Or at least, a different kind of recruiter, of a personal nature.

[Livin]

@Golden Xan There was a lot I left out to keep it about as long as part 1. I tried to include some hints towards his personality without being too obvious; but I tried to characterize him as a sociopath that had disguised himself behind a mask of humility when he was powerless, a mask he wore for so long that he convinced himself that this was who he truly was. Part 2 is supposed to show not only the rise of his power but also the gradual falling of that mask. The reason he was first fixated on the puppets was because it was the only activity he could engage in where he was in total control, the closest thing to dominating others that he could get; and necromancy allowed him to expand upon that, the early death being the final push that made him fully embrace his true self. I tried to show that even the things he cherished most he viewed as replaceable with the bit where he crushed one of his creations while also making another at the same time.

[Livin]

My Revenant (Part 1)

 

Against the currents he fought his way to the surface of the river and made his way to its closest bank. Upon getting to his feet he beheld four undead, some dressed in some measure of ruined armor and others wearing cloaks. Behind them stood a tall and slender undead, covered in tiny bones. Seeing these undead triggered a rage in him that caused him to attack without thinking, tearing his way through them until he reached the one in the back. As he got close enough to strike the tiny bones launched themselves upon him, binding and pulling him to the ground.

 

The undead moved to stand over him as he was pinned to the ground and spoke to him, promising his destruction if he didn't calm down. He struggled and strained against the bones until fatigue set in, becoming still as he glared at the undead. It remarked on the contempt he had for it without even know who he was or why and he screamed about how the undead deserved destruction. The undead chuckled as it moved its hands about, directing the bones to shift him onto his belly and carry him back towards the river. He fought to break free as it appeared he was about to drown but the bones stopped just as his head reached the water.

 

In the reflection he saw from the water as the truth was revealed, he was also undead. His skin was white and half the flesh on his face was missing with parts of his skull showing through. His eyes were pitch black except for an ominous glow that came from where his pupils should be. He screamed to be turned away and the bones moved him back to where he was before. His fury almost freed him from the bones as he fought to break free once more.

 

He cursed the undead for doing this to him; but it denied having any part in making him what he now was, that this was of his own making. He denounced the claim as lies, that the undead did this to him like he did the others. The undead took credit for raising the others that he just destroyed; but not him, asking why it would create something that sought to destroy it. The undead released him from the bones, call them back to it. He got to his feet as the bones arranged themselves all over it's body as the undead stood ready to strike.

 

He didn't move to attack, only questioned what happened to him. The undead freely speculated that he was now a revenant, explaining them to be undead that brought themselves back by their own sheer will and the force of their rage. When asked how he died he found he couldn't remember anything from before he pulled himself out of the river, not even his name. The undead mentions the ones he raised also came from the river and suggested that the answers to those questions might be up stream. He began to walk in that direction but stopped as the undead started to follow and he demanded to know why, to which the undead said that he owed it four dead of equal or greater size and quality to replace the ones he destroyed.

 

They walked along the river for hours in silence before his curiosity got the better of him and began to ask questions. It started simple with asking what the undead was and it revealed itself to be a liche that went by the name Merrick, a sorcerer that utilized necromancy to achieve a version of immortality. He asked about the bones, to which Merrick said that they were rat skeletons that he reanimated. When asked what he was doing out there, Merrick said he was traveling in search of power and well preserved dead for the tomb he was constructing back in deadhaus. Merrick spoke of the great tomb where his teacher resided and a desire to match or exceed it with one of his own.

 

They soon beheld a great city that was surrounded by an army and both of them quickly realized that they had reached their destination. It wasn't long before they were attacked by a patrol, but they proved no challenge at all as he and Merrick made quick work of them. Merrick overwhelmed most of them with the rat bones that tore their bodies apart and then channeled the bones towards the revenant as they carried the weapons of their victims to it, so that the young revenant stood a better chance in battle. With weapons in hand, the revenant cut them all down as those that remained try to overwhelm him.

 

As the revenant claimed their armor for himself, Merrick got to work acquiring all that one of them knew from reading their soul and explained that this siege was part of quarantining a plague that was ravaging the city. Merrick speculated that the plague could've been the culprit and the river could be how they dealt with their dead if burning was no longer an option. Merrick expressed doubts in his own theory though as he pointed out that if they were using the river to rid themselves of their dead then there'd be more than the ones he found, that there were no signs of disease on any of the corpses. Merrick soon realized that his words fell on deaf ears as word of the plague had triggered memories in the revenant, stirring an anger that was similar to when he first emerged from the river. He screamed as his rage emanated outwards and once it was over the revenant said that he remembered everything.

 

The revenant revealed how he was a blacksmith that became a bodyguard after the siege started, to protect the healers from the desperate and the vile as they tended to the ill in exchange for them looking after his wife who was sick with the plague. In time the attacks on the healers became more coordinated and successful, leading to many healers getting slaughtered alongside their protectors. The inevitable happened and they were ambushed, their bodies thrown into the river after it was finished; and the revenant said it had to get back in there to find those killers, as well as learn what became of his wife. Merrick offered to assist in getting inside and revealed that he might have a solution to the plague if the revenant agreed to protect him while he worked. The revenant agreed to these terms and revealed his name, Streyn.

 

[derula]

covered in tiny bones

 

eww

 

he owed it four dead of equal or greater size and quality to replace the ones he destroyed.

 

nice

 

Merrick spoke of the great tomb where his teacher resided and a desire to match or exceed it with one of his own.

 

also nice

 

I also liked the last paragraph. Nicely done!

[Livin]

Part 2 of Revenant, Part 3 in the works

 

 

Through the filth and the muck they worked their way into the city through its sewers, following a path forged by Merrick's puppets as they mapped out a route to the nearest opening to the surface. They emerged from beneath to find the streets empty and the buildings boarded up, seeming to have arrived unnoticed. They quickly made their way to the district where a few buildings had been converted into a make shift hospital, where Streyn left his wife to be cared for. They arrived there to find the whole district had been set a blaze recently, reducing it to a mix of ashes and charred bits of wood. Remains were found among the ashes and with a chant from Merrick he was able to learn what had transpired.

 

Merrick told of how they broke in and cut down the healers along with anyone else that could put up a fight. He mentioned how after they were done taking everything of value that they sealed up the doors and set the buildings ablaze with the sick still inside. Merrick plucked a skull fragment from the ashes and handed it to Streyn, telling him that she called out for him until the very end. Streyn's rage erupted and his aura projected itself once more as the piece of bone crumbled in his hand. Merrick stood silently until Streyn started march forward onto the streets, screaming for those responsible to show themselves.

 

Merrick managed to talk Streyn down, arguing it would be better to prepare before going on the war path. Streyn showed the way to his forge, now picked clean of all its merchandise and filled with squaters that fled in fear at the sight of two undead. Streyn took stock of what was left, finding the anvil untouched and the trap door to the basement storeroom undiscovered. Merrick said that the storeroom would be the perfect place for him to prepare his solution to the plague, suggesting to Streyn that he forge some arms and armor for himself in the meantime. Streyn argued he had what he needed from his kills, that he'd rather go looking for those responsible for taking everything from him; but Merrick insisted he turm to forging, saying that he won't regret it.

 

Streyn toiled away at the forge as Merrick locked himself away in the storeroom without interruption as their presence scared off whomever was left in that district. Streyn found that his pace surpassed what he was capable of when he was alive, shaping the steel like he never could before; but it wasn't just his pace, he felt his rage rise with every swing of the hammer and he sensed that rage being infused into the steel with every strike. When it was finished he had a full suit of plate armor with a heavy cleaver and a broad shield. It only took him a week to create them and they were worn with pride as he presented himself before Merrick. Merrick expressed satisfaction with them as he explained how they were far more than common steel, that they were connected to him as result of engraining his aura into them as they were made; and that as his rage grew his armor would thicken while his blade would grow sharper.

 

Streyn observed what Merrick had been up to as well, as his puppets continuously brought dead rats in through holes in the floor and walls. They gathered the dead rats together were Merrick would raised them and be sent out to find more rats to brought back dead. When questioned about this, Merrick explained how rats or other vermin often carried diseases without being afflicted and are likely the reason this plague had lasted this long while also spreading. Beyond reducing the means for the plague to spread, it had also created a network within the city where he could project his senses anywhere and through it he had discovered the locations of those responsible for burning the hospital. Streyn demanded to know where they were and Merrick told him to follow the rats.

 

Streyn followed the reanimated rats in the night as they led him to a building and upon breaking through the doors he encountered several armed men rising to face him. Streyn cut them down with ease as the cleaver sliced completely through, decapitating heads and dividing bodies in half with every swing. Any strike that got around the shield simply bounced off his armor, not even leaving a scratch or dent; but the strikes did serve to increase his rage, resulting in everything feeling lighter and increasing the speed of his movements as he tore through everyone he encountered in the building. When it was over and Streyn regained his calm he beheld his handy work as he looked upon those he cut down. Many were men of varying ages, mostly older but some of them young enough to almost pass as children; and there were also women that lay dead at his feet that appeared to have attempted an attack with whatever they could get their hands on.

 

Upon further search he found rooms filled with other sick people being tended to. The healers begged for mercy towards the sick and themselves, that they meant him no harm. Streyn asked if they meant the same for those that had been butchered, but they said they had no part in that; and those who did only did so out desperation to save the ones they loved that were in this room. Streyn asked about the fire and they said they heard one of them call it a mercy, to spare those inside the slow death that was coming after what they had done. Streyn erupted at hearing it called a mercy and splitting one of the healers open with the cleaver before leaving, his rage now tempered for the time being.

 

Streyn went before Merrick in the storeroom, tossing a bag of severed heads at his feet and telling him to see if any of them played a part in the ambush that killed him. Merrick sifted through them and said that none of them did, causing Streyn to pound the walls in frustration; but Merrick did offer up one of the heads, saying that this one started the fire. Streyn took hold of it, squeezing it out of anger and causing it burst between his hands. Streyn told Merrick he wanted him to end the plague, right then; but Merrick said his solution needed more time and Streyn only replied for him to find a new one. Merric chuckled as he spoke of a way to accelerate things but that it would leave him vulnerable, out in the open without the means to defend himself; and Streyn said he would protect him like he promised he would.

 

 

PART 3

 

 

The sun rose as the two of them reached the castle at the center of the city and were greeted by the guards as they moved to attack before retreating at the sight of Streyn splitting one of theirs in half, cutting through their shield and armor as if they were made of butter. Merrick warned that they'd return soon with others, that up until now they had gone relatively unnoticed but after last night's slaughter the entire city would be seeking out the undead monsters that they are likely to now be blaming for the plague. Streyn simply instructed Merrick to position himself where he needs to be while he barricaded the doors; and Merrick did so, moving about as he sensed for the exact spot that he required within the entrance hall. Once he found it Merrick channeled his puppets off of him and down onto the floor, connecting their skeletons to one another so as to form circles around him and symbols between them. Streyn asked what this was, to which Merrick said it was part of a ritual circle; and when Streyn asked where the other parts of it were, Merrick said he would see for himself if he held up his end.

 

At first there was a stillness as Streyn waited for a response from the castle guards, only to learn from Merrick that the castle was abandoned and what few guards that remained were here to guard against looters. Merrick told of how the nobility fled at the first signs of the plague and were actually the ones leading this siege. Streyn asked how he knew this and Merrick revealed that he had learned it from those they killed outside of city; but before Streyn could ask why he didn't reveal this earlier, a barrage of horns filled the air as they turned to behold the army from beyond the gates pouring into the city and moving directly towards them.

 

Merrick chuckled as the two thousand strong army marched towards them, with Streyn reacting by shutting the doors to seal Merrick inside while he stayed on the other side. Merrick told him through the doors that he needed only hold them back until the ritual was complete, making it sound easy as Streyn contemplated how he'd endure the first charge. Once the army reached the steps going up to Streyn they began with a volley of arrows, keeping him pinned behind his shield; and he came out from behind it to find the vanguard following the end of the volley to close the gap unopposed. Streyn met them head on and matched the number of times struck with every soldier he killed. Attempts were made to overwhelm him but with combined sweeps from the cleaver and shield he kept them back until their numbers were depleted.

 

With near a hundred men now dead, Streyn stood ready to face what came next as the heavy infantry that comprised more than half of the total army made their way up the steps. Unlike the vanguard, they first positioned themselves as close to surrounding Streyn as they could after he backed up until he was against the doors. Streyn's anger grew at the thought of suffering another death, but also towards Merrick for seeming to have abandoned him as he felt more than enough time had passed and he should now be helping him. The anger towards Merrick grew greater as the infantry moved in until Streyn struck his shield with the cleaver while shouting "Fight" loud enough for Merrick to hear. The strike caused his aura to reverberate from the shield and echo outward.

 

As the waves of his aura filled the surrounding area the slain vanguard suddenly began to move as the various pieces were pulled back together, rising to their feet and rushing through the heavy infantry unopposed in their shock. The undead soon slammed into the door alongside Streyn in a rage as they pounded and clawed to get inside. Merrick could hear the pounding and chuckled as he triggered the ritual, causing the circle to emit an eerie green glow; and that same glow could be seen from the outside as it encircled the entire city. The undead ceased their pounding on the door as a glyph became burned into their foreheads and turned to stand alongside Streyn against the infantry. Merrick spoke to Streyn through one of them, saying to do that again every time he kills another dozen or so until its finished.

 

Streyn spear headed the charge into the center of the infantry, knocking those in front off balance long enough for the undead vanguard to climb all over them. Streyn kept knocking them back as the undead continued their assault; and once he felt his rage as strongly as he did before he'd strike the shield with the cleaver while the command to fight was present in his mind, raising more undead that quickly acquired the glyph to their forehead before joining him in the fight. The vanguard was soon used up but by the time this came to pass Streyn had more than half of the army fighting alongside him, causing many among the living to break rank and try to flee.

 

By midday victory was achieved as what was left of the army fled through the gates, leaping over a stream of dead rats that were the source of the green glow surrounding the city. Any who stepped or fell onto the stream would be envolped and carried off by the rats as they were torn apart. Streyn ceased his pursuit at the stream with the undead horde stopping just behind him and turned around to make his way back to Merrick, witnessing the undead as they swept through the city and breaking into every building. Screams began to fill the air as Streyn watched the people left in the city try to escape the undead and getting torn to pieces when they failed. Streyn intervened to save some of them and found himself surrounded by the undead as one stepped forward with Merrick speaking through it.

 

Streyn demanded an explanation for this, reminding Merrick that all of this was meant to cure the plague; but Merrick pointed out that he never promised a cure, only a solution. Streyn was stunned as he asked Merrick if this was what he intended all along, to end the plague by killing all who lived within the city; and Merrick stated that it was once the army that surrounded the city was no longer a threat. Merrick spoke of how the plan was to reanimate all the rats in the city, using them to overwhelm the army; but that plan had to be scrapped because of the impatience of a certain revenant and this plan came about as a result, to create a field spell that brought all mindless undead under his control with the hope that that same revenant would figure out how to raise them before getting cut down. Merrick was asked what he would have done if Streyn got destroyed; and Merrick openly stated he would've cut his losses and left the city behind. Streyn's aura radiated as his rage grew like before, only now it was controlled and focused while he stared down upon the undead that Merrick spoke through as he raised his cleaver.

 

Before Streyn could strike Merrick warned that he was out numbered against the undead army that he now controlled. Streyn tried to command the mindless undead, banging on the shield as he ordered them to stand down; but Merrick stated that they would only follow his will, as more gathered around Streyn. Streyn weighed his options as Merrick tried to negotiate his surrender by talking of how much they managed to achieve together, how this city would become the great tomb that he sought and that Streyn would always have sanctuary here. Streyn's gaze became fixated on the green glow of the glyphs on their foreheads as Merrick kept speaking, realizing how he might turn the tide in his favor. Streyn abruptly charged into the crowd of undead, forcing his way through them as he made his to the stream of dead rats circulating around the city.

 

Upon reaching the rats he braced himself before marching into it with his shield in front to take the impact, becoming enveloped and pushed in the direction they were moving. Streyn channeled as much of his aura into the cleaver as he could before he began to feel himself get carried off and planted it firmly into the ground with a might strike. The strike caused an eruption of energy as his aura flowed through the stream, dissolving the rats and destroying the outer circle. Streyn turned to command the undead that were rendered mindless from the lose of Merrick's field, only to find them combusting into ash. It seemed Merrick's spell did more than control them, it sustained them; and without it they simply broke down into nothing like they would have to begin with.

 

Streyn made his way to the castle, as what remained of the army from outside the city began to move in again. He burst through the doors to find Merrick waiting for him, unarmed as the puppets were gone. Merrick spoke quickly, telling Streyn that it wasn't too late and that they could still take the city together. Merrick even said that he had discovered those responsible for killing Streyn, who they were and where they could be found. His words fell on deaf ears as Streyn marched right up to him and brought his cleaver down hard on top of Merrick, the force of which caused his body to almost burst into dust and dried bits of bone.

 

Streyn quickly turned his back on Merrick's remains and left the city without any resistance as none that were left among the living had the courage to even consider trying. He left his vengeance behind as he began his long walk to Deadhaus, his ambitions being to find a place for himself in his new state of being. Back in the city a small herd of reanimated rats made their way over to one of the people that were killed in Merrick's slaughter after the army of the living was driven out, covering it as they emitted a green light. The corpse rose from the ground as the rat bones covered it like armor. The corpse made it's way to a high point in the city where it observed Streyn's march to deadhaus, openly expressing its disappointment in failing to control what might have been the greatest puppet it ever made.

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Livin