You must be signed in to access this feature.
Eternal
Semra’s words aren’t entirely lost on you. However, she either has overlooked one thing or again, managed to lie so convincingly that she’s allowed her mind to believe it to be the truth.
“Nice idea Semra, very nice idea. I think perhaps even you believe it. There’s just one problem with it. I lose most of my necromantic powers as soon as I leave Mortos. The whole reason for Casimir’s return here was because the necromantic energy weakened the longer he stayed away from Mortos. He was a resident here and master necromancer and he only used his own powers sparingly in order to keep himself alive for so long.” You say.
Semra’s expression changes to one of disappointed as you continue to speak.
“I on the other hand have only just begun to dabble in the necromantic arts and I’m no native to this land. Currently the necromantic energy is sustaining me, but I know I’m going to start aging again perhaps even more rapidly now that I’ve abused its power to keep myself alive. Even if I DO manage to sustain myself through necromancy, it’s a habit of diminishing returns. Nicodemus told me that and Casimir certainly knew it. That’s why he wanted that book. It was the answer to everything.”
Realizing how this is going to end, Semra prepares to defend herself.
“If I turn back now, I’ll live maybe a few decades longer perhaps? Maybe even a hundred after draining a few thousand people maybe? And while I have no qualms about such a thing, it’s not really going to solve my problem now is it? If anything it might cause rebellions and eventually I’ll still weaken and die to the ravages of time. So why turn back now? What have I got to lose?”
You begin to cast a spell and Semra does likewise. Your undead Eternals move forward towards her.
“I’ve already got one foot in the grave.”
You unleash a blast of frost towards Semra, who blocks with a magical barrier. Your undead eternals are undeterred by the frost and move within range to attack. She has to temporary drop the barrier in order to defend herself effectively as they attempt to surround her.
Somehow despite suffering a semi-hit from your frost spell, she dodges and weaves enough to avoid your Eternal’s attacks. She cuts down one of your Eternals and tries to lob a piece of heavy stone at you via telekinesis, but to her surprise you manage to stop it in mid air where upon it falls uselessly to the ground.
“There are so many things I’ve learned since our minds have grown closer…” you say and then produce a poisonous cloud at her. It catches her just enough to make her gag and cough before jumping and climbing to the top of the broken wall behind her.
“Open that trapdoor!” you command one of your Eternals to do while you try to blast Semra with fireballs as she jumps from crumbling piece of block to crumbling piece of block.
She returns fire with a lightning bolt, but you quickly put up a barrier and focus your energy to that the barrier actually repells the bolt back. It misses her, but in her effort to dodge, she loses her balance and falls backwards off the piece of wall she was standing on. She’s most likely still alive, but you’re not wasting any more time with her. Seeing that the gas cloud has dissipated, you rush down into the now open trapdoor and order your Eternals to follow. When you get to the bottom, you tell them to shut it and to wait and kill anything that tries to enter.
You run down the long dark corridor, ignoring the several alcoves to your left and right. You half expect something to attack you like a ghoul, but nothing does and eventually you reach the large room that Nicodemus told you about.
The room is dimly lit and furnished in a similar style that Casimir had his room furnished. You even see smaller versions of the two large skeleton warrior statues that still exist outside his old chambers. It’s actually fairly nice looking compared to well…almost anything in Mortos.
To your left you see Nicodemus sitting in a very luxurious looking chair. The man looks older, though he was old looking when you first met him, but this “old” definitely looks like tired accompanies the status. In fact he almost looks like he’s asleep, he stirs awake when you walk acouple more steps in the room.
“Oh, it’s you. Apologies. I was just resting my eyes. Hrm. Took you long enough to get here, I imagine Semra tried to stop you. I told her not to bother and just let the inevitable happen. I mean she’s a svelk, she’s lived and enjoyed more lifetimes than most beings have anyway. Sometimes you just have to know when to let go.” Nicodemus says.
“From what she told me, that’s what you’ve decided to do.” You reply.
“Yes, I imagine I have. It surprised me as well having kept such a close protection of this book for centuries. Granted most of those were from other necromancers similar to Casimir. You’re the first outsider to attempt it. You’re also the only one who is about to succeed as well. I guess congratulations is in order.”
“And I’m expected to believe you just changed your mind? That you’re just going to let me take the book? You just had a small army try to stop me.”
“Eh, not really my idea. I mean I wasn’t opposed to it, but my fellow necromancers thought that they’d make the effort to stop you. They all were a little younger than me, so I can’t blame their dedication to protecting the book. As for me, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m tired and no longer care. I’d lecture you again, but I did that the first time you visited and given your determination, there is nothing I can say now that would change your mind. I could kill you with little effort, but I’m done with trying to stop you and your type from taking it. I think by the time you started rolling in those large steel machines of yours that was the point where I began to think what’s the use? This man isn’t going to stop short of his own personal death and even then someone like him will try again eventually. If this is the type of world where nobody can ever learn the simplest of lessons then maybe its better off dead.”
Nicodemus shifts a bit in his chair and relaxes a bit more. Nearby you see the infamous book on a table near him. You approach cautiously forward.
“Yes, there it is. Take it. Kill me first if it makes you feel any safer, I won’t put up any resistance.”
You hesitate at Nicodemus’ willingness to let you have the book. It has to be a trick.
“Well what are you waiting for Eternal? Why do you hesitate? Kill me, take the book and leave! That’s the goal right? Well do it!” Nicodemus demands with a raised voice.
Seeing not much else to do, you oblige him. You blast Nicodemus with a lightning bolt to his head exploding it like a ripe melon. His headless body remains slumped in its seat motionless.
You briskly walk over to the table and grab the book. You half expect something horrible to befall you, but nothing happens. You glance through the book and it appears to be the same one that Casimir had. You definitely feel a faint surge of power just by handling it.
With nothing else to do, you leave this room and head back the way you came. You find that your Eternals still waiting for you, you’re somewhat surprised that Semra didn’t make another attempt to stop you.
Though that thought soon goes away when one of your Eternals pops up from the trapdoor and from the bottom of the ladder you see him blasted to pieces by a magic bolt.
Shielding yourself from the falling pieces of your undead soldier you rapidly ascend the ladder where you cast a barrier to block Semra’s attempts at sniping you. Blocking her magic, you scramble to a better location so you can allow the rest of you Eternals to climb up to help you.
“You were right Semra, Nicodemus didn’t try to stop me. This seems like destiny to me. Like I was meant to have this book! Why do you hate destiny?” you shout in a taunting fashion.
Semra makes no response back; she just continues to try to kill you. Looks like she’s gotten over her whole “maternal” feeling towards you. You return the favor and the pair of you must combat each other for several minutes running and dodging and flinging spells at one another.
Honestly you’d try to end your feud with her right then and there, but during the battle you notice another army approaching in the distance. Not one of your own either, it’s another undead horde and you can’t fight Semra AND an entire undead army practically all by yourself.
So you decide that escape is the order of the day and Semra’s death will have to be another. After all you have your prize, better you should leave with it now.
You collapse a small tower within the fortress with a well placed lightning bolt. Semra happens to be standing nearby it fortunately causing her to focus on saving her own life. In the meantime you order your Eternals to stay behind and find her to finish her off. You know that they will fail, but it will give you time to make a hasty retreat from the advancing undead horde.
It is a long journey back to “safe” territory. You try to keep a low profile most of the way, though no matter how well you try to avoid attention, inevitably a pack of hungry gibbering ghouls always seems to find you. Fortunately they’re in manageable numbers and you manage to make it back without major problems.
When you arrive at “Home camp” you’re immediately seen to by the Eternal detachment that constantly guard the portals back home. They make a fuss, but you assure them that you’re fine and that you just need to get back home right now.
Without too many more words, you enter the portal back home and you’re suddenly back in Evigrus where the aura is much more lively and a lot less oppressive.
And with you now is the book that Casimir wanted so badly and several others tried to prevent you from having. The same book that you have clutched under your arm. The key to immortality.
You begin to glance through it and while you don’t understand all of it, you feel the power contained within. It’s almost as if the book wants you to master it.
A challenge you will gladly undertake.
“Nice idea Semra, very nice idea. I think perhaps even you believe it. There’s just one problem with it. I lose most of my necromantic powers as soon as I leave Mortos. The whole reason for Casimir’s return here was because the necromantic energy weakened the longer he stayed away from Mortos. He was a resident here and master necromancer and he only used his own powers sparingly in order to keep himself alive for so long.” You say.
Semra’s expression changes to one of disappointed as you continue to speak.
“I on the other hand have only just begun to dabble in the necromantic arts and I’m no native to this land. Currently the necromantic energy is sustaining me, but I know I’m going to start aging again perhaps even more rapidly now that I’ve abused its power to keep myself alive. Even if I DO manage to sustain myself through necromancy, it’s a habit of diminishing returns. Nicodemus told me that and Casimir certainly knew it. That’s why he wanted that book. It was the answer to everything.”
Realizing how this is going to end, Semra prepares to defend herself.
“If I turn back now, I’ll live maybe a few decades longer perhaps? Maybe even a hundred after draining a few thousand people maybe? And while I have no qualms about such a thing, it’s not really going to solve my problem now is it? If anything it might cause rebellions and eventually I’ll still weaken and die to the ravages of time. So why turn back now? What have I got to lose?”
You begin to cast a spell and Semra does likewise. Your undead Eternals move forward towards her.
“I’ve already got one foot in the grave.”
You unleash a blast of frost towards Semra, who blocks with a magical barrier. Your undead eternals are undeterred by the frost and move within range to attack. She has to temporary drop the barrier in order to defend herself effectively as they attempt to surround her.
Somehow despite suffering a semi-hit from your frost spell, she dodges and weaves enough to avoid your Eternal’s attacks. She cuts down one of your Eternals and tries to lob a piece of heavy stone at you via telekinesis, but to her surprise you manage to stop it in mid air where upon it falls uselessly to the ground.
“There are so many things I’ve learned since our minds have grown closer…” you say and then produce a poisonous cloud at her. It catches her just enough to make her gag and cough before jumping and climbing to the top of the broken wall behind her.
“Open that trapdoor!” you command one of your Eternals to do while you try to blast Semra with fireballs as she jumps from crumbling piece of block to crumbling piece of block.
She returns fire with a lightning bolt, but you quickly put up a barrier and focus your energy to that the barrier actually repells the bolt back. It misses her, but in her effort to dodge, she loses her balance and falls backwards off the piece of wall she was standing on. She’s most likely still alive, but you’re not wasting any more time with her. Seeing that the gas cloud has dissipated, you rush down into the now open trapdoor and order your Eternals to follow. When you get to the bottom, you tell them to shut it and to wait and kill anything that tries to enter.
You run down the long dark corridor, ignoring the several alcoves to your left and right. You half expect something to attack you like a ghoul, but nothing does and eventually you reach the large room that Nicodemus told you about.
The room is dimly lit and furnished in a similar style that Casimir had his room furnished. You even see smaller versions of the two large skeleton warrior statues that still exist outside his old chambers. It’s actually fairly nice looking compared to well…almost anything in Mortos.
To your left you see Nicodemus sitting in a very luxurious looking chair. The man looks older, though he was old looking when you first met him, but this “old” definitely looks like tired accompanies the status. In fact he almost looks like he’s asleep, he stirs awake when you walk acouple more steps in the room.
“Oh, it’s you. Apologies. I was just resting my eyes. Hrm. Took you long enough to get here, I imagine Semra tried to stop you. I told her not to bother and just let the inevitable happen. I mean she’s a svelk, she’s lived and enjoyed more lifetimes than most beings have anyway. Sometimes you just have to know when to let go.” Nicodemus says.
“From what she told me, that’s what you’ve decided to do.” You reply.
“Yes, I imagine I have. It surprised me as well having kept such a close protection of this book for centuries. Granted most of those were from other necromancers similar to Casimir. You’re the first outsider to attempt it. You’re also the only one who is about to succeed as well. I guess congratulations is in order.”
“And I’m expected to believe you just changed your mind? That you’re just going to let me take the book? You just had a small army try to stop me.”
“Eh, not really my idea. I mean I wasn’t opposed to it, but my fellow necromancers thought that they’d make the effort to stop you. They all were a little younger than me, so I can’t blame their dedication to protecting the book. As for me, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m tired and no longer care. I’d lecture you again, but I did that the first time you visited and given your determination, there is nothing I can say now that would change your mind. I could kill you with little effort, but I’m done with trying to stop you and your type from taking it. I think by the time you started rolling in those large steel machines of yours that was the point where I began to think what’s the use? This man isn’t going to stop short of his own personal death and even then someone like him will try again eventually. If this is the type of world where nobody can ever learn the simplest of lessons then maybe its better off dead.”
Nicodemus shifts a bit in his chair and relaxes a bit more. Nearby you see the infamous book on a table near him. You approach cautiously forward.
“Yes, there it is. Take it. Kill me first if it makes you feel any safer, I won’t put up any resistance.”
You hesitate at Nicodemus’ willingness to let you have the book. It has to be a trick.
“Well what are you waiting for Eternal? Why do you hesitate? Kill me, take the book and leave! That’s the goal right? Well do it!” Nicodemus demands with a raised voice.
Seeing not much else to do, you oblige him. You blast Nicodemus with a lightning bolt to his head exploding it like a ripe melon. His headless body remains slumped in its seat motionless.
You briskly walk over to the table and grab the book. You half expect something horrible to befall you, but nothing happens. You glance through the book and it appears to be the same one that Casimir had. You definitely feel a faint surge of power just by handling it.
With nothing else to do, you leave this room and head back the way you came. You find that your Eternals still waiting for you, you’re somewhat surprised that Semra didn’t make another attempt to stop you.
Though that thought soon goes away when one of your Eternals pops up from the trapdoor and from the bottom of the ladder you see him blasted to pieces by a magic bolt.
Shielding yourself from the falling pieces of your undead soldier you rapidly ascend the ladder where you cast a barrier to block Semra’s attempts at sniping you. Blocking her magic, you scramble to a better location so you can allow the rest of you Eternals to climb up to help you.
“You were right Semra, Nicodemus didn’t try to stop me. This seems like destiny to me. Like I was meant to have this book! Why do you hate destiny?” you shout in a taunting fashion.
Semra makes no response back; she just continues to try to kill you. Looks like she’s gotten over her whole “maternal” feeling towards you. You return the favor and the pair of you must combat each other for several minutes running and dodging and flinging spells at one another.
Honestly you’d try to end your feud with her right then and there, but during the battle you notice another army approaching in the distance. Not one of your own either, it’s another undead horde and you can’t fight Semra AND an entire undead army practically all by yourself.
So you decide that escape is the order of the day and Semra’s death will have to be another. After all you have your prize, better you should leave with it now.
You collapse a small tower within the fortress with a well placed lightning bolt. Semra happens to be standing nearby it fortunately causing her to focus on saving her own life. In the meantime you order your Eternals to stay behind and find her to finish her off. You know that they will fail, but it will give you time to make a hasty retreat from the advancing undead horde.
It is a long journey back to “safe” territory. You try to keep a low profile most of the way, though no matter how well you try to avoid attention, inevitably a pack of hungry gibbering ghouls always seems to find you. Fortunately they’re in manageable numbers and you manage to make it back without major problems.
When you arrive at “Home camp” you’re immediately seen to by the Eternal detachment that constantly guard the portals back home. They make a fuss, but you assure them that you’re fine and that you just need to get back home right now.
Without too many more words, you enter the portal back home and you’re suddenly back in Evigrus where the aura is much more lively and a lot less oppressive.
And with you now is the book that Casimir wanted so badly and several others tried to prevent you from having. The same book that you have clutched under your arm. The key to immortality.
You begin to glance through it and while you don’t understand all of it, you feel the power contained within. It’s almost as if the book wants you to master it.
A challenge you will gladly undertake.