Amdirlain had set herself on the cliff edge, her Telepathy keeping her linked to those working the harbours. Ebusuku had already scried out so many harbours that the Archons had split into pairs to clear separate shorelines. While O’Nai, Sage, and Solveiga were running solo, each was making quick work of undead. It was a stretch for her telepathic limits to stay linked to them, spread out through eight harbours. While a limited number of minds were certainly easier to deal with than a jungle, she wasn’t sure when her range had increased to handle the scores of kilometres involved.
“So you assisted them to get experience faster?”
“I said once we get back to the Domain,” huffed Amdirlain primly.
A quick smile flickered across Ebusuku’s lips. “That face you made tells me you did.”
“I thought we weren’t playing the knowledge game?” Amdirlain asked with a pout.
Ebusuku gave a casual shrug, the motion flexing her wings strangely. “It lets me keep my wits sharp. Just tell me via Telepathy if you don’t want to be overheard. If something here can read my thoughts, it won’t matter where you tell me and I’d still have to be thinking about it in their presence for it to matter. Or did you grab the first excuse since so many showed up?”
Amdirlain frowned only momentarily before catching a hint of amusement.
“Fine, I’ll tell you, but I didn’t want a discussion on it—Tickles and Pip both get a little excited. Betray me? No, but unintentionally chat where someone I don’t want knowing can overhear? Potentially. If you curse me out, someone might hear that,” teased Amdirlain, fighting off a smile as she spoke mentally to just Ebusuku.
Ebusuku gave a rueful smile. “They are energetic now they’re free. A few of them have been asking if they should change their names given the reaction others have had.”
“It’s up to them. I’m hardly one to talk about needing to change your name or not,” countered Amdirlain. “They should do so only for their own reasons. Their names have meanings to them, regardless of what others think.”
“I’ll let them know you’re not worried,” Ebusuku confirmed. “Now spill on what you got up to rescuing the Erakkö. Since you knew the age of the Gate, I take it Sírdhem helped you with the Erakkö.”
Giving a quick nod, Amdirlain continued. “They also had me focusing on developing skills. Their teams will keep focus on the Dao for now while they get stronger. I was trying to get an item off my list by getting access to Cemna.”
“Well, you gave some people a fright. We’d know if you died, but if someone imprisoned you, then we might never know. Don’t get cocky. Even Arch-Devils and Demon Lords have suffered imprisonment,” said Ebusuku sternly, before she reached out lightning quick to muss Amdirlain’s hair, the motion strangely awkward. “Keep growing your list. I’m sure it will never be empty of Souls—alive or dead—you’re looking to help. None opted for the trial?”
Is she getting used to being friendly with the Archons?
“Beast. No, given the part they played in the Lómë ending up in the Abyss,” said Amdirlain, pausing for words.
“Going into the Titan’s maze isn’t something they wanted to risk?” Ebusuku enquired.
“There is that, but none believe they deserve an easy way out. Some don’t believe they should ever be free of the Abyss; rather continue to help others that get there unfairly.”
A curt nod was Ebusuku’s only response, and at her contemplative expression, Amdirlain left her to think.
She’d long settled back into stretching her Telepathy as the others worked before Ebusuku spoke up again, “Tell me about them getting you to focus on developing skills.”
“They set a rule to use a skill for one purpose to ensure I was developing multiple skills,” replied Amdirlain.
“You said there were more dangerous undead inland?” asked Ebusuku with a bright smile. “You practiced using that field to divert the attacks of easy foes; time to get some serious practice. I’ll scry inland and see what I can find for us to train with to challenge your skills.”
* * *
It was an hour later when Ebusuku motioned Amdirlain to link their minds again. The location she’d found extended far inside a cliff face, and Ebusuku mentally traced the path through the canyons. A large building showed only faint traces of engraving; erosion had polished its columns and facade nearly smooth. Its broken archways all led into a series of warehouse-sized chambers within, making a massive and elaborate hallway that disappeared into the cliff.
A four hundred-strong armour-clad battalion positioned in the first chamber comprised only Cadaver Lords. They weren’t standing randomly, instead arrayed protectively around an individual carrying two staves topped with dark emerald crystals. The number of them alone would be enough of an impediment for many opponents. Inside the second chamber, ignored by the gathered undead, was a mound of foulness.
The leading edge of the heaped bodies looked as if they’d rotted together, with limbs and torsos sticking from the mass in all directions. Yet, despite the slick rotting carapaces, the magical preservation of the mound was clear. It wasn’t only decay that stuck them together, they appeared as if a single entity. Those eyes that faced outwards moved continually, in sync with each other, shining with the red glow of the undead. As they watched it, a ripple went through the mass and the rotting flesh shifted within a membrane of glistening decay.
“Any idea what it is?” asked Amdirlain, Analysis not working through the scrying. “It’s not any type of mass grave or a juggernaut flesh golem I’ve seen.”
Ebusuku frowned in consideration. “There are a few possibilities. Shall we go make a mess of it?”
“That is further than I ventured to explore; the Negative energy will be clouds, not wisps,” cautioned Amdirlain, as she rose. While Ebusuku’s form had changed, she was certainly still eager to fight.
“Fight practice and Resistance training at the same time. You focus on diverting the attacks and I’ll practice with my new swords,” proposed Ebusuku.
“Let’s kill the caster, then you can play with the rest,” retorted Amdirlain, enjoying the hint of confusion she got from Ebusuku. “Though I don’t want the others here after nightfall. They’re doing the fighting, and not getting pushed up levels, but-”
“You might have to drag them away,” Ebusuku interrupted with a laugh. “They’re now able to fight the monsters instead of just being vulnerable and afraid.”
“It’s fine. They want to destroy the undead, but I’ve felt the effect of fighting day and night. They should take downtime and ensure the combat experience isn’t reinforcing bad habits,” Amdirlain replied, remembering the bad habits she’d had to break.
Ebusuku settled concealments from the undead around them and teleported them both to the outer pathway. On arrival, Amdirlain didn’t hesitate to get a line of sight and information on their foes. The powerful enchantments on their equipment likewise attracted her attention. Heavily armoured like other Cadaver Lords, she’d seen their armour held stronger enchantments than previous outlying foes. The plating seemed crafted to add menace to their appearance, and ghostly scenes of shifting torment pressed from beneath its surface.
Standing hidden within the first chamber, Amdirlain considered the details of their foes.
[Species: Abyssal Charnel Nightmare
Level: 163
Health: 16,463
Defence: 967
Magic: 978
Mana: 1,956
Melee Attack Power: 1,200
Ranged Attack Power: 1,470
Combat Skills: Bite [M] (72), Claw [M] (90), Consume [S] (5), Spear [S] (2), Spit [S] (9) - Various Innate Powers
Details: Construction of a Charnel Nightmare requires a complex month-long necromantic ritual and at least fifty sapients (alive at the ritual’s commencement). Those used during its construction provide it with a base pool of attributes and combat statistics, as the thing is an amalgam of its constituent parts. The longer it exists in an area rich with Negative Mana, the stronger and more robust it gets; the progress is faster in areas of high concentration.
If a substitution of Abyssal Mana occurs for the ritual—and they call upon a suitable Power—the result will be an Abyssal Charnel Nightmare. These constructs possess additional powers to assault the mind and life force of foes.
Both forms continually hunt for more living to add to their amalgam.
If the spit of a normal Charnel Nightmare lands on bare skin, it will afflict various diseases upon the victim. The Abyssal variation afflicts the victim’s Soul instead, forcibly converting them into a Bodak within days unless purified. ]
[Name: Sel’tråth
Species: Lich
Class: Death Claw / Arch-Necromancer / Elementalist
Level: 32 / 32 / 32
Health: 3,456
Defence: 423
Magic: 294
Mana: 1,291,680
Melee Attack Power: 292
Combat Skills: Dirk [Ad] (3), Staff [M] (5) - Various Affinities - Multiple Wizard and Necromancer Spell Lists.
Details: A lesser cultist of Orcus; servants of the Demon Lord ‘blessed’ her with a static form of eternal life and power during the assault of his forces on Cemna. Assigned locations to help anchor the expansion of Negative energy through the continent, they’ve been stationed in various locations for millennia as the expansion has progressed. Flesh empowered by Negative energy, their merest touch can damage the living. ]
[Death Claw:
This Tier 4 Prestige Class combines a level 60 Wizard with affinities: Death, Negative and Abyssal, with a level 60 Assassin having Grand Master in Death Strike. ]
[Arch-Necromancer:
A variation of the Arch-Wizard focused on spells involving Death and Negative Mana. Possession of this Class was an automatic death sentence within Cemna’s Federation of the Crescent Spire for centuries prior to cultists opening many greater gates to Orcus’ Plane.]
[Staff of Creeping Death
Melee Attack Power +200
Details: This staff allows mental control over Negative energies within a radius based on the possessor's total caster level. Besides being able to direct raw energy, they can also control any undead in that radius at will.]
[Bracers of the Arch-Necromancer
Defence: +300
Details: These bracers protect the wearer and reduce the cost of spells involving Death Mana. They also allow the wearer to cast ‘Unsoul’ twice per day; failure to resist the effect causes target to die, and their body to be animated as a greater zombie.]
Each Cadaver Lord had similar equipment and varied only by a few levels or points in their attributes. Though it was clear from the enchantments that most of their capabilities came from gear, they still had impressive base classes.
[Species: Cadaver Lord
Class: Knight / Templar
Level: 43 / 40
Health: 2,988
Defence: 749
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Melee Attack Power: 606
Combat Skills: Axe Pike [M] (13), Dagger [M] (2), Kukri [M] (29)
Details: Captured alive, ritual magics were used to corrupt them from their previous allegiances. The assaults performed during the ritual left their Souls twisted with hatred and bound within their corpse. The only remnants of their lives are the combat skills, the process allowing them to serve as weapons following their new Master’s bidding.]
[Templar:
This base class is available to Knights accepted into the service of a Power. Those following this Class focus on increasing their melee and defence capabilities.]
[Profaned Armour
Defence: +500
Details: Corrupted blessings have made this once holy armour fit for use only by the undead. It projects a continual effect to unnerve the living. Anyone engaging the wearer in combat needs to resist its fear effect; failure will cause them to flee carelessly]
[Pike of Eternal Hunger
Melee Attack Power: +400
Details: The enchantments on this weapon bind a Wraith within, allowing for even touch contact to steal life force from opponents, and strike incorporeal foes. The enchantments allow the Wraith to be moved in daylight without them suffering damage.]
“So don’t get touched,” Ebusuku replied the moment Amdirlain shared the information.
“Did you want to handle the Lich or the blob?”
Ebusuku smiled smugly. “I get them both. You get to play with diverting weapons from us.”
She didn’t have time to protest as Ebusuku teleported in, the blades striking through the Lich’s body and ripping it apart. It's Soul didn’t fade away; instead, the enchantments binding it into it's mockery of life dragged it rapidly away. Before it reached the chamber’s edge, Amdirlain teleported in it's path and swept it up. The enchantment shattering against Energy Drain’s effect seared Amdirlain with Abyssal flame.
At her full height, Ebusuku’s reach balanced out some of the advantages of the opposing polearms, but scores of troops moved in quickly. Amdirlain set a diversion field as Ebusuku continued to move, but she couldn’t keep pace with her. The troops’ slower speed allowed her to snag at their strikes, reducing the number Ebusuku needed to evade or deflect.
The first notification came quickly, with more following on its heels. Ignoring them, she lifted into the air, elevation essential as more troops advanced to surround Ebusuku. The thing in the next chamber wasn’t attracted to the initial noise, but as another burst of Celestial energy cascaded off Ebusuku’s blades, it moved.
Whispers of sound led the way as the gilled mouths murmured and groaned together, producing an eerie chorus of sound. The unintelligible words uttered from hundreds of mouths conveyed a malevolent intent, and power lashed out only to be held at bay by her Willpower and Mental Hardening.
Its effect hit Ebusuku harder, her Celestial nature leaving her exposed to the undercurrent of Abyssal energy, and the insanity within. As the power gnashed and ate at Ebusuku’s strength of will Amdirlain added her own Willpower to her ally's via Harmony and held the insane malice at bay. When its ongoing utterances hammered away at Amdirlain’s protection, Ebusuku shifted targets. Teleport brought her to its undulating bulk, and flowing motion danced her away from its immediate attempts to engulf her.
Waves of flesh rose and Amdirlain tried to divert them downward, but only slightly hampered its efforts to bring its mass to bear. Blades of brilliant metal ripped through foul flesh, and when it was on the brink of destruction, Amdirlain moved in. Teleport placed her alongside it and she lashed out. The last of its health pulled from it, Ebusuku turned back to the harrying troops.
The agony the combined Souls had experienced hit Amdirlain harder than their whispers, and the diversion field dropped for a moment.
The pikes contact caused ghostly hands to caress golden armour, pulling health from flesh despite its protections. Weapons moving unexpectedly cost Ebusuku a strike, adjusting to the sudden gap in defences against an enclosing pikewall of foes. Holy Smite illuminated the gloom with the radiance of sunlight; a circle of Celestial power some twelve metres across smashed down on the undead foes surrounding her. The force of it broke defenders already weakened by Ebusuku’s previous counters.
Their ranks buckling under the impact of the Power, Ebusuku moved in through the gap in the pikes. The longer reach of their weapons now hindering them. They tried to reposition or switch to their kukri blades, but her harrying continued among their ranks. Wind driven by wings buffeted them, sending off-balance foes staggering into each other, forcing further gaps. Warned through their link, Amdirlain moved clear an instant before Ebusuku turned on her Angelic Aura. Instead of flames, blood lust, and rage, the air grew clear and pure, and undead flesh hissed and smoked at its touch.
The aura drove them back and Ebusuku continued to lash out, not with weapons but pulling Souls from their bindings with a flurry of Energy Drains. The emotional energy that Amdirlain had seen congealed into coins, burned in purifying gold flames around Ebusuku, leaving the Souls clean as they vanished. Those Souls freed by other attacks simply faded from the Plane; a grey energy about them showed they’d taken their pain on with them to Judgement.
A veritable wall of defenders threw themselves at Ebusuku and another Holy Smite smashed down on their charge. The moment she moved against new ranks, Amdirlain re-established the field and focused on keeping it angling blows away.
[Combat Summary:
Cadaver Lord x400 (50%)
Lich x1 (50%)
Abyssal Charnel Nightmare x1 (50%)
Total Experience gained: 983,549
Fallen: +196,709
Scion: +196,709
Sora Master: +196,709
Psion: +196,709
Warrior Monk: +196,709
Resistance: Abyssal [L](12->13)
Psychoportation [J](36->40)]
“I thought you were going to draw that fight out?” asked Amdirlain.
“Not after their friend started screeching worse than a Harpy in heat. We can extend out the next fights,” replied Ebusuku. “That said, I have my own additions to practice. What are you doing?”
Amdirlain looked up from where she’d been collecting armour and weapons, leaving broken bodies behind. “Jaixar told me not to bring scrap from the Abyss. When I asked 'would I do that' she never gave me an answer.”
Ebusuku shook her head. “So you’re going to take them as much scrap as you can carry?”
“Absolutely,” chuckled Amdirlain, her attempt at humour strained with the malignant Souls she held within her. “Needed to use Energy Drain on the Lich; her phylactery dragged her Soul off for safekeeping.”
“I didn’t want to give it a chance; not with her capable of Abyssal magic,” declared Ebusuku. “Did you intercept it in time?”
A quick nod from Amdirlain was enough to ease tension from Ebusuku, but she continued. “Yeah, otherwise I’d be suggesting we move on. Who knows if she had an oubliette filled with bodies waiting to possess! She’s only a lackey and we don’t know what support is available to call on if she’d reanimated,” stated Amdirlain. “We’re playing with someone’s net; let’s be careful that none of us gets trapped by it. You were all concerned about me; well, after seeing her information, I’m more concerned about the others’ safety.”
“We should make sure they don’t get into deeper areas until they’re much stronger,” agreed Ebusuku, moving to collect the remains of broken pikes. “Your skin looked burnt earlier.”
“The bond to the phylactery used Abyssal Mana; ripping it apart let it smack me,” explained Amdirlain.
“Soul Traps are nasty things.”
Deliberating pushing a hand through an energy cloud, Amdirlain took in the way it avoided Ebusuku’s aura. “The air is a lot colder but there’s still not sufficient Negative energy to harm me.”
“The interior goes further,” Ebusuku said, motioning past the quickly decaying mound.
* * *
The trip down the hallway didn’t produce more foes before a dim light showed ahead. The vast hall had led to a hexagonal chamber open to the sky above. They came to a cautious halt as the energy haze beyond the final archway prickled over their skin.
“Likely the only thing keeping either of us safe is our magical strength at present,” Ebusuku said, as they watched the darkness sipping at the light streaming in from above. “I would normally use protective spells rather than rely on my Resistance.”
The sunlight from the ceiling created an angular shaft, illuminating motes of pulsating blackness swirling like dust in the light. The light it provided showed everything within, painted in frost. One side of a hexagonal dais lined up with the central archway they’d taken. Five chambers aligned with its other sides, and in the dais’ centre stood a plinth topped by six shattered feet. True Sight pierced the gloom showing the side areas had similar arrangements—of dais and plinth—yet their plinths had a creature’s remains pinned in place with a spear.
“I actually have a resistance to Negative; your Magic rating is almost half again mine,” Amdirlain stated. “I’m going to take a guess and say desecrated altars.”
Nodding at the central plinth, Ebusuku smiled knowingly. “That guess assisted by Analysis?”
“Maybe,” conceded Amdirlain. “It doesn’t tell me their names, just says the plinths are each a desecrated altar formerly for the local Deities: protectors, judgement and wisdom, magic and knowledge, waves and travellers, luck, then finally, the sun.” With each aspect she stated, Amdirlain pointed a plinth clockwise around the chamber, the sun being the central plinth.
“What would you like to do now?” asked Ebusuku.
“First, I’m going to retrieve five Souls, and then we’ll see,” Amdirlain stated, motioning at the closest remains, and stepping out into the haze.
Only after the haze had consumed a full five thousand health, did the first notification appear.
[Resistance: Negative [I] (5->6)]
I hoped you’d go up faster.
* * *
The chamber’s haze had remained even after she freed the Souls, and it had pushed her Resistance along. Each retrieved Soul had once been a High Priest of their respective power, sacrificed to desecrate the altars and weaken the deity’s influence.
The sunlight was fading when Amdirlain returned to the clifftop and recalled the teams.
Amdirlain noticed even the normally bubbly Tickles seemed hyper-focused as they gathered. Her immediate question wasn’t a surprise, though the absence of laughter was a concern. “Are we leaving already?”
“I’d like to get back; my Wizard and Fighter are far outstripping Artificer and Alchemist,” Mirage stated sadly. “If I prepare sufficient runes and objects to contribute to the fighting, I should be able to balance them.”
A strange drifting sigh from Pip drew everyone's attention. “I want to stay. I only just gained access to Priest and Archer now,”
Mirage frowned at her. “You gained what? But you don’t have a bow.”
“When I wanted to know how it applied, it showed me racing around a helmed man and zapping them in the butt,” giggled Pip. “It lets me hit more with ranged attacks and still get tougher.”
The others looked baffled by the small bolts of light in Pip’s mind; the same images had Amdirlain rubbing her forehead.
She’s not a Training Drone!
[Perception [M](44)]
Reaching out a hand, Hook patted her side. “It’s okay, you can stick with Berry and me. We could use a spotter, and that’s part of a Scout’s job.”
“I’d actually prefer if we all returned to the Domain,” Amdirlain said, motioning at the evening sky. “While we can all see in the dark, we won’t fix this fast, so it’s important you confirm your foundations. I was forming spells incorrectly for a while; it caused me some problems learning harder spells until it got fixed.”
Setting more concealments in the circle, Amdirlain opened a Gate focused on the cavern’s bridge again.
“We likely shouldn’t keep using the same spot,” Ebusuku suggested.
O’Nai had already stepped through the Gate and Amdirlain could see him checking for lurking dangers before he waved the others through.
“Have to decide other spots then,” agreed Amdirlain.
“I’ll stay behind and cleanse the energy, then plane shift away,” Ebusuku offered, motioning them through the Gate.
“Don’t be too long,” Mirage said, and a few others echoing her added to Ebusuku’s amusement.
“After I see them home, I’ll take care of a few things, then annoy Jaixar with my scrap,” Amdirlain said, and Ebusuku snorted at her bland tone.
The moment the Gate closed up behind her, the others looked at her sceptically.
“Are you going to get some rest yourself?” asked Sage.
The amused glint in his gaze softened the tone, and Amdirlain gave him an amused smile. “I’ve got a few things to do, but only related to the Souls and the equipment I salvaged. Then I’ll take some time as well.”
“I’ll tell Master Farhad you might turn up for practice,” Hook teased, even as Amdirlain opened another Gate placing them in the Outlands a distance from the Domain.
“Oh, that’s nice, someone’s telling tales it seems,” Amdirlain mock groaned.
When the Gate closed a short time later. Amdirlain considered the site for the traces Ebusuku had mentioned. Strands of Mana remained behind, waving like long grass in the Plane’s energy. They hummed with a feel of the Outlands, even as they dissolved slowly into the Plane. A similar harmonic pattern to what Erwarth had discussed with her when reviewing the natural Gate.
Laying out the equipment, she set about purifying it. The armour reacted to the Celestial energies but the weapons enchantments shed the energy away from the Wraith’s within.
“Little fuckers,” Amdirlain grumbled and held back from breaking the weapon she was examining. The Artificer’s runes provided a barrier for the Abyssal energies that contained the Wraith. True Sight showed it nestled in the darkness of the Abyssal corruption.
“No, actually screw this.”
Flipping the pike around, she dug its point into the stone underfoot. Braced securely, she brought a heel kick down where the axe blade joined the pike’s spike. Yang flames fought with Abyssal heat as she shattered the metal. Pushing on Angelic Aura drove the heat away, but still, pain stabbed through flesh.
From the ruined metal of the blade, the Wraith lifted free. The blighted undead was a cloud of darkness only vaguely bound in a phantasmal outline matching the natives of Cemna. Bright points of red light glowed in its eyes, as threads of Negative energy drank not only the dim light but tainted the energy of the Plane around her. The air turned unnaturally cold as it reached out for her, and her own strike punched flames into it instead. Its destruction left black frost melting on her arm as the Wraith’s aura bit her in return.
Amdirlain considered her injuries and flipped another pike into the air, pausing only briefly to consider the Wraith’s details.
[Species: Wraith
Level: 50
Health: 728
Defence: 60 (Incorporeal - Requires enchanted weapon to hit - maximum 50% of enchantment bonus damage)
Melee Attack Power: 100 (Touch attack bypasses defence on contact)
Combat Skills: Claws [Ad] (27)
Details: A tainted echo of the once-living; wraiths hunger for the life taken from them. Surrounded by a True Aura projecting Fear continually in a four-metre radius, while also inflicting cold damage.]
As the next wraith rose from the shattered weapon, she tried Daylight for the second time. The Power outlined the Wraith in its glowing essence, and Amdirlain felt the energy from within her fuelling it. Unlike within the Abyss, the Power’s use didn’t exhaust her. The Wraith flailed about in agony only momentarily before she crushed it with a Ki Strike, Ki Infusion preventing its incorporeal state from evading damage.
Considering the weapons she had to deal with, Amdirlain sent a message.
“Sage, I’ll be a little while. I’m breaking some items with spirits bound in them; can’t take them to Duskstone as they presently are. Tell Ebusuku she can find me on the bridge if she wants to growl. Didn’t want to distract her clean up.”
Once she’d healed the damage and the fatigue from the Power’s use faded, she broke the next. The burst of Daylight felt cleaner than the first time and clung to the Wraith.
[Combat Summary:
Wraiths x400
Total experience gained: 771,200
Fallen: +154,240
Scion: +154,240
Sora Master: +154,240
Psion: +154,240
Warrior Monk: +154,240
Resistance: Abyssal (L) (13) -> Abyssal (2)
Resistance: Negative [I] (9->16)
Resistance: Cold [I](16->37)
Daylight (2) -> [Ap] (2) ]