Undeath Resonance and in particular Resonance Crystals of this nature are some of the rarest. Most Resonance Crystals aren’t easy to harvest but they are at least intuitive. Pressure Resonance Crystals can be found in places exposed to great force. Beast Crystals grow within various animals and act as a sort of special organ that either grants the creature some ability or replaces the need for a particular organ or biological process. Almost all Resonance Crystals and their corresponding Resonance can be found or acquired in a manner such as these examples suggest.
Undeath Resonance though? Does it appear in places where great or numerous necromantic works have taken place? Perhaps but I have heard tell that Necromancy is done via the manipulation of existing Resonance much in the manner of other magics. So then which comes first? The Resonance or the Necromancer?
-”Field” Journal of Lady Clataire Asley
Chapter 57: Honorable Enemy
Alabaster
Curiosity and caution were making war inside of Alley, the garden he and Darius had climbed down into was beyond immaculately maintained. Row after row of plants he didn’t recognize sat in plots and pots, complete with handwritten signs declaring their names. Alley didn’t recognize any of the names either but they tended to be long and fancy, he wagered if he asked a regular hedge alchemist they would call the herbs and flowers something a little more mundane.
A big part of him wanted to inspect the plants, take samples, and take the time to sketch them. The issue was that many of the Undead in this place seemed to be weird plant hybrids. Not the sort of thing that encouraged one to get overly close to the local flora.
Ever since he had left Cursed Isle a sort of scientific curiosity had ignited inside Alley and he resolved that when he had a chance he would at least take the time to sketch the various plants he could see here. Alley would never be an acclaimed artist but he considered himself pretty good at capturing the essence of a subject. His sister had been the better hand at it, but both of them had spent many an hour with pencil or charcoal in hand while the yearly winter storms ravaged Cursed Isle outside.
When Alley did move on from his remote inspection of the plants Darius was practically hopping from one foot to the other he was so impatient to explore the glass building.
“Finnnnnnaaallllly” Said the redheaded boy with an exaggerated expression of annoyance.
“I’m going, I’m going” Alley Faux grumbled back as he tucked his notebook away. Truth be told he could sympathize with his friend. There was something about the odd opaque structure that called to him. Like he just knew that he would find some answer to his questions or magnificent loot within.
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Before either boy could follow the path through the center of the garden rows a loud rumbling noise filled the hidden courtyard. Looking about the boys spotted the source perhaps a second later. One of the stone walls that formed a box around the area was in the process of swinging open before the section of the wall had even completed its movement a figure that Alley could only describe as an armored knight strode through the opening.
The figure was taller than Alley though still within the proportions of a human being. Its height was bolstered by a pair of ornate horns that were seemingly forged as a single piece with the helmet that covered the knight’s face. In his hand was a thing longsword that could clearly be used one or two-handed, and behind him flowed a cloak of ghostly blue energy.
An oddly polite male voice echoed out from the night as he addressed the pair of boys.
“Greetings adventurous ones, know that Armon of the HonorBound bears you no ill will.”
He pointed with his sword at the two boys as he moved to put himself between them and the glass structure. “ I know you are merely the instruments of Doom and likely bear my lady no true malice, but you have trespassed upon ground under my aegis and it will become your graves.”
Alley blinked a few times at the declaration before letting out a sigh and beginning to unwind his now hookless chain.
“Yeah…okay.” he said more to the universe than to Darius or the knight. The words were kind of like a little mantra to help him accept the sheer strangeness of what his life had become.
Darius let out a snort of amusement at his friend’s words. “At least he is something different, I was getting a little sick of zombies and skeletons. The amount of ooze and bone dust i’ve had to clean out of my hair is insane.”
Alley tilted his head considering Darius’ point. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true” Then as he felt a little rude talking about the knight as though he wasn’t there, who oddly had not taken this opportunity to attack Alley offered an apology.
“Sorry, Armon was it? We aren’t trying to be rude or anything. This has just been a really weird day for us.”
The knight merely nodded. “ I am unoffended you may retreat or begin whenever it is you feel comfortable with such a decision.”
That made Alley frown, there was just something about what the man had said that made his brain itch. He could understand and appreciate the whole ‘Honored Enemy’ thing but the way the man had switched from making grandiose threats to offering them as much time as the boys wanted just felt wrong. Besides, he was outnumbered two to one. In a situation like that it wasn’t a good idea to let your opponents have the momentum unless…
“He’s stalling for time!” shouted Alley dashing forward to engage. It didn’t take a genius to realize from the things the man had said that he was one of the mansion’s defenders. That meant he was either in league with the Undead population or one himself just of the more advanced sort.
So of course he was willing to give Alley and Darius all the time they wanted. He had probably sent out some inaudible call to the monsters and was awaiting their arrival.
Alley was unaware Darius had actually not understood his rushed words, but the red-headed boy saw his friend sprinting aggressively towards a man with a sword and really that was all the information he needed to spring into action joining him.