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Stat Sheet
Current Level: 1
Current Rank: Novice
Specialty:
Health Points: 10
Gold Pieces: 0
Death Skills: 0
Shadow Skills: 0
Summoning Skills: 0
Resistance Skills: 0
Undead Warriors: 0
Zombies: 0
Equipment: Simple black robes
Quest Objective
- Conquer and build your empire.
You’ll be playing Dark One, a necromancer from the Island of Bloodtides who wishes for nothing but glory and death.
***
Once the test is complete, you return to your chamber to continue your studies. The book your reading, a guide into the deeper origins of magic and the connection to the demonic energies that run beneath the surface of the world. Magic that has existed for thousands of years and was given as a gift to the servants of their demonic overlords.
In it, you read about the underworld, the seat of all magic, and of a far greater being that lies hidden deep within the heart of the world, a mythical being that has never been seen in eons.
When noon comes, you are summoned by another mage, one with a jagged scar across his cheek.
He takes you high up into the tower, where you are brought to a great library, filled with candlelights, books, and paintings that almost appear alive. The mage who’d brought here, departing without a word to leave you alone. But you are not alone.
Black smoke billowing out around you, you see a form take shape, and two red eyes peer out of the darkness. “My Lord Sezrath speaks to me, he bids me tell thee, that you are bound for great and terrible deeds, but first you must prove yourself. You will go to the town of Ryzak and search for a lost artifact that may have fallen into the hands of the orcs. Return it to me, and perhaps you may have the chance to serve us further. Go, now, and beware the shadows that walk.”
With so little to go on, you open your mouth to speak, but the smoky figure is gone. The nameless mage returning to usher you out of the chamber and back to your quarters where you pack up everything you own, which is not much.
Golfain and Torstram, having finally returned to their chambers, look to you in askance, but you ignore them for the most part and leave the room without saying goodbye deeming it to be a pointless and unnecessary courtesy.
Donning fresh black robes, you leave the room to where the mage is waiting for you outside in the hallway. The tower quiet as you make your way down it's stairs, and out into the courtyard below.
Following the mage into the streets, you see a ship moored and waiting for you by the docks.
You find it strange to be sent away from the tower so soon, but find yourself longing to test your new-found abilities. Yazrul who had also been quiet, almost bursting back to life at the back of your mind.
Taken aboard the ship, you are booked passage to Orkeylium, the realm of the orcs. The crew made up mostly of hideous half breeds that smelled of seawater and piss. The disgusting creatures no doubt relieving themselves as they worked under the four suns.
Quick to head below decks, you return to reading the Hidden Magics by Koral’skyrum, a necromancer of incredible power that had once conquered the whole of Caldasher with but a few simple undead warriors. But that it seems was a lie, for within the text you learn that there are different levels to the undead warriors that could be summoned. A peasant summoned back to life would still be a peasant, a soldier, still a soldier. Whatever skills that were imparted to a person upon death were brought back with them upon rebirth, which made it necessary to choose your targets carefully, such as avoiding holy ground consecrated by the Lightbearer who had almost as strong a hold upon their undeath as in life. It was only a true mage that could understand the need to complete thorough research before delving into the soil with their magics.
Battlefields, mausoleums, graveyards, all of them were chancy at best and could yield poor results, which is why summonings had to always be calculated. But even then there could be risks associated with such an endeavor. Controlling multiple hosts, providing the correct amount of blood, and the possibility of the undead turning upon you were all factors that could bring about your own doom if you were not careful.
Thoughts interrupted by the sounds of cannons firing, you sigh regretfully at yet another interruption, and return to the deck of the galley to see another warship upon the horizon. The three-masted galleon of war, bearing the insignia of the Honor Blades, two light blue eyes upon a field of darker blue. The air crackling with the sound of their thunderbolts.
It would seem, your studies would have to wait for the moment.
Perplexed, and a tad annoyed, you quickly survey the scene, taking in the ship’s own cannons, which tried to retaliate back, but the distance was simply too great. Whereas the Honor Blade’s thunderbolts, struck blow after blow, the foredeck wreathed in bright orange flames.
(You cannot allow the ship to fall beneath 10 Health Points otherwise it will sink. It begins with 100 HP.)
Defense 1
(Click here to summon a Water Elemental to help put out the flames: Summoning Skill.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Summoning Skills Check, 5 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
The summoning spell already on your lips, you call to Yazrul, and allow his magic to flow through your veins. The water elemental, swiftly taking form and shake.
Head bowed in supplication, it obeys your unspoken desires.
Ship Hp: - 15
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Magic sputtering to life, the Water Elemental begins to take shape and form, but soon breaks loose of your control.
Taken off its leash, it kills several half-breeds with spikes of ice, and damages the ship before you are able to banish it away.
Ship Hp: - 30
(Click here to reply with balls of fire: Death Skill.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Death Skills Check, 3 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Fingers ablaze with fire, you let loose a barrage of your own that has the enemy ship veering off course to avoid. It’s lightning becoming less concentrated as it’s forced to defend itself.
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Ship Hp: - 15
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Fingers ablaze with fire, you try to let loose a barrage of your own, but the flames sear your fingers instead, causing the magic to die away.
Dark One Hp: - 1
Ship Hp: - 35
(Click here to wreathe the ship in fog: Shadow Skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Shadow Skills Check, 6 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Closing your eyes to better focus yourself, you hold up your palms to the sky, and allow the smoke to jet out of your body. The fog spreading to cover the ship in complete darkness, blinding the enemy.
Ship Hp: - 5
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Closing your eyes to better focus yourself, you hold up your palms to the sky trying to summon a fog, only for wisps of black smoke to puff out of your fingertips.
Ship Hp: - 40
With time to better prepare themselves, the half-breeds quickly unfurl their sails and try to pick up more speed, however, it seems the Honor Blades are not done with them yet with several rowboats launched from the galleon each carrying a full complement of silver armored minotaurs. The boats rocketing forward across the blood-red waters by an unnatural gust of wind that brings them barreling towards you.
Defense 2
(Click here to unleash a firestorm: Death Skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Death Skills Check, 7 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Body burning with heat, you scream to the heavens and call down a swarm of fire. The firebolts shooting down like rainfall to force them back as they try to protect themselves, but with them so vulnerable and exposed. Each of their boats is sunk into the oceans along with their dying screams.
Ship Hp: - 0
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Body burning with heat, you scream to the heavens and call down a swarm of fire. But with no control, the fire rains down on both enemy and ally.
Dark One Hp: - 3
Ship Hp: - 50
(Click here to guard the ship, while it uses its cannons to deal with the threat: Resistance Skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Resistance Skills Check, 4 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Hands grasping the handrail, you call upon Yazrul, and feel the heat of his magic flow through your veins as an opaque shield envelopes the entire ship. The Honor Blades, culled by systematic cannon fire that whittles down their numbers, till only one boat remains and they are forced to retreat.
Ship Hp: - 0
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Hands grasping the handrail, you call upon Yazrul, and feel the heat of his magic flow through your veins, but it’s simply not enough with the Honor Blades sending bolt after bolt to smash against the ship. It is only through sheer fortune that a lucky hit was able to capsize one of the rowboats and force them to a halt.
Ship Hp: - 40
(Click here to summon an army of imps. Summoning Skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
(Summoning Skills Check, 10 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
With the will of Yazrul burning in your breast, you trumpet your call to the underworld, bringing with it a whole slew of demons who ready the defenses. The imps firing off firebolts to attack the approaching boats, when lightning bolts strike back. The two forces engaged in a destructive magical battle, that eventually forces the enemy into retreat.
Ship Hp: - 20
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
With the will of Yazrul burning in your breast, you trumpet your call to the underworld, bringing with it a whole slew of demons, that upon sensing your weakness, break free of your control, and wipe out the entire ship in vengeance.
Dark One Hp: - 10
Ship Hp: - 100
The distance further widening between them, the Honor Blades must have sensed their prey was about to be lost and fired off one last desperate salvo.
Defense 3
(Click here to block the attack. Resistance Skills.)
(Resistance Skills Check, 6 Required.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Teeth gritted in a snarl, you wait till the bolts of lighting come close to the ship, before throwing up a powerful shield that deflects them all into the sea.
Ship Hp: - 0
(Click here if you do not have the necessary skills.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Teeth gritted in a snarl, you wait till the bolts of lighting come close to the ship, before attempting to throw up a shield. The volley easily piercing your feeble defenses and burning the crew alive.
Ship Hp: - 30
Lost in the mist for which the island was so named, you watch the galleon turn about as it realized it’s opportunity was gone. The brief excitement of battle replaced by powerful gales of blustering wind that set them flying across the clear blue waters. The crew working to clear the deck of bodies, while the Captain bellowed out fresh commands. The heavyset orcish warrior, shooting you a dark look as though this attack were your fault before you disappeared back down below.
Resting for a bit, you feel the steady sway of the ship and listen to Yazrul’s murmurs of delight. However for you, a part of you had expected more from the Honor Blades, something to credit the amount of fear they caused amongst the novices, but then rumor was that the Citadel of Light had fallen on hard times. Perhaps their next meeting would be far more pleasing.
Rocked to sleep, you listen to the breeze, and splash of the water against the hull. The hours turning into days as you spent most of your time below, mentally preparing yourself for the next challenge to await you. (+ 2 Hp)
It was perhaps a week or more later that you finally heard the trumpets blare to life alerting you to the presence of land, and head back up.
The well-defended coastline, guarded by dozens of patrolling warships, stony fortresses, and sentry towers that jutted out from the land. The ship you were aboard, slowing down as they were approached by two orcish warships from either side.
Boarded by an entourage of officers in heavy mail, the orcs inspect the ship, speak to the Captain and crew, then pull away to allow them through to bustling docks where you gain your first sight of Orkeylium, a bustling metropolis of strange sounds, noises, and unfamiliar scents that float across the breeze. The small port city holed up in wide cove that curls up around you with hundreds of shanties made of driftwood dotting the shoreline. The place reeking of fish, sweat, and salt.
Nose cringed up at the unusual sights and smells, you’re escorted down the plank by the Captain, who upon reaching the docks holds up a hand before you leave. “Here, I was meant to give you this package once you arrived in Ryzak.” The orc stated in a blunt voice, before shoving the package into your arms, and storming back onboard.
Curious to see what was inside you quickly open it up to find a small pouch filled with 10 gold pieces, a fragment of a map, and a hastily scrawled message that said, “Speak to Hasgraw.”
Half smiling at the challenge ahead of you, you look up and feel Yazrul at the back of your mind. “Looks like you have a starting point, but where to begin?”
(You can select and play through as many choices as you like, however, there will be some that will become locked out.)
What do you do?
Choice 1. Do you explore the Mausoleum?
Choice 2. Do you check out the Temple of Light's reliquary?
Choice 3. Do you check the Inns for Hazgraw?
Choice 4. Do you search for the nearest merchant?