What the hell did I get myself into? It was an unfair criticism of myself, there was no way I could have foreseen this, especially as a kid. I mean, who would expect to be dealing with forgotten gods, undead, and what will certainly be a massive amount of persecution. I only managed to survive my childhood thanks to my good fortune in meeting Garth, how was I going to survive reviving a religion that was destroyed by the current four?
If it were up to me, I would try to live the rest of my life as inconspicuously as possible, but it seemed that I was to become public enemy number one. My mind was spiraling, trying desperately to make sense of the situation, to find some loophole that could be exploited that would get me out of this. It quickly became painfully obvious that so long as this old god was dead set on reclaiming his title, there was no way for me to get out of this.
I wasn’t heartless to their plight though, and if they were telling the truth, something broke when they were ousted from their seat. Maybe I would be doing some good, bringing peace to the restless dead, but staring down such a task by myself was daunting to say the least. Well, maybe I wouldn’t be doing it alone in the end. If I was to revive the religion itself, then I would need to recruit people to it, which meant I could have some help.
For now, though, I needed to make my way to Raven’s Peak. I had been there only once before on my travels. The mountain was named by the dwarfs who ran a courier service using the titular corvids. Nowadays it still offers those same services, but it has become a city in its own right, so it is self-sustaining without it if need be.
Once I had stocked up on supplies, I found a carriage that was willing to take me to Raven’s Peak. The journey would take a few days, plenty of time to think things through and get my head in order. There were so many questions that I still had, but I didn’t know how to talk to them to get answers, or if I even wanted to talk to them.
A dejected sigh escaped me. Did you have to be such an enigmatic bastard?
You’re lucky I won’t curse you for that.
I physically jumped, not expecting something to reply to me. My head shot around in every direction, but I didn’t see anything different. “What the hell?”
“Sir, you alright back there?” The driver apparently noticed my sudden reaction, but evidently didn’t hear what I did.
“Uhm, yeah! Err, it was nothing, carry on.” That was good enough for him as he turned back towards the road. In a much lower voice, I tried talking to the god. “Was that you?”
You may speak in your head, and I will hear you.
A strange concept, but I gave it a try. You can hear my thoughts?
Yes, how else would a god answer prayers if they couldn’t hear them.
Right, I guess that makes sense. Uhm, sorry, I honestly didn’t expect you would be there. This would be awkward if I couldn’t have private thoughts anymore.
So, you would insult me behind my back and not to my face then?
Uuuuhhhmm...
Calm yourself, you are forgiven. Besides, you are too valuable for me to willfully damage you.
Thanks? I really couldn’t get a read of this thing’s personality. One moment they’re calm, the next they’re furious, and now they seem to be messing with me?
Another question came to mind that I decided to ask. Why can I just talk to you so casually? I’m no expert, but I don’t think gods often converse with people like this.
Champions are different. You are my physical connection to this world and embody my will. Because of that, you have a direct connection to me while others must hope that the gods will hear them above the storm of other voices crying out.
So, you just ignore everyone else?
It’s not so much ignoring as it is we often can’t make sense of it. Imagine being blindfolded and then having a thousand people trying to talk to you at the same time. Could you respond accurately to any one of those voices in that situation?
That sounded like a headache inducing scenario that I did not envy them in the slightest. Probably not.
Yes, and we often must sift through many more voices than that, so the act of answering a prayer is difficult. Just throwing around random blessings in the hopes that you might solve a single problem is likely to create more.
That brought up a tangent for a question I had about what they said last night. Speaking of blessings, you said that you gave humans a gift that made others afraid. Why was it so problematic? What did you do?
They didn’t answer the question immediately, but after a pause, they started explaining. When life first took root and gained form, we gods choose one species we would guide and represent. In that process, we each presented a gift to our chosen followers. The elves were granted longevity and beauty, so they might last through the ages. The orcs gained strength and virility, to face any challenge and come out victorious. Dwarves were given endurance and ingenuity, so any problem they encountered could be solved with rugged determination. Goblins had little in the way of physical advantages, so they were given cleverness and guile, so they might outfox the competition.
Again, a short pause happened before they continued. And to humans, I granted a strong soul and fiery will, the likes of which allowed you to persist even after death. This gift ensured you would never truly die, and with my teachings, humans could speak to their ancestors from hundreds of years in the past. The knowledge of generations, and you needed but simply ask for it.
A distinct sigh was heard in my head. Maybe it was my fault, or maybe you humans were simply too clever for your own good. It became known, very quickly, that not only could you converse with the dead, but they could also inhabit their mortal forms once more. Souls that either found their way back or were placed into their bodies could walk the earth again, even while rotting to the bone. It was a way for those with lingering regrets to have them fulfilled, so they might rest in peace. But it seemed that you humans weren’t content with stopping there. Experimentation is the father of progress, but also a herald of disaster.
They started experimenting with souls, putting them back into bodies that weren’t human, just as you had, but that included members of the other races as well. The idea was for others who needed guidance from their ancestors to have access to it as well, but a problem arose when it was discovered that those who weren’t human could not resist one’s will. They could be commanded to do anything; even kill those they might have once considered friends.
That was the start of it, the fear, the paranoia, and then the justification. No people are a monolith, and all it takes is for just a few to hold malintent to bring everything to ruin. It didn’t matter what the knowledge was meant for, it didn’t matter how much peace it brought or what good it did. People never remember the good things; they only remember the pain.
I tried my best to dissuade its use in such a manner. Curses were given liberally to those who crossed that line, reducing some of them to husks, experiencing the pain of rotting while still alive. But despite my efforts, the fear could not be erased from the hearts of those who thought themselves vulnerable. I’m sure you can piece together what happened after that.
That was quite the story, but it did answer a few questions that I had. So now your gift has become a curse, and we can be stuck in a rotting body with no way out. I can’t say that I fully understand how big a problem this is currently, but I can still see it is one that needs to be fixed.
From the moment you freed me from my imprisonment, I could hear hundreds of thousands of anguished souls trapped in their own bodies, and the number is only growing. What little that is being done to limit the appearance of the undead is not enough, and the methods that are used can be traumatizing for the soul that is subjected to it. That’s not to even mention those souls who simply wander without form, lost and unable to find the path to the other side. Even now I'm doing my best to call them over, but there are just so many, and I can’t afford to yell too loudly at this time.
What do you mean? I asked.
I’m not sure if the other gods have found out about my return, but I do not wish to risk confirming it for them if they do suspect.
Right, smart, I don’t want the gods chomping on my heels right now either. How am I even supposed to fight against them if they do decide to attack?
They cannot directly act against you. Instead, they will send their own champions, and they will be easier to deal with, though not by much.
You have a real knack for inspiring confidence.
It is better for you to prepare for the worst than to become complacent.
The cold logic might have made sense, but I really could have used a pick-me-up. My head rolled back, and I ended up staring at the sky with a feeling of hopelessness. There was a time when I thought the whole world had been against me, but now that it seemed like it literally was, I felt foolish for believing so back then.
What can I expect from a champion? What should I be worried about? I could at least use some forewarning about what was to come.
A champion chosen by a god will have unlimited access to that god's domain of command, meaning that they can use magic that others cannot. Not only may they do this, but spells and rituals that an average practitioner would need time, preparation, or catalysts to perform, a champion may do without in certain cases.
Really? Does that mean I can do those sorts of things as well?
You already have. Placing a soul back into a body is normally a process that requires a specific ritual. Not only that, but the amalgamation of souls you stitched together when you escaped your village was something that no one else had ever done before.
Oh, I... I didn’t even mean to do that. I hope I didn’t hurt any of them.
They were a little shaken, but they willingly answered your call for help. The form they took seemed to be, in part, derived from their emotional state at the time, so while unnatural, it was just a manifestation of what they felt.
That was a bit of relief I didn’t even realize I needed. Frankly I had been doing my best to forget about most things that happened back then, but I guess as I began to understand just what it was my powers could do, it was a concern that lingered in the back of my mind.
The conversation itself was wearing me out just thinking about everything I would have to go through. I decided I had enough of talking to gods for one day, so I let the conversation sort of die right there. We still had a long trip ahead of us.
Four days of monotonous travel, not even a monster for me to beat up. I had actually gotten a travel discount for being a guild member when I offered to provide protection on the journey when it was normally the driver's job to keep beasts at bay. Really, I shouldn’t have been hoping for dangerous situations to arise, but being left, somewhat, alone with my thoughts right now was not doing me any favors.
Regardless, the mountain that made up Raven’s Peak was now in sight. The monolithic landmark stood out from the surrounding hills and contending cliffs. Even from this distance you could make out the signs of civilization along its surface as the dwarves had carved up its face and tunneled into its very heart. The most prominent feature of it was the large stone raven crafted from the very stones of the mountain itself. It sat perched on an overlook above the city that lay below, calling out to both its brethren from which it was modeled and the people that flocked to the city for trade and pleasure.
The sight of the city was always awe-inspiring. One could scarcely resist the desire to gawk wide at the impressive stonework on display. Towering walls surrounded the city, all adorned with various decorations and statues of dwarven leaders and other figures of note. The iron gate stood open, welcoming all to the city with open arms. Upon its metal surface was a visage of a pair of heavily armored dwarves standing resolute in defiance of any who would try to disturb the peace of this place.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
After the driver provided his work credentials and I flashed my guild badge, we passed under the archway leading into the city. The buildings inside were nothing to sneer at either when it came to masonry. Each stone was pulled from the depth of the mountain and shaped by expert hands. Engravings, elaborate pillars, picturesque statues of many different races, and beautiful fountains filled one’s line of sight no matter wherever you looked.
As beautiful as it was, I wasn’t there to sightsee. The driver pulled over just before entering the town city center. I departed after giving him my thanks and went about the business of serving a deity.
Where am I going? If I need to comb through this entire city, we might be here for a while.
You must make your way further into the mountain. Before the dwarves came here, my champion had made a sanctuary in this place. Even now I can feel the lingering traces of magic he used here during its construction. Proceed, but be cautious. It is likely that he has devised many defenses for his sanctum to protect the knowledge within.
There were many paths into the mountain, built over the long years since this place’s inception. The one that was directed towards was the first one. The wide main street was swallowed up by the overarching mouth of the mountain. The gaping hole was magnificent to behold and could really make one feel small when beneath it. It was a wonder how the dwarves even managed to create such a place.
The further I descended into the mountain, the more the lighting changed from the natural glow cast from the sun to the large braziers the lined the path leading deeper. Shadows danced all over the walls as the huge oil flames cast their light upon all who crossed their path. It was pleasantly warm in the depths of this place, probably due in no small part to all the fires needed to illuminate everything.
One couldn’t help but notice that a change in the types of people started to become more prominent the deeper I went as well. There were a lot more robes and richly adorned clothing being worn. Dwarf culture and religion did dictate that the closer that one was to the earth the more attuned they were to their patron god. I imagined that there were many churches at the heart of the mountain, and probably a fair share of noble dwellings as well. I felt a little bit nervous about that, because if it was true, then that would mean that I was treading in enemy territory now.
It was then I decided that a bit of haste was called for, so I picked up my pace and maneuvered through the crowd with purpose. With the fallen god directing me, I found myself at our desired location and found a rather large obstacle. A gate as tall as two men and just as wide stood at the end of this hall. Not only was it closed, but there were a pair of dwarven guards stationed out front.
What the hell do I do now?
You’ll have to convince them to let you in.
And how do you expect me to do that?
You can always try fighting them.
I would really prefer not putting my life on the line against more heavily armed opponents.
Then talking is the only other option for you.
There’s nothing, like, magical you can do?
I command the dead, not the living.
I sighed. Some god you are.
There was a brief flash of impotent rage in my head that made me flinch, but it died as quickly as it came. They didn’t say anything, so I guess I was on my own for this now. With another huff, I straightened myself out and tried to look as official as I could while approaching the pair.
The two guards quickly noticed me coming towards them down the empty hallway. One of them stepped forward and raised a hand at me. “Halt! This area is off limits to the public for your own safety.” It was always a little amusing to me when someone a little over half my size tried to be authoritative, but I didn’t doubt that he did indeed have the authority to stop me with force if need be.
Not showing any weakness, I called back to him. “What is this place?” This was mostly stalling while I thought about what to do.
“Old ruins we uncovered some years ago. They are filled to the brim with traps and other dangers, so they are closed off until such a time as we can safely disarm everything.”
Just then I had an idea. “Ahh, good, I've been looking for this place.” The two guards exchanged looks with one another before turning back to me with a puzzled expression. “You see, I'm from the guild, and I came here in the hopes of scouting out this place for a potential delve with a few others.” I brought out my badge and showed it to them. “With any luck, maybe we might be able to disarm some of those nasty contraptions for you.”
“I’ve heard nothing of this.” The guard looked skeptical about my story.
“Well, the guild simply thought it would be better to send someone to evaluate the danger level of this place before opening inquiries into a possible expedition. I suppose they must have thought that there was no need to bother your boss about something as trivial as an inspection of old ruins. They have everyone’s safety in mind, and I assure you that I will do my best not to disturb anything while I conduct my initial observation. I suppose if I must, then I will have to bother your supervisor about this, though it would be an annoyance for everyone involved. Hopefully you won’t feel any blowback from them venting their frustrations.” That was long-winded and I hoped eloquent enough to convince them.
When they looked at each other again, it was with a different level of concern. Finally, they relented. “Very well, if you are indeed from the guild then we will allow you access. Don’t get yourself killed in there.”
“That’s the whole idea sir.”
The pair then went over to a large wheel like mechanism and began to spin it with some effort. A loud creaking sound echoed down the hallway as the door slowly began to open. Once it was open enough for me to pass through, they locked the mechanism in place.
“There you are. You’ll need a light, there are none down there.”
“No problem.” I dug through my pack and retrieved an oddly lumped bundle of cloth. Unwrapping it revealed a brightly glowing sunstone that I had purchased during my early days as an adventurer. The magical rock was far more convenient to use than a torch and was a staple for many adventurer kits.
The dwarf gave an approving nod before gesturing towards the black doorway. “Good luck.”
I returned a nod to him and stepped across the threshold and into a spiraling staircase carved from the rocks. It was a lot rougher than the hallways and tunnels the dwarves had constructed, and the limited room to move spoke to either a utilitarian approach or the start of one of the aforementioned traps.
Slowly, I made my way down into the depth of the earth, holding the sunstone aloft while carefully observing my surroundings. After a minute of descent, a stone archway marked the end of the stairwell and the beginning of a large room. There was very little left in the room. Some stone tables lined part of a wall on one end, the rotted remains of tapestries hung above them, too far gone to make out any sort of design that they might have held once.
There was a door on the other side of the room that led deeper, so I made my way in that direction. After I had taken a few steps into the room suddenly a ring of glowing runes appeared under my feet.
“Shit!” I kicked off the ground and launched myself back just as a pillar of flames erupted where I was once standing. While I had avoided most of the fire, my clothes were still singed, and I had to smother some smoldering bits that threatened to catch ablaze.
Damn that was close. Can you not sense these traps? I waited for a reply that didn’t seem to be forthcoming. Hello? Nothing, they weren’t talking to me, but I could swear that they were still there because I could feel that my words got through.
I was confused for a second before I realized what they were doing. Seriously? You’re really pouting right now? What are you, a child? Frankly I couldn’t believe that a god of all people was throwing a fit just because of what I said. Sure, maybe me calling them essentially useless was a little spiteful on my part, but you’d think that they would at least pick and choose the time for such things.
Frustrated and annoyed, I took off my pack and started digging through it. Fine, be that way. I’ve survived without you in my head, and I can do so again. Grumpily I removed a small, sealed pouch from my bag.
The pouch was filled with a light silver powder as fine as dust. In fact, those who worked as adventurers coined the material as ‘fairy dust’. It had the unique property of being attracted to sources of magic, and considering its shiny nature, that made it a useful tool for sniffing out magical traps like the ones that were present in this room. Not exactly cheap, but better than death.
Pinching a little of the dust, I threw it out into the room. I watched as the shiny substance drifted through the empty space, reflecting the light from my sunstone. Eventually it all started to coalesce into several different areas across the room, highlighting hidden magical runes and constructs. When they said this place was filled with traps they weren’t kidding. There were at least two dozen different traps across this room.
Carefully, I avoided all the glittering areas as I made my way across the deathly expanse of floor. Just in case, I sprinkled a little more dust on the door once I stood before it and found no reaction. Figuring it was safe, I pushed it open and now found myself in a roughhewn tunnel leading deeper underground.
I spread more dust as I went just in case, trying not to run through my whole supply. There were a few more magical traps that had to be avoided along the way, but I came to another somewhat open room. Just as I was about to throw some more dust, I froze, hearing a deep growl from the black around me.
Looking all over, my eyes eventually fell on a pair of glowing blue orbs standing out from the dark around them. Eventually the owner of these two blue orbs stalked into the light of my sunstone. Pitch black fur, sharp teeth pulled back into a snarl, burning blue eyes staring relentlessly into me, and its quadrupedal body was wrapped in chains that seemed to be imbedded in its flesh.
It was a giant wolf, or at the very least it once was. Whatever this beast was now I could not identify as it stood at eye level with me. It released a growling bark and I saw blue flames spit out from between its teeth in a brief puff.
My grip immediately went to my sword, and I saw the wolf creature tense when I did. I was preparing myself to face this monster when something itched at the back of my mind. A thought, an idea came to mind that might allow me to avoid fighting this thing. Frankly I was willing to try anything that would help me avoid conflict with it because I was not confident enough in my skills to be able to take such a giant down myself.
I relaxed my body a little, standing up straight. With as much command as I could muster in the face of this situation, I shouted at the creature. “Sit!”
To my surprise, the creature’s rump did indeed hit the ground. It even stopped growling, instead adopting a very attentive manner about it as it watched me. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, my iron grip coming off the hilt of the blade on my hip.
Cautiously, I edged around the beast as it watched me like a hawk. With an unsure but authoritative finger I pointed at it and gave another command. “Stay.” It whined a little but dropped its head down into a resting position, allowing me to proceed.
I found a door at the far end of the room where the black wolf had emerged from. After a quick test for traps, I opened it up. The room I came into was much more homely than previous ones. There was a stone desk and chair, ancient bookshelves that lay empty, and a stone slab that currently held a very macabre sight.
The bones of someone laid upon its surface, ancient and at rest. It felt strange, perhaps a little wrong to be here, like I was intruding on a burial site. Despite this, my curiosity bade me get a closer look, but a sudden voice made me jump.
Alan... my previous champion. They sounded morose, evidently finding the sight rather emotional.
I, however, was feeling a different emotion. Damnit all, now you talk?! You nearly made me jump out of my skin.
They didn’t respond to my annoyance, and instead directed my attention elsewhere. The desk.
The only thing I could do was sigh and go check it out. Upon the surface of the stone desk was a glass case. Inside it was a book bound in black leather, its surface inscribed with many strange markings. This was what we came here for, I could feel it.
I undid the simple clamps that held the glass in place and lifted it off the stand where it sat. When I touched the book, it was a bizarre feeling, like I was holding a holy tome of some sort that demanded my reverence. Carefully I turned opened the face of the book, wary that it might simply fall apart. Not only did it not, but there was a note tucked inside, folded and waiting for someone to read it. Not one to disappoint, I opened it and began to skim across the lettering therein.
To whomever finds this book, I sincerely hope that you have done so at the behest of the lord of twilight and patron of the dead. If these names mean nothing to you, then please return this book to its casing to await the one it was meant for. The knowledge contained within this book can be dangerous to those who do not understand its purpose.
If you are in fact a champion like myself, then I am thankful that you have sought this knowledge and persevered through the defenses of this place. Though, I do hope you didn’t hurt dear Lilith who I placed outside this room as a last line of defense. She has been a faithful companion, in life and death, and I'm certain she would be happy to have a new master once I am gone.
I do not know how much time has passed since writing this letter, but I can assume it would be at least several centuries before my lord finds a way to escape his imprisonment. Champion, please take this book and use it to rebuild what was lost. It details everything that I know about our lords domain of magic, and it is my final work in this world.
May it be of use to you, and may our lord guide you on the path.
P.S. Lilith is much less obtrusive than she seems. Please take her with you. The command ‘heel’ should suffice for traveling purposes.
This man had so much faith that someone would one day come here. He believed in his god, and his last act was in service to them. I could only sigh as I closed the book. Another heavy burden to bear.
I took the book, stashing it away inside my pack as securely as possible. With nothing else of note left in the room, I stepped out only to be met with the glowing eyes of the monstrous dog. This was Alan’s pet, his ‘faithful companion’, and he entrusted her to me.
“Lilith?” Her ears perked up at the mention of her name. I approached somewhat hesitantly and reached out to give her flank a gently caress. The fur was soft, surprisingly so considering she had probably been in this cave for the better part of a thousand years. “Do you want to come with me?”
Her head twisted from side to side, clearly showing interest. “You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” Now a soft thumping of her massive tail showed her pleasure at the praise. I chuckled a little. “Alright, you can come with me.” Remembering the command, I spoke the words. “Heel, girl.”
She didn’t immediately obey the command, instead looking towards the door that led to her former master's room. She sniffed in its direction for a moment before standing and making her way behind me. Suddenly, the large dog lost all physical form, seemingly melting into blackness that sunk to the floor. I watched with a great deal of interest as the blackness snaked its way into the cover of my shadow, melding with it perfectly.
Okay... did not expect that. I suppose he wasn’t lying when he said that she was unobtrusive, but that was just plain weird. I couldn’t feel anything different, but knowing the large dog was hiding in my shadow was strange nonetheless.
Shrugging it off, I started to retrace my steps out of this place. I still had to avoid the traps, but I got what I came for and then some. Whatever was in this book could be just the thing I need to make the impossibility of this situation into at the very least a probability. Just had to take some time to read it, right?