Chapter 23: Necropolis
III: Osseus’ Diary
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Introduction:
I have decided to keep a record of my actions, owing to the recent mental break, I require documentation of my present thoughts and feelings to ensure there is no deviation.
Presently, I feel as though there are two versions of myself, the Emotion - driven by hatred, fear, happiness, ect. Then there is the Logical, or mostly logical - it appears he has stolen my passion, nay, need for research and placed it at his centre. If he takes charge, the only thing that will seem to matter is my quest for knowledge. I fear using Soul Manipulation to peer into my own depths in case it peers back.
The first sign I had something wrong was the gradual change in my personality. When I first emerged in Cosmo-Osto I retained my insatiable desire for knowledge, testing the bounds of this new world, and the System I assumed to be a part of it - as the air is in my home world. However it didn’t take long for my focus to waver. Going through adventure after adventure.
I had assumed, when I was no longer able to continue my experimentation during my timeless stint in my soul space, that my life's newfound excitement had stopped me from being able to attain the same level of focus I once possessed. In retrospect, this doesn’t make much sense. I had lived a long, and on rare occasions, exciting life - yet never before had the urge at the back of my mind failed to demand more knowledge.
This, in and of itself, is no reason to fear. People change, perhaps I just took longer than most. The second cause for alarm was the warning Zeto, my master’s, friend, the dragon had given. Her last words had run thusly:
“Please, if there is anyone who you care for in this world, choose death,” I now believe this may be in relation to the degradation of my soul. If that is the fate of a Lich, to go mad as their soul decays, I should not have purposely damaged it in that fight - creating Storm Cloak.
Later, I thought, perhaps, the body I had inhabited made me more childish, this too may have been a side effect of my soul’s degradation but I know too little of the study of souls to be sure.
Lastly there were the events pertaining to the Throne in Chapter 13, and Crown that I had subsequently won. I had been overtaken by some form of enragement magic, which shouldn't have been possible. My soul must have been damaged at that point to allow such a thing. Being overtaken by that spell wasn’t the largest clue however, the goddesses whose domain I ended up in was the largest.
Maniae, the stronger of the two, her jurisdiction was obvious. Mood swings and a propensity for violence, not to mention the clue was literally in the name. A goddess of madness, perhaps there was a sympathy between the two of us that allowed for my being summoned. I fear what I may learn from a study of that crown, so closely linked to my current maddening ailment. I shall wait until I have a proper laboratory set up before I remove it from its spatial container.
The second of the two gods, Lyssa - as Orlando had called her - was harder to figure out. She too had a love for fighting but possessed the body of a snake. She had not forgiven my escape from their challenge upon the defeat of Bal, as Mania had done, and presumably her followers - Invisible, two-headed snakes - were still out there, waiting to strike.
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Day 1, Since Waking in Fort Far-Reach:
Dear Diary,
Today was busy. I awoke in a rotting bed in the ruins of a crumbling fort over which I hold dominion, owing to a previous fight. A beastkin woman had been tending to me and I felt I owed her.
Two of the survivors which had been eaten by the giant bronze bull, Bal, and not burned into Ba-Shh had chosen to stay behind. A Dwarf Architect named Fettler who had been excised from his clan for causing too many structures, be they above ground or subterranean, to collapse. I like him, we seem to share a love for knowledge, though - unlike myself - he can be a perfectionist. The second, a Chickenkin named Darna.
I struck a deal with Fettler, giving him the System granted right to mine on my land - apparently some resources are not available without the land owners permission or without a Thief's assistance. We also struck a bargain for Tolianite, a new material to me - I am excited to learn more about it.
Fettler discovered this metal in a cave, hidden behind a waterfall. I believe this to be a perfect place for a laboratory, only five minutes walk from the fort but relatively hidden. I have asked if the Dwarf can make the place into a Lab, as part of his job as the territory chief Architect, and if he could keep the existence of the place secret. He has agreed, though I suspect he shall spend most of his time making talls so he can start working with his precious Tolianite - perhaps it would be better if we killed him.
Orlando made a dramatic return, faster than I expected. As it turned out, there was more buried beneath his old house than just my old bones. Using a chest full of silver he was able to attach each of the displaced parties to a trusted caravan, conveying them back home. All except the three hooded youths who chose to remain in the town Orlando had taken them to. It was only three days travel on foot, without need to protect the refugees Orlando was able to return in next to no time.
I had anticipated a confrontation. He seemed the sort to wait until a proper fight could be had. It did not come to blows, as it turns out he was merely disappointed in me. Personally I feel his expectations are far too high, I don’t hold it against the poltergeist that he imprisoned me. Why should he resent my escape?
I asked Orlando as much and he revealed that his main sticking point was that I choose to lie to him. I infer that he has held a Paladin contract with another liar in the past. Maniae was never able to get him to agree to such a thing, she controlled him by force. This meant it could only have been the Goddess of Light - the dominant religious figure before the timeless stint in my soul space. I was curious about her apparent fall but Orlando wouldn’t speak on it. I was hesitant to ask the others as Darna had seemed to vaguely recognise Orlando’s name and I wished not to learn any of his secrets from a third party. Since we were so closely linked now.
Speaking of secrets, I decided to lay myself bare to both Fettler and Darna - I wanted to employ them both in the rebuilding of Fort Far-Reach. For some reason I seemed to think I owed the chicken woman but I can’t recall, while writing this, why. Fettler was surprisingly unflustered and right after was more than willing to set to work on my Laboratory, spouting about this design and that. I asked about using the System designed buildings but he claimed they were useless and that his ideas were far better.
Darna did not react the same. The revelation of my true identity appeared to freeze her in shock. I took her up to the only barely intact bed in the castle to ensure she got a good night’s rest. She has not spoken since that time.
Orlando still needed some alone time so I asked if he could scout the local area and get a lay of the land. I gave him some parchment from the notebook I kept in my spatial bag and some charcoal to draw a map. When Fettler saw this he insisted on some for himself, he had been designing the cave lab with a stick in the mud.
There have been no other fits like the one I experienced which knocked me unconscious.
Note: make a list of the supplies we will need to make this place profitable.
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Day 2:
Darna is in denial. She woke up cheery and started mothering me like a child. Making me breakfast and fretting over my state of dress. Fettler ate the fried eggs gladly.
She went out into the forest and collected Jute which she then turned into a scratchy canvas shirt for the “sickly child”. It is an improvement over nothing, although I miss the clothes Howard’s staff made for me, I miss Howard - why? I feel I should try and help her - perhaps I should use enslavement magic?
Orlando has not returned.
Fettler’s time was split: 70% on setting up a more permanent forge - smithing may not be his Profession but he seems to know a lot about it. 30% on designing my Lab. The forge will be useful going forward so I haven’t complained - or It is an inefficiency and we should kill him, I can’t decide.
I have had no fits of insanity today.
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Day 3:
I am becoming concerned, in regards to Darna’s mental well being. I have explained what I am to her several times but she just cannot hear it, it is as though my words were never spoken. Fettler is no help, every time the two are in the same room, he grins like an idiot and complements her.
Writing of the dwarf, he still has not begun construction on my lab. The forge, however, is coming along. In one corner of the courtyard he is making a small cover for a stone forge. Rubble from the collapsed gate is being cleared by Gareth and used in the construction of the small project. I think the last remaining Rubble Rouser prefers Fettler, he still follows my orders but there is more of a pep to his step when the dwarf is the one giving them. Perhaps this is a racial ability of Dwarfs. Whatever might be causing the phenomena I believe the best course is merely to observe.
I used Wind Blade to cut down trees to aid with the endeavour. It should be finished in a few days but the only problem is the leather required for the bellows. We have deer hides from when Orlando hunted up a feast but neither of us knows how to tan them, they will start to go mouldy soon.
Orlando has not returned.
I have had no fits of insanity.
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Day 4:
Good news! I don’t sleep so I’ve been allowing Darna to use the master bedroom but she has now made temporary bedding for the two of us. I have told her again that I don’t need it. That much seems to have stuck and she has stopped trying to put me to bed when the sun goes down.
It turns out that she possesses the Clothier Profession, this enables her to work incredibly quickly with textiles. She also had the Survivalist Class, a Rare Class which does a number of things but most saliently she can discover plants - which allows her to make fabric easily and help feed Fettler, who spends all his time working on the forge.
Congratulations:
* Fort Far-Reach’s Craftsmen have increased from 1 to 2
To that end, Darna has also proved useful. She knows how to tan leather, most of the hides have begun to rot but three can be used. Hopefully this will be enough to make the bellows.
Orlando still hasn’t returned. He remains in possession of my left arm, and I am debating using it to contact him.
I tried lighting a fire with my left hand, having forgotten that all mana pathways in that appendage are dead.
Still no fits today.
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Day 5:
Bad news! The monsters, scared off by the battle, have started returning to the region. Darna was out in the forest today, looking for cotton, when she was attacked by a Tree Serpent, 10 feet long and as thick around as Fettler’s wrist. She was chased from the wood, Wind Blades slicing their way after her. She is fine, though her wings were clipped slightly, she doesn’t wish to return to the forest. Future expeditions will require multiple members. On the plus side, there is snake meat for my subjects to eat.
Orlando has not yet returned.
Still no mental complications, I am beginning to hope my soul is recovering though I still fear to check with Soul Manipulation.
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Day 6:
The forge is complete. A simple structure, in the corner which used to house the gate. It consists of a small well, about the size of a tankard, to be filled with charcoal - the surround made from stones. Beneath is a door, normally closed, and attached to a lever made from bronze - since we have so much. When the lever is pulled, the door opens - allowing for spent charcoal to be expelled and maintaining the heat. Rawhide was used for the bellows and they are rudimentary but solid. My weight is barely enough to move them - Fettler loves them.
The only problem is that the dwarf doesn’t quite see the project as done. I see him, going back to it - taking off a corner here, adding an engraving there. Levelling and relevelling, insuring all is flush. If he continues fettling away like that there will be nothing left.
Congratulation:
* Fort Far-Reach has gained a Smilthy Lv.1 - can make up to Intermediate level items
* New blueprint has been added to the Buildings Tab
* Progression has been made to increasing the Rank of your Settlement
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Orlando has not returned and I have decided to wait.
No mental abnormality, perhaps I overreacted.
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Day 7:
Ground has finally been broken on the Laboratory project - metaphorically of course. The only earth that has to be removed is that which is needed to make the place flat.
Fettler used most of my parchment but has finalised a design, with my help. It shall be simple. Desks and benches, hewn from stone in the Dwarven style. The coat rack and such I have been trying to make with wood and Wind Breath although the spell isn’t designed for detailed work.
Congratulations:
* Wind Breath has reached Lv.8
It took three oak trees but I now have some passable furniture for my lab:
* A hat stand
* A coat rack
* Three stools
* One chair
* A beverage table
* A bookcase
* A lectern
I caught Fettler using his knife to try and ‘improve’ one of my rudimentary stools and I am debating placing a hardening spell on the items to ensure he can’t whittle his way through them when my back is turned.
Darna, or more specifically an ability her Survival Class gave her, allowed her to find a sticky sap that, when boiled, dries to form a strong glue. This was used in all of the above projects.
Orlando still has not returned.
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Day 8:
Orlando returned! He seemed to be much improved, in mood at least - physically he is still dead. It appeared to be the right choice not to contact him. He did not return alone either. All five of us sat around a fire, cooking yet more deer, as he told his tale.
He left in a southerly direction and plotted a path to the sea, he also cleared it. This is good for the future as I would prefer not having a direct land route to any of our neighbours lest they get any funny ideas.
He found a place that used to be a fishing village before the frontier was pushed back, a nice haven - perfect for harbouring some ships.
He then headed east, further into the Wilds. He was attacked thrice by Chamiseers, the invisible two headed snakes who followed Lyssa. There were no other attacks by the creatures, he speculates that they are biding their time - waiting for the right moment to attack. Their venom can make the poltergeist corporeal but that doesn’t mean much - he’s still level 100 and they’re still just snakes.
In the east he found the ruins of an old altar, to which deity he knew not, it was covered in blood. Beneath, he discovered what he assumed to be the lair of a powerful vampire. Likely the one which scared away the monsters from Far-Reach in his youth. The place was full of magical equipment and once I heard I was already planning a trip.
I had asked Fettler, given his skill in blacksmithing, if it was possible for him to construct equipment for my lab but he couldn’t even make a retort. It would require a skilled craftsman to make that sort of advanced equipment - although I did, of course, know how to make the enchantment my tools would require but that was useless without the implements themselves.
Moving north was where things became interesting, and where our new guest fit into the picture.
Hearing a commotion, Orlando set out to uncover its source. Charging into a clearing, Orlando came across quite the scene: a fight; between the fled Ba-Shh and creatures the Paladin did not recognise. Short, maybe five foot on average, peoples - using spear and Skill to fight the Ba-Shh. Naturally, Orlando chose to help, throwing himself headlong into the fight and driving off the Ashriven. These things, of course, were scared by the heavily armoured man charging from the trees and a standoff ensued. Orlando and they spoke the same language, so it was quickly remedied. None of the other listeners were surprised by the revelation thus I surmise this to be the norm on Cosmo-Osto. Perhaps some influence of the System, or the influence of some linguistic god - more testing required.
As it transpired, the group of twenty or so were once part of a larger community deeper in the wilds. They had been exiled as they wished to break with the tribal traditions and to set up a new home, separate from their old ways. They were travelling with elderly and children in tow. A number had been lost, marching through the perilous wilds, as they looked for a place that could both be hidden and well defended if it were attacked. If they agree to join us, they’re help will prove most useful. Their ambassador, at least, appeared taken with the Paladin and it was likely thought he might provide a source of safety.
They looked quite queer, if the one specimen Orlando had returned with was any indication. He, for it was a he, spoke in a slightly high voice, with chirping inflection. One might easily mistake it for bird calls if one weren’t listening acutely. His skin was saggy and lined excessively, particularly around the face, coloured a woodland brown, perfect camouflage for the temperate rainforest in which he resided. There was very little hair on the creature save for extremely bushy eyebrows. The eyes were large, brown, and recessed - pandaed by slightly darker, soft flesh. He also didn’t appear to appreciate my poking about his eye - perhaps an easily irritable people? There were ways of curtailing that. His clothes were simple and rough, something on the top and something on the bottom, made from animal hide. I used Identify:
Name: Treow Ee
Title: Pioneer
Race: Sagget
Class: Identify skill too low to determine
Age: 22
Skills: Identify skill too low to determine
Spells: Identify skill too low to determine
Attributes: Identify skill too low to determine
When I used the Skill, Treow Ee shivered and withdrew the spear from his back - pointing it at me. The others looked at me strangely. Orlando was able to talk the little guy down but he kept his distance after that. As of writing this, I’m still not sure why - I wanted to know more information, so I used the Skill. There is nothing strange in that. He has chosen to stay the night and shall return to his group in the morning, with a proposal to stay on my lands.
I appear to be completely cured, keeping this diary was a silly idea.
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Day 9:
Today is my birthday, 1209, according to the System. Why am I still writing?
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Day 27:
I was wrong! With disastrous effects. I came back to myself, or who I think myself to be, after a punch to the face. Orlando loomed over me as tears filled my eyes from a broken nose - I was lucky he had held back his Lv.100 Strength else my soul would have been cast once more into the aether. I looked to my left and a half gutted Sagget corpse lay beside me, a woman judging by the dark green hue of her skin.
He was prepared to continue the assault, and it took quite some work on my behalf to convince the Paladin that I had no idea what was going on.
The last thing I recalled was the Segget people joining the fold, setting up camp around the base of the remains of the fort. They had agreed to work to make a proper fife in return for Orlando’s protection, I was fine leaving him with that job and he had no complaints. They did start to think him a leader but I surmised that was for the best.
“Better I make the money and he deals with all the problems people bring, perhaps it might help him,” I thought.
Congratulations:
* Fort Far-Reach’s Craftsmen have increased from 2 to 7
* Fort Far-Reach’s Labourers have increase from 0 to 14
* Fort Far-Reach’s Fighters have increased from 1 to 5
That was the last thought I remember having, shortly after I felt desperately tired and decided to retire for a nap. The strangeness of that only strikes me now.
Once I was able to calm Orlando, and get him to hold back the enraged Sagget who looked about to tear my throat out, fangs bared. Myself and Orlando left the farming field which hadn’t been there two weeks prior, entering a planning room in the fort which had since been cleared of rubble.
Orlando didn’t believe my story at first, until I showed him this Diary to verify my claim. This seemed to remove some of his anger, replaced with the embers of sympathy - this, to me, was most unsettling.
It took some telling but I learned from the Paladin that much had happened in my mental absence. To corroborate his story, I checked my Notifications.
Congratulations:
* More options are now available under: Resources ► Wood ►
I struck a deal with the Sagget people to chop down trees for construction and fire.
* Fort Far-Reach has gained a Lumber Cutters Longhouse Lv.1 + 30 Wood/Month
* New blueprint has been added to the Buildings Tab
A weird choice on Fettler's behalf but according to Orlando the Seggets liked the residence, deep in the woods and well disguised.
* Fort Far-Reach’s Resource - Wood - has increased from 0 to 1
* Fort Far-Reach’s Resource - Wood - has increased from 1 to 2
* Fort Far-Reach’s Resource - Wood - has increased from 2 to 3
* Fort Far-Reach’s Resource - Wood - has decreased from 3 to 2
* Fort Far-Reach’s Resource - Wood - has increased from 2 to 3
There appeared to be a notification for every little change to the Resources which was annoying and not useful so, with a thought, I dismissed them all.
* More options are now available under: Sustenance ► Water ►
Orlando dug a well.
* Fort Far-Reach has gained a Magical Laboratory Lv.1 + 170% increase to speed of magical research.
* New blueprint has been added to the Buildings Tab
* Blueprints can be traded with other Settlements under: Power ► Trade ►
* Be careful with trading the design for this, there are very few such facilities in this world, most are content using the Systems spells and experimentation to learn new ones is tightly regulated. Perhaps you should change that – D
Fettler finally completed my hidden lab. Evidently, he didn’t think so and thus I was forced to place a ward on it. Preventing Fettler from sneaking in and fettling away at the decorative stone carving until the roof collapsed. Propagating magical research definitely would have been in the scope of my alter ego’s objective - thus I am grateful that during my absence we did not contact any other settlements. I, the me that is presently who I am when writing this, believe maintaining a low profile for as long as possible is best.
* You have learned the Dwarf Ward spell
* The Dwarf Ward spell has reached Lv. 4
* Soul Manipulation has reached Lv.12
That… was bad. I could no longer stay, wilfully ignorant. As soon as I saw that notification I activated Soul Manipulation and looked into my own soul, scared at what I might find.
The image was… interesting? My soul still appeared to be in one, mostly round, sphere - which was good. On the down side, two halves were forming. My soul should, I assume, be colourless - based on what little I’d seen of souls since gaining the Skill. It would be in line with my pure, flavourless, mana-core. The problem was that the two not yet distinct halves were pulling parts of me to each pole.
The Dark mana opposite Light. Orange against blue, Life against death, Creative schools of magic against destructive ones. This was not good at all. If these parts completely drifted apart I didn’t know what might happen.
Perhaps once they were fully separated they would collide back together and reform my two halves into one? Or I would be forever separated into two, limited in my use of mana. As it was, I would already have a decreased affinity for destructive magics and increased affinity for creative ones whilst the alternative me would have the opposite issue.
The process was slow, so slow as to appear to be barely happening at all. I couldn’t help but feel the other me might have stirred the pot a little, stuck a metaphorical finger into our soul just to see what might happen.
I had expected a slow degradation, sending me into madness, this, this was much worse. I may potentially release on the world a version of me with all my worst traits. I need help in finding a cure, I need to go to Woden’s.
* The Crown of Forgotten Whispers has been used, one forbidden secret learned.
That was sinister… honestly I had no idea what that meant, me and myself did not possess the same knowledge. Perhaps if I could reunite my two halves I would know.
* You have learned the Dissection skill
This was where the immediate problem lay, in Orlando’s opinion. Apparently, my other me had been tolerable if eccentric - though he was prone to attacking with indifference any thing that stood between him and a subject of research, whether intentionally or not. There was supposedly an incident where he saw a flour that was new to him in the hands of one of the sagget men, purportedly a gift, and had blasted him away with Wind Breath without a second's thought.
I digress, the main issue in question, and the reason I am presently hated by my people is this:
I wanted money and research materials as soon as possible, to that end I forced the sagget to clear forest and start ploughing and planting in order for them to sustain themselves as fast. This was not opposed by them and Orlando ensured the people weren’t overworked. Despite that, one elderly woman died, collapsed in the middle of a field. I, apparently, leaped upon the corpse as soon as it was proclaimed dead and started carving then and there - desperate to know how the sagget worked. A punch in the face and then I am me again.
I have decided to leave for Woden’s post haste. I require immediate assistance with my little problem and the people here might try and linch me if I stay too long. I am going alone, after much debate, and have left Orlando as my steward. My leg is also left in his possession for communication. While I wasn’t me I evidently severed my own left arm, with all the dead mana pathways, and replaced it with my boney old one. Honestly I’m embarrassed I didn’t think of that.