Why a Necromancer?

When I advanced out of standard Mage and saw that I could become one, what drew me in?

Well I suppose it has something to do with my personality and history. Let's talk history, personality will probably be mixed in.

Instead of my birth the story kind of begins at my death. Yes, one of those stories.

Saving girls from crushing cars, gun fire, and literally dying from embarrassment. I'm in good company.

Car crash, entirely mundane but I suppose there are worse deaths. But before a speeding metal battering ram slammed into my slightly slower battering ram, I played tabletop I've touched Sci-Fi and Super Hero tabletop, but Dungeons and Dragons was basically my brand. Pathfinder was ok, I preferred D&D.

As for how I played I liked making themed heroes, being a menace in combat, and getting into my characters head.

If I just make the strongest character I can, I play the same wizard every game. Not fun over the lifetime of a hobby. Kicking ass at something is fun, making the best diplomat or smith is less appealing to me.

I like to work off themes because it helps guide my character creation and in game decisions. The best part is when the game takes a turn and my character surprises me! If my character empathizes with a captured enemy, I like to explore that.

Tabletop was my primary hobby because even games that try to capture tabletop never surprise me.

I did play games and read Isekai when I had free time and no game to play or ideas driving me to DM. Despite being savvy to the genre, still it's not easy to accept it happening to you.

That's all before I died, dying was awful by the way.

Metal on metal screeching, the car is shaking, spinning, bouncing, my heart pounding, I'm slamming the brakes as I got crushed, the world was fading as sirens wailed. My first thoughts as someone was shaking me awake was how uncomfortable that was, and how hard the bed was.

I was disoriented and in a forest clearing with 4 other people and my next thought was "I must be in a coma." You need a moment before coming to terms with the fact your life is now an Isekai.

The person shaking me felt real. I pinched myself and felt not only pain, but my skin between my fingers, the breath passing through my lips. My mind scrambled, maybe I was abducted, maybe this is a battle royale or maybe an isekai.

I looked at my sleeve black cloth covered in flecks of dirt and grass. I died in a normal shirt and jeans, not a tuxedo.

I looked at who else was in the clearing, 3 guys and one girl. No pointy ears, armor, or anything obviously pointing to fantasy.

There were 2 Asian guys in white clothes stained green. One of them was helping an Asian girl in white, she looked like an platonic ideal form of a Asian ghost. The guy was a bit thin and had shoulder length black hair. The other was a bit more athletic and shorter hair. The guy who woke me looked like a stereotypical jock, blond, blue eyes, he was a big guy in a tight suit, who had been looking at me the entire time.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Thanks, but where are we?”

With a sigh blond and buff said “Sorry, we are all trying to figure that out.”

As we searched our surroundings, finding little else than tall trees and thick undergrowth. We resorted to our clothes and empty pockets.

"No phone…" the girl said as their hope was crushed as all our pockets were a bust.

We share a grief filled sigh at the loss of such a life affirming rectangle.

The big guy who woke me said "let's not panic. Someone may have done this to us, that doesn't mean we need to freak out.”

The short haired Asian guy said. "You have a point but how can we trust each other? It's just strange, you all know Korean."

The answer I knew to that riddle was magic, real magic! Or advanced science, but that means some advanced tech was put inside us then we just were put in a forest glade, doesn't seem likely especially in hindsight. It would be quite the twist were in some kind of sci-fi zoo or simulation.

Silence dominated the group until I gave voice to my hunch.

"I think we can understand each other through magic. Maybe you have heard of isekai, real people in fantastic worlds. My last memory was my death, waking up in a wild area, and our ability to communicate. Either way we should get out of here." I said while gazing into the dense woods, it's canopy darker than idyllic anime portrayals.

"I am afraid I can't help us find civilization, but it may be helpful to introduce ourselves. I'm Kenzo and this is my friend Anzu, we are Japanese." He gave a slight bow to the group and Anzu bowed with him.

The buff guy unbuttoned the top of his shirt liable to tear anyway and said. "Well I used to be a cub scout, but if it is another world who knows if it will help, the name's Alex."

"I'll take that bet, I'm Erik" oh yeah that's my name, sorry for the late introduction.

The guy with short black hair nodded and said "Ji-Eun, Korean in case it wasn't obvious from my comment. While we walk, what does everyone think about why we lost our phones and are dressed like this?" Pulling on the hem of his white clothes.

Alex while leading us commented "Whoever brought us here may have dressed us..." Subscribing to the death game or battle royale theory?

"That makes sense if we just almost died…" Ji-Eun looked up at the canopy casting his eyes around for any clue. Perhaps a drone, camera, or building.

"Well, if we did die… could it be how we were buried?" Anzu continued as we pushed through grass and knocked away branches. "Cultures all over the world believed you take burial goods into the next life, coins over the eyes or in the mouth, viking ship burials they even sacrificed slaves to the dead, stone soldiers in China, Egyptian pyramids had tools and pottery among other goods."

"I hope people who get cremated aren't naked." Kenzo sighed, perhaps imagining a naked trek through the woods.

We examined our position as we traveled, eventually growing quiet. Our legs, minus Alex, got tired so when we found a stream to lead us to civilization we took the necessary hydration break hoping we didn't die.

After drinking my fill from my cupped hands, I found a place in the shade to sit.

A grim bit of fortune.

On the other side of the river came a grunting roaring beast of a bear. Maybe I would have been the one to die if I was simply the closest one.

I've never seen a regular bear before with my own eyes, but I was certain they didn't have blazing red eyes, streaks of red fur, and looked juiced on steroids.

My mind was abuzz with ideas I'd try and recommend to a tabletop party.

Kitting it around trees or rocks. Running and throwing rocks.

Unfortunately, the bear didn't let us roll initiative, or let me take my turn in combat.

It ran through the water. Alex shouted "Run!" I didn't want to get lost so I pushed myself up and began sprinting.

I could see Ji-Eun and Alex in front of me as my legs began to burn from the effort of running from the monster whose splashing steps became an earth rumbling charge.

I didn't turn as Anzu yelped then called "Kenzo, anyone!"

Ji-Eun grabbed Kenzo and stopped him from trying to save her, there was a short gruff roar and a woman's scream then wet ripping sounds.

I ran with those sounds burning in my mind until my own legs gave out and I heaved leaning on a tree. I might have thrown up but I guess I didn't have anything other than some gastric juices.

By the time I'd calmed down Kenzo had caught his breath and was staring back down the river while arguing with Ji-Eun.

Kenzo was adamant "Even if I couldn't save her, I wanted to try. You didn't have the right to stop me."

Ji-Eun grimaced while looking over to him "They probably didn't want you to commit suicide."

It was awkward.

I've seen party drama, but it feels disgraceful to call this argument that.

I didn't want to be a part of this and this forest seemed far from safe so instead of cutting in I ambled forward on shaky legs.

It was silent as death as we began to shuffle forward, afraid, grieving, and tired.