An older model car pulling a trailer pulled into Saint Agony’s Hospital parking lot. The suspicious mound covered by a tarp flapped in the wind. The occupants are barely visible from moment to moment as it drives under and past the overhanging light poles. Johann having at one point lost all control over his body is now able to move a few fingers, speak and slightly tilt his head. However this also comes with the price of feeling all the wounds his body has accumulated at this point. The repeated throb of the gash on his leg is extremely severe every time it acts up.
A checkpoint exists between the outer parking lot and the inner secure part of the hospital. This is where a security wall has been built to at least slow down monster in case of a freakish accident. Four guards are posted here to confirm all visitors. They become a little concerned when a suspicious looking auto pulling an odd trailer follows the road signs and approaches the check point.
They first point out the odd sight of it. Then become a little more concerned when they make out a number of shapes through the windows. And as the car makes the last turn in the round about the guards freeze when they see what amounts to 2 bone figures sitting on the driver side and passenger side. Between them is a fleshy body in the middle.
Guards on the outside of the fence take up offensive postures while relaying situational awareness to the guards inside the fence. The extra protection given by the walls of the guard shack give more opportunities to call for help if needed. The outer guards continue to give an Account of what they are seeing every few moments. As soon as the description is relayed the 2 inside the shack are able to alert hospital security in case of Heroic problems.
The car halts well before the fence and 2 guards are shouting orders at the car. Flanking the car on the left and right the guards move one at a time and close in on the car. But the only orders that were followed are the front windows being rolled down. A voice calls from inside beckoning for at least one guard to get close enough to speak to.
After a short but tense few moments pass one guard speaks over the radio.
“You guys are not going to believe this…. So apparently this guy is a hero… a necromancer to be exact… and ….”
The dispatcher interrupts the guard. “Wait WHAT? What did you say?”
“I said a Necromancer showed up over here at checkpoint B- off of Kennerly rd. His summons brought him to the hospital for medical care. Should I let him in?
Dispatch “What’s wrong with the Hero exactly?”
Guard “Well it seems like he’s bleeding, wounded, and paralyzed to some extent.”
Dispatch “We can’t ignore anyone with that status but this is going to be a problem if anyone in the church finds out. Isn’t there somewhere else he could go?”
Guard “ One moment….” Muffled speaking. “No he says it took everything just to get here.”
Dispatch “ok fine send him to rear entrance, but not the emergency room. Maybe we can keep this quiet for the time being. Over and out…..”
With a few directions Johann drives through the lines in the parking lot to find the entrance he was directed too. With only one glance he becomes more agitated. It looks closed with no one around and all the lights off. After trying to double check the entrance numbers a few people exit the doors that were once locked. Several security and a few medical staff look impatient at the lone car with the lights on.
To these on lookers it strikes them as a horror story when undead step out of the car and hoist up a small guy who for the most part has no mobility other than a tilt of the head. Everything he looks at the undead seem to respond. They turn off the car, the lights and close the doors and windows. And much like a funeral procession of undead they carry him as a group up to the waiting medical staff.
Almost like an undead his self his head flops forward and his eyes scan all the before speaking.
“It was a really bad fight… and if you can’t tell… I seriously need … some help here.. I promise these guys won’t hurt you… they’re all mine…”
With a breath they help him onto the gurney and start to roll him in but everyone stops when the skeletons start to follow.
“Sir, could you keep those out of the hospital? Please…”
Groaning from the throbbing pain Johann responds. “I could, but no … absolutely not. They are my help, tools, and guards. Those 3 must follow, but I’ll at least send the one that’s more dirty back to the car.”
The staff tries to argue the point but he absolutely refuses and blood continues to leak from the wound. So they give up and take him in.
The moment Johann completely relaxes his mind he decides to leave the rest up to the medical staff.
Several overlapping sounds ring out in his head.
Ding!!! WOOSH!!! Congratulations Hero, you …
Ding!!! WOOSH!!! Congratulations Hero, you …
Ding!!! WOOSH!!! Congratulations Hero, you ….
Ding!!! WOOSH!!! Congratulations Hero, you ….
He rubbed his head with the flood of information. After the noise he decided to open up the menus to see what’s going on.
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He was awarded for both completing the mission, and getting the Class Treasure. He gained extra xp, additional control undead skills and a new mission to choose his new reward after enabling the Class Ring.
However he was distracted when he was shaken and told to please fill out these forms. Also please submit your Hero’s identification with the forms for prompt service.
With a bucket full of aggravation he glares at the nurse while she holds out a clipboard and a small packet of paper pinned to it.
“ARE YOU PEOPLE SEROUS?” He exclaims.. “Does this look like I have time to waste? Does it look like I can move much on my own?”
A skeleton steps up next to him and lifts an arm only to drop it limply back down again.
The nurse puckers and frowns at the situation and the skeletons near him.
“You have to understand sir…. There are formalities that….”
Just then one skeleton grabs the clip board from her as Johann is helped to sit up by another.
The nurse jumps back in shock.
“Yea, yea I get it, piss off then if that’s all you have to say, I’ll figure it the fuck out.”
Johann groans again as the meat sticking out looses more blood from his movements.
He barely gets a few lines written on the clip board by using a skeleton to hold it up and write for him. But the fleshless fingers are slick and the pen keeps on escaping the grasp.
He gives up his focus on the board and opens back up the menu to see if he can do something faster with this instead.
The guards periodically walk by glancing in the room Johann was put in. They can only shake their head at such a spectacle.
After sifting to the new options he chooses to deal with the Class Ring right then and there. With a simple command the squirrel crawls out from Johanns coat and slaps down the ring next to his hand. The undead lift his hand and help put the ring on his pointer finger. As soon as it goes over his second knuckle the menu reacts.
He’s given several options with his Class Ring.
Behold The Ring of Control can now be activated. This ring was once an heirloom treasure to an unknown mafia boss. Under his rule many lived and died. But for the sake of control it was the final bait that lead to his own death. Now you inherited The Ring of Control, furthermore you may choose from the following abilities based on the rings history and your accomplishments. Once chosen you many not alter it.
* Control additional undead- Every good organization is made up of many members. You gain increased numbers at every level. You are a one man army.
* Control Great Undead- You are almost always more powerful than monstrously large undead. Control more Great Undead or Control one thing that is normally beyond your ability.
* Control Shape Undead – You inherited the ability for making and shaping the destiny of your minions. You can shape them into things that simply are unfathomable to most. You can combine many small into larger or one large into many smaller undead. The options are limitless.
* Absorb Life – You gain the secrets of absorbing life all around you for your own benefits. This works especially well with everything that is loyal or subservient to your will. Be it living or dead, all life is at your grasp. You heal when you take their life. You will be the last one standing. Warning: This is purely negative energy and it conflicts with positive energy.
Johann could only laugh hysterically while laying in the hospital bed. His eyes look at the many sheets that are still on the clip board and the half dozen lines he got filled out with the skeleton. It took almost no thought at all to consider the options. Not to mention the debt he would end up with if the medical treatments were expensive.
With just a thought he chose Absorb Life.
The oversized gold ring seemed to suck in trace shadows from the room as it resized to Johanns finger and it snugged up. The gold reshaped and bulged in places while others sank in. It looked like pulsing liquid gold for a few moments before stopping on one form. While still golden in color it was sinister in shape and design. It also seemed to shrink to a size Johann could appreciate. However it had faces and bones that seemed to wrap around his finger and coldness washed over Johann starting at the ring finger and circulating like his blood.
While a lot of feeling was coming back to his body in the form of pain he could feel something cold like the shadows in lightless areas seeping into his body. His heart beat at unusual rhythms and moments latter it stopped for just a moment. Johann groaned at the pain in his chest before his heart started to beat once more.
He reached out with his control and one of the 3 skeletons picked up his hand gentile like a beloved one. The life of the undead pulsed like a heartbeat. It felt like small waves of heat that washes out from a campfire only cold in temperature. If it weren’t for his body being numb he might not even feel it. But it was something he could definitely feel. Just then he tried to use Absorb Life. It was like doing a tug of war and the one opposing simply started to walk right into Johanns essence. It created a slight current in the air. The bones of the skeleton turned even paler in color and bit by bit turned to ash. Finally all that remained was a bit of scattered ash along Johanns bed side and hand.
Starting from where the skeleton was grasping Johanns flesh his body had drastically turned even more pale in complexion. Before this he was a light skinned Caucasian. but now his skin looked as if he suffered through a bloodletting treatment. The most obvious areas of this near alabaster color were around the wounds and the hand that was held by the skeleton.
After only one use he felt refreshed. Not healed, and not able to walk alone. But his body grew from numb to tingly all over. It felt like stepping from a hot tub into the cold of a snowy winter day. He could move his limbs but the sliced open meat on his leg that was not completely recovered. And most of the little lacerations were at least healed enough they stopped bleeding altogether. With this he could slowly rise from the gurney and take the top sheet from the clip board.
For several minutes he used the 2 remaining skeletons to clean the ash, and use his shirt to clean the blood off the gurney. After multiple trips the ash was dumped into the toilet, and the sink was rinsed of blood and debris. Thank for personal attached bathrooms. They’re good for something.
Johann figured with this there is no need to stay here if he could take the life of the monsters he left with the car. And at least humanoid skeletons are helpful to him as help. So he started to make his way back down the hall only to get stopped by one of the guards.
After several minutes of arguing Johann refused medical treatment, and said he’s going to take care of it himself. Also if there is no form then no account for him. So there was nothing the staff could do about it. In addition a few people were up in arms about one of the healers making a stink about monsters in the hospital. They were sure of it because they could feel it’s Un-deadly presence. So rather than bother with this situation they sent Johann away.
After getting back to his car Johann absorbed a couple of mole monsters and looked over his wounds. While his body still felt like he was road kill for a day he at least could function enough to get home with the remaining spoils. And with no further cost.
After a shower he could only dispare at his nearly alabaster skin and hair turning white in places. Either he is morbidly attractive or been scared half to death.
“Any time you can walk away with all your limbs intact is a good day … Right? “--- Johann