(Nefar The Hate Fueled Boss Level 39)
Meazels are truly one of the most volatile, unruly, and negative species still surviving in this day and age. Upon birth a meazel will look upon the world with disgust and hatred, their wretched species never knowing positive emotions and true joy unless its at the expense of those around them. They prefer to avoid all other sentient species including other meazels, most often found living solitary lives far from civilization. They will rarely group together to fight against more dangerous threats but even during times of peril they are untrusting, suspicious, and backstabbing. Rarely will a meazel become a minion of another being but when it does happen the results of the deal are always in the benefit of the meazel, and the deal is only active until it no longer benefits them. Nefar is much like the rest of his race except his hatred of this world burns hotter and brighter than his brethren. When his territory was encroached by the master he fought and fought well. His tamed beasts were fierce, his elementals unhalting, and he himself powerful enough to impress even the master, impressed enough to offer Nefar mercy and a deal if he would serve.
The meazel smiles with a vast amount of hate as the plant life surges forward, the vines and flowers turning into various forms of beastial creatures as thumps approach from the shadowed recesses of the room. Several towering figures lumber forward, their bodies all humanoid but much taller with straight angles as the stony elementals lumber forward with an air of menace. Watching the meazel, I notice him lazily twitching his fingers, as each digit moves an elemental moves with it as if being directed. Watching closely I notice how only the stone elementals seem to follow his control while the plant based elementals attack our zombified minions with a beastial intensity. Scanning the creatures I smile at the information before dashing into the fray, leaving Gorm to hide behind our undead shields.
(Greater Boulder Elemental Level 25)
Greater Elementals from the plane of earth, these beings are semi sentient and harbor extreme defense at the cost of offensive skills. Although they have thought they require a greater being than themselves to give them orders. They have no true emotions as of yet but with enough care and experience they can evolve into a myriad of fully sentient forms that adapt to their original commanders thought process and actions.
(Vine Beast Level 31)
A higher form of elemental from the plane of nature, these creatures are kept as pets and guard beasts of sacred area's or forbidden lairs. They start as a small pod that latches onto a a passing creature but like bramble. After several days they bloom and reveal themselves by consuming their host and taking on a thorny parody of that creature. Once they have taken a form they can no longer change or evolve and are drawn back to their original place of growth to defend and eventually seed the land to create more of its kind.
Charging forward I slide under a taller vine beast, my scimitar held above me as the blade pierces its chest and slides through its chest until releasing out its hind quarters, a splash of acidic goo and desiccated flesh falling from its now opened stomach as the beast takes several steps forward before collapsing soundlessly. Nodding I rush towards another approaching beast, this one resembling a weasel with a scorpions tail, and thrust out my blade while activating fluid strikes. Letting my skill do the work I rush forward and cast Psychic jolt at an approaching boulder elemental and watch as the creature spasms before falling to the ground, its sharp angled body shattering into loose rubble as the link between Nefar and its barely functional mind is snapped by the mental assault.
"Knew it! If it needs commands and has thought I can cut that link with a jolt! Hell yea, I'm coming for you dude!" I snark as Nefar's eyes snap from me to the felled elemental, a look of shock and rage on his face before he motions for the remaining boulder elementals to attack me en masse. As the approaching group charges towards me I watch in horror as they trample over several of the vine beasts as well as one of the skeletal minions that was sneaking up on a separated beast, the snarls and rustles from decimated creatures filling the room as the zombified crab folk charge towards them and begin dispatching the creatures.
"Idiot beings! NO! DO NOT TRAMPLE THE BEASTS!!! Gods damnit idiot elemental dolts, have to do everything my damn self of course!" Screams Nefar before he points at one of the larger zombies before his finger glows black and a beam of caustic magic shoots across the room and through the zombies skull, the undead falling to the ground before the inky black hole in its skull bubbles and begins spreading across its corpse like a sentient acid. Casting another jolt at one of the elementals crashing towards me I smile as it hits a larger one, its body falling onto one behind it as both fall to the ground.
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"Gorm focus the meazel! We got this!" I shout as I run past the ghoul, his elongated mouth smiling nastily as he points at the lanky form of Nefar. Letting out a low chuckle the remaining undead begin to charge towards the meazel, their claws out and caustic blood and drool flying through the air before they're each blasted to pieces by the aggravated Nefar. As the meazel begins to cast towards Gorm I rush past him, my blade grazing his ribs as he turns to redirect his attack towards me but stops as I glance back with a sadistic smile.
"Battle field awareness dude!" I laugh as his face turns pale and he turns to a boulder elementals leg slamming into his chest as the remaining three trample their would be commander before each freezes in place and falls into a pile. Walking over their bodies I motion Gorm to stand back as I approach the now broken body of Nefar, his once hunched and gangly form now battered and broken one the floor. Standing over him I can see his chest still barely moving but slowing, most likely due to the several ribs now puncturing his chest. One leg is completely severed, the flesh flattened and pasted to the ground while a sharpened bone is protruding from one elbow. The other arm is barely held by a thread of skin and flesh while his face is now a shattered lump of raw flesh and blood.\
"I....just wanted....to be lef.....alonee.." Mutters Nefar, his voice filled with pain and barely able to be heard from his broken face as he lets out a final death rattle before going still.
Motioning for Gorm to approach we both look down at the dead creature, our eyes hard as we both get to work on what we came here to do. I activate Harvest first to attempt to get more information but it sadly fails. Afterwards I cast Absorb on the body and watch while a golden tether shoots from my chest to the corpse before new knowledge enters my mind. As the new spell etches itself to me I nod to Gorm as the ghoul begins to paint a complicated ritual with Nefar's corpse in the center, his hands reaching for the discarded remains of both his undead as well as the elementals to add to the rituals strength. Watching the ghoul work I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and dash towards the entranceway, my body blocking the way to the necromancer and his work as the forms of Yo and Gulag freeze in front of me before smiling.
"You did it! As soon as the commander fell here every one of his elementals were banished back to their original planes of existence. We've already begun gathering up the people here and getting them ready to travel but when you didn't come right out we worried. Lets see this loathsome trash then." Gulag says happily as Yo sniffs the air gently before making a face, his nose scrunching in disgust as he growls.
"I smell death magic, its weak but here. Move aside Noortain and I will cleanse this abominable smell." Yo says as his stomach lets out a hungry gurgle and he frowns in annoyance.
"Can't do that guys, I have a comrade in there taking what's his. Was part of our deal to work together and I hope to recruit him so no entry until he's done, got it?" I say with a smile but firm my stance in front of the entrance, both creatures faces looking at me curiously before a blast of magic escapes the room and a yell that its safe now is heard.
Entering the room cautiously I hear a gasp from behind me as the three of us look at the spectral form of Nefar, his body glowing an ethereal blue, insubstantial, and his eyes a milky white as he stands motionlessly beside Gorm as he walks around the back of the grabbing random things and shoving them into his satchel. I hear weapons unlatch behind me before moving forwards while motioning behind me to stand down.
"Gorm, what's all this then? I thought you just wanted his corpse for the future not for whatever you did to him?" I ask as the ghoul turns to me and smiles, his eyes excited yet exhausted as I notice his skin being much paler than earlier.
"After seeing his summoning abilities it would have been a waste, so used a ritual. Turned him into a specter and bound him to my staff. Now I have control of his abilities and he can grow with me. But exhausted my mana and my body, I need food and rest plus your friends don't seem to like me. So you mentioned a safe haven for my ilk, lets have it." Gorm explains in a whisper as he stumbles forward and lands in my arms, his chest rising and falling gently as the ghoul finally passes out and I read the prompt.
{Apprentice Necromancer Gorm has decided to pledge himself to the idea of freedom. As such he has offered to become your vassal and to bring all his undead hobbies with him! Congrats, better call of your buddies!}
As I look behind us I see Gulag and Yo both looking from our duo to the still motionless specter of Nefar, fear and distrust in their eyes as I begin to explain.