Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The Necro Wars Part 1: The Shadow Assassin



The man walked down the alley a worried look on his face he looked behind himself once before knocking on the door of his master’s office. When the door opened he had just begun to enter the building when a shadow dropped silently behind him and the glint of a blade was the last thing the man saw before he fell to the ground dead. The man who opened the door gasped and the last thing he saw was the proud face of an Eladrin before the knife entered his heart. The Eladrin stepped over the bodies and entered the room.
The men in the room didn't stand any more of a chance than the two men at the entrance. As knives flew and people fell the leader of the spies a Tiefling with long curly horns managed to get a strike in before he was struck down by the assassin’s endless supply of knives. Before the Eladrin left he collected all his enemies’ weapons and his knives and put them in his magical bag that it can hold an unlimited number of items. As he was collecting the weapons a dwarf with an ax charged into the room, the Eladrin drew a special knife from a sheath on his waist and tossed the blade and it connected the dwarf disappeared with a flash. The Eladrin picked up the knife by the jewel encrusted hilt one of the three jewels were glowing it was a special knife known as a trapper blade. The Eladrin quickly left the building started heading back to his friends. The whole encounter had lasted no longer than three minutes and there had been fifteen spies.
***
The Eladrins' name was Aramail Snowstreak. He was also extremely young only a hundred and one. Last year he had become an adult and he was a master assassin by human standards and formidable by Eladrin standards. He was part of a special organization in the Alvastian government. It was known as the Dark Fang and it only had twenty members. Aramail‘s friends were a team he had specially picked for his missions and they had bonded over time. The holy knight Draxus Lightningslayer, a blue Dragonborn with golden eyes and blades in special sheaths attached to his wrists. The striker Airahill Leafstorm an elf with long dark hair and a scimitar at his waist; there was also Morgarn Flintcutter a Dwarven soldier with fiery red hair and always had a bright smile on his face. Then there Draco Strange, and Akta Runeater. Draco was a human Mage who had infernal powers, and Akta was a female Elf who was a member of the mysterious group I produttori amuleto which was elvish for talisman maker.
I produttori amuleto had to train their members at really young ages because of the danger of their jobs. To enchant items, they must master the art of summon demons and sealing them into the items they enchant giving the items unbelievable powers. Akta was rather young. Elves were like Eladrin they didn't reach adulthood till their hundreds Akta was forty in human age. So she was about eight in elvish standards she had been training for twenty-five years. She just adored Aramail who she saw as her big brother probably because when she was fifteen he had saved her after her family was slaughtered by goblins raiders. Aramail who had been tracking the goblins got there just in time to save Akta he had taken her to the king so he could her make sure she had a home, by then she was certain that Aramail was her big brother. The I produttori amuleto let her join their ranks with a promise from Aramail that when she was better trained she could come along on adventures with him. About twenty years later she had started coming along with Aramail team and she was a great teammate she supplied the team with custom made magic items for Draxus that meant lightning and thunder katars, for Morgarn it was an ax that burst into flames on command, Airahill got a trapper bow with special arrows. And Aramail got his special bag.
The final member of the group was an Eladrin woman named Genda Flamesender she was Aramail student. All Eladrin are born special powers that made them different from the rest of the races. Genda’s power was powerful even among Eladrin she could control and summon flames. Aramail was that he could control and fade into shadows and teleport through the world between the shadows arriving wherever he wants almost instantly a power that was extremely rare among Eladrin because it was power usually used by creatures of the Forcos not the Naturalesa.
***
After a day of travel the group managed to get home to Vetalia the capital city of Alavastia the group announced themselves at the castle and entered. Aramail and Genda went directly to the king's court Akta of course followed her big brother while the rest went to the kitchens and permanently reserved rooms the dark fang was allowed to see the king whenever they returned unless he was in counsel but the guards had told Aramail that the king would be able to see him when they wanted.
When Aramail entered he bowed and the king told him to get up. When Aramail got up the king frowned and said "Aramail how often do I need to tell you not to bow you most of all you were one of the people who protected me while I battled the red dragon flare.”
“Even though that is true I still must bow before you out of respect for a great warrior and a fair king.” said Aramail a smile on his pale face.
“Oh well but this argument is not over yet I have a new assignment. We have lost contact with the blizzard keep.”
“What how is that possible the keep’s garrison is the blizzard regiment led by Adrik Rocksplitter. That old dwarf would keep regular updates even if he's on his death bed.”
The blizzard keep was named as such because it blocked the road into the city of Nesata and during winter it was impossible to attack the fort and travel to the city because from the fort to the city it was a two days travel for a small group but for an army it would take several days of forced marching and the supply lines would not be able to get through. Then they would have to deal with the strong walls and the first legion also known as the flame legion led by one of the twelve flames. The Dragonborn paladin Ghesh Redscale who was known as the, Flame Titan, and no attacks from the sea would work because the Alvastian first fleet was posted there, it was Alavastia’s biggest sea port.
I’m sending two teams to go check on the fort, it's been dark for over two weeks, I want the two teams to scout out the fort
“Two teams, then whose leading the second team?”
“Daran Wolvesbane and his team are going also I just needed a second team.”
“No not him anyone but him don’t make me work with him.”
Daran Wolvesbane also known as the, Angel of death, was the most arrogant person he had ever met. A half-elf with unnatural killing skills he was known to take bounty hunting jobs on the side because of this he was the most well-known of all the assassins in the Alavastia kingdom.
“I’m sorry but he was the most skilled one who was available at the time then I learned you were back I decided to send you, and just so you know you're in charge of this mission.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
***
After five days of traveling Aramail and Daran were ready to kill each other; Daran refused to acknowledge Aramail as the one in charge of the mission. And Aramail just was tired of Daran’s back talk.
“You want to see who really should be in charge then let's see who the better fighter the one who’s alive at the end” said Daran pulling his scythe off his back and flicking it open.
“You really want to do this Daran” asked Aramail pulling two knives from sheaths on his waist these knives were different from the ones he usually used. The one in his left hand was long and dangerous looking, the blade was barbed and it seemed to put off an air of hatred and hunger. While the blade in his right hand was the exact opposite it was short and perfectly balanced for throwing and it was beautiful with an air of mystery they were like night and day. Even the fearless Daran backed away when he saw those blades he could tell that one cut from those blades would be fatal.
“I guess even the angel of death is afraid of the blades Sterben and Seele.” Said Aramail as he put the blades back into their sheaths.
“What are those blades, where did you get them?”
“That’s for me to know and no one to find out.”
After that confrontation Daran was the picture of good behavior and gave Aramail no more problems.
***
A day after the incident they came into sight of the keep and there was something wrong. The standard of the blizzard regiment and the flag of Alavastia were no longer flying. The keep had been attacked and it seemed the blizzard regiment no longer held the keep.
Daran decided his team would enter the keep and try to find out what happened. Aramail tried to stop him but they wouldn’t budge on this issue Aramail’s team decided to stay while Aramail went to Neesata to try and get some help or at least information.
Soon Akta was pouting because she wanted to come along with him. But Aramail was the only one with the ability to teleport, to move through the shadows that connected the world to the Forcos, the world that lies on the edge of this world, a world that is ruled by the undead and terrible creatures that could shatter the fragile balance of life and death that exists in Falistia thus Aramail rarely passes through shadows. He doesn’t mind hiding in them but he tries to refrain from passing into the Forcos because something could follow him if he’s not careful. Aramail stood at the edge of the shadow he had chosen and stood balanced as if he was about to jump into a deep hole. He took a deep breath and stepped into the shadows.
He landed in a world of shadows and energy; he quickly pulled the shadows into himself and made himself a form. As soon as he had finished forging his shadow body he began running towards the door that had been revealed. He ran as fast as his shadowy form would allow without reaching its breaking point. He passed through the door and found himself in a city, the smell of the sea in the air revealed where he was. He had managed to get into Neesata, Alavastia’s biggest seaport unseen by the creatures of the shadows at least he hoped.
He stepped out of the shadows and began walking to the nearest inn if he was to get information that would be the best place. When he entered the Dragon’s tear the first thing he noticed was the smell of thyme, rosemary and the clinking of utensils on plates.
He noticed the bar was almost full even though it was early afternoon. Aramail took a seat near some soldiers and waited for the server.
The waitress came up to him to see what he wanted he ordered a big meal because passing through shadows burned more energy than a big battle. He ordered spiced potatoes, beef stew with a small loaf of bread and half a cheery pie and to finish it off he had a mug of hot apple cider. While he ate he listened to the soldiers.
Did you hear that General Redscale is sending another team to check the Blizzard keep because apparently we’ve lost contact with the last team we sent? This time the one leading this team will be captain Cloudslasher and there will be a lot of troops in this group.” explained the human soldier a sergeant by the marking that were emblazoned on his uniform
“Where could I find this Captain Cloudslasher?” Aramail asked, turning as he finished his last piece of pie.
“Who are you” asked the Dwarven soldier as he reached for his weapon the double-bladed ax that was leaning against his chair.
“Aramail Snowstreak I’m head of a special team who answers directly to the king, here are my orders.”As he says this he pulled a small scroll out of the secret compartment in his bracelet that was on his right arm.
The human soldier took it and opened it, he quickly read it and then saw the Quickflame crest, two swords crossed over a flame.
So what rank would you beasked the dwarf the ax resting in his hands.
“According to the scroll” answered the human “he’s a colonel and he’s been sent to investigate the keep and why it’s gone dark and we are to give him all the help he needs,”
“What can we do to help?” asked dwarf the setting the ax down.
Just tell me who this Captain Cloudslasher is and where I can find him.”
“You haven’t heard of Brandis Cloudslasher? He’s a master of the dual blade fighting style known as, Zephyr, and is second in command to General Redscale,” Explained the sergeant as he handed over the document.
The “Zephyr” style that’s interesting.” Mused Aramail out loud.
“He would be in the guard towers on the west wall if you want we can show you the way sir” said the human sergeant.
“No, I can handle it” answered Aramail his mind still half pondering the implications of what might happen if Brandis and him got into a fight. Zephyr, allowed the user to achieve complete calm in battle the opposite of the killing daze that sometimes overcame Aramail.
***
As Aramail entered the tower he kept his hands on his knives so in case Brandis thought he was an enemy, even though he had been let in because of his papers. unfortunately they were fake the king in would never in his right mind give him papers because his missions top secret. Because he was member of the Dark Fang he was only known about by only the highest ranking members of the military such as the twelve flames. But the king didn’t care if Aramail used his forging tools to make a copy of the seal of the royal family for his own use. The one downside was a high ranking member of the military like Captain Cloudslasher might realize it was a forgery. Of course if the Ghesh was there it wouldn't be a problem because he would know who he is.
As soon as Aramail entered the command center he saw a human and a Dragonborn. The human deeply tanned skin with blue eyes on his back were two swords crossed. While the Dragonborn was a bright red with a great sword strapped to his back and plate armor covering his chest.
Who are you” asked the Dragonborn who was obviously General Redscale, Aramail quickly sheathed his knives and held up his hands showing he was not a threat which wasn't totally true because he was just as skilled in unarmed combat as he was with weapons. So he was confident he would be able to protect himself even without his blades but he was hoping it wouldn’t come down to that.
“My name is Aramail Snowstreak you might recognize my call sign, The Shadow Assassin, I am a member of the dark fang. I have come to help with the blizzard keep under the orders of Thandol Quickflame.”
“Really how do we know you’re here to help” asked Brandis as he started to draw his blades but Ghesh stopped him with a wave of his hand.
“What do you need” asked Ghesh the fire in his eyes dying a little.
I need you to wait three days before you march to the blizzard keep. My team will see what the problem is and if comes down we will retake the keep.”
“Okay we will wait, I know your reputation so I know if your on the case it must be very serious.”
Thank you.” said Aramail as he faded into the shadows and disappeared.
***
One more trip through the Forcos this time complete with a wrestling match with a zombie. As he exited the shadows in the woods outside the blizzard keep he had to suppress a shiver as he enter the sunlight even though he normally didn’t feel the cold because of his shadowy powers he could stand on an iceberg and not feel cold but the Forcos was different it was a chill that entered the soul then he sensed something very close to that aura it was the chill of the undead and it was coming from the blizzard keep but before he could process this information he had to suffer a flying elf child as Akta tackled him with a hug she may be little but she was strong and knew how to knock Aramail off his feet especially when he has just stepped out of the shadows he fell down right on his butt, with Akta hanging around his neck like a necklace.
The rest of the group hearing laughter left the makeshift campsite and gathered around Aramail as he got up and set her down on the ground. Aramail quickly explained what had happened at Neesata as he was finishing he noticed that Daran team wasn’t there.
Where’s Daran and his team” asked Aramail a worried look blooming on his face.
They entered the keep” Explained Morgarnwe tried to stop them but we had no choice in the matter they pushed past us after threatening a fight.”
“It’s all right we’ll going to have to rescue them when we enter the keep tonight. But I can feel something from the keep, a chill similar to the the Forcos” Declared Aramail.
***
That night Aramail’s team entered the keep through the broken front gate weapons at the ready what they saw made them stop short and stare in horror it was what looked like a battle field but the two sides were completely different. One side were the soldiers of Alavastia who had been killed and were mounted on sharpened stakes the shafts piercing their chest where their hearts were.
The other side was an army of undead humanoids and wolf undead; the wolves were known as Ulve. But what could have raised this army, it would take at least ten necromancers to control these many undead but there shouldn’t have been ten necromancers left in the country because the necromancers had united and declared war on Alavastia years ago. The chimeras, paladins, strikers, and guardsmen of Alavastia had banded together and slaughtered their armies. The necromancers had no chance and once they were defeated they committed suicide rather then get taken alive.
As they traveled through the keep they kept seeing the signs of the recent slaughter the soldiers had gone down fighting and had taken quite an amount of the undead from what they saw it looked like the zombies had outnumbered them ten to one but the soldiers had still held their own.
Suddenly Aramail heard the sounds of battle they ran towards the sound and there they found what remained of Daran’s team. Daran was still alive but injured really badly. Despite the injuries he was still battling a Tiefling with two curved blades. He weaved beneath Daran scythe and cut him from neck to waist in two diagonal slashes. Daran fell as he dropped his weapon his mouth open as he coughed up blood.
The Tiefling turned around and noticed Aramail and his friends he smiled and raised his hands and declared “hello are you friends of those weaklings that I just finished off hopefully you will be more of a challenge, but either way you will be nothing more than a few new corpses for my army. Rise my slaves and slaughter your friends!” he raised his arms and the bodies of Daran and his team stood up and picked up their weapons and charged Aramail and his friends luckily there was only four of the undead and six of the living. Airahill drew his scimitar and charged the Daran. Morgarn pulled his Axe out of its sheath and took on the other human while Draxus and Genda stood back to back and took on two elves. This left Aramail Akta to take on the Tiefling.
Akta I need you summon your familiar and hide, have him protect you while we take on these guys understand?” said Aramail a calming smile on his face, Akta nodded and ran down the hall chanting while she ran.
“So, you will be fighting me I guess since there is no one else who is able to fight me.” Aramail turned and noticed that the Tiefling had walked up behind him a smile on his face. “My name is Andain Hellflame and you are?” He said this as he tilted his head,
“I am Aramail Snowstreak the shadow assassin” replied Aramail drawing the knives Seele and Sterben and ran at Andain. The blades crossed as he blocked the slashing sickles, each knife blocking a sickle at an angle that allowed them to get leverage and stop their descent.
Andain Smirks as he says. “Oh, someone who actually knows how to fight. Those friends of yours were quite weak, I mean really that man called himself The Angel of Death, I don’t think he even knew how to wield that scythe." As he says this he kicks Aramail back and jumps back himself.
Aramail takes a stance with one knife held in front of his chest vertically, while the other is held horizontally in front of his stomach. Andain held his blades in a mirrored position. With his left hand guarding his chest and his right guarding the stomach. They circled each other slowly, while chaos went on all around them. Aramail grinned as he lunged forward quickly, reaching he enemy slashing his blades clashing against the Tiefling's sickles, getting inside the curves and pushing back. Aramail was stronger than he looked, what his enemy couldn’t see was the shadows that were running along his body under his clothes supporting his body and giving increased strength.
Andain grunted "your stronger then you look." He begins to try and push Aramail back trying to get the knives out of the way of his sickles. Aramail kept pushing forward before disengaging and then flipping and around swinging his left leg at his knocking the sickles away and then quickly tossing Seele at his face. Andain moved his face quickly just barely dodging the knife and then jumping backwards quickly.
Andain glares at Aramail and says "your pretty dam quick, never actually met someone this skilled." Andain grins widely, you'll definitely make a good soldier for our army, because you will no longer be able to block my attacks with just one knife.
***
Akta ran down the hallway, carrying a small dagger and being followed by a silver panther named, Jax. She stopped at the corner and peered around carefully, it had been three minutes since she ran from the fight under Aramail's orders, and she needed to find a place to hide because the halls were infested with the undead. As she peered down the hallway she noticed a room, the first she had seen. She would hide in there for a few minutes while she thought of her next move.
She opens the door slowly and looks around, the coast seemed clear so she slid in and ushered Jax into the room before closing the door. The room was weird, it looked like it used to be a storage room, it appeared to be used for spare weapons. But now the walls were covered with symbols that made Akta's stomach upset just by looking at them. Akta pulled out a small notebook and quickly copied the symbols into it.
Once she finished copying them down she moves deeper into the room, there she finds an ominous altar. The altar had once been dedicated to the god Hastios, god of the sun and enemy of the undead. It had been desecrated and corrupted, the symbols Akta had seen on the wall surrounded the altar along with what looked like intestines and organs were draped over the altar like disgusting clothing. Where the medallion of Hastios would be found was a very different necklace, decorated with some crossbones beneath a goat skull.
Akta reaches out her hand and as she mutters a small spell, as the spell is finished the emblem begin to glow a sickly green. "so, it's enchanted and with such a disgusting spell. Could this be giving the undead in the fort power?" She signals for Nightshade to watch the door as she explores the room looking for a hint as to what is going on with this room. After several minutes of searching she finds what looks to be a desk with a magic lamp sitting on it lighting a small notebook. She holds her hand over the book for a moment to see if there are any spells cast on the notebook. When it doesn’t glow, she picks it up slowly and exams the book as she looks at the pages she quickly realizes it's coded pretty heavily expect for the first page where it has a drawing of the emblem with the words under it. "Cora the lord of the undead, the land of Alavastia will drown under the tides of their own undead citizens"
Akta looks at the altar "so, it's an altar to Cora huh, then I must purify it or else all the dead in the area will just keep reviving." As she says that to herself, she begins to move over to the altar to begin the process.
***
Aramail struggled to block a barrage of blows from the Necromancers sickles, he already had a lot of small cuts all over his body from where his defenses had failed. He flipped back as the necromancer charged him knocking one of his blades out of his hand with his right boot. As he lands on one hand he pivots on it so that his legs spun like a windmill knocking the second blade out of his opponent's hand before pushing off with his hand landing softly back of his feet.
Andain smirks "it’s a shame that the undead don’t have the skill they did in life, if they did then you would be a prize beyond belief. But even so you'll still be a strong soldier." With a flick of his wrists two long curved knives fall from his sleeves and into his palms as he charges again his arms a blur as he rains a flurry of blows onto Aramail.
The Eladrin swears under his breathe "god dam, how long does it take to get in position." He steps back and his foot lands on something the rolls away, making him fall on his butt taking the breath out of him. Andain lunges forward with his blades slashing in a diagonal cross shape when the blades stop as he gasps. He looks down to his chest where the blade that Aramail had thrown jutted through his chest, the knives drop from his grasp as he turns his head to see who stabbed him. Standing behind the necromancer wielding the knife was a shadow, the shadow pulled the knife out of Andain allowing him to crumple to the ground. The Tiefling looked at the Eladrin as he stood up noticing that Aramail didn’t have a shadow anymore.
Andain coughs blood and says. "It was your shadow, that’s why you threw the knife at me even through there was the chance I would dodge it. You set up a trap, that was beautifully done." The shadow shook the blood off the knife as it walked back up to Aramail and handed it back to him before melting into the ground rejoining its owner.
Aramail spoke up as he looked down at his enemy. "As you probably know, each Eladrin has a power. Some can stretch their bodies like rubber, others can speak to animals and plants. Some like Genda can control an element. But out of all the Eladrin's I am extremely unique, I can control shadows. This doesn’t just extend to my own shadow I can also move through the world of shadows, those aren't my only abilities but I won't go into them now that your dying.
The Necromancer glared at him and said. “Enjoy this small victory today. Because soon, you will see what true fear is as you are swallowed under a tide of never ending undead.”
Andain let out one last breath as Aramail speaks, the moment he dies from his wound a patch begins to spread almost like the color is being drained from his body. Soon its finished and the body crumples to dust. As his body crumbles to dust the corpses that his friends had been fighting fell to the ground like grisly puppets with their strings cut.
The moment that happens Draco and Airahill fall to the ground panting, even though they were trained warriors, that was a hard fight especially since they knew the two they were fighting. Draxus leaned over and helped them both up allowing them to lean on him. He helped them climb the stairs as the rest of the group followed, when they reached the surface they looked around at the corpses now understanding exactly what happened.
Genda frowns as she mutters. "I thought the necromancers were killed in the last war, but it seems one survived. But for him to attack a fort all on his own and to control that many undead. It's unheard of that level of power is insane."
Draco shakes his head and speaks up. "He didn’t show any strain at controlling those ghouls, not to mention he didn’t seem distracted by having to control those corpses. It's possible that he used some kind of magic item to control them and keep them from straining his mind so he could make more maybe?"
As they spoke about this something comes flying from the tunnel and tackles Aramail knocking him to the ground. "Big Brother Aramail, I found something really neat!" She gets up and holds up a notebook with cryptic symbols on the cover. "I found this in what in a storage room near a very odd altar, it used to be a portable altar to Hastios but it had been desecrated and corrupted, and it had been converted to an altar of Cora and it was releasing an aura. The aura was turning all the dead in the area into undead monsters. I purified the core of the altar so that its aura would die."
Draco's eyes widen and he gasps. "that would explain why Andain was able to revive them without having to focus on channeling energy to them, it also explains why he was able to give such a hard time while we were having to fight those ghouls."
Aramail looks through the book and says "its heavily coded, useful things I can make out is the drawing and the words under it. We need to take this back to the capital, it might have some useful information to for the future. But first we need to cremate the dead so that they don't have to go through that ever again. Genda do you mind using your powers to make a funeral pyre?"
Genda nods as she ignites her hand. "Gather the wood and we can give them a warrior's send off."
A few hours after the funeral they stood on the walls of the fort looking out. They had already risen the flag and the night was coming. As they stood there watching the sun set they all felt that this was not the end, but just the beginning of something big. They all hoped that no matter what it was that they would be able to weather the coming storm.
***
In a dark room sat a round table with an ornate candelabra sitting on it. Around the table were seven figures sitting in the darkness. All that could be seen of the figures was their eyes and their outlines, as they sat there, one of the candles went out. That is when the shadow with green eyes spoke up.
“It appears that Andain has failed us, not only has his life disappeared but I can no longer even sense his soul.”
In response the shadow with the light blue eyes that saw nothing said. “I was not aware that there were still warriors who could perform such a feat as to sever the connection of the soul to this world.”
The red eyes scoffed. “I doubt that is what happened, most likely that fool used his forbidden spell. We know that there are still strong warriors in the country, that is why we desire it so much.”
Green eyes laughs. “Good point, I doubt we have much to fear through, for now we will allow our subordinates to handle the plan. If it does come down to it we can enter the fray and show them what true fear is.
As the conversation ends the light starts to fade from the room. Almost as if the light from the candles that were still lit was being consumed by the darkness around it. As it fades one last sound is heard. “Now let us see how long the forces of this country can hold out against the darkness we bring.” With those words the room becomes completely dark.
To Be Continued.




(feel free to leave a comment on anything other then my grammar. I already know it's bad but i just write these for fun :3 if you like it please tell me)

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so i've decided to start posting stories on here again just to give me more motivation. But i dont have an editor so people who read them please forgive me for my bad grammar *bows head in apology* i also plan to start posting D&D stuff for 4th edition including tokens and modules :3