The Price of Knowledge

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Chroma-Matic
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 8:06 pm

The Price of Knowledge

Post by Chroma-Matic » Sun May 27, 2018 6:27 am

Zar-Talis has always been obsessed with the accumulation of knowledge. Not just everyday knowledge however, but obsessed with accumulating Arcane knowledge. There wasn't much else he could do but to sharpen his mind-his build and stature is that of an average male by human standards. Pale skin and dulled silver hair, he is hardly a figure of intimidation. Thanks to the Elven side of his heritage however, he was able to pick up the arcane arts quite well, even for an amateur such as himself. Any opportunity to expand his knowledge of the arcane and his skill that presents itself will be met with his persistent desire. After all, "Knowledge is Power..." he always says to himself.

Today, Zar-Talis will make a choice and start down a path he may never return from.

"A Lich?! Hiding deep within the Cordor crypts?" Zar-Talis think to himself as he walks down the path leading from The Nomad to the market square of the Northern Outskirts of Cordor. "What untold secrets and arcane knowledge could such a being possess? Especially one that has found a way to extend it's own life! Why, with that kind of power, one could become powerful enough to-" his train of thought is cutoff as he wanders into what seems to be some faire currently happening, a trading faire. There are adventurers and merchants alike crowding the merchant square. Zar-Talis did not have the time for this, he was in search of somebody who can-and suddenly he spots a perfect candidate: a hin he once traveled with, named Iggy.

Zar-Talis approaches Iggy and pokes the hin with the bottom of his staff. "Oi!" The hin cries out, startling and whirling around to look at Zar-Talis. "Oh, it's you. How've you been mate?" Always seeming to be in chipper mood, how exhausting. "Yes, yes, hello and all that," having to engage in pleasantries, "Tell me Iggy, are you well adept at picking locks and disabling traps?" Zar-Talis asks, his speaking voice in a hushed tone as usual. "Ye, I'm pretty good. Not the best, but the worst either. Pretty good." Zar-Talis rolls his eyes slightly, then bends lower so that his golden eyes meets the halfling's and continue to speak now in a whisper: "I need your skills to assist me. I am going to the Cordor Crypts to complete a writ, and there's no telling what kind of locks and traps there could be. Are you up for that?" Iggy ponders a bit but perks up and replies "Ye, sounds like fun. I'll sign on to the writ as well then!" Zar-Talis stands slowly, his eyes still locked with the hins doing so and simply replies with "Gooood..."

The companions make their way to the Cordor graveyard. Just before they enter the crypt, Zar-Talis utters arcane words to bring forth a monstrously large spider to his side, along with a panther revealing itself from the shadows. Zar-Talis then takes the proper measures and calls upon various wards for his minions, including Iggy, if Zar-Talis was to find anything useful he could learn from the Lich master he would need to stay alive long enough to do so. "Magic is scary..." Iggy says as he looks his arm up and down with the various enchantments. "Hmhmhm...just stay behind my minions. They will make short work of any enemies we encounter. I need you alive long enough to pick locks and disable any traps we may find." Zar-Talis was correct in making that statement. His minions indeed made short work of the weak cultists the party encountered in the first two floors of the crypt. Upon entering the third level however is when Zar-Talis experiences true hoardes of undead that he was anticipating.

"What interesting creations these are!" Zar-Talis thinks to himself as he observes his dire spider and feline predator battle and destroy various forms of undead-Skeletons of various classes, Mummies both "ordinary" and greater, Zombies, and even Mohrgs: strange undead skeletons with intestines and a clawed tentacle leading from the intestines up the neck and out the mouth. These creatures would be much more terrifying if he wasn't so interested in learning more about them, taking out a small journal and taking notes on these creatures as his minions, and Iggy, fight and finish the undead creatures off. Iggy seems content with looting any valuables he can spot, such trivial items dont matter to Zar-Talis, he is after something much richer after all, "Anything insightful about the lich and his powers that I can learn of is all the treasure I need..."

After countless hours of fighting and delving deeper into the crypts yet, the companions enter a dark and very large chamber with a narrow bridge connecting the very large cavern like chamber from one side to the other. As Zar-Talis and his minions take the first step on the bridge, a sudden thundering and dark voice echoes throughout the cavern: "WHAT? WHO DARES INTRUDE THE CHAMBERS OF THE MASTER?!" Zar-Talis is frozen, listening to the thunderous voice. After a moment he calls out: "I am Zar-Talis! I am here to challenge you-Master of the Crypt! Your minions have all fallen to me, I expected more of a challenge from you, these minions are all weaklings compared to my power! Perhaps you shall fare better..." After the challange was issued, there was a brief pause. Then, the thundering echo of The Master's voice is heard again: "SO, YOU HAVE COME FOR ME AS WELL...THEN SO BE IT!" With that reply, a hoard of undead appeared between The Master's chamber and the path leading to it. After much fighting, done by Zar-Talis's minions of course, the chamber of The Master was within reach. "His chambers! I can feel the arcane power resonating within my reach! I will find-" and with that last thought, Zar-Talis steps on an unseen trap. He grabs his chest and begins to cough, his breath-no his very life force has been drained! He has never felt something like this in his life! "N-no, matter...I must...reach..." Iggy then pulls Zar-Talis up to the door, the hin sidestepping around Zar-Talis and the trap. With Spider and pnather in tow, they were about to face The Master.

It all happened so quickly. The chamber door blasted open, skeleton and zombie warriors attacked with The Master in the rear. Zar-Talis hasn't recalled seeing a lich before, yet before him stood an absolute paradox of life: a shriveled husk of a body, flesh no longer covered what once was a human face. The face now an exposed skull with burning arcane energy orbs for eyes. Zar-Talis should have been frightened, but was gripped with intrigue and curiosity more than anything else. Zar-Talis dove into the chamber, out of the sight of The Master and away from the fight. The small hoard and The Master were occupied fighting the spider, panther, and even Iggy who was wielding a rapier with two hands. Zar-Talis quickly searched the chamber while the undead minions were being struck down, and then he spotted it: a crystal like object anchored to a stone fixture on a pedestial. The object, the "Phylactery" as he learned was radiating with such power! Such delicious arcane power, Zar-Talis's instinct was to reach for it, a crazed look on his face. This did not go unnoticed by The Master however, the lich with cracked air and wheezing coming from dry destroyed rotted lungs called forth a Tyrant Fog abomination, much larger and grotesque than what the companions have been fighting. The gargantuan undead swipes at Zar-Talis but he was able to dodge the shambling abomination. "Defend your master-Spider!" Zar-Talis mentally calls out. The spider leaps onto the undead and begins to tear at the rotted flesh, giving Zar-Talis time to slip away, stumbling into a book pile next to a chair in the middle of the chamber. He quickly grabs the top book of the stack, the one most likely just read or hopefully written into by the lich. Tucking the book away he then starts to chant incantations, releasing magical bolts of energy, hitting The Master. Zar-Talis knew, this was in vain however, watching Iggy and the panther hold their own against The Master's dark wicked blade. Zar-Talis refocused his bolts on the Phylactery, hoping to destroy it, thus draining the lich of his power, suddenly he is grabbed by the tyrant fog abomination and slammed into the deathly cold stone floor. The zombie behemoth's grip was unlike any Zar-Talis has ever felt, the creature had it's dead rotted hands around his thoat and a crushing leg on his body, Zar-Talis was pinned. Feeling his life begin to be strangled from him, Zar-Talis quickly fumbled for something, anything from his utility belt that could help. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees and feels a small metal and glass lense, cracked but still usable! He shakes the lense and rubs it, anything to make it activate. As his lungs burned and his neck tensed, almost ready to feel darkness wash over him, Zar-Talis opened his eyes to a frozen landscape.

Zar-Talis sits upright, his back aching with pain, his throat and lungs bruised and burning. He begins to cough uncontrollably and his helped by a half-orc. "Wh-where am I?" Zar-Talis asks, shivering. "You're in Skald." The half-orc replies, "Condolences." "Take me back to Cordor, this ship *does* sail to Cordor, yes?" Zar-Talis desperately asks. The orc replies with "There are routes that can get you there, aye, though it will be sometime before you get back."

Zar-Talis sits in a room, towards the lower-mid section of the ship. What happened to Iggy? did The Master kill him and turn him into a little undead halfling slave? No matter Zar-Talis shrugs at that notion, because he may have found what could lead him down a new path of knowledge, one that can one day help him to gather more and more knowledge, more and more power! Using the writing desk, he pulls out the tome, it is bound in well worn almost peeling...leather? Or can it be flesh? The front cover has a skulled face fixed into it. With such eager hands and eyes, Zar-Talis slowly opens the book his hands trembling to do so. The first page in dark marooned old ink (or blood?) simply reads: "Undead Categorized: A Comprehensive Guide to Various Undead and the Arts Used to Create Them" by Zhaunin Zengal. Zar-Talis's golden eyes widen as he begins to delve into the dark tome.

That night, on the serene ship sailing for Cordor, the depraved sound of cackling laughter echoed throughout the air.

Chroma-Matic
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 8:06 pm

Re: The Price of Knowledge

Post by Chroma-Matic » Tue May 29, 2018 8:16 pm

Zar-Talis looks up from the weathered flesh bound tome. His eyes and focus has not turned away from the tome since leaving Skald...the plethora of age old lessons, accountings, and spell instructions for various undead summonings and other necromantic spells has kept his interest, so much so, that he did not sleep. His acute hearing has picked up that the ship has reached Cordor.
"Good...I would very well like to try my hand at The Master again...I have learned much since we last fought, and I will be much more prepared." Zar-Talis think as he puts the grim tome away and moves to exit the ship.

Wasting no time, Zar-Talis stocked up on supplies, making sure to also purchase potions that protect from negative energy...he will not fall victim to the draining traps this time. After stocking up on rations and water, Zar-Talis exits The Nomad to run into an all too recognizable hin-Iggy.
"Well...look who it is. I'm surprised The Master didn't turn you into a little zombie slave."
Iggy whirls around to face the half-elven man, "Oi! I thought ya were dead! I'm sorry I left ya back there.."
Zar-Talis scoffs and says, "I'm not that easy to kill..I managed to use a portal lense, as damaged as it was."
Zar-Talis looks over to see an elven female sitting on the bench behind Iggy. Iggy notices this, and says "Oh, that's me associate, she works for me and me bottle shop. We're about to take care of a writ over at the coal mines if you want to come."
"Hmm...I suppose I could use the practice." Zar-Talis says. "I would also like to see what this woman is capable of as well...perhaps she will prove useful in the crypts along with the hin.." he thinks to himself.

The coal mines were no challenge for Zar-Talis. The filthy cratures that dwelled in the mine and grotto were dispatched with ease including the resident sahuagin. After returning to Cordor, before Zar-Talis could even bring the subject up, Iggy sparks the conversation: "Y'know, we could try the crypts again, now that we have Trina here to help.." Iggy gestures to his associate, the elven woman Zar-Talis met earlier. They made their introductions in the coal mines.
Zar-Talis's eyes gleam with eagerness, "Yes, we can definitely try our hands again in defeating The Master...I'm sure Trina's abilities will prove useful against the undead hoard." Trina's proficiencies were her fists and her body..she is mastering the art of combat using only her body as a weapon. Zar-Talis thought this preposterous, but she has proven her usefulness in the coal mine. Besides, just like Iggy, she could always be used as fodder or as a distraction for The Master and his undead minions...

The party made their way to the graveyard. Zar-Talis is starting to become much more familiar with this setting and much more comfortable. It wasn't until recently that he discovered that graveyards could also hold secrets of unknown or lost knowledge, and he would have all of it. Delving deeply into the crypts once again, it was easier for the party to make their way through-Zar-Talis and Iggy both knew where the traps were hidden which doorways were locked, and which shadowy halls and corridors the undead lurked most in. Tina even proved useful, dealing blows that crumpled the undead and making short work of any ill equipped cultists that the party encountered. Descending to the final level of the crypt, The Master can be heard overhead, his thunderous voice demanding: "WHO DARES TO INTRUDE THE SANCTUM OF THE MASTER?"

Zar-Talis calls out: "Zar-Talis! I have returned to dethrone you 'Master', and I will not fail this time...!"
After a pause, The Master responds with: "SO, YOU HAVE RETURNED FOR ME AS WELL...SO BE IT!" And with that, the undead hoard ensued. All too familiar with the types of undead that attacked, the party made short work of the hoard, making their way to the chamber door. Zar-Talis caught sight of the life-draining trap, and was prepared this time. Downing the negative energy protection potion, he lightly stepped on the trap...there was a *click* and the hum of negative energy being released, however the energy did not penetrate his body like last time.

The chamber door burst open with The Master's undead minions. Iggy, Tina, and Zar-Talis's panther engaged the ghoulish bodyguards with The Master casting spells from the rear. Zar-Talis sees an opening into the chamber and dashes through-he has been here before and knows exactly what to do. Spotting the phylactery of The Master, Zar-Talis casts a summoning spell, bringing forth not a dire spider but a dire bear! With giving a command to attack the phylactery, the bear charges and starts to attack the crystal and stone pillar. Undead minions are starting to fall one by one with Iggy using his rapier, which looks like a greatsword in his small hands, Tina delivering blows destroying the structure of the dead rotted bodies, and the panther ripping dead flesh and tendons apart. The Master sensing again when his phylactery is under attack, summons the tyrantfog behemoth, the same one that almost ended Za-Talis. The monstrous zombie sees Zar-Talis and starts its ominous march toward him.
"I will not be caught in your dead grasp again!" Zar-Talis thinks to himelf "Bear! Destroy this putrid creature!"

With the command, the dire bear charges after the tyrantfog behemoth, catching a decayed arm in it's powerful dire jaws. The tyrantfog turns around to fend the beast off, however to no avail. The dire bear thrashes it's mighty head back and forth to rip the arm off, and proceeds to bite and thrash at other dead limbs until the tyrantfog was no more. Zar-Talis is overcome with maddening joy:"HAhahaHAHAHAHAHhaHhahahaHA! Destroy the phylactery!" He yells.

The Master is now fighting Iggy, Tina, and the panther at once. Armed with his dark twisted blade, he is holding his own, striking, countering, blocking, and even riposting any attacks that come his way. The dire bear is making headway with the phylactery, Zar-Talis could see a crack starting to form! Taking the chance with The Master being distracted, Zar-Talis starts to cast various offensive spells at the phylactery. Upon casting his third and most likely final magical missile spell out of fatigue, the caster points and wills the bolts to smash against the phylactery one final time...and then everything happened all at once.

There was a blinding light that accompanied the sound of crystal and stone exploding. Infernal red light exploded from the destroyed phylactery pedestial, along with a cone of the same shining red light pouring down from the dark black opening above. The Master screams "NNNooooOOooo!!!" as his very life essence is ripped and torn from his dead, shriveled body. During this, the companions struck the lich at once, blades, fists, tooth, and claw all finding a mark on the screaming lich. With all these blows and essence draining, the lich's body collapsed into a heap, and The Master was no more.

The companions searched the room. Tina and Iggy both were concerned with treasures and weapons while Zar-Talis scoured the bookshelves and piles within the sanctum. Books of infernal accounts, histories and teachings of blood magic and cults ran abundant...Zar-Talis felt like a child in a sweet roll shop. Tucking the more intriguing books away in magic bags, he heard Iggy and Tina call out that they were leaving. "Let them leave, they lived out their usefulness to me..." Zar-Talis thought. Once they were gone, Zar-Talis went straight to where the phylactery pedestail once stood. Scouring over the area, he had hoped to find...this. He holds up a sizeable shard of the once intact phylactery. His golden eyes gleam and a smirk comes across his face. Looking over to the body of The Master, Zar-Talis moves to it and kneels over the lich's lifless head.

"Now, it is time to uncover what secrets and lost teachings you hold within..." Zar-Talis says as he stares into the empty eye sockets of the dead lich's face.

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