The calling

With a long adventure behind me and some questions lingering in my mind I make my westward journey to my home deep in the woods so that I may get some rest and do some research.
The shadow rises beneath the fires of heaven and what meaning it there to be found in the past recent events. I feel an imbalance in the powers of light and dark and I must know what caused the scales to tip so severely.

I reach the dark stone walls of my home and enter. I make my way to the library where I pull an ancient tome from the shelf and rest in my throne to do some research.

Walking out of the Cave with my beauty and intelligence beats crawling out with imperfection and mediocrity. Then again how could something so perfect like me ever become ... average. I kept whispering to myself good things that exist in life, like chopped onions, Sapper Plant juice and Gnoll ear gravy. My mouth began to water and then noticed that it was my stomach that was doing the talking, not my brain.

I reached an Inn just outside of the woods where Rogues and Half-Humans go to drink and fight. Acceptance is a cruel word, just ask the passed out Goblin-Bog Monster, however you would classify, thing, drooling on my original "Elfie Boom Boom" Crocmonster skin boots. I entered filled with mixed emotions, something I never mix. Have I really found some new associates? I couldn't help but wonder where they were now.

I sat in a corner next to a very unattractive Orc female. She tried to sell me some of her boogers, you see these creatures aren't the smartest of things. I have met some mildly intelligent Orcs but this one fell off the stupid caravan. I bought her a drink and then she left to share it with what seemed to be her mate. Hmm, the orc gets drunk and I get boogers. Aye, it was a good day.

After many hours of searching through the many books of dark lore in my possession, I came across a few different things that sounded very similar to what happened to myself and two companions. It seems that there are quite a collection of artifacts that will send the dead and undead into a frenzy and with proper use they can be used to control them.
The heart of the Lich king Azaroth being one such item, it is said that his power was so great that even after his body was burnt to not but ash his black petrified heart remained with his hatred resonating from it bending his minions to do his will still.

Another such item is the talisman of Rahmahg, carved from the bones of an ancient dragon lich it grants whom ever wears it immunity against fire and the ability to speak with all dragons. It is said that one who possesses this talisman can command even the vicious shadow wyrms.

The last such artifact is the NecrisDemonicus. It is the creator of all things undead being that it was once part of A Vampire Demon lord who created servants from the Elves and Humans it killed. It is not written how this demon lord fell but this artifact which many of the undead look at as an idol to their god.

I sat back in my chair drained from all that has taken place and from the hours of research. I must rest a while then I have to find both Celahir and Alex to see if they know of these artifacts.

Refreshed from a good rest I push aside the curtains that surround my bed and put my feet down on my chamber floor. I wash my face in the basin and put on my armor and mystic cloak. I ready myself for a prolonged time away from home, taking with me my most powerful charms and talismans. I Adorne my weapons and exit my home casting a sealing spell so that none may enter while I am away. I pull a travel rune from my pack and concentrate on a town I know of a good distance to the north east, it is the small town of "Edge wood" I believe it is named so because the town resides at the edge of a forest. I will start my search for both Celahir the elf and Alexander there. I concentrate and in a moment I am standing just outside the town of "Edge Wood", I walk straight for the inn to see if anyone in the common room knows of the elf Celahir or of the man named Alexander.

My food is here, Fried Cangrag! Cangrag is a delicacy here in the Town
of Edge Wood and since there is a river near here, the menu is loaded
with these critters. Riverfood!

Before I could begin to feast, a crusty forest peddler squirmed his way
to my table. His wares hanging from metal rods that protruded from a black carapace. It let out a slobbering type of noise and then proceeded to stare at my food with it's many eyes. This type of creature is a Saba, semi aquatic beings that were once the protectors of the rivers. When the Drow attacked the Merfolk that ruled the lakes to the East a millennia ago, the Saba betrayed the Merfolk and joined the Dark
Elves. This plan backfired as the Half-Fish Half-Human's managed to retain their grasp on this region. The Saba were disgraced and the alliance they had with the Merfolk was no more. The protectors of these rivers are now a tribe of scantily clad Sprites. A good choice! Most Saba died off but the ones that managed to escape the wrath of the Lake masters went underground.

What happened next would change me forever.

The Saba inched closer and before I could introduce myself, it opened
it's mouth and began to cough a goo into my meal. From this goo, tiny
creatures began to claw their way out and instinctually began to eat my
food! They squeeled in delight as it's parent looked on with pride.
Obviously, I was offended. I paid 13 rupees for this and now it was
gone. Everyone else in the inn turned their attentions to my table and
some began to laugh. Time to take out some crab-thing!

I unsheathed my pearlskin dagger, a gift from one of my many admirers.
The Saba saw this and quickly threw itself on the floor and began to
plead for the life of it's spawn. The Orcs at the bar cheered for it's
death and the Humans began taking bets on which part I would cut off
first.

"I give you" it muttered to me. The Saba then took out a blood soaked
rune, lowered it's head and closed his eyes. It clearly did not care
for his life anymore. Only the life of it's young mattered to it now. My pause created a silence in the room and even the Orcs knew from my eyes that I could not kill it now. "Take, you have now" it continued. I took the rune and then pointed my dagger at it's young. "You take" I said, "you owe me". It's voice changed humorously and it called it's babies back. They struggled to climb up the claws of their parent but eventually all of them successfully re-entered the motherly maw. Am I ever going to eat today?

"Froo help Elf now" it spoke again as it's tongue licked the barnacles
on it's face. "I join you ... then Saba baby the Elf will have". If I
recall correctly, The Saba were very good at close combat and since
they have 6 arms, they can wield many weapons. Strange how life can take you on many journeys. My attention quickly returned to the rune as it now began to glow. Froo's belly began to glow as
well and then a small light escaped through a hole in it's face. As
quickly as the light happened, it faded. I was now face to face with a
little Saba and it was very happy to meet me. "ñaaaa!", it screamed
and then jumped on my nose. Great! One more mouth to feed.

Well, it seems that I have a new traveling companion. I called the
waitress over and ordered us some more food. You can't travel with
Celahir and be hungry! I hope this night ends with no more surprises.

Suddenly, of course, the rune now in my pocket began to glow again. It
flew out and flung itself over to the entrance. The buzzing noise
coming from the rune was faint at first but now it was deafening.
Everyone in the room dropped to the ground and then to my amazement,
froze into place as if time had stopped. Whatever the rune was going
towards was quickly approaching the door. Only Froo and me remained out of stasis and we readied ourselves for what appeared to be a fight!

"It's something... coming" Froo yelled. I didn't even get to finish ordering the food yet. Clearly, I was not going to eat today.

The door opened up and the sound stopped. A shadowy figure walked in surprised by the silence. She looked around confused by what was happening.

Lanfear?! I screamed.

She took a few steps forward and showed a crooked smile. "Celahir, What have you done now?!"

I stepped out of the doorway and moved towards the table Celahir shared with some little mer-thing. I glanced around the room to take note of my surroundings, the Orcs at the bar were cowering on their stools I believe them to be the same Orcs I released a revenant on after they made a poor attempt to rob me.
A sudden clank on the floor halted my trip to the table I looked down to see a red rune at my feet. I picked up the rune and took it to the table with me taking a seat next to Celahir. "I have a feeling this is yours" I said to him placing the object into his hand. "Hang on to it it will warn you of more than just my presence. This rune detects necric power and those that irradiate with magic."
The Mer-thing was staring at me but it was none of my concern at the moment, there are more pressing matters to discuss. I leaned in close to wisper into the Elf's ear just incase the wrong being was listening. "Celahir something has seriously shifted the balance of power in the world and it is not a good thing. What was the reason all those undead were after you and Alex that day in the forest?" I sat back in my chair letting my cold gaze rest upon him as i wait for an answer.

Celahir froze his mouth hanging open as if his jaw went numb. I turned to where is jaw dropped gaze now rested, the mornings light was muffled in the doorway by a cloaked figure who now was scanning the room as if in search for something or someone.
The figure made it's way toward us ignoring everything else in the lowly tavern. Celahir paled and strugled to compose himself as the figure came closer to our table. The cloaked one was close enough now to tell it was a man adorned with sword and armor, his eyes fixed on the occupants of the table. The man stopped and lowered himself to speak at my ear, then he turned and left. A sigh of releif spilled from Celahirs lips, and the fish thing at his side didn't seem to notice that anything had happened.
"That was Rahvin my sheildman he brought me word that the armies of the undead lord are gathering in the mountains to the north beyond the swamp. Something very bad is happening and something must be done." I returned my gaze to Celahir "Why were the undead chasing you?"

"That would be for me to explain Lanfear", I said making my way towards Lanfear and Celahirs table, "But this is not the place to discuss it, nor the time for that matter, I must make with all do haste towards the frozen northern lands to help an old friend. You're welcome to join, and soon you will get all of your answers. But decide quickly because we can not stay too long here otherwise the undead will pick up our scent again and destroy this town. Meet me on the fields to the north and i will introduce you to this friend of mine and answer any questions of yours to the best of my abilities," and with that i turned around and walked back towards the camp we had set up.

Alex turned and walked out of the tavern, I stood and made to follow him. I turned slightly around looking back at the table where Celahir still sat dumbfounded. "Are you coming?" I said sharply before making my way out the door. I made my way to Alex's camp where we would set up for a journey north and I may get some answers to this undead riddle.

I still haven't eaten! I yelled at Lanfear as she left. Froo decided that this journey must be done without him. The Saba baby now holding a toothpick as a weapon smiled at me as drool and foam came out of holes on it's slimy body. I picked up some Chimera Wings on the go and placed my new pal Inkblot, my new yucky baby, under my silk cap and headed towards the door. Froo waved to us as pride gushed literaly out of him, or her, whatever Froo is.

I could see Lanfear flying over head using her dark magic. She was surrounded by a black mist that seemed to engulf her. As I followed the road to Alexander's camp I could hear the snores of Inkblot on my head. When did I become a father? Why am I so compelled to figure this problem out?

The trees around the camp are dying and the stench of decomposing bodies is unbearable. Alexander has a lot of explaining to do.

I descended from my dark mist travel landing in the camp, the scent of death struck hard trying to wrench free from your gut it's contents what ever they may be. Bloated, festering bodies littered the ground of the camp. I walked through the decay searching for where Alex was waiting. Something is very wrong here and there have to be some answers.

Celahir came to a halt next to me, his jaw dropped from the grisly sight that lay before us. The carrion birds were in for a feast there must have been fifty bloated maggot infested bodies rotting on the ground of what was left of this camp. "we must find Alex and get to the bottom of this and quickly, I have a feeling what ever did this will return". Celahir quickly shook his head in agreement and we moved through the camp dodging the bodies as we moved closer to the large tent near the back of the camp. We enter the tent to find Alex alive and quickly packing some of his things. "What has happened here Alex?!" Celahir blurted out. I looked around the tent observing that nothing inside had been touched other than by Alex, This was puzzling seeing that the rest of the camp was in ruins. What is going on here?...

Fading stars with collapsing hearts will surely attract the attention
of vultures. We need to act swiftly so that the bone pickers don't
swoop down to take credit for this. Corroded armor lay bubbling from
the stench of the bleeding undead while the once proud woods now rot
like the belching deadwood marsh of the deep south. This was no
accident and the explanation is going to hurt. Inkblot, my new
companion, had constructed a mask from his shedding skin. Even he knew
that our silent and dignified walk to this place would soon turn into a
war march. It was at this place that I realized that the undead are not
the root of what could be the next great war this world has to endure.
This was evident by the mourning undead children tirelessly trying to
awaken their fallen parents. Why slay a being that has no hand in this?
Perhaps the undead were used as pawns here, so that the attention of
this planet's heroes could be elsewhere when life ceased to be noble.


Alexander's silence was piercing. Exploding artillery could not drag him away from
his daze. We soon realized that Alexander was not really there. Could
this be because of the strange rune? He stood like a wax statue waiting
for the heat to melt him. It was then that Lanfear started to rummage
through a strange pouch that oddly enough grew bigger every time she
took it out. She mumbled to herself and then retrieved a crooked stick
that began to burn without being instructed to do so. The odor emitting
from it seemed to cleanse my stomach and repelled the stink. The
scenery rapidly spun like a web, going backwards. Lanfear was looking
back in time! Her eyes changed color to a deep sea black and once in a
while she laughed out loud. "Patience" she mumbled to herself, "Let's
see what happened".

Indeed.

Several hours earlier

As I walked into the grove of trees where i would set up camp I saw a person sitting on a log in the middle of the grove. At first i wondered who this was but as i drew closer i immediately recognized who it was, it was Teravin, a mercenary from which i learned the fine art of swordplay from, i would have greeted him like a friend, except for the fact that he died years ago.Skeptical at first i had to make sure it was him and not an illusion, "Teravin? Is that really you?"
"Aye, tis me Alex, or as your friends in the northern reaches still call you, Shadowpaw," he said rather coldly.
"But how? i saw you die at the hands of one of the Mursatt!"
"This is true, however, I was... Resurected as one would say..." Teravin replied.
Thinking quickly i guess what this must mean," You're one of them aren't you? an undead," as i said this both our hands went to the hilts of our swords waiting for each other to make the first move.
"Hmm yes but Im not your usual run of the mill undead now am I? I look like i did two years ago, undecayed if you will. My Master needs all forms of servants but he wont be able to get them untill he has the final artifact. Something you have." Almost immdeiatly we both drew our swords but only I rushed at him. My first strike was easily parried by his blade, then he snapped his fingers and was behind me, before i could react he struck with his blade accross my back. The battle continued like this for some time and as I was about to collapse he paused for a moment and said, " Ahh Alex as much fun as playing with you has been i really must be on my way, now hand it over and i may kill you quickly, or don't and i will make you beg to die."
"Never will i give in to you!",
" Tsk, Tsk, I would have thought 5 years would have been long enough for you get smart and learn to take the easy way out," At that point a bue bladed scythe slashed across Teravins back and right as he teleported to whatever he calls home as my savior is revealed Lanfears magic skips ahead a few hour to after i met them in the tavern.As i exited the tavern i rubbed my shoulder wincing,"I really hope we can stop whatever is going on in this world," I ran back to my camp and prepared a note for Celahir and Lanfear and left it on the cot where they would surely find it.

I came out of the seeing trance and stumbled, grabbing onto Celahirs shoulder to balance myself and keep from falling to the filthy ground. I looked to Cel "an old friend so to speak has drawn our friend Alex away, and he holds a key item in all of this madness. I don't know what it is he has just yet but we should be able to follow his trail, but we should be careful and stay on guard because there is another being with or following Alex who posesses great strength." I lowered myself down onto the cot to rest for a moment. "Celahir I am draind I must rest for just a moment." I slid my hand across the cot and felt a piece of patchment just under the edge of the blanket. I lifted it and noticed Alexanders writing I then extended my arm and handed the letter to Celahir. "This may tell us more of what has happened here."

Letter

As you hold the letter you notice several spots of blood on it. You begin to read what it says out loud.

Celahir, Lanfear,

there are many things I would like to explain here but for now, I can't. Make haste North, and search for a town called Boreal. Once there look around for a woman in a dark green colored shroud, you'll know her when you see her because of her silver hair and the weapon she use, a blue bladed scythe. She will help you locate me. We cant afford to wait long so hurry.

And with that the letter ends.

Celahir finished reading the letter left by Alex while Inkblot continued to make clothing for itself from its own shed skin. The letter dropped to the floor from Cels hand like the first leaves of autumn falling from the oaks, "so I guess we are heading north now" Celahir said. I turned to look at him from where I lay on the cot "soon we will leave I must regain some strength before we move on." I lay there regreting the careless use of my powers these past few days because the rest I need would not come soon and I had to work on what little power I would regain. maybe tomarrow I will be able to fully rest, but tonight we move on. The sooner the better I have a bad feeling that someone or something may want to add us to the collection of rotting corpses outside.

Half a candle mark had passed before I sat up on the cot feeling just a little refreshed. I looked around the room and noticed Celahir napping in a chair while Inkblot curled up on his shoulder in its new molted skin robe. "Celahir we must be on the move if we are to find out what is happening." Eyes springing open and stumbling to his feet Celahir was awake as was Inkblot. We left the tent and stopped just outside, the ground once littered with the rotting dead was clear and clean of all evidence.