master necro 3

{NARRATION} The winds of the Sarab are hot and bring the crawling sand against him. The facility that remains is weathered down, the blasts of dunes day and night having long weathered away the small building; A small, unassuming and cracked building, a shell created on the backs of the ancient lich's undead slaves. It seems to have at least survived the years that came. It is not a particularly intimidating building, although there is a small sentry tower atop it, in addition to fortified windows designed for casting spells from, in the event of an emergency. A small attempt at a road has long eroded, save for what has been saved from the desert's grip simply by the blockage represented by the building itself, hidden away in the southwest Sarab. It is a huddled construction, of unpleasantly little note and easily overlooked as merely some bandit lord's abandoned hideaway. The gates are closed and barred, preventing simply walking in- However, Saulot was a magi of not inconsiderable power. The question was more how he would gain entrance, rather than if he would.

[10:30:49] Traveling throughout the desert wasn't something new to him.

As a matter of fact, Saulot always traversed all around the Valmasia, and he knew the roads necessary to get somewhere without any trouble - in particular, that map offered him a place that wasn't too far from the familiar locations... that was good.

With the usage of Riftmancy, he appeared in the familiar places, only to make his way to the marked location on the map. Obviously, teleporting much closer made his path only worth a couple of hours at best, and if he got lost, well, he could always just return home for the rest to meet this challenge another day.

Riftmancy is a pretty neat tool, isn't it?
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But he had no plans to back off and leave it for tomorrow.

"This had to be this place..."

A quiet whisper escaped his lips, hopeful that he at last came to the right place. His clothes were covering his skin mostly, to protect the man from sun or heatstroke and the heat itself alike.

He walked up closer, peeking inside to see if he could just literally flash himself in with the magic of lightning. Short-range teleportation, but it was damn useful.

Or were there alternative routes? Maybe he could just bust the gate down?
(Saulot Vykos)
{NARRATION} Kzzt. His form fizzles into lightning, taking his form and belongings through the metal. Tracing himself along the bars, at first he encounters resistance- But the wards have long eroded. What would've previously prevented his little jump crackles and shatters the metal and it's errant runes, giving way. What was once a valid deterrant is left debris as he jumps out the other side, although the door on the other side of the portcullis stands, blocking any view of the rusted, now-sharp strands of metal. The door was long barred, as well, but this was now behind him. A ratty, molded carpet leads on into the darkness, the shallow rays of light from the warded and barred windows the only sunlight that can make it's way in. Crystals long deactivated make for lamps- Able to be switched on with the press of a rune, if the power source of the building was still intact. The air is musty.
[10:43:37] Taking a look around after making his way in, Saulot couldn't help but scrunch his face due to the smell in the air; obviously the place didn't have anybody looking after it, and the hygiene of the abandoned facility could be rather... turning off.

Whatever though. If to get Falco's notes and inherit his knowledge he had to endure it, that was a very little price to pay. He was ready for it.
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Lighting a fireball in his hand, Saulot used the fire as a source of light during his trip down the castle. He kept his guard on in case of an ambush, and wouldn't think twice to immediately defend himself - if there was still something, or someone in here.

"It must be it..."

The quiet words escaped his lips in commentary upon seeing the runes here and then.

Saulot ventured forth into the darkness, carefully inspecting the structure of the building and everything he came across. Whatever he was going to meet is yet to be seen.
(Saulot Vykos)
[10:46:11] Your experience scroll has run out.
{NARRATION} The fire that springs into his palm illuminates the darkness enshrouding the keep. It was fairly straightforwards- Two doors to the thin branchings on the side, simple, plain and aged doors of simplistic construction. Several runes adorn the handles, and frames, and before him- A stairwell down, leading deeper in. If there was a story to this place, this particularly empty hall did little to shed light upon it's story- It was a question of whether he would delve straight down, and attempt to find the machinery to call the old man, or to take his time and investigate first. A guide might be interesting, but there could be things that Saulot might find on his own. As he walks forwards, the flame in his hand gutters dangerously. A heaviness in the air alerts him to a field of numbed magic. Even the moss on the carpet seems to have never grown, cutting off halfway of the walk to the stairwell- The dampening, empty field oppressing growth and life, adding to the stale environs.
[10:57:16] Gazing between his choices, Saulot was pondering and deciding as to what exactly he shall do.

This place held so much history... decades, no, hundreds of years have aged this place, with so much lost and forgotten material that any magi could only dream of. It was tempting to grasp it all... besides, what if there was something that Hauk wouldn't tell him? Something... forbidden, the kind of power that would be best left aside?

That's something Saulot couldn't take off his head. Maybe it was the Depravity sinking in after so many years, but he couldn't help it.

Seduced by the opportunity of finding something amazing, he ventured out to investigate around the castle, walking and inspecting every room he might come across, even if it didn't look significant.

He could take even up to an hour to thoroughly search a big room, if he'd come across one... that's how much he was possessed by an idea of finding something deeply valuable.
(Saulot Vykos)
[11:39:05] Descending further into rooms, the Necromancer was ought to hunt the secrets of a Lich King Dominic Falco. He observed the long corridors of a castle, his guard raised and his mind alert for the potential dangers to unveil before him; surely he wouldn't let himself fall a prey to some trap.

"Maybe it'd be best to actually bring Hauk here..."

He pondered briefly, but shook his head in dismissal of thought. He wouldn't let the fear or anxiety to halt his advancement. He /must/ see for himself what this fabled Lich King had in his store.

"It should be fine."

A quiet whisper escaped his lips before he ventured forth.
(Saulot Vykos)
[11:44:12] Throwing a brief glance backwards, he spared his gaze upon the staircase that spiralled down into basement of sort of this castle. Perhaps the most of dangers lurked there too... but that's where he assumed would be the most of Lich King's notes. Necromancers keep their stuff in basements, don't they?

"I'll need to get to that later."

Another quiet whisper escaped his lips before he began advancing further.

Saulot drew his sword with the right hand whilst his left hand was holding the fireball that illuminated the path for the necromancer. It was quite dark in here, after all, after hundreds of years of abandonment and lack of any maintenance.

Any runes and traces of mana were long time gone... gladly he was a fire magi that could light the path for himself, right?
(Saulot Vykos)

{NARRATION} The left wing's room is full of 'junk'. Once upon a time, these items would not be junk. Time and rot has claimed many cabinets and crates full of mundane and eclectic supplies alike. There are piles of stone, rotted lumber infested with bugs and webbings- All curiously to the south side. Any lumber in the north is equally decayed, but no life seems to crawl in that direction. Hammers, chisels, and in cabinets... Stranger tools. Early wrenches, small, two-pronged creations that once had gems in the bottoms of their sockets, taken apart, looking somewhat like tuning forks. Bottles and bottles of acids and resistant drippers for putting runes into different kinds of metals and stones accurately, the formulae long expired and the pieces having fallen apart. There is a small stairwell up to the top parapet, where scouts would be able to keep watch for any assaults. Everything of value, perhaps very obviously, has been looted. Even some of the stranger devices have missing siblings, and some drawers are completely empty. It bodes ill. In the western wing, however, the cargo held was somewhat obvious. Cages. Some are smaller, with long rotted remnants of hay and troughs. Others... Have privvies, and long destroyed bunks within them. Rows and rows. Perhaps tellingly, this is the only place bedding would be found- The undead did not need rest. There are no skeletons, however, and any rot and bodily fluids has long since left... Manacles, however, chains, and claw marks on the walls remain. There are even some bite marks on the rusted iron bars- And not all of them match animal teeth.
[08:04:28] Further proceeding inside of the castle, the shaded figure wandered across the dark corridors with nothing but the fireball in his hand to light the path. An eerie, even creepy atmosphere was rather unsettling; an occasional cold breeze blew through the long halls due to presence of some windows, though all that breeze did was disturbing the fire.

The necromancer was not unfamiliar with death, with suffering, with horror... seeing just how the hideout of a Lich King looked like instilled doubt in his heart. Was he bound to become a monster like this some day?

But no. He held dearly onto his psyche. His mind, his body and his soul were his own only, he will control the Depravity, not the other way around, or at least he believed that much...
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The sword was drawn.

He expected skeletons to jump on him, like wild barbarians that try to slaughter the wandering merchants. Obviously, that'd go against natural laws of Necromancy, that undead would still persist after their Master has long died.

But what if...?

He couldn't be completely sure, and the atmosphere of this castle left him no choice but to stay wary. He walked forth, all while inspecting the traces of life, and unlife alike, all around him.
(Saulot Vykos)
{NARRATION} The stairs downwards in the southern part of the facility It is cold. The air is dry, uncomfortably dry, and the scent of ozone pervades as the necromancer delves deeper into the facility. The fire fluttering above Saulot's palm threatens to flutter lower and lower unless he places more power into them. It was a distinct dampening field. No moss, no growth- Only a soft film of dust, with a few bootprints leading forwards demarcating that others have come along this path. Walking blithely onwards, the man passes through the initial pennants of Nostvale, and quite adroitly follows the steps through a corridor of chairs, positioned out of the way, but for careful observation looking inwards, with a small glass orb affixed to the sides. He walks into the central chamber. The sight before him is a bit... Intimidatingly together, compared to the rest of the facility. Two massive beacons of metal and wire, with anodes at the sides of the circles and so many small discs of runed pieces and crystal hook up into two carefully paralell rods right above another inscribed, careful ritual, spiralling inwards. The flame in his hand would briefly be extinguished from the nullification zone in this very room, forcing him to work harder if he wanted to s- The room lights up. He feels a buzz along his flesh as a light shines down on him from above, a small glass-lens lantern swivelling towards him. There is a sharp noise, as the runes click to life, and the oppressive field abates for a moment... "Hi!" The voice is distorted- A male voice, cheery, with a lilting accent from southern Nostvale plains comes through in a tinny, buzzing lack of clarity, a small piece of harmonic quartz adfixed to the cieling, wrapped in echoing wires to form a ritual circle and even now sparking with crimson lightning lets out a short monologue. However, even after the initial greeting, Saulot would here a sharp clang as behind him, a mythril grate would GRIND down from the cieling, and begin rippling with electricity. "So, you're prob'ly wondering a lot! Why your sentence brought you here, what's going to happen to me, etcetera etcetera! Well, I'm excited to tell you you've been involved in one of the best new projects fer Nostvale's greater good I can possibly think of. Your cooperation and community service is appreciated!" "Don't worry, your sentence will be up quicker than you know! This room will do the trick in a jiffy. But!" A small light turns on, illuminating two scarlet circles at the sides of the teo pieces of machinery... "Y'see, I'd really prefer if you just stood on that circle over there. It'll make the process you're going through a LOT quicker, and, hey, you know? That's somethin' we can both appreciate!" The voice clicks off. The entire room begins to hum...
[08:24:57] Whilst inspecting the castle, Saulot finds himself in a chamber of sort. What place is it exactly? Some experimentation room, or was it a room for rituals?

Only one way to find out, I suppose.

But the moment he stepped in, he found himself in a situation that his flames went off. With that said, he immediately took a defensive stance, assuming that he's about to be attacked. His posture was alert and steps slow, all before--

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Hooooo boy....

The voice didn't make it any better. In fact, it put a bigger guard on him, immediately gazing back at the exit only to find out that he's trapped in!

Maker's breath... now he began thinking if not bringing Hauk along was a really good idea.

He had to try if any of his magic still works. Out of assumption, he assumed that if he could still access his pocket dimension, then Riftmancy in general would be working... that's a good way out. Without further await, Saulot attempted to jolt his weapon forward with command to summon the previously made undead.

And if they wouldn't come out... well, that's pretty bad.
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"Who am I speaking to?" - Saulot decided to ask the question, but believed that he's talking to recorded voice.

He wouldn't dare to step upon the circle... not yet, at least.
(Saulot Vykos)
[08:38:36] There were no undead in here, nor any response. He was completely correct- It was merely a trigger, brought on by perhaps someone- Or someone who wasn't anyone else- Entering the room

No, there was only one thing at the end of the line remaining in this chamber.

As the rods light up and buzz, a conjuration of mana is placed between them- and in a flash, a central beacon of light and mana emerges- Depraved, unnatural, and fuelled on death and sacrifice.

It pulled in light from the entire room- Perhaps in a way eerily similar to the technique Hauk had used against him in training.

Of course, this creation was siphoning without limit from Saulot, as well as the remaining power reserves it possessed from past explorers who had wandered down into this room in search of treasure. Bones could be seen, and perhaps enough to conjure a few souls who had their mana completely drained out of their bodies.

All of them seemed to have been swept by some force into the dark, far back of the room, in a massive, disjointed pile...

Both of the circles light up, and are IMMEDIATELY incinerated in a blast of scarlet lightning- If someone had stepped in there, even a magi might've risked a swift death in a matter of moments.

However, there is a heavy drop in temperature, and an electric buzz as a jolt fires from the main mass of mana...
(Prototype Mass)
[08:50:33] Examining the lightning before him, he realized that he could summon the skeletons after all from his pocket dimension. That's a good advantage at least.

"Begone, whatever you are."

Saulot addressed to the being infront of him. The undear guards rose up from the pocket dimension and immediately stood there to defend their master, least the being would back off and dissolve. Unlikely circumstance, but hey, miracles happens right?
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The necromancer gazed upon it with his sword drawn. Was it going to challenge him? Was it even sentient?

Regardless, it kept draining mana from him... even if it stood there, Saulot would have no choice but to attack it rather soon, unless he wished to end up completely drained. The presence of the bones suggested to him that doing so would be a very, very bad idea.

"Take the defensive stance and be ready to engage."

The necromancer addressed to his minions and dared to take a step closer.

Would the being of mana back off or remain? We'll see.
(Saulot Vykos)

[08:52:16] {combat} Prototype Mass has been defeated by Saulot Vykos! They're unable to continue fighting.
[08:52:16] {combat} Saulot Vykos has been defeated by Prototype Mass! They're unable to continue fighting.

{NARRATION} Electicity and occultism flies. Frost covers the room where the heat is quite literally drained out of the room, mana inversely gathered into the center of the machine and attempted to be 'cycled' in and out of Saulot- Forcibly, with painful lances of cosmic mana reaving through him and spinning through the air in deadly array. But he is not unable to take it down, though the entire experience is incredibly taxing. He finds himself splattered with red hot metal, as some of the runic machinery rattles and bursts, struck both by Saulot and it's own 'creation' in the central, arcs flying off of it. A piece of it flies off, sticking around his finger in an agonizing burn... However, he finally manages to pop it- One of the rods is knocked out of alignment, as much magic as it could absorb, and it TWISTS halfway down. The mass of cold light explodes, slamming Saulot into the back wall... He lands on the pile of bones, the machinery before him lightly fried, smoking, but still in existance... And still harvestable. The machine putters, emptily... Saulot gains a TEMPORARY mcap nerf of -20 will that expires in 1063. Saulot has gained 'Blood Copper Rivet', a Dark 2/Lightning 1 with 3 bonus MD, bound to his character.
[09:22:08] Fighting against the creature with all of his might, he found it rather challenging to combat in such close quarters... the technique that Hauk taught him about was certainly useful, but as a matter of fact, it was far less efficient in here.

Nonetheless, it was enough to survive at least...

The burning pain pierced his finger whilst he was thrashed back against the wall after the explosion occured. He grunted and groaned, taking a moment to rest upon the piles of bones. His lips were parting in a shallow, deep and heavy breathing, but eventually he stood up.

The damaged servants of a Necromancer were still in tact. Well, even if they weren't, he could always pull more skeletons from his pocket dimension... gladly, he prepared plenty beforehand, and his skilled hands could conjure a decent number of undead.
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"Gather all of it... and bring it back to the pocket dimension. Do not leave even a single bit of it. If there are any notes found, I want you to gather them all."

With those words, Saulot kept summoning even more and more undead from the pocket dimension... he clearly wanted this room thoroughly searched and everything scavenged.

But as for Necromancer himself? He decided to take a rest. His mana circuits felt damaged, drained too, and probably for a good reason.

Sigh. At least he gets to see another day and live to tell the tale.
(Saulot Vykos)
{NARRATION} The remnants of the complicated machine to extract the mana of living humans and concentrate them into a small mass capable of drawing in souls was far too small to simply be repaired and put to work without plenty of time and effort, and certainly, it was not the fully functional variant that had created Acrux... Especially after centuries of disrepair in addition to percussive damage from this event. It was a wreck, but one able to be examined for old plans and perhaps portions recycled into something new. But everything of note by the rift magi could be torn down, taken apart. Some of it might end up more damaged in the process, but it would be unfortunately necessary in this endeavor. It is quiet and cold in the old facility, and with time, he would be able to escape through a rift, and leave this place behind...