Almost done with my current turn, but here's my last one done too. My current turn of goblin antics has been fun!
The Coward and the Beast
Here we were. A lonesome journey had been made around the mountains.
We were attacked by more giant wildlife. A man eating cheetah and wolf as well as many birds
Each had died and and I resurrected them all. I had to avoid the many towns and villages we passed for their safety. The villagers would only hear of our dread march
Pen died again, killed by the cheetah attack. I allowed him to rest realizing my great error in bringing him back. He had lost all his limbs, but one arm and had lost his head. His existence in undeath was a living hell. I contemplated carrying him back home after so that he could be buried, but remembered he was a traditional elf. He would want to be left to return to the jungle.
More dead were lost on the way chasing animals that interested them, and so I reached the tower with the most fearsome of the crew. The giant bear, wolf and cheetah.
I completed my task quickly. I killed each necromancer in stealth and resurrecting them as mindless zombies so their friends could not raise them back soul intact. Unlike the first tower I ventured the books here did not speak of compassionate souls gone astray. These men plotted the rule the world, twist it into their image and lay waste to all that wouldn't serve
So, I felt no pity in ending them. I did not find Stalkmatches, the whole purpose of my quest, and I realized why: I was in the wrong place!
I followed the exact directions given to me:
Look for an accursed tower with the mountains to its north. Surrounded by barrows and the land itself cursed around it. To the southwest you will see villages and townsIt turns out that fit the bill of a lot of evil towers...
I didn't have the time or ability to solve the problem of the great army of living monsters they had raised and were overflowing from the area. I had to hope that without masters many of them might find their own better lives and that another dark ruler wouldn't arise and plague these nearby lands. I left the bear and cheetah in the tower to discourage future residency and then I led the necromancer zombies into the woods.
I found the most unimportant looking spot and I told them to wait with the giant wolf left to guard them. If someone considered these men worthy enough to properly resurrect then they would have to work for it. This seemed fitting to me rather than passing judgement that they could never be worthy of a second chance at life.
I continued south until I grew close to the true tower. Zombies were useless in a fight and I truthfully doubted my ability to kill whatever great beast it was that could slay a wielder of Stalkmatches.
So, on the way I dropped by any settlement I could to find help. A bandit camp here and a village there. I told great tales of my exploits back home and the darkness I was able to overcome in a similar tower. I promised glory in our new band that would travel the lands and bring peace and return a great treasure to those people who live in the light of life.
It worked! I approached those cursed lands with a ragtag army of former bandits and militia men. The bandits making up a majority.
As the invasion began the zombies swarmed us first, but were easily overcome when matched by similar numbers who were armored and armed. I raised each zombie back with its soul so it might have an identity and not fight us. Many simply stood and did not move again. Perhaps their spirit had decayed too much in the interim?
We entered the tower into an even more encouraging sight: Rebellion!
The soldiers the tyrants had created were rioting in the very tower itself! The rebels far outnumbered the loyalists and the brawl had broken out! This doubled our numbers, but I avoided engaging yet(although my army did) and wandered the side passages.
I found a dead dwarf and a couple of other corpses. Perhaps one of these were the fallen wielder of Stalkmatches? It wasn't my place to judge or condemn, but I wanted to offer hope and I raised them all. The dwarf immediately fled to the far corners of the tower while the others stalked back to the main room to join the melee.
I came in time to see a necromancer coming down the main stairs above the melee. He was shouting and throwing his arms. Those who died came back, some as zombies and some with souls. The necromancer likely could not tell the rioters from the loyalists either as some of the resurrected went back to attacking the remaining loyalists.
I jumped across the mob and landed on the staircase and before running up threw my own hands up and resurrected all the dead to continue fighting for us. I quickly caught up to the necromancer and swiped his legs out from under him. I beat at him while more loyalists from above struck at my armor. Finally, I crushed his head and knowing that if I made him a zombie he'd attack my men and so I began to cut. I dismembered his body into pieces and organs so that it would never rise again: A cruel judgement but one made from desperation.
Another necromancer came from the corridor I just had exited before climbing the stairs. I resurrected more men. I could not discern my men from the mess of blood and bodies so I brought all back. The battle would continue with no winner until I could kill the necromancers myself. I jumped off the staircase landing from three floors near the new necromancer only to look up and realize how lucky I had been.
The room fell into total silence: The beast had appeared.
He was dressed as a man, and seemed so normal and unsuspecting, but in his hands were Stalkmatches and the room quaked at his presence. Every time he swung his sword more died. His fists caused more to explode. I kept resurrecting hoping the mass of bodies distracting him would by me time, but no one stood even the remotest chance.
I dueled with fury stabbing my blade at the necromancers while watching the beast harvest endlessly. Finally, I crushed the necromancer's skull in and all that was left was the beast.
He did not stop fighting. He killed again and again and people were resurrected, with similar physical powers as him, only to be slain again!
He likely killed every many in that room at least six times before the end! Finally, someone wrestled Stalkmatches out of his arm: That holy sword stolen for dark deeds!
I did not wait. I sprinted for it and grabbed it and looked helplessly on the men I led into this place. Each one pitiable in sight like Pen. Missing multiple body parts, but fighting on endlessly. I could not defeat this beast and even if I could all these noble souls would be condemned to a fate worse than death. So...I ran. I abandoned all my men and ran, and in my attempt at cowardice the beast turned his hand towards me and cast a curse upon me. I am dying now:
I fled for the many days it took to return home with no one else following me, except for one. A lone bandit with a greataxe: Ezum. He had only lost his head and otherwise was intact and he followed. He could not speak and had nowhere to return to in his present state so he followed me. He was a constant accusation to anyone who saw me that I was more than I appeared: An abominable necromancer, but I had no right to abandon him.
When I reached home I returned the sword and told my tale:
I was rejected for the coward I was although some simply did not believe my tale and mocked me for a liar. At this point my mind was mostly gone all that had kept me going was the will to return holy stalkmatches, and now with the last of my strength I wandered into the forest.
I found a den of kobolds, unable to accuse me, and settled. I raised their dead back to life and fell at last to rest in this beautiful land I fought so hard for. Ezum my eternal protector.
OTHER STUFF:That intelligent undead killed every about six times each.
I'm not planning to resurrect Maloy, but someone else can if they want? I did also sort of accept this as an ending for him.
Originally my plans with him from here was to settle a land I found while wandering and try to create some kind of peaceful enclave away from the endless necromancer hordes and other threats, but oh well.
He's still alive by the way, but his brain rot has advanced totally so the moment you load him or go onto his site he should just die instantly.
I often feel oddly bad about killing people in adventure mode. I think because a lot of times the personality of the npc isn't even that bad it's just civ flags and other stuff making us fight so I often just resurrected people and then left while they were dazed. Maybe unwise?
I mean that one necromancer from my first turn went back home and led a good life after I did that to him
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Topic: Stalkmatches - The blade of many hands (Weapon Succession Game) (Read 22341 times)