by Sarah Lin
"I'm stronger!" Izilthor smiled, then tilted its head to look at him. "Boxes say stronger?"
"Yes, they do. And it looks like we have a decision to make." Bloodwraith sat down on one of the stone benches and began pushing his will against the boxes to demand more information. To his surprise, Izilthor came over and sat beside him, peering at the space where the box was curiously.
It seemed that according to the boxes, almost all of the basic forms of undead he knew were classified as "second tier" and skeletons were the only class on the first tier. This made no sense to him, since it took serious effort to make a proper skeleton, whereas any novice necromancer could raise a recent corpse as a zombie or wight.
At least the boxes mostly used terms familiar to him - they were good at that, at least. Based on what he saw, there were six different classes on the second tier: Skeleton Knight, Wight, Ghoul, Zombie, Mummy, Vampire. He had no idea what a "mummy" was and it seemed odd for vampires to be included when they operated on different principles, but that was the system he had to work with.
But if that was the second tier, how much further did it go? When Bloodwraith queried further, he discovered that there were a smaller number of classes in Tier III, and only three on Tier IV, which seemed to be the last. How did that make any sense? It was already difficult to believe that he could add or subtract traits so easily, but could these box-created undead simply change their nature entirely on every tier?
[Undead Companion promotion must follow the undead evolution tree. Each Tier II class can promote into two possible Tier III classes. Note that traits will vary based on prior classes, so two Undead Companions in the same Tier III or Tier IV class will have different traits and statistics depending on their growth prior to that point.
Class choice cannot be revoked. They may also lead to restricted trait availability. If results are unsatisfactory, it is recommended to start over with a new Undead Companion.]
Though overly rigid, that was at least simple to understand and held a certain logic. Yet when Bloodwraith focused on the "undead evolution tree" he was given a webbed chart that gave him pause. In addition to the basic "promotion" concept the boxes had explained, there were elements it hadn't even mentioned. There seemed to be a Vampire class on both Tier II and Tier III, which promoted to "Elder Vampire" at Tier IV. Were those the same class, or upgraded versions?
On top of that, from each class spiderwebbed a list of traits unique to that class, enough that it made him dizzy when he focused on them. Bloodwraith set his head in one hand, refusing to be defeated by a mere box, but the scope of what he needed to do daunted him.
Randomly making selections would lead to an unsatisfactory result, so he would need to chart a path through the entire tree before he even began. Yet the boxes seemed to love hidden bonuses and rules, and he couldn't trust that even the avalanche of traits listed on the chart was exhaustive. How could he make appropriate decisions given the unknown variables? Scrapping all his work and starting over was intolerable, given the amount of investment it had taken to create Izilthor.
Bloodwraith forced himself to focus. The end goal was one of the Tier IV classes: Bone Golem, Elder Lich, and Elder Vampire. Those seemed to represent raw physical power, magical power, and speed, presuming that these "classes" matched the types of undead he knew. So he needed to choose one of those and optimize for that...
"Is me?" Izilthor waved a bony hand in the air vaguely where the box was. Though Bloodwraith felt a surge of irritation, he swallowed it and nodded.
"These boxes are about you, yes. It seems that you can transform into a new form, such as a wight, but we need to decide which one."
"What options?" Izilthor tilted its head and looked at him curiously. Though Bloodwraith had been planning to start from the end and work his way back, perhaps there was no harm in focusing on the step right ahead of him as well. That was the only one he could take now, after all.
"Well, there are six choices..." Bloodwraith began to explain the differences between Skeleton Knights, Wights, Ghouls, Zombies, Mummies, and Vampires. To his surprise, Izilthor climbed into his lap and stared where the boxes should be, frequently asking to be read things aloud.
Though it was far from what he'd wanted in an undead servant, Bloodwraith couldn't help but feel a bit proud that Izilthor had such serious curiosity, so he complied. Forcing himself to read through all the descriptions made him come to a realization. He started to consider it in his head, then decided he might as well voice his thoughts aloud to help educate Izilthor.
"It looks like there's a major divide between the six Tier II options. Three of them cost 25 Necromancy Points to choose, and while I'm not familiar with these 'mummies' they include wights and zombies, which are quite simple forms. But skeleton knights, ghouls, and vampires cost 50 Necromancy Points. That high price cannot be simply random."
Izilthor cocked its head. "More points is stronger?"
"Yes, I'm quite sure of that. The box gods love their points."
"Then choose strong!"
Reasonable enough. Bloodwraith summoned those boxes before him and examined them more closely...
[Undead Companion Class: Skeleton Knight
Requirements: Might 10+, Vitality 10+
Skeleton Knights are built from magically-reinforced bone and are capable of wielding more complex weapons more effectively. They are capable of unlocking many enhancements to strength and defense, as well as unique traits such as armor and weapons grown into bone. Skeleton Knights make for strong front line fighters but lack more specialized skills.
NOTE: This class is available for your current Undead Companion.]
[Undead Companion Class: Ghoul
Requirements: Might 10+, Quickness 10+
Ghouls are built from undead flesh and are capable of using a wider variety of weapons. They are capable of unlocking significant speed and damage enhancements and their unique traits provide a wider variety of special abilities. Ghouls make for strong support units but will not stand up to other classes in a direct fight.
NOTE: This class is available for your current Undead Companion.]
[Undead Companion Class: Vampire
Requirements: Intellect 10+, Quickness 10+
Vampires are a unique class comparable to raised humans and are capable of wielding great magic. They are capable of unlocking speed and magic enhancements and their unique traits offer abilities found nowhere else in the undead evolution tree. Vampires make for well-balanced warriors, but their true potential is not unlocked until they reach Tier IV.
NOTE: This class is available for your current Undead Companion.]
Though the requirements were listed prominently as if they might be a major barrier, thanks to Bloodwraith spending so long testing the randomized numbers of the system, they were no obstacle. It seemed likely that the box gods hadn't anticipated that he would conserve so many points, thus requiring a longer wait until promotion. For once, he had defeated the boxes' absurd restrictions.
But which path would be best to take? Skeleton Knight offered the most direct benefits, but if he was concerned with final maximized power, the boxes seemed clear that Vampires had the highest potential. That assumed that he could fully trust their judgment and that he survived long enough to see that potential realized...
As he considered the options, Bloodwraith saw that Izilthor was looking at him with a strange expression in its glowing eyes. He slowly realized that he was being very self-centered in his choices, sighed, and hoped he wouldn't regret doing the right thing.
"Which one do you want, Izilthor?"
When Izilthor's eyes lit up happily, Bloodwraith felt a strange emotion he didn't know how to place. He forced it down and tried not to think about it.
"I think these three classes are strongest, but the other three have potential to reach the same classes in the end. We can probably overcome most disadvantages by accumulating more Necromancy Points, so I think you can choose whichever one you want."
"Want
body like you." Izilthor poked him in the chest with a bony finger. "Not just bones."
"Okay, so Skeleton Knight is out." He tried to keep his face neutral, hoping that Izilthor wouldn't end up asking to be human or something else absurd. Fortunately, he was pleasantly surprised.
"Like eating things. Vampires eat things?"
"No, they drink blood."
Izilthor nodded thoughtfully and he realized that it was an imitation of his own mannerisms. "Hmm. Can see self as Ghoul?"
"I... don't think so." Bloodwraith pushed his will against the boxes in case they offered anything like that, but came up with only stat projections in the new class. "But we can change almost any trait of your body once we finish the process, so I think you can choose that too."
"Good!" Izilthor hopped off his lap and clapped its hands together. "Want Ghoul."
It wasn't a bad decision, all in all. As far as he could tell it was one of the stronger classes, the supportive nature of its role matched Izilthor's base traits, and the Ghoul class had options for promotion into powerful classes, including lich.
"Then get ready, because I'll select the trait..."
To his surprise, the instant he selected it, Izilthor crumpled to the ground. Bloodwraith leapt to its side, worried that he had violated some hidden rule, but then he felt the surge of necromancy. Izilthor's box revealed that the 50 NP had been spent on the new class, and now the power those points represented was surging through the skeleton.
As he watched, gray flesh began to emerge around the bones. It didn't grow very quickly, so it seemed that the process would take some time. That meant there would be no transformations in the middle of battle, which was a good limitation to learn now. Bloodwraith moved Izilthor so it was lying on its back in a position that looked more comfortable, then stared down at it.
Why did this process take time when the necromancy skill could make skeletons pop out of the ground? Though he was tempted to dismiss it as another absurd whim of the boxes, Bloodwraith considered another possibility.
The box gods sneered at normal concepts such as conservation of matter or the balance of magic, but they didn't ignore power. Creating skeletons was simple because they were fragile beings with little power. But the boxes required the sacrifice of many lives in order to increase his Level, and he didn't think that was purely arbitrary. The death energy was actually required, and in the same way, maybe time and energy were required now that Izilthor was gaining something closer to real strength.
Bloodwraith sat down nearby and pulled out the case of necromancy equipment again. Yet he struggled to focus, finding himself looking up at Izilthor's body periodically. When he heard Meara's footsteps approaching, he was glad for the distraction.
"We have a situation." She started speaking when she came in without a single greeting, but didn't look seriously concerned. "Specifically, we have a Gharavi."
"You captured her?"
"No, we negotiated with her. I think she might be on our side, but obviously I wanted you to check her before we showed her our location. So Danniah is waiting with her in one of those caves some distance from here."
As Bloodwraith hastily packed up the necromancy case, Meara explained their confrontation and the revelations within it. Though Bloodwraith would not personally have risked so much, he trusted that Meara had judged the situation properly. Gharavi could have left him to die at Raigar's hands, after all, so they had already depended on her to a degree.
When it came time to leave, however, Bloodwraith hesitated. Izilthor was vulnerable lying there on the stone, and though they had set up some defenses on the first level, there were still many undead roaming lower in the crypt. After going back and forth on the issue, Bloodwraith bent down and lifted the growing body in his arms.
Meara's lips twitched, but she suppressed whatever she was thinking and asked a different question. "I take it your necromancy developed enough for you to change Izilthor's form?"
"The boxes granted the capacity. It is frustrating, but it appears to be the door to new power." Bloodwraith shook his head. "But that is a long term concern. For now, we need to focus on Gharavi."
His primary question was whether everything could be a convoluted method of earning their trust. The woman he had caught a glimpse of underneath the barbarian exterior might be capable of something truly devious. He even considered whether or not she might be working with Raigar, but decided that required too many strange assumptions. Any goals they could have, there would have been easier ways to accomplish them.
Though he and Meara discussed strategy on their way, the only real option seemed to be to approach the conversation with cautious openness. If Gharavi was really someone else who knew that Outsiders were manipulating their world, then she could be a very useful ally. Of course, the last person they'd met who'd learned of that had been Daek the Knife, who did not exactly take it well...
When they approached the cave Bloodwraith increased his pace, only for Meara to hold him back with a touch on the shoulder.
"Are you going to walk into sensitive negotiations carrying a skeleton seething with undead flesh?"
"That... does seem less than polite." Bloodwraith stopped, trying to consider what to do, but Meara stepped up to take Izilthor's body from him.
"I'll take care of him. I already talked to Gharavi, and I'll be close enough that I can join in if it's necessary."
"Very well, but... be careful with Izilthor."
Meara smirked at him. "How could I disappoint such a doting father?"
"Silence, wench!"
Their exchange complete, Bloodwraith turned toward the cave with lighter steps.
Though he'd hoped to observe the situation first, the fact that he cast a shadow into the cave made that impossible, so they were waiting for him. Not ideal from his point of view, but his allies weren't stupid, so it might have been a concession that Gharavi required. When he stepped inside, he saw that she was wearing the black armor he had seen during the battle, not her false rags.
She began by folding her arms across her chest and frowning at him. "Your companions implied that you're not an Outsider, but your magical signature suggests that you are. Why should I believe anything you have to say?"
Not an unreasonable question, but one intended to put him off balance. He refused to play that game and instead regarded her coolly from within his helm. "Glad to hear you aren't speaking in such an absurdly broken fashion."
"It's realistic for uneducated half-orcs!" Gharavi let out a huff and then shook her head. "Did you make an ignorant assumption, or do you have unnatural powers that helped you figure it out?"
"An absurd dichotomy. Believe me, I am an expert on acting less intelligent than one truly is. You can mask your speech, but not your reactions."
"Umm..." Danniah looked back and forth between them in consternation. "Please don't argue... I really think that we can all be on the same side here..."
Her attempt might have been simplistic, but Bloodwraith realized that Danniah was correct. He reined in his irritation, took a deep breath, and decided on a direct approach. "Just over ten years ago, an Outsider named Raigar came to our world, playing at being an adventurer. He destroyed the Master Lich. He also attempted to destroy me, but he failed."
Gharavi's eyes widened and her body went still. "Then... is that why he wants to recover your body?"
"Exactly." Bloodwraith smiled, pleased that she understood so quickly. "This body is a vessel that the Outsiders created for one of their own to interact with our world. It contains within it a system of great power... and great absurdity. I have been wrestling with it since we switched bodies, with mixed success. But the fact that the real Raigar is still alive makes things much more complicated."
"Yes, I see that. What's your real name?"
"Bloodwraith."
"I know that was your ti... wait." Gharavi gave him a disappointed look. "Is that seriously the name you chose for yourself?"
Bloodwraith fumed while Dan
niah laughed. "Don't worry, you get used to it!"
"I suppose." Fortunately, Gharavi didn't let such a minor detail distract her from more important matters. She stepped up to him, a smile on her face. "You have knowledge that I could never have discovered in years of research! What is it like to be inside such an artificial construct?"
"Bizarre." Bloodwraith folded his arms over his chest, unsure where to even begin. "The Outsiders are clearly insane, obsessed with death, irritated by complexity and yet enamored with rules and numbers. You seriously cannot overestimate how much of their system of power involves tedious accounting."
"Hmm. Perhaps our world is confusing to them, so they render it in objective terms in order to simplify their experience?"
"I had exactly the same thought." Despite how she had mocked him earlier, Bloodwraith found himself smiling. Gharavi was a worthwhile person to have met. "Living in this body is actually less useful than you might expect. Just meeting Raigar has ruined many of my theories."
"But it does grant you power, correct? The test I developed for Outsiders triggered strongly when you first entered the Savages Guild, and your abilities seem strange. I am no expert in the Wolf's Fang, but your development struck me as accelerated in some ways and limited in others."
"Yes, I am restricted by the bounds of a system of... boxes. Endless boxes." Impressed that she had discerned so much about him, Bloodwraith decided that he should prove himself as well. He knew much more about her, perhaps the boxes could grant him information now...
[Name: Gharavi
Race: Half-Orc/Half-???
Class: Sorcerer
Health: 166/166
Mana: 87/87
Stamina: 151/151
Level: 16
EXP: ???
Affection: 26/100
Statistics:
Might: 19
Vitality: 22
Quickness: 36
Intellect: 45
Charisma: 20
Willpower: 31
Wisdom: 24
