8. An Ambitions Plan 235 years ago there was a very ambitious young wizard, whose name is long forgotten, who was far smarter than his peers. He learned the natural order of mortal and immortal lives. He sought out both acceptable and forbidden lore to achieve the power he sought. He conducted experiments others would fear to try. He knew amazing things that others would never know at all. Eventually, he was banished from society by the authorities, but not imprisoned, as his family was wealthy. He knew he had to escape these simple minded people and looked for a way to have enough power to do that. He used his time to collect exceedingly rare magic books, and held informative mystic conversations with beings from other plains of existence. What he knew, defied even the wildest imaginations of others. At last, he knew what he must do. The sacrifice would be great but the rewards even greater. Near vibrant Westfallen was an abandoned mine and he spent a year moving in all he owned. So many books, scrolls and bottles. The laboratory was still not yet perfected. But when a cave in sealed the cave off and crushed numerous workers in the rubble he knew this was the time to act. As air was running out of air, he finished the creation of greatest potion of his life. He took a moment to remember his parents, sister, the scholastic people he had known and his few loves. As oxygen deprivation was causing his eyes blur, he drank the potion, without further pause. His last living act was crossing his fingers for luck. As this was not a guaranteed procedure. The exotic combinations of rare poisons killed him in seconds, before the bottle was even set down. But the magic compounds began his slow transformation to something both less and more than even he could guess. As days passed the flesh warped strangely, as some decayed away, and some merged with his bones. The bones thickened and remained together in the light-less sealed mining cave turned library and lab. In the second year, his crumpled bones glowed with a sickly green glow. The glow grew stronger every year as his bones soaked in the endless death energies from other forbidden dimensions. After 100 years, he awoke. Alone, in his light-less, air-less place beneath the earth. He realized he could see in the dark and no longer required air. His steel strength, skeletal finger began to assemble magical candles that would need no air to provide more common,colored illumination to hiis surroundings. . His taste in reading had survived his century long death, and there was still so very much to learn. At a thought, the bones of long dead workers assembled and followed his will. Mining the cave deeper and with expansions. Airless fires were made hot enough to melt the cleared stone and stone and metal furniture was crafted. Several fortunes of gems were found by his tireless miners. Many became priceless magical ingredients for his experiments. He passes time endlessly studyin and chatting with very distant beings. in other dimintions. When he felt ready, and confident of his many new powers, the skeletal workers mined a way out of the cave. His first sights upon the world were jaw dropping. His new eyes could see far most spectrums and though them. The cave opened into a farm field. When a group of farmers saw him they ran for their lives. With his new powers he would be unstoppable he believed. He went first to his family home, but only found it a ruin. Then went to the castle to take his place as lord of the land. But a new order of knights had formed in the land since this death. Together they were strong enough to equal his power. They held him back but couldnt beat him. But the royal court was corrupt and some very ambitious and braver lesser lords and ladies joined him. Lady Ethelfleda craved power beyond her station in life. Edmundus craved great conquest. Marigold wanted revenge, and the others wanted similar things. When he explained to his followers the price of his great powers most agreed instantly. He made special brews for them, not quite as exotically powerful as his, but still extremely potent and each was unique as its drinker. But as the magic effects on them would take years unfold, they were not able to support him at that time. With his followers dead for the present he made a truce with the knights and king to return in peace if not be disturbed. As the balance of power was very close the king agreed as all his foes in court would disappear. He raised all the dead he could then returned to the cave. Many skeletal claws resealed it. He wasnt strong enough yet he thought, but next time., it will be different. He has the time. As this followers slept in a seemingly deathly state, he returned to his reading, studying and experiments. Several decades would pass his followers would awaken. When they did he help them acclimatize to their new existence. His manors and dialect they adapted to over the isolated decades. Together they made plans to return and take the kingdom for their own, once and for all. The planning would last years. They all hard trained for the day of their return. A tight union. growing stronger every passing year. Finally, 6 years ago, he once again tried to take the land. With potent lieutenants, excellent organization, and a legion of tireless well armed skeletal warriors his forces were nothing short of stunning. The three pronged attack was more than the current tyrannical king and his bandit/police could manage, but rather that fight, the bad monarch fled the land and abandoned the people to fend for themselves. The land was his at last. He had won his dreams, and thousands of skeletal claws began rebuilding the castle to his post-life tastes. There was a surprisingly vast wealth in the treasury, and his followers were quite please with the results. They became the new government of the land. However they realize all was not well with the land. It was not in the state they had expected. It has decayed since they had seen it last. The thin and weak farmers had been taxed to near starvation. Their were no security for people as gangs of thugs owned the streets of crumbling Westfallen. Disease was common as the sewage lines were not in repair. The starved abnd diseased dead lay in the streets rotting. A few frighted townspeople asked the new rulers their wishes as they didnt want to die. Many expects slavery or death would follow. Many left the land, but in their weakness, some died and their swollen decaying bodies became makers on the dirt roads. Those too weak to travel were resigned to their doomed fate. A royal decision was made to restore the land to its earlier strength and splendor. Lives of the people became a precious resources. The people were frightened of the help they were being offered at first, but over a very long year, the people grew stronger and accepted the strange new ruler as not threatening to them. Taxation was suspended during recovery period and reset far lower thereafter. The struggling peoples needs were met by human and skeletal hands working together. Farms were rebuilt and sewage drainage was fixed. Stone city buildings repaired and cobblestones city streets and stone roadways were laid down. The next year, the Declaration of Dual Servitude was sighed by leading civil leaders and the Royal Family The rulers retreated to their newly rebuilt castle to study and even further grow their powers, and the people oversaw the vibrant health of the kingdom for them. All were content with the arrangement. But realization that other kingdoms wouldnt accept this arraignment caused the people to block off the roads to preserve their safety and freedom of their lives and protect their strange but benevolent and seclusive rulers. A School of Necromancy was established to help bridge cultural gaps and more and more connections formed between the two classes. The quick were living better and the dead were living faster with all these mortals around. In this year the strong teams of farmers work hard in friendly completion to meet the challenging, but highly rewarding, royal quotas. Tradesmen are well supplied and their finished goods are known far and wide. The merchant class were indoctrinated into kingdom security and serve as both merchants and sometime agents of the state. The quality of living has improved so much in just a few years most openly support their rulers.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 03:10:12 +0000
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