Narg and the Necromancer

Dark Castle.

Narg awoke in daylight to the sounds of movement in the camp. He sat up and looked around, conscious of a space on the mat next to him.

“Well, the sleeping beauty awakes,” said Shogun from his seat on a log next to the fire.

“Shorty! You’re up and about again!” he said, glad to see the small wizard recovered.

“Ay, even though my rest was disturbed in the night, sounded like a couple of boars fighting. Did you hear them by any chance?” Shogun smiled as he bit into an apple.

Narg merely grunted and climbed out of his bed, gathering his belongings as he did so. “Where are the others?” he asked.

“Gorgus and the elf are scouting around, they wanted to see if they could find any tracks.”

By the time the two returned, Narg was just finishing off his breakfast. “Any luck?” he asked.

“Not as such,” replied the Cleric. He sat next to Shogun and reached for some bread. Serime started to follow his lead when she stopped.

“What is it?” asked Narg.

“I hear something…” she didn’t finish before Narg and the others heard it too. A crashing through the underbrush. As one they stood and reached for their weapons, just as a figure barged into the clearing.

It looked to be human, and was dressed in the town militia uniform, or what was left of it, for it was hanging off in rags with cuts and burn marks evident in many places. His head was covered with a full helm, though it had been dented several times, and not lightly either. A sheath hung at his hip, but it was missing sword and he carried no weapon.

Gorgus was nearest and, following the adventurers ‘attack first and ask questions later’ rule, swung his mace hard at the figure. It impacted on the man’s back with a loud c***k, but the militiaman ignored the blow completely, not even stumbling. He carried on running straight for Serime, who threw three of her daggers in quick succession at the rushing form. All three hit him in the chest, and slowed him not one bit. The militiaman hit her hard in a waist high tackle, and in one smooth movement slung her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all. He barely slowed and ran straight on with her shouting and beating at his back.

The three men rushed after the two, but the militiaman, or whatever he was, was simply too fast, and even with his struggling burden soon lost them in the undergrowth.

It had all happened so quickly. Narg slashed at trees as he ran forward, following the broken branches and tracks, but as was forced to stop as they seemed to lead straight into quicksand.

Gorgus and Shogun drew up panting, as he stared forward at the ooze which was slowly wiping out the footprints.

“What was that?” Shogun asked, panting. “He, it, whatever had the uniform of the town militia. Was it undead?”

“Nay, I felt no echo of soul within,” answered Gorgus grimly. “Mayhaps an animation of some sort. Certainly it was not alive, it felt like rock when I hit it with my mace.”

Narg was still staring at the path.

“Narg?” Shogun asked. “What do you plan to do? Shall we go after her?”

Narg said nothing, but sheathed Bloodletter.

“They won’t be easy to follow through this swamp,” said Gorgus. “If the thing wishes her dead then it will be too late when we catch them. I don’t trust the elf anyway. We should return to our search.”

“What say you Narg?” asked Shogun.

Narg sighed, and turned to face the pair. “As much as it pains me to agree with you, I have to. Serime can take care of herself, I hope. We go after that b****y Necromancer now. Let’s finish here and move on.”

“Ay, I agree. The Elf was trouble,” said Gorgus, as they turned back to camp, but Shogun looked uncertain.

They were soon walking west again, along the path through the swamp. Slowly it dried out, and forest once again began to take hold. The path gently faded and they were found themselves walking through the untended wilds. The trees here were larger and somehow darker than the previous ones. Old oaks covered with moss and strange fungus loomed overhead, in a somehow menacing fashion. Sharp twigs seemed to tear and rend the traveller’s clothes. Potholes hidden underfoot made them stumble, and fallen branches tripped them. A chill breeze blew leaves at their faces and they pulled their cloaks tighter.

“I feel this wood resents our presence,” muttered Gorgus as he stumbled for the umpteenth time. “We should tread lightly, for creatures of the light may not be welcome in this dark place.”

“Who said I’m a creature of the light?” snarled Narg under his breath. Still, he moved as quietly and as carefully as he could, senses scanning the area as he went. His diligence was rewarded as he spotted something lying in the trees.

“What’s that?” asked Shogun, spotting it at the same time.

The party moved carefully in to find the remains of an adventures’ backpack, along with a mace lying on the ground. It looked fairly new, though it obviously hadn’t just been dropped.

Shogun rooted through the back pack, finding some standard travellers provisions, some of which he took, whilst Gorgus examined the mace. Narg spotted something lying at the base of a nearby tree-trunk. He stooped down and picked it up. It was a gold necklace with a large green gem.

“What’s that?” asked Shogun.

“A necklace, and a familiar one at that. No, not quite, the other one had a blue gem.”

“What are you talking about, what necklace?” asked Shogun, and he and Gorgus moved closer to examine it.

“Serime and I found one like this back at the camp site, on a body.”

“It has the taint of magic on it,” Shogun said, examining it more closely. “Nothing very powerful, yet it’s not very old and the spell, whatever it is, is still strong.”

“Can you tell what it does wizard?” asked Gorgus.

Shogun made some passes over the necklace and mumbled a quick verse, with no obvious results. He sighed. “Some sort of directional beacon perhaps? I’m not sure.” He handed it back to Narg. “Put it in your pouch, whatever it does should be nullified inside the magic space. If I can get to a laboratory I can do more tests.”

Narg took the necklace back, a glimmer of an idea popping into his head. He placed the necklace in his pouch of holding as Shogun suggested.

“Let’s move on.”

The three set off once again, scanning the surroundings more carefully than before.

Soon the forest thinned and a path once again led them westward. The air here was cold, with winter’s first fingers reaching over the land. They walked on, faster now, through the day, meeting no one and seeing no signs of life.

The light started to wane and Shogun shuddered. “We should look for a place to camp for a night…” he started to say. Then: “Hello, what’s this?”

Around a low hill, standing isolated in the bleak landscape, stood a castle. The group approached the imposing structure slowly, and came to a stop in front of the place in a tight group.

The immense granite blocks it was made from were still solid and imposing, despite many years of obvious neglect. The air around the place was dead, and had a dark and gloomy feel to it. The few windows or arrow slits were dark, revealing nothing of the interior. A huge black drawbridge was raised, blocking entry to the main gate, and the wide moat was filled with grey slime which oozed around the whole structure.

Narg shuddered. The whole thing loomed. He felt as if it were staring at him. No, through him, deep into his soul, tallying his many misdeeds and wrong-doings. He hoped it approved.

“Looks like we’ve found the old man’s castle,” said Narg. “We should explore and look for this key, if it really exists.”

The other two were also looking at the castle with foreboding. Gorgus made a symbol to ward off evil. “This is a dark place Narg. I would recommend we do not enter, for I fear we will not return.”

“How will we get in anyway? I have no spells to open such a massive portal.” Shogun gestured at the solid drawbridge.

Narg snorted. “Leave it to me short stuff.” He strode forward to stand squarely in front of the entrance. “I will not let one haunted castle daunt me. Who do they think they are dealing with here? An amateur?”

He drew Bloodletter, which glinted a dark metallic red in the gloomy light, and pointing it at the castle. Taking a deep breath he addressed the air in a loud voice. “I am Narg, hero of the battle of Under-Hall, pirate of the greater sea, slayer of men, woman, children, and creatures both high and low. Feared throughout the four realms. Undefeated in battle. I cower from nothing, I bow before none. So bring it on hell spawn, I’ll gut you on my soul-stealer here and send your spirits scuttling in terror back to Wuule*. What say you to that?” He spat on the floor.

There was a sudden stillness. Gorgus and Shogun took several paces back.

For a moment nothing happened. Then the skies darkened with frightening speed and thunder rumbled. The ground shook and a bolt of lightning hit a tree a short distance away, causing it to explode into a million splinters. A cold, cold wind swept over the land and a shadow seemed to cover the castle.

A low, deep and terrible voice rumbled, seemingly coming from the very air around them.

“So be it warrior. Enter then, and my minions will feast upon your flesh, whilst your living brain is ripped from your skull and slowly dissolved in your own stomach acids.”

The black drawbridge creaked and moaned for a second, then fell open, landing upon the ground with a resounding crash which echoed around the sky.

Narg, who had remained still throughout, sheathed Bloodletter and turned to his companions. Gorgus had stepped back several paces and was muttering protective chants. Shogun was hiding behind a tree.

“Well, he was a pleasant sort. I particularly liked the brain-stomach acid thing.” Narg said with a cheerful smile. “Right then ladies, care to go exploring?” He extended his hand towards the waiting castle…

*Wuule: Lord of the Seventh under-hell. Bringer of pestilence, woe and disease. Harbinger of the night and the creatures that lurk within. Also responsible for making Lemons taste sour.