Rumors of Undead

[Ivar]

123 Glade 11th

Ivar was relaxing at one of his usual spots. Today it was a dark corner in a busy tavern. It was a change of pace from his normal scrivening stuff. He'd watch everyone coming and going, workers, interesting folks, and other people who were probably up to no good. He found the tavern to be kind of a safe place, where he could take a break and also make some coin with his other gig.

He had a knack for remembering bits of information so he turned it into a side hustle which thankfully did not put any strain on his wrists which were typically sore from pictography. His typical customers were sneaky thieves looking for a score, loan sharks tracking down bad debts, and even wives who thought their husbands might be cheating.

Because this was his side hustle he typically wasn’t sought out for information that was very valuable and he missed lots of discussions with other brokers. This meant that he usually only knew vague details about more sensitive information and sometimes what he knew was completely false.

“Ah, what a night.”

Ivar waved for another ale and checked the time. 8PM. The best business always came at night. He slipped off his coat and put it on the chair beside him. He rifled through its pockets and produced some coins for payment then started drinking again. He decided to leave the coat off for now as the drinking had made him hot.

There was a time where he feared his clientele and was too wary to drink. That’d all gone away when he’d learned to teleport. It was funny how people simply stopped trying to threaten you when you could escape to anywhere you wanted at the snap of a finger. Lots of his problems had been solved with magic, now that he thought about it.

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Going to taverns and the like wasn’t something that Vergil had really done for fun in quite some time, and Hector had never really taken much interest in doing such at all, though that did not mean that either man had anything against patronizing these types of establishments– on the contrary, they did all the time, it was just never expressly for leisure. Given their heightened senses, status and myriad other skills, taverns were often rife with useful information or people. This was something they opted to do more often when they were outside of the Imperium itself or in smaller towns, mostly due to lack of familiarity, and tonight, they were in Kalzasi. Not on any official business, no, but any outing to gather information could be, in theory, thought of as such.

In a more homogenous society, they might’ve been an odd sight, but given Kalzasi’s mixed bag of a population, a large, armed human toting around a pretty little elf really wasn’t that strange. Granted, if one looked closely, the miasmatic fog that traced ‘round the elven boy’s feet and ankles might invite some scrutiny, though to many, this was regarded as a trick of the light. Hector’s Aidolon, powerful and dense as it was, had trouble fully compressing itself in the boy’s shadow at this point in time and parts of his form bled upwards at times, creating this eldritch effect. Vergil's polearm might look odd, too, though only to those familiar with common metals used in weapons. It was black as night, and when light struck it, the metal shined subtly sanguine. Wholly unique, even the most experienced of metallurgists or smiths would fail to recognize it, for it was borne of a quirk belonging to his elven companion alone. But these things were of no major standout and most paid them little mind, busy as they were with their own lives and problems.

Nonetheless, the two of them approached the bar and ordered; both of them asked after strong, straight liquor. This wasn’t to get drunk– a vampyr’s metabolism made any of alcohol’s effects hard to feel at all unless one were to drown oneself in it. They’d heard of undead sightings in this region before and, given Vergil’s current goals, the man wanted to investigate; to see if any of them were true. Anything might aid the Imperium’s constant crusade against the undead, but the Necromancer also hoped to find something that might, perhaps, benefit his research.

Hector, whose social skills and motivations had always been markedly questionable, looked around only briefly before his gaze set on a man lurking in a less populated area of the tavern. With little fanfare, he took his drink and closed the distance between himself and where the other was sitting. It wasn't far, so his companion did not presently opt to follow physically, only with his gaze.

With no real regard for how strange his inquiry might sound, he opened his mouth to ask: “...’ave you heard anything about undead nearby? Any terrorized towns? Perhaps harassing merchants on the road?” The boy sounded chipper, as if he were striking up casual conversation about a town’s festivities or something markedly more cheery.

Vergil pressed his lips together and sighed, unamused, as he’d wanted to sit and listen to the conversations that took place ‘round them for the moment, but it appeared his companion had not been on the same wavelength in that regard. For now, though, he added nothing, not even looking at the man Hector spoke to, instead simply drinking all of the liquor that’d been placed before him.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Ivar]

Ivar took in the odd pair when they entered and Ivar felt intrigue mixed with a little wariness. There was something about them that was off putting. Ivar hadn’t the perception to put a finger on what it was, though it was likely the oddity of one’s shadow that got him to take a second glance at them. The one that approached him clearly armed, his companion, an elf, stayed at a distance.

It was hard to be truly out of the ordinary in a diverse place such as Kalzasi so Ivar had no reason to discriminate or suspect that they were here looking for trouble. Besides, the dawnstone in his pocket ensured he could blink away if he needed to. So, he stayed put and motioned to a seat, suggesting that Hector could take a seat if he wanted.

“Hello there. Undead you say… You know, I’ve been doing this for years and I don’t think I’ve ever been asked about that particular topic.”

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin with one hand while he thought. Of course, he had some information that he was sure would be beneficial but simply knowing information was only a part of the job. One had to consider their clientele and factor in pricing and whether it was even wise to sell them information. The way the man spoke so casually about undead made Ivar think that he did this very often, or a jokester… and he was thinking it was more of the former than the latter.

“Hmmm”

He stuck out his free hand and hitched his drink to it from the table. He took a sip then looked directly at Hector.

“To answer your question, yes. I do have some information for you. However, before I point you in the right direction, might I ask who you are and what your purpose is with the undead?”

He supposed the answer didn’t really matter to him in the end and any answer given could be a lie, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. Was the man here to eliminate the undead? Use them for his own devices? Was there something larger at play that Ivar was unaware of? This information, to him, was potentially more valuable than the information he already had.

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Hector wasn’t actually expecting to receive an answer that would indicate the other person had any expertise or familiarity in the business of information, so when the man stated ‘I’ve been doing this for years,’ the young elf looked markedly surprised, though pleased. It would seem his intuition in picking a person to approach had not been terrible on this day, at least. It had been at points in the past…but such things held no present relevance.

The only downside to having approached somebody with experience in such a field was that the other carried with him the natural trepidation one would expect about simply sharing his stock. When asked precisely why it was he wanted to know, the boy paused– telling the truth wasn’t exactly optimal, at least, not yet. Stating Imperial affiliation in Kalzasi often brought upon hostility and the Imperium didn’t quite like their business being stated anywhere, anyways.

Hector would pause, awkwardly, before he decided upon a half-truth and sat down. “I ask because my mentor and I…we…no, he’s a Necromancer; more officially, a Necrosurgeon, and all of his studies thus far have been on healing the body, but…recently our goals have shifted to…to exploring greater facets of that art. Undead can offer myriad things for a Necromancer, from resources to research.” None of this was a lie.

He blinked, then realized something he should add. “...and lest you wonder, we’ve means to subdue the undead ourselves. Encountering them is of little risk, even the riskier ones.”

Vergil's acute hearing allowed him to overhear every word that Hector had said; he felt it would benefit the boy to join him since Hector’s knowledge of Necromancy was…rudimentary at best, and he’d likely be unable to answer further questions on the subject.

Standing now beside Hector, Vergil would add, “...the type of undead would determine value, but anything works. We can pay, too, if you deem it necessary.”

For most, hunting undead was a precarious venture, and waifish as Hector was, he was either a fool, a mage, or solely reliant on his companion for protection. The truth was a combination of the three, but regardless, both parties appeared confident.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Ivar]

Grinning, Ivar gave a slight nod. He liked the idea of going after undead for research purposes. He’d met his fair share of necromancers at his college so he wasn’t that surprised. Moreover, he was interested to see what exactly they would do to the undead.

"That's interesting work you do," he said, making an effort to appear nonchalant about the whole thing.

"There are indeed rumors of undead sightings in a certain part of the Midden. Zombies specifically, so nothing too crazy… although you never know what you will find down there. The Midden is quite a horrible place and you should be prepared to deal with creatures other than undead.”

Ivar thought for a moment about payment. He saw this as a great opportunity to make money. He assumed that his customer was somewhat competent at defending himself, but did he have a means of transportation?

“Hmm,” he said. “as for payment, it depends on what you need. I could teleport you and your friend to the general area of the Midden where the zombies were sighted in. I could even stick around and teleport you back when you’re done, given you’re able to defend me. If you’re able to teach me a thing or two about the undead and necromancy I’d have half a mind to use that as payment for my services.”

He took a sip. His college only taught one form of world magic to its students so learning about necromancy would be invaluable to his goals as a mage.

“Of course I don’t want to impose and would be happy to fashion a scroll for you to teleport back to this very tavern when you’re done… or you can handle all transportation on your own. Lots of options to consider.” He chuckled and set down his cup. He was feeling buzzed already.

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Vergil, crossing his arms over his chest, would nod at the notion of the Midden carrying with it an inherent air of danger. “So I’ve heard, and to some extent seen, though we’ve not explored the area extensively to any degree,” he responded.

The more they spoke, the more one might notice the slight inflections of a Zaichaeri accent on both men, marking them ever the more distinctly as foreigners. However, such a thing might only serve to throw Ivar off– neither party held any ties to Zaichaer anymore.

“...nevertheless, trust that he and I are full well capable of dealing with most threats,” he added, nodding to Hector.

As Ivar continued, both men heard him out, Vergil being the one to respond at first. “I possess Traversion myself, but my knowledge of the Midden is, admittedly, rudimentary, so having you along at least to get us there would be a great favor from you, though I’d easily be able to cover the return trip myself.

“That being said, you’re welcome along if you’d like. Since you do have Traversion, I’m going to assume you’re capable enough a caster to keep yourself in relative safety while we strike down the undead. The experience is yours if you’d like it, and I’m happy to teach you whatever you’d like– as long as it's within my fields of expertise.”

Hector looked to Vergil quizzically, given that they usually weren’t open about exposing their vampirism to strangers, but did often rely on it to fight. The elven boy’s shadow would shift, though it might be hard to detect in a building this dark, connecting the inky blackness of his Aidolon’s miasma to Vergil’s feet. The point of this wouldn’t be readily apparent even if Ivar did detect movement in the darkness, but what the Aidolon was doing was ‘connecting’ to Vergil enough that he’d be able to detect the man’s thoughts and relay the message over to Hector, allowing for wordless communication between them. Vergil assured Hector that unless something far more potent than simple zombies lay in waiting, they’d be able to rely on their other skills or uses of Vitalis that weren’t visually obvious.

Hector would add: “If it’s learning you seek, Vergil can provide, but…don’t ask after me for that,” the boy laughed. “I’ve plenty of skill with magic to keep you safe whilst in the Midden, though,” he offered with a smile.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Ivar]

Hearing Vergil's words, Ivar felt a lot more confident about their plan. He was sure someone versed with mundane combat methods could hold their own against basic undead but the Midden added extra hazards. Ivar recalled one time he’d been down there killing slimes and had nearly gotten killed by a totally different creature.

“Excellent,” Ivar said with a smile after Vergil’s reassurances and agreement to him tagging along.

As he spoke his eye finally caught the strangeness of Hector’s shadow. A chill ran down his back and his eyes widened for just a moment. Of course he knew that there was a magic that dealt with darkness and shadows but that was a rare magic. There wouldn’t be any way of him coming to the conclusion that it was the effect of a summon. It made him wonder what other kinds of strange abilities this pair had.

Not wanting to stare, Ivar averted his eyes to Hector who spoke to him. “No worries. I’m sure this will go without a hitch. And I’ve got this to calm my nerves.”

He dug through his pocket and pulled out an Auralyth that he’d purchased in a previous season. It was a shard capable of manipulating emotions, among other things. He gripped it tightly and thought of a calming emotion that would quell any of his doubts. He told himself that now wasn’t the time to be afraid of adventure and that this was the perfect opportunity to learn valuable information. The magic flowed from the shard and into his body and even radiated outwards so it was possible his visitors would feel it as well.

Ivar tucked the shard away and straightened his back. His actions were so nonchalant that one might assume that he often relied on the stone’s magic to affect his own emotions. He said, “I suppose the only matter left unsettled is the When. Are you looking to go now?” He put a hand on another pocket where he kept his dawn shard. He’d assume he’d need it to cast a sufficient teleportation spell and possibly to help provide light in the sewers.

As Ivar sat in silence, his mind buzzed with an array of inquiries he wanted to pose to his newfound comrades during their venture in the Midden. The sewers, despite the risk they posed, would be an apt setting for such discussions. His curiosity was piqued, driven by the mystery of necromancy that one of these two strangers wielded so freely.

The most immediate query occupying his thoughts was the mechanics of necromancy. How was it possible to command the deceased, to usurp their eternal rest, and make them puppets to one's will? The sheer magnitude of the power that could bridge the gap between life and death, control the non-living, was something he sought to comprehend. What kind of training, discipline, or inherent aptitude did it necessitate? What kind of toll did it extract from its wielder?

Each question that formulated in his mind only amplified his anticipation for their imminent departure. The prospect of understanding such an art was exhilarating, a thrilling contrast to his regular, predictable life. It sent a shiver of excitement down his spine, even as it awakened a sense of unease within him. The dichotomy was fascinating, and he could hardly suppress the impatient drumming of his fingers on the table as he waited for their adventure to commence.

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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When the two of them had crossed the threshold of the tavern that night, their intention was more for a quieter evening of reconnaissance– this was a step beyond that, though it was not an unwelcome one. Hector was a restless little thing; he’d always prefer action to observation, often to Vergil’s great dismay.

Both vampyres nodded at the Auralyth, both being familiar with it, though Hector’s understanding was rudimentary whereas Vergil’s was more academic. Either way, both of them had come across people in the Imperium that used Auralyth, as well as the cardinal rune of Mesmer, for a similar purpose. For many, these things were used to regulate their own emotions more often than to influence others– and it made sense; magical ministrations were far easier than the alternatives…and oftentimes, more fun.

When Ivar suggested the possibility that they could leave now, Hector’s eyes lit up and he looked to Vergil to make the decision, his gaze subtly deferential.

Vergil tilted his head in consideration, raising one of his hands to his chin at the same time. “I suppose we could depart now. We’ve supplies enough on our person,” the larger man said, then moving his arm to gesture towards the backpack he wore. It wasn’t very large, but that was deceptive– it was enchanted to hold far more than physically possible. “If you intend to get us there by portal, though, I suggest we do that outside lest we disturb the other patrons.”

Hector would roll his eyes at the minor inconvenience, but he had no reason to object. While magic was not uncommon in Kalzasi, flagrant displays of it indoors could be unnerving to some, especially the mundane amongst them that would be unable to discern whether said magic was a threat or not. With that being said, the elf rose to his feet, he and his companion ready to follow Ivar’s lead to the Midden.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Hector]

Review

Ivar

Lore: 8 lores
Points: 10, mundane only
Injuries/Ailments: n/a
Loot: None

Hector

Lore: 8 lores
Points: 10, mundane only
Injuries/Ailments: n/a
Loot: None

Notes:
A good introduction! Short, but that's how these things tend to go. Ivar carries an interesting air of mystery to him; I look forward to seeing how their endeavors with the undead pan out.

I don't have a ton of other feedback mostly because not a lot happened, but I do like the way you've characterized him thus far, regardless.