I have been a necromancer for a few decades now and I can only be amazed at what I have missed during my time. I considered myself a competent necromancer, I survived for years without joining a cabal and even managed to pick up a few apprentices to spread the arts. However I felt myself drawn while on my journey to a certain destination, the sheer presence of energy of various kinds shone like a beacon for a ship to me. I decided to take my little troupe to visit as I knew my curiosity would not allow me rest if I did not go. And certainly I was rewarded when I traveled, while investigating the borders of what I found to be called the cursed lands I found a fount of necromantic energy.

Traveling towards it I found the signs left by another necromancer, it was a calling card allowing any necromancers who found it a chance to join his cabal. Feeling curious about this fount I decided to go for a look and I was amazed, standing there in a cavern was a skeletal figure dressed in good quality robes with I assumed magical talismans. Walking to the figure by myself as I left the troupe outside as a sign of faith I was welcomed by the figure, it called itself a mere minion of it’s master who would soon speak and it did not lie.

After giving the skeletal mage who felt as strong as a necromancer with at least a decade of experience my basic information and intention the aura around it shifted. I felt an overwhelming presence as a cold voice spoke, asking me what my intentions were if I joined his cabal. Here I decided to answer honestly for I felt the strength of the soul of this master necromancer even if it was only a fragment from afar. I spoke of my burning desire to expand my knowledge of necromancy and of being drawn to such a fascinating locale. I offered the services of myself and my troupe in exchange for knowledge and protection, it agreed and gave me a location to travel towards but that I would be guided there once I pass the outskirts of the cursed lands. It warned me to be prepared for the conditions of the land which it called the Agros de Mortis.

The name seemed deep and at the same time just fathomable enough to seem appropriate a name for this land. Watching through the eyes of my spirits I truly could appreciate the name, I felt a welcoming flush like when one leaves a cold outdoors into a warm room. This land is certainly powerful and this is the farthest of what could be considered the proper region of this land as the spirits I crafted shift. I feel that it is less of a burden to suppress the little souls left in my creations as the bloodthirsty instinct of the undead is brought more to the fore.

A few days have passed and it has been hard going with the amount of wandering undead the deeper we go, while I can replenish my losses it is still hard going with so many. I find myself realizing why there are so few adventurer parties the deeper we go, they mostly hug the outskirts to take care of the packs to wander there eventually so that they are not overwhelmed. My spirits are of some use being able to either possess the undead to take control or empower my own but the latent power stops them from being able to drain the undead clean. If I had stronger undead then perhaps but that is not what I am concerned with.

Right now it is the large pack of undead horsemen approaching, the one thing not causing me immense worry at being simply run down by numbers is the presence of an undead mage on horseback with the same regalia as the one I contacted before. Watching from above with my spirits I shudder at the sheer precision and lack of wasted movement these horseman move with, They are fully covered in some sort of leather armour and scales that ensure the hold in the saddles they have on the horse. The horse itself is obviously modified as no normal horse has such fangs or blade-like hoof, not to mention the size of all involved. These undead are larger than they should be as a whole, one or two oversized I could understand but all. This was obviously intentional and the strength demonstrated is certainly powerful as any undead packs that cross their path find themselves dealt with by halberds and other blades swung from horseback. However they also appear to have javelins or bows and arrows that certainly look effective and not scavenged items.

This master necromancer is certainly well equipped as this appears to be the force a professional large scale mercenary group would have. Only knights are more equipped than this group yet they leave nothing to waste either, a cart made of bone intertwined is being pulled behind the group with what appears to be another skeletal mage behind coordinating it’s minions which are a mix of wolf skeletons and human skeletons in picking up those defeated. This group is also protected by a group of skeletal guards armed rather well considering their armour which appears to also like everything else made of bone. Just how did one any necromancer manage to obtain such resources, and how did he mold so much bone to the shape he desires. Either we have a single extremely powerful necromancer or a group of strong necromancers.

I have enough personal power to overrun a large village, a small town if I committed my forces. I would be low steel rank, those of the elite knights and the 5th rank from the top if using one to ten for those skilled in numbers. Just above gold which by its name signifies a divide, one cannot go into or above it without having resources of some sort. Perhaps a genius or lucky individual could manage to break through on their own but for the most part some sort of wealth whether in actual coin or knowledge is needed and is not easy or cheap. Most knights and the elites of armies stay within this rank but there are divides, they are gold by individual dual basis. I am steel in terms of mass warfare, the two are radically different. It would take at least 4 others of the same rank in an individual basis to take on a mass warfare of that rank if not more.

Two or three goblins can be faced by one militia, an orc can face a basic soldier but a troll requires a band of knights. If a lesser demon appeared then one would need at least an entire patrol of 10 knights to defeat, I remember once using a flesh golem to attack a small military force. The soldiers were worthless against it but the reinforcing knights of which there were ten could face it and defeat it with many losses. The golem would thus be graded high gold in group warfare, the knights were individual mid gold. The system is a bit clunky but works for a rough estimate, as far as I know there are no other systems that are coherent enough as this. If I had to grade the necromancer right now I would say high silver which would be fourth from the top and the power that one of the territorial armies of a mid sized kingdom would have. This is already above me by a full rank and a portion, certainly the knowledge their master must have is immense.

Observing as closely as I can I analyze the intricacies of the horseman and other undead to see just how they were made. What is revealed astounds me as I can see the flowing miasma and energy, just how much did he pour into each creation but then again such material flows freely here so he can afford to waste so much on each creation. The aforementioned motion perpetuating forces work like precise clockwork to control the undead’s movement where a normal necromantic creation is more nebulous and free form this is as formed as cast iron from a mold. Truly I am glad I entered this land with the permission of their master for I do not wish to watch my poor foot slogging undead be trampled so easily on these plains with nowhere to run or way to fight. Said undead flow around us in an escorting fashion and I see the banner carrier point to where it wants us to proceed, said undead is not so simple either for that banner of black cloth with bone yellow etchings of a block of undead emits a strong presence.

I feel like a spirit dwells in it that controls those around it and that the mage is connected to the banner to extend it’s control. Such seamless manner of control gives me inspiration myself, how can such undead act without souls or is this the logical conclusion. Without a soul to resist or subjugate then can the dead be imprinted with actions, is a question revealed to me now watchiing our escorts move. However now is the time to visit the lair of this necromancer.

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When I arrived at the lair I was surprised to see a castle, while partially ruined much of the wall system was still intact and manned. Patrolling groups of undead with bows walked the walls but what was terrifying was the undead standing guard on the breach they were using as an entryway as I assume the gate did not work. It was a large knight with flitting strands of miasma around it’s armour and gleaming eyes that gave immense pressure to all under it’s gaze. When we were guided to it I examined it under my gaze and saw the sheer amount of energy and time placed into creating it and start trying to glean something of use but before I can spend more than a few breaths it turns and starts speaking. The master has requested my presence in the courtyard of the castle for a tour of the location along with being informed about some of the things that will be done here.

Following the large knight I marvel at how well it moves as it has a almost human gait but different in that it is almost primal, a hunter’s gait would a good description. Making quick progress through the halls I see many skeletal guards patrolling the area along with wards against unauthorized intruders, nasty ones as well if I recognize the purpose of some of the sigils on them. This master of theirs is both powerful and paranoid but that was not even close to how he was when I actually met him in person......