[h2][center]Darius[/center][/h2]

"C'mon ya fat bastard" Darius said to the defender who held the poles of a human, or Golem, dawn cart that held the dwarf's team of servants and a small workshop that could manufacture a surprising array of items and alchemical concoctions. The Defender picked up its pace ever so slightly to fall in line with Darius as they came to the gate of Wanderneir just as the sun falls below the horizon. The guards admired the Dwarven machine as its like had very rarely been seen outside of the fortress mountains of the dwarves. 

"Aye! 'e is a sight but oi wish to enter the City" said Darius annoyed that every town and city he had entered with Dark Steel, the Golem, had reacted by ogling at the metallic figure. "An' oi know that the city 'as some dark nasties at night, an' an old dwarf like me don' need you young lads slowin' me down" he said as he took a step forward prepared to walk right past if they keep standing slack jawed.

"Oh, of course sir." said one of the guards "There are shadow sprites at nig-"

"Pay attention lad!" roared the dwarf with a voice that could have been heard over the cacophony of a workshop. "Oi know about the [i]terrible beasties"[/i] he said with a thick layer of sarcasm "An' i wan' to go anyways, The Fat Bastard 'ere can take care of this old bastard, so, canae be on my way?"

The soldier blinked slowly deciphering the dwarf's accent, "Ah, yes you should find an inn soon"

"Bah, yes yes" said the dwarf as he strides through the gate. He found himself in an empty street only a couple of minutes of walking with shadows darkening fast and the last rays of the sun fell below the horizon. Darius grumbled incoherently, more grunts than actual words, he dug around in his cart and produced a lantern holding a solid globe of glass rather than a wicked oil lamp. he dropped some glittering iridescent powder and a measure of viscous gel into the globe. The mixture quickly began foaming and producing a wisp of vapor, which produced a faint light. He stoppered the globe which quickly began to produce more light than a good torch. 

	Darius looks at the guardian who held both poles of the cart and he grimaced "Useless bastard... Copper! get out here!" At his command one of the servant golems stood and climbed out of the cart, it stood somewhat shorter than Darius and its tarnished steel body was only identifiable by a coin sized circle of copper inlaid into its head. "Carry this you git" he said to the small machine holding out the globe lantern. The servant shuffled a bit and held the globe over its head casting a large illuminated area around itself.

Darius wandered a while, turning randomly not worried about the shadows skulking just out of the circle of his alchemical light. Before long he happened upon a queer scene, a mounted knight, a robed man, an armed woman, and the distinct feel of magic in the air. The situation was just interesting enough to pique his interest. Darius and his golem entourage turned to approach the small group.

"Wots all this then?" he said in a voice that would carry to them, and probably several city blocks beyond. "Seems like you younglings should have brought some better light!" he laughed as he casually walked towards the group with the guardian behind and the lamp wielding servant beside the dwarf.

[hr]

[H2][center]Grave Lord Mortan[/center][/h2]

The Grave lord set down his tools and inspected his work, an [url=https://i.pinimg.com/236x/f0/78/4c/f0784c07f39f9977d3c85509393c3d5a--monster-design-medieval-fantasy.jpg]abomination[/url] laid on the table with freakish proportions of a human with bulging muscles and a network of stitches holding the flesh inside the creature. Hundreds of pounds of muscle fused into an impossible frame soon to be fueled by black magic. Mortan chuckles, pleased with his terrible creation, but it still needs to be raised. He turns and searches for one of his slaves, a skeleton stands at perfect attention by the door awaiting orders. 

Mortan stares in confusion, where were all his minions? he was sure there where more. He glances down at his new beast, "ah" he says to himself, "there they are" once the mystery was solved he turns back to the lone skeleton "Fetch me a soul" he says waving a hand at the skeleton before turning back to the creature and begins carving a few eldritch runes into the flesh of the monster preparing for the final ritual to reanimate it. 

a couple of minutes pass before the skeleton returns dragging a half starved man by the arm who cries out in fear and anger trying to resist the undead minion. His starved and weakened body lacks the strength to stall his fate. Once the skeleton comes near Mortan grabs the man by the scalp and pulls him up to eye level. With his other hand the Lich grabs the man by the face and begins quietly chanting a dark incantation. Once spoken tendrils of light snake from the humans eyes and Mortan begins to laugh amused by the cruelty. The man howls in terror and agony as his very essence is ripped from his body leaving a hollowed husk and a sphere glowing like a small star in the hand of the Lich. 

Unceremoniously the corpse is dropped to the floor, "remove that" Mortan says to the skeleton now bored with the remains of the human. The skeleton reaches down and drags the husk away to a small pile of desiccated corpses just like the one it hauls. Mortan returns to his work chanting a new incantation using the fresh soul to fuel the terrible power of the beast. Within moments the glowing soul begins to dim and the creature jerks upon the table as unholy life is breathed into it. 

"RISE!" commands The Mad Wizard and the creature obeys hauling its bulk off the table to stand before Mortan "Fetch me more souls" he says before the creature lumbers off with a speed that it should not possess in search of any living thing to bring back to its master.