Current
I was gone for a lot longer than I thought >.>"
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2 yrs ago
Sorry for my absence! A Volunteering position suddenly turned into a Volunteer Leadership position I was not expecting at all so things have been hectic.
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2 yrs ago
Look at you posers, having to bang dragons or sell your soul for magic when you could just play a lute for some. Anyways, here's Wonderwall. - Bards
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2 yrs ago
Sometimes we live in a society. Other times, a society lives in us. Occasionally, society.
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2 yrs ago
I am fucking screaming. Why are there so many fucking MLMs posing as actual marketing/advertising agencies. Just give me an actual fucking job reeeeeeeee
Official Government Name: Grand Kingdom of Meung Head of State: (Position, Name, Age) Crown Prince Hu Shihuang Capital City: Yijun National Language: Meung Basic Demographics: The Celestial Kingdom, the Heavenly Empire, the Realm of the East, Meung has been put down under many names through the ages lead by various dynasties as it lays claim to being one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Its rich in natural resources and beauty and has had a strong history as a provide of exotic goods sought after by merchants around the world. However, its luster dulls and its shine fades as the smoke of a new era clouds the old traditions of an age of isolation; the warm, humid landscape torn asunder by its inability to get with the times after suffering a crippling blow in recent wars against technologically superior powers. Poised in a vulnerable state, its fate remains a mystery as its aging king dies and the weight of the oldest empire in the world rests upon the shoulders of the Crown Prince Hu Shihuang. Map of Meung. -------------------------------------------------- When you begin, you have the following stats: I.Nation - Population:10 - Stability: 2 - Landmass: 5 - Demographics: 5 - Civilian Industry: 4 - Armaments Industry: 3 - Infrastructure: 3 - Naval Industry: 2
II. Military: - Army Size: 4 - Army Training: 3 - Army Technology: 2 - Navy Size: 0 - Navy Training: 1 - Navy Technology: 1
III. Economics: - Rare Resources: 5 - Common Resources: 6 - Luxury Resources: 6. - Bureaucracy: 4
Official Government Name: Grand Kingdom of Meung Head of State: (Position, Name, Age) Crown Prince Hu Shihuang Capital City: Yijun National Language: Meung Basic Demographics: The Celestial Kingdom, the Heavenly Empire, the Realm of the East, Meung has been put down under many names through the ages lead by various dynasties as it lays claim to being one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Its rich in natural resources and beauty and has had a strong history as a provide of exotic goods sought after by merchants around the world. However, its luster dulls and its shine fades as the smoke of a new era clouds the old traditions of an age of isolation; the warm, humid landscape torn asunder by its inability to get with the times after suffering a crippling blow in recent wars against technologically superior powers. Poised in a vulnerable state, its fate remains a mystery as its aging king dies and the weight of the oldest empire in the world rests upon the shoulders of the Crown Prince Hu Shihuang. Map of Meung. -------------------------------------------------- When you begin, you have the following stats: I.Nation - Population:10 - Stability: 2 - Landmass: 5 - Demographics: 5 - Civilian Industry: 4 - Armaments Industry: 3 - Infrastructure: 3 - Naval Industry: 2
II. Military: - Army Size: 4 - Army Training: 3 - Army Technology: 2 - Navy Size: 0 - Navy Training: 1 - Navy Technology: 1
III. Economics: - Rare Resources: 5 - Common Resources: 6 - Luxury Resources: 6. - Bureaucracy: 4
If there was a need for inspiration for the world's greatest tragedy, Shiroe's former life would have been it. Born to an apathetic mother and a drunkard father who would beat Shiroe when they weren't shouting at each other, it would seem that life was determined to fuck Shiroe up. Few if any friends, failing grades, no physical achievements, no talents, no money, to say that Shiroe had been dealt the worst hand possible in the game of life would be an understatement.
Despite this, Shiroe didn't let it break him. While many would presume that a child like him would fall into depression and commit suicide or become a recluse with angst and edge in their shadow, Shiroe was a never ending fountain of positive vibes with an upbeat personality. There have been more than a few people who have concluded that Shiroe must have some mental illness which causes all of this, but he has none to speak of besides a mild case of dyslexia and a rather poor memory. The boy knew his misfortune and bad luck, he knew all his shortcomings and failures but he accepted it and made it his mission to be the foundation and pillar of a building instead of the shiny exterior or the crowning monument in front. He worked his ass off trying to make money and get into good schools with mixed results, but none of his teachers could ever really hate him for his poor grades and attendance.
On more than one occasion Shiroe would however escape into a digital world behind a locked door and finally be able to interact with people. Elder Tale provided the perfect world for the youth to ignore everything else and just forget about the world outside for a few hours. He picked the Summoner class and went down the Necromancer line after reading up about it online. Shiroe would never tell anyone about it, but one of the reasons he picked summoner was so that he would never have to travel alone and with necromancy he would never have to worry about his companions dying on him. Such a love of this one game carried through with him all the way to college.
When the Catastrophe hit, Shiroe had felt the same shock as everyone else but there was also a silver lining of relief. He was free from his previous life, safe from the yelling and the fighting.
Personality
In defiance of the traditional stereotypes of what a Necromancer is, Shiroe is far less villainous and far more outgoing and chill than what many would think of when they think of necromancers. Its as if his very soul is so great that nothing could tarnish the easy-going and relaxed nature he gives off. Almost nothing fazes him, no insult, no slander, no lie can really affect him. Even someone stabbing him would only cause Shiroe to question the stabber with an almost disappointment tone. Full of optimism, Shiroe accepts whatever misfortunes comes to him with a smile and seeing as he is still quite unlucky to this day, he smiles a lot. He's a bit odd and eccentric, but his motives are rarely ever foggy due to a good moral compass
He’s an honest, hard-working and down to earth type of individual with a reputation built off being one of the few necromancers who isn’t paralyzed by fear at his own summons and creations. The word “white necromancer” could almost be applied to Shiroe as he tends to act selflessly and seeings then positively unlike the generic, angsty emo necromancer. While many see necromancy as the diving into of dark magics and death, Shiroe sees it as a celebration of life saying "In order to understand death, you have to first understand life".
Equipment
Of the many predators which live in the deep dark caverns of mountains, none are more unsettling than the giant bats that have grown massive who hunt horses, pegasi and humans and often clash with gryphons for aerial domination. While monstrous in life, those who have been resurrected by the ways of necromancers become nightmares incarnate. The rotted flesh and calcified bones are held together with dark magic and ride upon decaying leathery wings. By giving up a portion of his own blood, necromancers can bind the horrific undead beasts to their will and grant them necromantic regeneration abilities. What was once a sonic echo in life has become a stunning eldritch blast that can paralyze its prey before it swoops down to tear it apart in its hunger for flesh and blood. Decorated with skulls and other dark insignias, it comes as little wonder that those who see it are immediately filled with dread and fear based status effects. Even back when everything what just a game, there were players who stayed well far away from the beast citing it as one of the most horrifying looking creatures in game.
Its often thought that the purest souls form crystals when given physical shape and have great magical capabilities. Thus items crafted out of these “Crystal Souls” are prized amongst magic users. Looted from the <Tomb of Pride’s End> raid, the Abyssal Celeste has a long handle carved from a Black Ashen Elder Oak, the ribcage, spine and skull of a defiled Pure White Stag with its original antlers and of course, a large scythe-like blade made up of pure Crystal Souls, corrupted by dark magic.
The scythe-staff is considered to be an item with a soft restriction to necromancer play styles as although anyone can use a scythe-staff, it only gives buff to necromancy. The Abyssal Celeste dramatically reduces cooldowns for undead summons although the bonus get exponentially smaller with higher level summons. Unlike most staffs, scythe-staves can be used in melee with a reasonable amount of success. The Crystal Soul blade on the Abyssal Celeste deals little physical damage but an extraordinary amount of magical damage and has been known to instantly kill even mid-level Ethereal enemies.
A rare dagger carved of stone with various runes engraved upon it. Although it is weak normally, it can instantly kill paralyzed enemies if they’re under 25% HP. Doing so will give the user a dramatic boost in health, stamina and mana as well as provide them with a “Life Tribute” buff. If used on an Adevnturer, the user gains XP equal to a thousand times the victim’s level.
Cleverly disguised, the Choir of Castle Cainhurst was actually a coven of witches and warlocks organized under a disgruntled duke against his liege. Their rituals would often pose some danger to themselves and thus they wove spider silk and steel fibers into their magical robes to protect themselves. While harmless at first, the Choir slowly delved deeper and deeper into forbidden tombs and depravity before being finally consumed by their own work.
Providing greater protection than normal robes, the robes of castle Cainhurst gives magical protection due to the enchanted fabric that it is made of and buffs various dark spells like <Black Orchestra>.
When the Mad King Volnyr was finally cut limb from limb, his remains were shackled in enchanted chains of black iron. But so corrupt was his very soul that he inturned twisted the once holy wards on his own chains from beyond the grave.
They slow stamina regeneration as if shackling the user to the world but grant an immunity to dark-based magic and reduce cooldowns on summon buffing spells.
Rulers have always had the most grandiose burials but right of birth and it should be little surprise that the remains of long dead kings are tempting targets for necromancers. However, when they fail to be able to call such a person back into the material world, they often settle for using their remains to craft items.
Carved from the front plate of a skull, the Death Mask of Kings confines leadership bonuses to undead summons, giving buffs to them. It also buffs the skill <My Will Be Done> and can cause fear effects with its deathly gaze. Amadeus only wears this in serious raid battles as he feels like its appearance is unsuited for daily, casual wear.
The mysterious unholy ichor of a terrifying eldritch being from the darkest depths of the cosmos. How it ended up in this world is all but a shockingly unknown and likely dark mystery. An Artifact-class item obtained at the end of the dungeon <Tomb of Bleeding Stars>, the Vial of Black Beast Blood is a highly controversial item even pre-Catastrophe as it was used to summon a mini-boss level summon called <The One Reborn> by dumping it on a pile of bodies and resurrecting it. Even though the summon constantly looses health and is also on a timer, it was lamented as an OP item and thus rarely used even in PVE. Like many who have it, Amadeus keeps the fact he has one a closely guarded secret.
One of the books produced by the Arch Heretic Zandgre about forbidden dark arts for his collection of codices. Those who opposed him managed to spread and entomb his blasphemous works away from prying eyes but there are those who have found them still. The Liber Nercomonica had been given to the Grave Guards of Mortalor but even their Order couldn’t stop it from being unleashed once again.
Gives access to several high-level spells and incantations prized by necromancers.
This trinket of a small bell produces a single, etheral, edritch tone which calls to the realms beyond and summons lost souls to its users. Doing so will dramatically increase the user’s mana pool and mana regeneration. Amadeus has also found that shaking the bell hard enough is a pretty good way over getting the attention of players and monsters alike as its ghostly echoes enters right into the minds of those who hear it. It is unknown if doing this actually causes any Hate or not however.
Spells
Long Arm of the Dead - Summons a large skeleton arm which mimics the actions taken by the caster’s own hands. Pre-Catastrophe it was regarded as a mostly useless skill but since then it had gained more popularity due to the fact you can more easily control it and manipulate the fingers allowing for more uses. In addition it can be used to block attacks and quickly counter due to its surprising fluidity.
Blood Tithe - A simple buff which allows the user's summon's weapons to apply stacks of Bleeding damage.
Soul of Humanity - Exposing the Dark Soul of Man, a dark black hole appears on the caster's chest, outlined with a flickering fire. While in this state the user takes more damage but every attack they or their summon lands they regain mana.
Lullaby for Mergo - This unsettling melody of otherworldly origins once composed for a stillborn god, is played from seemingly everywhere at once and increases the defenses undead summons. While it confers no real status effects, the fact that all the zombies and skeletons will sing along to this undead tune has scared many adventures post-Catastrophe.
Early Grave - Skeleton hands rise up from under the target, clawing and grabbing on their legs and slowly dealing damage to them. This will root them in place for a short while and continue to slow them afterwards
Midnight Howl - A bloodcurdling howl is unleashed by the Necromancer which is then followed by similar howls by his summoned minions. It has different stages of affect on people depending on their stats and their status effects but will universally apply at least one stack of Fear. On some targets it might even force them to be paralysed with fear.
Rigor Mortis - A passive effect where every strike from the player's summons will cause the enemy to be hit with a status debuff reducing their move and attack speed. If enough stacks of Rigor Mortis are applied, their stamina will also regenerate far slower as well.
Invocation of Undeath - Essentially a healing spell for the undead summons however it cannot be used to heal other players. In fact, it will actually harm them as the spell will try to infuse their beings with dark magic despite them not needing it.
Serve Once More - A more powerful version of the basic Resurrection spell. It creates a stronger binding on the summon giving them better stats and the Necromancer better control over it. In addition, the resurrected monster can be resurrected once more unlike the basic spell which cannot achieve this.
Carrion Call - A buff that can only be used on mounted undead or high level summons which increased both speed and damage. This spell is sometimes referred as the "overkill" buff given how it can only be used on higher level summons.
Zombie - Basic undead with low combat skills but great durability. Their weapons are randomized every time they spawn but they’ll rarely get better than broken blades and rusted armor. In most cases they don’t even have armor and just use farming tools.
Skeletons - Undead with slightly more skill and memories of their past making them slightly more competent warriors. Their bones rattle with every movement and their march in perfect, ominous synchronization. They can use swords and spears with shields
Crypt Horror - Not technically undead but instead more of a large, mutated ghoul that feasts on carrion and corpses. A dreaded beastly version of corrupted humans fallen to cannibalism, their love of corpses and lack of hygiene means they have some of the toughest natural poison attacks of all summonables and have a limited amount of regeneration.
Dire Wolf Pack - Loyal unto death, these arcane constructs of flesh and bones viciously hunt down their prey and are summoned in small packs. Their speed makes them ideal of scouting ahead or chasing running prey.
Carn Stalker - Ghost apparitions that haunt cry[ts and mausoleums, these ethereal beings were once the result of summoning souls without giving them a proper vessel but since then necromancers have figured out how to summon them regularly. They are prized for their ability to completely ignore armor with their phantom scythes.
Fallen Grave Guards - There comes a delicious irony when a necromancer slays and resurrects a grave warden who once watched over the sleeping dead. These fallen guards make for excellent fighters and bulwarks as even in death they have the natural instinct to protect the death, even if they walked next to them.
Laughing Jack - The elusive serial killer who was never caught alive with his body found in little bloody chunks. Those who summon him are greeted with the service of a man who has lost all of his humanity and dances in a whirling storm of blades that few can dream of dodging.
Liche Priest - The priest of a lost empire, obsessed with death and funeral rites return to the living world once again to cast their magics upon those who deny them slumber. They are essentially undead mages who know mage skills who can buff up other summons.
Black Knightmare - The knights and horsemasters of a forgotten age who rise from the cursed ground to trample their foes into it. The Black Knightmares forgo any loyalty or duty they had in life and serve as heavy cavalry for the necromancer who summons them and can appear with dual swords, sword and shield or lance. They give off a constant aura of dread due to their special Nightmare mounts that exude energy..
Lynch Guard - A strange summon, Lynch Guards are those humans who willingly became undead to boost their combat prowess and possess free will and great intellect for an undead. Even stranger is that they willingly serve necromancers of their own violation. They are often considered the highest level of summoned infantry as they retain all the knowledge they had in their past making them exceptionally terrifying warriors.
Wight King - The paramount summon for necromancers and a highly sought after and powerful summon. They were once great kings and champions in life and now fearless killing machines in death. Even though a single person can only summon a single one, they are death dealers in death despite their seemingly hard cap.
Overskills
My Will Be Done - No longer bound by the rules of the game, all necromancers can summon and command massive numbers of undead soldiers as they wish based upon their level and skills.
Overlord - Encasing himself in a shell of crystal and bone, Amadeus can get a top-down RTS styled view of the battlefield and more efficiently control his summons and summon more of them at once in squads.
I'm thinking of a "grappler" type of Knight with two Thunderstrike Gauntlets, two meltas (the Knight doesn't have a shield thing on the shoulder) and maybe a rocket pod. The idea is that he'd punch shit good but the role he excels at is attacking other Knights/walkers by literally ripping them apart with the gauntlets and then blasting away at the open circuits and machinery with the dual metals. Basically what happens if you combine a Knight Gallant and a Dwarf Slayer from Warhammer Fantasy with some good old fashioned Pacific Rim chucked in too.
A clay cup. A banner. Several small candles. A string of bells. An alter made of vine-covered stone. This had been Galahad's prayer alter these past few days that sat upon a cliff edge overlooking a small lake. The lake actually belonged to a Lander Shinto priest but with the help of the <Noble> subclass, Galahad had managed to allow his small shrine to be tolerated at an old cliff. Every single day without fail he had come to this rock and prayed to the Lady of the Lake who watched over his noble deeds.
"I give my heart, body, and soul to the Lady whom I seek." the knight dropped down on one and places his right hand over his heart as he bowed his head down in prayer. "No plead for help shall find me wanting. No obstacle will stand before me. No evil will taint the lands bequeathed unto me. When the clarion call is sounded, I shall ride out and fight, in name of liege and Lady. That which is sacrament, I shall preserve. That which is sublime, I will protect. That which threatens, I will destroy. For my holy wraith, shall know now bounds. Honor is all. Chivalry is all. Fear not, for I, Galahad, shall be thy shield."
The water in the mock grail shimmered and glowed ever so slightly in the sunlight causing a smile to spread on Galahad's face. The Lady had heard his prayers. With an outstretched hand, the knight picked up the vessel and drank deeply from it as he had back in death when he first met his protector. Galahad would never forget that moment as from then on there, no longer was he simply Kusanagi Yuuta, but Duke Galahad, the Questing Knight, Slayer of Beasts, Exemplar of the Joust, and Champion of the Lady. Having drank the contents of the cup, he stowed away his belongings and quickly left the lake out of respect for the priest there.
With the gentle rattling of armor with every step he took, Galahad plopped down the main street of Kyoto as he looked around. He still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing or feeling. He had been to Kyoto before, but seeing it in person in such a ruined, run down state was something else. The armor and equipment he wore would have easily given any real bodybuilder a run for their money, but yet they felt light on Galahad. Even the two handed sword which he used as a primary weapon only felt like a weighted stick instead of a massive blade. With his character's stamina, he felt like he could walk or even fight for a day straight and not feel tired at all or have any lactic acid build up.
As he reached the great Tori Gates at the city enterance, Galahad pulled out a whislte and blew on it. Although only few people travelled in or out of the city with most content with wallowing in their misery in taverns or alley ways, there were those who still went out to hunt. The target of their hunts varied greatly from simple goblins to other players. And inaccordance of his knightly vows, Galahad would ride out and put such PKers to the sword. From his left, a green misty vortex churred in the air before a demigryph in battle armor lept out of its center, letting loose a wild roar of valor as the beast ran to its master's side. Bucephalus the knight had named the beast, after the most noble mount of Alexander the Great.
"Ready for another foray into the forests?" Galahad rubbed the demigryph's back as it gave a reassuring screech. Those nearby came out to see the knight mounting his exotic mount as it made its way down the path into the woods beyond. Drawing his sword and raising his shield, the knight kept and open ear for any sounds of trouble which he was honor bound to intervene in.
Kusanagi Yuuta "Duke Galahad, the Questing Knight" Human, age 23 Level 90 Guardian Level 88 Noble
History
Ever since he was young, Yuuta had been enthralled by Arthurian tales and stories he would read from his local library. The boy found something so heroic and so noble about the fantastical knights that it would leave a lasting impression on him. Unconsciously, he attempted to emulate the actions and manners of what he perceived to be a true knight, virtuous, noble, heroic and brave.
Unsurprisingly, Yuuta’s love of knights translated well into games where he would always be seen wearing some type of heavy armor with a shield in one hand and a lance or sword in the other. The digital knight found pleasure in role playing in games like the heroes he’d still read and research in his free time, and Elder Tales was no exception. Taking a knightly name for himself, “Galahad” spent a great deal of time playing the game and eventually gained a reputation for the completion of so many quests including the trivial side and radiant quests. Such actions thus earned him the unofficial nickname “the Questing Knight”. Much of his equipment and abilities are actually quest rewards of some form or another.
Diving deep into role playing, Elder Tale allowed him to really become the knights he had read about and adore, even picking a questionably useful subclass of “Noble” to help with it and rose to the rank of “Duke”. In due time, Yuuta joined a guild of fellow knights called “Fate Grand Order”. Although Yuuta rose through the ranks and gained a reputation as a chivalric fighter, the Order was torn apart by internal strife and members leaving for real life reasons until all that was left of the guild was Yuuta who, as he often did, made the ending like that of a story. Taking the sword that once represented the guild, he stuck it into a stone in a forest clearing with a text below stating “To whom draws the blade, doth whom become legend.” To this day, Yuuta has no idea if the sword is still there or has since been taken.
When the Catastrophe came, it hit Yuuta with a mix of excitement but mostly shock, now realizing he would never be able to live out the life he wished. Needless to say, he went a little crazy and just wandered around in a haze like so many in the opening days before he fell off a bridge and into a river. He didn’t even make an attempt to swim back up but as he did, he hear a voice whisper in his ear and as he await respawning, he saw the figure of a woman who called for him to drink from her chalice. Something within him told Yuuta immediately that this woman as the “Lady of the Lake” he had read about in so many quests and text even if he couldn’t explain the feeling or realization. It's said that at that point he kneeled before her and swore a knightly oath to her to which he drank deeply from the holy waters of the chalice. When Yuuta awoken, he had now fully taken on the mantle of his digital persona; where Yuuta had drowned in the lake, Galahad arose in his place, invigorated with the strength and blessing that seems to go far beyond the simple buff he had in game.
Personality
Yuuta as a person is a fairly level headed guy sometimes to the point of apathy. This side comes out the most when facing down danger as his permanent status affects make him unable to feel fear which is strange even to him. He still strives to live up to some form of the knight vows and virtues with some leeway on some areas but what sets him out the most is his devotion to a divine patron. Everyday he offers prayers to the Lady he speaks of and dedicates his victories in her name. While this has certainly marked him out as an eccentric individual by most, Yuuta takes pleasure in knowing he has someone watching out for him in this new world.
Equipment
Amongst the Lander’s nobility, there is a popular tale of a group of knights who once tried to find the kidnapped heir of a lost kingdom. However, the knights were unsuccessful and had tragedy after mishap happen to them until they began to drop one by one in the clearing of a frozen forest, their souls trapped within their armors.
Those who have recovered their armor from the <Frozen Knights of Grimhilr> questline receive it as an completion reward. It stalwart defense also provides a constant aura of ice damage to enemies but ironically it has a weakness against ice-based attacks.
Normally a two handed sword, Galahad’s strength and gauntlets allows him to wield this massive magnificent blade. Forged under starlight using meteoric ores, the blade gives a natural boost to attacks and is imbued with a buff that gives bonus damage to the undead and ethereal enemies.
After completing the quest <Maiden of the Silver Sky>, Galahad picked the reward which blessed his holy blade, making it even stronger against undead and etheral units as well as having a perpetual glow around it.
Killing a dragon is no easy task and only those who use the proper equipment stand a chance to survive the encounter. Galahad uses this lance exclusively on horseback where he can get the most out of its charge bonus. Comes with natural armor piercing damage and deals extra damage to dragon-class enemies. The Venerable prefix means it can slowly repair itself if given time.
In an age long past once lived a mighty warrior who the rival mages of his mage-king, wielding a shield of deceptively durable ancient ironwood that protected him from magic as he hunted down witches and wizards in the name of his liege. However, his loyalty was to be his undoing as himself was killed by the mage-king he so dutifully serve as the mage-king became paranoid with power.
A kite shield made of thick Ancient Ironwood that is stronger than steel but as light as wood. Its faded glory still shows in the dulled silver outline and the faded dragon crest on it and is a testament to the artisan who crafted the shield. Although its physical resistance is weaker than similar shields of its class, it can negate nearly any magical attack and even attacks made by enchanted weapons.
One day, Old Ironclad Knights arose from the depths of Castle Karlgoth and silent assumed positions amongst the castle guard. No one knew where they came from but their stoic defense of castle time and time again proved them invaluable warriors until a wizard banished them all back from whence they came.
Obtainable by exploring the Ruins of Castle Karlgoth, these gauntlets are so strong that they give a buff to parrying and countering enemy attacks. Indeed, some have even forsaken a shield in favor of just using these armor plates to deflect attacks.
Floating just above Galahad’s head, this piece of headgear reduces all critical damage and works especially well against head shots. It has a secondary effect of providing all allies in a radius the <Martyr Sacrifice> buff when Galahad is slain in combat. Also good at providing light.
An item Galahad acquired ages ago but as kept. When the banner is planted down in the ground, it forms a protective ring that heals anyone inside of it as well as providing a small defense boost. A popular strategy is to use this in narrow places along side with hate skills to effectively block off a hallway in a dungeon
Although incapable of flight like true gryphons, Demigryphs are still terrifying and loyal mounts on the ground in their own right. For unlike horses, they do not fear combat and their sharp talons and beaks are more than capable of fighting just as well if not better than their riders. There are many tales of demigryphs ripping apart their rider’s killers after they had been killed.
Skills/Abilities
<Clarion Call>
The Clarion Call is sounded and knights flock to it. Every person hears a different instrument - some hear chimes, others bells, others a horn and even those who hear the songs of the gods themselves - but those who hear will instantly know what it is. The caster is given a speed buff to heed the call and rush to battle.
<Grail Blessing>
The Lady protects those who serve her dutifully. This passive ability gives a buff to health, health and stamina regeneration and strength to those who have completed a long and difficult quest line and have drank from her Grail at the climax. Holy light radiates from within the person, making them generate more hate towards undead and demonic foes who swarm to him like moths but Galahad is more than ready to face them. There is little doubt that this powerful passive is one of the reasons why Louen is considered to be one of the strongest fighters in the area and also how he is able to use a greatsword in one hand.
<Virtue of Heroism>
Another passive which grants Galahad the fearlessness required to charge down any foe. It completely denies the Fear status effect and reduces the effect of other mental statuses. However, it seems to have made Galahad actually fearlessly brave to the point of jackassery.
<Soul Flare>
By lighting one's soul aflame, one will attract all manners of things to it; even monsters. This ability effectively “steals” the Hate from allies and puts it all one a single person (usually the caster). It is characterized by the blinding light that appears when activating the spell.
<The Noble Last>
Also known as the Suicide Knight spell, this spell rapidly drains the life of the one who casted it and generates so much hate that even raid bosses will focus down the person and any damage is exponentially multiplied against the caster.. In return however, it grants the user dramatically increased attack power to the point they can hew through multiple enemies at once. A true last stand ability.
<Call to Arms>
Using the Noble subclass as a base and with his reputation, victories and roars of valor, Galahad can cause Landers to gain XP at the same level as Adventurers and gain a sudden increase of weapon proficient allowing even farmers to become soldiers. This is undoubtedly a powerful skill if not an abnormal Overskill as it doesn't directly focus on Galahad.
If there was a need for inspiration for the world's greatest tragedy, Shiroe's former life would have been it. Born to an apathetic mother and a drunkard father who would beat Shiroe when they weren't shouting at each other, it would seem that life was determined to fuck Shiroe up. Few if any friends, failing grades, no physical achievements, no talents, no money, to say that Shiroe had been dealt the worst hand possible in the game of life would be an understatement.
Despite this, Shiroe didn't let it break him. While many would presume that a child like him would fall into depression and commit suicide or become a recluse with angst and edge in their shadow, Shiroe was a never ending fountain of positive vibes with an upbeat personality. There have been more than a few people who have concluded that Shiroe must have some mental illness which causes all of this, but he has none to speak of besides a mild case of dyslexia and a rather poor memory. The boy knew his misfortune and bad luck, he knew all his shortcomings and failures but he accepted it and made it his mission to be the foundation and pillar of a building instead of the shiny exterior or the crowning monument in front. He worked his ass off trying to make money and get into good schools with mixed results, but none of his teachers could ever really hate him for his poor grades and attendance.
On more than one occasion Shiroe would however escape into a digital world behind a locked door and finally be able to interact with people. Elder Tale provided the perfect world for the youth to ignore everything else and just forget about the world outside for a few hours. He picked the Summoner class and went down the Necromancer line after reading up about it online. Shiroe would never tell anyone about it, but one of the reasons he picked summoner was so that he would never have to travel alone and with necromancy he would never have to worry about his companions dying on him. Such a love of this one game carried through with him all the way to college.
When the Catastrophe hit, Shiroe had felt the same shock as everyone else but there was also a silver lining of relief. He was free from his previous life, safe from the yelling and the fighting.
Personality
In defiance of the traditional stereotypes of what a Necromancer is, Shiroe is far less villainous and far more outgoing and chill than what many would think of when they think of necromancers. Its as if his very soul is so great that nothing could tarnish the easy-going and relaxed nature he gives off. Almost nothing fazes him, no insult, no slander, no lie can really affect him. Even someone stabbing him would only cause Shiroe to question the stabber with an almost disappointment tone. Full of optimism, Shiroe accepts whatever misfortunes comes to him with a smile and seeing as he is still quite unlucky to this day, he smiles a lot. He's a bit odd and eccentric, but his motives are rarely ever foggy due to a good moral compass
He’s an honest, hard-working and down to earth type of individual with a reputation built off being one of the few necromancers who isn’t paralyzed by fear at his own summons and creations. The word “white necromancer” could almost be applied to Shiroe as he tends to act selflessly and seeings then positively unlike the generic, angsty emo necromancer. While many see necromancy as the diving into of dark magics and death, Shiroe sees it as a celebration of life saying "In order to understand death, you have to first understand life".
Equipment
Of the many predators which live in the deep dark caverns of mountains, none are more unsettling than the giant bats that have grown massive who hunt horses, pegasi and humans and often clash with gryphons for aerial domination. While monstrous in life, those who have been resurrected by the ways of necromancers become nightmares incarnate. The rotted flesh and calcified bones are held together with dark magic and ride upon decaying leathery wings. By giving up a portion of his own blood, necromancers can bind the horrific undead beasts to their will and grant them necromantic regeneration abilities. What was once a sonic echo in life has become a stunning eldritch blast that can paralyze its prey before it swoops down to tear it apart in its hunger for flesh and blood. Decorated with skulls and other dark insignias, it comes as little wonder that those who see it are immediately filled with dread and fear based status effects. Even back when everything what just a game, there were players who stayed well far away from the beast citing it as one of the most horrifying looking creatures in game.
Its often thought that the purest souls form crystals when given physical shape and have great magical capabilities. Thus items crafted out of these “Crystal Souls” are prized amongst magic users. Looted from the <Tomb of Pride’s End> raid, the Abyssal Celeste has a long handle carved from a Black Ashen Elder Oak, the ribcage, spine and skull of a defiled Pure White Stag with its original antlers and of course, a large scythe-like blade made up of pure Crystal Souls, corrupted by dark magic.
The scythe-staff is considered to be an item with a soft restriction to necromancer play styles as although anyone can use a scythe-staff, it only gives buff to necromancy. The Abyssal Celeste dramatically reduces cooldowns for undead summons although the bonus get exponentially smaller with higher level summons. Unlike most staffs, scythe-staves can be used in melee with a reasonable amount of success. The Crystal Soul blade on the Abyssal Celeste deals little physical damage but an extraordinary amount of magical damage and has been known to instantly kill even mid-level Ethereal enemies.
A rare dagger carved of stone with various runes engraved upon it. Although it is weak normally, it can instantly kill paralyzed enemies if they’re under 25% HP. Doing so will give the user a dramatic boost in health, stamina and mana as well as provide them with a “Life Tribute” buff. If used on an Adevnturer, the user gains XP equal to a thousand times the victim’s level.
Cleverly disguised, the Choir of Castle Cainhurst was actually a coven of witches and warlocks organized under a disgruntled duke against his liege. Their rituals would often pose some danger to themselves and thus they wove spider silk and steel fibers into their magical robes to protect themselves. While harmless at first, the Choir slowly delved deeper and deeper into forbidden tombs and depravity before being finally consumed by their own work.
Providing greater protection than normal robes, the robes of castle Cainhurst gives magical protection due to the enchanted fabric that it is made of and buffs various dark spells like <Black Orchestra>.
When the Mad King Volnyr was finally cut limb from limb, his remains were shackled in enchanted chains of black iron. But so corrupt was his very soul that he inturned twisted the once holy wards on his own chains from beyond the grave.
They slow stamina regeneration as if shackling the user to the world but grant an immunity to dark-based magic and reduce cooldowns on summon buffing spells.
Rulers have always had the most grandiose burials but right of birth and it should be little surprise that the remains of long dead kings are tempting targets for necromancers. However, when they fail to be able to call such a person back into the material world, they often settle for using their remains to craft items.
Carved from the front plate of a skull, the Death Mask of Kings confines leadership bonuses to undead summons, giving buffs to them. It also buffs the skill <My Will Be Done> and can cause fear effects with its deathly gaze. Amadeus only wears this in serious raid battles as he feels like its appearance is unsuited for daily, casual wear.
The mysterious unholy ichor of a terrifying eldritch being from the darkest depths of the cosmos. How it ended up in this world is all but a shockingly unknown and likely dark mystery. An Artifact-class item obtained at the end of the dungeon <Tomb of Bleeding Stars>, the Vial of Black Beast Blood is a highly controversial item even pre-Catastrophe as it was used to summon a mini-boss level summon called <The One Reborn> by dumping it on a pile of bodies and resurrecting it. Even though the summon constantly looses health and is also on a timer, it was lamented as an OP item and thus rarely used even in PVE. Like many who have it, Amadeus keeps the fact he has one a closely guarded secret.
One of the books produced by the Arch Heretic Zandgre about forbidden dark arts for his collection of codices. Those who opposed him managed to spread and entomb his blasphemous works away from prying eyes but there are those who have found them still. The Liber Nercomonica had been given to the Grave Guards of Mortalor but even their Order couldn’t stop it from being unleashed once again.
Gives access to several high-level spells and incantations prized by necromancers.
This trinket of a small bell produces a single, etheral, edritch tone which calls to the realms beyond and summons lost souls to its users. Doing so will dramatically increase the user’s mana pool and mana regeneration. Amadeus has also found that shaking the bell hard enough is a pretty good way over getting the attention of players and monsters alike as its ghostly echoes enters right into the minds of those who hear it. It is unknown if doing this actually causes any Hate or not however.
Spells
Long Arm of the Dead - Summons a large skeleton arm which mimics the actions taken by the caster’s own hands. Pre-Catastrophe it was regarded as a mostly useless skill but since then it had gained more popularity due to the fact you can more easily control it and manipulate the fingers allowing for more uses. In addition it can be used to block attacks and quickly counter due to its surprising fluidity.
Blood Tithe - A simple buff which allows the user's summon's weapons to apply stacks of Bleeding damage.
Soul of Humanity - Exposing the Dark Soul of Man, a dark black hole appears on the caster's chest, outlined with a flickering fire. While in this state the user takes more damage but every attack they or their summon lands they regain mana.
Lullaby for Mergo - This unsettling melody of otherworldly origins once composed for a stillborn god, is played from seemingly everywhere at once and increases the defenses undead summons. While it confers no real status effects, the fact that all the zombies and skeletons will sing along to this undead tune has scared many adventures post-Catastrophe.
Early Grave - Skeleton hands rise up from under the target, clawing and grabbing on their legs and slowly dealing damage to them. This will root them in place for a short while and continue to slow them afterwards
Midnight Howl - A bloodcurdling howl is unleashed by the Necromancer which is then followed by similar howls by his summoned minions. It has different stages of affect on people depending on their stats and their status effects but will universally apply at least one stack of Fear. On some targets it might even force them to be paralysed with fear.
Rigor Mortis - A passive effect where every strike from the player's summons will cause the enemy to be hit with a status debuff reducing their move and attack speed. If enough stacks of Rigor Mortis are applied, their stamina will also regenerate far slower as well.
Invocation of Undeath - Essentially a healing spell for the undead summons however it cannot be used to heal other players. In fact, it will actually harm them as the spell will try to infuse their beings with dark magic despite them not needing it.
Serve Once More - A more powerful version of the basic Resurrection spell. It creates a stronger binding on the summon giving them better stats and the Necromancer better control over it. In addition, the resurrected monster can be resurrected once more unlike the basic spell which cannot achieve this.
Carrion Call - A buff that can only be used on mounted undead or high level summons which increased both speed and damage. This spell is sometimes referred as the "overkill" buff given how it can only be used on higher level summons.
Zombie - Basic undead with low combat skills but great durability. Their weapons are randomized every time they spawn but they’ll rarely get better than broken blades and rusted armor. In most cases they don’t even have armor and just use farming tools.
Skeletons - Undead with slightly more skill and memories of their past making them slightly more competent warriors. Their bones rattle with every movement and their march in perfect, ominous synchronization. They can use swords and spears with shields
Crypt Horror - Not technically undead but instead more of a large, mutated ghoul that feasts on carrion and corpses. A dreaded beastly version of corrupted humans fallen to cannibalism, their love of corpses and lack of hygiene means they have some of the toughest natural poison attacks of all summonables and have a limited amount of regeneration.
Dire Wolf Pack - Loyal unto death, these arcane constructs of flesh and bones viciously hunt down their prey and are summoned in small packs. Their speed makes them ideal of scouting ahead or chasing running prey.
Carn Stalker - Ghost apparitions that haunt cry[ts and mausoleums, these ethereal beings were once the result of summoning souls without giving them a proper vessel but since then necromancers have figured out how to summon them regularly. They are prized for their ability to completely ignore armor with their phantom scythes.
Fallen Grave Guards - There comes a delicious irony when a necromancer slays and resurrects a grave warden who once watched over the sleeping dead. These fallen guards make for excellent fighters and bulwarks as even in death they have the natural instinct to protect the death, even if they walked next to them.
Laughing Jack - The elusive serial killer who was never caught alive with his body found in little bloody chunks. Those who summon him are greeted with the service of a man who has lost all of his humanity and dances in a whirling storm of blades that few can dream of dodging.
Liche Priest - The priest of a lost empire, obsessed with death and funeral rites return to the living world once again to cast their magics upon those who deny them slumber. They are essentially undead mages who know mage skills who can buff up other summons.
Black Knightmare - The knights and horsemasters of a forgotten age who rise from the cursed ground to trample their foes into it. The Black Knightmares forgo any loyalty or duty they had in life and serve as heavy cavalry for the necromancer who summons them and can appear with dual swords, sword and shield or lance. They give off a constant aura of dread due to their special Nightmare mounts that exude energy..
Lynch Guard - A strange summon, Lynch Guards are those humans who willingly became undead to boost their combat prowess and possess free will and great intellect for an undead. Even stranger is that they willingly serve necromancers of their own violation. They are often considered the highest level of summoned infantry as they retain all the knowledge they had in their past making them exceptionally terrifying warriors.
Wight King - The paramount summon for necromancers and a highly sought after and powerful summon. They were once great kings and champions in life and now fearless killing machines in death. Even though a single person can only summon a single one, they are death dealers in death despite their seemingly hard cap.
Overskills
My Will Be Done - No longer bound by the rules of the game, all necromancers can summon and command massive numbers of undead soldiers as they wish based upon their level and skills.
Overlord - Encasing himself in a shell of crystal and bone, Amadeus can get a top-down RTS styled view of the battlefield and more efficiently control his summons and summon more of them at once in squads.
