Fable of the Necromancer, Part I
By: Vernatio

It began many years ago. The seeds of corruption had just been sewed into the heart and mind of a young hero. Unbeknownst to him, they would continue to grow until their influence was greater than he could ever imagine...

It was a quaint day in Falconreach. Raguna had just returned from lunch with Lady Celestia, and was craving for something to do. Raguna was a tall Mage, with white hair and a sharp chin. Suddenly, Ash ran into town square, colliding with Raguna. He began to explain the reason for his hysteria. “Raguna, come quick, there is a outbreak of undead in Doomwood!”. Without hesitation, Raguna snatched his stave and ran off in the direction of those forsaken woods. Whilst sprinting, he couldn't help but wonder as to why the Paladin Order wasn't on the job. After all, they WERE the primary force against the undead. Upon arriving at the fringe of the forest, Raguna had his question answered. Hanging on the lofty branches of the dark trees were the pale cadavers of some of the Paladin Order initiates. Their faces were hidden behind the visors of their helms, but seeing the gashes in their bodies, Raguna could only imagine that their faces weren't pleasant. Raguna was about to head into the thicket when an arrow came flying out of the shrubbery, planting itself in his thigh. Not stopping to cringe, Raguna quickly unleashed a volley of ice shards into the bushes. After hearing the tell-tale sign of bones shattering, he knew he had hit his mark. He limped over to the bush, with a spell prepared to finish his attacker. He confirmed that the skeletal archer was destroyed, and continued into the woods. He didn't dare attempt to pull the arrow out, as he was more likely to permanently injure himself than successfully remove it. He traveled for what seems an hour, hearing no sounds, save his curses for allowing himself to be injured so early into the journey. Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind. A pack of Tuskmongers had been trailing the smell of his blood, and were rapidly approaching. Fangs bared, the beasts were charging at full speed towards the Mage. Raguna knew he had little chance of survival. His stride had been reduced to a slow, painful limp, and his mana was all but exhausted. Regardless, he braced his staff, and attempted to conjure a fireball. However, in his haste, he made a mistake. Rather than a crimson, burning sphere, he found himself holding a writhing, inky black spot of darkness. He had no idea that he could conjure such a thing. Accepting that beggars can't be choosers, he sent the dark blot careening towards the Tuskmongers. It struck the beast in the center, enveloping the rest in acidic, black slime. Even stranger was the reaction of the Tuskmongers. Their eyes became an opaque white, and they suddenly began to gore one another with their tusks. This horrified Raguna, as he had never seen such mindless, self-destructive behavior before, much less at his own hands. The combination of shock at this newfound power and overwhelming pain enveloped Raguna in his own inky darkness, with his mind slowly floating into a black cloud. He fell to the ground, with his staff by his side and the fresh carcasses of the Tuskmongers just feet from his head.

Upon awakening, Raguna found himself looking at the skull of a wolf, meticulously picked clean of meat. He attempted to right himself, but found his feet and hands bound with what felt like cloth. Attempts to loosen the knots only served to remind him how hungry he was. He suddenly realized that he could no longer feel the arrow in his thigh. At least its gone, he thought. Feeling slightly rested, he attempted to burn the bands off of his arms. It worked, but he could feel the fatigue returning with a vengeance. He leaned over, ready to burn the bands on his feet off, and stopped short. His legs and feet were mutilated, and the arrow was still in his thigh. He touched one, but he didn't feel his hand. He could move them slightly, albeit with strenuous effort. He looked around the room. It was a small room, filled with bones and remains. It was shaped much like the inside of a furnace, which Raguna thought was a strange choice, as it appeared to be the storage place for unrefined reagents. Then he heard what sounded like a lever being pulled, and a large pair of metal blocks extended from the walls, and began to smash the bones into meal. Alarmed, Raguna reached for his staff, only to find it was gone. He saw a door set into the side of the wall, labeled “Emergency Exit”. He attempted to stand, but found himself unable to pull his legs underneath him. The metal blocks were making slow progress down the small room, thoroughly converting the bones into a fine powder. Frantic, he began to comb his mind for any sort of spell that could help him move. The best he could think of was a levitation spell he used to fetch items. Using all of his strength, he crudely pulled himself into the air, and tried to pull himself towards the door. A loud noise shattered his concentration, and he went flying into the wall, cracking several bones. He was unsure of what happened next, as he could hear little over the pounding of his head. He could make out some shouting, and the metal blocks' pounding ceased. He saw a thin, gangly fellow fish him out of the pile of bones, and carry him out. The memory of the next few days were just as sporadic, and he retained little distinct memories other than the excruciating pain...

-End of Part One-