1-65 The price of association

“This is delicious,” Evalynn said as she poked at a sausage with her fork. “Whatever this is made of, I hope it is plentiful.”

“That kind of makes you wonder what these meats are made of,” Chandice said as she fished around in her pasta for a mushroom. “I mean, it is a fantasy world, for all we know that's vampire eel.”

“What’s wrong with eel?” Gisley asked as if the point were silly.

“I didn’t mean to imply that their was anything wrong with eels,” Chandice quickly backtracked as she remembered that Gisley was from Japan. “It’s just where I come from, people assume sausage is made from pork, but those could be anything.”

“Well, they are delicious,” Evalynn repeated as she chewed another bite. “And I don’t care if the are beetle.”

Gisley laughed and happily sipped at a soup full of noodles while Jaina enjoyed a slice of chocolate cake layered with cherries.

Roric had a lovely meat pie and a tall, dark beer with a thick white head. He leaned back in a chair while his girls enjoyed the atmosphere of the little country inn they had found along the road. It was three days since they left the city, and they traveled mostly at night. Gisley spirited them along, flying invisibly with Evalynn to keep her company since she didn't need to often. During the day they stayed wherever they could and had been lucky to find small towns. They could use the tent if they needed to, but tonight they were staying put as Evalynn finally needed to sleep. He had already purchased their largest room, which wasn't large at all, but none of them cared. So long as they were together, it would be enough.

“You know one of the things I love most about this world?” Jaina said as she smiled over a fork full of cake. “I can eat as much of this as I want, and I will never gain weight.”

“Perfect health is a nice benefit,” Evalynn agreed.

“So is our plan to retire to the room and have hot sordid sex all night?” Jaina asked as she smiled at Roric.

“Unless I can find somebody to sell you to for the night,” Roric replied with a wily smile.

“Oh, is that your plan?” Jaina laughed. “Still not done whoring your slave girls out?”

“I will never be done with that,” Roric replied with a fork pointed her way. “And you will never stop loving it.”

Jaina and the others laughed as his words struck true. They all knew she loved her role and wouldn't want to live any other way. She enjoyed being used as a prostitute and worked hard to make her master his money. Still, it was nice to have some quiet time to themselves, and an evening in bed with her lovers was just what she wanted.

As the sun moved away and left behind a blanket of stars, Roric took them for a walk, holding hands as they explored the tiny town. It only had a few shops, all run by NPCs, marking this town as the home of a single player. They assumed that a player ran the inn, but the innkeeper seemed like an NPC too and didn't care much for talking.

They stopped at a little fruit stand that sold things they had never heard of. Tuji fruit and kalipallo were available, and Roric bought some of the small yellow tuji fruits for Gisley. She ate the treat as they visited another stand that sold fancy lace umbrellas.

“Oh, I want the black one,” Chandice said and pointed to the one she liked.

“Are you going goth on me?” Jaina teased. “Everything you buy these days is black.”

“I happen to be a warlock,” Chandice pointed out. “We warlocks don’t prance around in soft colors.”

“Please, good sirs,” the woman behind the little cart said. “But it has gotten dark. I need to be inside before it begins.”

The group looked up and shared a glance before Roric asked the woman what she meant by that. The nervous woman explained that the undead raided the town at night, and anyone out on the streets after sunset was often prey. No sooner had she said it than a screech echoed from the dark empty street, causing the group to stare into the shadows. The woman abandoned her wagon and fled, vanishing down a street as the group listened for more noises.

“Can you see anything?” Roric asked as his ears perked up.

“Nothing,” Evalynn replied, but Gisley stepped forward, her superior night vision easily seeing through the shadows.

“Something is moving on the far side of town,” she said. “Four shapes, stumbling about as if they can’t walk well.”

“Probably zombies,” Chandice said with a roll of her eyes. “I bet this town is all NPCs because it's part of some adventure.”

“I think you might be right,” Roric agreed but reached out a hand to summon his spear. A long shaft of elven metal appeared, ending in a curved tip suitable for stabbing and slicing. Rajeen presented it as a gift from the duke, saying he was pleased with Roric's thank you. It was far better than the magical spear he lost in the forest, and the silver blade was effective against most undead.

Evalynn called for her armor and spear, standing at his side as Chandice brought up her devil warrior, this one brandishing a large hammer that took two hands to hold.

“They come with different weapons?” Jaina asked with a raised brow.

“It’s random,” Chandice replied. “You usually get the curved sword type, but they can come with almost anything.”

“Hmm, what does the succubus use as a weapon?” Jaina pressed.

“Usually a whip,” Chandice said with a wry smile. “So she can punish you for being a bad girlfriend.”

“I am not a bad girlfriend,” Jaina insisted.

“Then why didn’t I get a threesome with Zorak?” Chandice asked. “You managed to share him with Evalynn.”

“Why are you still mad at me over that?” Jaina countered. “I told you I did that because Evalynn has a thing for lizardmen. I would have gladly shared him with you if we hadn’t had to leave so soon.”

The two went on arguing as Gisley tried not to giggle. This conversation had come up four times since the journey started. Chandice enjoyed teaming up with Jaina to make love to her boyfriends and was looking forward to Zorak. However, that moment never came, and now Chandice felt left out.

“I thought they were done with this yesterday,” Evalynn whispered to Roric.

“It would seem Chandice is still upset she never got a chance to make love to her girlfriend's boyfriend,” Roric replied as his nose picked up a scent. He squinted into the darkness to see a mist curling about the distant streets and dark shapes moving on both sides.

“Excuse me, ladies,” Roric said to break up the conversation. “I hate to interrupt you, but it appears we are surrounded.”

“By zombies?” Chandice laughed and turned to see one coming out of the mist, its dead eyes fixated on the group. It opened a dangling mouth and uttered a sort of hiss before shambling forward at surprising speed. Chandice ordered her devil to kill it, and he rushed out to crush it with that big hammer. The zombie went down in one blow, crumpling to the ground with ease.

“Not very challenging,” Evalynn said and turned to face another zombie. She used a hero power to hurl a red copy of her spear, lighting the street as the weapon flew by. It struck the zombie with enough force to throw it back, the spear fading as the creature came stopped moving.

“This is going to be boring,” Jaina sighed. “We may as well go back to the inn.”

Roric hurled his spear, the silver blade leaving a streak of light for a second before blasting through the zombie that staggered a step more before falling. Evalynn was right, these weren't very challenging, but something about this situation concerned him. Before he could vocalize his thoughts, zombies began to pour out of the mist, rushing at them with surprising speed.

Chandice and Gisley opened up with spells with bolts of fire and glitter lighting up the night. Evalynn charged the largest pack, taking them head-on in a one-sided conflict as she tossed them about. Roric picked off any who came too close to the girls, putting them down easily. Still, their numbers were alarming, and he recommended they move toward the inn while fighting.

“This is crazy,” Gisley said as she loosed another glitter bolt. “Why are there so many?”

“This isn’t so much a quest as it is an endurance run,” Jaina said as she used her claws to slice a zombie and drop it.

“We need to get to the inn,” Roric insisted. “I think this might be more dangerous than we are giving it credit for.” Evalynn did the bulk of the work, using her shock waves to throw piles of zombies back. The group followed in her wake, picking off those that came from behind as they fought their way into the mists.

As they moved further, the hoard seemed to thin until it suddenly broke with the few zombies they saw retreating into the distance. Gisley asked why they were leaving, but Roric had his ears up, listening to a sound that reminded him of chains.

“Something else is coming,” Roric said. “Something, the zombies, didn't want to be around.”

“What?” Chandice asked as she looked into the gloomy streets. “The fog is getting worse, and I can't see much beyond a few houses.”

“My fairy sight isn’t working either,” Gisley said as she looked about. “It’s like the fog is a magical shroud of some kind.”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Roric replied as his grip tightened. “Something is hiding in the mist and watching us. The zombies were just a test to see how dangerous we are.”

“So they are just cannon fodder,” Jaina said nervously. “Does that mean the real danger comes next?”

Roric believed that was likely true and that the danger would be between them and the inn. He heard the chains again, sounding closer but still out of sight. He urged them to use the pause to get as close to the inn as they could. If the NPC merchant was to be believed, then being indoors meant safety. Only those on the streets were in danger of being preyed on by the unseen enemy.

“I can see the inn,” Evalynn said as she led the way through the fog.

Roric was hopeful that the danger had judged them to be too strong and decided to let them go, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead, several forms appeared in the mist, standing between them and the sanctuary they badly sought. There were five in all, appearing much like a zombie but with ghost white skin and oily black hair. They had black eyes that stared with a mindless hatred of all things living and sought to devour it all.

“What are those?” Jaina asked as she wisely stepped back.

“Wights,” Evalynn growled. “A form of undead higher than a ghoul. They are reasonably intelligent and will use tactics if they can. Watch out for their touch because it drains levels temporarily. If you hit a negative level, you die and come back as another wight.”

“You mean our body does?” Chandice asked nervously.

“Yes, you respawn normally four hours later,” Evalynn stated as the five creatures formed a line.

Roric didn't like this lack of attacking as it signified a strategy. They didn't intend to tackle the group; they only needed to prevent him and the girls from reaching the inn. The chains rattled again, and he looked behind to see something that made his heart race.

It looked like a black shroud with arms of bone coming out of dark recesses. The head was hidden in a hood with only red eyes glaring with an angry light. It had no body below the waist, but a few long chains hung down, dragging on the ground.

“A haunt,” Roric shouted as he leveled his spear its way.

“A haunt is a level thirty undead,” Evalynn said as she looked back to see it. “Something very odd is going on here.”

“Are we seriously going to die to a bunch of monsters after all the players we have defeated?” Jaina balked.

“No,” Gisley said and held out a hand, creating a wall of moonlight before the pack of wights. The sudden flare of brightness caused the creatures to fall back, holding arms over their eyes to avoid the illumination. “I will keep these things at bay,” she insisted. “The rest of you beat that ghost.”

Roric quickly took advantage of the strategy, using his charge to close the ground. He struck out with the spear, the silver blade making a slight whistle as he stabbed firmly. The haunt produced a hiss that sounded like it came from beyond the grave. It produced a red mist that reached out for Roric, forcing him to dodge aside. As he did, a fire bolt collided with the monster but seemed to do very little harm. Evalynn was at his side a moment later, slashing at the red tendrils as they snaked about trying to attach themselves to the players.

Thankfully they both had magical weapons as a normal weapon would pass through the ghost-like creature. They double-teamed it, slashing and stabbing as the creature lashed out with skeletal hands and the red mists. Evalynn warned the mists would drain health, giving it to the creature, but the hands were cold as death. Roric discovered this firsthand when the creature lunged rapidly, managing to rake him with one of those claws. It passed through his armor and tore at his side like somebody stabbed him with ice. The sudden chill made him call out, but Evalynn was quick to lunge and go into a rapid series of attacks. The creature was forced to turn on her, causing the mists to streak around her as she darted about.

Candice's devil scored a few hits, and despite the haunt's level, it was no match for so many players close to its level. Chandice even lent support, hurling fire and shadow spells while protecting Gisley. The haunt faded from sight twice and appeared suddenly, clawing Evalynn once and Roric a second time.

Once again, Jaina felt helpless as all of her powers were in sex and seduction. She could damage the ghost only if she could grab hold of it and then use her absorption powers to dissolve it. At higher levels, she could shape her body to create simple weapons like swords and daggers, even granting them magical attacks if needed. But for now, all she could do was act as a health buffer for Roric and rush in to kiss Evalynn for a heal.

When it became clear the haunt couldn't win, it produced a shrill wail and faded into a red cloud. That cloud blended into the mists and retreated, as did the wights who ran down the street. Gisley let her barrier drop, and they quickly ran for the inn to discover the door barred. Roric beat on the door, threatening to smash it if the innkeeper didn't open it. There was a loud thunk, and the door opened a moment later, revealing a frightened man inside. They rushed in, and Evalynn slammed the door, returning a large, heavy cross beam into place to secure it.

“Why is this town being haunted by organized undead?” Chandice asked as Jaina kissed Roric to heal him.

“Undead do spawn randomly,” Gisley said. “I have seen zombies before.”

“That was an organized attack,” Evalynn countered. “Somebody or something was directing them.”

“You don’t think it could be a necromancer?” Chandice asked as she considered the earlier tale of the evils of necromancy.

“It can't be a necromancer,” Roric said as Jaina finished with him and sat back. “A necromancer wouldn't so openly attack a town like this. It would draw too much attention.”

“Then what could it be?” Gisley asked.

“There are other classes that can summon undead,” Evalynn pointed out. “And many undead monster races can summon or control lesser varieties. There are even magical devices that allow you to control the undead, but they can't be used lightly.”

“I still suspect this is part of some kind of player-created quest,” Roric said and pointed out how a locked door wouldn't be able to keep the haunt out. It must be programmed to only attack players in the streets at night, which meant there was a purpose to all this.

“Do we risk trying to figure it out?” Jaina asked as the group considered their options.

Roric didn’t like taking the risk of dying on an adventure they knew nothing about. The zombies and wights were probably meant as a test and to wear them down. Then the haunt would strike and take them out one by one, striking from the mist when a back was turned. He decided the best course of action was to wait until morning and then do a little investigating while the sun was up. He questioned the innkeeper about the undead, and the man responded like an NPC. All he had to say was it wasn't safe to be out after dark and that travelers often went missing.

They retreated to their room, and Gisley stood watch, staying awake while the others slept to recover. The next morning the little town was as it was the day before. Not a single zombie body lay in the street, and the villagers seemed unaware of any danger. Roric questioned a few, but they were evasive, refusing to talk about the undead as if doing so would cause an attack. Jaina finally put an end to their behavior, using her charms to win over a few of the men. She used her seductive smile and allure skills to excite them, then promised them decadent delights if they answered Roric's questions.

Now the answers came quickly, and they learned there was a church outside of town with a graveyard behind it. Something dark and malevolent had taken up residence inside, and they were waiting for her to arrive to save them.

“So it is a quest,” Evalynn said as Jaina dropped to her knees to reward the men. She smiled as Jaina began to pleasure them, stroking one with a hand while her mouth went to work on the other.

“It would appear so,” Roric said as he looked in the direction of the church. “And the answers lie in the church.”

“Speaking of answers, I approve of how we get people to talk,” Chandice laughed. “Offering men sex is a great way to get them to cooperate.”

They debated the next course of action and decided it would be fun to investigate the church. So long as it was done in broad daylight, the undead threat would be minimal. Still, Evalynn warned that many low-level undead weren't hindered by the sun and that they should proceed cautiously. Of course, they had to wait for Jaina, who was eager to give out her reward. When it was done, Jaina smiled and walked with them down the road, wishing they had more NPCs to question.

“You really are a naughty girl,” Chandice said and took her hand.

“I am a sex slave,” Jaina replied. “My master needed answers, and I was the tool to get them.”

“I didn’t see him offering you,” Chandice countered. “You just jumped in and said you would do it.”

Jaina shrugged as Gisley laughed and offered to carry them by disk. Roric decided against the plan for fear that somebody might be watching. As this was an adventure, a player could be nearby using their interface device. If they were, it was possible that player was spying on them and would see Gisley spread her wings. He opted to walk, reminding them that it was only a little distance down the road. It took less than an hour to find it, a small crumbing church to a god whose holy emblem looked like a vine tied around an arrow. The building was run down and dilapidated, with moss-covered walls and a front door hanging on one hing.

They approached with caution, all the while watching the graveyard that was set to one side. It seemed to be nothing more than an overgrown patch of ground with a few tombstones, but looks could be deceiving.

“I don’t hear anything,” Roric said as he lifted his ears high.

Chandice took Jaina by the hand for comfort as Evalynn stepped into the doorway. She announced that the inside was ransacked with only a few wooden pews. She led the way into the dusty interior, her spear at the ready as she crossed the tiny space. Aside from some rubble, there was what might once have been an altar to the god. It was smashed into several large pieces and then strewn about the end. However, there was a clear spot behind it. Evalynn was the first to see the writing on the floor, forming a pair of rings, inside of which was a star pattern and symbols.

“Is that necromancy?” Jaina asked when the others were close enough to see it.

“I think it's mean to look like it,” Roric said. “This is all part of the adventure. We were probably meant to fight in the town and then look for the source. We arrive here to discover a necromancer at work and then track them down.

“So where is this necromancer then?” Jaina asked.

“Not in here,” Evalynn said as she looked around. “The space is too small to hide in.”

“This space is just meant to be a landmark and clue. There must be a hidden lair nearby,” Roric surmised but wondered why anyone would create an adventure like this. It seemed risky to pretend a necromancer was about, even for the sake of an adventure. Rumor and suspicion would bring the hunters down on their heads and potentially land them in a great deal of trouble.

“Maybe the goal of the quest was to find the evidence,” Gisley suggested. “And there isn't a necromancer at all.”

“Or maybe it's not a necromancer,” a woman said, causing them to turn around. She stood in the doorway wearing a black gown that hung from her arms and attached at the wrist. Her shoulders were bare, and her head bald with two rows of low bone spikes sticking out. Her eyes were vividly white with a slight glow and shadowed darkly. Her skin was as pale as pale could be, and her hands ended in black nails. She held a short staff in one hand, crowned by what looked like a small bird skull.

“Umm, hello?” Jaina called when the woman made no move toward them.

“Who are you, and why are you sneaking around my home?” she asked as her stern eyes swept over the group.

Roric stepped forward with his spear held low, doing his best to appear non-threatening.

“Forgive us,” he said in a soft tone. “We were just traveling to the north and spent the night in the nearby town. We were surprised to see so many undead about and decided it might be fun to investigate.”

“Hunting for a necromancer, no doubt,” the woman scoffed. “Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but all you have found is a Kalemite priestess of the dead.”

“Oh, a worshiper of a god of undeath,” Chandice said as she remembered the title. “I bet you have all sorts of undead abilities.”

“Indeed,” the woman replied. “And I created the town and its people to add a bit of interest and danger to the area.”

“Wait, so they don't allow necromancers, but they allow worshipers of undeath? Isn't that basically the same thing?” Jaina asked.

“Not exactly,” Chandice replied. “A priestess of undeath can't exceed what divine power allows. But a necromancer is more like a wizard and can bend the rules of magic to create new effects.”

“Which they did and paid the price for it,” the woman replied, then locked her eyes on Chandice. “You seem to be on a dark path. What class are you?”

“Warlock,” Chandice replied and pointed to the devil warrior. “He’s mine.”

“Ahh,” the woman said with a smile. “So, do you and your friends wish to fight me, or was this honestly just for fun?”

Roric found the question odd as she was clearly outnumbered. She didn’t even have a pet at hand to throw into the fight. Still, he assumed she could call them from the graveyard, but how quickly could they come to her rescue? He decided to say they had only wanted to satisfy their curiosity and that he and his slave girls needed to head north. They had a long way to go yet and didn’t want to linger in any one place too long.

“A pity,” the woman replied. “I haven't had a challenge in months. Nobody comes out this way, and the few that do tend to fall to my minions.”

“Maybe if you didn’t swarm them with so many right out of the gate,” Jaina suggested.

“That village fight is meant to test your skill,” the woman replied. “It is perfectly balanced and comes in waves to keep you on your toes.”

“Hmm,” Jaina said and folded her arms. “A swarm of zombies like that will easily overpower a small group or low levels.”

“I set their health low, so they die easily,” the woman insisted.

“But you follow them up with wights?” Evalynn asked incredulously.

“It depends on the zombie battle,” the woman corrected. “If you kill very few, the next wave is a few ghouls. If you kill a lot of the zombies, the next wave is several wights meant to be challenging.”

“Oh, so it adapts,” Jaina said as she thought the way it was handled to be brilliant. “And because we killed a bunch of zombies, we got the five wights.”

“That's actually very clever,” Evalynn agreed. “Test the players, then scale up the threat accordingly.”

“Then why the haunt?” Chandice asked. “Wasn’t that a bit much?”

“A haunt is one of the least dangerous of the ghost races,” the woman replied. “I could have used a poltergeist, or wraith, or even a specter.”

“You can summon a specter?” Chandice asked in surprise.

“Well, no,” the woman admitted. “At least not yet. I have only so much control, and its population is tied to the size of my land.” She paused for a moment, then folded her hands before her waist and announced that her name was Idris.

Roric nodded and introduced himself, pointing out that he was the master of three slave girls. He then introduces Jaina, Evalynn, and Gisley before introducing Chandice as Jaina's girlfriend. The presence of a girlfriend seemed to make Idris smirk, but she quickly hid it away. She stepped aside, inviting them to leave the little church and return to the sunlight.

She followed them out, explaining how she had joined the server long ago, hoping to team up with a necromancer. Her skills at healing and empowering undead would be of great use to such a player, but sadly she arrived just after their fall and subsequent banning. She found it hard to exist in heavily populated areas because players saw her as just another form of a necromancer. Death knights, voodoo priests, dead walkers, and other such classes were branded with the same mark. They were all distrusted for what happened and driven out of the popular areas. So now she had her little village along the road where few people stopped because most used magic to travel.

“That sounds sad,” Gisley said and looked at her sympathetically. “You had nothing to do with what happened.”

“We don’t even know for sure what did happen,” Chandice pointed out. “All we know are a few of the widely spread rumors.”

“And that there is a serious bounty on the heads of any necromancer,” Roric added.

“Well, I could tell you a little,” Idris began but suddenly was bathed in a golden light. She cried out in pain and fell to one side as a haughty voice laughed sadistically.

“Another meddler of the dead falls,” a man in full metal armor said as he leaned over on his horse. Beside him was a woman in the same armor, painted white and embellished with blue elvish symbols. A third woman in green robes floated in the air on what appeared to be a cloak that acted like wings. She took one look at the others and suggested they were the woman's allies.

“Wait,” Roric interjected with a raised hand. “We are just traveling to the north. We happened to meet Idris here just minutes ago. None of us are looking for a fight.”

The three chuckled, and the man leaned over to glare at Roric.

“I am a paladin of the hunt and tasked by King Kevin himself to drive these vermin far from the north,” he said. “If you stand with a priestess of death, you are just as guilty as she is.”

“Not the most friendly of people,” Jaina said as Gisley ran to Idris to help her up.

“See, they run to her aid,” the green robbed woman said. “Let's punish them all and look for the Kalemite's anchor.”

“So be it,” the paladin said and drew his sword. “A beastman is just as filthy as a necromancer anyway.”