Daughter of Death - A Necromantic LitRPG

Lieze emerged into the back garden with a refreshed sigh. The choking scent of rot had almost made her forget how pleasant it was to breathe fresh air. She brought something up to the clouded sky, pinched between her thumb and index finger.

Light barrelled through the amethyst to reveal the crystalline labyrinth beneath its glossy surface, muddied by splotches of blood. It didn’t appear to be anything more than a simple gem, but Lieze knew that wasn’t true. Within that unassuming stone resided the blessing of a God - a blessing she could claim for herself.

The amethyst sank into her palm as she touched it to her scale, melding with the golden welt and causings its surface to be consumed by incandescent colours. A voice from nowhere in particular thumped in Lieze’s ears, deafening her to the silence of the city.

I am the One who stays the Heavens’ grasp.

I am the mana plague. I am the impenetrable bulwark.

If thou seekest power, then become one with my reflection.

In the name of Salvation…

Divine Providence Accepted

Calibrating Subject [Lieze Sokalar]

Please Wait…

Scion [Furainé Morgan] Incorporated

Current Scion Level - 3

Heavenly Favour Learned - [Antimagic Pulse]

Another Scion felled by her hand, and another Heavenly Favour inherited. Lieze felt new power surging through her body, electrifying the shelf of her shoulder where flesh met with corrupted Godskin. Unable to contain her anticipation, she examined the capabilities of her newest ability.

Heavenly Favour (Antimagic Pulse)

Original Scion - Furainé Morgan (Melros, The Celestial Reflection)

Description - Use 1 Heavenly Favour to summon pulses of antimagic. The pulses travel outward from your current position every [20] seconds and travel up to a maximum range of 1km, preventing the use of [Spellcasting] for any creature that comes into direct contact with the pulse. Creatures silenced in this manner cannot use their [Spellcasting] ability for [15] seconds. [Antimagic Pulse] lasts for 1 hour, but you can choose to dispel it at any time.

Warning: [Antimagic Pulse] also affects the user.

Quest “Impenetrable Defence” Complete!

Reward - 1,200xp

“This isn’t what I was expecting…” Lieze placed a hand to her chin, “I would have thought the barrier Furainé summoned at the end of the battle was her [Heavenly Favour]. She even mentioned it was the result of a God’s gift…”

There was something she was missing. A crucial step in her development as a Scion.

“Come to think of it, Helmach’s Favour wasn’t the same as the one I received, either…” She considered her memories of the day, “It seemed to have augmented his strength instead of regenerating his wounds… is the Favour different for every Scion? No - that can’t be the case. I witnessed Furainé using [Antimagic Pulse] during the battle…”

As always, she had been left with more questions than answers, and Furainé was in no state to be entertaining her queries after Drayya’s loving session of torture.

The only solution, then, was to seek the last pieces of the puzzle from Alistair. And to do that, she would need to reach the throne room, where the ageing monarch was protected by the last of the city’s army. Most importantly, she needed to do so before her father. If Sokalar was to learn of the Scions, he would seek their power, and Lieze would suddenly be on the back foot.

“And then there’s the matter of Furainé’s ramblings…” She sighed, “The Light in Chains…”

A creature? A concept? A dogma? Whether it was this or that, Lieze had never heard such a strange combination of words. Whatever it was, Furainé revealed the name like a curse. Perhaps she wanted Lieze to discover it, which only deepened the mystique of its existence.

“Lüngen may know a thing or two…” She muttered, “There’s very little he doesn’t have at least an amateur's understanding of. But that would mean…”

Lüngen could be trusted with information regarding the Scions, but it would create one more spindle that Sokalar could tug at to uncover Lieze’s secrets. She realised it then - that the whims of her father no longer concerned her. She considered him to be just as much of an obstacle as Alistair. A threat to her influence.

Once Sokalar discovered her secrets - and it really was a matter of when, rather than if - she would have to contend with the full might of the Order. The Lich would happily sacrifice the life of his own daughter to guarantee his victory over the life-cursed denizens of the world.

It was time for her to take a stand. She had only experienced a taste of the future that awaited her.

Lieze hopped through the skeleton of a living room on the way back to the street, where Lüngen awaited her return.

“Ah, Lieze.” The portly man was admiring a stubborn cluster of weeds sprouting through the gaps in the road, “...Hm?”

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“This power of yours seems to have intensified.” He observed, “The sorcerous weave is invisible to the naked eye, but if the senses are trained, one can perceive the auras of those around them. Your ‘aura’ is especially concentrated, Lieze. Only Ignas himself could contend with such raw magical power.”

“He’s desperate to understand it. He wouldn’t even acknowledge my existence otherwise.” She replied, “You understand why I can’t reveal anything to him, don’t you?”

“Hm… I certainly understand, yes. But is it a wise decision to withhold information from him?”

“I will not return to my old self.” Lieze declared, “This matters more to me than any perceived loyalty or ideal. For the first time, I’m finally in control of my own destiny. I don’t have to rely on others to elevate me into positions I don’t deserve, or belittle me for something I can’t change about myself.”

Lüngen remained silent, stroking his beard. Lieze had seen the gesture on enough occasions to know that it usually represented some deeper conflict in the old man’s heart. He knew the implications of her words down to the letter. His mind bounced from cooperation to rejection to unpleasant fence-sitting.

“To live… and to prosper. That is not a necromancer’s way.” He began, “We live so that we may die. We fight so that others - those who reject the sublime nature of death - are forced to accept our way. Certainly, we may be evil, but what is evil without suffering of the flesh? What constitutes villainy when we are free from the restrictions of the mortal coil?”

“I understand. I know what you’re trying to say.” Lieze replied, “Insecurity, foolishness, contrarianism - all of these and more curse me with a longing to extend the suffering of others, and pay back in blood what was taken from me in youth. All of this will be void in death. But why must my vengeance remain unfulfilled? Can I not die a good death? Is this world a meaningless shell unworthy of consideration?”

“Hm. You are more like your father than you realise, young Lieze.” Lüngen remarked, “His life, too, was fuelled by ambition and hatred. He has carved a path through the Order’s apathy - remoulded its undying hierarchy into a merciless bloodbath of betrayal and ascension.”

“That’s how it is. That’s why I can’t give up.” Lieze frowned, “I’ll take from the Order what pleases me. Whether that can be called ‘ambition’ doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I have allies and power. Power enough to displace my father and cast his soul into the endless afterlife if I so choose.”

“Oh dear… you’ve really gone and said it.” Lüngen sighed, “-And you consider me enough of an ally to trust that I won’t leak your ambitions to Ignas.”

“Reveal everything, if you wish.” She replied, “It won’t change a thing.”

“And to think you were once an innocent girl who spent her afternoons chasing after frogs in the marshes…” Lüngen was naked without his glasses. His hands kept rising up to adjust or rub them on instinct, “Drayya knows of this?”

“She knows of my pain, and my ambition.” Lieze placed a hand on her chest, “She will follow me, if I ask. Marché, too - the necromancer we recruited in the city.”

“Is that so…” He paused, “What do you plan to do, then?”

“What else?” She asked, “I’ll bide my time. I’ll build up trust. I’ll carry out every atrocity and suicide plan my father demands of me. And when he least expects it, I will turn the Order on its head, and he will understand for the first time what it feels like to be at the bottom of our foul hierarchy.”

Lüngen wasn’t sure what to say - and indeed, whether or not to be proud of Lieze’s sudden confidence. But he knew that she had suffered too much as a child to become a slave to pride. Rather, he couldn’t be any more convinced of her success.

“Well… whatever your choice, the problem of Tonberg’s sovereignty persists.” He said, “An all-out assault on the castle would be quick, but terribly wasteful. I imagine Ignas will want to establish a foothold in the southern district before trying anything of that nature.”

“There’s a band of criminals that I’ve been cooperating with.” Lieze revealed, “Their leader is an Elf named Baccharum Silas, and his hideout is here, in the eastern district. I imagine he’ll want to speak with my father immediately.”

“I’ll let him know. But considering his track record in dealing with outsiders, I wouldn’t count on the Elf’s survival.” Lüngen replied, “What will you do in the meantime?”

“I need to organise my forces and experiment with a number of new possibilities.” She said, “If my father needs me, he can come and find me.”

“How troublesome…” The old archivist shook his head, “Very well. I suppose this is where we part ways for now.”

“Yes.” Lieze paused, “It’s good to see you again, Lüngen.”

“Never did I imagine you’d grow into such a fine necromancer.” He complimented, “Then again, I suppose this is exactly what your father wanted, no? More than anything else, I’m just glad to see that you and Drayya have finally made up after your decade-long feud.”

“We… we haven’t made up.” She hesitated to complete the sentence.

“Hah… no, of course not. Never mind the doddering of this old fool.” Saying that, Lüngen walked past her towards the eastern gate, “Farewell, Lieze.”

She watched as he disappeared into the distance before returning to the tasks at hand.

“Right… I imagine Drayya and Marché have already conferred with my father.” She muttered, “In that case, they’ll most likely be back at the cemetery.”

It wasn’t a difficult place to find. The strong winds that day carried along with them the unmistakable stench of rotting flesh. For lack of somewhere as secluded as the hideout beyond Tonberg’s walls, the cemetery had become something of a gathering spot for Marché’s cultists, who seemed more than relieved to see the girl gracing them with her presence.

“Lieze!” A familiar voice called her name. Marché’s rust-red hair made him stand out like a poisonous frog against the colourless district.

“You’re still alive.” Lieze sounded almost surprised as she approached, “I suppose that must mean my father took to you well?”

“That’s… yes - for the sake of my dignity, let’s say that’s exactly what happened.” He frowned, “Drayya stepped out of line when addressing him, I’m afraid. It seems she’s been roped into some kind of punishment.”

“Punishment?” Lieze tilted her head, “What did she say? Drayya isn’t the type to speak out of turn…”

“Sokalar demanded that she reveal the intricacies of your… unique powers to him.” He explained, “In a display of authentic, unbelievable concern, she refused.”

“That doesn’t sound like her at all.”

“No. It doesn’t.” Marché paused, “-But that’s how it went.”

“-And who’s doling out this punishment of hers? My father?”

“No. A man named Graeme.”

“Oh. Lovely.” She sighed, “We’d better get moving, then. I’d prefer it if Drayya was in top condition for the trials that await us.”

“M-Moving?” He repeated, “What are we doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She crossed her arms, “We’re going to rescue her.”