Daughter of Death - A Necromantic LitRPG

An hour passed in teeth-grinding monotony. The Order had only just arrived in the city, and so the upheaval it was experiencing came as a shock to those who had participated in the first siege. Sokalar had gathered an impressive amount of knowledge consolidating matters such as Alistair’s rise to the throne and Lieze’s occupation of the eastern district - information he had no-doubt coaxed out of Baccharum.

“The castle is well-defended.” When his history lesson finally concluded, he moved onto more pressing matters, “Gatehouses stud the looping hill climb, manned by arbalests and sorcerers. There is only a single avenue of approach. Naturally, this is by design. Nothing short of an aerial attack can even the odds for the attackers.”

Lieze had seen the castle for herself on a few occasions. Compared to the forts of Bascoroch, Dolore, and Saptra, special thought had been dedicated to its construction. As the seat of the king, it was the jewel of the Sovereign Cities and had an indomitable reputation to match its defensive capabilities. Leading an army up the winding path towards the fortress would result in catastrophic losses.

“The pathway is designed to prolong one’s journey to the castle.” Sokalar continued, “It is thin - again, by design, to limit the effectiveness of a large attacking force. The ‘looping’ nature of its ascent creates a continuous chokepoint, and the boon of high ground allows for every soldier stationed on its walls to attack those approaching from below. These capabilities eliminate the factor of manpower from the playing field. Similarly, as our forces become engorged in the winding pathways, a retreat of any sort will be impossible. It could be said that the castle lures armies to attack it, before trapping them in a ‘checkmate’ scenario where victory becomes impossible to attain.”

Lieze couldn’t help but be impressed. Sokalar had only glimpsed the castle from afar during the siege, and yet he had deconstructed its defensive strategy using an incredibly small amount of information. She had to remind herself that he was the Order’s leader for a reason.

“Of course, this does not consider emerging factors, of which there are many.” He concluded, “Alistair - Ricta’s former aide, is making use of alchemy to transform his soldiers into flight-capable combatants. These so-called ‘Angels’ are fast and durable, retaining their human intelligence and unwavering devotion to the newly-crowned king of maggots.”

There was no concern in his tone, but it was clear from Sokalar’s assessment that the Artificial Scions were the main topic of the strategy meeting. It was something akin to a ritualistic ceremony where particularly high-ranking members of the Order had a chance to prove their worth. Lieze assumed that her father already had a plan in mind, but he wished to see if any of his most trusted lieutenants had begun to lose their edge.

Naturally, it was also a test of her own abilities. She was, after all, a Deathguard in all but name.

Lüngen was the first to stand. His body language carried no fear or apprehension. Within the Order, he had the rare privilege of speaking his mind freely and without contention. The silver pocket watch looped around a button on his vest spun with excitement.

“Frankly, I believe Alistair has shown his hand too early.” He began, “These ‘Angels’ may be formidable, but our sights needn’t be set on the castle just yet. We still have the matter of the western and southern districts to attend to - prime opportunities to gather information on the capabilities of the enemy.”

“Occupying those districts will be challenging if we do not devise a countermeasure.” Sokalar offered his opinion, rather than shooting down Lüngen’s declaration, “Thralls are incapable of flight and ranged attacks in all but their most fringe forms.”

“Couldn’t we use the Wraith?” Lüngen asked.

“To immobilise the enemy? That would only be a realistic choice in small-scale skirmishes.” The Lich replied, “Attacking the ‘angels’ one-by-one would cost precious time.”

“My master…” Graeme stood, his voice croaking like a toad, “I believe the best course of action would be to deal with these ‘Angels’ ourselves. The Deathguards’ mastery of [Blood Magic] would serve well to clip their wings while our thralls contend with any grounded combatants.”

“Ridiculous.”

Lieze revelled in the sensation of opposing Graeme’s strategy as she rose to her feet. The man raised both hands to obscure his face behind the hood of his robe, hiding a no-doubt inconsolable expression of hatred.

“The obvious answer is to make use of Dark Casters.” Lieze said, “They’re capable of ranged attacks, which would eliminate the main weakness of our army.”

“You…” Graeme curled his fists, “Master Sokalar… the young lady’s suggestion is unrealistic. We haven’t the foci to supply Dark Casters with enough implements of sorcery. You know well that this is the reason why they have never been particularly popular.”

“You state the obvious, Graeme.” Sokalar’s gaze shifted to Lieze, “Wouldn’t you agree, Lieze? Are his words not the truth?”

The phrasing of that question threw Lieze for a loop. It almost sounded like a challenge. She knew her father’s vernacular down to the milliseconds between each sentence, and he was not the type to seek a second opinion on what should have been an obvious truth.

“...No. It isn’t.” She answered.

“Dark Casters are effective thralls to commandeer, but arming them often proves too demanding of a task.” Sokalar said, “-But you claim the opposite. Why is that?”

“Because we’re in a city. And not just any city, but the central capital of humanity.” She explained, “Magical foci are in no short supply here. Creating them normally requires a significant amount of manpower and expertise, but that’s only a problem in the Deadlands. Drayya and Marché have already retrieved over 100 from assorted curiosity shops in the northern district.”

The Lich didn’t respond to her, only shifting his gaze to the trembling form of Graeme.

“Why did you not consider this factor, Graeme?” He asked, “Lieze is correct.”

“Well- that is… I do not mean to suggest otherwise, but… well, when you consider that…”

“Let’s not waste any time humiliating him, father.” Lieze said, “If nobody else has any suggestions, then we shouldn’t waste any time.”

“Y-You worm!” Graeme’s pupils dilated. Saliva frothed at the corners of his mouth like a rabid dog, “How dare you make demands of Master Sokalar!? Learn your place!”

“Calm your madness, Graeme.” The Lich commanded, “She is my daughter.”

Silence gripped the room like a vice - a silence of unbelieving shock.

Lieze’s heart threatened to leap out of her mouth. Her blood quickened. She was no stranger to fury, but the tenderness in Sokalar’s voice as the word ‘daughter’ escaped his undying lips came a hair’s breadth from flinging her into a murderous rage.

“Daughter? Daughter!?” Her thoughts fired like cannons, “22 years, and only now does he consider me his own blood!? Only now, after I’ve proven myself a useful tool, does he speak my name with pride!?”

This had been his plan all along. From the moment Sokalar realised Lieze’s true potential, he wanted her as an ally. What better way to tempt her into subservience than providing Lieze with the love she had been deprived of all her life?

But he did not count on the girl’s hatred. A taste of power had enlightened her to just how pathetic her previous life had been. She abandoned everything in pursuit of Sokalar’s approval, but no amount of effort could overcome the limitations of her mind.

She pitied her old self. She pitied Sokalar for his single-minded praise.

“I’m sick to death of the Order… Lüngen is the only worthwhile man in this den of snakes.” She thought, “I’ve been dreaming of this for so long… I won’t let anyone take it away!”

Something snapped in her mind - a final thread connecting mercy to reason. There was always something that had been holding her back from making the truly difficult decisions, and Sokalar’s misplaced generosity had finally driven all compassion from her soul.

New Quest Received!

‘Daughter of Death’ - Kill Ignas Sokalar

Reward - 10,000xp

New Quest Received!

‘The Toad’ - Kill Hede Graeme

Reward - 4,000xp

New Quest Received!

‘Herald of Darkness’ - Become the leader of the Order of Necromancers

Reward - 5,000xp

“M-Master Sokalar…” Graeme rubbed his clammy hands together, “Be that as it may, the young lady is in no position to spearhead our strategy… she is but a child, and her poor aptitude has resulted in a severe lack of practical experience…”

Drayya recoiled as she heard the sound of metal rasping against metal. Lieze was dragging open the hem of her Bag of Holding with one hand and retrieving Ricta’s rapier with the other.

“What-” She shook her head in disbelief, voice lowering to a rushed whisper, “What are you doing!?”

There came no response. Lieze rose from her seat and wandered through the partitioned aisle overlooking the room’s centre, drawing every pair of eyes in the room towards her. Those who were seated that she passed leapt from their chairs upon sighting the steel in her grip. The room erupted with accusations, lost in an uncontrollable panic.

“W-What? What’s happening?” Marché darted his head from side to side, “Drayya?”

The girl in question was leaning over with her face held in both hands.

“Oh Gods…” Her voice came out muffled, almost embarrassed, “Please tell me she isn’t wandering through the room waving a sword around…”

“What’s she planning to do!? Drayya!?” He shook the girl’s shoulders, “Are we in trouble!?”

“Oh… when aren’t we in trouble?” She sighed and straightened out her posture, “Just sit back… pretend you aren’t here…”

Lüngen remained seated, certain of the fact that whoever Lieze had her sights set on, it wasn’t him. Graeme, who sat next to him, was of the opposite disposition, vaulting over the wooden partition with an expression of pure fear. All the while, necromancers surrounding the room retrieved vials and flasks of blood from their waists and pouches to summon [Blood Spikes] which remained in the air like half-solid javelins, all pointing towards Lieze.

But they did not fire. Sokalar didn’t express in words or body language his unconditional approval of their attack, and those necromancers had been taught to never act without his say so.

Graeme, however, realised in that moment the love he had for his own life, and did not hesitate to throw a [Blood Spike] of his own towards Lieze.

[Antimagic Pulse] Activated

Remaining Heavenly Favours - 2

A flash of runes bathed the chamber in cerulean light, spreading out from Lieze’s position. As they made contact with Graeme and the other necromancers, their [Blood Spikes] lost cohesion and splattered against the ground, eliciting gasps from the confounded sorcerers.

“Abjuration!?” Graeme exclaimed, “You dare to make use of the forbidden schools in the presence of our master, Lieze!? To say nothing of your treasonous intentions! Deathguards! Dispose of this traitor at once!”

His words fell on deaf ears. While Sokalar was in the room, Graeme had no authority over the Deathguards, and he seemed more than content to witness the situation unfold. With a desperate flourish, Graeme unsheathed a dagger from his waist.

“Don’t even think about approaching me, girl.” He warned, “I’ve gutted men twice your size.”

“From behind, I imagine.” She replied, “When was the last time you ever fought with your own two hands, Graeme? Considering your reliance on necromancy, would it be considered rude to assume that this is your first time meeting an enemy on equal ground?”

He didn’t answer. Graeme was anything but a talented combatant. The man struggled to take two steps on a good day without his hunched back aching in protest. Every one of his thralls had been left outside, and there wouldn’t be enough time to sic them on Lieze. In short, despite his proximity to Sokalar, he was completely defenceless.

“M-Master Sokalar!” He cried, “Why do you not speak!? Please talk some sense into her!”

“Haven’t you said so yourself, Hede?” The Lich joined his skeletonised hands together, “You are in no position to be making demands of your master. If you wish to retain your position as my lieutenant, then kill Lieze. I would not trust someone incapable of fending off a single woman with the authority to command my servants.”