A Path Towards Perfection [Necromancer] [Completed]

[McKnighter]

((Please, no comments on the thread until it's complete! PM me until then!))

Redis holds up a hand. "Do wait here." He keeps his path, strolling over to where the small gnome stood. He lowers his hood and mask, fixing his eyes upon Kimee. "Hello Snack, how are you?"

Kimee looks over at Redis and eyes his attire. "Dying," she says, oddly cheerfully. "And I thought I killed you. What are you doing here?" Redis blinks, raising an eyebrow. "No, I do not believe you had me killed, if you ordered it, then they must've failed." He shrugs slightly, then focuses upon the gnome once more. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are a Necromancer still, yes?" Kimee squints up at Redis. "Ah, you looked like Steve with that hood on. Forget what I said. And yes, I don't think the powers of necromancy would suddenly vanish." Redis nods firmly, folding his arms. "Very good... I do have a request to make, if you are willing to hear me out."

"Go on."

Redis taps his left arm with a finger, biting his lower lip. "I have a deep interest into the dark art of Necromancy, as I have been researching it for a innumerable amount of time... I wish to take the next step and actually be able to use it. I would be overjoyed if you would assist me."


"Is that all?"

Redis blinks, a bit taken back. "Yes, it is."

"Nothing for me?" She frowns a bit.

Redis tenses slightly, running a hand through his hair. "Well... I do not have much to offer, if you seek objects. I have information, and a group that can research whatever is in question..." He glances towards Ralikin, giving a slight frown. He sighs, and puts his hand down. "Do you have anything in mind?"


"How about your soul? Are you willing to part with it? If you're serious about going down the path of necromancy, you're going to lose it eventually. Might as well give it to someone who'll make use of it."


Redis frowns slightly, shaking his head. "I am serious about understand the depth of the subject, but I am not willing to trade away the single thing that is worth something in this world... I will not become some slave." He stares at Kimee.

"Ah, but a slave you will be, whether you want it or not."

Redis shakes his head once more. "If I do, then I shall break free. I have rid myself of a Fel addiction, I can overcome anything this path might lead me."

"Why go down this path if not to enjoy the reward?"

Redis blinks. "What? What reward is becoming a slave? What profit does that bring?"

"Did you do no research on the art before approaching me to train you?"

Redis nods slowly. "Indeed I have, but what do you mean of being a slave? The path leads to undeath, is this what you speak of?"

Kimee quirks a brow. "Of course not. Undeath is perfection and release from these weak shells of ours. A slave to your -addiction-. To the very forces you control. You will want nothing to do with the living, and surround yourself with the the undead. I don't know how you broke free of this Fel addiction. For all I know you could be lying. But you will not break free of this curse. This I promise you."

Redis remains silent for a moment, rubbing his chin. "... I, I understand, I think... I will be ready for this 'curse' then.. Yes, I will accept it."

Kimee narrows her gaze at him. "Are you frightened?"

Redis nods slightly. "A little, I prepared as much as I could. This is still unknown to me, and I dislike moving forward half blind."


"Hmph. Honesty. That's good. If you are serious about this, I will teach you. Disobey or lack in your studies, and I will abandon you on a road you cannot return from."

Redis nods firmly. "I understand."

Redis glances behind him, looking at a blood elf named Caidrah, who has been keeping an eye on Redis this whole time. "One of my assoicates is looking for objects of power, or something of such." He looks back to the gnome. "I shall find something that would be worth something to you."

"Ah, this might do."

When should we begin?

"Whenever you are ready."

"Then I suggest we start now."

"So be it. Get yourself a notebook and a pen."

Redis digs into a bag that's rests on his hip. He removes a small, red, beat-up book and an ink pen. He looks towards the small gnome, and nods. The pair travels to a lower level of the Catacombs, to a work station beside the massive bone pile that looms over the room.

"Hmm... What do you know of runes?"

Redis rubs his chin. "Arcane infused symbols, most when completed, carries out a task. Other more, complex ones, can be used, and re-used, at the mage's will. Why do you ask?"

"It will be the first method I teach you. But first, theory."

Redis frowns slightly, but nods nonetheless. Kimee bends down and takes a small rodent from within a cage under the table, and it sniffs the air curiously as she craddles it to her chest. "Pay attention."

Redis opens his journal, pen at the ready. He fixes his eyes upon the small creature, nodding. Kimee draws her dagger and slides the blade along the side of the rodent's neck. It bleeds out and the poor thing twitches violently. Kimee's glove is soaked in blood before the rodent finally ceases its struggling. Kimee lies the rodent on the cold stone floor. "Do you agree that the rodent is dead?"

Redis watches closely, writing down a few quick notes without glancing at the page. "Yes, blood lost would've been enough to kill it."

Kimee quirks a brow. "Are you certain?" She smirks.


Redis ' corners of his mouth tighten. He pokes the small beast with a foot. "Indeed, I am."

Kimee draws her wand. "Then explain this," she says, and points the wand at the rodent, who begins to twitch violently as before.

Redis blinks, staring at the movement. He blinks a few times, before glaring at Kimee. "You're doing that, using him like a puppet."

Kimee tilts her head. "Am I? Is that your final answer?"

Redis stops for a moment, glancing at the shaking rat, then back to the gnome. "Well, you're doing something to it, that I know."

"That much is obvious."

"You're channeling arcane then, to force the body to move."

"Again you believe I am puppeting him. Tell me, what purpose is served by me making him twitch? Would you not think I would find more entertainment by making him crawl up your robes and chew on your testicles? -Think- for a second."

Redis blinks, his face turning slightly red. He bites on the tip of his pen, looking down at his notes before his eyes spark. "You asked me a question regarding runes.... Is that how you made this happen?.. How?"

Kimee sighs and lowers her wand. "Do you see any runes on this rodent?"

Redis bends over to grasp the small creature, turning it over to see if there are any markings upon it. Redis scowls as he finds nothing out of the norm with the rat. He sets it back down, sighing as he stands back up. "Nothing, I'm at a lost." He writes down a few more notes, then glances back at Kimee.

"Hmph. The answer is simple, and I think I will leave it here until you can figure it out. Don't bother looking for me to continue until you've thought it through."

Redis grumbles as he sits down, running a hand through his hair. "Fel... What did she do to it?"

[McKnighter]

~

Redis walks toward her in a business-like manner, dropping the rodent as he reaches her side. "I believe I have an answer to your question." Kimee turns and looks up at him, the large skull still in her gloved hands. "-Do- you now?"

Redis shifts his gaze towards the bone structure the woman carries, then focuses upon her face. "Indeed... After a few trials, and upon finding a few books regarding the human mind, I believe it's safe to say that you somehow tapped into the creature's brain, perhaps creating a simple shock to the body... Making it follow the last given command."

"Ah, good, good. Yes, it is true that I was forcing it to relive its last moments. However, knowing this, what does that tell you about souls and corpses?"

Redis removes his hood and mask, rubbing this chin slightly. "I, have believed that the soul left the body as soon as the shell cease to live... Could it still be possible that the soul remains trapped for a period of time?"

Kimee grins up at him. "Correct! That is -precisely- the answer I was looking for. Well done. Now..." Kimee lies the skull down and heads to the small cage under her table to retrieve the second rat. "Pay close attention to this as it will be your next project." Kimee draws her dagger. "Lie your rodent on the floor, if you would," she says, as she kills the rodent in her hand quickly.

Redis follows the gnome towards the work station, quickly opening the red journal and removing an ink pen from his belt pouch. He stares at the new creature. Redis frowns slightly under his mask, stepping back a few paces to pick up his rat. He returns quickly, setting it in front of Kimee. Kimee holds the dead rat at arm's length and reaches forward with her other hand. She grabs at the air just in front of its snout and slowly pulls back. A faint blue mist seeps from the rodent's nose, mouth and ears, leaving a trail following Kimee's hand.

Redis quickly begins to write down notes, the pen scratching away at the parchment. Redis doesn't take his eyes off the process. Kimee continues to draw back her fist, the blue mist following it and she holds her fist steady. As she does, the mist comes together around it, swirling slowly, and she throws her fist downward hard toward the dead rodent on the stone floor. The mist shoots into the dead rodent, penetrating its flesh. The body shakes violently as this occurs and once it's through... silence. Redis blinks, his stare focused upon his rat. He writes another quick note before stopping. Kimee tosses the rodent in her grip onto the bone pile, while the one on the floor opens its small red eyes and gets onto its hind legs.

"Did you... Was that its soul?.. And you forced it into this body..? Amazing..."

"Yes, and now for your project. Who is controlling the body now?"

Redis kneels down, setting his handbook and pen aside. "How will it response to me, just as it normally would?" He peers down upon the rodent, tilting his head slightly. Kimee nods once. "It will act like any other rat. That's what makes this a tricky question to answer."

Redis mutters under his mask, in a hasten tone. "Soul from the first rat could've taken over the body.. But not if the current rodent still had it's soul, it would simply kick it out... Or it could've wrestled control away... Not enough information for a correct answer..." He glances towards the robed gnome. "I'll need some time to ponder upon this."

"Hmph, you've already answered it."

Redis blinks, frowning slightly. "Which suggestion though, is the question... Unless you want me to suggest the theory I believe now?" Kimee clasps her hands behind her back. "Share this theory of yours. I've the odd feeling you're correct in thinking it."

Redis geatures to the rat before him. "My thoughts are that since this rodent was slain a few days ago, I believe the soul should've departed by now... Nothing of the blue mist escaped the corpse... It's reasonable to say that that soul now controls the body."

"A reasonable conclusion to make. Bravo, dear, I do believe you are correct. You see, if we are to create a genuine undead construct, like the Forsaken, you must use the body almost immediately after having killed it. The longer one waits, the weaker the soul within becomes, and the new soul will easily overpower it. This, however, is just one means of doing this sort of reanimation. The second is using your own life essence to reawaken the soul within the corpse and, since you are in control, you allow the soul to take control of it once more."

Redis snatches the pen and handbook, writing down words in a fury. "I see... You.. Use your own life source for extreme Necromancy?... Interesting."

"And in doing this way, since magic always leaves a trace, a bit of yourself will be implanted into the construct. It is this trace of yourself that I will teach you to use to keep the construct under your sway and completely obedient."


"How, much of a tract is require to keep it under control?"

"You'll want to be careful not to leave too much of yourself, for that leaves little for the soul to occupy, and too little leaves your connection weak, allowing other necromancers to wrestle control of the construct temporarily. Sometimes even reverse it completely."

Redis frowns slightly, scratching the paper with his pen. "So, an exact amount is require for the perfect creation... How do you control the amount you place inside the corpse?"


"The exact same way you control any form of magic. You consciously decide how powerful you wish to make your offensive spells by channeling for longer or shorter periods of time."

Redis bites his lower lip, nodding. "A risky chance... What if a careless Necromancer infused his entire life force into the construct?"

"Then what you end up with is a situation where the construct can literally do nothing on its own. Ever step, even muscle twitch, must be explicitly dictated by the necromancer."

"I see... Perhaps one would favor putting less rather than more? Or would the risk of losing control be too great?"

"There is always a risk. Every construct, undead, demon, elemental or otherwise, has the chance to be manipulated by outside forces."

Redis nods firmly, eying the rodent. "Indeed, but our risk would be much, less, wouldn't you suppose so? Necromancers seem to have less numbers than the other magi that would create constructs."


"Only other necromancers would be able to command an undead construct. Light wielders can, however, force them to turn away for a time, but that is as far as that will go."

Redis keeps writing in the handbook, nodding. "Is there any other factions to take into account, beside the norm?"


"There are, and these are quite rare but it's worth noting, magical fields that interrupt the connection between master and servant... but again, these are rare."

Redis taps his chin, frowning. "Speaking upon the connection between the two... How far shall the bond hold? What would occur if it was broken?"

"The bond is as strong as both the trace left within and whatever other means you may employ to amplify your consciousness to the servant. The more powerful the artifact used, the larger the radius that allows the servant to remain functional. In cases where the connection is severed, the construct will often fall limply to the ground unless other forces command it to do otherwise."

Redis raises an eyebrow, glancing towards the female gnome. "Artifact? What do you mean by this?"

"As with all magic, an artifact may be found to amplify your abilities in a certain area. If you can find a suitable object that can contain a good amount of your power, you may be able to amplify the connection you share with your constructs without having to use more of the available space."

Redis brightens slightly, peering down to Snack. "Do you use any of the such?"

"I've been unable to find a suitable object, so no, I do not."

Redis smirks, standing up with a slight grunt. "If I found such an object, would you take that as an acceptable reward for my, visits?"

"That would be more than an acceptable form of payment."

"Very good... I do believe I have something in mind then, I do hope you will enjoy it... If I can find a working one.."

"Good. But try not to trouble yourself too much. You've only just begun your training and already you've taken on the pallid skin of an advanced necromancer. What troubles you?"

Redis glances down, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing, I'm fine... I, just don't get out much." Kimee nods slowly. "You are sure of the choice you have made, yes? You understand that after a certain point there will be no going back."

"... This is the right path, I am sure of it."

"Good. The rat is yours to keep, if you so choose. And if you are not too tired, we can begin with runes."

Redis glances down at the rodent. "Indeed, I shall." He looks back to Snack. "I have rested for most of the day, I am well ready for the next step. Please, let us begin."

Kimee nods. "Come with me. I want you to memorize this rune."

Redis stares at the rune, tracing it into his handbook as he does so. "Will do." After a moment, he completes the drawing, and he shifts his gaze towards Kimee, waiting for her to go on.

"...They mysteries surrounding this design... not even I can say I know. It is said the drawing is of a set of ley lines, but how this pattern came to be significant in necromancy, I cannot say. Nonetheless, this rune is the key to the very basic form of necromancy. With use, you will come to recall it as if it were your own name, and it will be when you've reached that level that we will go beyond runes to true necromancy."

"Interesting... How does this rune work then?"

"Like any other. The pattern holds properties that allow it to hold large amounts of shadow energies. It is these shadow energies that will provide a constant source of power for your first construct. Should the runes fade, so too will the energies they held."

Redis briskly writes down more notes, nodding faintly.

"What experience do you have in calling the shadow?"

"I.. Was only shown briefly on how to connect to the Shadow via arcane while with the Circus... I did not progress much past that."

"Then you will do so now. These patterns can only contain the shadow, and only these runes can provide us with what you'll need. Without the shadow, we are powerless, and so your next task is to familiarize yourself with it."

Redis frowns slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Very well..." He sets down the book and pen, then sits down. He rubs his temples slowly, closing his eyes as he focuses upon the shadow and darkness that surrounds him mentally. He remains silent for a long moment, before speaking once more. "I, feel it... I do not know what to do with it."

Kimee looks to Redis. "Although I admire your eagerness, take care to not delve too deeply. Men and woman far greater than either of us have lost themselves to what they've seen."

Redis remains still, eyes shut tight. "Indeed, I rather focus... Upon the task at hand... What must I do?"

"Remember your training in the arcane. The method here is no different, only the effects of doing more than you can handle. You will need a strong will to combat the effects of the shadow, or else find yourself a mindless husk."

Redis nods faintly, and he opens his eyes. He scowls, rubbing his temples again. "It's bothersome to, make the connection... I fear I am not as adapt as it might be required."

"You expect too much of yourself. This could easily lead to fatal mistakes down the line. Take as much time as you need. Meditate daily, and you will learn to handle these powers."

Redis starts to protest, "But I-" He quickly cuts himself off, sighing. "... You're right, perhaps it'll be best if we take a more steady route. There's already much risk simiply using the powers normally."Kimee nods once. "I will leave you here, then. Find me when you're ready."

"Very well, goodbye Snack."

"You did well today, but remember what I said."

Redis sighs deeply as he begins to look over his notes, adding more to the lengthy page.

[McKnighter]

Redis walks in a brisk pace, holding a red journal under his arm, He doesn't even notice the elf ahead of him, his eyes taking to the small gnome. The elf shrugs and continues walking. Kimee eyes the Elf warily. "Red, are you ready to move on yet?" Redis slows his pace slightly, halting when coming close to the woman. "Snack... I am."


"Good! Tonight we move on to your first construct."

Redis brightens slightly under his mask, "Excellent... Do we require a corpse first, or do you have one ready for, rebirth?" Kimee adjusts her glasses and shakes her head. "We'll need a corpse... plenty of those around here, so it shouldn't be too hard. Might be best to start off with a simple creature. A rat will do." Redis nods slowly, gesturing behind him. "I shall return shortly, there are plenty of vermin that inhabit our room... They enjoy that one corner..." He trails off, turning sharply to walk away. Kimee nods as she watches the man go.

Redis swings the doors open with a sigh, glancing around the dim lighted room that belonged to the Echo. He slowly creeps forward, glancing to his left at a pile of corpses, organs, and limbs. A pack of rodents are nibbling upon the flesh, not noticing the looming figure above them. Redis dives for one, wrapping his fingers around it's skinny belly. The rat cries out, squeaking in agony. Redis quickly reaches for his knife, slitting the rat's throat. He stands up slowly, exiting the room. He returns to Kimee with a rodent in one hand, quickly bleeding out, and his now blood-stained journal in the other. "There's the body... Now what?"

"Ah! Come with me, mhm." The gnome leads Redis to her quarters, a dark room containing a work bench, a personal garden, a table full of tubes and vials, and a rune surrounded by candles and a single purple orb stands in front of it. Kimee looks through her cabinets for something, "Ah-ha." She pulls out a small piece of chalk and slides the drawer closed. Kimee holds up the chalk. "Now then, draw the rune behind the rodent's skull. Be careful to draw it precisely now."

Redis raises an eyebrow, taking the chalk. He holds the rat near his face, glancing at the rune every once in a while while pressing the chalk into the rat's head, biting his lip in focus.

"When you're done, lie the body on the floor here, not on the rune, and sit behind it."


Redis does this for a long moment, until he removes the chalk from the skull, eyes darting between the rat and the rune, before giving a slight nod. "It is finished." He glances towards the ground Kimee stays on, placing the rat where her feet are. Redis then takes position behind the rodent, glancing towards the gnome.

"Now this next part is fairly complex, for you'll have to do a few things at once. First, call forth the shadow and let it flow from your being into the rune you've drawn on the rodent... while at the same time letting your intentions for this flow into the rune as well. This is no different than enchanting an item. Remember... Your intention, in this case, is for the rodent to come to "life" once more. Focus on this thought as you let the shadow flow."


"Anything else?"

"Think hard now... before you begin, what is life? What does it mean for this rodent to be alive? What is it that sets a dead rodent apart from a living one? Focus on these differences. You want the rodent's state of undeath to be as close to its state of life as possible. This is the mark of a true necromancer."

Redis nods once more, "Is that all?"

Kimee nods. "I will leave you to it."


Redis frowns slightly, raising an eyebrow at the dead creature. He remains still for a period of time, simply staring at the rat. Finally, Redis shuts his eyes, allowing himself to slip into a trance. He places a hand inches from the rune, shadow slowly forming in his palm, before making a direct connection with the rune, the symbols glowing bright purple with the energy. Redis frowns deeply, pressing slightly closer to the rat. He holds the pose for roughly a minute, before ripping his hand away from the rune, his eyes fly open with a gasp as the shadow fades away from his hand. The runes still glow bright upon the vermin's skull. Redis stares at the rat as it begins to stand off the ground. The creature remains very stiff. It slowly turns towards Redis, moving its legs in a fashion as a living one would. It stares at Redis, eyes unblinking, tail remaining limp. Redis smirks at the success of raising the rat.

Kimee grins down at the rodent and nods her approval. "Very well done. Now... Do you recall what I said on our first lesson?" Redis raises an eyebrow, glancing towards Kimee. "Upon which topic?"

"The part where I mentioned a link existing between a construct and it's master."

Redis nods firmly. "Indeed... How can it be done?" Kimee smirks. "Your next assignment, then. How indeed does one find and harness the link between you?"


"... You explained control over a construct, including using one's life force, to force control... How does one do that with one created like this?"


"In a similar fashion. You see, in the case of these constructs, the power from the rune acts like a soul. It just so happens that here, since the power source is artificial, it's nearly impossible to put too much of your own life force into it because the rune itself is also your own life force. Essentially, the entire thing exists because of you, not a secondary source outside yourself."


Redis frowns slightly, "So... Have I already completed that process, or must I issue commands through the rune every time I wish it to do a task?"

"No no, you issue commands through the psychic link that exists between all constructs and their masters. The rune is simply a power source to keep the construct functional without it having to constantly feed on you." Redis glances back to the rodent, which still stares at him. "... So, I can command it now?"

"You may, if you can find this link. But going back to your question, if left to its own devices, the rodent will continue to act like a rodent, but only because this is what you channeled into the rune. If you had, for instance, focused on dancing styles, it'd be dancing for you right now. Do you understand what it is I'm saying? The master can easily override the rune's influence, if they so choose. This is what your assignment is, essentially. Finding a way to force your will over the construct through your link."

Redis nods faintly, leaving the chalk on the ground and picks up the rodent with one hand, standing up. "Very well, Snack. I shall return to you whenever I find the answer to your question..."

"Have fun with this assignment, dear. I know it was my favorite assignment in my day..." Kimee smirks and shakes her head.

Redis blinks, then heads out of the room, looking at the rodent in his palm. "Huh... Now to find you a name..."

[McKnighter]

Redis carries a red handbook, strolling along with a small undead rat in toe behind him. He walks towards a door, and knocks on it twice. "Snack?" Kimee looks over her shoulder. "Come in, come in," she calls out, and carefully puts down the vial she was holding. Redis pushes the double doors ajar, careful to allow the rodent to stiffly make it's way into the room before shutting them. He glances towards Kimee, smiling faintly under his mask. "I have found your answer, didn't nearly take as long as I would've thought."

"Oh? Let's see it, then."

Redis kneels down, grasping the rat gently, placing a hand on the back of its skull. He remains silent for a moment, before his hand pulse shadow into the vermin. Redis whispers a quiet word, before releasing his grip. The rat falls to the ground, then begins to run around in a circle around Redis, moving like a puppet, clearly off balance. Kimee can't help grinning at the sight. "Hmm... While it's good that you discovered the ability to redo the intention the rune holds, I'm afraid that isn't quite the project I had in mind." She holds up a finger. "What I'm asking is for you to be able to do this very same thing, only from a distance. And even then, only temporarily."

Redis tilts his head slightly, frowning. "Indirect contact while issuing commands... Hmm.." He paces over to the other side of the room, then sits down. He rubs his chin from outside of his mask, staring at the circling rat.

"Hmm... as with all things in magic, it requires long hours of meditation. You must learn to send your consciousness to meet the artificial one within the construct... It can be difficult at first, I know. I wonder if there is something I could do to make this easier for you... Are you terribly busy outside of your studies?"

Redis raises an eyebrow, still watching the rodent. "Hardly... Besides attempting to figure out your assignments, I have all the time in the world."

"Is there anything clouding your mind? A high level of stress, for instance?"

Redis pauses for a moment, then sighs. "... Indeed, there has been a few... Issues, that have been bothering me... Would that be hindering?"

"Absolutely. Quite difficult indeed to make a clean connection when the mind is set on other things, draining you of your psychic energies."

Redis frowns, rubbing his eyes with a finger and thumb. "That is... Annoying to hear... I can focus however, it doesn't plague my mind whenever I remain... Busy."

"In that case, the problem must be both a misunderstanding and a simple matter of not knowing where to start. Let's see... Have the rodent return to how it acted before and hold it gently in your hands."


Redis pushes himself off the ground, nodding his head. He quickly makes his way towards the vermin still moving, now in an oval shape, and plucks it off the ground. He grips the now shaking rat's skull, quickly pouring shadow into it. The rat eases, And Redis turns to face Kimee. "Very well, now what?"

"I want you to sit and close your eyes with your construct, then clear your mind of all things that have nothing at all to do with any of this. Remember the connection I told you that exists between you two. I want you to sense it... Do you recall your early teachings in the Arcane? This is no different than sensing the Twisting Nether, only here your goal isn't to draw power from what it is you set out to sense, but to control it."

Redis nods weakly, lowering himself to the ground. He shuts his eyes tight, holding the rat in his two hands. He simply remains there for a long moment, eyes closed. He remains silent, until breaking the still air. "... I feel, something. It's very, faint."

"Don't try to control it yet, merely make the connection and hold it."

Redis goes quiet for another period of time, staring off into space with shut eyelids. The rodent glances around, then stares at the small gnome. The rat shifts in Redis' grip before it randomly jerks, its eyes darting across the room. Redis whispers, "I think I have it." Kimee takes a few steps backward to give the pair some room. "Now, try to will it to do something it wouldn't do normally. Something simple, no need to strain yourself."


Redis looks towards the rat, and the it returns the stare. Redis bites his lip, expanding his hand. The vermin gives a slight wiggle of the body, but otherwise remains steady. Redis curses quietly, focusing on the rat. Soon, it starts to shake, then finally rolls over onto its back, feet hanging limply in the air. Kimee grins. "And now, if you were to let go..." Redis opens his eyes in a rush, gasping slightly. The rat attempts to stand up, but ends up rolling off his hand, falling to the ground. It squeaks, quickly bringing itself up. The rat then shifts to stare at Redis as if he was holding a meat cleaver over its head.

Kimee nods at him. "That's fine. You will practice this next, as well. As you yourself put it, we are useless in combat if we do not master these basic tasks." Redis thrusts his eyes open as the rat reaches a yard out of the door, blinking rapidly. "... It's gone... And yes... It's would be best, if these were at peak performance." Kimee leaves the door open a bit for the rodent to return through. "Then we will leave it here. On our next meeting, I will want you to show me you've progressed."

Redis nods, standing up with a slight grunt. He snatches the rat off the ground, holding him firmly in his arm. "Very well, I shall see you in a few days then... I expect this will be a crawl..." He shakes his head slightly. "Will that be all?" Kimee nods once. "Good luck and have fun." She grins up at him. Redis nods slightly. "Thank you." He pulls on one of the doors, and slips through the opening.

[McKnighter]

Redis carries a familiar rodent in his right hand, stroking it softly with his fingers. He walks briskly towards a metal door, rapping his knuckles on its surface. "Snack?" Kimee hangs her hat and gives her face a quick look-over in her compact mirror. "Come in Red, darling," she says with a snap of her mirror, then pockets it. Redis pushes through the doors with an arm, walking in slowly and quietly. He glances at the small gnome, sighing slightly. "I do hope we're not interrupted again, that was most, bothersome."

"Yes, and not very rewarding. I admire the young lady's strength, but I fear she has more than a few holes in her plot."

"Indeed, Fel isn't stable, and once you become... -That-... It's impossible to know if she's even sane anymore. But enough with her, I rather focus on the matter at hand..."

"Of course. Now then, carry on as you were before, if you would."

Redis nods, setting the rat on the ground. He shuts his eyes, remaining standing this time however, and points at the rodent. The rat cocks its head, staring at the digit thrust at him. Redis moves his finger in a circle, the rat following the motion with his body, rolling around as the finger does the same. Kimee nods once in approval. "And how far now can you control it?" Redis shrugs slightly, "Much more than before." He ceases making the rodent move, instead having it stare at the door as he moves slowly back, hands outstretched to feel the door. He scowls, his hands patting down the metal frame. Redis thrusts his eyes open then winces as he looks over the door. He opens it in haste, shutting his eyelids. Taking a brief moment to control himself, he directs the rat out the door, which it stiffly waddles off.

Kimee squeezes through to watch how far the rodent goes. Redis remains within the room as the rat makes his way pass the glowing symbols on the ground. It reaches to a lumbering ghoul, who peers down at the rat, licking his chomps. The rodent slows down, before quickly turning to head back, breaking into a small jog to Kimee, stopping at her feet. Kimee calls out through the gap in the doors. "Well done, Red," she says, grinning as she walks back toward the door. "But can you do it with your eyes open and pouring yourself some tea?" She quirks a brow playfully. Redis grumbles, rubbing his eye sockets. "Perhaps while seeing through my own vision first, then we'll talk refreshments." He slowly cracks open his eyes, face falling into a deep frown as he looks at the woman. "Ugh... It's like walking out of a dark room and into mid-day."

"Come on out here and show me how far you can go while I try to distract you."

Redis cracks open the door enough so that he can fit through. He begins to look around the massive space, before looking down at Kimee. "... Alright..." The rats turns, and begins to wobble towards the ghoul. Kimee stands on her toes and waves the handle of her cane in front of Redis' face. Side to side, then forward and back, not hitting him, but getting close. Naturally, she does this with a grin, clearly enjoying herself. Redis blinks, flinches backward every once in a while when he feels that the cane is about to smack him in the nose. As he does this, the rat falters, jerking when Redis moves and slowing down its pace. Kimee continues this annoying little distraction while watching the rodent from the corners of her eyes. "Come now, Red... up to the ghoul and back again." Redis strains a bit, ducking another near-fatal blow from the deadly wooden stick. "It's much more .... Harder when I have to look at this..." The rat edges the rune, attempting to make it towards the undead creature. Kimee grins, but doesn't stop the distraction. "On the field of battle you will have far more numerous and far more dangerous distractions. I'm preparing you."

Redis sighs, pressing the rat past the rune. It inches towards the ghoul, who rubs his claws in hunger. The rodent finally reaches at the feet of the undead, and begins to make its way back. Kimee lowers her cane and leans onto it. "Good," she nods once, watching the rodent return to its master's feet. Redis also watches the rat, as it stiffly waddles its way back to Redis' feet, then stares back up at him, cocking its head. He breathes a sigh of relief, blinking his eyes rapidly. Kimee pinches her glasses and lifts them higher up the bridge of her nose. "How are you feeling after that?" Redis rubs his temples with two fingers, shaking his head. "Feels as if I put on glasses that assist in vision, I don't require them to see... What a head-ache..."

"Good, then you -were- giving it your fullest. I suggest practicing this daily. Have someone from that group of yours distract you. A few attractive women in it, no? That'll be a real test... I know how you young men are."

Redis rolls his eyes, "They are all insane... But I suppose that'll do. Isabella is also quite skillful at getting under my skin... Along with half of the lot..." He shudders, "Indeed, I'll keep at this." Kimee claps once. "That's a good boy. Now, I do think once you've mastered, or at least become a bit better at multi-tasking, we can move forward to more complex constructs. Rodents are child's play." Redis nods once, snatching the rat off the ground, tucking it into his arm. "Very well, I shall improve in this before the week is over. I'll see you then, goodbye Snack." He turns, walking off towards the room that belongs to a group refered to as the Echo...

"Miss Frostshackle!"

Redis sighs, waving a quick hand. "Very well..."

[McKnighter]

Redis glances over to the small gnome woman, tucking Limpy, his undead rodent, tighter into his arm. He walks directly towards her, nodding slightly at Kimee. "Miss Frostshackle..." Kimee smirks faintly and adjusts her glasses. "Red." Redis strokes the rat under the chin, raising an eyebrow. "I can control the creature's movements while other, important things draw my attention, without too much delay. I'm ready for creating a more complex construct."

"As do I, dear boy. I do believe a Human will prove a more challenging task."

"Do you have a corpse in mind, or will I have to fetch one from the main holding cell?"

"I think we'll use one we keep in stock. We're running low on fresh materials, and it's best we don't use them for instructional purposes."

Redis nods faintly, following the gnome as she leads him off. The pair wander to the lower levels of the Catacombs, ending up where a massive pile of bones have been placed.

"Now then, how good are you with a screwdriver?" Redis blinks, taken back from the question. "Uhm... I have used one before, yes."

"Good. You'll be needing the skill if you plan to work with this lot." Kimee nods toward the mountain of bones. "At least, at first."

Redis peers over the stack of bones, frowning slightly. "... I assume I'll have to construct an entire human bone system?"

"Correct. But I'll help. Oh how I -do- enjoy putting together these things..." Kimee whistles casually as she starts to sift through the pile for bones, separating the good ones and lining them up on the side. Redis sets his rodent down, waving him off towards the bone hill. The rat dives in, disappearing from sight, while Redis joins Kimee and the search for parts, picking out sturdy ones from the broken. "This will be half the challenge...." Kimee holds a skull, no doubt a Worgen's, close to her eyes for inspection. "Oh yes, but it's part of the fun, I say. Soon you'll be able to animate them without all this silliness. Their joints will bind together before your very eyes." Redis lets out a small grunt, tossing a broken rib cage out of his way. "Perhaps, would the bones fit with different bones, such as an orc skull to a human's spine?" The two digs around for parts, laying out the general structure of the rib cage, spine, groin, foot, toes, hands, and fingers. "Oh yes. Have you ever seen one of the Dark Lady's guards? Made of several corpses sewn together." Kimee places the skull where it should go and takes a step back. "Alright, we need arms and legs..." Kimee walks over to the near by desk, hoisting a small toolbox into her arms and carefully sets it down beside what they have so far. Redis shakes his head firmly. "I haven't, as they would've kill me upon sight." He fishes out long two-piece bone, no cracks or chips missing. He places it near his leg,the length almost the same. Nodding with approval, and takes another three bones that look the same size, and walks over to where Kimee had started the skeleton. He sets the bones near the groin piece, tilting his head slightly as to which would suit the legs best.

Kimee unlocks it and removes a screwdriver, then takes a handful of screws and hinges. "Ah, so you haven't been to our arena lately? I do believe we have one there to keep the spectators in line." She kneels beside the bones and carefully starts screwing the parts together. Redis sighs slightly, throwing away two of the bones, finding some fault in them. He places the two side by side, frowning. "Not recently... And these do not have joint sockets..." He glances back over to the bone pile, and begins to dig once more. Kimee moves around the side and gets to work there. "Ah, well those things are quite unique. Have several souls trapped in them, so you never really know who's in control. Fascinating creatures, I must say." Redis picks out a handful of smaller bones, most of them about half the size of his arm length. He piles about six of them onto the ground, peering over the structure of them. He tosses out two already, having found cracks running down their sides. James, a robed undead, leans on his scythe peering down at the two.

"Now then, let's see what we have here..." James takes each step carefully moving closer to the two.

"Legs, and then we're just about done, I'd say. No need to pack it in with flesh." James again leans on the shaft of his scythe not wanting to interrupt the two. Redis holds up two of the bones together, frowning slightly. "These arms will not look decent at all... Are we going to bother with hands, fingers, feet, and toes?"

"Of course! Or, we could simply raise it with less, and you can add the rest later. These constructs are easily repaired in this way." Kimee hoists a pair of legs, tendons still fresh oddly enough, and drags them carefully toward the rest of the body. Kimee secures them to the rest of the frame. "And now we can draw our rune and drag this onto it."

Redis sets the two bones together, forming a odd shaped arm. He does the same with pair, then takes up a few screws and the screwdriver, grafting them together.

"Now then, go draw the rune there and help me drag the body onto it once you're done... Ah, mister Deathrook. How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a few minuets, only observing and learning."

Redis glances over to Kimee, after finishing with his task. "I'll require some chalk, you never gave any of my own." He stands up off the ground, brushing off his robes.

"Ah, I always keep some chalk on the desk there."

Redis gives her a faint nod, looking over at the walking corpse that had been watching the pair work, before making his way over to the desk, plucking a stick of the purple stone. He turns sharply on his heels, returning to the skeleton. He kneels down drawing strange lines into the ground beside it.

"No no, not on the ground, dear. The skull, remember? Well no, it doesn't really matter. Carry on!" Redis pauses for a moment, frowning. "Sorry, I thought you meant here." He sighs, and returns to his work. After a period of time, he forms a purple rune on the stone floor. He pushes himself to his feet, walking over to the skeleton, gently grabbing hold of it. "Ready?" Kimee carefully hooks her arms under the skeleton's legs. "Quite. And on three, two, one..."
12:00:41 Redis lifts up his end by the arms, sliding his feet backward at a slow pace to not bring the gnome off her feet. They both drag the structure over the rune, setting it down.

"Now then, do you remember what it is that made your rat behave the way it did?"

"Of course. As I empowered the rune, I had to think of every motion and command the rodent had to do."

"Precisely! And so too must you do that now with this one. Ah, and don't forget to draw the rune on the back of this one's skull, too. Or the front. Doesn't really matter."

Redis kneels down at the top of the skull, picking it up gently to draw the same symbol on the top of its head. He takes his time in doing this, attempting to get every mark correct. Once he's finished, and lets the skull back down, and glances towards Kimee.

"Good. Now empower the larger rune, and then concentrate all you can on empowering the smaller just as you did with the rodent." Redis lets his other knee slip to the stone tile, placing his hands on the purple markings. He bows his head, remaining still for a period of time, before a purple haze starts to emit from his hands, the large rune lighting up in similar fashion. Kimee nods in approval, her grotesquely-aged features illuminated in the violet aura. "And now, focus on what you wish of this construct by default... This will be a bit harder than the rodent, for a rodent can only do so much. A construct such as this can do far more." Redis manages to move his head in response, holding firm until the entire rune is glowing in color. Redis shifts his hands to grasp the skull, purple and black lines streaking from the rune to the head, the large rune starts to fade as the small version on the skull begins to draw power. Kimee simply watches in silence. Redis keeps pressing his hands to the base of the skull, smaller marks on the rune start to disappear, then the larger lines soon follow. Redis grits his teeth with effort, and as the final remains of the rune fade from sight, he relaxes, falling down to his rear, his breathing labored. The rune upon the skull glows brightly as the skeleton begins to crack and groan, bones shifting and grinding.

Kimee takes a few steps back, her face a dramatic look of horror and shock, and she brings her hands up as if to protect herself from the construct. "It's alive! It's alive!" she freezes and grins. "Sorry, I've always wanted to do that... Right then, how are you feeling after that?" Redis gives the gnome an odd look, holding down a burst of chuckle. The skeleton starts to brings itself loudly to its feet, looking like a children getting up from falling down. He also picks himself to his feet, shaking his head. "Drained... Tired,"

"Cold at all? Do you still have feeling in your body?" Redis flexes his fingers, peering over them. "... My hand is numb, all the way to my elbow. Otherwise, everything else seems, there." Kimee nods once. "Good. Now then, let's have a look at this construct of yours." She adjusts her glasses before bringing her hands behind the small of her back. Redis winces as the bone structure finally stands upright, the skull is twisted in an unhealthy angle, if it was alive. Redis places both hands around the skull to jam it back into a normal position. Otherwise, it seems to form a man, stripped of skin and flesh, apart from the rotting legs. "Now what sort of commands did you give the rune?"

Redis taps his chin, "As much body movement as I could think of, mainly for it to follow me, and act as if it was alive." Kimee nods slowly a few times, eying the construct. "Let's see... have it go to my desk and bring you the book that lies there." She turns and looks over her shoulder at the desk. Redis glances over to the table, and the Skeleton begins to take a step towards it. The bones groan as the construct moves, the entire thing off balance as it plants one step to lift the back leg for another step. Redis frowns, "It's like it'll crumble any second." Kimee moves out of its path. "Yes, that is sadly one of the bad things about using old parts. Fresh bodies are always best, when you can get them." Redis watches it, as it waddles slowly over to the desk. Once it reaches it, the skeleton holds out its arm to pick up the book. Its fingers grip weakly onto the object, sliding it off the surface. The weight of the book nearly snaps off its arm, jerking the whole body almost to the ground.

Chaundre glances towards the two, an arm draped across the chest.

Kimee frowns at this. "Not bad. You can control it well despite it being far more complex to do so than your rat." She turns to look at Redis. "But you should practice with this one as you did with the rodent. And learn to fix it should it need repairs." Redis nods faintly, as the bone man slowly makes its way back to the pair. "It'll take some time, before its like controlling the rat, I can barely make this thing walk." He gives a slight sigh, glancing over to the small gnome. "Will that be all?" Kimee brings her hands to clasp in front of herself and bows to Redis. "It will. I think you can carry on from here on your own for a while. There is little more I can teach you now that you cannot learn on your own." Redis returns her bow with a nod. "I'll contact you then, when I feel I have mastered this on my own." His eyes shift to Chaundre for a brief moment, before looking back to Kimee. "Goodbye for now, Miss Frostshackle." The skeleton drops the book onto the ground, and limply follows Redis as he walks off, the rodent crawling out of the bone pile to join with the trio.

[McKnighter]

Redis walks with a slight limp, the cane assisting him with a faint thud every time it is pressed into the cold dirt floor. He coughs under his mask briefly, making his way towards a small gnome sitting in an oversize chair. Kimee exhales smoke slowly from her nostrils, scowling a bit down at a small piece of paper in her hand. As Redis approaches, she holds her right arm toward the right, and the paper ignites to ash onto the ground. "Where have you been, Red?" she asks, her voice a cold whisper. Redis lays his free hand upon the hilt of the wooden cane, sucking in as much air as his lungs could hold, before attempting to exhale. A violent coughing occurs as Redis breathes in the dusty air, only stopping after a few seconds. Once he has calmed down, he collects himself before speaking, "There was... A setback that kept me away... A fatal one." Kimee nods slowly and taps the side of her cane on the exposed bit of the chair between her feet. She remains silent, just nodding slowly for a few moments. Redis gestures towards his torso, "It took a prolonged amount of time, one to actually been brought back from death... Another period past as I had to relearn how to live again... My powers have been crippled during that process, but I feel I'm am nearing full recovery." Kimee brings her nodding to a pause, her kept staring unblinkingly at the wall directly across from her and the brim of her hat concealing her face from Redis at this angle. "And... how did it... feel?" she asks, still in that same cold whisper. Redis frowns under his mask, tapping a finger lightly upon the head of the cane. "I'm not sure what you mean, by that. Death itself was terrible, I felt every drop of my blood leave the body, as well as the venom run through my organs... The afterlife... I don't remember much... It was quiet... Peaceful, in a twisted fashion. Very dark... Alone..." He shudders, before letting out another cough fit, raising a gloved hand to his mouth.

Kimee slowly turns her head toward him and brings her eyes up to meet his. "Too exhausted to carry on, perhaps," the end of her cane slides between her lips, and she inhales more of the smoke. Redis shakes his head weakly, lowering his hand from his face. "I'll manage, I truly don't wish to suffer through that again." He replaces his free-hand back on top of the other, shifting more of his weight unto the stick. Kimee furrows her brow. "You do not wish to suffer what again, my dear? Death?" she tilts her head to one side, eying him curiously while slowly blowing the smoke out of her lungs. Redis remains silent, shifting his gaze away from Kimee and out towards the far side of the large room. "... Perhaps not death itself, but what lies beyond it. I know demons use souls more or less as we use coin... I don't know where our souls go, but I wouldn't want to be a slave to some demon for the rest of my existence." The right side of Kimee's mouth curls up into a smirk, and she turns her head forward again. "No... I can hardly imagine such a fate would be very, ah, -enjoyable-, for anyone." She takes another long, slow drag from her pipe. "Not at all." Redis coughs as he begins to inhale the smoke emitted from Kimee, waving a hand it the air. "Yes, well I do hope that I would finish my studies before another event tears me away from learning." Kimee lets out a deep sort of chuckle. "One can only hope." She exhales one last time and puts the pipe out. "And I assume you are ready right at this very second," she grins up at him while storing the pipe away. Redis nods eagerly, digging the wooden cane more into the ground as he strains to straighten his statue. "More than ready, Miss Frostshackle."


Kimee nods once. "Good boy," she grunts and slides off the chair. "You're training is nearing an end, my dear Red." She nods toward the southwestern room. "Your first bipedal construct. How is he?" Redis sighs, waving a hand towards the location. "Found him laying on the ground, amidst the empty room. I had to redraw the rune once more, bringing him to an active state. He's... Well, he's stronger than before. Able to lift heavier objects than a book." Kimee nods once. "Ah, I am glad you had the wit to notice he had been disabled. Can you guess -why- that was?" She drums her fingers idly atop her cane handle.


"Well... I only assume once the arcane link between myself and it was shattered, he didn't have anything to hold him up, so to speak... Which is quite a draw back, I must say, has no one figured out a method to empower the constructs without direct connection with the Necromancer?" Kimee nods. "And I'm surprised you do not know the answer to this yourself." She lies one hand atop the other. "Take a wild guess at perhaps the best example this world has ever known." Redis blinks, clenching his hand around the head of his cane. "... The plague raised the dead after three days... I do not know anything about the Scourge's plague however, I assume most don't. The Forsaken have created their own version, but it doesn't create mindless zombies, as far as I know."

Faldel glances at the group to her side, grinning at the little gnome in mist, "Snack!" Kimee nods slowly and starts to slowly walk forward and around Redis. "Yes... the plague." She stops and glares down at the floor when she hears the name, and turns around so quickly you would think she doesn't even need the cane. "Yes?" Faldel frowns at Redis, "Just saying hi..." She grins, "I'll leave you two alone." The woman teleports away.

One eye of Kimee is open slightly more than the other, making her look a lot like this: Redis glances over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the Sin'dorei as she heads off, slowly shaking his head, turning his entire body around painfully to face Kimee. "... How did they managed to do that?" Kimee looks over her shoulder at him, eyes back to their normal sizes. "No idea. Alchemy beyond my skill," she nods and continues forward. "You know all there is about raising basic undead constructs, and a warrior, a -good- warrior, requires a good deal of understanding of the art of swordsmanship. You can learn all about that at your leisure, but we will move forward to magi." Redis nods as follows Kimee down to the lower levels of the Catacombs once more, the dull tapping of wooden canes on stone tiles echos throughout the area.

"Now then, the first thing you must always remember is that, with the exception of the Forsaken, no undead construct can harness the arcane on their own." Kimee drums her fingers on her cane and eyes the pile of bones warily. "Oh shit, I don't have the sort of patience to build another from scratch." She turns to Redis. "This way." Redis follows as he's told, eyes leaving the massive pile of bones to focus back upon the gnome woman. The pair enters a sort of lab, many objects of measurement and books litter the tables set out. Kimee taps her cheek while reading over the spines of each text, muttering to herself the titles of each. Redis waits, silently as he rests both hands upon the hilt of the cane, watching Kimee as she moves from bookshelf to bookshelf. Kimee stands on her toes and barely manages to see over the table surface. She nods and stands correctly. She holds out her hand and a small diamond-shaped stone rolls along the table to her hand. "Here we are," she says and turns to face Redis. Redis raises an eyebrow at the object the gnome holds in her hands, tilting his head slightly to get a better angle to view it. "What do you have there?"


Kimee holds up the stone from the very bottom of it. "This, my dear, is the source of a skeletal mage's power." She holds it out to him. "The skeleton would never be able to harness the arcane on it's own, and you will find that this will serve as a source for it to work with." Redis steps up to pluck the stone away from the gnome's hands, bringing it closer to his face as he tilts it around, studying it. "Hmm... Would this be similar to an arcane crystal, such as the ones the Sin'dorei have within their lands?" Kimee drums her fingers on her cane. "I cannot say I've ever been to their lands, but if their stones are anything like the floating ones we have in the summoning room, then yes. This is simply a far smaller version of that." Redis nods faintly, glancing back to Kimee. "That is interesting to know, I did give you one of them however, for bringing Martyr back... Am I to figure this out upon my own...?" Kimee furrows her brow and shakes her head. "No no, I used the one you gave me, but some silly little Elf ignited the poor thing with his -holy- powers." She scowls, "Still, I managed to salvage it from the ashes. This one is entirely new, as well it should be. Now..." Kimee sighs heavily. "Do you recall the bit about runes holding the -intention- you have for the construct?"

"Indeed."

"You could fill a rune all day with the intention and a detailed algorithm for using the arcane, but if you do not provide it a source, which it cannot do on its own, you will have accomplished nothing."


"Now, it's rather simple to make use of it. Simply embed the gem inside the flesh of the construct, and it will have a seemingly endless source of power. Naturally, the larger the stone, the greater the power it can contain before it -must- be released."

Redis nods silently, following Kimee up as they walk up the levels of the cold, dusty halls. "Will this allow the constructs to move outside of the range of the Necromancer?"

"If that is what you wish the stone to do, yes. However, I recommend using an object you can carry around on your person rather than on a mindless idiot. Let's have a look at that construct of yours." Redis and Kimee reach the room that belongs to a group merely known as the 'Echo'. Redis sighs, stepping forward to rap on the door twice. A groan of shifting and grinding bones is heard from within, as metal bolts are slid. The doors open, a skeleton held together by arcane and metal screws is seen, silently staring at Redis. "... Well, there he is." Kimee beckons the construct closer. "Now then, your intention for this construct isn't that of a magi, I presume?" Redis nods his head slowly. "That's correct." The skeleton slowly walks forward, stopping short of the pair. It tilts its skull at Kimee, waiting. Kimee nods. "Right, well you are already aware you can redo the intention within a rune, so I will let you do that now." She takes a few steps back, "Remember, you now must fill the rune with a more complex intention. It is as if you are teaching an apprentice magi how to cast a frostbolt for the first time." Redis lets out a grunt, placing a hand upon the back of the construct's skull, gripping tightly. He closes his eyes for a moment, as a purple haze emits from where the rune would be under Redis' palm. He remains there for minutes, attempting to remember nearly everything that one would need to know for using and casting arcane, along with normal body movements. Finally, he releases his grasp upon the skull, opening his eyes. He steps back, nodding in approval. "It's finished." Kimee nods once. "Now, embed the stone into the flesh of the construct. You can put it literally anywhere so long as it is making contact to the flesh. In the leg, in the chest, in the skull, or even up the nose. I would think any place is more secure than up the nose, but the choice is yours." Redis blinks, "... Up the nose..?" He rolls his eyes, jamming it into the right eye socket, making sure its held in place before removing his hand. He leans upon the cane with a sigh, glancing over to Kimee. "What is the next step?" Kimee smirks at the skeleton with a violet gem for an eye. "Oh, that's pretty much it, really." She nods to Redis. "Now you can just command it to begin the casting process, and it should be able to form arcane into a bolt of frost and release it at a target of your choosing." Redis nods, glancing over to the doors. The skeleton does also, emitting a faint mist from one of its bony hands. Soon, it gathers into a small ball, which the construct flings towards the metal doors. A weak frostbolt sails towards it, shattering upon contact. The skeleton does have ice covering the hand that channeled the arcane, a mistake on Redis' part. Kimee either doesn't seem to notice or care as she nods in approval. "And that, Red, is the very basic skeletal mage there is. What you may have already realized is that the skeletal mage's abilities are limited to the instructions you have given it. Since all you have taught him so far is the proper method for casting a frostbolt, that is all he can do. Teach him other spells, and he will be able to cast them provided the power necessary to complete the spell can be contained within the gem he carries." Redis glances at the crystal that's within the eye socket, nodding. "Good... Good... Perhaps I will brush up on my own skills with frost arcane, it has waned due to some... Snags." The skeleton returns into the room, leaving the doors open. Redis looks over to Kimee, resting his free hand over the one that grips his cane. "Will that be all for today?" Kimee nods. "But one more thing. And this is ridiculously important. Size does not matter." She holds up a finger as she says this. "Always remember that the power the gem can hold depends on more than size, but also type." She nods after saying this. "But yes, that's all for today."


"Ah, and we will be moving away from constructs now that you know the basics. If you so choose to go further, you have the power to go it alone." Redis nods his head, smiling weakly under his mask. "Very well, I look forward to what else you'll share with me. I shall reflect over today's lessons... And make some adjustments to this construct." He shifts his gaze over to linger upon the skeleton, who stood still in the room, facing a large container of green liquid.

"Oh, and do be sure to continue your Shadow meditations."

"I shall not forget, Miss Frostshackle." Kimee bows her head and takes her leave.

Redis enters the room, muttering as he holds a free hand to his temple. "... Still... Much more harder than I remember... I will get better..." He sighs, as the skeleton closes the doors shut behind him.

[McKnighter]

Redis strolls up to room guarded by metal doors, the wooden cane that supports him pounds into the dirt floor every other step. Upon reaching the door, Redis gives a swift knock, calling out, "It's Red." Kimee calls out. "Come in, darling!" she says oddly cheerfully, which lets you know she's clearly up to no good. Redis lowers a shoulder to push through one of the metal doors, entering the room. Redis glances over the human that lays in the middle of a circle of candles, a purple rune engraved into the ground below him. He raises an eyebrow, shifting his gaze over to Kimee. "What do we have here?" Kimee nods toward the paralyzed man atop the shadow rune. "Today we begin the fundamental art of soul-binding!" she exclaims excitedly and motions for him to stop closer. "Come come, you've seen me do this before, and now it's your turn." Redis nods slowly, taking a few steps forward to near the edge of the candle circle. He rests both hands upon the hilt of the cane, studying the human subject.

"All I have been teaching you so far will help you now. While you have been learning to control the mind of a construct telepathically, you have also, whether you realized it or not, been opening your mind to see into those of others." Redis taps a finger on the cane, "Opening my mind? We can actually force our way into another's thoughts and feelings?"

"In a way, yes. Not to the extent of a Shadow Priest, oh no... but they use the shadow in completely different ways than we can. For instance, in order for us to have any success at all, the subject must be paralyzed in mind. It is quite easy for our psychic assaults to be resisted when they are aware, you see. But because the dead have no real thoughts of their own, they are generally easy prey. This is why we can take command of another necromancer's constructs temporarily." Redis nods again, a slight wince at the mention of 'Shadow Priest'. "Indeed... But from what I have seen, we can harvest the soul of a dying being, similar to how a Warlock would, yes?" Kimee nods once. "Indeed! And this is what I will show you with this subject here." She clears her throat. "Now, I need you to view this subject as if it were your construct. The same way you were able to see into the mind of your rodent, that is how you must see into the mind of this man. He is paralyzed perfectly, for I prepped him before you arrived, so you'll find zero resistance. All I want you to do is penetrate his mind, nothing more for now." Redis exhales deeply, closing his eyes as he tightens his grip around the wooden cane. He remains still and quiet, searching for the mind of the human. He actually takes brief contact with Kimee, not even scratching the surface before he withdrew in haste. He does finally locate the the slave, moving into his mind with his own, finding no barriers of resistance to hinder his movements. Kimee bats at her ear and looks over her shoulder, muttering something about flies before turning her attention back to Redis and the bound man. "Once you are inside, don't attempt to -see- anything. Instead, you will come to -feel- an essence inside of him. I want you to grab a hold of it as you did with the rodent or the Humanoid." Redis moves his head faintly up and down, still pressing into the mind of the man. Redis' invading fingers of purple and black soon find themselves near a dimmed light. The hand slowly positions itself under the glowing core-like figure, each long digit surrounding the light, before clamping down, gripping what ever base the light holds violently. Kimee sees Redis' hand clench and smirks. "Now pull it up, Red. As slow or as quickly as you would like," she says quietly, eying Redis. Redis 's actual hand reflects the movement of the one within the human's mind, slowly and carefully ripping the object upward. The fading core shimmers in protest, resulting in Redis biting his lower lip as he struggles to complete the grueling process. Kimee's eyes go from Redis to the bound man, and back again. "Harness it like you do the arcane, Redis. Pull the energies from the body and hold it before you." Redis grips the cane firmly as the soul fights aganist departing from its body, though without the support of the other half of the mind, it is hopeless. Redis gives one final tug, before the shackles of the mortal shell give out. A faint light blue mist begins to leak from every opening in the head, ears, noses, eyes, mouth, all forming into one little orb-like figure above the body. Redis holds out his arm towards the object, keeping it in place. Sweat rolls down his spine, as he mutters, "Next?"


Kimee removes a small crystal stone from inside her robe pocket and holds it out in front of her. "Focus on unleashing the energies into this stone, Red. This is no different than aiming a bolt of frost or fire..." Redis nods slightly, then swings his hand towards the soon-to-be soul carrier object, the blue mist sails towards it with a glowing tail streaking behind the main body. It embeds itself into the crystal, flashing for a brief second before fading to normal, a hint of the blue cloud remains inside of it. Kimee grips the crystal tightly as the energies flow into it, the force of the impact causing her to stumble a few steps backwards, but she remains steady. "Ah ha..." she grins up at Redis and holds the crystal casually. "How are you feeling after that?" Redis glances over at her, eyes falling heavy as he gives a sort of half way. "Just.. A bit... Lighthead-" He isn't able to finish his reply, as he releases his grip on the cane, falling backward onto his back. His eyes are completely shut, though he still breathes normally. Kimee smirks at him and pockets the stone. "Yes, just lie there, Red. You did rather well, I am impressed. I doubt anyone has ever -not- fainted on their first try." Kimee nudges Redis' cheek with a gloved hand. "Still with me, darling?"

Redis lets out a low grumble, slowly opening his eyes. "... Huh..." He blinks rapidly, trying to focus on the gnome's face. Kimee bends forward, her head right above his. "As long as you're just lying there, answer me this: What type of crystal is now holding the soul of that man?" Redis raises a gloved hand to his mouth, coughing briefly before answering Kimee. "Oh... I suppose its a version of the soul shards warlocks use... Maybe..." He's still quite dazed, now rubbing his eyes with a finger and thumb. Kimee tilts her head to either side. "In a sense, yes... though warlocks create their shards from the soul itself. I brought my own "shard" in a sense. What do we call this type of stone?"

"What...? I don't know..." Kimee frowns a bit. "Oh come on, Red. I know you know this. Didn't I tell you on our first lesson?" Redis blinks, rubbing his temples now. "Oh... Perhaps the ones that float around the Catacombs?.." He lets out a soft groan as he gently rubs his chest, wincing as he does so. Kimee maintains the frown and shakes her head. "Well, maybe I -didn't- tell you, but I will give you two hints: The stone is often present in great abundance in locations where hauntings are said to occur, and the name of the type of stone begins with 'Q'."

"Q... Quartz...? Maybe?" Kimee smiles sweetly down at him and ruffles his hair. "I knew you'd get it." She stands up straight and looks at the corpse at Red's feet, his skin several shades paler than he was at first. Redis blinks as his jet black is toyed with, reaching out for his cane that he had dropped before the fall. He digs it into the ground, pushing himself up so he sits.

"The corpse is my gift to you, and you deserve it as far as I'm concerned." Redis nods, glancing outside of the door for a brief second, before looking back towards Kimee. "What will be done with the soul of the man?" He presses off the cane once more, bringing himself to a standing position. Kimee looks up at him and nods. "Ah right, time for a bit of theory on soul-binding." She heads to her desk, "You can already rip a soul from a body, but now you must learn what you can do with said soul. Recall what I said before that there are two methods of necromancy: through runes, and through souls."

Redis turns around to face Kimee as she walks over to one of the work benches. "Indeed... How is it done through souls?" Kimee looks over her shoulder at him. "This stone here will store the soul until you wish to use it. When you do, it's simply a matter of taking the soul from the stone and letting the corpse absorb it. In this way, the corpse will have the same skills the original host body possessed, only now he will be under your complete control..."

"... And then we infused our own life-force with the body to complete the process?"

"Precisely. You must always let a bit of yourself reside inside the corpse as this serves as your leash." Redis taps the cane, nodding slowly. "... And, exactly how much can we spend into making these kind of constructs? What will happen once we reach out limit?"

"Ah, I believe I once stated that it depends greatly on the strength of mind the individual necromancer possesses, and if they are using an artifact of some sort to easy the strain on themselves."

"... And what happens when we over-strain ourselves?"

"Ah, you will find that you have no more strength to do anything -but- control your constructs. You would have to sit quite still as you did when you showed me what you could do with your rodent, remember? But back then you were new, and you can easily control a construct while carrying a conversation with me, I'm sure." Redis blinks, "... I see, then it would be wise -not- to push it..." He rests the other hand upon the hilt of the cane, "Is there anything else?"

"No no, I think that will do for today..." Kimee holds up the small crystal. "I'm sure you can make better use of this than myself." Redis takes the crystal away from Kimee's and, looking over it. As he studies it, a skeleton pushes open the door, then wanders over towards the body. It grasps the ankle of the corpse with a bony hand, and drags it off. Kimee grins and claps once. "Ah! I see you've already seen the potential for the undead as untiring and cheap labor!" Redis allows a faint smile to appear on his lips, though hid behind his mask. "Indeed, plus even more since I'm not physically strong. They do the heavy lifting for me, and had ideas for them gathering resources. We'll see."
Kimee nods once. "I'll be seeing you in a few days, Red. -Do- try to make good use of the materials, darling." She bows. Redis gives a slight nod, "Will do Miss Frostshackle... I'll be sure to remain alive until next time." He limps out of the room, leaning heavily upon the cane as he closes the door behind him. Redis glances over his left shoulder, glaring at the figure before walking off towards the direction of where the skeleton hauled a limp pale human.

[McKnighter]

Redis glances about the arena, eyes lingering on a large undead construct. Its chest is ripped down the middle, showing off rotted organs. Redis peels his gaze away, frowning to himself. "... Been searching for ages, where is she?"

"Ah, there you are, darling. Had a good few days to practice, I hope? None of that slacking off or having late night parties with several scantily clad women all out for a taste of your manhood, yes?" Redis blinks, spinning around on his heels to face the small gnome woman. He shakes his head slowly, "... Indeed, I have been busy. Not with the foolishness you are speaking about, however."

"And what's with that symbol on your back? Please don't tell me you've joined the ranks of those damned Paladins. That would surely break an old woman's heart." Kimee covers her heart with both hands and frowns up at Redis. Redis plucks at the white sun, "No, do you know a Tavren Black? I have a sort of business deal with him, and his group wears this outdated tabards. Only a fashion sense, Miss Frostshackle. They are quite far from the order you speak of." Kimee claps once. "Good man. Just take care with -whom- you associate with. I'd hate to hear you were killed for something pointless like... power. Pfft!" She throws her hands up as she says that. "Young upstarts out to make a name for themselves by killing folks. Oh in my day... I swear. Anyway!" She motions to her right. "Come with me, darling."

Redis rolls his eyes, "We'll see how long it lasts, our friend isn't do so well currently." He follows Kimee down into the pit of the arena, remaining silent. "Oh? Already losing his grip on his underlings, is he? My my." Redis glances over his shoulder at the seemingly undead mage, outfitted in a mostly blue robe, then back to Kimee. "Is this one of yours?"

"Oh yes. One of my newest. Mind of a child, it seems... but magic leaves traces and I -did- use a child's soul to empower it. Anyway, now for your lesson."

"...Play?"

"Yes Charlie, it's play time."

Charlie emits a wave of frost, "Yay! Play time!" Redis rests his free hand onto the wooden cane, staring at 'Charlie'. He raises an eyebrow at Charlie, even more when a brust of arcane ice shoots out from him. "... Play time?" Kimee draws her wand and points it at each of the runestones in turn. The carvings on the stone emit a faint blue glow within seconds of her pointing her wand at each. Once she is done, she flicks her wrist casually at the ceiling and a small orb of frost smashes into an invisible barrier. "Ah, good."

"Now then, these runes here allow us to duel with magic without damaging the property or the spectators. You recall how I asked you to practice channeling the Shadow, Red?" Redis frowns, tapping a finger onto the head of the cane. "Yes, daily."

"You will not demonstrate your ability to use the Shadow offensively. Charlie here, being far less powerful and creative than myself, is the ideal dueling partner. Not to worry, I will stop him should he cause harm to you." Redis digs the cane into the ground, sighing. "If you feel that it is needed," He relaxes his left hand, letting it dangle beside him. His eyes are glued onto Charlie. Charlie looks at Redis and then Kimee, "Play now?" Kimee blinks. "Why of -course- it is needed! There are -dangers- out there, Red. We can't just go walking around with no means of defending ourselves or killing - with reason, mind - without being able to use the Shadow with as much skill as those who actively hunt us down with their... Light, their arcane, either... silly technology."

"Indeed, well. Carry on if you will. I'll attempt not to damage this construct... Too much." Kimee looks over at Charlie now. "Charlie darling, we're going to play Shoot The Robed Man With Frostbolts Until He Passes Out. Do you remember the rules mummy taught you?" Charlie claps happily, "FROSTBOLTS!" Almost instantly, he conjures up a small sphere of frost, slowly charging it with more energy. Kimee claps as excitedly as Charlie, a big grin on her face. "Such a good boy, aren't you? Well now, have fun, my love!" Redis frowns at the overly long title of the so called, 'game'. His left hand tightens into a fist, his breathing becoming slightly weighted. A faint mist begins to emit from the hand. Charlie is smiling gleefully as he hurls the charged bolt of ice at Redis's knees, intent on locking them up. Redis grits his teeth as he sweeps his hand across his body, a thin wall of ice forms in front of him. The ball of frost which sailed for Redis shatters into the icy shield, which also breaks off into pieces. Redis points a hand towards the undead minion, his hand briefly flashes a dark green haze before a bolt of the similar colored energies flings itself towards the figure, an effort to disrupt whatever holds the construct together.


Charlie is hit in the chest by the bolt, making no effort to dodge. He could feel his body try and fall apart, but Kimee's necromancy is too powerful! He unblinkingly blinks in what could be seen as pain, "MUMMY! HE HURTS ME!" With his anguished cry he fires an icy lance from an out stretched hand. It arcs towards Redis's shoulder. Kimee crosses her arms and just watches the back and forth exchange. Redis groans in pain as he attempts to step out of the way, though he is greatly hindered by his cane. His movement was worthless, as the frosty spear rips into the side of his right shoulder. He winces in pain, his hand turns into a blue mist once more as a ball of arcane frost gathers itself into his palm. Redis hurls it at Charlie's chest with a grunt. Charlie just freezes himself into a block of ice. A very large, rotted grin sits on his frozen face as he just sits there in the ice block. The ice bolt harmlessly smashes into his block. Kimee chuckles softly. "Such a smart boy." Redis sighs as his attack was completely blocked. He taps his cane in thought, tilting his head at the large ice rock that holds his target. He grumbles as he straightens out in his stance, the mist around his left hand fading away into a dark emerald color. Charlie breaks out of the ice block, "SURPRISE!" Shards of ice fly everywhere! Redis hurls a bolt of arcane in front of him, almost taking a shape of a skull. The death coil connects with one of the shards, both of them cancels each other out as they explode into nothingness. Redis follows this up with a bolt of a black and violet, sailing towards the undead's face.


Charlie is blasted in the face by the shadowbolt. He stumbles back slightly, his expression suddenly hollow. He holds up a hand, as another bolt of frost forms, "Frost. Bolt." It seems his childishness has faded for a bit. The frostbolt arcs out of his hand and at Redis. Redis allows a thick and heavy cloud of ice to surround himself, the beam of arcane frost sent from Charlie seemingly disappears into the heavy fog. Redis lets out a groan as part of the ice manage to sail past his defense, the chunk thrust into his gut. He rallies the mist around him, before senfing it for the undead's feet. The air grows dense, as ice begins to thrust itself upward, attempting to impale Charlie. Charlie is very much impaled. He doesn't notice as he unblinkingly blinks and his childish personality returns. He tries to move but the spike through his calf is preventing him. As a result, he charges and fires another frostbolt, "PEW PEW!" Kimee frowns a bit at the damage to Charlie's leg and lazily brings up her left hand. As she does, Charlie's leg rises up over the icicle and back onto solid ground. Redis' breathing soon turns into a steady pant, clearly not used to direct combat. He manages a feeble burst of frost towards the on-coming bolt, the two shattering aganist each other. He moans painfully as he rips out the chunk of ice in his lower torso. He raises his left hand once more at Charlie, firing off a bolt of disrupting arcane. Charlie still being himself makes no real effort to avoid it. He blinks when the bolt his him and his left fore arm falls to the ground. Looking up, Charlie shouts, "OWIES! OW OW OW! NO FUN!" Using his remaining arm, he launches a lance of frost at Redis' groin. That should teach him!


Kimee frowns a bit at that. "That is enough, darling." Redis' eyes widen as a spear of icy death darts towards his family jewels. He quickly hops to the right, allowing the arcane lance to thrust itself into his leg. He shouts in agony, now even more off-balanced. He holds his free hand towards the bolt of ice, quickly melting it. Blood still pumps out of the open wounds he has encounter.

"Charlie, darling, pick up your arm and come with me. Red, hold still for me." Charlie pulls himself off the icy spike, small drops of black ichor drip behind him as he picks up his arm. The hand is clenched, save for a middle finger sticking out. The undead construct waddles towards Kimee, "I do good, mommy?" Redis remains still, his breathing labored as he starts to have a coughing fit. He holds a hand to his leg, his glove soon covering in blood. Kimee frowns at the gushing wound and looks toward the stands. "Ernie, darling, we need bandages and rum down here," she calls out, and a squat old undead Gnome waddles through the entrance to the arena with many rolls of bandages in his arms. Ernie, poor little guy, drops the bandages and empties the entirety of the flask of rum on Redis' open wound. Kimee tilts her head and watches on curiously behind Ernie's back as he wraps up the wound hastily. Redis grits his teeth as the liquid is poured onto the opening in his leg. He grips his cane tightly, looking away from the trio. His task completed, although not very well, Ernie waddles back up the arena and sits silently in his corner. Charlie is being ignored! He looks at Kimee and then Redis' wound, "I can poke?"

Kimee turns back to Charlie. "Of course you did well, my love, but no, you can't poke. It'll hurt him. Only when I say you can, remember?" Redis blinks as Ernie walks off. His gut still had a wound from a shard of ice being thrown into it. He sighs, pressing a glove towards it to apply pressure. "Yes, no poking." His breathing begins to return to normal levels, though he's still quite shaken up.

"O'tay."

"Red, I must say I'm quite pleased with you, using spells and tricks I was reserving for later. It shows initiative I haven't seen since -I- was learning the art." Kimee smiles and pats his thigh, but immediately brings her hands to her mouth in shock. "Ooh! Sorry, dear!" Redis grunts as his leg is patted, shaking his head slowly. "Well, I wasn't going to wait around for you to show me, when I could've easily figured them out on my own." He inhales deeply, before releasing the air from his lungs. Kimee points up at him, smirking. "Exactly." She brings her hand away sharply. "And that, my dear, is the mark of a good student." She nods once, both hands on her cane now. Redis nods once firmly. "Indeed, thank you. Is that all for today?" He glances with a slight worried look at Charlie for a brief moment, before looking back at Kimee. Kimee draws her wand. "No, I daresay it's not. Charlie darling, hold out your arms for me." Charlie holds out on arm, which was holding his other fallen arm. Redis closes his eyes tightly as he pressing his hand closer to his wound in his stomach. He raps the cane with a few fingers, waiting on the two.


Kimee holds the severed half in her left hand up to the elbow of the other and taps the end of her wand against the bone. A thin strip of violet mist snakes its way around and between the gaps in the bone, solidifying into a tendon-like material. Charlie grins stupidly. Kimee clears her throat and turns to Redis, then blinks. "Ernie! You missed a bit!" Ernie waddles back quickly, his feet a blur, and splashes rum onto Redis' abdomen, which doesn't do much considering Redis is gripping his gut still. Ernie pokes Redis and moans, waving his hands quickly toward the floor. Redis winces as the rum is simply thrown onto him. He removes his hand away from the wound, allowing the undead gnome to go about wrapping it up with a roll of bandages. Kimee snatches up the flask. "Ernie I think you did it wrong. Let me." She pours some onto the cloth while Ernie does his best to push the silly old woman away and do his job.Redis rolls his eyes at the two little peoples, wanting to get fixed in haste. Ernie secures the bandage, snatches the flask from Kimee' hand, and waddles back out. Kimee nods. "Right then, a little something I wished to teach you since you either don't yet know it or... for whatever reason chose not to." Redis nods in approval with the wrappings, glancing down at the woman. "Hm?"

Kimee laces her fingers together and forces them outward to crack her knuckles. "Pay close attention, Red." She snaps back her left arm and then brings her hand, claw-like, toward Redis. He would feel as if a heavy weight had fallen onto his shoulder, several hundred pounds of force bearing down on every inch of his body. Charlie is lollygagging. Redis only has time to let out a "Ohsh-" as he is forced to the ground. He groans as he is unable to move much if at all. Kimee quickly lowers her arm as she sees Redis begin to fall. "I take it you felt that." She smiles innocently down at him. Charlie looks down at Redis and falls back too, thinking this to be some game with mommy. Redis still held on tightly to his cane, letting a sudden gasp as he the weight is lifted from his lungs. He spends a moment attempting to gather air back into his body, his face twisted up in confusion. "What... What the fel did you do?" Kimee quirks a brow at Charlie's shenanigans and smirks. "That my dear was actually a fairly simple spell. We often refer to it as the Crippling Curse. Named such because of the -crippling- effect it has on the target. Quite the creative bunch aren't we?" Redis sits up right with a grunt, digging the cane into the ground. "Quite..." He presses himself back up to his feet, nearly stumbling back down. Charlie just lays there, "I've been cursed crippled!"

"It's essentially an illusion. There isn't literally all that pressure bearing down on you, but we trick the mind into believing there is. As such, the counter is to simply have the strength of mind to -not- believe it. This is of course far harder than I'm making it sound.What is my point, you ask? My point is, you could've easily defeated Charlie at our little game if you had known to use it. Such a simple spell that often goes overlooked."

Kimee shakes her head and exaggerates a sigh. Redis sighs deeply, glancing over his shoulder at Kimee. "... Indeed, it would've been useful." He looks back at Charlie, shaking his head at his foolishness.

"I'm four!"

"So now I ask you to practice this incredibly important spell on me. Charlie darling, time for a new game. I call this one, Smack The Back Of The Robed Man's Head If He Hurts Your Mummy." Redis mutters, "How do you put up with that..." He turns to face Kimee with a faint nod. "How would I go about, casting it upon you? Similar to any other combative spell?" Charlie hops up and holds his staff above his head, "Ready to play, mommy!" Kimee nods once. "Correct. In this case, you must focus in your mind," she presses her index fingers to the sides of her head, "the weight you wish to place on your target. Now then, out of instinct I resist, but I will hold back to let you succeed."

Redis rubs his chin for a period of time, "... Very well, I'll apply a slight amount then, since I rather not play this game with your minion." He exhales deeply, pressing the back of his hand to his chest. He stares a Kimee for a moment, before thrusting it out towards Kimee, seemingly a wall slams into the gnome, weighting roughly one hundred pounds. Kimee falls to her knees and then to all fours, her hat falling from her head and rolling down the slope of the arena floor. A hundred pounds is a ridiculous amount for -any- Gnome. Charlie blinks, somehow, "Mommy hurt?" Redis quickly swings his arm away from Kimee once she has fallen, blinking rapidly. He takes a step away from Charlie, watching him carefully. Kimee 's voice is strained, her jaw weighed down as well. "No..." She shakes her head and the weight is immediately lifted. "Ah," she breathes easily again and rises to her feet. Charlie nods, seemingly crestfallen, "Aww, alright." Kimee clears her throat and holds her hand out for her hat, which floats to her hand and she slams it down onto her head. "Very well done, Red." She chuckles darkly. Redis sighs in relief, turning back to look at the gnome. "Thank you, Miss Frostshackle." He wraps his fingers around his cane again, tapping it with his digits.

"Now then, practice what you've learned today... have one of these Argent Dawn Tabard boys of yours spar with you down here, and I will see you in a few days, darling." Redis nods faintly, bowing a bit towards her. "Will do, I'll seek you out soon." He turns to walk off, giving another look at Charlie, before exiting the arena.

"... Mommy, I can has milk now?" Kimee simply blinks at her undead construct.

[McKnighter]

Redis enters the familiar arena, holding onto his cane firmly. He beckons his freshly made undead construct. "Do come along, Lil." Lilian, a freshly made ghoul withholding her own soul, gurgles, grasping a parasite she had smuggled.. The pair walk into the center of the arena, where a few rune-stones lay about the area. Lilian spots one, and licks her lips with a vile tongue. ".. Shiiny.." Lilian leaps over to the flashing thing.. Stares at it.. Intently.

Redis exhales slowly, watch the ghoul go about its mindless watching of the rune. After a while, he peels his gaze away, looking about the area. ".. Miss Frostshackle?" Kimee turns the valve and the same dark fluid from before drips onto the stands and her robes. "Your training is nearing an... *wheeze* ... end, Red." She bursts into another coughing fit and makes her way into the arena. Redis watches the small masked gnome as she walks down into the pit, faintly nodding. "That is good to hear." He raises an eyebrow at her coughing, but remains silent. Lilian suddenly reaches out, trying to drag the runed stone with her. " MASTER! " She cries out. " I FOUND SOMETHING! "

Kimee is not phased by Lilian's screaming, "I wonder, Red, have you... *wheeze*... noticed a decrease in the effectiveness of your former... *wheeze*... abilities?" Redis raps his fingers along the head of his cane, frowning. "Quite, it has been most trouble some. I cannot even open up a portal, or teleport myself to locations. Most annoying." Lilian growls at the stone as she continues to pull at it. Finally she gives up and is struck with a sudden despair.. she whines and runs over to Redis, flopping into the dirt uselessly at his feet..

Kimee nods slowly. "Good. Then you are doing what I... *wheeze* ... asked of you. But this leaves our kind a great problem. We have no means with which to... *wheeze*... defend ourselves. Thus, we must devise other means, and this is what I will show you." Kimee tilts her head to one side and lets more of that fluid drip from her gas mask onto the ground. Redis glances down at Lilian's flopping for a brief moment, before looking back at Kimee. "Indeed... Well, I am eager to learn. I have practiced the curse you have taught me upon others." Kimee closes the valve. "Good. Hit me with one." Redis gives a faint nod, raises an hand towards the gnome's direction. He lifts his above his head, before throwing it back down. A good amount of force would thrust itself onto Kimee, every inch of her skin feeling the impact. A sort of orb enveloping the woman would flicker as the curse bears down upon it, but the woman herself stands as if nothing at all is happening. Redis blinks, frowning under his mask as his spell had seemingly failed. He relaxes his arm to his side, giving a stern glare at the emerald shield surrounding the gnome. "What did you do?"

"It is a shield of anti-magic. We Necromancers have... *wheeze*... found the means to conjure the inverse of the arcane just as we have the inverse of... *wheeze*... life. Ah, but as we maintain such a force, we are unable to cast our own spells, yet it is undoubtedly sustained by magic. Quite the... *wheeze*... paradox, wouldn't you agree?" Redis nods slowly, "Indeed, the power to create a null effect on arcane is very useful. How would one go about doing it?" He taps the cane with a finger, glancing down at Lilian, whom still flopped around. "Despite no longer being able to cast it, *wheeze*... do you recall how to create a shield of pure arcane?"

Redis nods swiftly. "Of course, I would harass the arcane around me to protect myself from harm."

"Attempt to do so now. You will fail, naturally, and so instead I ask that... *wheeze*... you look to the same void as you do with the Shadow. Feel the emptiness of its nature course through you, and just as it cancels emotion and life, so too will it...*wheeze*... cancel the arcane. It is this nature of the Shadow that stops you... *wheeze*... from using your old abilities." Redis exhales slowly, closing his eyes. He grips the head of the cane with both hands, as streaks of violet and green run across his body. Soon enough, it begins to form a solid base around him. A handful of small gaps remain in his shield, but it is mostly intact. Kimee brings up her right arm parallel to the ground. "Let us see how if it holds." She twists her wrist upward so her palm faces Redis, and miniature orbs of Shadow come out of nowhere and clump together at the center of her palm. The orb, once completed, crashes into the shield. Redis grits his teeth as the shield nearly shatters from the impact, green shards breaking off and then fading into nothing. The shield gathers itself to form a more stable barrier in front of Redis, leaving his rear and most of his left and right flanks uncovered.

Kimee raises her left arm in the same manner as the right, her palm facing him just as the other, and then both form orbs of Shadow of their own which then soar toward the shield. Redis winces as the shield nulls the first blast of shadow, however the second finds a gap within the shield. The ball of shadow is halved as it pasts through the anti-magic shield, and slams into Redis' ribs. He gasps as the air is knocked out of him, holding a hand to his side. Kimee lowers her arms. "Good. But of course, by now you realize the great imperfection of this shield. ...*wheeze*... and that is its inability to stop a blade. We are not known for our agility, are we?" She chuckles darkly. "And so for a second type of shield, also with its faults." Redis grumbles quietly to himself, withdrawing his hand from the impacted area. He gives a brief nod towards the gnome, "Do tell."

"Again going back to the arcane shield, this time we will not focus on... *wheeze*... the properties of Shadow, but create a shield with it. Ah, but this material will not stop a blade, and so... *wheeze*... solidify it into bone." Redis raises an eyebrow, "That sounds quite the challenge, to transform Shadow into an actual physical object. How would you do that?"

"Think of the method in which you create orbs of Shadow. ...*wheeze*... this is quite similar only you will not release it offensively. Let it be bone, let it be merely an egg of solidified Shadow, let is be... *wheeze*... an army of pink bunnies circling your being. Regardless of what form you wish for it, provided if done correctly, it will stop an attack of a physical nature. Strike me with your cane."

Redis raises an eyebrow at some of her suggestions, before nodding in approval. "... Very well, I do believe bones would be best for this sort of thing... And as you wish." He shifts his weight to his left leg as he raises his cane to whack Kimee on top of her head. The spot the cane strikes flickers, ripples of violet moving around from the spot around the woman. Redis grunts as he returns the cane to assisting him with standing. "... Can you always hide the shield like that, or is that a little trick you learned Miss Frostshackle?"

"One could say I am showing off... *wheeze*... Still, now it is your turn." Redis gives a faint nod, before shutting his eyes once more. Bolts of Shadow flash from his body, as they begin to form a barrier in front of Redis. The outline of the field is clearly visible, as well as Redis behind it. He opens his eyes slowly, muttering, "Whenever you're ready..."

Kimee only now realizes she doesn't have her cane, so she just walks up as close as she can and brings up a fist to strike the shield as hard as she can, which is pathetic but it will do. Redis holds the shield strong, however ripples occur throughout the barrier when Kimee punches it. Kimee chuckles softly, which turns to wheezing, and then to another fit of coughing. Redis sighs, as he allows the shield to fade away. "Miss Frostshackle, you seem to be ill, very much so if you require that mask. Are you preparing for undeath?" Kimee makes a gurgling sound in her throat and more of that fluid spews onto the dirt at her feet. She shakes her head. "No... *wheeze*... but that will be all for today, dear. Practice these defenses." Redis nods slowly, glaring at Lilian as he turns. The ghoul woman whines, but ceases her flopping to stand up. Redis holds up a hand in farewell, "That I shall, do take care of yourself." Redis strolls off, with his undead construct in tow.

Kimee lurches forward and restarts her fit of coughing incredibly loudly. It is silenced momentarily and she mutters, "... f**k my life."

[McKnighter]

Redis enters the large room suited with many crystals and runes, each upon a single platform. He stops short of the small gnome woman, eying her gas mask. "Miss Frostshackle." he says with a nod. Kimee eyes Redis. "We are nearly done, darling. Come. The portal is ready." She reaches behind her mask and pulls on the buckles that secure it, and she removes the mask. Redis raps his fingers across the head of the cane, raising a lone eyebrow. "A portal? To where, I might ask?" Kimee rubs her face in a tired manner and lets out a sigh. "Somewhere filled with life." She plops her hat atop her head and makes her way toward it. Redis only nods at this following behind Kimee, assisted by his wooden cane. "Behold our latest security measure, darling." Redis rests another hand onto the one which held the cane. "What might that be?"

"A portal, but as it stands it doesn't have a destination. In theory, we should be able to create a means to escape to anywhere on Azeroth much faster with most of the work already done." Redis nods slowly, glancing over the four runestones that surround the blue mist of the portal. "... Indeed."

"Now I hope you paid attention to the "in theory" part, darling. We haven't tested its stability, but I kindly volunteered us and one other for its maiden voyage." Redis frowns slightly, looking over the elven woman who stood ready near the portal. "Are you sure -we- should be going, I'm sure there's other.. More expendable." Kimee is already climbing up the abnormally-large steps to the platform. "Alright then, let's have a go. To Westfall, darling." She nods to the Elf who immediately gets to work channeling the image of Westfall into the portal. Redis exhales slowly, following the gnome up the higher than normal stone steps. He pauses once at the top, glancing over to the one channeling the portal, then back to Kimee. "Ladies first, if you don't mind." Kimee gives the Elf a good shove through the portal and she lets out a frightened scream as she disappears. "Right then," Kimee nods and steps through. Redis closes his eyes to collect himself, before briskly walking through the portal, disappearing from sight.


The trio teleport to a nearby woods in Westfall, without any animals or other beings around. Kimee steps through the other side just fine, but the Elf is found face-down in the dirt. "Everything in order, darling?" she asks the Elf. The Elf slowly gets to her feet, grumbling and brushing the dirt off her robes. "Yes, miss Frostshackle." Redis nearly stumbles once he exits the portal, however his catches himself with his cane. He rubs his eyes with a digit and a thumb, groaning slightly. "Well.. Not the best portal I been through.." Kimee adjusts her robe. "Right then, and now for the most powerful spell in the necromancer's arsenal..." Redis offers a faint nod, steadying himself as he focus his eyes upon the small gnome woman, shifting a bit of his weight to the wooden cane. Kimee has her back to Redis. "Now is where you will need to put everything you've learned so far to use. Runes, undeath, draining the life-essence from a living body, all of it... Recall how I asked you to commit the Shadow rune to memory?"

"Yes, I have it engraved into my mind. It will never leave it." Kimee nods once. "See it as clearly in your mind now as if it were before you, and while you do, focus it on an area. While you do this, focus also on -draining- the area of the life it bears just as you did the soul from before. I will show you." Redis blinks at the complex explanation, calling for -three- things to do at once, all of which are not easy. He taps a single finger aganist his cane, eyes fixed on the gnome. "Very well." Kimee holds out her left arm, her palm toward the ground, and not far from the woman a thin line of violet lengthens as if a massive and invisible hand were drawing in chalk upon it. The rune slowly comes into being and ignites in a violet flame, and all the grass and dirt turns as gray as Deadwind in a radius within and around the symbol.

Redis eyes widen at the destruction that followed the creation of the rune, looking over the now dead area that surrounded it. "... That is quite amazing, Miss Frostshackle." Kimee lowers her arm and immediately the symbol fades, leaving only the large radius of dead earth and grass. "And now you see why it is the last spell we teach our students," she says as she turns around to face him. "And now it's your turn," she grins. Redis gives a firm nod, walking away from the dead patch of land, picking out a fresh supply. He breathes deeply, then exhales slowly. He closes his eyes as he holds out his left arm, leaning onto the cane held by the right hand. After a moment of channeling, purple streaks begin to form on the ground, as a rune starts to take shape. It takes much longer for it to form than it was for Kimee's, but it finished in a decent amount of time. Redis bites his lower lip as a similar flame shoots up from the marking upon the ground, however; Only the space where the rune took up was converted to the dead earth. Redis groans in frustration as he throws his arm down, glaring at the much smaller patch of decayed land.

Kimee doesn't appear disappointed by this. "A good start, but you clearly have the ability to do this. If you have the strength, try it again." She looks up to the Elf. "You did bring portal runes, darling?" The Elf nods, and so does Kimee. Redis only nods faintly, his breathing turned labored, sweat has trickled down the back of his neck and forehead. He blinks his eyes a few times, calming himself down before he raises his left arm once more, beginning the process again on a different section of the woods. The rune is drawn a fraction faster, the same purple flame appears once it is finished. The radius of the decay only expands by an inch in all directions. Redis lowers his arm quickly, the rune fading away as he does such. He pants heavily, leaning on his cane with most of his body weight.

Kimee nods slowly. "You still suffer from your death... But there is good news, darling. The more powerful you become in your abilities, the more characteristics of the undead you'll take on. Some unpleasant perhaps, but most you will learn to love and find useful. Your ailments now should fade eventually. Still, you clearly can't do this a third time today, so that will be that." She turns to the Elf. "Get the portal ready for our return," she turns back to Redis. "In three weeks you will demonstrate to me all you have learned, and based on what I see, you will be considered a fully-fledged Necromancer and you are free to carry on whatever you wish." Redis really doesn't have much strength to talk, only nods as he hobbles over towards the pair. He holds his side with his left hand, breathing taxed. He looks slightly paler than before, his face wet with sweat. Kimee smirks. "Understand also that I haven't taught you everything, not nearly. There are far greater powers out there for you to find, artifacts and the like, but I know that once you're no longer under my charge you'll be able to understand them without me." Redis attempts to speak between his gasping, nodding his head once more. "Very... Well... Will be.. Ready." The portal stands beside the Elf, the dirty image of the crypts swirling within it, bones and broken glass littering the stone floors of the fortress. Kimee frowns at this. "I only just now noticed how filthy the place is." She shrugs and steps through. Redis follows behind Kimee, rasping as he does such. The Elf follows behind the two and the portal seals itself behind them, leaving no proof of them having been there besides the massive circles of devastation.

Redis blinks rapidly as the trio stumbles back onto the same platform that they had took the portal earlier. He looks around, before settling his gaze upon Kimee.

"Should you wish to practice this again, take one of the mages with you. For safety, of course. No way to get back once you go through."

".. Right."

"Remember darling, three weeks. Study, study, study! And of course, you know where to find me should you have a question." Redis nods slowly, his breathing easing back down to normal. "I will.. Anything else, Miss Frostshackle?" Kimee frowns a little but shakes her head slowly. "Nope." She smiles up at him and pats his thigh gently. "Good work." Redis watches her walk off, before making his way out of the portal, shaking his head slowly. "Study."

[McKnighter]

The Finale: One Door Closes, Another Opens.

Spoiler:

Had a lot of fun with this, even though putting it on the forums was the worst part! Thanks to Nexi, and our minions for helping me with putting this together! :3 Feel free to comment on it!

Redis enters the dull and gloomy arena once more, walking up to the gnome's side. His gaze sets upon the pile of ghouls that are laid in the center of the pit, raping his fingers across the head of the cane. "Miss Frostshackle." Kimee tips her hat to him. "Red," she nods, looking out at the mass of ghouls. "For some days I thought of the most entertaining way for you to demonstrate all you've learned, which naturally left oral and written examinations out of the question. Instead, I believe a friendly duel will suffice. You'll need to put everything you've learned to use, I think. What better way for you to prove to me you're ready to go out into that dangerous world than to best me?" Redis watches Kimee make her way to the other side of the pile, smiling slightly under his mask. "Well then, I don't see why not." He takes a few steps forward, to match the distance from the pile linear to Kimee's, resting both hands onto the cane. "Rules? Terms of Agreement?" Kimee tosses her cane aside and proceeds to crack her knuckles. "No rules, really. Just try not to kill me. I've an appointment with miss Bisen in a few days, and my death would really put a damper on things." Redis keeps his cane in his grasps, nodding faintly. "Very well then, I suppose I shall let you make the first move?" Redis waves a hand in front of him, a dark green energy flinging from his fingertips to surround his front half in a thin barrier.

Kimee grins and holds her arms toward one of the many ghouls piled in the center. Bringing her hands up slowly, the ghoul rises, and Kimee lets out a slow exhale. Redis frowns slightly, reaching into his pocket. He removes a quartz stone, a dull light seemingly under it. He raises it above his head, and crushes the stone. The strange light bursts from its shell, forming a tight ball into Redis' hand. He flings it towards the nearest body, the corpse shuddering as the soul forces its way into the body. The ghoul slowly picks itself up, staring at the other standing body. Kimee grins. "Clever," she mutters, and wills her ghoul to face Redis' to claw its head. Redis grumbles as his ghoul made no effort to stop the attack, the claw ripping its face to shreds. He lunges toward with its own 'hand', attempting to run its sharp fingers into the flesh of its enemy.

Kimee watches as her ghoul, not nearly as intelligent as Redis' due to the manner in which it was raised, has its flesh ripped clean off. Kimee smirks, however, and releases her temporary hold on the ghoul so that it falls lifeless onto the ground. She turns her attention back to Redis and, with a swift wave of her hand, fires a bolt of shadow toward him in an attempt to disrupt his hold on his ghoul. Redis was busy with his ghoul's combat to notice the oncoming shadow attack. However, since he threw up a anti-magic barrier to protect himself from any said attacks, it easily engulfs the bolt. Redis turns his attention to the gnome now, the ghoul marching towards her, raising a claw to swipe down onto her once it got in range. Kimee holds up both of her hands toward the oncoming ghoul, a look of deep focus on her face as she tries to wrestle control of it from Redis. Redis grits his teeth as his barrier flicker and fails, as he tries to keep his hold onto the ghoul. The minion, stops dead in its tracks, looking about if he was lost, uttering a, ".. Nyyeaa?"

Kimee maintains her channeling against the ghoul, a grin slowly forming along her lips when it stops in confusion, and tries to will it against its master. Redis finally gives up on the ghoul, forcing its own claw into its throat. Its eyes go wide once it does this, slumping over onto the ground as Redis rips the soul free of the body, allowing it to disappear into wherever souls go. Redis narrows his eyes on Kimee, charging up a ball of ice into his hand. He hurls it towards Kimee's direction once it was built up. Kimee is so very far away from Redis that she easily sees the bolt coming and has ample time to throw up a thin anti-magic shield. The mass of ice smashes into the shield, the old Gnome's feet dragging backwards against the dirt from such a powerful impact. But once the shield has absorbed the energies, she lowers her defenses and holds out her left arm, palm facing downward, and a small dot of violet appears not far from Redis which lengthens like a hand were drawing upon the dirt. Redis frowns at her hand movement, not really noticing the rune being drawn into the ground before him. He brings up a ball of dark emerald energies into his left hand once more, and slings it to Kimee. It takes on the form of a skull, as the death coil sails towards the gnome.

Kimee brings both arms back to throw up the anti-magic shield, and the rune that was only halfway done seems to reverse back into the violet dot it originated from. As with the mass of ice, the death coil smashes into her shield, only now she manages to land on her tush from the impact. Such a small and old Gnome can't handle that sort of beating for very long, you know. But she looks over at Redis from her sitting position and tries to carry on the rune drawing along the ground hastily.

Redis still can't understand what Kimee is doing, that darn mask hindering his vision. He raises his left arm to point above Kimee's head, bringing it down upon her as a few hundred pounds of force thrust itself onto her. Kimee is yet again forced to stop casting the death and decay spell as hundreds of pounds of force push her onto her back. It's only an illusion, so it does no physical damage. Still, being caught off guard by such an attack makes it take a while for her to begin to fight it off. Redis walks briskly forward, closing some distance onto the gnome since ranged attacks seem to show little effect if she can see it coming. He edges up to the pile of corpses, not holding back from his assault as he releases the fake weight on Kimee, exchanging it for a bolt of shadow, which flies towards Kimee. Kimee manages to get to her feet right as Redis releases his hold on her, but her "victory" is short-lived, for the bolt of shadow soaring toward her smashes into her and she's knocked into the air, crashes into the barrier of bones and chain behind her, and falls face down onto the dirt.

Redis exhales sharply, his breathing becoming harder as the fight had gone on. He allows himself a breather, resting as he waits for Kimee to get off the ground, or to see if she even does. Kimee closes her eyes tightly as she lifts her head, but her neck is bent in an odd shape. Never fear, however. A sharp twist is all it takes to snap it back into place and she rises, popping her spine back into place as well, and letting out a sigh. "Clever indeed, darling," she grins, and tightens her hair buns. Have to look good at all times, after all, and puts her hat back on that had flown off at the impact. Redis raises an eyebrow, still watching Kimee closely. "Shall we keep going?" He taps his cane with a finger. Kimee rolls her head, stretching out her neck. "Are you tired yet?" She stands up straight, not looking tired at all. If she is, she's pretty good at hiding it, but surely their distance helps her maintain such an act. Redis sighs, still keeping his eyes glued to Kimee. "Always, Miss Frostshackle. Just a little bit more than normal."

Kimee smirks and nods once. "That will do," she says quietly. Redis relaxes his stance, "Good..." He rolls his shoulders, having not taken any damage he felt proud of himself. "Have I passed your exam?" Lilian rocks back and forth, watching the events with interest. She had been watching from the stands the entire time. Kimee nods firmly. "Mmm. You've done admirably these past months, Red, and you're free to go. I have complete faith in your abilities." She pauses for a moment, as if in thought. "I did expect you to pass, and so I thought of how I could reward you for your achievement." She turns to leave. "Come with me."

Redis nods slowly, walking after Kimee as she exits the arena. He waves for Lilian for follow him, giving a similar command mentally to her as well. Kimee pushes the door to her quarters open and motions for Redis to step inside ahead of her. ".... Oooh." Lilian gurgled. Kimee holds her hands in front of her and idly drums her fingertips together. "I've found myself in a bit of a problem for some time now, Red. One that I had no real solution for until roughly halfway through your training..." Redis nods slowly, glancing around the room. "Indeed, care to explain?" He turns around to face Kimee, idly glancing over to Lilian before looking down at the gnome. Lilian proceeds to make funny face at the gnome behind her back. Her face sagging grotesquely as she begins to drool..

"It's no secret that most of the scum that live down here would gladly wish me dead in order to take command of this place. If only they knew how foolish such an ambition is. More often than not I've found being the caretaker to these tombs as a hindrance to my work, but like most things, no amount of convincing would sway them to see reason. I've accepted that one day I'd die by their hands, and therein lies the problem. Who would take over if I were to meet such a fate?" Lilian frowns, growing bored with the gnome. She waddle/slithers to the little garden and proceeds to poke and pull on the plants there.. Redis blinks slowly at this, tapping his fingers aganist the head of the cane. "... I see.. What is your solution, then?" His tone twisted slightly, curious to see if what Kimee was leading him on to believe would be actually true.

"Naturally, should I no longer be the caretaker of these tombs either by choice or through death, I'd rather not have some foolish badass in command of this place. So few places people like you and I have to find sanctuary and I'd hate to see this place go down in flames due to poor leadership. I have a sense of faith and trust in you that no one else down here can boast having, and so I offer you the burden of running this place in my inevitable absence."

Redis pauses, possibly stunned by the request. He mulls over the idea, toying with it in his head. Finally, he parts his lips for an answer. ".. I don't leave this crypt often. Nor do I want to at most times.. I believe I can handle the upkeep this place demands so highly." Kimee nods once. "Then while your training in Necromancy is over, now begins your training in running this place efficiently." She chuckles. "But we'll leave that for the morning or something. I imagine that exam took quite a bit out of you." Redis closes his eyes for a moment, exhaling sharply as he nods. "Yes, it did. I think I'll be up for it then.. I thank you for trusting me with this." He opens his eyes, glancing over to Lilian for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Kimee. Lilian gurgles as she succeeds in ripping up a bush from the garden. She gurgles excitedly, holding the bush above her head as dirt rains down all around her..

Kimee smirks a waves a dismissing hand. "You've agreed to do it, but you might change your mind once the reality of what running this place entails sets in. I know I've found myself wanting to just walk away from this place several times, but I made a deal with the owner of this place, and I keep my promises. Not like the young upstarts that crawl around this place looking to betray someone for no reason than to inflate their egos... Hmph." Redis shakes his head slowly. "... With the things I dealt with, I'm sure it won't be a problem Miss Frostshackle." He glances over to Lilian, watching her holding the bush. Kimee rubs her hands together and gives Redis a nod. "Good. Now go on and rest, and we'll begin your training in your eventual role tomorrow or whenever you please." Redis nods slowly, holding out a hand. "I shall, good evening Miss Frostshackle, and thank you." Kimee takes Redis' hand in hers and gives it a single, firm shake. "Thank you, darling, for renewing my faith in the youth." She chuckles.

Redis releases his hand with a nod, waving towards Lilian. "Come along, Lil." He pulls open the doors, and slips out, a broad grin hid by his mask as he head back to his own room.


Power.
Respect.
Fear.
Godhood.
... No one will stop me.

[LostStranger]

Diabolical machinations are afoot.