It has been over a month since we have arrived, our supplies have lasted so far and I have established enough small scale farms to last us. Animals can still live in this zone so all the more fodder for me. The number of undead have grown and I have sent back one of my mages along with some warriors to prepare to recruit any necromancers that happen to wander in. They will of course have to go through some tests but since at least 14 necromancers have wandered here so far I am confident that more will come. I would not mind getting some hedge maji but necromancers have a better understanding of the lure of being under my banner. I hope to grow my numbers to become a proper necromancer’s cabal and when they grow strong enough a conclave. By that point we would have grown enough to be considered a force to be reckoned with, perhaps if we become public and are accepted then a city state. But that is a bit far fetched to occur since necromancy is not accepted, likely a crusade will be called to cleanse us not that they will succeed.

A point of luck I found was the burial grounds of the local garrison and villages, enough bodies are still intact for me to truly start up my production. I have about 300 peons, 150 workers, 100 bone claws, 50 soldiers, 30 archers/slingers, and 20 veterans. Commanding all this I have 5 mages, 3 knights, the 12 acolytes, Cor’lothen the first skeletal knight, Or’tharn the first skeletal mage and myself. As my first two elites I have made sure that they grow stronger and are fed energy after a makeover in my labs once more. Their growth has gone well so far and they are on the path to mature into true souls, my specters however are truly soaking in the miasma.

While not as concentrated as the battles they have been in before the constant 24/7 exposure truly makes up for it. They are heading into mid mithril soon and if I can sustain them in the deeper territories then orichalcum will be an inevitability even if it will take a long time. Still no sight of any enemy champions but I hear that another expedition will be sent soon, they have managed to enlist a steel rank party with a mid steel leader to spearhead this time. The rest will be gold and bronze rank parties, this time no chaff guardsmen and totalling about 40 people without baggage, probably 80 people with baggage. They will set off in a week and arrive in another, my defenses can get their first true test now. I have had a few small random bands of undead wandering around to deal with but the patrolling packs deal with them and bring the remains to be used so no worries on that front. Only shambling skeletons and zombies show themselves before being having their bones smashed apart by undead monsters who care not for the fact that they are but bones now.

While much of the castle was intact with most of the damage within the innermost structures itself it still takes time to rebuild. Castles of the scale here take about a decade to build, with much of the castle still intact and undead workers I can cut the repair time to about a year. But right now we do not have a year, still with the fact that only 13 people need to eat and a dedicated well we can last over a year. These adventurers can be lured into the killing ground between layers of fortification, the inner and outer walls can be sealed off with troops and turn the ground between into a death trap.

I can muster if we have good warning which we should have about 30 boneclaws, a few dire packs, 30 soldiers and the veterans along with 3 mages and two knights counting the originals. If I bother using the workers then we can have about 120 easily. Enough numbers to crush them and since we have home advantage and warning I only need the soldiers, veterans, and commanders. Even with only this much this is overkill, the only reason I am taking so many troops is the fact that I want these bodies intact. Well only the good ones, those involved in the baggage can be killed off if needed when it comes to it.

Thanks to the restoration of the lower layers of the castle I now have a laboratory built, small scale but enough for now. Using glass, stone, metal, bone, and other material I have built incubators and specimen tanks, using the rawhide and beast of burden bones/horns I have the material to create composite longbows. Production is relatively fast at about a week for the materials to be grown for a batch of 10 bows and half a week for processing and crafting. We have stockpiled about 30 bows and another 10 on the way. This is more than enough for the ranged corp to switch weapons, arrows are also made as part of the process so we have stockpiled ammunition.

Arms and armour are also on the way with just enough for the veterans, the rest will be going bare boned for a while. The acolytes have been of help with this process and I am pleased with their progress. They have grasped the basics of necromancy well and can be called evokers by magician standards. My three head pupils are doing well and helped lead the peon creation. I feel confident that they can make workers soon enough, speaking of which Or’tharn is progressing as well and can create high quality warriors, eventually it should progress to be able to make veterans. Cor’lothen has done well with arranging patrols and is working on the perfect trap for that expedition. My days have been consumed with building and overseeing the laboratory, making sure the acolytes are doing well and don’t kill themselves in accidents, and crafting equipment. During one of my free moments however I decided to do a bit of an unusual long awaited project.

Since I have managed to establish a small base of production on the outskirts of the agros de mortis I feel that the time for bit of a long put off event is now here. I was promised the gift of a dungeon system to aid me in my progress and now is the time. Deep in the underground layers of the castle which I expanded on I built a secure room near my quarters. Inside it is a simple place, a small study area but as the centerpiece on a wall is a shrine. The goddess of magic Veuna is my patron deity and the one responsible for gifting me this ring, she stated that once I have established myself I can activate the system. Since I wanted to cover my bases I tried consecrating a shrine to her in case of trouble and judging by the fact that the statue I made of her with the offered magic crystal the size of a pearl is glowing when it should not be it worked.

After the glow subsides to a low level but still there I hear her voice in my head.

“My my you have done well my chosen one, now that you have consecrated a shrine to me with offerings I can speak to you for some time. As I see you are indeed ready to take up your mantle of Master of the Agros de Mortis, your rule is uncontested for now but I have seen stirrings among others of my pantheon. The incursion on your steps is but the first and eventually a crusade will be called to take you down. I am not sure which deity will be the one who will declare it but it is an eventuality, I will block any direct servant from joining the mortal plain but their champions will still march. They do not know of your presence for now as I have masked it but regardless they will send servants and minions to take the plains. Avoid massing too large of a force at one time or it will spur them too quickly along with anything too extreme. For now use smaller groups to wear down and dispose of any challengers, I know you prepare for war but this kingdom is small and not up to your standards of war”

“Very well my patron but do you have any words for the dungeon system you promised?”

“Yes, once we finish this talk I will activate the system but before that I need to explain a few things”

“I am listening”

“Your area of influence will be what decides who and what can be affected, for this dungeon consecrate more and larger shrine to me and your influence will spread. But take heed in ensuring that these shrines are kept safe and are maintained, I would appreciate gathering worshippers but that is for a little later. As it is right now with the offering you have given the castle itself will be under your control but offer more at larger shrines or even a temple and that influence will spread faster and stronger”

“Can the others know that your shrines are what spreads the dungeons influence?”

“They may but not now when it is so newborn, if you wish you may consecrate multiple shrines in an area to ensure control but do try not to make them targets. I prefer having the shrines dedicated to me still standing but I understand if some may be lost. I expect retribution to any desecrators however, you understand me yes?”

“Of course, I will punish any who commit such an act. A final question however, when you call me chosen is it simply a title or is there something more to it?”

“For now it is a title but build more shrines to me and I can offer my blessings to you and others in the dungeon, it would be similar to making you my chosen priest to spread my faith and you will receive more benefits with more shrines and worshippers”

“But will you not be attacked by your fellow deities? I would assume finding your name here will not be appreciated?”

“It will happen soon enough, they will feel my presence here as you grow. I do not have any worshippers here unfortunately so feel free to establish a new church for me, those whose jurisdictions are already here are my rivals. Stealing some of their flock would be beneficial to me, however do not commit too many immoral acts for I will not like such things committed in my name”

“By your will, a final question though this may feel impertinent. May I connect my grimoire to your ring, I would like to make a multi part phylactery and wished to see if it was possible”

“You certainly have a most calculative mind, very well you may do so but you must establish yourself with a full temple dedicated to me. Then and only then you may you undertake a ceremony that will formalize your position as my chosen priest and allow you what you wish. Do not worry, the system will tell you what I wish for my shrine and temples so that you may accomplish my wishes”

“I thank you for this and I will do my best to accomplish your wishes”

“I will be waiting then”

Her voice echoes away and I can assume she has ended her talk, my ring glows strongly and then suddenly my mind expands. It is a similar experience to reaching myself out to distant minions but it feels ‘wider’. I can feel all of the beings bound to me and those bound to them, my commanders and acolytes are bright lights while the others are a sea of torches. I feel new knowledge come forth about what I can create, both structures and minions. I can create more existing structures using a variety of methods including, using pre placed building material and a strange type of mana that is absorbed by my creations and structures. The sad part is that while mana flows in the air it takes time to be purified and concentrated to be used and the large presence of miasma does not help. The miasma will take time to purify as well though I could create towers to speed this up, regardless I cannot instantly build as much as I would like.

Still to be able to view everything in such a manner will be of use, I can extend my conscious to control troops from a bird’s eye view. This is a powerful force for any commander to have, if any of my creations or acolytes grow strong enough I can share this to them as well. Now that I have even more tools at my disposal it is best I start the next phase of my work, I can now properly outfit my forces as there is a rather useful creation system here that I very much appreciate. Hmmm if I interpret this part right.....fascinating....