Scourge of Tulnan Rise

Volodar told the plan to Lucas in plain terms, "You will watch over the tower once more on my behalf, Lucas."

"Sir," Lucas protested, "there is no reason that Adelia couldn't stay and watch over the tower with the help of your skeletons. I refuse to let you go alone once more."

"I am not alone, and you are going to remain here." Volodar grabbed the bridge of his nose as he sighed, "The others need to be trained, where you have served my father faithfully your whole life. Let them show how useful they can be. I know you can watch your own back."

Lucas gave no response as he stomped back to the tower. Hunter placed his quiver upon his back, "No offense, my lord. But, Lucas leaves me with a bad taste." Volodar looked back towards Hunter and nodded his head in disapproval.

"I understand his desire to fulfill my father's wishes. It's just in his nature, much like your own emotional processes can be overwhelmed at times, Hunter." Volodar picked his satchel off the ground, "I trust that you can guide us through the mountains, Hunter?"

"It's not my expertise," Hunter started, "but their tracks are easy enough to follow. I'm sure I can keep up with them given no storms happen."

Volodar noted, "That's good to hear," as they made their path past the tower and into the mountainous range. If there was one set of footsteps, it would have been harder to track these goblins down. However, there were several bestial tracks that appeared larger than a wolf's tracks and there were plenty of goblin tracks.

"I don't know," Hunter said as they travelled along the steep terrain, "If you ask me, I think they that this was a surveying party more than a scouting mission. A dozen of anything seems like a lot to travel together."

"Well," Volodar spoke plainly, "I've heard that goblins reproduce fast. Maybe their scouts are different from ours."

"Maybe so, my lord. But all I would need is two good skeletons and a few days. The bastards would never have known what happened." Hunter chuckled at the prospect of sending this many for a scouting excursion.

Volodar mused this in his mind as Hunter spoke about his talents. How much could the body truly retain as most memories leave when the soul departs. Still, they seem to hold onto parts of their previous personalities. It only got more complicated as he looked towards Doppel, the seven foot creature made of flesh and sinew that was made with parts of animals.

Doppel looked at Volodar, "Does something displease you, lord?"

Volodar shook his head, "No, not at all. I was just thinking about how I want to handle the goblins. No point worrying about it until we see them though."

Hunter raised his hands as he crouched to the floor, hovering his hands over the tracks. "My lord, their close. I don't think the scouting party got back to camp yet. The tracks lead off into that cave over there."

"My army is a bit too much to go into that cave. I doubt even Doppel could fit. In that case, let's bring the wolves and some skeletons with us. Hunter, you are to follow me. Same as to you Adelia."

They responded as the orders were clear and Volodar led them into the cave. "Hunter, go first as they may do a rude introduction."

The cave was lit dimly about fifty feet away as Adelia casted cantrips to light their path. Small orbs of light danced between them, and she seemed content with how the spell went. About a dozen green creatures were making noise around a fire. Three large wolves were chained around a post.

"Remember," Volodar said, "we try to speak to them first."

Hunter bowed his head, "I'm sorry sir, I cannot speak goblin."

Volodar waved Hunter forward, "Try your best, go for it."

Hunter whistled as he walked towards the goblins, the noise between the goblins stopped as their ears perked up in a similar fashion to a deer. Their yellow eyes had cat-like slits for pupils as they drew daggers and assorted piercing weaponry and looked back. "Goblins, you have been graced by the presence of Volodar Oriynore. He wants to talk to your leader."

The goblins shrieked as they spoke a strange language. One of the goblins instinctively lunged at Hunter. He grabbed the goblin by the arm and twisted it, drawing a dagger and effortlessly slashing the throat of the goblin before dropping it to the floor. Hunter quickly looked towards Volodar, "Sorry sire. It was an instinct."

"No, it's quite fine." Volodar shrugged it off, "You don't attack an emissary without attacking the one who sent them."

The other goblins appeared halted in their path. Volodar mulled over options in his mind as the only way to speak to these goblins would be to raise one as the dead. "Adelia, do you think goblins care if I reanimate one of their own?"

Adelia stared back blankly, before giving a soft smile and nodding her head. "I don't think that would be a good look, sir."

Volodar surveyed the remaining goblins as they started to cut the large wolves loose, "I see."

Pointing towards the large wolves, Hunter mentioned, "Those are wargs, my lord. They grow to be about four to five feet tall, long as a table as well. Should we engage?"

"The goblins are little threat to the skeletons. Let's pull back and see how the skeletons fare against the wargs."

The goblins released the wargs as the animals charged the skeletons. In turn, the skeletons seemed to surge past Volodar as they collided with the animals. The wargs were powerful, smashing skeletons into the walls as they struggled to keep all of them at bay. The goblins cowered behind near cave wall, seemingly waiting for the opportunity to escape. Smashing of bones could be heard one after another as the fight continued. It didn't take long after for the many slashes of the skeletons to finally wear down the wargs as they finished the task before them.

"The skeletons fought fiercely. There's only so much they can do against beasts that large when alone. However, a group takes care of it nicely." Volodar walked towards the now deceased wargs as he waved his hands. Energies poured out towards the wargs as they began to get up in their skeletal figures. "These are my gift to you, Hunter. A reward for all the good work that you have done up to now."

Hunter took a knee as he looked down at the floor, "I am undeserving of such a gift, I'll make sure they are looked after."

The goblins appeared like beasts that cowered with fear; however, chattering could be heard coming from their direction. It was a peculiar language, the goblin tongue speaks sharply and fast. Volodar approached at a slow pace with Adelia and Hunter in tow. Each step forward was another press that the goblins would do against the wall. This was all until suddenly, one of the goblins dropped to its knees in a similar way that Hunter did a moment before. It was curious as he pressed his head to the floor and spoke in his strange tongue.

Volodar looked at them, "Submitting? Now? What about when they just released the wargs?"

"Sire," Adelia whispered close to him, "it is good to accept those who admit your greatness when defeated. They just want to live, that's all."

Hunter nodded in disapproval, "It's true, they want to live. However, if the young master was alone right now, they would all bear fangs and try to rip him apart. They are backstabbing bastards as far as I can tell."

"I see," Volodar said, "I haven't forgotten what you've said to me Adelia about raising the dead, but I am not strong enough yet to conjure the spirit of those I have slain to speak on their behalf. I will have to reanimate that goblin as a zombie to communicate with them."

Adelia nodded to Volodar as he reanimated the goblin as a zombie. "Goblin," Volodar spoke, "talk to these members of your tribe and see where their location is. Better yet, if you remember where it is, simply state it out loud for us."

The zombie's slow, monotone voice spoke to Volodar, "I'm sorry. I do not know." It was certainly uncharismatic as it approached the goblins and spoke in a strange language. A universal language was one that Volodar knew well as these goblins were terrified. They spoke quickly to one another as the zombie glanced back, "They are located at Tulnan's Rise, my lord."

Volodar looked back towards Hunter, "Know what that is?"

"Yes, my lord." Hunter elaborated, "I have heard of that name before, it's a defensible mountain pass that belonged to a tribe that used to harass some of the humans nearby."

"Well, that's all I need to know then. Tell these goblins to show us the path as a sign of good faith between their tribe and myself."

The goblins scurried to their feet as they led everyone away towards Tulnan Rise. Volodar was disinterested as they continued, "Hunter, if they run, you know what to do."

Hunter grinned, "More training, I understand."

Doppel watched as everyone appeared out of the cave, "I expected nothing less from my creator. To think that you made them docile within fifteen minutes."

Adelia had an anxious smile, "He certainly made them docile. Hopefully, the goblin chief has a better temperament."

It took two days as they made their ways through the rocky terrain as large ramshackle pieces of wood made for crude wall. A gate that was nine foot tall and six feet wide led into this strange area. Noises could be heard from above as goblins pointed small bows in the direction of the group from the poorly constructed battlements. The goblins that accompanied Volodar quickly sprinted towards the door.

"Don't," Volodar spoke quickly to Hunter, "let them go, killing a few goblins won't make speaking to them any easier.

However, the choice was made for them as they hissed and fired arrows in the direction of Volodar's troops. Hunter's response was quick as he shot his bow with precision. Each shot was another goblin archer who would collapse.

Volodar pushed Adelia towards Doppel as he yelled, "Defend her, goblins stand no chance against us."

Volodar looked at the door, "There's no way we're getting through that." With that, Volodar ordered his skeletons to scaled the walls as they clawed their way to the top. "Hunter, can you unbar the door?"

Doppel carrying Adelia in both arms looked towards Volodar, "I can break through. It's wooden structuring is faulty." Doppel ran and placed Adelia behind some large rocks as he barreled towards the door and slammed into it. Arrows rained down from the remaining goblins as they pierced Doppel repeatedly. One, two, three slams as Doppel pounded the door.

A bloodcurdling echo could be heard coming from Doppel as he brought his fleshy arm back and pierced it through the door. A large thud could be heard from the other side as wooden shrapnel sprayed outwards and he pushed the large doors aside. Hunter chuckled as he ran past Doppel, "Good work Doppel." Hunter whistled as the skeletal figures of wolves and wargs bounded in, shredding apart goblins.

The broken door only provided more grief as the inside of this location was filled with even more goblins and more dangerous creatures. Large, fatty tissue creatures known as ogres were by a boiling pot as they stood up and screamed. At the far end of their settlement were goblins that were taller and more muscular, known as hobgoblins.

Volodar did not have much time to assess the situation as his skeletons rushed past him and collided with the forces of the goblins. Once the goblins were in close quarters to a skeleton, they would usually try their best to flee although many failed in the process.

Hunter stood behind a wall of skeletons that were in conflict with the hobgoblins as he released arrow after arrow into the ogres. "An arrow in an eye, an arrow in the eye, wouldn't they simply lay down and die." was a jovial tune that Hunter sung as he would cripple the ogres one by one.

As this occurred, Hunter was taken off guard by a large boulder that was four feet in diameter was hurled at him. Doppel leapt in front of Hunter as the arrows could be seen sticking through the back of Doppel. As this boulder struck Doppel, it broke apart into many pieces as both of Doppel's arms barely held on by small strands of sinew.

"Doppel," Volodar commanded, "retreat now! There is no reason to destroy your body for this, I will repair you."

The voice echoed from Doppel, "Such unnatural strength, it's a troll, kill the troll."

Hunter responded in earnest as he focused his arrows onto the troll, enemy wargs clashed with the skeletal wargs as the amount of noise was too much to comprehend. Bones on metal, the whizzing of arrows, and the sounds of meat being hacked apart was almost too much to hear your own thoughts.

Adelia grabbed Volodar by the arm, "Volodar, you need to raise the fallen. This fight needs you."

These words were like cold water to Volodar as he broke from his trance and nodded. He ran to the broken wooden ramparts and mumbled to himself, "I will widen the area of the magic. It's dangerous, but the goblins are weak." With a wave of his hand, darkness poured out from his body in tendrils as it started to wrap around the bodies on the ground. Goblin skeletons, warg skeletons and ogre skeletons started to rise as they picked up their weapons. They fought those were just their allies in prior minutes.

Volodar raised his hand towards the troll as it swatted away arrows. With an incantation, Volodar shot a black ray into the creature as it ran towards Hunter. The ray made the troll sluggish, but it still charged with considerable speed. Volodar once again raised his hands as more dead rose into his ranks.

"Volodar," Adelia questioned, "are you okay? You're bleeding."

He couldn't help but to breathe heavy from fatigue. "I'm near my limit as there were too many ogres to raise all of them at once like I did. I would do this slowly in a perfect world." The smell of blood was thick as the troll crashed down onto Hunter. He countered this move as he quickly jumped out of the path of the troll.

As the troll brought its hand down once more to crush Hunter, skeletons of the wargs started to leap at this eight foot figure and rip chunks out of him. Each strike the troll made would crush a wolf in a single blow or cast away a warg from his body with its freakish strength.

Adelia went close as she aimed towards the ankle of the troll and casted a simple flame spell. It singed the troll with great efficiency as it winced in pain and instinctively went to stomp in her direction. However, the strength that he once had was gone as he was brought to his knees and released a deep roar from within.

Hunter walked up to the troll and shot his bow one last time into the mouth of the troll as it slumped over and a large thud could be heard. Hunter looked towards Volodar, "Death magic would keep it from healing back up."

Volodar agreed as he stopped the beating heart of the troll with his incantation. The battle fell silent as the remaining enemies tried to route. The skeletal wolves chased after and would catch some that attempted to escape. Volodar looked towards Doppel, "Your arms, they're destroyed."

Doppel could hear the displeasure from Volodar's voice, "I'm sorry, Sire."

"Do not apologize for you were the most heroic one here today." Volodar placed his hand upon Doppel and closed his eyes. "I can do some basic recovery for you with dark energy, but we will need to repair you in a serious way once we return to the tower."

Doppel bowed his head, "I'm grateful for your aid, lord."

"You saved my ass," Hunter slapped the back of Doppel, "I would've never heard the end of it if I was broken by a rock."

Volodar looked towards the bodies that still remained on the floor, "I wish we knew the goblin's language beforehand. I thought that goblins could have shamans or others who integrate with society."

Hunter nodded, "I've heard that as well. But, this set of goblins won't bother us anymore. That's for sure."

"What about the ones that escaped," Adelia asked.

Hunter had no response as he pulled arrows from bodies of the deceased.

Volodar spoke, "They will know what we did here. They will know that some necromancer destroyed their town. Should any of the goblins we had originally escape, they will know that I am Volodar."

Volodar sighed and continued, "Not that I care, notoriety amongst goblins probably doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things. I am more interested in this at the moment."

Volodar walked over to the body of the troll once more. "Doubtful, but maybe this was their leader of this tribe. I will raise it as a skeleton. Perhaps I can fortify its structure later, it should serve well during its time."

He placed the palm of both hands outwards towards the creature as large amounts of dark energy coursed into it. The incantation was over, however, the energy did not stop as Volodar strained his eyes looking at the corpse.

Suddenly, the body shuddered as it rose as from the ground. The nine foot tall creature kneeled before Volodar, although its arms were too long to be graceful in the act.

Sweat filled Volodar's face as he breathed heavily and looked up into the eyes of the skeleton. This skeleton's eyes were fiercely red in comparison to the dull red of the common skeleton. "Good," Volodar gasped for air, "this is good. This has confirmed what I thought the entire time about skeletons."

Hunter cocked his head a bit as he looked back towards Volodar, "Are you okay, my lord?"

"Yes, I am fine. But the more powerful something is in life, the more powerful it is in death. It makes complete sense when you think about it." Volodar caught his breath and stopped to wipe the blood from his mouth. "Tell me troll, can you speak?"

The skeletal troll did not respond vocally but seemed to be aware of what was asked. "Shame," Volodar said, "something stronger is needed for a skeleton to gain speech the way Doppel acquired it."

Hunter looked at Volodar, "Are we planning and staying the night?"

"Yes, I am not going to push myself to raise the remaining dead tonight. I will take Adelia's advice and rest. Have the skeletons sack this place of valuables."

"As you wish," Hunter said as he rounded up the remaining skeletons and looting the fortification. Baubles, trinkets and weaponry that were more than likely stolen from Strosian lands were common in the area. Adelia found a doll and held it for a moment, brushing some of the dirt off of it.

Volodar looked towards her and watched as she interacted with the toy.

Hunter came back moments later and gave Volodar an anxious look, "Lord, I think you're going to want to see this."