22nd year of Norris
The new year starts with Spring coming after the winter. I'm still going to complain this year. Spring in January? I can't just get used to it. Just like the way time is calculated in death realm that I just recently figured out. Using the abomination tide that occurs once a month. Weird but for the undead with enough time this was enough.
The gloom I felt during winter, fading away slightly as I tried my best to come out of my grief over the death of my mother. I decided to go against my code of conduct and seal my mom's soul for resurrection. I still feel like I don't have the right to decide that but she died too suddenly and it's all my fault. I had vowed, from the moment I stepped into necromancy, that I'd never play with life and put them on a scale. I might generate into something without a bottom line, definitely not a person. Me and my big mouth, I am wondering if maybe a high-dimensional being heard me and tried playing a joke on my life. But this would be the last time; NORRIS NEVER CROSS YOUR BOTTOM LINE AGAIN.. I feel like I'm going to definitely do so once again. But I hope it doesn't break me. This world is crazy. Well leave future problems to future me. I just need to enjoy the present. Now back to my recaps.
Deciding to take a break from magic and try getting a job that leaves me no time to think too much, I decided to take a long-term task in the Mage Association. Those losers who play with politics isolating me the so called genius on the grounds of practicing Necromancy. I don't see them going far in the mage path though. Losers the lots of them. Though it ended up alright which proved to give me some surprises. I got acquainted with a duke who wants to manipulate me and met my current student, Ava. The future surely won't be boring.
Praise the lady, Is this fate?? I'm here for raising the future generation. It can help give my thoughts some solace and give me a sense of achievements watching my protege grow. Pure stuff. I'll make sure I plan her a growth path for practitioners to make her a self-sufficient lady without robbing her childhood. I can already see how busy I will be when I leave the death realm. If I leave the death realm alive that is and not an undead visiting Ava's grave. With the insurance given to me by my golden finger I guess I will make it alive as long as I'm not too unlucky. I will leave myself no regrets, as I will try my best. I'm sure my mom didn't have regrets about me much I think, since she tried her best too, and I came out great, kind of. Though I'm just starting out, I feel like I can make it happen- you know, an achievement training a protege. I'll make sure she's strong enough.
Now, in the Death Realm, I literally feel dead. But this is where I made my most achievement this year. Though I decided to stay away from magic, This opportunity comes only once in a while. The time ratio of the death realm to the material realm right now is five years to one day. Using this opportunity to grow stronger and gain more knowledge is a wise thing. Well I think it's wise and who can say it's not. I ordered my soul with a mystical framework gotten from the death realm. A trinity of ego, superego and id. Future me are you still the same??.
Though I've picked up on bad habits. Using my undead form to numb myself is bad, and I know it, but I just still do it. I don't want to face my grief, and I have a choice not to face them. it works for me, and I love it. Also getting addicted to the tea in Erebo. Nice stuff. Though all this might backfire on me, who cares. Leave that to the future me. Hello future me. I was alright in the year experiencing grief like normal humans do in Norris 21st. Future me do you still feel grief?.
Norris closed his yearly journal, writing a final entry to cap off the tough year. Keeping a journal to track his progress and monitor his state of mind was feeling more and more unnecessary, but Norris knows this is just a feeling, "In this world where minds could be bent and twisted, you never know when you might need it. Reviewing your past can show you more than you'd like to see, your nativity, your slow degeneration or enlightenment but it's still the truth. It's still a chore though, however, writing at times makes me feel good, so I just write a journal once a year at the end of each". Norris looks at his spell lab, his first personal lab, though he's used other labs before - either at the academy or at a free lab in a mage tower, which he rents to perform mini-experiments. He's never had a lab of his own, even if it was rented, for this long, and he felt attached. But all good things must come to an end, especially when the good thing isn't particularly yours. Norris chuckled, thinking that today might be his last day in Erebo, if nothing happens. So, I'm going to do what I haven't done in a long while - read novels.
As I settled into my favorite chair, I opened the worn leather cover of "The establishment of the necromancer council." The novel tells the story of how the Necromancers council was created. The protagonist, A group of demigod necromancers came together to streamline the practice of necromancy dividing them into branches and into one while study, Necromancy. Through it, most of them became Gods affiliated with the death realm. Though some went to other realms to become Gods. This confused me though. The secrets of God's has always being held tight by the God's and those with related interest.
I found myself drawn though, to the creation of the necromancer council. It attracted mages with paths aligned with it to come see the results of demigods streamlining the study. That must have been a good time for Necromancers as there could easily view the spells, understanding and technology of a demigod. But then of course with the sensitivity of necromancy more forces became interested especially when the lich came. An alternate eternal life is attractive anywhere you go. But what's funny is that the necromancy council filled with scholars didn't know what to do. So they decided to banish themselves to the death realm.
The author's vivid descriptions of the politics and situations faced brought to me a realm both familiar and unknown. Politics is dirty wherever you go and me as a little person in my previous life and this life has never needed to do so. Coming to the death realm was a great decision in the eyes of the higher ups of the council but to others it must have been a pain. The death realm then was so desolate. With most of the necromancers becoming nobles and helping the death realm order itself, the death realm has expanded its core area. Outside of this core area are parts eroded by the warp and elemental planes creating abominations and Aeons. This has answered some of my questions. Why is nobility not eradicated or at least impacted after all their atrocities?. Because they are enforced by realms. This makes sense. The source of the abomination tide too is finally found out. Damn! Trying to become a noble is harder than I thought. I'd have to go out of the core area and conquer a land. Then sort out the mystical system and defeat the remaining abominations. Sounds straightforward but as an individual doing this is impossible. Let's not think too much. Let's finish the novel.
With the backing of gods of the necromancy council, the war was easier and fantasy like. Even a mage doing the war fantasy like. It must have been very outrageous. The Martial spirit created was massive and godlike. The gods of war had been ecstatic. This kind of war involving gods and abomination is like a feast brought to their mouths. The Martial spirit, created by majority of gods in the multiverse provided a platform for the gods of war to intervene in wars. With the people at war being intelligent beings Vs chaos spawns and lesser Aeons there was no need to choose sides. So no god will lose out of the benefits that comes from pitting against each other. During that hectic war various spells for war used by necromancers today came into being. Now the necromancer council had thoroughly established their presence in the death realm becoming one of the bigger forces in it.
Norris closed the book feeling wowed. At least it reassured him that Necromancers have a backing. An organisation dedicated to necromancery is nice.
***
Norris finished his Eternal Twilight, the bitter aftertaste lingering on his tongue. He pushed his chair back, preparing to leave. "Well, Zael, I will be leaving tomorrow."
Zael's grin faltered for a moment before he recovered. "On another adventure I see, Mage. Be careful out there."
Norris nodded, his gaze drifting around the café. "I will. By the way, have you seen Alaric lately?"
Zael's draconic eye flickered. "He's gone already. Left a message, though. Said you can contact him through his secret mark."
Norris's eyebrows rose. "Still staying in Erebo, I presume?"
Zael nodded, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Yeah. Actually, I'm heading out to investigate a situation in a nobles domain in the Death Realm. There's a town outside the influence of the Necromancers council, and the undead are... acting strangely."
Norris's curiosity piqued. "Strangely?"
Zael leaned in, his voice dropping. "They strangely have the urge to kill themselves. The sentient ones can hold on as they are stronger, but the lesser undead... they're dying in droves. As future residents after evolution and gaining sentence, It's a problem, so they're willing to spend money to solve it. I was also adviced by… you know….."
Norris's eyes narrowed. "So your patron thinks you should investigate?"
Zael's grin returned, tinged with a hint of madness. "Yeah. Said it would be good for me. I'm taking his advice."
Norris nodded thoughtfully. "Some phenomena are just too weird to ignore."
The two friends sat in silence for a moment, sipping their tea as the passionate arguments and debates swirled around them, Enjoying the atmosphere of Erebo.