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He has been stalking the party for two days now, creeping through the sewers, trying to remain unseen. He wasn't a rogue, so being discrete came at a price of some invisibility potions bought from a local alchemist. He followed them from a distance, trying his best to move silently, trying so hard not make splashing sounds when wading through the murky water of the sewers, trying not to curse when rats that he stepped on squealed under his bare feet and bit them on his ankles and toes. This was not an easy task for someone of his stature, a dwarf, short stout, with huge heavy feet. After all he was Vladimir Rockfooter, of the Rockfooter clan.
The party moved just ahead. Two paladins and a cleric. They have been searching the sewers for days now, looking in every corner, fighting through slime and other evil that has made it's home down in the under bowels of the city. Yet, their main foe eluded them, his layer was nowhere to be found, for Kaggnaxx was a very powerful lich and his protective wards have concealed his crypt from the prying eyes of the outsiders.
The party stopped to rest and Vladimir continued watching them from the distance. The effects of the invisibility potion were starting to wear out, so he found a dark corner to rest and to observe the group without being seen. As he ate his simple rations, his mind began to drift to the day long ago, the day that put him on this dangerous pass.
It was a long way from Candlekeep to his home at the Great Rift. Many dwarves have made the Rift their home, mostly gold dwarves, but amongst them were a few clans of the shield dwarves. He was different as a child, more intelligent than other dwarven children, but not quite as strong and stout. He preferred the quite of his secret cave to the loud sounds of his father's smithy. It is there at the cave that he first began to read. The books were given to him by the merchants that traveled through the area with the trade caravans. When he got older he began to purchase more serious books and then at quite a young age he purchased a scroll and cast his first spell. His peers made fun of him, but they weren't laughing when a quick motion of his hand and a few muttering word knocked the jokers flat on their arse. "First smart Rockfooter in several generations" his father used to laugh "perhaps it's for the best. Perhaps you can escape the mundane life of a smith and make a fortune for yourself" So his family sent him to Candlekeep and he became an apprentice there, studying the basics of the arcane arts from the best of the Faerun's mages. Every spring he would come home to visit, same as this spring. He would travel home with a trading caravan and then a few weeks later come back to the keep to resume his studies. It was the same this year, except his mind was thinking about her. Oh yes, dwarves are no strangers to the affairs of the heart either.
He noticed her last year when he came to visit his family. She was a gold dwarf, a bit different than his own clan, but yet so gorgeous. Her name was Olga and she was the daughter of a well known dwarven warrior. He was looking forward to seeing her and spending time with her as his village came within the view of the caravan. He looked up expecting her to stand there on the outskirts of the village waiting for him, but something was terribly a mis. A plume of smoke was rising over the houses and from the distance he heard the mournful cries of women and children and the war cries of the older warriors. He hurried his step and nearly sprinted towards the village, running as fast as his short dwarven legs would allow him.
The Orc raiding party came quick. During the cover of the night they attacked the village, looking for food and anything else they could carry away. Driven from their houses by hunger and poor crops they swooped down onto the unsuspecting village killing everything in their path. As her father defended the village, Olga fought beside him swinging her axe with might of a dwarven warrior, full of hate for the vile creatures. They were slain and fell right next to each other, father and daughter, two brave dwarven defenders. Vladimir found them laying high upon the funeral fire. Their bodies would be burned after three days of ritual mourning. She looked so gorgeous, just like when he first laid his eyes on her.
His love burned deep inside him. Love turning to hatered for those who could not protect her. He ran to his secret cave and with trembling hands pulled out the most forbidden book of them all, the book of Necromancy. He bought it off a traveling Red Wizard of Thay when one of them passed through their village. In the middle of the night Vladimir hovered over Olga's body, casting the spells in a desperate attempt to bring back his love. And Olga came back to him, came back in a terrible form of the undead zombie. Ugly and mutalated she called out his name in a low gutteral sound. He recoiled in disgust. "Don't you want me, my love" the critter yelled out. Village warriors ran towards the scene, but were unable to slay the creature. It terrorized the village through the night, until a cleric arrived from the neighboring church and banished the undead back to her grave.
The punishment for Necromancy was death, but Vladimir escaped the village during the battle with his once lovely Olga. He walked through the mountains muttering "You all will pay.... You all will pay... And you Olga will be alive and mine once again"
Vladimir snapped out from his dream as the party ahead of him began to move once again. "I must warn Kaggnaxx" Vladimir thought "the Lich must live... I need his knowledge"
The party moved just ahead. Two paladins and a cleric. They have been searching the sewers for days now, looking in every corner, fighting through slime and other evil that has made it's home down in the under bowels of the city. Yet, their main foe eluded them, his layer was nowhere to be found, for Kaggnaxx was a very powerful lich and his protective wards have concealed his crypt from the prying eyes of the outsiders.
The party stopped to rest and Vladimir continued watching them from the distance. The effects of the invisibility potion were starting to wear out, so he found a dark corner to rest and to observe the group without being seen. As he ate his simple rations, his mind began to drift to the day long ago, the day that put him on this dangerous pass.
It was a long way from Candlekeep to his home at the Great Rift. Many dwarves have made the Rift their home, mostly gold dwarves, but amongst them were a few clans of the shield dwarves. He was different as a child, more intelligent than other dwarven children, but not quite as strong and stout. He preferred the quite of his secret cave to the loud sounds of his father's smithy. It is there at the cave that he first began to read. The books were given to him by the merchants that traveled through the area with the trade caravans. When he got older he began to purchase more serious books and then at quite a young age he purchased a scroll and cast his first spell. His peers made fun of him, but they weren't laughing when a quick motion of his hand and a few muttering word knocked the jokers flat on their arse. "First smart Rockfooter in several generations" his father used to laugh "perhaps it's for the best. Perhaps you can escape the mundane life of a smith and make a fortune for yourself" So his family sent him to Candlekeep and he became an apprentice there, studying the basics of the arcane arts from the best of the Faerun's mages. Every spring he would come home to visit, same as this spring. He would travel home with a trading caravan and then a few weeks later come back to the keep to resume his studies. It was the same this year, except his mind was thinking about her. Oh yes, dwarves are no strangers to the affairs of the heart either.
He noticed her last year when he came to visit his family. She was a gold dwarf, a bit different than his own clan, but yet so gorgeous. Her name was Olga and she was the daughter of a well known dwarven warrior. He was looking forward to seeing her and spending time with her as his village came within the view of the caravan. He looked up expecting her to stand there on the outskirts of the village waiting for him, but something was terribly a mis. A plume of smoke was rising over the houses and from the distance he heard the mournful cries of women and children and the war cries of the older warriors. He hurried his step and nearly sprinted towards the village, running as fast as his short dwarven legs would allow him.
The Orc raiding party came quick. During the cover of the night they attacked the village, looking for food and anything else they could carry away. Driven from their houses by hunger and poor crops they swooped down onto the unsuspecting village killing everything in their path. As her father defended the village, Olga fought beside him swinging her axe with might of a dwarven warrior, full of hate for the vile creatures. They were slain and fell right next to each other, father and daughter, two brave dwarven defenders. Vladimir found them laying high upon the funeral fire. Their bodies would be burned after three days of ritual mourning. She looked so gorgeous, just like when he first laid his eyes on her.
His love burned deep inside him. Love turning to hatered for those who could not protect her. He ran to his secret cave and with trembling hands pulled out the most forbidden book of them all, the book of Necromancy. He bought it off a traveling Red Wizard of Thay when one of them passed through their village. In the middle of the night Vladimir hovered over Olga's body, casting the spells in a desperate attempt to bring back his love. And Olga came back to him, came back in a terrible form of the undead zombie. Ugly and mutalated she called out his name in a low gutteral sound. He recoiled in disgust. "Don't you want me, my love" the critter yelled out. Village warriors ran towards the scene, but were unable to slay the creature. It terrorized the village through the night, until a cleric arrived from the neighboring church and banished the undead back to her grave.
The punishment for Necromancy was death, but Vladimir escaped the village during the battle with his once lovely Olga. He walked through the mountains muttering "You all will pay.... You all will pay... And you Olga will be alive and mine once again"
Vladimir snapped out from his dream as the party ahead of him began to move once again. "I must warn Kaggnaxx" Vladimir thought "the Lich must live... I need his knowledge"