deer . inventory

[necrolord]

INVENTORY

House

• batcat skeletons guarding the crumbling outer wall
• a Nightmare skeleton lying dormant at the forest's edge
• skeletal servants (Nephelian elves, sourced from Illarion)

Weapons

• Chains of Vasta Li Maeve (March '22)
• a Blade of Agency (stolen from Shōyō, July '22)

Rewards

• a long iridescent white cloak with bone filigree (Jan '22)
• a comedy T-shirt (March '22)
• an iridescent white cloak (March '22, given to Augustine)
• a magical tracker necklace (July '22)
• a Moon Drop (July '22, used on Mercy)

Changes

• an iridescent white handprint, fingers barred over his eye, which only shows when it catches the moonlight (Augustine)
• an iridescent white handprint, clasped over his shoulder, which only shows when it catches the moonlight (Pyrrha)

❤

Comments

GHOST SHIP -> DESTROYED as of JULY 2022

[necrolord]

The Lonely Island (yes, really) is a two-masted brigantine with an oily hull and dark, eerie sails. It was owned by pirates who traded in Sleepers and Sleeper body parts; several Sleepers have died and been cannibalized on this boat. Necromancers and similar will be able to detect that significant violent death has occurred here.

Relatedly: the ship is manned by twelve undead pirates, each killed tidily with their hearts stopped by necromancy.

The ship's interior is sparse but spooky, with bone-themed decoration. The bones can manifest into another two dozen skeletons as needed. There are no physical remains of cannibalized Sleepers; all the undead are fashioned out of the slaver crew.

It does not actually have a skull-and-crossbones flag, which is a damn shame, because he would have loved the aesthetic.

OMEN

[necrolord]

John is very careful not to let anyone meet Lenore.

Lenore appears as a Herald, an eldritch creature that looks a bit like a gory humanoid insect. Or: a really awful nasty space wasp. Think something like this, but humanoid like this, and dripping Darkblood. May be metaphysically or psychically distressing for necromancers to look upon, though not with the potency of a true Herald.

When John uses necromancy for violence, he risks Lenore manifesting against his will. When she does, she enters a berserker state and will attack John relentlessly; then other necromancers; then anyone else in her way.

BONE HOUSE

[necrolord]

See here.

[necrolord]

[ It's John again, only a day after the last post. Those familiar with the format might recognize the bit: he sits on a couch facing the camera, hands clasped over his knees, looking somber. It's very canceled-youtuber-apology of him.

He opens with: ]

I lost a bet.

[ Hilarious, right? But he goes on: ]

My last announcement was not, you know, universally popular. Let's clear up a few things. First: I did not kill Kiriona, and I'm a little offended by the implication. We had a rocky start, given that I didn't know she existed and she was born to topple my empire, so, you know, lots to unpack there. If you think your family tree is a nightmare, whew, don't even ask about ours.

[ He drums his fingers on his knuckles, impatient. ] She died before I met her, and there were extenuating circumstances— even from a necromantic standpoint this was a remarkably weird case— that allowed me to place her soul back in her body. She's not alive, in the traditional sense. That's not something I can hand out willy-nilly, back home... resurrection's a lot pricier than we have it here locally.

[ His smile is wry and humorless. ] I get how it looks. And an existence like hers isn't, you know, everybody's cup of tea. She's— no offense, kiddo— an undead nightmare who can tear through my enemies like tissue paper.

But, I mean. Like father, like daughter, right?

[ He leans in, mouth set in that same grim smile. ] Don't get me wrong: my heart beats. My lungs breathe. But that's mostly habit, at this point... squid rules notwithstanding, you could drop a nuke and I'd get up and keep walking. Ask me how I know.

[ There is a moment's silence, a slow exhale. John runs a fidgety hand back through his hair, which knocks his fern crown askew. He continues: ] What I did to Kiriona was not meant as cruelty. As selfishness, maybe... what dad doesn't want to have something in common with his kid? Sometimes a secret long-lost daughter drops in your lap and it's like: shit, let's be monsters.

[ He smiles like it's a good joke, but the set of his shoulders looks very tired. ]

Now, speaking of monsters, all this may have kicked off a bit of an argument with another dead guy. But nobody got hurt. I mean, except me, and I think the consensus is that I was being a dick and probably deserved it. My apologies to anyone who got caught up in the Beast fight, though... or, Beasts plural. [ He splays his hands like easy, easy. ] Seriously, we worked it out. No casualties.

[ John takes a moment to resettle his crown, and to settle himself in front of the camera. There is a breath of silence, and then: ]

I am never going to love this, this world where bigger cosmic assholes treat us like dress-up dolls. I get what we're doing here: I hear you loud and clear on the 'come on, John, turn over a new leaf' stuff. This is me playing softball. This is me making nice. I know what I am and where I want to be, and I know who I want at my side.

[ He lets this hang for a moment, and then says: ]

Here's to Big Bird for kicking my ass about it. [ Exhaustion tightens the creases around his eyes. ] And to Kiriona for being worth the fight.

[ There: it's said. John huffs a breath and slaps his hands on his knees, like: Well! That's done. It's a moment before real amusement starts to creep back in, the grin threatening at the corners of his mouth. He raises a hand, grave and slow, to display a thumbs-up. ]

And don't forget to like— [ and subscribe, he doesn't finish, because the feed cuts out. ]