You need to keep Velzix as occupied as possible, before he starts opening up portals to summon in reinforcements because if he gets a chance to do that, you're fucked.

Using tremendous power you summon up revenants. Souls of the dead who harbor a desire for revenge against their killer and given how many Velzix has killed, you barely need to even to control them. They immediately go for the attack.



"ASH! I'll turn you ALL to ash!" Velzix claims, unleashing a blast of hellfire disintegrating one of the revenants.

You have a hard time aiming, do to the constant movement of Velzix, but you manage to land in your own magic attacks. Your Dad is doing pretty well, though it's obvious that he's tired. He's running on pure adrenaline right now.

While Velzix might be too occupied to open portals, he's still got his guards in the fortress. More of them arrive, but you take care of them and raise the mortal ones to attack their former master.

Eventually Velzix manages to grab your Dad and proceeds to smash him into the stone floor several times before throwing him into a wall. The corpses and revenants continue to strike Velzix the entire time. He's severely wounded himself, and attempts to open a portal while ignoring the pain.

You cast greater blast of negative energy at Velzix hitting him in the eyes and blinding him.

"NO! I cannot be defeated! Not like this!" he bellows in agony while falling to the floor

You take your Dad's sword which is lying nearby on the floor.

"Nope, you'll be defeated like this." You say and with one good chop you sever Velzix's head from his body.

In a horribly comical display, Velzix's body flails about wildly for a few minutes until its finally hacked to bits by the revenants. Some more of Velzix's guard arrive and seeing their leader in pieces, they run off. You tell your revenants to hunt them down and fulfill their need for revenge.

Just you and Dad now. He lies against the wall broken and bloody. He's very near death. He's hardly the imposing figure that instilled fear in you when you were little.

"…fuck…I coulda had that demon bastard if I'd been younger." He growls.
"I'm sure you could've."
"Shit, I'm all fucked up…guess this is a good day for you. One rival dead and me soon to join him."
"Oddly, I don't feel too much of anything right now. I probably would've taken joy in your death at one time, but not now. I'm not sure what that means though."

Your Dad just grunts at your answer, before saying one last thing.

"Heh, you chopped that bastard's head off. No magic tricks. Just visceral physical violence…you impressed me…"

Your Dad dies with those last words. A violent end for a violent man. You wonder why he felt the need to praise you before he died though. Guilt? Regret? Genuine respect? Did he think that by giving you "validation" you might change your ways? Perhaps he felt responsible for your path in some way?

Whatever the reason, you dismiss it all. You chose this path for yourself. Nobody else. Whatever you've done, or are going to do it'll be because you chose to do it.

"(Sigh) Can't say it was a pleasure Dad, but I guess you were finally alright in the end." You say and cast a small fireball spell to burn his body.

You make your way back to Aftermath where Catalina meets you. Catalina asks you what happened exactly in Velzix's realm and you tell her the truth.

"It's just like I said Cat baby, I went in there and chopped Velzix's head off. And then my Dad died."
"Oh. Wow. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Okay, well I guess I should tell you, the Ghoul King has been itching to strike against the Vampire Clans and he says that he's going to do it, with or without your direct help."
"Very well, I'll go meet him. Might as well get rid of another enemy today."

Catalina stops you before you leave again.

"Really, are you okay?"
"You're by my side. Of course I'm okay. I want you to start making arrangements to take over Velzix's territory. When word gets out that he's dead, the Grand Alliance will be all over it, So let's get a head start before they do." You say and kiss her goodbye.

Soon you go meet the Ghoul King in at his "Kingdom" in the Drozz region. Other than the small castle he erected and the ghouls that now roam openly and freely, the area doesn't look too much different.

When you arrive, he gives a big pointy toothed smile while his hordes of his ghouls wait around.

"Well now, I wasn't sure if I'd see you. When I spoke to Catalina she mentioned you were having a big show down with Velzix! I trust that went well then, since you're here."
"Yep, he's dead."
"Ha ha! Excellent! I guess after this little foray, we'll only have the Grand Alliance to worry about!"
"I don't think I'll have to worry about them at all actually."
"You might be right…so are you ready to go? I've been lusting for this revenge for years, so if you don't mind, I want to kill Lord Rostov myself."
"No problem GK, I'll just be here as support. So where is this Vampire hideout anyway, you never did tell me. How long will it take us to get there?"
"Oh I can get us there real quick. I still have the magic key to teleport there. I've enhanced its power to transport several of us to invade. As for its location, I'm sure you're aware that it's hidden by powerful magic, but its site is in the Deshun Mountains." The Ghoul King explains while pulling out a small ebony cube
"Hm, good location. Remote, treacherous terrain, nobody climbing up there. Let's do it."

Before you know it, The Ghoul King presses a button on the cube and you and he materialize in the foyer of a large fortress. No ghouls with you though.

"SHIT! This was supposed to transport all of us!" he shouts, before suddenly quieting his voice.
"Yeah, well magic never works out like you want it to half the time. Let's just get on with it. I've already killed a Demon lord today, I'm hardly worried about some decadent bloodsuckers…no offense."
"None taken…but here. Take this." The Ghoul King hands you a brass ring with several small rubies embedded in it. "Wear it. It's imbued with magic that will protect you from the gaze of Lord Rostov."
"What? I'm a fucking necromancer; I think I'm a little more strong willed than the average mortal. The stares of some vampire aren't going to make me go all to mush."
"Maybe, but I still say you should wear it. Lord Rostov is very old and he is more powerful than the average vampire and can be tremendously influential. While you may also be powerful you are still mortal and all the weakness that entails…no offense."
"None taken."

You do not wear the ring

"Nah, I don't need this ring, but thanks anyway GK. Come on let's…"
"I feel you really should wear it. I don't want you suddenly turn against me during the fight!"
"Won't happen, trust me. Let's go…"

The Ghoul King is getting noticeably agitated.

"Look! He'll be coming soon just put the fucking ring on, before he gets here!"

Now you're getting agitated.

"GK, you better just calm the fuck down. I don't like being told what to do, unless it's by Catalina in the bedroom. So…"
"Damn you! We'll do this the old fashioned way then!" he shouts and attacks!

With one powerful blow he knocks you to the floor. You're still shaking off the cobwebs by the time he's ready to land a killing strike. He's stopped by Lord Rostov however.

"That will do Ghoul King. His mortal life is not for yours to take." Rostov says calmly while entering the foyer with a small group of female vampires.
"I told you to stop calling me that! I have delivered my end of the bargain! You promised me that my status would be restored!"
"Yes, but you attempted to kill him, when I specifically told you I wanted him alive. You were not completely dedicated to your end of the deal. So while you may continue to stay in the glory of my presence, I think you'll still remain the Ghoul King."

The Ghoul King looks like he's about to argue, but instead he submits.

"Yes, Lord Rostov."
"Ha ha ha ha. You sad sack of shit. Selling me out to be Lord Rostov's bitch, some deal you made." You say while getting back up.

Lord Rostov now turns his attention towards you. He looks exactly like what you always heard vampires are supposed to look like. Regal, refined, confident and arrogant as all hell.

"Do not judge the Ghoul King too harshly; his actions were based on survival. True he did long for revenge at one time, but when I came to him with this…arrangement, he jumped at the chance because in the end the Ghoul King has always chosen his own survival over anything else."
"Then he's failed miserably in that endeavor because he won't be surviving this."
"I fail to see how idle threats are going to help you right now. In fact this situation would be unnecessary if you hadn't pursued this path. You only have yourself to blame. Causing chaos and destroying the natural order of things. Ending all life on this world is simply unacceptable."
"…(Sigh) Why is everyone assuming that? I'm PROTECTING myself! Look, I know you still have the puppet master strings going on in the mortal realm. Shit, you're probably responsible for the Grand Alliance. I'd even be willing to live in peace with the civilized world if they'd stop attacking me!"
"I once heard the same thing from another of you ilk long ago. We all did. It's the reason why we're in this state we are today. You're growing more powerful with each death you bring. Whether you know it or not, you're already addicted to the power. You're addicted to death. Do you REALLY think you can stop yourself at this point? You won't. You can't deny your nature no more than we can deny ours. The Great Lich Lord didn't stop, and neither will you. The status quo must be kept and for that to happen, you have to die."


With those words, Lord Rostov uses his supernatural speed before you can react and prompty breaks your neck.

Your heart stops beating.
Your lungs stop drawing breath.
You fall to the floor dead.

"Best to take care of these things quickly. Remember the lessons of poor Duke Tolov who…"

While Lord Rostov is pontificating about his predecessor, your body undergoes a change. You body is regenerating. The bones in your neck have re-knitted. You open your eyes; your heart is still not beating. You draw no breath, yet you're still alive. You feel more knowledgeable in the ways of magic and death in particular.

You are the Great Lich Lord reborn…and you are pissed.

You immediately get up and launch a fireball into Lord Rostov's back. He howls in pain before you cause his heart to explode in his chest, followed by his brain. He falls uselessly on to the ground. His nights of existence are over.

The other vampires in the immediate area sound an alarm, but you're not worried. A few manage to attack you and land some deep blows, but you feel nothing but numbness. Then you strike back.

You begin to dominate all of their minds. Your powers have grown to an extent that you're able to directly control even intelligent undead like these. You don't even want to dirty your hands with dealing with these miserable blood leeches. You cause them all to gruesomely attack one another, until you're ultimately the last one standing in a fortress filled with dismembered vampires, well one still lives. He still struggles against your mind control, but he knows the end will soon come. He even welcomes it at this point.

"Shouldn't have done it GK. You had everything. Now only oblivion awaits you."
"I don't care anymore. This world is going to end soon; I'd rather die before I see that happen. How will it feel when the world is finally under your utter command? What will you do when there is nothing left? Will you be able to be satisfied on just continued existence?"
"I guess I'll find out, because you won't."

You cause the Ghoul King to rip his own heart out and bite into it before setting him and the rest of them on fire.

With all the bloodsuckers dead you leave the burning fortress and transport yourself back to Aftermath. When you return Aftermath, Catalina sees your wounds and unnecessarily worries about you.

"Baby, you're wounded!"
"Catalina, I'm fuckin' dead." You say sharply and enter your study.

You retire to your study where you put your vampire ordeal out of your mind and reflect upon what will come next while you write a letter to your Mom and Sister about Dad. You figure they should know the truth even if nobody else will.

Even in this new state of existence, you're so tired…

You once again you enter a new stage of your journey

Chapter 4: Even Death May Die

Five years pass…

It's been ten years since you took control of Aftermath and many changes have come about.

Without Velzix's brutal leadership, his realm soon broke apart. Demon leaders fought amongst themselves and became easier to deal with for the Grand Alliance. Little by little territory was liberated. However you were not idle and you also took pieces of Velzix's former territory.

Due to all the problems caused by Velzix a new order was enacted by the Grand Alliance. No more chances are being taken and the civilized world has a zero tolerance policy on demons. Demons are to be killed on sight anywhere they are found. Even the so called "nice ones". Any government found tolerating their presence will be found guilty of demonology and invaded.

This lead to a few misguided liberal types claiming that it was infringing on certain rights, but considering the increasingly draconian Zalan Empire had pretty much taken complete control over the Grand Alliance at this point, they had final say in the matter and executed all such protestors. The Grand Alliance is now merely a name much like Vampire Clans. In reality, it's the "Zalan Empire and its little friends that better do what it says Alliance".

Speaking of the Vampire Clans, since your total destruction of their last remaining enclave, their influence has completely left this world. You've noticed a reduced effectiveness in Grand Alliance strategy because of this despite that they've become more united in recent years. Except for the near mindless bestial ones that roam the countryside they're effectively extinct. Still, you feel no need to show them mercy and bring them under your control. When one is found, you have it destroyed. The treachery of the Ghoul King has brought this genocide upon their "race."

Your letter to your family was never replied to, but you are aware it was received. You don't know exactly how the truth was spun, or who exactly was involved. But you do know your Dad has a statue erected of him in the Zalan capital stating how he nobly gave his life fighting Velzix. Funny how mad men can be turned into heroes so easily.

Your sister is a general of a Grand Alliance army now, which of course continues to attack you despite some of your attempts at coming to some sort of peace agreement.

The fools won't even listen to reason. There's no way the Grand Alliance can win this war. You've only been growing in power and show no signs of stopping. Even with their stabilized internal struggles under the Zalan Empire's iron fist they still won't be able to defeat you. The world has gone mad and you're the only one making sense anymore. They call you a villain and evil, but from what you've seen, you're no different than any of the other leaders in power. You're just better at it.

Maybe you should turn the world into a giant graveyard.

Everyone thinks of you as a monster anyway, you see no reason to disappoint…

"Catalina, I think it's time we finish this war once and for all." You say walking into her study.
"Oh you do, do you? Well, I figured that it was coming eventually. So is there any specific way we're going about this?"
"Yeah, we just make a massive push and don't stop until every living thing is dead."
"Wow. Everything?"
"Everything. I gave the world of the living the chance for peace and they don't seem to want it. Well I'm tired of fighting, so if the only way to get some peace is to kill everything so be it!"
"Well, I mean what happens if some people surrender? I mean you'll still allow them to live like you usually do right?"
"What? What's with this line of questioning Catalina? You've never been one to wince at grand scale carnage."
"…I know, but I…"
"Alright, out with it."
"Well I mean after we destroy the Grand Alliance, what then? There will be nothing else to do. I mean do we just reign over a land of the dead until the end of time?"
"Sounds about right."
"I dunno, is that our only option?"
"For fuck's sake Cat, what the hell did you become a necromancer for then?"
"Because much like you I probably didn't feel like I had much in common with people and I could feel a pull towards the dark art of necromancy."
"Well what's the problem?"
"…there isn't a problem…it's just I feel like the end is coming soon and question what I've accomplished in my life. I mean other than genocide what have I done?"
"You're Queen of the Dead! What more could you want?"
"Yeah, queen. Big whoop. I'm basically a glorified concubine for a…"
"Damn it Catalina I've NEVER thought of you as that! You know I cherish you and all of you have to offer. I never could've gotten this far without you." you say holding on to her and looking into her eyes.

"…I know…it's just in some ways I see you starting to change and I don't mean your general loathing of the living either. I mean you've always been powerful, more powerful than me, but it's different. It's like you're becoming something else. I sometimes think your path is going to differ from mine to a degree that we will no longer be able to be together."

For a moment you forget about your problems and address Catalina.

"Catalina my beautiful queen…no matter what happens I shall never leave you." you say and kiss her.
"And I shall never leave you…Okay, where are we going to attack?"

While you've temporarily reassured Catalina's feelings, you do wonder if she isn't right. Will there come a day when you and her will have so many differences that you won't be able to be together anymore?

You wonder if you've been taking some things for granted. You have everything you could ever need or want. Maybe you don't need to go on the attack. The Grand Alliance surely does not have the strength to defeat you; you doubt it would even attempt to expend all its resources in trying.

Sure you might have to continue to fight them, but when you think about it, would it be less tedious than an existence without any conflict?

You continue with your attack

You can better appreciate what you have when all those that would do you harm are gone.

You order an attack of the largest size. While you're attacking from several directions, you decide to focus specifically on the Zalan Empire given that they're glue holding the Grand Alliance together. Get rid of them and you've effective put an end to the war.

Corpses, skeletons, ghosts, wraiths, and all other manner of undead are raised to your grand plan. Town after town is taken. The Grand Alliance nor the Zalan Military can do anything to stop you. They use magic, they use new technological wonders, but none of it works. It is only when your dead legions approach the gates of the Zalan capital that you call a stop to the carnage.

You arrive personally to oversee your mission and to meet with your family one last time, because even after all this, you don't want to kill them. Somewhere you hope that they'll see reason and come with you. Things won't be so bad.

You storm the gates as cannons destroy multitudes of your troops only to be replaced with more. You see your sister on top of the battlements ordering her soldiers to fire upon you. During this attack you feel several bullets enter your body breaking through your magical defenses.

You fall.
You then rise again.

"You can't kill me, I'm the fuckin' Great Lich Lord!" you laugh.

Not stopping, you enter the gates of the city realizing that this was inevitable. Things could've only been this way. Your undead slay all those that oppose you, but you mentally make sure none of your undead has murderous intentions towards any of your family. You head towards your parent's old house, taking little notice of the death around you.

When you arrive you find the house empty. In fact it looks like it's been empty for months. So many memories here…a different time… even a different life now…

"She left when the attacks first came. She didn't say where either. She just told me she was leaving. I even had her followed for awhile, but she was quite adept at eluding my scouts, not to mention I had other concerns to take care of." Your sister says entering behind you.

"I don't know why, I would've made sure no harm came to her. That's why I came here."
"You already harmed her by becoming what you are! I mean…you're not even alive anymore! I saw you die and come back to life on the battlefield!"
"Oh that. The first time was a surprise to me too. Kind of a numb feeling really."
"How can you be so at peace with what you've become?"
"Because it was obviously in my nature all along. Death is my calling, I've only grown closer to it by dying. Can't change who I am."
"Dad did."
"No he didn't. Not really. He just directed his nature into a slightly more positive way and it was only due to magic that caused it in the first place. Funny how magic did the same with me, but just in reverse. However, as I've said, this does not mean I'm not without total feelings. I'd rather not have to kill you sis, but if you stand against me, I will."
"I have to stand against you."
"Why? For some noble cause of a corrupt mortal empire that's just as oppressive? Sis you always were a bit too duty bound."
"No, because while you still exist, life ALL life is in danger. You're evil, what you've been doing is evil, what you've become is unnatural. You can delude yourself all you want, but I'm not fooled and if I joined you or whatever it is you want, then I'd be just as guilty of contributing to your evil. You're not even my brother anymore, I have no brother!"

You shake your head in regret at your sister's insistence on being stubborn, but then again you expected no less.

"I'll give you one last chance sis. Will you join me?"

Your sister raises her magical glowing sword.

"So be it."

You allow her to kill you

You might have become the Great Lich Lord, but if it means killing those you care about, you don't want it. There's still time to stop this.

As your sister approaches you make no attempt to defend yourself. She doesn't hesitate, because she sees in your now dead eyes that you're giving her this one chance to kill you.

You feel the sword rip through your body, you don't feel pain, but you definitely feel a loss of power. She then pulls the sword out of your body.

"Better do it now sis. I don't think I can hold back my nature forever."

With those words, your sister cleaves your head from your shoulders.

Once again the world has been saved from the brink of death.

In time things get better, though never back to the way they truly were. Catalina committed suicide soon after she found out about your death, but other necromancers quickly attempted to fill the power vacuum. They of course were never able to approach your power, but a few established a permanent dominion of death in the Drozz region. The area to this day is avoided.

Your sister became celebrated as a Hero and eventually took the Zalan crown leading the Empire in a nobler direction. Your Mom came back from where ever it is she disappeared to and together with your sister, mourned your death in private.

For in reality it was you who stopped death from taking over the world, proving that even death can show mercy.