Dicing with Death: Episode 164

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==Malcifer Recap==
===Day 152 (continued)===
Malcifer Winter is in Pinespur in the aftermath of the battle.
At dawn, his army assembles in the market square in front of the Keep. Sheriff Saxton stands at the door to the keep.
Malcifer calls for the Sheriff's surrender, and the Sheriff asks if the people will be spared, and Malcifer gives a menacing answer, and the doors to the keep are closed for him.
The living are forcibly brought before Malcifer. Elderly, children, and sick who couldn't flee. He sees a child with measles among the sick. Malcifer spots a woman with a broken gangrenous leg in the crowd. Malcifer inspects the wound, removing the bandage, and sees the leg is rotten though. The woman explains it was caused by an accident when replacing the boards on a roof.
Malcifier decides to necro-graft the woman a new undead leg to replace her ruined leg, using a child with measles as a soul siphon sacrifice to pay for the spell. The townsfolk are surprised by Malcifier's actions.
Malcifier then spots a prisoner who is a wounded soldier. She wears a tabard of a ship under a crescent moon. She says she fled the battle. She reports that she was pulled away from her hometown near the Direwood before the mercenaries from Weatherlight arrived. Malcifier spares the wounded soldier.
Malcifier orders his undead to pull open the doors to the keep, but it takes time to do. Malcifier frees Sheriff Fredi from his jail cell. He looks emaciated. Malcifier has a specialist skeleton escort him around and help him.
After some hours the doors of the keep it is pulled down. The keep is empty. Malcifier heads upstairs and finds Sheriff Saxton in a bedroom with a single royal guard, his 74-year-old wife. Saxton doesn't stand down, attacks, and Malcifier's blood knight stabs him unconscious. Malcifier executes him and his wife.
Malcifier orders his skeletons not to hurt the citizens of Pinespur and orders them to guard the wall around the town. Malcifier sends some hunters off to bring his magic brands to Pinespur from Winter's Reach.
Malcifier executes all the 31 prisoners in the dungeon except one. A political prisoner, Kel Deferral, a human male aged 75, is a fallen knight. 50 years ago he rebelled against Pinespur in trying to make Kell Isle independent and has been in the cell ever since. Kel Deferral was told his family had been executed. His ancestors had been the Barons of Kell Isle.
Malcifier frees Kel Deferral. Kel Deferral is a loyal convert to Malcifier's cause and Malcifier's Winter Gods religion.
===Level up===
Malcifier levels up to level 8.
*+6 HP (Max HP 33)
*Learns Ability Raise Undead
**Allowing him to raise undead at x8 the rate. (cost per undead is unchanged)
*Learns Spell Sensitivity to Life
**Replace the eyes permanently, allowing you to see the aura of life forces. However, sunlight hurts to look at. This effect will spread to the whole body.
===Days 153-154===
Malcifier starts using his new power, "Raise Undead", to raise up some new forces over the next few days, raising 64 undead a day. He starts with 64 ghouls then 64 zombies.
===Day 155===
The hunters return to Pinespur with the brand, along with Lord Rosegrove, Lilith, The Butcher, and the Cultists. Malcifier brands Kel Deferral with a Mark of Allegiance.
The civilians of Pinespur start leaving their homes and getting back to work.
Malcifier starts being referred to as a King by his followers.
===Days 155 to 160===
Malcifier starts raising skeletons and re-raising his defeated skeletons, 64 a day for a total of 300 skeletons. The battlefield is now cleaned up.
===Day 161===
Malcifier starts searching the records, trying to find the records of Gadian Nobility. He finds the next in line for the Gadian Throne lives in a county to the north of the Summerwood, Sarachow. Malcifier gets Lord Rosegrove to the task of researching deeper.
Malcifier also tries to find records of what happened to the Coral Sword, but finds no trace of where the Sword of the Kings of Gadia went.
===Day 162===
The hunters gather the Eridonian Nobles in Pinespur and bring them before Malcifier, numbering 25 in total. Lord Corsani claims they are here to serve, none of the nobles are willing to stand up to Malcifier and his undead. Malcifier drains until he is at full health. Then Malcifier has them taken to the dungeon.
===Day 163===
Malcifier gathers his forces, ready to head north of the Summerwood. A female gnome approaches Malcifier, terrified. The gnome, named Grace Kelly, offers tribute to Malcifier, a fancy crossbow, in exchange for the gnomes to be allowed to stay in Pinespur and not killed.
Malcifier says the gnomes, since they aren't part of this political war, have nothing to fear from Malcifier. Grace asks if she can examine one of the undead. Malcifier agrees, and Grace takes out calipers and a measuring tape and climbs all over a docile blood knight. Malcifier warns the blood knights won't be docile when he isn't around.
Malcifier then marches out to the heir's territory, marching though the Summerwood. They encounter goblins patrols, who get destroyed by the army easily.
===Day 163===
At dawn, they arrive at the north end of the Summerwood and at the heir's territory, Sarachow. Malcifier leaves his army behind and goes into the village with his blood knights and 8 ghouls. His undead are ordered not to harm the people.
The people flee in terror as Malcifer marches into Sarachow's village square. He is greeted by the Sheriff of the Village on her pony, Jaina Blackgoat. Jaina's is the heir that Malcifer was looking for. Malcifier declares the island is free from Eridon. Jaina Blackgoat says she has no claim on the throne of Gadia, her family split away from the Graysons a long time ago.
Malcifier, disappointed, leaves Sarachow and returns to Pinespur.
===Days 164-188===
Malcifier sends out messages to the 18 old nobles' houses around Gade Isle. Over 2 weeks all 18 of the noble families send emissaries to Pinespur, including Jaina Blackgoat herself.
Malcifier, reluctantly since the rightful heir didn't want it, is made the King of Gadia. The 18 emissaries kneel and pledge loyalties. Malcifier tells the families to take back their ancestral lands from the invaders.
===Postscript===
The Eridonian Lords are hunted down and are either killed or escape Gadia. The old families reclaim their lands.
The mercenaries and the soldiers retreat to Weatherlight.
The Cult spreads the teachings of the Winter Gods across all of Gadia.
===Notes===
Precise dates are unknown, all events of this campaign definitely transpired between early 1510 and early 1512, most probably starting in fall 1510 and ending in spring 1511.
Category:Malcifer Winter Episodes
Category:Dicing with Death Episodes