Chapter 0: Name that Keeper

**Chapter 0: Name that Keeper** by PsyckoSama was the inspiration for many writers to start their own Dungeon Keeper cross-over fiction on Anime Addventure when it still existed. So by extension it also serves as foundation and introduction to our game.

Note: Slightly different from our story.

## **Chapter 0: Name that Keeper**

The Horned Reaper stood alone in the dank darkness of the long abandoned dungeon.

He sneered. Long abandoned.

Being abandoned entailed it being occupied in the first place. This was no Dungeon. It was a tomb. His tomb.

Long ago he had been the most powerful servant of a powerful Keeper. In the name of his master he had killed…

Well…

He couldn't remember how many people he'd killed but he'd killed a whole load of them. After all, it wasn't like he ever counted - that would not be classy. As a Horned Reaper he didn't live his life moment to moment, he lived it kill to kill. For one like him life was just a constant exercise in bloodshed. Sure he could count the good fights he'd had. After all, dead or not, those who could give him a fight, a very noteworthy feat indeed, he remembered, even honored in this own way, but who counts the bugs they step on…

The demon sighed and leaned back up against one of the pillars to the inactive Dungeon Heart. It had been so long since he was able to kill.

He'd been the most powerful servant of a mighty Keeper. One who's strength was so great it took the combined power of seven lesser Keepers to match him. Horny had been honored to fight for and protect such a powerful Keeper but, in the end, even one as mighty as his master was outmatched by their raw numbers. Oh, he'd torn a field through the enemy, slaying a legion like, he grinned, a scythe through wheat, but in the end he fell as the vanguard of the enemy units had finally entered his master's Dungeon Heart.

Of course the fools knew better than to destroy a reaper. Members of his kind were notoriously vengeful and hard to put down and even harder to keep down. They'd tried to break him on in their torture chambers but to a being such as he, their best efforts of their dark mistresses were nothing more then sweat tickles. In the end one of them had created a temporary Dungeon Heart, threw him in a prison, and immediately abandoned the location.

The prison cell where he was kept had not been too difficult to dismember but the walls… only a magically enhanced pick such as that used by an Imp or Dwarf Tunnelers could break through the magically enhanced walls of a Dungeon with any reliability. He tried his best but trough a lack of proper equipment, or more likely, patience, he'd managed to achieve Jack S\*\*\*t.

The red skinned beast sighed deeply. Oh, he prayed to the Dark Gods to provide him some way out of this forsaken hole, or lacking that - something to kill at least.

From down the one short hall that lead from the mangled wreck that was once a prison to the abandoned Dungeon Heart the beast saw a brilliant flash. With a dark laugh the demon stood up, a woof of brimstone blasted from his nose like a hell born bull. He lifted his scythe and slowly started toward the Heart. Maybe this was the answer to his prayer. Maybe someone had claimed the heart…

The massive demon turned the corner to the heart and deflated - it was still dead. But resting near the temporary floor that protected the heart were five or so human looking people in a daze. They were talking among themselves about some teleportation going wrong, he could not make out details, but little did he care.

It was something to kill.

Slowly he hefted his scythe. He'd savor this moment like a man dying of dehydration would savor his last sip of water.

But when it came to finishing them off he was restrained as an idea ran through his usually one dimensional mind. This could very well be his escape!

He has spoken at great length with his previous Keeper on the nature of a Keeper. To become a Keeper one needed three things, the willingness to accept the role, a sacrifice of his own blood to bring life to the heart, and a great source of magical power.

He did not know if the runt he had caught by the neck was a mage, but it really didn't matter. He knew enough about a heart to trigger it with his own power. And while he would probably get bound to the service of this mortal until he was destroyed, but it was better - anything was better - than remaining in this god forsaken hole!

All this mortal would have to do would be to cut his hand, and be willing to accept the dark power of a keeper…

With that in mind, Horny slowly approached the slowly stirring form of…