The Necromancer of the South

The Necromancer of the South was a significant enemy in the 3rd century, threatening the city of Bethune and it’s Kingdom. They were only saved by the adventurer Tasos, who made his way to defeat the Necromancer.

## The Necromancer Rises

In **349PR**, undead attacks near the city of Bethune were on the rise. As the land was believed to be on a mass graveyard from sometime in the Second Era, undead attacks weren’t rare. Taking account of this, the Kingdom of Bethune decided to begin investigating the cause of the increase in activity.

Initially, the investigations led to nothing, causing frustration in the Royal family. When the attacks continued, the Bethune family instead ordered individuals from the Barktree Lions to find and/or destroy the cause.

Eventually, the members sent out returned, taking losses on their quest, though had managed to find the cause.

The report had stated that they managed to find a large dungeon underground, the scholars of the group dating it back to the end of the Second Era. Further investigation of the dungeon led them to believe it was a tomb for a powerful individual, or the building for an organisation. Entering the dungeon is when the party encountered the problems. From the beginning, undead swarmed them, never letting up. While they were only a miniscule danger at the start, they began to add up and exhaust the Barktree Lions members.

Later in the dungeon the undead grew stronger using different types instead of the generic zombies and skeletons. This is where the group had their first loss, losing their fighter. Finding it too dangerous to continue, the party retreated out of the dungeon, losing another when she chose to hold off the horde while the others escaped.

Now having the information they needed, the Bethune family began planning their next action.

## Attack on the Dungeon

Using some of their personal funds, the Bethune family managed to hire a number of parties from the Barktree Lions. To help these mercenaries and adventurers, they also sent some of their own troops.

The plan was simple, attack the Dungeon and find the Necromancer.

The group, or more an army at this stage, set off to the Dungeon, following the previous group who chose to return. Fighting began immediately, the Necromancer not letting any of their enemy close to the dungeon. Like before, it initially started with grunts, using zombies and skeletons to try and overwhelm the enemy. Then it began tougher, using Ghouls and Specters. The stronger opponents faced up against Ogre Zombies.

Defeating the first wave, the adventurers moved into the dungeon, fighting again another wave of enemies. This time it was Sword Wraith Warriors, a stronger and more tactile enemy. By this point, the adventurers had begun taking their first losses, the weaker of the group getting overwhelmed in strength and number.

After the second wave, the adventurers kept moving ahead, not able to rest and let their enemy build up more numbers. Next came the Bone drinkers, a ferocious group of creatures hell-bent on consuming the bones of the living. A group called Heavy Metal from the Second Era were known to always fight them, much to their displeasure.

The Bone drinkers led to more deaths and losses for the adventuring group, now down to half of their fighting strength.

### Retreat

Pushing ahead, the adventurers and troops that remained faced all types of horrors, more Sword Wraiths, Bloodhulks and even a pair of Nightwing. By the end, they were forced to retreat once again, taking too many losses and feeling that they weren’t even close to the Necromancer.

The retreat was just as bad, only saved by the fact they chose to do it before losing too many more individuals. Behind them stood hordes of zombies and skeletons, made during their track to get to the Necromancer.

Eventually the remaining adventurers managed to escape the dungeon, taking more losses but evacuating many of their wounded.

## The Attacks Increase

Now agitated, the Necromancer increased the attacks in the region, coming closer to the city each time. The defeated adventurers were no longer able to protect the lands around, instead retreating further into the city.

Conquering the region came easy for the Necromancer, having no significant resistance and massacring the farmers that tried to defend their lands and family. Outside of the city there was no one spared. Forcing people to either leave or die.

For the Kingdom of Bethune, the situation was quickly turning into something that could end the new nation, with no other solutions, the Kingdom of Bethune began asking other nations for help.

## Tasos Arrives

The moment he heard about the situation in Bethune, Tasos made plans for travel. Since Aaron’s Meteor, Tasos had become increasingly popular, doing small tasks to help out where he can. At the time, the fame was a curse, not a blessing. Forcing him to disguise himself when he travelled to the city to stop the Necromancer being alerted.

When he arrived, he snuck through the docks of the city, making his way to the outer walls. Without even informing the other adventurers there, he jumped down into the undead wasteland.

Noticing a huge presence on their lands, the Necromancer activated all the undead they could and sent them after Tasos. Wave after wave fell to his might, destroying them as if he were Ronigar in the Battle of Seren. Eventually, he made his way to the dungeon, following where the stream of the undead came from.

As the adventurers had already weakened the dungeon from before it was easy prey to someone of Tasos’s calibre. Even at the higher levels, against Nightwings and Dragon Skeletons, Tasos stood firm.

## Savior

A large explosion could be seen from Bethune when Tasos entered the final room, finding the Necromancer and killing them. The explosion showed the city that they were free, giving them the hope they needed. When the adventurers and troops in the city saw the sign, they charged out of the city gates and killed the remaining undead in their lands. Purging it from ever happening again.

Tasos later returned to the city, choosing to rest after his wounds from his battle with the Necromancer. There, he was hailed as a hero and legend. Though, rather than accept any rewards, he gave a speech stating how it was the fallen adventurers that helped him achieve such a feat, and that they are the true heroes.

The next night, Tasos had disappeared from the city.

Years later, the Kingdom of Bethune managed to regain the lands back that they lost. Bringing everything back to normal. To remember the fallen and celebrate the heroes, a large shrine was built in Bethune.