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[Sauriel looks up from his copy of 'How to move in Mysterious Ways for Dummies' with a slight smirk.]

Who writes these things anyway?

In this case some guy who never finished his degree in necromancy and thinks that necromancy should be available to anyone who wishes it like any other forms or ritual magic.

[Looking at the title of the other guy's book... who makes him feel a bit prickly he gives a shrug.]

That one, I've got no clue.

[He's been told not to poke about with the undead, so Sauriel maintains a respectful distance. They tend not to like things like holy water or angelic presences, and he's not here for a punch-up.]

I think this one must be one of the purgatory crowd. They don't have much to keep them busy, so he probably thought he was being constructive.

[And Theo does definitely feel like the undead. He's living though, breathing and everything like that. He just seems like the undead too. Which is why the angel does make him feel uncomfortable. Not that he'd punch the guy. He's not a physical fighter. That's what the girlfriend is for.]

Purgatory?

[It's mostly all he can register, not being given the upgrade for this purpose. Sauriel does however take the cover of the necromancer book as a signpost. Here be a necromancer.]

It's like a holding pen for dead souls before moving on. Those Catholics are a bit strange.

[There's a moment of thought as Theo goes through what he knows about other places religions - having lived sometime in the City exposed him to things that don't exist on his world - including Catholicism.]

Those are the guys who worship the dead guy who vanished, right?

He likely senses that Kieren's undead...not that that takes any special powers, considering Kieren's deathly pallor and pale, inhuman irises. He's looking at the cover of the book, and cocks his head slightly.

"Necromancy for Dummies. Because naturally, having the dead rise always goes so well."

And yet he'd run into people who tried to make a second rising happen. He wondered if they'd read that book, desperately hoping for some key to making that happen to be revealed.

[He decides not to amuse himself by asking the demi god if he's a Pagan. Last time Sauriel did that, he got into a dispute with a pale blue skinned goddess. She's still in a huff with him.]

One of the groups of guys who worship the dead guy who vanished, yeah. You must know how it is with all those splinter groups.

Theo looks up and grins a bit at the guy, eyes sparkling - though it's kind of hard see what with his sunglasses on.

"It all depends on how you do it, what you're raising and how strong the necromancer is who is doing it, really. Though generally speaking, raising a massive amount of undead rather quickly is a very good way to get yourself dead," he said putting the book down. "You need to be able to control your mindless undead after all."

[He could ask, but Theo wouldn't know what a pagan is.]

One of them. Right.

We don't get splinter groups... we get people who just decide to give themselves to another god.

[He pauses momentarily. There's more to it of course but that's the short order.]

Though we do have this rather fascinating group of humans that have sprung up in the past hundred years - according to my father - who think they don't need the gods at all.

That's partly what I meant. I'm familiar with some worlds where some of the gods have a few different factions following them.

[He considers that for a moment, familiar with that phenomenon, but curious about this specific matter.] Is that a problem for said gods?

It's ... well... let's just say the gods and mortals are very intertwined and trying to break yourself off them will end up just as badly for you as it will for them.

Especially if you're after power.

When mortals turn away from their gods, it's often worse for the gods initially, and the mortals only realise their mistake - if mistake it was - when it's too late.

And are you after power?

Mortals will lose their magic. Most people don't want that.

[He shrugged.]

My father is probably one of the most powerful people in the world though most people don't realize it. I'm probably the most powerful necromancer a live and for the past several hundred years.

I don't need power.

I have it.

As I say, this group of fascinating humans who think they don't need you will probably realise too late, that they do.

Melkor Sammeth, I've heard his name.

Are you sensitive to powerful undead? Like gods?

[Theo tilts his head, frowning a little. He's not surprised that someone has heard of his father, but usually it happens after he mentions his father's name.]

A lot of people have. How have you heard of him?

Yes. I am. If it's undead, I can sense it. And depending on how powerful they are, I can control it. Most undead on my world I can control. Others...

Records office. [He glances heavenwards with a shrug.] Not very efficient, but we can hardly stand over them with whips.

I only wanted to check and confirm a if certain entity is alive or undead. My team and I need to know what we're dealing with.

Edited 2015-11-24 22:41 (UTC)

I don't think I'll mention that one to him.

[The heavensward glance doesn't mean anything to Theo, but the idea of someone else not of his world knowing about his father bothers him. And he also knows that if his father finds out about this he would take... interest in it. So far the only reason why his father hasn't tried a take over of another world is because he didn't think he would have a power base there. But if someone knows about him, he could use that.]

You're wondering if I can help you?

"Well, I'm not sure how the Rising happened in our world, but it was caused by a necromancer, I doubt there was much in the way of control behind it."

Since so many dead rose, all around the world, and then spent years eating anyone they could get a hold of. Then, anticipating the obvious question, Kieren explained.

"The Rising was something that happened in our world. Everyone who died in a particular year came back, all across the world."

A particular year? Everyone? Including infants and things like that? What about animals?

[Theo raises his eyebrows. That is some Tricky magic there. He doesn't think he could such a thing. At least not casually. It would take a lot of planning on his part and human sacrifices. And human sacrifices are generally frowned upon if not out right illegal.]

Humans only. Children were certainly included, I don't know about infants, though. I'm not aware of any coming up from the ground, but...

[He shuddered, thinking about it. Imagining babies coming to undead life underground, but lacking the physical strength to do any more than lie down there and struggle.]

Edited 2015-11-24 23:20 (UTC)

That would be best all round, I believe.

[It's a risk, yes, and Sauriel doesn't fully know why. The records office have dug up a tiny morsel for him, and he needs to follow it up.]

I was hoping you would, please.

Huh.

And clearly intelligent too.

[Forgive Theo for going all clinical. But, he's a necromancer demi-god faced with a rather fascinating spell/ritual and he can't help but try and figure it out.]

[The gods on Theo's world weren't always human shape - instead took the forms of eldtrich beings that were almost pure forms of what they embodied. His uncle, a moon god, could drive a person made from how beautiful he was, for example. They far diminished as they are now. And the one thing Theo's father desires is to return to the old days when storm gods walked the earth as literal storms.]

What's in it for me?

[He shook his head.]

Not at first. Not for years until they discovered neurotriptaline. At first we were just...hungry.

[His eyes widen a bit. A drug that could restore sentience to zombies is fascinating. It's not something possible on his world as zombies are merely husks and bodies. The souls having long since departed.]

Really?

At least you don't mince words.

The being I'm looking for is powerful, and his power continues to grow. He's a killer of gods already. The world I'm trying to protect is not your world, granted, but this creature has the means to move through worlds.

It might not be an immediate threat to yours, but by the time he gets there, his power could have increased exponentially.

My information is that your world is... somehow fractured. Or has been. I don't know the details but I imagine you're not interested in a war.

What good would it do me?

[He frowns a bit, thoughtfully.]

Our world is already... delicately balanced on the edge of disaster.

[He's not going to elaborate. But their leylines are wrecked. One of their anchor points to the rest of the galaxy at large has been completely and utterly destroyed to the point that it's a no magic zone in a world that lives and breathes magic and the gods are trying to actively stage a comeback.]

So, I think any outside influence would be most unwelcome.

I can try to help.

Yes, really. [He hesitated.] I assume it's the drug you're surprised about? [Though one could never be certain what would seem strange to someone from another world.]

Yes.

In my world zombies are just the husks. Their souls have long been departed, so you fill them up with your own energy to move them around like puppets.

Oh. Even at first, we weren't husks exactly. We weren't ourselves, but we were more like...well, animals. Only focused on survival, and unfortunately the entirety of our diet consisted of brains."

Which led to them being very dangerous.

"On the neurotriptaline I don't eat anything, though."

[He doesn't press for details. Sauriel is used to being fed only what he needs to know. It's enough that ... Theodred Sammeth, according to the records .. will at least try.]

We don't usually interfere to this extent. We leave gods and men to get on with it. This time there's a clear tipping of the scales, and the balance is threatened.

And trying is good enough, thank you.

[Any Lord of the Rings jokes will be met with eyerolling and a threat to zombify the guy. Not that he would. But...]

There's something above gods in your world?

Huh.