Vito, I whispered, I do not know what to say.
Say enough to introduce and pass authority to . That should work, Vito whispered back. But make sure to be He sought a polite way to say what he wanted to. Not Ezekiel the Lich He gave a look. But Ezekiel the Lich, the overlord who all should fear.
I understood what he ant. Despite my acceptance of what I was, I wasnt the standard galomaniac Lich. We were standing on a balcony overlooking the central square of the city which was packed with elves, bone guard standing in all the streets holding them there.
Taking a deep breath I did not need, I stepped up to the railing, the quiet murmuring of the people dying down. The square was lit by sconces burning with purple eldritch fire and I made my eyes flare with the sa power as I held up the severed head of the forr mayor. Maxwell was sitting next to the railing out of sight. We figured it was better if it was just and Vito. No spell could match his voice amplification.
I am Ezekiel, I conquered your city for no other reason than needing bodies for my horde. My voice bood with power and authority. I wasnt sure how much of that was from Maxwell amplifying my voice with his skill, though I suspected a lot, because standing in front of several thousand people was not doing my nerves any good.
At the advice of my advisor, Vito, I gestured to the vampire, and he stepped forward, extending his presence over the square, and while it wasnt oppressive, it was powerful, I went against my better judgnt and did not kill all of you. He convinced that you could provide service by supplying with more monsters and other fodder for my horde then you would be worth by yourself.
Now that I was speaking, I was feeling a little better, so I continued. What I found here was despicable. Here and now, I declare this, blood magic will never be practiced in any domain under my dominion. Anyone who brings us the head of a practitioner of blood magic shall be rewarded the privilege of becoming living dead and a true citizen of my dominion. If this reward is not desired, they shall be paid handsoly instead. I gestured at Vito. In my absence, my regents word is my law.
Vito bowed to and took over. His cultured authoritative voice did not need Maxwells amplification. He began laying out how things would work, and I quit listening because we had gone over this before. The reward of being turned into a living dead was supposed to be part of what Vito offered, but I was certain he was okay with delivering that instead. The high priest of death he was planning on creating would be able to make living dead. They are one of the few other beings who could do it easily.
Of course, for the narrative told to these people, we had to switch the roles a little bit. Vito had been the one wanting to kill everyone while I was the one who talked Vito into the other option.
I left the severed head sitting on the railing as I disappeared inside the building. Maxwell carefully crawled over so he wouldnt be seen by the people below.
Raven was waiting inside playing with her dagger. I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes to relax for a mont. As I did, I pulled up my character sheet.
Character Soul Level: 124
Na: Ezekiel Verniac
Race: Human Lich
Foreboding Gravitas:32
Unspent Stat Points: 10
Spent Stat Point: 610
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5 Stat Points per level
Health: 1670
Health Regeneration: 63/sec
Death Energy Tier 1: 3357
Death Energy Regeneration Tier 1: 77/sec
Death Energy Tier 2 Storage Capacity: 20/29
Mana: 2486
Mana Regeneration: 67/sec
Carrying lbs.: 2889
Stats:
Intelligence: 243 [multiplier: 1.311] [40 from gear]
Spirit: 189 [multiplier: 1.23]
Vitality: 119 [multiplier: 1.15]
Resilience: 121 [multiplier: 1.15]
Death Core Tier 1: 270
Death Core Tier 2: 29 [multiplier: 1.21]
Agility: 121 [multiplier: 1.1]
Dexterity: 101 [multiplier: 1.21]
Experience: 10,101 of 138,080
I put the ten points into my dexterity score, as it was very useful for creating rituals and complex spells. I was surprised by the two levels. Though wed gained in power quickly, that was because the fights Vito had been sending were designed specifically to push our leveling. Past level 100, leveling typically slow down. Scanning over my trait list I saw one that hadnt been there before.
Undead Overlord:
Your mastery of the undead as a Lich, your authority as a dungeon lord, and conquering your first city has granted you the trait of undead overlord. This is a ruler class trait, there are many variations and many ways to gain this trait. However, they all co with three traits of their own. The first two are the sa for every type, while the third is a variation based on the type of ruler.
Dominion
Allows your influence and authority to expand over multiple regions. The stability and acceptance of your dominion by your subjects is based on many factors. So of which are subjects alignnt, your gravitas, availability of resources, ect.*
Commander in Chief
Allows efficient control of large or multiple armies. The size or number of your armies is dependent on several factors, these are: quality of your officers, your gravitas, quality of your troops, and alignnt of your soldiers. When your armies win a large battle or conquer a region you gain experience based off either the size of the battle or the strength of the region conquered.
Foreboding Gravitas
Ones gravitas is based on who they are as a person and how they are perceived by others. Your gravitas is foreboding. Your nature and how it is seen by others is a threat too many through its implied power. Your deanor promises violence to those who cross you. You are like still water best not distribute less the monster sleeping below awakens.
The strength of your gravitas is based on many different factors, so of which are: number of regions under your dominion, your personal strength, the gravitas of those who swear allegiance to you, ect.*
The commander in chief trait clarified the source of experience. When I looked up at the notification in my log, Id gained nearly 150,000 experience when I conquered the city. The battle had not counted since I did not have the trait at the ti. Combined with the experience I gained from the fighting Id done, that explained the increased level.
I ca back over my character sheet and saw the foreboding gravitas value. I had looked at my character sheet so many tis, that I had not noted the change at first glance. Interested to see how this value was calculated, I pulled up more information on it.
Foreboding Gravitas
Base Multipliers:
Race: 2
Base Values:
Personal Power: 7.56
Allegiances to you:
Vito: 6.2
Regions or cities in your dominion:
Dead Water: 2.7
Dungeons in your dominion:
Reliquary of the Damned: 0.9
Total Foreboding Gravitas: 32
Utilized: 1
Unutilized: 31
I imdiately began pulling up more information, curious about where these values ca from, when Vito walked in. Vito, what the heck is foreboding gravitas? The screens might tell the information, but he would add context.
An almost gleeful glint ca to his eyes, and I groaned internally. I shouldve known this was sothing he enjoyed. I was pretty certain I was going to hate it.
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