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[quickquotes]

( It has taken Rita most of the time she's spent in Lunatia thus far to understand enough of this 'technology' to send out a broadcast. She's not the type to let such a little hurdle as unfamiliarity get in the way of reporting the news, and she is glad to announce her success with her very first article! )

UNDEAD YET DEADLY
The inhabitants of Lunatia might seem an uncouth lot, with their scales and their horns and other extraneous appendages. However, the natives of this world appear positively genteel when compared to who, or should I say, what walks amongst us, attempting to blend quietly into the shadows. Fortunately, I, Rita Skeeter, freelance journalist-for-hire, am here to shed light on the situation.

The Moonblessed by the name of ‘Ambrosine’, is a self-confessed practitioner of the Dark Arts. She is also known to post on this network under the alias of ‘undyingsoul’, which should tell you everything you need to know already. If you still require an explanation, know this: every magical child from the youngest of ages is taught that death is permanent. Any individual who attempts to meddle with mortality is faced with a fate worse than death: the eternal corruption of the soul.

Why does this matter, you might ask?


Those of you from my own world might know of the evilest Dark Wizard of our time, a man so evil that even after his defeat we still refuse to speak his name, only referring to him as He Who Must Not Be Named. In the name of ideological superiority and in search for the secrets of immortality, this Dark Wizard murdered thousands of people, witches, wizards and Muggles alike.

To use a more local frame of reference: as many of you will know, the city is still recovering from the aftermath of the rampages of another Dark Wizard, Asmodeus, who used his powers to control the minds of many innocent bystanders. Could Lunatia withstand another attack so soon?

While Ambrosine has not shown any untoward predilections to violence yet in her time here, evidence suggests she has so far murdered one innocent person in her quest for immortality thus far, as well as a unicorn (a most sacred magical animal).

How many more deaths will she cause? Can this type of individual truly be allowed to walk around our society unchecked? My recommendation would be to lock her up and throw away the key before she can cause any more harm to befall others.

After all, there’s enough to get used to in this new society without wondering about murderers in our midst. As so succinctly put by local resident, the charming thirty-six-year-old Mr. Valmont: it’s positively exhausting!

( After the main text in the article, smaller lettering reads: if you have leads which require any further investigation, or any information you would like me to know, please contact me here.

The name, again, is Rita Skeeter. )

Comments

voice; greenbean1

[wildsorcery]

Have you been lying this whole time?

[necroyalty]

Connie.

I've spent much of my life quietly afraid for my own daughters, and whether their nature, if discovered, would lead to their undoing.

They're not liches, but you get the idea.

I have chosen to reveal myself to a select few here who I felt would not judge me for it, but I have never claimed that I was something I wasn't.

The truth is that the road to lichdom is infinitely more complicated than the stories would have you believe.

You would probably not believe me, for instance, if I told you no innocents actually died.

[wildsorcery]

I... I don't have to know or want to know why you did this, but I was... I was mostly meaning the kindness you've shown me. I... at least in my world, a lich has to feed of souls to stay... to stay like that.

That's not... that's not what a kind person would do. I admit to not understanding it all, but in my small continent one out of the three countries was just... destroyed by undead. There's nothing living at all anywhere beyond the wall.

So... so I'm not sure what to feel any more.

[necroyalty]

I have always looked upon you fondly since we met. But I feel the same for many of the others close to your age.

I have two daughters in my own world who are eighteen. You understand, hopefully.

[ She cannot help but aggressively mom at all the teens and recently-not-teens. ]

I have not heard any accounts in my world of liches feeding upon souls. Perhaps they do, but I have not, and I assume this is another divergence.

But as a Vanthian, the relationship my people have had with undeath has always been complex.

[wildsorcery]

These different world inconsistencies are so confusing when they're so similar at the same time. I mean... I don't have... I don't have much knowledge of my world in general, but that's at least what people say. About eating souls, that is.

[ He pauses, sounding uncomfortable. ]

...I guess it's a little personal, too. My friends and I were on a mission before I got here to sort out a chest that acts as a soul trap with innocent people locked in it. There was a staff to open it and looking for it took us to to the undead country. So we're fairly certain it also belongs to a lich as a way to collect the souls they need.

[necroyalty]

It's a tad personal for me as well.

Connie, my people have practiced necromancy for centuries.

After the Revelry, the ancient Vanthians were hit with a plague that wiped out most of the survivors. If we hadn't had the dead till our soil and plant our seeds then, we'd have all died slowly and terribly.

If we hadn't called upon the dead to bolster our armies, we'd lose more people to wars.

It's not as gruesome as it sounds. The souls would be at peace. The dying willingly gave their bodies to a higher purpose.

In the present time people often give their bodies to civic service or religious duty upon death. If you instead want to rest, you will rest.

But we know the meaning of literally undying devotion.

[wildsorcery]

I suppose... um... I suppose I don't really have the right to judge. I can understand wanting to protect your country. It's... more of a terrifying thing back home. Lichdom, I mean. Not countries.

[ He's babbling, whoops. At least the lich thing is cancelling his fear of nobility? ]

I mean, I don't know if you're lying or not, but there's probably no need to.

[ He's got a +5 to insight at level 5. ]

[necroyalty]

Without the threat of an Abyssal incursion here, I really don't have anything at risk.

Not like the stakes justify what I've done, but you know.

[wildsorcery]

I think I understand.

...are we still friends?

[necroyalty]

That's up to you.

I certainly still enjoy your company.

[wildsorcery]

Do you take offense if I need to think about it a little bit?