-Repost-
Wednesday, January 23

'One Deadly Nightshade plant.
Four pieces of Ratsbane bark.
20 Pounds of Silver
A Vial of water from the river Kerfloz.'

"This was the price of my soul. These four ingredients would exorcize the rat monster’s soul that had stuck itself onto mine, and give me my life back. I’d planned with my companion, that we’d travel south first, collecting the plants, then make our way up to the silver mines in the far north. After that, we’d probably have to purchase a boat, or get taken as passengers to the south, as the Kerfloz was inaccessible by land. We’d opted to head for the first, at the town of Orsa. We’d headed through endless fog for days and arrived there much relived to see it free of the clinging mist.

The people of the town seemed friendly, but when they heard mention of the Deadly Nightshade plant, they seemed to lose color and willingness to help us. I then let Ygleon take over, as he was more human than I, and he quickly had us directed to the Grave keeper’s house on the edge of town. In the distance, free of the misted air, there was yet another immense building, arched to an immense height, with a central spire and sprawling in width. It sat like a crown jewel cushioned by the tallest hill in the area. When Ygleon told me it was a church, it both surprised me, and made sense, though it clearly dwarfed any I’d seen.

We came out to it to speak with the grave keeper, and she told us that the church was almost unused. Besides speaking of the turned over furniture and crumbling façade, she let on that during the night rather than a place of God, it bore witness to the will of Satan. After a shuddering silence, we pressed her about the deadly nightshade. Glad to be off the subject, she led us out to the graveyard where the woman told us it hadn’t bloomed this season except, for the past few nights she had seen it growing from disturbed graves.

Thanking her for help, we returned to town and bought our rooms for the night. Then we visited the bazaar, full of exotic things we’d and necessities we’d used up. We bough a couple canteens of water, I paid for candles, oil, and to have my lantern fixed after the Goblins had bent it. We bought rations for two weeks and then dined at one of the cheaper restaurants in the town square.

When nightfall came, though cloudy we returned to our recently bought rooms. On Ygleon’s bed I laid out the map and recounted what we had discovered said. Ygleon, taking our rations and the grave keeper’s words into account, suggested we leave now for the mines, and by the time we returned we’d be at the site in season for the blooming of the nightshade. I argued that it wouldn’t be a big risk just to check the graveyard, as she was not going to leave her house in town for the night, and we could collect it now and be done with it. Ygleon and I fought for about two hours over it, and I stressed many times how I wanted to be done with this far-flung town. Ygleon was apprehensive about being in graveyards at night, and eventually I gave into his wishes.

Much calmer now, we turned in for the night, but the nightmares came back. I couldn’t sleep. I wouldn’t sleep. The plant was in our grasp, and I wasn’t going to lose my chance at freedom because of superstitions of the night. I packed my stuff in silence, found my lantern and after filling the oil well and grabbing an extra candle incase I ran out. I slipped downstairs with the key to our room, and headed for the graveyard.

Arriving at the border of town, the sky was cloudy, completely obscuring the moon. I averted my eyes from it, and taking my flint and tinder; I lit the lantern, and headed into the realm of graves. It wasn’t exactly spooky, there were lanterns here and there providing basic light and keeping the ground free of total darkness. I felt the wind pick up, and an upward glance showed me the clouds were parting. I picked up my pace slightly, and as I reached the middle ground, the light from my lantern hit on a grave in relative isolation from the others, in front of it, on the brown semi-fresh dirt, was a small plant, with black flowers, the Deadly nightshade.

I came closer to it, and as I reached down for it, I saw my nails sharpen. I felt gray fur began to prickle up and I reached for my sword to cut my ingredient from the earth, and leave before I accidentally looked at the moon. I held my sword half way out when something clipped on to my pants, I tried to brush it off with the blunt end of my sword, and then it tugged violently. The shock caused me to drop my lantern, which rolling over revealed a skeleton emerging from it’s grave!

I saw it had unearthed past the rib cage, and was holding my pant leg in a tight skeletal grip. In part to their being a full moon and in part to the creature emerging from the grave to eat me, I hollered. My face sprang into a snout, and a tail tore itself from my spine. I began to appreciate Ygleon’s wisdom and cursed myself for my folly.

I heard the dirt shake from it’s flesh-free limbs, and the sound was echoed around me, it leaned in, and I tore myself from it’s hideous visage, determined not to join him. I ripped my pants as I escaped the death’s grip. I kicked him in the side of the jaw, my feet now both rat paws. With it momentarily disoriented, I tore plant out by roots, and quickly picking up my sword I headed towards the church.
With my lesser sword I decapitated them, disabling them entirely. Left and right they burst from their graves to bathe in the light of the full moon, and catch the Rat, who had stolen something from their home. I was followed onto the hill where I slipped into the church. They followed, knocking over pews and attacking the altar, some burning to dust when they touched the tabernacle. I led them back through the sacristy, where like I had hoped lay a vat of water. If it had been blessed before the church was left to ruin I’d be saved. Other wise, a rat skeleton was going to march with them the next time they rose.

I shoved the vat over, and the water cascaded down the halls, dissolving the skeletons as it followed the ruined aisle and into the night. With the undead gone, I felt safe, but was thankful for the remaining water, when one of them appeared and destroyed themselves by entering the soaked stones. I sat above it, holding the plant, and waited for the coasts to clear, or for the moon to be covered by clouds. When I was sure I was safe, I hightailed back into town where I slipped into my hotel and finished this entry."

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"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

"Mah rat, this Brains are what all true Zombies strive for."

This picture was a long time coming. The first sketch was done about the time I drew Ageaus in May, and by the end of the month I finalized the sketch. I spent the last five days (except yesterday) Coloring it, and if anyone is interested, I can compile a step by step image to show you what I did. There are errors both in Dugun’s changing anatomy and shading, and if I wasn’t in danger of piercing the paper, I would have manually darkened this much more than I have.

I wrote the story today, and the one you see here is a greatly abridged version of the real one. Originally consisting of two journal entries, and went into more detail concerning just about everything. The epistolary style of storytelling is now my favorite and If I ever get any serious progress on the main one I’m having trouble finding time to work on I’ll upload it.

I’m going to have an updated reference for Dugun shortly. I think. Overall I like how this turned out, but I'll be the first to tell you, I gotta lot more to learn, and a lot more stuff to try out yet.

Songs:
Seclusion- Penumbra
Die Schlinge – Oomph! & Apocalyptica
Descent of the Archangel- Kamelot
Bloodia (A raven in the Night)- Catafalque
Follow me- Pain & Anette Olzon

Dugun is © to me.
Ygleon is ©  luckyboy
First quote comes from -"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"