Interview with a Necromancer
"So, you don't actually use any potions?"
"No. All of my skills are based upon magical incantations."
"But I've been told that your kind use poisons and such. Surely you cannot create poison without some sort of potion, can you?"
"Ha! You're thinking of assasains. Yes, I do use poisons - but do you know of any potions that inflict poison upon a being, besides those gas potions? Yes, you can create poisonous potions and such, but all of my poisonous skills are magically based. I can enchant a dagger to drip poison, explode a corpse in a great ball of posion, and I can blast out a ring of poisonous gas in all direction - but no, I do not use potions to cause those poisons."
"Hm. Well, what about your ability to wake the dead and such?"
"That has nothing to do with potions at all! I merely call upon the spirits of the dead to create skeletons or undead replicas of the dead. I also summon Golems, but those are merely forms of elements. I mass up dirt and mud to create Clay Golems, I use the blood and organs of the dead to create Blood Golems, I morph and magically activate weapons and shields to create Iron Golems, and I pull together fire to make Fire Golems. There could be nothing further from potions than my summoning skills."
"I see. Well, how do you learn the spells and such?"
"Study. Hours and hours of study. In the swampy recesses of the southern swamps, there is a great citadel. It is were all Necromancers learn their trade. Generally, a Necromancer must spend ten years of his life studying in that dark and secluded hall to learn his various skills. Sometimes, it takes longer, sometimes it doesn't take you nearly as long. Either way, you must spend years in that Citadel to learn anything of importance."
"Yes, I've heard of this citadel. The Black Citadel is what it's called, isn't it?"
"That's merely it's name to the public. It is actually named the Citadel of Trang-Oul."
"Trang-Oul? Who or what is that?"
"Who _was_ that, you mean. Trang-Oul was the first Necromancer ever. He invented the _word_ 'Necromancer', and created several of the skills."
"How can he be the first Necromancer, and yet invent only _some_ of the skills?"
"Well, you must understand that many advancements have been made since Trang-Oul's time. Granted, he created our greatest skills - the ability to raise skeletons and revive exact replicas of a dead body - but he didn't come up with everything."
"What skills have been invented since then?"
"Well, for one, two poison skills have been discovered since then: the ability to enchant a dagger with poison and to explode corpses in a ball of poison. My great uncle, a devout Necromancer, spent most of his life developing a curse now known as Attract. Also, we have - "
"Excuse me for interrupting, but what does Attract do?"
"It's an odd curse. Those cursed by it become universal targets."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"All those near the cursed person or animal will instantly attack it. A powerful overlord will suddenly have his minions turn against him. It is a very useful curse to use in junction with other curses."
"I'm impressed. You have the blood of great sorcerers in you."
"What? Sorcerers? Ha! You amuse me, Alkor."
"What do you mean?"
"There is a world of difference between a _sorcerer_ and a _Necromancer_."
"What do you mean? Do you not both deal with magic and spells? Do you not both summon warriors to fight for you?"
"Alkor, I believe that you have confused the word 'sorcerer' with the word 'Druid'. Sorcerers have nothing to do with summoning and control, unless you consider hiring mercenaries 'summoning'. Sorcerers and sorceresses deal with the elements - Fire, Ice, and Lightning. They do not 'summon'. And Druids - don't make me laugh! Those fools think that they can call upon the forces of nature to win the war on Baal. They call up Grizzly Bears and Spirit Wolves and other nonsensical forces. Can you believe it? He calls up animals to try to defeat the forces of evil! Foolish, eh?"
"I agree. Quite ridiculous. I'm surprised that there are so many followers of the Druid faith."
"Well, they do have the ability to shape-shift, and that is a very respectable ability. It does take considerable skill and knowledge to be able to change your shape."
"True, true. But I've never actually been interested in nature, outside of the herbs and plants needed to make potions."
"Yes. I've never been able to make potions. I know that most of the plants needed to make them are found here in Kurast, but despite a few months research on my part, I've been unable to learn enough."
"Yes, potion making is a difficult science. It doesn't take the ten years it takes to become a Necromancer, of course, but it takes about three years."
"I see. Look, this was a lovely conversation. I'd love to continue it with you sometime, but I have to meet up with a friend of mine. His name is Warriv - you may know him - and he says that he recently traded for some rare and valuable gems. I'm going to meet up and buy them from him."
"All right. I'll talk with you later. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
"So, you don't actually use any potions?"
"No. All of my skills are based upon magical incantations."
"But I've been told that your kind use poisons and such. Surely you cannot create poison without some sort of potion, can you?"
"Ha! You're thinking of assasains. Yes, I do use poisons - but do you know of any potions that inflict poison upon a being, besides those gas potions? Yes, you can create poisonous potions and such, but all of my poisonous skills are magically based. I can enchant a dagger to drip poison, explode a corpse in a great ball of posion, and I can blast out a ring of poisonous gas in all direction - but no, I do not use potions to cause those poisons."
"Hm. Well, what about your ability to wake the dead and such?"
"That has nothing to do with potions at all! I merely call upon the spirits of the dead to create skeletons or undead replicas of the dead. I also summon Golems, but those are merely forms of elements. I mass up dirt and mud to create Clay Golems, I use the blood and organs of the dead to create Blood Golems, I morph and magically activate weapons and shields to create Iron Golems, and I pull together fire to make Fire Golems. There could be nothing further from potions than my summoning skills."
"I see. Well, how do you learn the spells and such?"
"Study. Hours and hours of study. In the swampy recesses of the southern swamps, there is a great citadel. It is were all Necromancers learn their trade. Generally, a Necromancer must spend ten years of his life studying in that dark and secluded hall to learn his various skills. Sometimes, it takes longer, sometimes it doesn't take you nearly as long. Either way, you must spend years in that Citadel to learn anything of importance."
"Yes, I've heard of this citadel. The Black Citadel is what it's called, isn't it?"
"That's merely it's name to the public. It is actually named the Citadel of Trang-Oul."
"Trang-Oul? Who or what is that?"
"Who _was_ that, you mean. Trang-Oul was the first Necromancer ever. He invented the _word_ 'Necromancer', and created several of the skills."
"How can he be the first Necromancer, and yet invent only _some_ of the skills?"
"Well, you must understand that many advancements have been made since Trang-Oul's time. Granted, he created our greatest skills - the ability to raise skeletons and revive exact replicas of a dead body - but he didn't come up with everything."
"What skills have been invented since then?"
"Well, for one, two poison skills have been discovered since then: the ability to enchant a dagger with poison and to explode corpses in a ball of poison. My great uncle, a devout Necromancer, spent most of his life developing a curse now known as Attract. Also, we have - "
"Excuse me for interrupting, but what does Attract do?"
"It's an odd curse. Those cursed by it become universal targets."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"All those near the cursed person or animal will instantly attack it. A powerful overlord will suddenly have his minions turn against him. It is a very useful curse to use in junction with other curses."
"I'm impressed. You have the blood of great sorcerers in you."
"What? Sorcerers? Ha! You amuse me, Alkor."
"What do you mean?"
"There is a world of difference between a _sorcerer_ and a _Necromancer_."
"What do you mean? Do you not both deal with magic and spells? Do you not both summon warriors to fight for you?"
"Alkor, I believe that you have confused the word 'sorcerer' with the word 'Druid'. Sorcerers have nothing to do with summoning and control, unless you consider hiring mercenaries 'summoning'. Sorcerers and sorceresses deal with the elements - Fire, Ice, and Lightning. They do not 'summon'. And Druids - don't make me laugh! Those fools think that they can call upon the forces of nature to win the war on Baal. They call up Grizzly Bears and Spirit Wolves and other nonsensical forces. Can you believe it? He calls up animals to try to defeat the forces of evil! Foolish, eh?"
"I agree. Quite ridiculous. I'm surprised that there are so many followers of the Druid faith."
"Well, they do have the ability to shape-shift, and that is a very respectable ability. It does take considerable skill and knowledge to be able to change your shape."
"True, true. But I've never actually been interested in nature, outside of the herbs and plants needed to make potions."
"Yes. I've never been able to make potions. I know that most of the plants needed to make them are found here in Kurast, but despite a few months research on my part, I've been unable to learn enough."
"Yes, potion making is a difficult science. It doesn't take the ten years it takes to become a Necromancer, of course, but it takes about three years."
"I see. Look, this was a lovely conversation. I'd love to continue it with you sometime, but I have to meet up with a friend of mine. His name is Warriv - you may know him - and he says that he recently traded for some rare and valuable gems. I'm going to meet up and buy them from him."
"All right. I'll talk with you later. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."