He could even attain immortality, by gaining enough negative energy to commit the Death Spiral ritual. Though, if he became a Lich, the people of the Kingdom may hate him so he would be forced to hide it. In his bones, in his very nature, he could feel the potential for sheer and unbridled power. The power to give every one such a fantastic life that they had to worship him.
In the past year he had asked many questions of Count Faringheim about his "friends". He was technically a member of Zurrernorn himself, but his only connection to the rest of the organization was the Count.
The following year, he had attempted many times to become a spell caster of the 2nd tier, hiring the best of tutors. He successfully managed to learn, a single second tier spell. The one he had always been practicing healing with, he unlocked the ability to do without [Overmagic] and he managed to create a single 1st tier spell. [Kaltai] which would restore his mana. Now, mind you it would take more mana to cast the spell than what it would restore. The only way to make a "profit"
of mana through the spell was to inscribe it onto a spell sealing scroll. Due to "technically" becoming a second tier magic caster, Philip could now perform [Overmagic] of the second tier, giving him access to a single third tier spell in exchange for a truly massive amount of mana just as he once did for his second tier spells. Typically, his days were now spent storing away his mana in the form of [Kaltai] scrolls, and ruling his domain. His schedule was to wake up, go for a ride on his horse, enter his manor and sit upon his throne in his throne room. Before when his father was Baron, it was a meeting room. Now that Philip was Baron, it had become a tiny recreation of the Re-Estize throne room based off of descriptions from the Count. He would dispense his wisdom to the people, heal them if they needed it, and then return to his study where he would fulfill his magical obligations. He now had two skeletal magicians at his command, thanks to a three month ritual for each of them.
The only thing he did was produce spell scrolls and do what ever pleased him after that. No further work was required. He decided he would take a lover at some point after the battle of the Katze Plains, one of very high standing.
Yet a sense of melancholy had hold of him. His halls seemed, emptier than they were last year. His will seemed to be lessened. He had the wealth from his victories invested into some merchants, and his own pleasurable pursuits. Books, fine sheets,
the finest of foods, yet something seemed missing. He knew everything he needed to do to claim the power and respect that was rightfully his and yet he felt little obligation to reach out and grab it. Burn out? Perhaps. Sitting on his throne, looking out the window on a rainy day, seemed to be at least the slightest bit of comfort. Philip liked the rain. That was one of the few things from his childhood he would keep.
"The rains is it?" he said to the empty room. "It will be time for the Empire to visit again."
Lightning split the sky as a smile crossed Philip's face.
xxx
*The issue with talking to Count Faringheim is that he keeps talking about the other members of the order as if they are MY superiors.* Philip thought to himself ignoring the droning of the Count about the business of the order. The only topic of interest was the discussion of Kaijit, the leader of their particulair cell. A third tier magic caster living in the crypts in the E-Rantel communal cemetary. Or rather, the object that Kaijit possessed known as the jewel of death. A sentient magic item. It was the key to Kaijit's upcoming Death Spiral ritual and the source of his power. It could absorb negative energy and let someone cast a undead type spell of higher tiers so long as you had enough energy for it.
Kaijit was going to destroy the entire city of E-Rantel and absorb the negative energy from their deaths. Philip didn't know what to make of this. On one hand he was envious, that someone else possessed such a great item. He wished that he could become immortal in the near future instead of Kaijit. On the other hand, if E-Rantel fell and the Empire wasn't in a position to invade, Philip could make a move on the developing political instability to gain a higher position for himself. *Ah... wait... what if I betrayed the order and took the orb myself?* Philip thought. *No. I couldn't do that without help from someone like Gazef Stronoff. Wait, that's it!*
Count Faringheim was giving him a strange look as he was Philip looked as though his heart had skipped a beat, as though his eyes were witnessing something spectactular in his carriage that was someone invisible to the Count's eyes. "Philip? Is something the matter?" he asked.
"Ah... no Count, nothing is the matter. Just had a idea for the battle tomorrow." the man said with a wicked sneer crossing his face.
xxx
It was the third battle of the Katze Plains for Philip. last year he killed 34 men. this year, he had brought the spell scrolls he had made the entire year made into a tome. He would place a finger between the covers, so that he was touching the pages and would cast [Kaltai], destroying one of the pages in the book and gaining him mana. The soldiers approached. They didn't recognize or didn't care about some random noble in slightly fancier armor and a slightly finer horse than he rode last year.
And so they perished for their crime of approaching Philip. An arrow had come close to him but bounced off of his armor. Philip paid it no mind, normal arrows couldn't pierce enchanted armor like his anyways.
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]
and so forth. Every shot he took, was a step. Every step was leading him to what he ultimately desired. "An Empire." he said aloud between shots. Men fled from him. He watched as they were routed. As they fled, Philip turned and sent his spells into the flank of the troops that had not fled but there exposed. "Forward!" he cried out. *Yes. I remember this feeling.* he thought. *THIS is what I was missing this whole time! Victory! I need to gain victory! I need to carve my name into history. I can see it now. I will crush the Empire's forces. I will return to E-Rantel, and save the city from Kaijit. I will take the jewel. Then I will raze that Imperial Fortress, and take the throne of this Kingdom!* his heart was restored. His blood pumped again. He felt it in the air, as he killed as many men as he could.
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Kaltai]
[Fireball]