Omake
Saruman: I apologize for interrupting your attempts at procreation my lord, but you told me to inform the very moment the army was ready for deployment.
Muttering angrily as he straightened his disheveled clothing, and ignoring the low whine that was coming from a nearly undressed Thurwingethil, Morbus turned his attention towards the bowing wizard.
Morbus: Thank you Saruman. Now if their was nothing else..
Saruman: Actually their was my lord. It appears that the troops have composed a somber ballad in your honor, and are looking forward to revealing it to you before they march off to battle.
Thurwingethil: (mutters) And I was looking forward to revealing why he should take me as his queen rather than that prude assassin.
Morbus: (sighs) Oh very well. But lets make it quick.
(Scene Change)
Azog: All right you scum. Lets show the master how hard you have been working on this.
Orc Legions:
Where there's a whip, there's a way
Where there's a whip, there's a way
We all wanna go to war today
But the Lord of the Lash says: "nay, nay, nay!"
We're gonna march all day, all day, all day!
Where there's a whip there's a way!
Saruman: Well my lord what do you think?
Morbus: Well, since you interrupted my chance to enjoy an intimate activity with Thurwingethil, I only have one thing to say.
Saruman: Oh and what is that?
Morbus: Dragon Lightning.
...
Taking a moment to stare into the brown eyes of the terrified, yet strangely confident girl, Morbus turned his attention away from his understandably nervous guests and focused it on the pair of minions who were responsible for their presence.
"You have done well Commander Azog, Lieutenant Zam. I trust that there are no witnesses to your otherwise successful mission"?
Sending a brief smirk towards the blond doppleganger before turning his full attention to his lord and master, Azog nodded his head in complete submission as he proceeded to inform Utumno's ruler of their experience outside the dungeon.
"None what so ever my lord. The girl was the only other human in the area when we sprung our trap on the human filth Lieutenant Zam managed to ensnare, but thanks to my men, we were able to capture her as well and present her to you".
Giving a hum of approval, which he knew would please the Orc commander, Morbus soon turned his attention to the scowling doppelganger, who quickly adopted an expression of nervousness as she heard the question she had been dreading ever since she learned that her carefully laid trap had nearly been spoiled.
"It is most fortunate that you had aid in your endeavor Lieutenant. Tell me, how was it that you forgot to set proper precautions for your little…rendezvous"?
Gulping in fear at her master's inquiry, though in truth he was more curious about the limitations of his newly sentient servants rather than annoyed with her potential failure, Zam managed to keep her composure as she answered the being who she feared to displease above all others.
"Forgive me Lord Morbus. I had taken the steps to ensure that no one would follow the lustful fool to our meeting place, but it appears that they were insignificant. I can only pray for your forgiveness in light of my failure".
Taking a moment to enjoy his servant's discomfort, which as he knew from his research was caused by the fact that his chosen race managed to lessen his ability to feel certain emotions while increasing others, the armored doppelganger dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand.
"Since your methods have were successful in carrying out my orders, I see no reason to punish you for something that has exceeded my expectations. I will be sure to inform Mara that you have done me a great service, and should be rewarded accordingly".
Shooting a grateful smile towards the subtly smirking overlord, who was once again applauding his exemplary acting skills, Zam hastened to keep herself from breaking down in hysterics as Morbus proceeded to do something that further cemented his position as a wise and powerful leader.
"Since the pair of you successfully carried out my orders, I think a reward is in order to show my appreciation for your efforts. Lieutenant Zam, I am promoting you to the rank of Captain, on the condition that you be more aware of your surroundings the next time you are carrying out your duties. Is that understood"?
Fighting to keep her composure at this news, the blonde shapeshifter merely nodded her head to show that she understood her master's warning.
Surprised, but undoubtedly pleased at how easy it was to gain favor with his lesser servants, the armored doppelganger turned his attention towards the one armed orc.
"As for you Commander Azog, tell the quartermaster that for the next week your scouts are to receive double their daily ration of meat while you are to receive the same quality of provisions that I have set aside for my use and the use of my Supreme Generals. I trust that this is an adequate reward for your efforts"?
Shocked by the generosity of his molten eyed, the blue eyed orc quickly expressed his gratitude for this high honor.
"It is more than I deserve Lord Morbus. I will work hard to ensure that I am worthy of your generosity".
Amused by Azog's reaction, and secretly thankful that his racial class allowed him to experience such joys as eating and sleeping, the armored doppelganger waved his hand in a dismissive manner.
"See that you do. Now both of you leave. I have business with these two….guests that you have brought me, and I would have you inform your commanding officers that I am most pleased with your progress".
Fighting the urge to snicker at the sight of his servants' bowing departure, and choosing to ignore the pair of trembling peasants for the time being, Morbus turned his attention towards the serenely smiling vampire with a slight look of confusion.
"Forgive me if I'm wrong Thurwingethil, but since those two are the servants of other Supreme Generals, shouldn't they have been present to this little meeting"?
Flashing an apologetic smile at the questioning doppelganger, the dress wearing vampire adopted a tone that would have convinced him of her sincerity if he hadn't taken the time to research the various characteristics of Utumno's most powerful NPCs.
"My apologies Lord Morbus. But since I was already near the throne room, not to mention the fact that both Saruman and Mara are currently busy with their assigned tasks, I deemed it would be more expedient to handle this matter myself rather than calling them away from their busy schedules".
Sighing as he was once again confronted with the competitive nature of his Supreme Generals, though in truth he was somewhat happy that an attractive woman jealousy guarded any access to him, Morbus ensured that his tone was stern as he addressed the undead woman.
"I see. In future you will ensure that you expend your best efforts to include your fellow generals in any meeting, especially if it is their servants who are responsible for completing my orders. Is that understood Thuringwethil"?
Though it pained her to allow anyone else to get closer to her master, the vampire nodded her head to show that she would comply with his order.
"I shall strive to do better in the future master".
Accepting the vampire's grudging submission, though he knew that he would probably be having this conversation again in the near future, Morbus spared the two fearful humans a quick glance before turning his attention back towards the contrite looking NPC.
"Tell me Thurwingethil, are you familiar with the concept 'good cop, bad cop'? Because I do believe that such a strategy will work wonders for our guests here".
Sending a brief glare of disgust towards the terrified siblings before shaking her head in the negative, the dress wearing vampire allowed her confusion to show as the armored doppelganger lifted himself off of his imposing throne and calmly made his way towards the clearly distressed humans.
"A pity. But I suppose it's for the best. After all, it's been sometime since I tested my creations on a being who isn't a member of my forces. So perhaps your lack of knowledge is for the better".
Though disappointed at not being familiar with her master's initial integration technique, Thurwingethil soon struggled to contain her excitement as Morbus proceeded to treat her to the sight of him showing off his greatness.
Oblivious to his captive audience, and taking a moment to choose just which of his prisoners he should interrogate first, Morbus extended his hand, the runes that surrounded his golden creation glowing as he activated one of its less well known abilities, and began to process of expanding his knowledge of this new world.
…
Despite the distaste he felt at being forced to associate himself with the unclean masses of this back water settlement, the Supreme Council had decreed that due to the sudden emergence of a new demonic threat, every magic caster in the Slane Theocracy must undergo assessment to see if they had what it took to rebuild the decimated ranks of the Sunlight Scripture.
In truth, though he knew that the Anti-demi response unit was essential to maintaining the purity of the human nation, the bald headed representative couldn't help but think that Nigun Grid Luin and his followers deserved to be slaughtered for their incompetence.
Yes it was sometimes necessary to kill the innocent in order to maintain the integrity of their civilization, but because of Luin's hubris, not only did they fail to defeatRe-Estize's strongest warrior, but they had provoked a being whose evil was too great for even the strongest of angels to purify.
It was only thanks to the blessings of 6 Great Gods that this Ainz Ooal Gown had yet to spread his vile wickedness into the world, but this respite would only last for as long as these demons believed that the Slane Theocracy was incorruptible to their poisonous teachings.
With this in mind, Bishop Gelma held his tongue as the village priest spoke to the assembled mass of peasantry.
"My children, I stand before you this evening because the blasphemous ways of the Re-Estize kingdom have finally summoned a demon of terrible strength to spread the horrors of sin across the land. Because of this, our devout leaders, represented by Bishop Gelma, have called for every person born with the ability to cast magic to step forth and offer their services to ensure the continued purity of our great nation".
Since this was the third time he had gone through this routine, Gelma wasn't overly surprised by the reaction he got from the gathered crowd.
Some, mostly the younger generation, were looking excited at the chance to achieve personal glory. Others, mostly the old and the very young, had greeted this news with understandable feelings of fear in anger. For they had all been told since birth that the sins of other human nations world would one day summon a force that would punish them for their many discretions. And it appeared that that day had finally arrived.
"We must all give thanks to the 6 Great Gods for blessing the Slane Theocracy with the clarity to rightfully prepare for the darkness that is ahead of us. But I promise you, as long as our faith remains unshaken, we will triumph over whatever beast of hell that dares to show itself on our sacred soil".
Nodding in approval with the priest's ability to once again cement the loyalty of these dirt farming peasants, Gelma motioned for the lesser ranked clergyman to take a step back while he addressed the assembled crowd.
"I know that all of you are probably terrified by the evil that has been so casually invited to our door. But let me assure you that…."
Though it had not been his intention to stop mid-sentence, certainly not when he was in the process of reminding people of the superiority of his position, the bald headed bishop found himself unable to speak as a cold oppressive aura suddenly assaulted his senses.
Nothing he had ever experienced came close to matching this terrifying feeling, and he could tell by the horrified expressions of the deathly still peasants, the same could be said for them.
Just when he was about to give the order to the available magic casters to do their best to combat this sickening feeling, the air was rent with a series of cries that made him believe that death had finally come for him. And like the legends of old, as the voices of death drew ever closer, the sound of beating wings could also be heard.
And just as his fear reached the point where he would have preferred to risk losing the respect of his inferiors by fleeing the village square, the angels of death finally made their appearance.
Watching in growing horror as 5 winged demons swooped down from the heavens, with another 4 remaining air borne to ensure that their devilish business would go uninterrupted, Gelma barely resisted the urge to relieve himself as one of these messengers hopped down from his serpentine mount, and slowly approached the rightly terrified crowd.
And oh what a monstrous being it was, for it was clear from its appearance that this thing was the leader of these chilling monstrosities.
While its torn black robes was similar in appearance to those being worn by the other demons, this one was adorned with a horrifying helmet of darkened silver, and carried a weapon that no living man would dare to carry.
Pointing the cursed weapon at the assembled crowd, the demon spoke with a voice that could cause even the bravest of heroes to shake in terror.
"My master requests a meeting with the leaders of this village, so step forward. If you refuse my master's most generous offer, you will end up wishing for the mercy of a quick death by the time I am done with you".
Relieved that he had been momentarily spared from this encounter, Gelma's relief soon turned to horror as the demon spoke again.
"My master, recognizing in his wisdom that this village may be temporarily playing host to a more influential member of your society, so he also demands that they too step forward".
Judging that it would be best to accede to the demon's command rather than go through the potentially lethal humiliation of being forced by the peasantry to reveal himself, the bishop slowly stepped forward.
For a moment nothing happened as Gelma and the 2 other selected victims were forced to kneel in front of the armored wearing wraith. But just as he dared to raise his head, the air exploded in a great pillar of blackened fire, and from out of the terrible inferno stepped a figure that could only be the Devil himself.
….
Though he was slightly uncomfortable with his current form, for it was far bulkier then what he was used to, Morbus had to admit that any discomfort on his part was well worth the effect his sudden arrival had on the understandably terrified villagers.
"Good thing I didn't choose to make my debut with the film version of Sauron's armor. Can't imagine these people would still be conscious if they watched that walking out of a gate of fire. I know that the rest of the originally trilogy pales in comparison to the rest of the series, but have to admit, that scene when Sauron is confronting the White Council is pretty bad ass. Cost a bit to mod the Gate spell, but it was worth it in the end. But back to the task at hand".
Inclining his head slightly downwards, for his new form was taller in stature than his chief wraith, who easily dwarfed the tallest humans present, the armored doppelganger analyzed the first of the 3 kneeling victims.
"Lets see. Slightly obese look, semi clean robes, religious symbol dangling from his neck. This guy is obviously the village priest Marybelle told me about. From what she said, the guy's actually a rather descent individual, if prone to fiery sermons that could put a Southern Baptist to shame, so will wait and see how he reacts to my announcement before I make a decision on how to deal with him".
Satisfied with his reasoning, Morbus turned his attention away from the silently praying priest and turned it towards the second person who had stepped forward at Angmar's command.
"This guy is probably the head of the village. Muscular, heavy scarring on his arms, yup no doubt about it. Might need to make an example of him since the siblings told me that he's a bit of a bully when it comes to governing the village, but again, will wait for him to make the first move".
Keeping his hand dangling within easy reach of his specially created weapon, the armored overlord couldn't help but smirk as he took in the richly dressed appearance of the near weeping bishop.
"Well now this is interesting. Unless I'm mistaken, this guy is clearly someone of great importance. Thus it stands to reason that I would get more useful information out of him then I can with anyone else. The siblings were helpful, but its clear that they've never left their village before, so their usefulness has come to an end. Still, should probably reward them for what they did tell me, otherwise it would be much harder to pull this off".
Grateful that his helmet prevented anyone from seeing the smirk that only a devoted fan boy could wear when presented the opportunity to play the bad guy, Morbus began the first step of his master plan.
…
He had been taught that the greatest evil could utilize stolen divinity to convince the sheep of the world to do their bidding, but such was not the case with this armored terror.
Doing his best to keep himself from flinching as the being's sinisterly powerful voice echoed throughout the village, Gelma struggled to maintain his composure as the Devil spread his message of evil.
"Good people of the Slane Theocracy, I stand before you today not as the instrument of your destruction, but as the one who will lead you all into a glorious future. For too long have you rolled around in the dirt, offering up your lives and your labor to those who pretend to offer your protection and salvation. But I say to you know that those days are over. For if you hereby swear your allegiance to me, then not only will I protect you from those who force you to go begging for scraps, but I will also ensure that your lives will be vastly improved from what they are now".
Having heard similar speeches numerous times during the course of his duties, though such talk usually stemmed from misguided nobleman and deceiving politicans, Gelma fought the urge to scoff at the armored beings proclamation. For even if he failed to deliver his promise, the fact remained that he possessed enough power to make the robed messengers of death bow in submission.
But while he was wise enough to hold his tongue, the village priest was no so wise.
"You DARE to come into this place to spread your message of corruption? I assure you that your words will have no effect here demon. We are strong in our faith, and that faith keeps out souls safe from monsters like you".
Though he admired the bravery of his fellow holy man, Gelma knew that such words would only provoke the temper of this being.
And he was soon proven correct.
"Message of corruption? Your words insult me good father. And since it is by my power alone that my servants are currently restraining their ability to influence mortals like yourself, I would suggest you hold your tonge before I remove it. Understand"?
Seeing that Father Leeumed had been sufficiently cowed by the threat of bodily violence, Gelma's eyes widened in disbelief as the demon offered them a chance to be rid of him for good.
"Since none of you can compare to the power that I wield, much less surpass it, I will allow you this one chance to defy me without suffering the usual consequences. So choose your stronges….".
No one was able to hear the last part of the armored demon's conditions. For upon hearing that his enemy was leaving himself open to attack, Leeumed seized his chance to strike down this evil with the strongest spell that he was capable of utilizing.
"Iron Hammer of Righteousness".
Watching the armored figure disappear in an explosion of white light, the people began to cheer for the strength of their new found hero. But all too quickly, that moment of celebration soon turned to horror, for from out of the smoke came proof that there was no quick solution to combating evil.
"Chain Dragon Lightning".
Watching in horror as dragon shaped lightning bolt reduced the previously celebrating priest into a smoking pile of ash, Gelma could only remain silent as the demon appeared to be completely unscathed from the previous attack.
"I do so hate to be interrupted when I'm trying to be a merciful lord. The next person who dares to do so will end up wishing for the fate of the priest. Do I make myself clear"?
…
Thankful that his helmet prevented any of the clearly terrified peasants from seeing the confused expression that was currently adorning his face, the former human remained silent as he considered the experience he had just undergone.
"Well that was certainly interesting. I can definitely feel pain, but since I have above average magical defense and resistance to magic, plus the fact that the Ring raises my magical attributes past the max level, that third tier spell only felt like a bug bite. And what's more surprising is that everyone acted like a 3rd tier spell was more than enough to solve their problem. If that's the case, then I'm sure that a 7th tier spell would be more than sufficient to convince them that I am beyond their power level. Still, its odd that I don't really feel anything despite killing that priest. Yes I was enraged at being attacked, but I just feel a sense of satisfaction. Oh well something to look into later".
Taking a moment to contemplate his next move as ignored the villagers pleas for mercy, Morbus decided to move forward with the next stage of his plan.
"As I have clearly just demonstrated, your powers are no match for my own. Normally I would not hesitate to burn this village to ground for your actions, but I am feeling oddly generous this day so I will offer you this once again. Swear your loyalty to me and I will spare your lives. Resist and you will enjoy the same fate as the recently deceased Father. The choice is yours".
Knowing that they stood little chance of opposing this oddly generous being, and seeing no reason to throw his life away for a loss cause, the bearded leader of the village gave his answer.
"In order to safeguard the lives of our children, as the leader of this village, I swear to you that we will bow to your wishes",
Inclining his helmet forward to show that he accepted the grudging obedience of the fearfully bowing villagers, the armored doppelganger smiled in satisfaction.
"That went easier than I thought. Got to love the adaptability of a medieval society. They always follow the guy who has the greater strength. However, since their probably all wondering how their lives will now change, time to start the process of winning their loyalty away from the likely corrupt Church".
"You have made a wise decision. And since I am a generous lord, the maximum amount of tribute I will request from this village will be set at around 5% of your total harvest. The rest I will allow you to use for your own purposes. Is that acceptable to you"?
Eyes widening at the unexpected generosity of their new master, for they had usually paid nearly 5 times the amount in taxes, the villagers hastened to agree to this arrangement before their new master could change his mind.
Scowling internally at the sight of the easily bought peasants, though in truth he had to admit that it was an effective way to gain the respect of a newly conquered people, the balding bishop was soon reminded of his precarious position by the curious sounding of the armored behemoth.
"As for you, by the state of your attire I can tell that you are a man of some importance. Since my offer of protection does not extend to you like it does to these good people, perhaps you would like to tell me what you're doing here".
Using the Ring's abilities to compel the kneeling bishop to obey his command, Morbus soon found his interest rising as he listened to the words of the older man.
"My superiors in the capital wanted me to scour the out lying villages for any magic caster that could be used to rebuild the decimated ranks of the Sunlight Scripture. They had met their demise of a being of great strength, and the Supreme Council is determined to rebuild our forces to meet this new threat before he decides to direct his attention to the rest of the Slane Theocracy. But I can see it is already too late, for your master has already seen fit to begin the process of extending his dominion beyond the confines of the Re-Estize Kingdom".
Frowning at the misconception of the mentally controlled bishop, for he was no one's servant, the armored doppelganger failed to control his anger as he moved to correct the rightly nervous clergyman.
Though it turned out to be a pointless endeavor as Angmar beat him to it.
"You dare to suggest that Lord Morbus is inferior to anyone? Your death will be slow in coming you blasphemous piece of filth. Reveal the name of this pitiful fool you consider to be my lord's superior, and I will consider granting you a quick death".
Since he shared the same curiosity has his chief Nazgul, though he was more willing to let the bishop live despite his mistaken beliefs, and wishing to keep this bit of information secret from his newest subjects, Morbus focused the Ring's power to completely dominate the mind of the holy man as he lowered his voice to satisfy his curiosity.
"And just who is this great being you speak of? Tell me his name".
And with his mind under the full control of the being who had so easily shrugged off the effects of the late Father Leeumed, Gelma told him.
"His name… is Ainz Ooal Gown".
...
ANNNNND thats it for now lol
Seriously, I'm spoiling you all with this story. 3 chapters of the same story in 3 weeks? new record lol. Though considering that it took me nearly a year to post chapter 5...suppose this makes up for it lol.
Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Unlike Momanga/Ainz...who as we all know decides to play the part of the adventurer to learn about the new world (at least until the fight against Shaltlear ..Morbus takes a far different approach, immeadetly playing the part of a conquering dark lord.
Of course since he is aware that having people follow him out of gratitude/loyalty is far more useful in the long run that following out of fear...he's going with the carrot stick approach/making himself look like a better ruler than the New World's leaders. Yes hell will punish those who defy him, but he will also reward them, and make sure that those who obey him have a easier life than the one they held previously.
Also think I came up with a plausible way for the two Guild Masters to become aware of each other. Since I would assume that since someone was witnessing the Sunlight Scripture's defeat, and i checked the anime to see that Ainz does say his name before the observation spell was cancelled, the Slane Theocracy would hasten to rebuild its forces..going far and wide through out the nation to find magic casters of sufficient strength.
Think i did a good job describing the effects of the Nazgul had on the villagers, as well as Morbus's entry. Say what you want about the Hobbit Trilogy (I like but still recognize the superiority of the original trilogy) but you have to admit that Sauron knows how to make an entrance. Also...used Sauron's design from Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War instead of the film version during Morbus's scene with the villagers. hopefully you can forgive me using something from a story line that doesn't match the vision Tolkien had.
Got to see some usage of the Ring in this chapter, which I have stated before in the chapter 3 authors note, that it raises an equipt player's magical abilities (mp, attack and defense) while also granting them increased ability to launch mental attacks, while lowering a targets ability to resist.
Anyways...hope you all enjoyed this...not sure when next chapter will come out...but hopefully it will be soon..not too soon though XD.
And as always...keep reviewing :)