The First Lich Lord - Chapter 146

“Vito,” I whispered, “I do not know what to say.”

“Say enough to introduce me and pass authority to me. That should work,” Vito whispered back. “But make sure to be…” He sought a polite way to say what he wanted to. “Not Ezekiel the Lich…” He gave me a look. “But Ezekiel the Lich, the overlord who all should fear.”

I understood what he meant. Despite my acceptance of what I was, I wasn’t the standard megalomaniac Lich. We were standing on a balcony overlooking the central square of the city which was packed with elves, bone guard standing in all the streets holding them there.

Taking a deep breath I did not need, I stepped up to the railing, the quiet murmuring of the people dying down. The square was lit by sconces burning with purple eldritch fire and I made my eyes flare with the same power as I held up the severed head of the former mayor. Maxwell was sitting next to the railing out of sight. We figured it was better if it was just me and Vito. No spell could match his voice amplification.

“I am Ezekiel, I conquered your city for no other reason than needing bodies for my horde.” My voice boomed with power and authority. I wasn’t sure how much of that was from Maxwell amplifying my voice with his skill, though I suspected a lot, because standing in front of several thousand people was not doing my nerves any good.

“At the advice of my advisor, Vito,” I gestured to the vampire, and he stepped forward, extending his presence over the square, and while it wasn’t oppressive, it was powerful, “I went against my better judgment and did not kill all of you. He convinced me that you could provide service by supplying me with more monsters and other fodder for my horde then you would be worth by yourself.”

Now that I was speaking, I was feeling a little better, so I continued. “What I found here was despicable. Here and now, I declare this, blood magic will never be practiced in any domain under my dominion. Anyone who brings us the head of a practitioner of blood magic shall be rewarded the privilege of becoming living dead and a true citizen of my dominion. If this reward is not desired, they shall be paid handsomely instead.” I gestured at Vito. “In my absence, my regent’s word is my law.”

Vito bowed to me and took over. His cultured authoritative voice did not need Maxwell’s amplification. He began laying out how things would work, and I quit listening because we had gone over this before. The reward of being turned into a living dead was supposed to be part of what Vito offered, but I was certain he was okay with me delivering that instead. The high priest of death he was planning on creating would be able to make living dead. They are one of the few other beings who could do it easily.

Of course, for the narrative told to these people, we had to switch the roles a little bit. Vito had been the one wanting me to kill everyone while I was the one who talked Vito into the other option.

I left the severed head sitting on the railing as I disappeared inside the building. Maxwell carefully crawled over so he wouldn’t be seen by the people below.

Raven was waiting inside playing with her dagger. I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes to relax for a moment. As I did, I pulled up my character sheet.

Character Soul Level: 124

Name: Ezekiel Verniac

Race: Human Lich

Foreboding Gravitas:32

Unspent Stat Points: 10

Spent Stat Point: 610

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5 Stat Points per level

Health: 1670

Health Regeneration: 63/sec

Death Energy Tier 1: 3357

Death Energy Regeneration Tier 1: 77/sec

Death Energy Tier 2 Storage Capacity: 20/29

Mana: 2486

Mana Regeneration: 67/sec

Carrying lbs.: 2889

Stats:

Intelligence: 243 [multiplier: 1.311] [40 from gear]

Spirit: 189 [multiplier: 1.23]

Vitality: 119 [multiplier: 1.15]

Resilience: 121 [multiplier: 1.15]

Death Core Tier 1: 270

Death Core Tier 2: 29 [multiplier: 1.21]

Agility: 121 [multiplier: 1.1]

Dexterity: 101 [multiplier: 1.21]

Experience: 10,101 of 138,080

I put the ten points into my dexterity score, as it was very useful for creating rituals and complex spells. I was surprised by the two levels. Though we’d gained in power quickly, that was because the fights Vito had been sending were designed specifically to push our leveling. Past level 100, leveling typically slow down. Scanning over my trait list I saw one that hadn’t been there before.

Undead Overlord:

Your mastery of the undead as a Lich, your authority as a dungeon lord, and conquering your first city has granted you the trait of undead overlord. This is a ruler class trait, there are many variations and many ways to gain this trait. However, they all come with three traits of their own. The first two are the same for every type, while the third is a variation based on the type of ruler.

Dominion

Allows your influence and authority to expand over multiple regions. The stability and acceptance of your dominion by your subjects is based on many factors. Some of which are subjects alignment, your gravitas, availability of resources, ect.*

Commander in Chief

Allows efficient control of large or multiple armies. The size or number of your armies is dependent on several factors, these are: quality of your officers, your gravitas, quality of your troops, and alignment of your soldiers. When your armies win a large battle or conquer a region you gain experience based off either the size of the battle or the strength of the region conquered.

Foreboding Gravitas

One’s gravitas is based on who they are as a person and how they are perceived by others. Your gravitas is foreboding. Your nature and how it is seen by others is a threat too many through its implied power. Your demeanor promises violence to those who cross you. You are like still water best not distribute less the monster sleeping below awakens.

The strength of your gravitas is based on many different factors, some of which are: number of regions under your dominion, your personal strength, the gravitas of those who swear allegiance to you, ect.*

The commander in chief trait clarified the source of experience. When I looked up at the notification in my log, I’d gained nearly 150,000 experience when I conquered the city. The battle had not counted since I did not have the trait at the time. Combined with the experience I gained from the fighting I’d done, that explained the increased level.

I came back over my character sheet and saw the foreboding gravitas value. I had looked at my character sheet so many times, that I had not noted the change at first glance. Interested to see how this value was calculated, I pulled up more information on it.

Foreboding Gravitas

Base Multipliers:

Race: 2

Base Values:

Personal Power: 7.56

Allegiances to you:

Vito: 6.2

Regions or cities in your dominion:

Dead Water: 2.7

Dungeons in your dominion:

Reliquary of the Damned: 0.9

Total Foreboding Gravitas: 32

Utilized: 1

Unutilized: 31

I immediately began pulling up more information, curious about where these values came from, when Vito walked in. “Vito, what the heck is foreboding gravitas?” The screens might tell me the information, but he would add context.

An almost gleeful glint came to his eyes, and I groaned internally. I should’ve known this was something he enjoyed. I was pretty certain I was going to hate it.