True Dungeoneering

Ch 1: Rebirth

A little of this a little of that and muah perfection. I sat back admiring my work. I had designed the most perfect adventure to play out with pony friends. This adventure had everything I could think of from a haunted castle, to an evil overlord, it even had the elements of harmony for that touch of realism for some of my dnd ponies. Well, they're only three of us Skyward, his little sister, and myself. It bites there's only three of us, but I don't mind it's my special talent what makes me me. If the cutie mark didn't give it away my name is Dungeon or DM, which everybody calls me. I run the local game shop in Ponyville it's also where I host my games. It's my passion and I love introducing new ponies to a new hobby.

Huh, must of been lost in thought the clock flashes 1900. Sweet, soon Skyward and his sister would be here and the table would be set for the best game ever. I began setting the table chips, play mat, fresh pencils, and finally dice. I heard the tingle of the bell connected to the front door of my store. A pair of hoof steps followed by Skyward calling out my name. I directed him and his sister back behind my counter. "Hey, how's the studio," he flew over and landed in his seat. "You know the same old same old." He began writing details down for tonight. "I painted a mural similar to the one I painted for your shop."

"Oh, the dragon and unicorn fighting?" I asked taking a seat.

"Similar, but no dragon and a little more...

"Enough work talk," Oka cut it him off; "I came to crush the skulls of my enemies." She had begun rolling her dice testing them for this evening’s game.

"True enough, the night is upon us and the dungeons are calling." I dove behind my DND screen and began weaving the tale.

"Alright you sneak up the stairs in front of the throne room of the castle of the two sisters. You and the elements of harmony slowly reach the top of the stairs and two goblins with bows are waiting."

"I jump at the left one swinging my battle axe." Oka began rolling her d20, "ha 19 critical hit and boom 36 hit points."

"You slice Goblin 1 into two pieces vertically."

"My cleave feat means I can get the other one too right." Oka said grinning as she began rolling her d20 and d12. A quick swipe of her battle axe and the barbarian pony lets out a war cry as her adversary falls to the ground in pieces.

Skyward leans back in his chair smiling. "Oka if you keep killing everything we will never know what's going on here."

"Hey your just mad because I get to kill stuff besides I'm in character so phbbbt." She takes a sip of her drink looking cheeky.

The group decides to peer into the throne room, silently poking heads through twin doors. A force of a thousand of Celestia's sun rays forces the barbarian, the rouge, and the elements of harmony into the room. The door slams shut and the room is plunged into darkness as a shadowy figure materializes with a dull red gleam. The gleam brightens until a 15 foot Minotaur like creature with large black bat like wings behind him. Eyes blazing with dark flames he lets out a cry in a language the group doesn't recognize. He turns to a chained pony on a pedestal; he drives his long black claws into the struggling pony silencing it forever.

The creature turns around blood trickling off his hand growing larger. "Your blood will make me god like elements." He says his voice sounding like ancient mountains grinding against one another. A spear shoots out towards the demon. With the reflexes of a snake he grabs it before impacting with his face. He then snaps it in half like a twig. "Puny mortals you think such weapons can affect me." He lets off a rolling laughter something between malicious and devious. Skyward the rouge appears from behind the group with a grimace.

"Seems we need the elements to handle this."

The six ponies each who safeguards the elements move forward too....

"Woah, woah, woah hold on wait one second." Oka says, "what's with Twilight and the others? Did they forget how to talk or something?"

"Well," I said scratching my head, "I've asked Twi to come play, but other than a purely academic venture of comparing spells she doesn't have time." I said shrugging. I look at the young brown mare who is apparently dissatisfied with my answer as she rolls her blue eyes with disinterest.

"Not to jump on this, bash the game thing."

Skyward said, "but the Minotaur is kind of strange don't you think and with wings?"

I could tell that game night had come to an end. The adventure was enticing, but with lack of players for the party, my npcs having non-existent dialogue, and the Minotaur being a strange choice I could see the lack of interest. I guess I could make some changes the easiest being the Minotaur.

"You know what guys, I'll tweak it a little bit and by next time the game will be solid." I started closing books as the Pegasus wiped the game mat and put dice away. I said a brief goodbye as I led them out and locked up behind them. I went to the back room where I kept my collection of books and began searching for a new evil overlord.

Hours spent searching through books as a small lump of regret sat in the pit of my stomach. I had to get this right I had to find the perfect match for my story. Something that I was I don't know scary, but of this world. That's it I needed a tyrant that others would if not recognize realize he was from our history no matter how far back I had to go, it was the hook I needed. I knew it wouldn't matter to the others, but this was my passion and I wanted everything to be perfect. Its what make me.

I could recall a few enemies of Equestria, but none fit the billet for what I needed. I wanted an entity so dark he made villains like Nightmare Moon seem like a grade school bully. I gave it some more thought then an idea struck me I knew the one place I could go that would have the knowledge I sought. I glanced at the clock it illuminated 1217. It was late, but I was determined to finish my story so I quickly packed up a few books and headed out into the night, destination the Castle of the Two Sisters.

The forest itself wasn't bad. The creatures here were a little tough, but I was pretty sneaky so I didn't really have a hard time of it. I had spent time here before studying creatures and even practicing spells so I knew the path well enough. I even knew the various territories of creatures, courtesy of one Miss Fluttershy who helped with a portion of my game where I needed to know which creatures lived where. So, as far as any creature knew not a single pony passed through the woods that evening thanks to an invisibility spell.

As the castle came into sight I dispelled the veil as I continued to walk. That spell as well as many others was just one I had learned from my DND books. In fact at one point as a young filly right as I got my cutie mark I had devoted a good portion of time learning the spells in my books. I guess I just felt a calling in them, but regardless many of them had been helpful and I was glad I took the time to learn them.

Apparently I got lost in my own thoughts because I walked snout first right into a castle wall. I cursed as I rubbed a fresh cut on my nose after falling onto my ass.

"Well I guess my spells aren't helpful for everything," I drawled sarcastically.

Scornfully I looked up and this place never ceases to amaze me. This ancient wonder of past ages long forgotten. Abandoned due to a mix of anger, jealousy, and sorrow. This would have the villain I'm looking for. I paused a moment thinking of Twilight's disappointed look, but the idea of asking for forgiveness rather than permission has always been more my style. Besides whose going to know I was here and with that I entered the ancient place.

This palace had been run down and filled with desolation long before the settling of Ponyville. I found it very peaceful here despite it being the site of great ruin. I made my way to the library to begin studying ancient texts. The books were very old and most of it was unreadable, but I would navigate them best I could. As I reached the library I couldn't help but notice the sound of a slight breeze flowing through the castle. The noise slightly creepy, but I would see my mission through. I made my way to an open table placed my bags down and began searching.

After the sixth or so history book I tossed aside I was beginning to think this was hopeless. Not a single enemy of Equestria fit the billet. Sure there were dragons, but that was over played. Powerful hydras and wizards lame I wanted something that truly inspired terror to all the world's lands. I settled my chin on my hooves my eyes gazing at the book shelves, wind whistling in the background, and the glint of silver of one particular binding far left of the third shelf catching my eye.

I rose walking slowly towards it. As I neared the shelf I realized it wasn't a book, but a sliver of metal. My curiosity getting the best of me I gently pulled at it with my green tinged aura of magic. The sliver smoothly descended one part in a fixed position, apparently a lever of some sort. No more than a second after that thought occurred a book shelf to my right begun descending into the ground revealing a staircase descending directly into the ground.

I had heard rumors of ancient texts being hidden by the princesses in this library, but this was the first I had discovered. I grinned with excitement as I cast quick light spell and descended the stairs. I stopped counting at 309, but it must have been at least 1000 stairs till I reached a small cavern that had been carved out specifically. A pedestal with two lanterns illuminating it brought into sight an ancient looking black book.

I slowly walked up to it and in flowing red letters the title read Last Testament of Catharax the Exhumed. The wind I heard whistling had stopped as I read the title out loud. The book itself radiated dark and dangerous magic. I tentatively grabbed the book and sat down and opened the first page. A complex and detailed spell circle had been inlaid on it. The complexity of it baffled me symbols in ancient languages that had long been forgotten. The next page held information on this Catharax and as I read it I realized just what Catharax was.

"In the times after the reign of the mighty Discord magic flourished. All knowledge was within the grasp of those who sought it. I was a powerful mage who commanded the powers of the universe sought by some and feared by others. If that bloody fool of an apprentice had been more careful I'd have had more time to prepare none the less his sacrifice first made such possible. They gawked at me called me unnatural, but such sacrifices are need for the price of immortality..." I glanced around as the darkness seemed to be humming with every word I read. I disregarded it assuming it to be my own jitters. "The princesses have banished me for my unholy power, but it'll not matter soon enough. I have amassed an army of undead ranging from dragons, Georgina, a hydra or two, and many fierce creatures. I am an unstoppable god of death and I will raze Equestria to the ground, but if I am to be defeated at this, which should be my greatest triumph, know this, lest my book be destroyed Catharax the Exhumed shall return all that is required is a drop of blood to whet my appetite."

I stood in realization of what this book was and who or rather what Catharax was. An undead mage a lich ruler a being of unimaginable darkness and master of a dark magic not seen since before the fall of Princess Luna, necromancy. The very nature of this book was evil, pages upon pages of raising and calling undead hordes, shadows, ghosts, ghouls, and nameless terrors. I could feel the malleable maliciousness coming in waves off the boom. It called for blood and that was the last thing I would give it. The last page had a dagger stashed in it. A curvy flamberge looking blade and I felt my hoof reaching for it nonchalantly.

"Woah, woah, woah wait a sec," I said drawing back. The book giving off mire waves of hate then before. It was almost like a primal urge had pushed in me for the knife. I don't know what's going on, but that book was powerful to be able to influence things around it. That would explain why it was hidden so deep. I decided heading back up the stairs was the best option and as I turned to go a flicker of the book caught my eye and my foot found a loose stone.

I went down in a heap once again slamming my face into the castle. I rolled over onto my back rubbing my nose. Drawing my hoof away I glanced at it in the low light and realized my previous cut and opened again. I stood to go, but in the windless silence I heard the bump bump of a heart beat. I turned to look and saw the book on the floor a line of the blood from my face that was on the ground had raced its way to the book and soon none remained.

The book began shaking on the ground. More precisely the room itself was baking around the book. I held steady on the stairs I quickly seated myself to avoid falling. Moments after the shaking began a beam of dark magic shot straight up into the ground above the chamber boring a hole clean through straight up into the castle above and into the night sky. The beam widened to about the size where a large pony could fit within it.

The room stopped, time stopped, and the light beam dwindled until finally a large stallion stood before me. Demon like didn't even begin to describe the stallion that stood before me. The bone skull for a face to burning red lights for eyes and shadowy impression of a body shimmering over bones. His back desecrated with bone shards poking out and running along his spine serving as some sort of twisted mane. He strode forth on black steel hooves cracking the ground with each step.

I've never been one to be left speechless, but with this eight foot tall skeletal like demon creature standing less than two feet away words just seem to get caught in my throat.

"I think I may have just made a huge mistake." I said out loud with an audible gulp.