TAKE ME OUT TO A FUNERALTake me out to a funeral,
Take me out in a shroud,
Buy me a hankie and one black rose;
I'll weep like a widow and blow my nose.
And it's mourn, mourn, mourn, for the dead guy,
This time he's not just asleep.
For it's ooooo, aaaaak, ugh and you're dead,
And your six feet deep!
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Shanra, the High Priestess, and I continue to but heads over the skeletal warriors I have pressed into Orcish service. She says she has spoken with Charon, the boatman of the river Styx, and that he is angry about the Undead having skirted his passage. She says we risk Hade's wrath by continuing to associate with them.
Her points are valid, but I must disagree with her. We have not allied ourselves with the Cold Ones, and we never will. The skeletal cavalry in our ranks are there because I will them to be there. It is by my will, and my will alone that they serve me. They have no free will and are not our "allies."
Sticks is another matter, for I do not truly believe him to be undead. Even if he is though, he is not a servant of the Cold One. What's more, mighty Hades himself has delivered him unto me. Shanra called down the power of Hades and prayed that he destroy Sticks, he Hades refused her prayer, and instead lifted Sticks' Gaes spell. I am not one to question the will of the gods, nor do I have wisdom enough to attempt to interpret Hades' will in this matter. Hades rules the underworld and for all I know he has delivered Sticks to me to be used as a tool in fulfilling my destiny or leading the Orc nation to a new Golden Age.
Despite my current differences with Shanra, I cannot stay angry at her for long. Although it has been well over 10 years since our love affair her fiery temper only serves as a reminder of why I fell in love with her to begin with. Even as we shout at each other, that gleam in her eye penetrates my soul and feel helpless like a young Orc again. Ahhh, those were the days. Few cares or responsibilities, living only for the moment. I was in the army, rising quickly through the ranks with my quick sword and quicker wit. She had just joined the priesthood of Hades and her wisdom for the clerical texts amazed her teachers. It's no wonder the two of us began our tryst; two passionate personalities, hungry for power and lust for each other.
Often I have pondered just what might have happened between the two of us if I had not decided to follow the vision mighty Hades granted to me one evening. I remember it like it was yesterday. Shanra and I were laying in one another's arms (I had thoroughly exhausted her if I do say so myself), and just as I was drifting off to sleep, HE appeared to me. I knew instantly that it was Hades himself. He told me that I had been chosen by him to lead our People in glorious conquest and into a new era of strength. I was to begin a sojourn to the lost temple of Hades and there I would be trained in the skills necessary to become a worthy champion and return to my people with power.
The vision lasted only for an instant, but in reality several hours had passed. I awoke and told Shanra what had happened and that I had to leave immediately. She said I was drunk and didn't believe me, then accused me of finding another to share my bed with. She told me that I would be back in a few days once I grew tired of wandering about the caverns alone. When had not returned in over a year, most everyone assumed that I was dead or had been captured.
Everyone was surprised, Shanra the most, when I returned several years later with power; the one whose coming had been foretold. I claimed my right to the throne and began preparations for this glorious campaign. Do I regret having left Shanra? Most definitely. But service to my god must come first; the campaign is what matters. Still, Shanra has not married in all this time, and adventuring alongside her is as fresh as it was all those years ago. She has grown more stubborn and even more fiery than she was before, to be sure, but I wonder if there is still the possibly of rekindling our flame. Does she still harbor any feelings towards me at all? We shall see....