Negotiations and interactions among the undead are always fraught with pain, deceit, and cunning. Typically, no vampire count or necromancer trusts another. In a world filled with betrayal and lies, survival and strength are the core principles of the undead.
Throughout history, betrayals and conspiracies between necromancers and vampire counts have been as common as eating and drinking. Each undead lord is an ambitious figure, always ready to abandon allies or tear up treaties, constantly seeking to seize power from others during moments of weakness.
Currently, both Heinrich Kemmler, who had just recovered, and Mashubad, who repeatedly failed in his schemes, keenly recognized the necessity and rationale for an alliance.
Mashubad differed from his mentor Arkhan in that he was a formidable warrior rather than a skilled necromancer. Though he knew some vampire spells, he was nowhere near Arkhan's level—a vast difference between heaven and earth.
After repeated wars and several failed conspiracies, Mashubad's situation in Brittany had become dire. If the chivalric army attacked Mousillon, the Duke of Mousillon, who had been deprived of most of his forces by Arkhan, would be unable to field an army to fight outside the city and could only defend within.
Such a scenario was a slow death. Mashubad knew he needed a change.
Hiding in Blackstone Stronghold, the necromancer Heinrich Kemmler became the ideal ally for Mashubad. Mashubad was well aware of Kemmler's enmity with the Duke of Winford and his repeated attacks on La Maisontaal Abbey.
The existence of the Staff of Nagash was no secret. It was not only Kemmler's goal but also Mashubad's, one of the tasks left by Arkhan. Arkhan did not expect Mashubad to retrieve the Staff of Nagash from under the guard of a Holy Grail Knight leading an army; he only required that the staff not fall into anyone else's hands.
This gave Mashubad a reason to extend an olive branch to Kemmler. Regardless of whether the necromancer could be reasoned with, trying had no downside.
Kemmler, too, had his reasons for allying with Mashubad.
From Kemmler's perspective, after recovering his strength, he should have lain low, biding his time, slowly corrupting Brittany's eastern border, gathering strength, and waiting for an opportune moment to exact revenge and destroy La Maisontaal Abbey's defenses to seize the Staff of Nagash.
Time was not an issue for a necromancer; his lifespan was long enough. He had ample time to plot. The defenses of Blackstone Stronghold were exceptionally sturdy. The knights' trebuchets couldn't even reach it; capturing this fortress was a pipe dream.
However, Kemmler had his problems.
First, it was no secret that Ryan and François had invited the Angrund Dwarf Clan to form a large coalition army to attack Blackstone Stronghold. Such a large-scale mobilization couldn't escape the notice of vampires. Kemmler knew François was seeking revenge. Dwarven heavy artillery was not a trebuchet; it was a renowned siege weapon.
Second, Kemmler couldn't afford a prolonged conspiracy or slowly replenish his forces. The moment he accepted the Chaos Gods' pact and gained control of Krell and the undead Chaos Chosen Warriors, he was doomed to continually slaughter and destroy to appease the Chaos Gods. Otherwise, the gods could withdraw their power and abandon him at any moment. The Dark Gods had very limited patience.
He needed to act.
The size of Kemmler's Tomb Guard army now couldn't compare to when he first entered Brittany and fought François or his second invasion through Athel Loren. Back then, the Wood Elf army couldn't defeat Kemmler, resorting to awakening the Treeman King Durthu and seeking help from Brittany. The Lady of the Lake's oracle dispatched a group of Holy Grail Knights leading a large allied force of knights and wood elves, ultimately defeating Kemmler.
For over a decade, Kemmler had lived in madness, desperately needing reinforcements.
When Kemmler needed Mashubad, and Mashubad needed Kemmler, their alliance naturally formed.
To show respect to Kemmler, the weaker Mashubad led a few Black Grail Knights, two vampire lords, and a Corpse King through Bastogne and Montfort to meet Kemmler at an abandoned noble villa at the foot of the Grey Mountains.
This villa, once a vacation home for a knightly noble, had long been abandoned. Undead creatures roamed the area, and at night, villagers often reported seeing undead around the villa, making it a forbidden place filled with terrifying legends.
The dukes of Bastogne and Montfort once organized a joint force to investigate but found it was merely an abandoned villa. Out of respect for the deceased knight, they ordered a retreat and commanded the serfs to stay away.
Mashubad and Kemmler arranged to meet there.
After months of lurking and absorbing the power of fallen Black Grail Knights, Mashubad's skin had become paler and his strength had noticeably increased, breaking through a certain barrier. Clad in black cursed armor, with several black spikes glinting in the dim light, he carried a black blade, leading a dozen followers. His blue eyes darted around, scrutinizing the necromancer before him. "Greetings, Kemmler. I've heard of your deeds. You're a remarkable necromancer who has brought endless suffering to this land, which is why I've come."
Contrary to his expectations, Heinrich Kemmler did not appear emaciated. Though his cheeks were sunken and his complexion pale, he was tall, wearing a black human-skin robe, a pointed necromancer's hat, with a long hooked nose, long fingers, and a long white beard reaching his waist. A scar on his forehead, left by Duke François, marked where the duke had once cleaved half of Kemmler's head, which he had barely reattached. The unicorn sword's scar had tormented Kemmler for over a decade until the Chaos Gods' power recently healed it.
Years of wandering had left Kemmler's body and robe scarred, but it did not diminish his powerful pursuit of strength and his vow to destroy everything in the knightly kingdom. His chest bore several skulls, covered by human skin.
That skin was once the face of François's father, Tancred I. Unlike François, the former Duke of Winford had been defeated by Kemmler's Tomb Guard at the Battle of Montfort Bridge. The cruel necromancer resurrected Tancred I as a wight knight and skinned him as a trophy, a warning to the knights of the kingdom about the consequences of defying him.
"Your arrival is of no use, young Black Knight," Heinrich Kemmler's voice was thin and hoarse. He lifted his head, revealing only his wrinkled face and a pair of sinister eyes under his moldy, tattered wizard hat. "I know who you are, Arkhan's godson. You are not the Lich King, nor do you have the authority to represent him."
"I don't represent my godfather, but I can represent myself and Mousillon," Mashubad seated himself at the decayed black wooden table, staring at Kemmler with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "And what about you, Heinrich Kemmler?"
"You are not qualified to negotiate with me. Your godfather should come himself," Kemmler's expression remained impassive, though his eyes betrayed his contemplation of the alliance's necessity. "But we must talk."
The necromancer inwardly scorned Mashubad for his youth and repeated failures. He believed Mashubad's title of Duke of Mousillon was merely a gift from Arkhan.
However, Mashubad was not entirely worthless to Kemmler. For instance, the Black Grail Knights before him, or the many secrets buried deep within Brittany. Mousillon had stood at the Grismerie River's estuary for centuries, surviving many chivalric wars. Kemmler did not know how many undead troops were in Mousillon, but their numbers were likely significant. Additionally, Mashubad had Arkhan's vast resources as backup.
Mashubad's aura was strong enough that Kemmler believed that with the right use of Mousillon's forces, defeating François and the defenders of La Maisontaal Abbey was possible.
Once he obtained the Staff of Nagash, Mashubad would be useless. Kemmler, having pledged himself to Chaos, was no longer aligned with Arkhan. At the right time, he planned to have Krell kill Mashubad.
As long as Mashubad and Arkhan didn't discover his allegiance to Chaos, once he absorbed the power of the Staff of Nagash, even the Lich King would be no match for him.
While Kemmler weighed the benefits and risks, Mashubad also pondered.
His predicament had been previously discussed. An alliance with Kemmler was dangerous and unstable, but overall, Kemmler and his Tomb Guard could significantly alleviate Mashubad's military pressure.
Having been taught by Arkhan, Mashubad knew of many corpse pits in Brittany, the largest being the sites of the fallen Duchy of Artois and the Duchy of Aquitaine.
Only Mashubad knew their locations.
With Kemmler's necromancy, the necromancer could awaken two vast undead armies from these pits, greatly replenishing their forces. Mashubad lacked this ability, but Kemmler had it.
Let Kemmler and his Tomb Guard fight the knights and deplete their strength! When the time was right, Mashubad would reveal the Lady of the Lake's true nature to the Bretonnian knights, exposing her deceit. The knights believed their goddess was their beacon of hope, but she was merely an elf manipulating them.
Let the necromancer's army exhaust
itself against the knights. Kemmler and his Tomb Guard would serve their purpose. Mashubad smiled inwardly, knowing he would never let Kemmler take the Staff of Nagash, a relic meant for his godfather. When the time came, he would retreat strategically and betray Kemmler, ensuring the necromancer's total defeat. He would emerge as a knightly hero, saving the kingdom from peril.
The two undead generals, each with their own agendas, began negotiations and gradually reached an agreement.
"I'll tell you the locations of the Duchy of Artois and the Duchy of Aquitaine's corpse pits. In return, you must grant me control of half the resurrected army, including the fallen Duke of Aquitaine Armand and Duke of Artois Sylfreud," Mashubad whispered.
"Agreed," Kemmler replied bluntly. "My condition is that you and your forces must aid me. I decide where we attack."
"Agreed," Mashubad nodded.
"We'll start along the Grey Mountains, making the knightly kingdom feel my vengeance. You will assist me," Kemmler continued. "Lead me to gather enough souls to strengthen my power until we can crush François and his duchy, complete my revenge, and seize the Staff of Nagash from the abbey."
"We need each other. My Blood Knights and Black Grail Knights will aid you. We have a common goal," Mashubad thought to himself, "You won't live to see that goal fulfilled."
The Duke of Mousillon extended his hand, smiling.
"Yes, we need each other. Your wish will be fulfilled," Kemmler thought, "Once I obtain the Staff of Nagash, Krell will kill you and your Black Grail Knights. I'll offer your head to Khorne, plague-ridden Mousillon to Nurgle, this grand betrayal to Slaanesh, and your death plan to Tzeentch."
The Lich King Arkhan's godson, the Dark Gods would be pleased.
The necromancer also smiled, extending his hand.
A wizened necromancer's hand shook a young, pale hand.
"Then, the alliance is formed."
"The alliance is formed."
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