Many warriors were called barbarians because they were rough and unkempt.
The reason was simple: warriors usually faced fierce battles and equally fierce competition. Worrying about appearances was for people with money and time to spare, like spellcasters.
But one group was excluded: Necromancers, Undead Sorcerers... Whatever their title, spellcasters skilled in Necromancy received none of the “uncrowned Noble” treatment other spellcasters enjoyed. Even if people did not attack them on sight, they still found them a nuisance.
So most Necromancy spellcasters stayed away from towns. Prolonged isolation and the influence of negative magic power gradually twisted them, eroding their respect for morality and law. It was a vicious cycle...
More than a hundred li from Gem Bay, one such ragged band trudged along, looking like beggars.
In the cold of early spring, they wore bulky mage robes, clutched wooden jars that rattled as they walked, and carried bundles on their backs. Their loose hair was matted with mud and ash, making them look like walking corpses. In a city, a kind Noble might toss them a few copper coins. In the wilderness, a passing Holy Knight might toss them a Mass Purification instead.
But these migrating Necromancers found it all fresh and strange. The wilderness where snow was melting and the air was fresh felt nothing like the damp, chilly underground. Tender shoots of grass poked through the soil, and their old friends, the crows, circled overhead...
When they passed villages under Noble rule, they could even go in for a bite to eat while curious children stared at them—
This was a friendly place.
"Hand over your valuables, damn it!"
As they neared Gemstone City, a band of bandits blocked their path.
Perhaps the Necromancers looked so destitute that these bandits, with only a few horses and