text: Sometimes it takes a "bad guy" to take out another bad guy, maybe even two... 
  
  "Catalina I think it's time to attack Velzix." You say walking into her study.
  "Oh you do huh? Got a plan in mind of how to go about it? Because it's not going to be easy."
  "Well I figured we'd just go in there and chop his head off." You laugh.
  "Ha ha. Sometimes you have a really strange sense of humor. You realize that the Grand Alliance has been trying to chop his head off for years and they haven't been successful."
  "Yeah, well they ain't me. Besides I got an angle. My Dad's mercenary company is over there right now. I can get help from him."
  
  Catalina looks at you as if you've gone completely insane.
  
  "Your Dad? The one you've always complained about? The bastard that you say could barely stand you? The one I think is the reason you got into necromancy in the first place, to prove you could be more powerful than he could ever be?"
  "Uh... excuse me?" you say after hearing that last bit of psychoanalysis.
  "What makes you think he'll help you?"
  "He might not, I dunno just how pissed he is at me, but I figure if there's any chance he might, I'll try it. He probably has good intelligence on the realm. Besides, he's an opportunist first of all. If Velzix wins. We all lose. BUT if I win, well just maybe I'll take sentimental mercy on the old man and the family."
  "Would you?" Catalina asks.
  "With my Mom and sis? Sure." You grin.
  "I dunno about this family stuff, sometimes I'm glad I was an orphan." Catalina sighs. "But if you think it's worth a shot, you should try it. It's not like we have too much of an advantage over Velzix. I worry that we'll expend too much power in an attempt to destroy him, leaving us open for a Grand Alliance attack."
  "I'm really not worried about the Grand Alliance. They're suffering from their own internal squabbles from what I've heard and if I do this the way I think it might go, we won't need to waste one corpse on Velzix's realm. Okay, as usual you're going to be in charge of things while I'm gone."
  
  You kiss Catalina goodbye and make your way to Velzix's realm alone... 
  
  Velzix's realm is appropriately a wretched place. Sure there is death here, but none of its purity or beauty exists. Demons torment the mortal population with much delight. You get a few attempts to torment you and you teach them a fatal lesson. You stay invisible while you can though.
  
  Using a few ghostly scouts and a couple of minor divination spells (Thank the gods Catalina's been around to help you with other types of magic!) you soon determine the exact location of your Dad.
  
  You don't know what to expect, you haven't seen him in years. When you approach the camp, you're immediately met by guards.
  
  "HALT! Who the hell are you?"
  "I'm more powerful than you could ever imagine... tell your asshole of a Captain that his son is here."
  
  The two guards' eyes widen, they know about you and they run off almost immediately to tell your Dad. You wait patiently and sure enough your Dad comes from out of his tent with his lackeys hiding behind him.
  
  "Boy, you gotta a lot of balls showing up here before me. Didn't think you had 'em either. Figured you'd be hiding in some tower somewhere."
  "Yeah, well sometimes you have to do things yourself."
  "True. So, you here to try to kill me boy? That why you here? Gonna break yer Mom's heart even more? Y'know she still cries over what you've become even after I've told her time and time again that you ain't worth one of her fuckin' tears?"
  
  You didn't like hearing that... 
  
  "Yeah well Mom's always been the nice one, must be something like her wasting her love on a mean spirited abusive bastard that probably would've killed her AFTER he raped her if not for the powerful magic aura she exuded."
  
  He didn't like hearing that... 
  
  "Bah! I don't need to hear this shit! If yer gonna try an' kill me, you best do it now boy!" your Dad shouts as he begins to draw his sword.
  > stay calm
  "If I was going to kill you, I'd barely need to lift a finger, but what I'm mainly here for is your help." You say calmly
  
  That's caught his attention.
  
  "What's that boy? You want my help? Hanging around those corpses make you completely crazy?"
  "Not completely, but I know that you and your company has been fighting a guerilla war against Velzix. You've been a real pain in his demon ass from what I've heard."
  "Hah! Got that right! I've currently been hired out perpetually by the Zalan Empire. My mission is to generally fuck things up for Velzix, even try to kill him if possible. But I can't do that."
  "Why not?"
  "Why not? Because if you haven't noticed I'm a fuckin' old man that only has a few desperate and insane men following him that's why! I don't have a Grand Alliance army behind me like your sister and I can't just snap my fingers and bring my losses back to fucking life! SOME of us have to rely on pure skill!"
  "Sounds like you're making excuses."
  "Oh fuck you! Stupid ass kid, I don't see you doing shit about Velzix, what's the matter need more corpses to hide behind?"
  "Actually any corpses I hide behind will only be the ones I summon up during our assassination attempt."
  "What are you getting at boy?"
  "I'm saying you get me close to Velzix, and I'll kill him. In fact I'm very surprised the Grand Alliance hasn't sent some hero types to try to kill him yet."
  "Oh they have, they just haven't been heroic enough. My little company has done more damage than any so called heroes. But supposin' I WAS to help you, what's in this for me?"
  "Oh you'll be paid, have no fear of that. In fact you can even take credit for Velzix death, since I doubt you'd want anyone to know you were working with me. Now I'd imagine that would pay quite well wouldn't it?"
  "Yeah, yeah it would... alright boy. We'll do this, but after Velzix is dead, me and you end this father and son time got me?"
  "Wouldn't have it any other way."
  
  As your Dad proceeds to lead to where Velzix dwells, he explain the layout of it. He says they've gone in there before, but have never stayed too long. Just to sabotage stuff and get the fuck out.
  
  You proceed to have more interesting conversation along the way.
  
  "So why the hell hasn't the Grand Alliance done more about Velzix? Why are they relying on some broken down ex-cuthroat?" you ask.
  "I told ya, they have sent hero types after Velzix before, but he's defeated them every time. As for larger military concerns, I'm sure you're aware that they happen, but it's a question of balance. They can't attack Velzix, like they probably would prefer since they know that YOU would take advantage of their weakened state! Not to mention the Grand Alliance finds you to be a bigger threat. The world was almost consumed once already by some megalomaniacal necromancer, they don't want that to happen again. So little groups like mine fuck things up for Velzix, just enough to keep him occupied and doesn't gain anymore ground."
  "Actually I'm not a megalomaniac. Contrary to popular belief, I don't have some desire to turn the world into a graveyard." You say.
  "Oh well I guess all those kingdoms were just you being neighborly eh? What about that first attack on the Brot Kingdom? Those big ass undead giants? Hordes of undead troops slaughtering men, women and children?"
  "I did what I had to do to defend myself. War isn't pretty. People die."
  "True... but I still fail to see where yer NOT being a megalomaniac."
  "I told you I'm defending my dominion! If the Grand Alliance would stop attacking me, I wouldn't pursue anymore territory. I'd be happy to live in peace, side by side. Why do you think I want to get rid Velzix? I'm hoping after he's gone that I can come to some agreement with the Grand Alliance! Because in the end it isn't going to be good for anyone!"
  "Fancy words... but I question if that's what you really want. I haven't seen you in a long time, but within the short time I've talked with you now, even I can see a change in you. You have a lot of desire, somewhere within you, you want to control everything so there's no possibility of anything ever hurting you. You're actually good at something and you're reveling in it. I know what that's like. While you might have yer Mom's magic, apparently you DID inherit some of my qualities, and those are qualities that are all kinds of bad... "
  "I'm nothing like you!" you exclaim.
  "Ha ha! Oh yer right about that. You'll never be half the man I am. You can turn the entire world to a giant mass grave, but you ain't never gonna be me."
  
  Even now with all your power your Dad still somehow manages to make you feel small. You can't let yourself get angry though, As much as you might like to just cause the bastard's black heart to explode in his chest you can't do that, at least not yet.
  
  You, your Dad and the remains of his company eventually arrive at Velzix's fortress where you enter in a secret way.
  
  "Dumb ass demons, we've been using this entrance for like a year now and they still haven't caught on!" your Dad remarks.
  
  You make good progress in the fortress and then... 
  
  "There they are, just like Velzix said they would be!" a demon guard shouts.
  
  You look at your Dad.
  
  "Haven't caught on yet huh?"
  "Quit yer bitchin' and start doin that death magic thing!"
  
  You proceed to do just that as demon as well as mortal guards attempt to stop you. You welcome the mortal guards as you can raise them to help you in your "heroic quest".
  
  "Hah, no lying down on the job anymore Cal!" your Dad laughs as you raise the last of his fallen company.
  
  By the time you reach Velzix's inner sanctum, it's just you and your Dad. You never thought in a million years you'd be fighting alongside your Dad.
  
  Velzix on the other hand has been expecting you.
  
  "Ah how good of you both to come. You're the miserable little has been thug that's been fucking up my realm with your guerilla warfare. And you're the wannabe Lich Lord that's been impeding my own plans of conquest."
  
  "Wow, guess he got it in one." You say.
  "Yeah, and I guess this would make him the pathetic ass demon lord that can't even beat said has been and wannabe." Your Dad adds.
  "Enough! The pair of you have sealed your doom today! I have lured you into my trap where today I shall take the father and the son and then... "
  
  You blast Velzix in the face with negative energy, causing him to grab his face and roar in pain.
  
  "Ha ha! Fucking melodramatic idiot!" your Dad laughs charging at Velzix with his sword
  
  You quickly decide on what to do next.
  > summon up some ghostly warriors to help your Dad
  You need to keep Velzix as occupied as possible, before he starts opening up portals to summon in reinforcements because if he gets a chance to do that, you're fucked.
  
  Using tremendous power you summon up revenants. Souls of the dead who harbor a desire for revenge against their killer and given how many Velzix has killed, you barely need to even to control them. They immediately go for the attack.
  
  "ASH! I'll turn you ALL to ash!" Velzix claims, unleashing a blast of hellfire disintegrating one of the revenants.
  
  You have a hard time aiming, do to the constant movement of Velzix, but you manage to land in your own magic attacks. Your Dad is doing pretty well, though it's obvious that he's tired. He's running on pure adrenaline right now.
  
  While Velzix might be too occupied to open portals, he's still got his guards in the fortress. More of them arrive, but you take care of them and raise the mortal ones to attack their former master.
  
  Eventually Velzix manages to grab your Dad and proceeds to smash him into the stone floor several times before throwing him into a wall. The corpses and revenants continue to strike Velzix the entire time. He's severely wounded himself, and attempts to open a portal while ignoring the pain.
  
  You cast greater blast of negative energy at Velzix hitting him in the eyes and blinding him.
  
  "NO! I cannot be defeated! Not like this!" he bellows in agony while falling to the floor
  
  You take your Dad's sword which is lying nearby on the floor.
  
  "Nope, you'll be defeated like this." You say and with one good chop you sever Velzix's head from his body.
  
  In a horribly comical display, Velzix's body flails about wildly for a few minutes until its finally hacked to bits by the revenants. Some more of Velzix's guard arrive and seeing their leader in pieces, they run off. You tell your revenants to hunt them down and fulfill their need for revenge.
  
  Just you and Dad now. He lies against the wall broken and bloody. He's very near death. He's hardly the imposing figure that instilled fear in you when you were little.
  
  "... fuck... I coulda had that demon bastard if I'd been younger." He growls.
  "I'm sure you could've."
  "Shit, I'm all fucked up... guess this is a good day for you. One rival dead and me soon to join him."
  "Oddly, I don't feel too much of anything right now. I probably would've taken joy in your death at one time, but not now. I'm not sure what that means though."
  
  Your Dad just grunts at your answer, before saying one last thing.
  
  "Heh, you chopped that bastard's head off. No magic tricks. Just visceral physical violence... you impressed me... "
  
  Your Dad dies with those last words. A violent end for a violent man. You wonder why he felt the need to praise you before he died though. Guilt? Regret? Genuine respect? Did he think that by giving you "validation" you might change your ways? Perhaps he felt responsible for your path in some way?
  
  Whatever the reason, you dismiss it all. You chose this path for yourself. Nobody else. Whatever you've done, or are going to do it'll be because you chose to do it.
  
  "(Sigh) Can't say it was a pleasure Dad, but I guess you were finally alright in the end." You say and cast a small fireball spell to burn his body.
  
  You make your way back to Aftermath where Catalina meets you. Catalina asks you what happened exactly in Velzix's realm and you tell her the truth.
  
  "It's just like I said Cat baby, I went in there and chopped Velzix's head off. And then my Dad died."
  "Oh. Wow. Are you alright?"
  "Yeah, I guess."
  "Okay, well I guess I should tell you, the Ghoul King has been itching to strike against the Vampire Clans and he says that he's going to do it, with or without your direct help."
  "Very well, I'll go meet him. Might as well get rid of another enemy today."
  
  Catalina stops you before you leave again.
  
  "Really, are you okay?"
  "You're by my side. Of course I'm okay. I want you to start making arrangements to take over Velzix's territory. When word gets out that he's dead, the Grand Alliance will be all over it, So let's get a head start before they do." You say and kiss her goodbye.
  
  Soon you go meet the Ghoul King in at his "Kingdom" in the Drozz region. Other than the small castle he erected and the ghouls that now roam openly and freely, the area doesn't look too much different.
  
  When you arrive, he gives a big pointy toothed smile while his hordes of his ghouls wait around.
  
  "Well now, I wasn't sure if I'd see you. When I spoke to Catalina she mentioned you were having a big show down with Velzix! I trust that went well then, since you're here."
  "Yep, he's dead."
  "Ha ha! Excellent! I guess after this little foray, we'll only have the Grand Alliance to worry about!"
  "I don't think I'll have to worry about them at all actually."
  "You might be right... so are you ready to go? I've been lusting for this revenge for years, so if you don't mind, I want to kill Lord Rostov myself."
  "No problem GK, I'll just be here as support. So where is this Vampire hideout anyway, you never did tell me. How long will it take us to get there?"
  "Oh I can get us there real quick. I still have the magic key to teleport there. I've enhanced its power to transport several of us to invade. As for its location, I'm sure you're aware that it's hidden by powerful magic, but its site is in the Deshun Mountains." The Ghoul King explains while pulling out a small ebony cube
  "Hm, good location. Remote, treacherous terrain, nobody climbing up there. Let's do it."
  
  Before you know it, The Ghoul King presses a button on the cube and you and he materialize in the foyer of a large fortress. No ghouls with you though.
  
  "SHIT! This was supposed to transport all of us!" he shouts, before suddenly quieting his voice.
  "Yeah, well magic never works out like you want it to half the time. Let's just get on with it. I've already killed a Demon lord today, I'm hardly worried about some decadent bloodsuckers... no offense."
  "None taken... but here. Take this." The Ghoul King hands you a brass ring with several small rubies embedded in it. "Wear it. It's imbued with magic that will protect you from the gaze of Lord Rostov."
  "What? I'm a fucking necromancer; I think I'm a little more strong willed than the average mortal. The stares of some vampire aren't going to make me go all to mush."
  "Maybe, but I still say you should wear it. Lord Rostov is very old and he is more powerful than the average vampire and can be tremendously influential. While you may also be powerful you are still mortal and all the weakness that entails... no offense."
  "None taken."
  > wear the ring
  You figure it's better to be safe than sorry so you slip the ring on your finger. Suddenly you feel an incredible paralysis overcome you. You fall to the floor in a weakened state. You can only groan as you see The Ghoul King hover over you.
  
  "I lost my status once for following one insane necromancer with dreams of murdering the world. Now I have gained it back by stopping another one. I did want revenge at one time... but as I said Lord Rostov is a very influential vampire. My lost status was more appealing than revenge or destroying the world. I regret nothing, but I do thank you. For without you, none of this would've been possible and I still would've been living like an animal in a hole. Thanks to you no more shall I have to be known as the Ghoul King."
  
  The Ghoul King then whispers one last thing to you.
  
  "And my thanks will extend to giving you a quick death before Lord Rostov arrives."
  
  The Ghoul King then with his powerful claws smashes your skull in while you lie helplessly on the floor.