Apostles of Doom

Vargg slapped the table. “Excellent idea, my lord! Actually, I had been about to suggest that we begin rotations with all the D’Orcs in Nysegard. We generally rotated troops across the Doomalogues to ensure uniform training and experience. We should restart this program; later-generation D’Orcs need more battle experience and I am sure many on Nysegard would like to see Doom and old friends again.”

Darg-Krallnom nodded. “Yes, I like this. Vargg, can you work out a rotation schedule with Targh that ensures proper experience levels and training opportunities in Nysegard?”

The D’Orcs all nodded and seemed quite pleased with Tom’s suggestion, so he decided to broach the next, more ambitious thought he’d had. “One other thought I’ve had is this. We are very short-handed in terms of shamans in Mount Doom; we need more magical support here if we are to reestablish our old connections,” he said.

“Agreed; however, we are not exactly flush with D’Orc shamans on Nysegard,” Targh said.

“But you do have quite a few orc shamans,” Tom said.

“Orc, human, dwarven, yes,” Targh agreed. “I would not say we have a surplus, but we do have some very good ones.”

“Exactly. In particular you have Karth Death Cheater; I believe you told me he was one of the greatest shamans in a thousand years.”

Targh frowned. “He is; however, he is very old for an orc. I doubt he would survive long in Mount Doom.”

“What if he were a D’Orc?” Tom asked.

“Yes,” Darg-Krallnom said with a grin. “That would work extremely well.” The others all nodded in agreement, seeming very happy with Tom’s idea.

“Now, the problem is this: does anyone remember how to make D’Orcs?” Tom asked. That caused quite a bit of muttering and shuffling in their seats.

“Well, there were quite a few shamanistic rituals required,” Arg-nargoloth replied tentatively. “Not sure if you have any shamans on Nysegard that are familiar with the process?” Arg-nargoloth looked to Targh, who seemed lost in thought.

“We may; it has been so long; we have lost so many,” Targh said with a frown.

“I do know, that in the case of someone who was still alive, it was simpler,” Darg-Krallnom said. “As I recall, it was a matter of the candidate smoking demon weed and traveling to the Astral Plane, where a shaman would then summon them as a D’Orc using a ritual similar to summoning a demon.”

“Demon weed?” Tom asked puzzled. What Darg-Krallnom was saying sounded exactly like what had happened to him; except that he had simply smoked marijuana, not demon weed.

Arg-nargoloth shrugged. “It’s an herb, literally a weed, that some demons smoke for stress relief and relaxation.”

Tom frowned. “You mean like tobacco or marijuana?”

Arg-nargoloth shrugged. “I don’t know what the second one is. I suppose it’s similar to tobacco but the effect is different; tobacco doesn’t do much for D’Orcs and demons. Similar to alcohol, we need something that is generally lethal to mortals to become intoxicated.”

Tom shook his head. “So why is Tizzy always smoking his pipe if tobacco doesn’t affect demons?”

Darg-Krallnom coughed. “He is not; he is smoking demon weed.”

“Which is one reason he is often incoherent,” Vargg Agnoth said.

“Hmm. I am pretty sure that it’s the only reason he’s still sane,” Arg-nargoloth said, shaking his head. “Or relatively sane.” He shrugged.

“So Tizzy has a supply of this demon weed?” Tom asked. He wasn’t sure he liked where his thoughts were leading him. He was going to need to table those thoughts for now, however.

“Yes,” everyone said, almost in unison.

“Okay, then,” Tom said. “Targh, check with your shamans, see if any of them know the rituals.”

Targh nodded in agreement, seeming quite pleased with this plan.

“I think that wraps it up,” Helga said, looking at Darg-Krallnom, who nodded.

“It is good to have a plan, a set of orders,” Vargg Agnoth said happily. “It has been so long. Reclaiming Nysegard thrills the blood.” He pounded the table in emphasis. The others nodded as well, several also pounding the table in agreement.

“I know it has me psyched,” Tom told his commanders. “I had the weirdest dreams about battling the Unlife last night.”

“Slaying Unlife makes the blood sing more than any other opponent,” Targh agreed. “If your dream was good, I can assure you that the reality will be far better!”

Tom chuckled. “I am sure. It was just odd that of all the D’Orcs I dreamt I was in battle with, all of whom I felt as if I knew well, the only one I actually knew was Vargg Agnoth. Although for some reason I thought he was only two centuries old.” Tom shook his head.

Darg-Krallnom chuckled. “He has not been that young in nearly ten thousand years!”

“Who did you think your companions were?” Vargg asked curiously.