What is in a name?

he stepped over the smoking body of the fallen hero. The fool had dared enter his sanctum and interrupt his machinations. He had paid the price for his impudence, his corpse would serve well in a gibbet as a warning to any future adventurers who were fool enough to think they could match their wit with him.

"Garq!" The necromancer bellowed "Where are you hiding you witless worm?"

The grey skinned halfling stepped out of the shadows scratching his trunk through the rough spun sack that served as a tunic held up by a length of rope.

"Give me one good reason as to why I don't turn you inside out and dangle you over the moat as a treat for the fish?"

The snivelling wretch recoiled raising his hands defensively. "I'm sorry master, but please, if you kill poor Garq who will remove charred corpse from your chamber?"

Stroking his wispy silver beard and slowly immersing himself in his plan the Necromancer turned back to the rotting body from the crypt manacled to a work bench before him.

"Be gone worm, have his armour and weaponry taken to the armoury."

"Yes Master."

Necromancy was not an exact science and required a lot of care and attention to detail. Deftly moving the crystals back to their original positions and lighting the human tallow candle he began to chant an ancient incantation that he had found in the long forgotten library of the buried city of Ke'toth under the mountains. There amongst the shadows and twisted denizens that existed in the dark dampness he had practised his art on the peons and diggers he had hired to help him find the ity. After two weeks only he and a few of his creations stepped back into the sunlight out of a team of thirty.

He smiled as he remembered the irony of watching the life drain out of them to be replaced with a new light, one that felt no pain or pleasure and served only him.

He waved his hands over his newest subject and repeated the incantation trying not to become too elated as the pale blue cloud formed over his head and then funnelled with amazing force through the mouth  as the wizard reached a crescendo.

All was still and silent as he waited what seemed an eternity before slowly pale blue light filled the long dead eyes and muscles strained to escape the metallic bonds accompanied by a dry wail of frustration.

The Necromancer laughed, heady with his victory. Soon he would have an army of unstoppable dead and all would fear the name of the lichlord Barry the Necromancer king!