It was a calm afternoon on the shore of Yggor's Island. The waves lapped the sands and gave the seagulls rhythm for their hearty song. Howling wind surfed the tide while the fish of the sea played their merry games in the reef. It was the symphony of the sea that soothed the ears of the island's inhabitants.
A deep rumbling suddenly broke the song as the sky darkened. Any denizens on the beach would gaze upon the sky to see a great mass of blue, red, and yellow flames plummeting from the heavens. It screamed like a storm giant maiden in labor as the air and sky ignited in its wake, leaving a tail of smoke as black as the Abyss.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the object crashed into the ocean with a titanic cacophony. Massive clouds of steam billowed into the air as gargantuan waves exploded from the impact. The rapidly displaced waves pulverized reefs and washed away sand that had the gall to stand in their path of destruction. Within seconds the waves crashed upon the shore, wrecking even more havoc on the coastline.
Several silent minutes passed as the air itself recovered from the shock of such abrupt destruction. The waves receded from the shore, leaving age-old wreckage strewn amidst the remains of the beautiful reefs that once decorated the island's shallows. Smoke continued to rise into the heavens from the alien object's impact, indifferent to the chaos it caused to what would have been a lovely day at sea.
Splash.
A long charcoal black arm shot out of the water and dug deep into the sandy beach until its fingers found purchase on a rock. Three long black fingers paired with a thumb gripped the rock like a life-preserver. A large shape rose from the water. Small flames burned across its body. The stench of burning flesh stained the air as the creature rose to its feet.
It stood nearly twice the height of a man with blackish-blue skin strained over tight cords of muscle. A long reptilian tail slid out of the water as seaweed slipped out from between his four-toed feet. Tendrils adorned a set of mandibles that protruded from an enlarged cranium. The creature's body was covered in a suit of charred and smashed armor. Pieces of its flesh were burned away or simply torn off, revealing white bone. Two ghostly blowing blue eyes scanned the beach for any souls. With a will strong as iron, he clenched his fist and the flames extinguished.
Phase one complete...
The being closed his eyes and twitched his mandibles. Each wound - every exposed nerve and bone - sent spikes of agony throughout his body. It was like an inferno, but one he welcomed. He focused upon the pain, embraced it, and began to channel his Power. Slowly - ever so slowly, bones snapped into place - new muscle and sinew filled in the holes of his body, and raw skin was stretched over them like gauze.
He stretched out his hand and a pillar of black flames and smoke erupted in the air. A dark staff materialized in his grip. Archaic runes were etched into the the shaft while the skull of a horned creature was mounted on top of a spear-like tip. Blue flames poured from its eyes and mouth.
A powerful aura surrounded the being. It was like a cloud of despair, cold sorrow, endless suffering, dark hatred, and fiery rage. He raised his other hand, and one attuned to such things would hear the distant echoes of a thousand whispering voices. The being reached out with his mind and soul - and touched them.
"Friends. Brothers. Sisters..." he called across the Realm of Death. "Hear the call of your Master. Awaken from your slumber. Lend me your pain. Give me your despair. Allow me to carry the bindings that chain you to this restless sleep so you may arise once again to enact your judgement upon the Living who have cursed you. Rise, my brothers, and bring the blessing of Death to the Living. Rise, and fight under my banner, so we may both achieve vengeance..."
"RISE!"
The earth shook.
The sea frothed.
An icy cold mist rose from the water. The fog churned and coalesced into dozens of ghostly shapes. Some were clad in the ethereal remains of armor and carried ghostly weapons that dripped with terror given form. Others were beastly shadows with crimson eyes the color of blood. Water sloshed behind them as dozens of other figures rose from the tide. Fleshless bone glistening with seaweed gleamed in the sunlight. Bony hands gripped rusted swords as their socketless eyes burned with blue flames.
The strange being lifted his staff and pointed towards the island.
"Cleanse."
The horde of undead unleashed an eldritch scream that chilled the soul before charging across the beach and into the trees.
A single living shadow stood beside the necromancer. Its body was gangly and bestial, and its eyes possessed a thirst for blood that was barely held in check by a malevolent cunning.
"What of me, my lord?" it hissed.
"You, Nightgaunt, shall seek out the current ruler of this island." he replied. "Bring him to me."
"Your will be done, Lord Deathweaver."