Unholy Domination: Rise of a Troll King 1 (Patreon)

Staring out over the tombstone covered hillock, I frowned behind the metal helm that hid most of my features, only my tusks and the blue light of my glowing eyes visible. It was bizarre, seeing towering buildings of glass and steel stretching towards the sky, after fifty years on Azeroth. I would have thought that the ritual the… heroes used would have shredded my soul, or left me at the mercy of the Jailer in the Maw. Still, this was an infinitely preferable outcome.

“Master,” the voice of my first slave spoke up, causing me to turn to look at the white skinned, leather clad draenei. “I have done what I can, but the others will need some time to fully recover.”

I nodded, saying, “Very well, keep watch over them Talia. I will stand guard.”

My draenei slave nodded, turning back to my two other slaves while pulling a roll of bandages out of her bag. Turning back towards the rest of the hillock we were standing on, I gave a considering hum. After a moment, I moved my cloak to the side and drew Apocalypse, the cursed blade all but singing in my hand.

My eyes, leaking the frost colored magics that suffused my body, turned to take in the hundreds of graves. There would be a time to raise their bodies, but for the time being, I had a different plan in mind. Tapping into the power of the helm I wore, I drove the cursed runeblade into the dirt, sending a wave of necromantic power into the graveyard we had landed in.

The dirt surrounding the graves didn’t shift, yet despite that, twisted, rotting forms dragged themselves up. I stood, looking at the shades as they rose and fell into formation in front of me. Pointing Apocalypse towards the city, I ordered, “Go, learn where we are and determine who controls it. Do not let yourselves be seen.”

The two dozen shades turned and departed, rushing to fulfill my orders. I watched them go with a satisfied nod, my mind already working on my next plan. This city would be mine, just as Azeroth had been. My power would grow, my army of the dead would flourish, and none would be able to stand against me.

But first, I needed to find out more about this place. I turned to Talia, who was finishing up with the bandages, and said, “We need to gather some information. Find out who the powerful people are, who the factions are, and where the weak points are. Discreetly about it if possible.”

Talia nodded, her white hair falling over her shoulder as she said, “I understand, master. We will not fail you.”

I gave her a small smile, knowing that she was loyal and competent. Turning back towards the city, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. This was a new world, full of possibilities and potential. And I, as always, was ready to seize it all. With Apocalypse in hand and the shades as my spies, I strode towards the city, ready to conquer and claim it for my own.

Departing the graveyard, the first of my shades returned, holding something I hadn’t seen since my first life: a printed newspaper. Well then, I was clearly on a ‘modern’ world, but from the few articles on the old and dirty newspaper I could tell that it wasn’t the Earth I had once called home.

The images showed what were clearly individuals fitting the old ‘superhero’ genre: a number of individuals in brightly colored outfits. I let out a sigh, feeling a small flicker of annoyance at the thought of being surrounded by such do-gooders. But then again, they were just like any other mortal, with weaknesses and vulnerabilities that I could potentially exploit.

I took the newspaper from the shade and scanned through it, looking for any information that could be of use to me. As I read, my eyes narrowed at the mention of a powerful organization known as the Justice League. It seemed they were the ones responsible for keeping this world safe from the likes of me.

A wicked smile spread across my face, the possibilities of causing chaos and destruction almost too tantalizing to ignore. But I knew I had to be careful, to bide my time and strike when they least expected it.

Turning to my shades, I said, “We have work to do. We need to gather more information about this Justice League, their members, and their weaknesses. And we need to find allies, those who would be willing to join forces with us.”

The shades nodded in agreement, their eyes glowing with a fierce determination. They knew what was at stake, just as I did. This world would be ours, and no one would be able to stop us.

With the shades at my side, I strode forward, my mind already working on my next move. The Justice League had no idea what was coming for them. I was the master of death and darkness, and I would stop at nothing until this world was mine.

The newspaper, a Gotham Gazette, mentioned a place called Arkham Asylum, with a picture showing that it was isolated from the rest of the city. I would start there, kill or convert those within, and turn it into a fortress suitable as a staging ground for a new Scourge, under a new Lich King.

As I made my way towards Arkham Asylum, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement coursing through my veins. This would be the perfect place to begin building my empire, to start gathering the resources and allies I would need to take down the Justice League.

As I approached the gates of the Asylum, I could see the guards standing watch, their expressions wary as they saw me approaching. I knew I needed to be careful. These mortals were no match for me, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself just yet.

With a wave of my hand, I sent a blast of frost energy towards the guards, freezing them in place. I made my way past them and into the Asylum, the shades following closely behind.

As I made my way through the halls, I could hear the echoes of patients screaming and raving, the aura of blood, madness, and decay filling my nose. I could feel the power of the souls trapped within these walls, and I knew that they would be useful to me.

I made my way to the lower levels, where the most dangerous inmates were kept, my shades following closely behind. As I reached the entrance to the cell block, I could see the guards standing watch, their guns at the ready.

But they were no match for me. With a wave of my hand, I sent a blast of dark energy towards them, causing them to collapse to the ground, lifeless.

I made my way into the cell block, the shades following behind me. As I looked around, I could see the inmates staring at me with a mix of fear and awe. I could feel their souls calling out, the madness within them a palpable force that I could practically taste.

“Well, well, looks like we've got a new arrival,” a voice came from one of the cells. I turned my head, my gaze scanning the pale skinned, grinning human up and down. “Well, don’t be shy, Igor! Introduce yourself!”

I had very vague memories of a character named Igor from my first life, a hunchbacked human. Apparently that character existed in this world too. Instead of answering, I stood to my full height, instead of the hunched, slouched posture that was most comfortable to most troll breeds, including frost trolls like myself.

“I be da Lich King,” I declared, my voice cold and commanding. “I come here ta claim dis place as my own. Ya got two choices: ya can serve in life, or serve in death.”

“Hoo hoo,” the pale human chuckled, a glare on his face, even if his mouth remained in a wide, toothy grin. “We have another comedian here. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but the Joker does not ser-”

There was the sound of shattering glass, as an icicle shot past me, breaking the clear barrier keeping the pale human in his cell, embedding itself in his head. His eyes had enough time to turn towards the icicle buried in his forehead before he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Death it is,” I said, lifting up a three fingered hand as dark magic obeyed my will. The tendrils of power reached out, sinking into the body of this ‘Joker’ before it twitched, and rose to its feet. “Well done Jaina.”

“Of course, My King,” the most powerful mage on Azeroth purred, stepping up to press her body against my side.

With the Joker now under my control, I knew that others in this Asylum would soon follow suit. And with each soul I added to my army, my power grew stronger. Looking around at the other inmates, I could see the fear in their eyes, the knowledge that they were next on my list. But I didn't have time for games, not when there were bigger targets to take down.

Turning to Jaina, I said, “Examine every nook an’ cranny o’ dis place. I don’ want ta be surprised by a lingerin' curse cause we didn’ check.”

Jaina nodded, and I could feel her power growing stronger as she began to tap into the arcane energies around us. With each passing moment, I could feel my army growing, the souls of the dead joining with mine to create a force that would be unstoppable.

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Finishing going through the inmates and the staff took most of the day. In the end, only a relative few I deemed more valuable alive were spared. A few of the inmates and the medical staff. The one in charge, a man named Strange, tried to convince me to spare him, but I didn’t need to know what mental ailments my enemies had, so he was killed and raised. Of the ones that I chose to spare, the ones called Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy were the most… appealing.

In some ways, I was lucky, considering how I was raised soon enough after my death that my body still functioned. It was why I kept the slaves that I had, my body had been intact enough that the magic that raised me had so little to do that I was as close to living as the undead got.

But I could worry about breaking in my new slaves later, for the moment I needed to focus on converting this building into a proper fortress. The main entrance hall would be where I would set up my throne, my seat of power in this new empire. The cells would be used to house my armies and experiments, and the medical wing would be used to heal any injuries sustained in battle.

As I made my way through the Asylum, I could feel the power of the souls that had joined with mine coursing through my veins. It was exhilarating, invigorating. With each passing moment, I could feel my strength growing, my power expanding.

But as I made my way back to the main entrance hall, I could feel a strange energy in the air. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.

With a wave of my hand, I signaled for my shades to fan out, to search every inch of the Asylum. I needed to know what was causing this disturbance.

It wasn't long before one of my shades returned, “My King,” it said, bowing low. “There's something in the building. We are tracking it, but it somehow knows we are present.”

The Bat… it’s him… no hiding… no escape… BATSY!

I listened with half an ear to the whispers of the souls surrounding and suffusing me. Giving a considering hum, I send out mental orders to my slaves, warning them to be on guard for an intruder. I could feel the excitement building within me. The Bat was here, in my Asylum. The thought of facing off against Gotham's greatest hero sent shivers of excitement down my spine.

I made my way to the main entrance hall, my shades following closely behind. As I stepped into the room, I could see the Bat standing at the far end, his cape billowing behind him. He stood tall and proud, his gaze fixed on me, his eyes glinting with determination.

“Lich King,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “What are you doing here?”

I chuckled, my voice echoing through the room. “Takin' over, o' course. Dis Asylum will be da heart o' my new empire.”

The Bat stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. “I won't let you do that. Not on my watch.”

I could feel my power growing stronger as I faced off against the Bat. He was a formidable opponent, but I had the power of the dead on my side. With a wave of my hand, I sent a blast of dark energy towards him, but he dodged it with ease.

And with that, the battle began. The Bat was quick and agile, dodging my every attack with ease. But I was relentless, my magic tore through the air like a storm, my armor deflected every attack he sent my way, and most importantly: the dead don't tire.

It seemed that he reached this realization as well, as he threw a pellet on the ground, creating a cloud of smoke, and vanished. I growled in annoyance, fighting rogues was so irritating. With a thought, the shades began searching the building, hunting down the interloper. In the meantime, I made my way down to the cells where my slaves, new and old, were.

Talia, once Grandmaster of the Order of the Broken Temple. Jaina Proudmoore, Archmage, former ruler of Theramore, heir to the Admiralty of Kul Tiras. Tyrande Whisperwind, High Priestess and ruler of the Night Elves. Three of the most powerful women on Azeroth, trained and broken to my will, joined by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.