Transformations

Gene* left Poole to consider and review the new material he gave him. He was very happy because this Butler of his would become a powerful asset in the future.

Before going to the Level Up Cabinet Poole caught his attention.

"Sir, I don't understand this section about alter egos. It sounds flamboyant."

"It is flamboyant and that is intentional. I need to keep a very low profile while I am still weak, especially in Jambre. This is why I had Barron Atticus alter the memories of the people in Glane.

However, we are also going to need to take action and make a big splash in Jambre. Alter egos will help us keep a low profile and make a bunch of noise."

Gene turned back and prepared the machine. "Don't worry about it too much, I'll explain more later," he said.

He climbed into the cabinet and had Dr. Whatson help him operate it from the outside.

The artifact hummed, and for several hours, Gene experienced the painful process of his body forcefully leveling up. He was exhausted when he came out but only rested for half an hour.

Soon after, he was back at work making artifacts. Otrera had stopped nagging him about rule violations. It was obvious he intended to do whatever he wanted, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Poole attended to his normal duties and studied the manual in his free time. Dr. Whatson similarly studied the materials given to him and entered a period of growth he hadn't experience since he was a young man.

In the castle of Barron Atticus, the three horde leaders gathered in one of the meeting halls. Each of them held a black and silver sphere about the size of a basketball.

In the spheres, there were books and a handwritten letter to each of them with instructions to destroy the manuals after memorization of the material.

Barron Atticus looked at his manual, "Transformations - How to remove the Vampiric Demon and Grow Stronger." What a curious thing he thought to himself.

He heard a legend once that the power of vampires stemmed from a demon called Ambrogio. The demon began as a human but was cursed according to legend.

When Ambrogio and Lillith, the Queen of Demons married; their union created the first true vampire. These vampires possessed an echo of their parent's spirits and transferred their powers through the curse.

According to legend, if you want to be free of the vampiric curse you must remove the taint of Ambrogio and Lillith.

Stanz looked at his manual, "Transformations - How to tame the Beast and Grow Stronger.

Luas similarly examined his manual, "Transformations - How to Stop being a Dead Beat and Grow Stronger." Luas made a face because it seemed like the title of his book was just an insult.

"When did these arrive?" asked Stanz.

"Last night, Prince Elam's servant Poole brought them over. He said we should start training and use our training aides to begin the transformation process.

The Master commands us to be ready to depart for Jambre in three months," Barron Atticus said.

"Do you think these things will work?" Luas asked.

"The Master built a Doomdoor not long after your Draugr attacked the inn, created a special field that kept out your zombies and used them to create an extra wall of protection.

He killed half of my knights and Stanz's Fangs while running from the back of the building to the front. Do you think our new master is incompetent or capable?" Barron Atticus asked Luas.

"I understand, it's just so shocking. I've never heard of a way to change our endless paths. I hope it's true but I worry it's not," Luas said. Stanz and the Barron both understood his feelings for they felt similar.

"We each have our followers, and according to the manuals we'll need to make them part of the process. I have prepared special training zones for all of us in the castle.

Stanz, you're in the West Wing, Luas you're in the Meadow next to the graveyard, and I will be in the arboretum."

The monsters with their minions divided themselves and went to their respective training grounds. Each of them began to read the opening portion of the manuals to their followers.

"The Vampire walks the Immortal Path of Sin called Ego. A human is able to become a vampire only because his ego is so strong it overpowers the rest of his faculties.

He believes himself to be supreme and superior to all others. He is selfish and only takes from others. Thus, to walk a new immortal path, the ego must be overcome and giving must become his nature.

Unfortunately, all Vampires drink the blood of living beings and especially enjoy human blood. This increases their sin and their body is too tainted to be redeemed. Therefore, there are three steps in the process of changing the Immortal path.

Step 1: Purify the body of the Vampire through the use of solar energy. The sun is the ancient enemy of the vampire.

It tries to purify the Vampire, but the demon is unwilling.

The Vampire must purify not only himself but all of those beneath them not a single one can be missing.

Step 2: Purify the soul of the Vampire to see the truth of ego. This must also be accomplished with the Vampire's followers." Entering the Endless Dream through the sacred disc, can help the Vampire see through all things to the truth.

Step 3: Purify the Vampiric demons inhabiting the blood of the Vampire and his servants. Remove the echoes of Ambrogio and Lillith and contain them in a sacred object of silver or gold.

Barron Atticus continued reading the process and took out the objects in the silver and black globe.

They included a helmet with a large purple gem in the forehead. There were also many bands with smaller gems for each of his followers.

They put the gems on and each laid on the ground. Barron Atticus opened a hole in the roof of the Arboretum and allowed the sunlight to shine upon the Gem in the helmet.

The Barron immediately began to scream as did his knights as the sunlight spread from Barron's helmet to their gem bands.

In the West Wing, Stanz sat with his Fangs.

"The Werewolf walks the Immortal Path of Sin the sin of Hedonism. It is the love of bodily pleasure that causes the man to become a beast. To turn from this path to a new Immortal Path, the beast within the body must be tamed. The beast can only be tamed through the strength of the mind with moral precepts and enlightenment.

Place the Endless Dream disc in the middle of the room. All werewolves must sit in front of it and begin to think about the seven human virtues.

1. Faithfulness

2. Respect

3. Charity

4. Love of Life

5. Purity

6. Kindness to Animals

7. Justice

As Stanz and his followers chanted the seven human virtues they were swept into a trance-like state. In the trance, they dreamed a real dream of life according to the seven human virtues.

Luas was with his real zombies. A real zombie was one whose zombie node was absorbed by the body. The once living human became a mindless creature obeying the will of the bokor.

The Bokor walks the Immortal Path of Greed. He has deep greed for neverending life. His desire for eternal life became so extreme he enslaved other innocent humans to his will.

To turn to a new Immortal Path, the Bokor must free himself from greed. To do so, he must give life to others and value their rights to life as much as he values his own right to life.

Luas found a dagger in the black and silver sphere. He held the dagger and felt its weight. He was scared just looking at it, but eventually, his determination overcame his fear.

He took the dagger and stabbed it into the source of life, his heart, and died for the first time in his life. The immortal energies built up within him for centuries flowed out of him and into the true zombies. Their lifeless eyes turned from milky white to actual living organs. Their bodies were no longer cold and lifeless but warm and lively.

The men became handsome and the women became human while Luas's body shriveled to a desiccated husk. Wings sprout from the backs of the men and women and they begin to fly around the room. They became Fairies.

The body of Luas finally turned to ash. It swirls around the knife and disappears into it. "We must take the knife to master," one of the male fairies said as he bent down to pick up the knife. The fairies shrank their bodies and became invisible as they flew to Glane.