Stay out of sight

Outside, you head down a deserted street, moving at a brisk pace. But you don't make it far before you begin to hear voices up ahead. You quickly sidestep into an alley.

"Yo man, forget about the catacombs. Don't nobody go down there but noobs. Ain't nothin' there but low level monsters and lame ass lute. I didn't even make it to the bottom before I gave up," a voice says.

You keep to the shadows until the group passes. Low level monsters and noobs, eh? Might be just the place for a newly emancipated NPC to grind out a few levels. Careful not to be seen by any heroes prowling the city, you make your way to the Temple of Corruptus near the outskirts. It's risky venturing so far out, but luckily you arrive unscathed. Before you looms the great temple of Corruptus. Massive ebony columns beckon you into the darkened interior of the gothic style cathedral. Inside, green flames light the way. Passage after passage finally leads you to a downward stairwell.

You silently order Bones to take the lead. The air becomes cool and damp as you trudge deeper into the recesses of the earth. When you reach the bottom, stone walls give way to a morbid myriad of bones and skulls, arranged like a gruesome jigsaw puzzle. Torches are far less plentiful down here, giving way to pitch black stretches of tunnel. Again, you order Bones to go ahead. Almost immediately a level 2 zombie steps out of the darkness. A sickly green light shines from its rotting eye sockets. It lunges forward and takes a swing at your skeleton, shattering three ribs. Bones retaliates with a sword swipe to the head. The blow splits the zombie's head open and stuns it, allowing for a second attack which finishes the job.

Feeling quite satisfied with yourself, you rush over to loot the corpse. Suddenly a pair of skeletons step out. The nearest of the two takes a swipe at you. You dodge but fall backwards onto the ground. Bones immediately engages it, but the second one now comes for you.

"Dominate!" you scream, pointing your staff at it.

The skeleton shudders but then continues it's advance. Damn it! This thing has a ten second cooldown! The skeleton hits you with it's short sword, doing 10 points of damage.

"By Corruptus, I said DOMINATE!" you scream desperately.

The skeleton stops in mid swing. You can feel the tentacles of your own indomitable will reaching out and infecting the skeleton's simple mind. The green light within its eye sockets slowly shifts to purple.

A nod and your new minion turns its attention to its former comrade. It drops its sword and instead jumps on it, grappling it from behind.

"Dominate," you cast.

Five attempts later, and you have a third minion. One skeleton is at full health, while the second is at two thirds. Poor Mister Bones is little more than a pair of legs, a spine, and a jawless skull, with just two HP left. With a wave of your hand he crumbles to dust. Another wave and he is summoned back into existence at full strength.

"Now we're getting somewhere," you say, looking over your new ****.

"Didn't we already come through here?" a feminine voice echoed down the corridor.

Shit! Heroes!