Necromancy for the Greater Good
By S.J. Drew
Story and Cover Copyright 2012 S.J. Drew
Introduction
Track 1: MMORPG and Me (My True Love)
Track 2: Quantum Butterfly
Track 3: Secretly a Drow
Track 4: Pet Rattlesnake
Track 5: Perchance to Dream
Track 6: Tricks O’Pedia
Track 7: Crushed Velvet and Black Lace
Track 8: Tintinnabulation
Track 9: Tango at the End of Pompeii
Track 10: Spectrum of Black
Track 11: Blood-sucking Fiend
Track 12: Centaur Express
Track 13: Triskaidekaphobia
Wrap-up
Introduction:
“'What Does Necromancy for the Greater Good' mean? My interview with Nevermore and the Ravens,” by Brad Walters, writer for “Forever Rock” magazine.
Nevermore and the Ravens has been playing the small time music scene for a few years now before exploding on the popular music scene. The Ravens are a progressive concept band that utilizes any style that seems to fit the song (ravens are mimics after all) with a backbone of alternative or progressive rock. The band utilizes whatever instruments will work, including viola and cello. Their first commercial success is, of course, “Necromancy for the Greater Good.” The band is made of four women who go by the obvious stage names of Anna, Belle, Lee, and Lenore. They tend to switch up who sings and who plays what instruments making it hard to determine who's the lead anything. Their stage costumes are identical so the only one who can be identified is Lenore, and that's because, not to be too politically incorrect here, she's African-American. The costumes are influenced by Goth, Victorian Noir, Steampunk, pulp, and occasionally classic music videos. I got the chance to sit down with the band and ask them about their inspiration. The best way to describe their costumes for the interview was Goth meets Indiana Jones.
Update - The edition with the edited interview was so popular I'm posting the entire, unedited interview here in which I discussed each track with the band. They answered some of my questions and not others. At the end of the interview, they all gave each other knowing looks that would have triggered a flashback sequence if we were in a movie, but they didn't tell me the story they were thinking of. I also included the lyrics to each track so you can see how everything comes together.
Track 1: MMORPG and Me (My True Love)
The Interview:
Brad: Welcome, ladies. I'm glad you chose to do your first interview with “Forever Rock” magazine.
Belle: Well, it is only one of the oldest music magazines. If you're going to do something, go over the top.
Brad: Does that philosophy influence your music?
Lee: It sure influences our costumes.
Brad: [laughs] It certainly makes you easy to recognize as a group, but individually it's difficult to recognize anyone except Lenore.
Lenore: Obviously because I'm the talent here.
Anna: Or because you're black.
Lenore: Whatever.
Brad: So let's talk about your breakthrough album, “Necromancy for the Greater Good.” It's a really unusual title. Is your group influenced by the dark fantasy genre?
Belle: I'm going to say no because I don't even know what that is.
Brad: Okay, I guess that's fair. How would you categorize your music? You play rock, but seem to cross between indie, alternative, progressive and then start to bring in obvious influences from glam rock, metal, and even pop from the 1960s.
Lenore: We don't categorize our music. We play our music. You, and other music critics, categorize it. Fans listen to it, and that's all we care about.
Brad: I see you Ravens are going to play hard to get. How about something simpler: Who's Nevermore?
Belle: Nevermore isn't a person. It's just part of the name, and the style.
Brad: Well, that's a straight answer.
Lee: First and last of the interview.
Brad: It's going to be a short piece if you don't give me something to work with. So what are you real names?
Lee: Trade secret. But I can say they are not entirely dissimilar to our stage names.
Brad: That's nice and confusing.
Lee: Thanks.
Brad: Let's start at the beginning. Your first song is called, “MMORPG and Me (My True Love).” At first, it sounds like a catchy hard rock-pop tune, but the chorus is almost spoken word. It's more like a Greek chorus in a play. Why start like that?
Lenore: It lets everyone know we're different.
Brad: It certainly does. “MMORPG” of course stands for “massively multi-player online role-playing game.” Are you heavily into the online gaming scene?
Lenore: Nope.
Brad: Then where did you get the idea?
Anna: It's my brother's fault, really.
Brad: [pauses] Is that all you're going to say?
Belle: Yes. Yes it is.
The Flashback:
“Cleveland. Why are we here again?” Nora asked.
“Because Cleveland rocks,” Leah said.
“I'm pretty sure that's objectively not true.”
“Well, we do have a gig here,” Isabella answered patiently. “And Maryann wants to visit her brother.”
“I don't want to visit him,” Maryann replied. “Mom and Dad said I need to check up on him. His grades have really tanked this semester.”
“What are you going to say to him? Do better?” Leah asked. “You don't know anything about engineering.”
“No, but I can be really encouraging,” the redhead said brightly.
“And annoying,” Nora said under her breath.
“Oh, yeah, and you're so easy to get along with. Always making us look at the comments from your fans.”
“It's not my fault I'm so good.”
“You're the only one they can recognize.”
“Yeah, because I'm just that good.”
“No, you're black,” Maryann pouted.
“Don't get all racist on me.”
“Hey, I'm not white,” Leah said. “I'm Latina.”
“Ladies, we are not having this argument again,” Isabella said firmly. She irritably pushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. “We wear identical costumes on-stage. Nora is the only one who looks different. Therefore it's easier for fans to identify her on-stage. And Leah, you're plenty white in stage make-up. Remember, it takes all four of us to make this band work. Now, no more arguing.”
“You heard the boss,” Leah said.
“No one ever notices the necklaces,” Maryann sighed, idly playing with a silver ankh on a chain.
“Just finish unloading the equipment,” Isabella said. “Then tell us where we're supposed to meet your brother.”
“Oh, I should call him, shouldn't I?”
Nora rolled her eyes. “If that girl couldn't rock out on a guitar...”
Eventually the band called Nevermore and the Ravens got their gear unloaded. The four women were dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and coats. Nora's was an elegant dark blue wool coat, Isabella's was a Navy trench coat bought from a surplus store, Leah wore a dark brown thick jacket purchased from a camping store, and Maryann's was a bright red trench coat. Afterward, they headed to Case Western Reserve University to meet Maryann's brother. She had to call him six times before he finally agreed to meet them.
“Remember, don't call him Skipper,” Maryann said as they waited at the door to the dorm. “He changed his name legally to Jason and he hates being called Skipper. I still don't understand why he changed it though.”
“Hell, I'd change my name too if m
y dumb parents named me after the characters on some lame TV show,” Nora said.
“It's a great show!”
“Of course it is, Maryann Ginger.”
“Ladies, that is enough,” Belle snapped. “Maryann, call your brother again.”
Maryann did so.
A young man with auburn hair finally emerged from a dorm looking a little downcast. “Hey, Maryann.”
“Hi Skipper, I mean, Jason.”
He rolled his eyes. “So Mom and Dad sent you to figure out why my grades suck?”
“How did you know?”
“They're kind of predictable. Hey, Nora, Leah, Isabella. You guys still doing that band thing?” he asked.
“We're only here because we've got a gig tonight,” Nora said disdainfully. “Some bar down on Coventry, I think.”
“That's cool.”
“Do you want tickets?” Maryann asked. “We each get one free. You can bring friends.”
“They won't come.”
“They won't come to see four totally hot chicks rock out?” Leah asked.
“Well, they're kind of busy.”
“Doing the same thing you were while we were waiting for you?” Maryann asked irritably. “And waiting, and waiting, and waiting?”
“Look, there's this new game. Well, old game. It's called CaseHack. It's based on the old NetHack style games. It's just really addictive.”
“I'm going to assume that explanation makes sense to someone,” Nora said.
“It makes sense to me. NetHack was awesome,” Leah replied.
“You're such a geek.”
“I can tell Mom and Dad why your grades have tanked,” Maryann said.
“Yeah, well, maybe I should study more,” he said.
“By the way, what are you wearing?” she asked. “I thought Mom threw those things out.”
Jason looked down at his rumpled jeans and grungy sweatshirt. “I, um, haven't gotten around to laundry for a couple of weeks. Maybe more.”
“Because of that game?”
“It's really fun.”
“Honestly. You're going to get out today. You're going to take us on a tour of the campus,” she said brightly.
“His grades tank and we get punished? How is that fair?” Leah asked.
Isabella put an elbow in the brunette's ribs.
“Aw, do I have to?” Jason whined.
“Yes. And we'll figure out what to do about your grades.”
“It's not fair. You do this band thing and they aren't on you.”
“That's because they're counting on you to earn some money to help them in their old age. They've already written me off,” Maryann said, but she didn't sound bitter about it.
“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “I only did this for three semesters. And hey, the sun's shining in April in Cleveland. That's pretty rare. I'll tell you, this is a really weird place. It's really two schools sort of mashed together.”
“Like an academic Frankenstein's monster?” Leah asked.
“Sure, something like that.” He escorted them south from the Northside dormitories towards the main quadrangle.
“I think we could fry an egg on the roof in the summer,” he said as they stopped in front of the School of Management. “No one really likes it, you know. Only the management types. They think it represents 'thinking outside the box.'”
“Yes, in a very literal way,” Isabella agreed. “It looks like a box exploded.”
“It's no better inside. It's all concrete floors and industrial metal.”
“How much did this ugly thing cost?” Nora asked.
“Um, more than fifty million.”
“Well, that's management for you,” Leah said.
They continued on the tour and reached a silver, cylindrical fountain.
“So, what's this called? Or do I want to know?” Nora asked.
“I mean, this thing is here, all straight and erect and thrusting into the blue sky...” Leah said.
“Yeah. It's called the Michelson-Morley fountain, but we call it something else I'm not saying in front of my sister,” Jason said. “Come on.”
The finished the tour in front of an old church.
“So what's this building?” Isabella asked.
“Amasa Stone,” Leah answered promptly.
“Yeah, we can see it's a big stone building,” Nora said.
“Hey, this isn't one of my puns. I'm just reading the name off the sign. Amasa Stone Chapel.”
“Man, I thought Maryann Ginger and Skipper Gilligan were stupid names. Who names their kid 'Amasa?'” Nora asked.
“Someone who probably doesn't like his parents much,” Leah offered.
“Well, he certainly didn't like Case much,” Jason said. “Legend has it back in the day when the school was two schools that the Stone family came to the Case School of Engineering and offered to build them a church. Well, I guess the engineers weren't big on religion and refused the offer.”
“Those godless heathens,” Leah said, shaking her head.
“Apparently this insulted the Stone family so they went to the rival Western Reserve University and offered to build them a church. Western Reserve agreed.”
“Those religious fanatics,” Leah commented.
“The Stone family had the church built as close to the property line as possible as kind of a 'screw you' to the Case school.”
“Wow, it's great we can get this story from someone who clearly knows so much about Case,” Nora said sarcastically.
Jason shrugged. “Maryann asked for the tour and you guys came along. That's also not the whole story about this chapel. Look up.”
They all looked up at the chapel's bell tower.
“On the Western Reserve side, the chapel is protected by angels. But if you like at the Case side, that's a gargoyle, and if the legends are true, it's just long enough to actually be over the original property line.”
“Oh, so the gargoyle defends against the influence of the godless heathen engineers that refused the church,” Leah said, “which means the engineers are cursed with bad grades.”
The other young women looked at her.
“That's what he said.”
“Well, more or less. I don't believe in that stuff, of course.”
“Yeah, your bad grades are because you play a silly game,” Maryann said.
“It's an awesome game!”
“Look, Mom and Dad are very upset.” She handed him four tickets. “Get out tonight and come see the show, okay?”
He took the tickets. “I'll try.”
“And please study.”
“I'll try.”
Isabella was still staring up at the gargoyle.
“I know that look. Can't we just get through one gig without this sort of thing?” Nora asked in a low voice.
“Not here,” Leah said. “Everyone knows Cleveland has a Hell-mouth.”
The others looked at her blankly.
“What, no Buffy fans?”
“You are such a geek.”
“It's not a Hell-mouth,” Isabella sighed.
“So,” Maryann said brightly to her brother, “what's a good place to eat around here? I'll treat you to lunch.”
“First free tickets, now a free lunch,” Nora said, annoyed.
“So, are we coming back after the gig?” Leah asked Isabella quietly.
“I think we might. Something about this feels a bit off to me.”
Jason took them to a restaurant in the area, but he was twitchy and clearly eager to be rid of the band. They left him at his dorm and headed back to their hotel.
“Even odds that your brother doesn't show up tonight,” Nora said.
“I know,” Maryann sighed. “He's so smart too. I hate to see him throw away his scholarships. I don't understand. I thought he'd have this out of his system by now. You know, played all the games there are to play sort of thing?”
“Well, we'll see,” Isabella s
aid.
The gig that evening went well, but there was no sign of Jason. Maryann called him after the show and he sheepishly confessed he'd forgotten about the show because he was playing CaseHack again.
“I don't know what to do,” Maryann lamented at the hotel as they changed out of their costumes. “Stupid game.”
“I think we need to go back to that chapel,” Isabelle said.
“What, did you sense something?” she asked.
“I might have. Come on, ladies.”
“Every time. Every damn time we get involved in something spooky in the middle of the night,” Nora said.
“That's what we get for being who we are,” Maryann said.
“Wow, that's almost deep.”
“Thanks!”
The band piled into their van and drove to Case. It took awhile to find a place to park and they had to walk back down to the main Quad and finally reached the chapel. Isabella closed her eyes and recited a spell to give her spirit sight.
“So, what do you see?” Nora asked.
Isabella looked up at the bell tower. “Spirits, like I thought, but not the gargoyle. I wonder where it’s hanging out. Hey, angel spirits, can you tell me where the gargoyle's spirit is hanging out?”
After a moment, there was a response from one of the spirits of the angel statues. “One of the engineering buildings,” answered a disdainful ethereal voice.
None of the other three were the least bit surprised at hearing a spirit voice.
“I am not getting another breaking and entering charge,” Nora said. “And we don't know which engineering building.”
“Now I know what to look for, I'll find the trail,” Isabella said. “Now come on.” Now that she had spirit sight, it was not difficult to follow the recent passage of a strong spirit. She also noticed lesser spirits inhabiting the area. “It went in here,” she said, pointing at the mechanical engineering building.
“And how do we get in?” Nora said.
“With this,” Maryann said, holding up a card.
“You stole your brother's ID?”
“I wanted to see if he'd even notice. And he didn't.” She waved the card in front of the door. The access panel lit up and they entered the building.
“I'm surprised students are allowed in this late,” Leah said.
“They aren't, but Skipper, I mean, Jason said his ID has a glitch so he can get into most buildings. He just never reported it to Security.”
“They'll probably notice now,” Nora said wryly.
“This way,” Isabella said. She led them to a computer lab. The lights were off, but there was a computer that was clearly on. “There it is.”
“You want to give us eyes now to make this easier?” Leah asked.
Isabella cast the spirit sight spell on her friends.
“Yep, that's a gargoyle. What is it doing?” Nora asked.
“Programming?” Leah offered.
“I think we've just found the mysterious CaseHack programmer,” Isabella said. “Come on.” She opened the door.
The computer immediately shut off.
“We can see you,” she said to the five foot tall spirit that looked almost exactly like the statue.
There was no reply.
“You're the spirit of the gargoyle on Amasa Stone chapel, and you wrote CaseHack.”
“Um, you can't prove anything,” it said in a growling voice.
“You were just on the computer!” Maryann said.
“Um, I was checking my email.”
“Why would a spirit have email?”
“Doesn't