They did.

[ This he says vaguely, and continues before they can unpack that: ]

It's not all skeletons and spooky ghosts. There's life-energy and death-energy tied up in everything that breathes, and plenty of things that don't. The end result is that a necromancer can be a body-magician in the broadest sense.

[ He wiggles his fingers, nonthreateningly. ]

If you let me take a look, I can promise to explain before I try anything.