Mutant_Lorenor
06-17-10, 04:11 AM
(Closed to Knave of Spades)
Wednesday, April 10th
C.P. 1808
1:00 A.M. (Standard Althanas Time)
With the words of the invitation still on his mind, the mutant visualized it over and over again. Cryptic as the invitation for The Tournament of Champions, the letter was delivered by someone heralding from Kebiras. That event worried Lorenor immensely. Rarely did the mutant's life ever cross swords with anyone heralding from Kebiras. The lone messenger managed to travel all the way to Niadath Pass in Raiaera to deliver the single parcel containing the information that Lorenor needed to see. It was a commission request for a job. It contained a dossier of documentation that Lorenor was required to memorize, and furthermore, it contained detailed maps of the target he was being hired to invade.
***
One week earlier--
Sitting in his study, the mutant found himself in a deep meditation. Having lost track of the time and day hours earlier, Lorenor rested on an intricate rug set in the middle of the chamber. It contained a meditation circle that glowed with a certain residue of energy. Three books were laid out in a certain position surrounding the mutant so that he could see the pages of the work clearly. Lorenor was reading the works of The Necronomicon. Lorenor sat in a perfect lotus position, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling with each controlled breath he took. He'd been in that position for several nights now. No food, no water, no distractions. Only complete and perfect servitude to the dark lady.
Fell symbols were visible to the mutant's eyes. These were the writings of The Spider-Magi, and ultimately, the writings of N'Jal herself. Ancient prophets of The Spider-Magi wrote the works in human blood and bound on human flesh. By then, Lorenor had memorized the teachings of N'Jal fully and slowly started to unlock the mysteries of The Spider-Magi. He'd learned he was a Spider-Magi a time ago, and was studying to increase his knowledge on them. It was the sixth day he was meditating when a presence walked up to the door of his private chambers. Lorenor heard a discussion occurring between someone and his personal bodyguards. Words were exchanged between the parties outside the apartment complex, and Lorenor's mind slowly wandered back to The Firmanent from its far off communion with N'Jal.
Feeling the physical pangs of The Firmanent, the first immediate sensation was a deepened state of thirst. Lorenor hungered deeply as he sat there recovering from his meditation-induced trance. An unfamiliar scent passed across his sensory grid. Lorenor studied the scent, there was something familiar about it, but he couldn't place it in his weakened state. Hearing the individuals arguing outside of his door, his senses were unusually sensitive to the loud noises. A migraine headache immediately developed. Touching his forehead, a Forsaken warrior immediately manifested from the shadows where he was previously not visible. The warrior moved towards Lorenor with tremendous grace and speed. Crouching down, the warrior wrapped his arms around the weakened High Priest.
"Master Lorenor." Lorenor heard the guard say. "There is a man outside who is a royal messenger of Kebiras. He bears Emblems and markings of the organization known as The Cabal." Lorenor immediately looked up at the guard when he mentioned that name. "They are apparently the same Cabal that ran The Tournament of Champions."
Lorenor thought back to his brief appearance in The Tournament of Champions. All events now were intertwined in a constantly looping circle that made the mutant quite uncomfortable. Thinking about the team-based tournament, Lorenor remembered who his partner was. MetalDrago Scorpio, his good Captain of the guards. He was only able to set a brief foot on the battlefields chosen for by The Cabal for the Round 1 battle. From what he had later heard, MetalDrago Scorpio performed admirable in singles combat against a full team of two warriors. The mutant was particularly proud of the success his best-friend and brother-in-arms was gaining. Thinking about what he had learned about The Cabal, the mutant immediately did not like the way the day was unfolding.
"What is the messenger's purpose here?" He asked.
"He seeks audience with you sire." The guard said plainly.
"Allow him in." It will do no good to keep The Cabal waiting.
"Sire?" The guard suddenly asked in disbelief.
"You heard me, allow him in. I wish to speak with this Messenger in private." Lorenor said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"As you command my master." The guard said, and immediately went towards the door to allow the guest in.
***
A short while later, Lorenor had ate a fair share of food whilst he was entertaining The Cabal's Messenger. The man had an impressive height and stature standing at a full height of 6'5". Lorenor guessed the man's weight at well above 200lbs. The Messenger had an extremely dark brown complexion of skin. His clothing was elegant with aesthetics from the land of Kebiras. Lorenor studied the mysterious symbols that were more than likely Cabal symbols. The man had tribal markings on his face, and his hair was also braided in dreadlocks. He had piercing dark brown eyes. The man was armed, but there was no hostility in him. In fact, Lorenor had found himself liking the man almost immediately. He'd revealed his name was Khazan Qathar. The man had a jovial air about him. Lorenor learned that he was also very much a right-to-the-point type of guy. That was earning points with the mutant right away.
"So that's it Lorenor. The Cabal wishes to hire your services. Your reputation has exceeded you and even has far reaching influences in Kebiras herself." Lorenor heard Khazan saying. "We know of your connection to N'Jal. That is the primary reason you were considered for the job. One other has been chosen." The man hinted, but was not at liberty to reveal the identity of Lorenor's would-be partner. "The documentation you have received from me contains all the details of The Contract." The man leaned forward towards Lorenor. "Understand, the very nature of this job is extremely dangerous. We only want to work with veterans. If you turn this job down, my masters will understand and seek out others." A pause. "But the job must get done."
By then, Lorenor was already reading the documents. Dossiers were placed within the parcel, dossiers, maps, and other crucial intelligence. There were letters as well written by members of The Cabal. The request however, came from a certain member of The Cabal. Lorenor's eyes went wide when he saw the name of the man who was hiring him for the job. It can't be! He is supposed to be dead and gone! One name stood out above all the others in the package, and it was the name of their contractor. Xem'Zund. Another name was there too. Morian. Lorenor did not understand how Devon Starslayer would fail in his mission to destroy Xem'Zund. Lorenor hissed when he read that part of the documents.
"My Master knows your name Lorenor. He knows what you have become. He would have your help in completing this task."
"Listen to me very carefully." Lorenor began, acid in his voice. "I do-not know how Xem'Zund is capable of communicating from the dead, but I do know that he is a sworn enemy of The Forsaken!" Lorenor suddenly yelled and slammed his fist against the floor. Standing up quickly, Lorenor began to nervously pace. "Let me ask you something. Is he still alive?" Lorenor wanted to know, Lorenor had to know. Xem'Zund was a sworn enemy of his people and here he was asking for help...
"That depends. What do you consider to be a state of living. Understand something, there are no absolutes on Althanas. Xem'Zund is very much still an influence in this world. Though he has lost his physical shell, he still manipulates events behind the scenes. Much like how you operate."
Lorenor considered the proposition very carefully.
"What will be my payment? What your master asks for is a tremendous achievement to pull off. Even for someone like me, even with help." He said. He continued. "I have a condition for this job."
"Your payment? The matter is discussed in the parcel. Furthermore, my Master is prepared to offer you whatever it is you wish. As long as it is in his power to grant. He understands what is being asked of you is a great deal. And a very dangerous task. All he asks in exchange is the matter discussed in the parcel. You will have the means to get what my Master seeks." The man said.
Lorenor sighed. He was still shocked by he was hearing.
"I don't understand why I was chosen. But, like I said, I have a condition."
"State your terms." The man said.
"Well its like this..."
***
Monday, May 4th
C.P. 1808
3:30 P.M. (Daytime hours. Lorenor suffers a 50% negative modifier to his powers, but not his Skills)
Kebiras. It had taken Lorenor and Khazan Qathar approximately one month to reach The Garden of Secrets. The journey had been a direct one, filled with much conversation between the two men. Lorenor understood why he had taken the job in the first place, but he wanted to be certain that it was the right thing to do. Lorenor had learned a great deal about Althanas from The Messenger, and this was crucial to his knowledge. As they walked into The Garden of Secrets, the pair understood that their hour of destiny was rapidly approaching. Khazan Qathar stopped walking and motioned towards Lorenor. Lorenor paused as well. All around them, the chaos of The Garden of Secrets was apparent. Doorways from Phantaria flickered into The Firmanent at impossible positions for sometimes indefinite periods of time. Each gate held secrets.
Lorenor observed people moving in and out of the gates at will. Some of the people were native to Althanas, others were not. It made the mutant realize how small he was in the grand scheme of things. Great men plotted and schemed in an effort to dethrone The Thayne. Lorenor's goals were not as grandiose as that, and here he found himself working for a hated enemy. An enemy with the power to grant the mutant nearly whatever he wanted. It was too good a chance to pass up, and an opportunity to test his skill against an unknown enemy. When Lorenor stopped moving, he turned to face The Messenger. The man wore a serious expression on his face that had not been there previously. Frowning at that, Lorenor wondered exactly what the man was thinking.
"This is where we part ways Lorenor. We will meet again when your task is completed. May The Fates be kind to you." Then, the man pointed to a particularly large gate. "That is the gate you want to use. It will take you and your partner well within the target."
"Should I concentrate on any specific goals, or do I have liberties to use any methods necessary?"
"My master just needs the items harvested that was requested. After that, you can do as you and your dark lady pleases. The end result will be the same either way. Lorenor. If you are caught, this meeting never took place. The Cabal will not send help to get you."
"Better make sure it goes off without a hitch then."
"That you should. And with that, we part ways. Good luck Lorenor." With that, The Messenger walked off in a different direction to perform this or that duty for his master.
Lorenor found himself with no choice but to wait for his mysterious partner. He sat down on the ground, moved into a lotus, and began to meditate...
Wednesday, April 10th
C.P. 1808
1:00 A.M. (Standard Althanas Time)
With the words of the invitation still on his mind, the mutant visualized it over and over again. Cryptic as the invitation for The Tournament of Champions, the letter was delivered by someone heralding from Kebiras. That event worried Lorenor immensely. Rarely did the mutant's life ever cross swords with anyone heralding from Kebiras. The lone messenger managed to travel all the way to Niadath Pass in Raiaera to deliver the single parcel containing the information that Lorenor needed to see. It was a commission request for a job. It contained a dossier of documentation that Lorenor was required to memorize, and furthermore, it contained detailed maps of the target he was being hired to invade.
***
One week earlier--
Sitting in his study, the mutant found himself in a deep meditation. Having lost track of the time and day hours earlier, Lorenor rested on an intricate rug set in the middle of the chamber. It contained a meditation circle that glowed with a certain residue of energy. Three books were laid out in a certain position surrounding the mutant so that he could see the pages of the work clearly. Lorenor was reading the works of The Necronomicon. Lorenor sat in a perfect lotus position, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling with each controlled breath he took. He'd been in that position for several nights now. No food, no water, no distractions. Only complete and perfect servitude to the dark lady.
Fell symbols were visible to the mutant's eyes. These were the writings of The Spider-Magi, and ultimately, the writings of N'Jal herself. Ancient prophets of The Spider-Magi wrote the works in human blood and bound on human flesh. By then, Lorenor had memorized the teachings of N'Jal fully and slowly started to unlock the mysteries of The Spider-Magi. He'd learned he was a Spider-Magi a time ago, and was studying to increase his knowledge on them. It was the sixth day he was meditating when a presence walked up to the door of his private chambers. Lorenor heard a discussion occurring between someone and his personal bodyguards. Words were exchanged between the parties outside the apartment complex, and Lorenor's mind slowly wandered back to The Firmanent from its far off communion with N'Jal.
Feeling the physical pangs of The Firmanent, the first immediate sensation was a deepened state of thirst. Lorenor hungered deeply as he sat there recovering from his meditation-induced trance. An unfamiliar scent passed across his sensory grid. Lorenor studied the scent, there was something familiar about it, but he couldn't place it in his weakened state. Hearing the individuals arguing outside of his door, his senses were unusually sensitive to the loud noises. A migraine headache immediately developed. Touching his forehead, a Forsaken warrior immediately manifested from the shadows where he was previously not visible. The warrior moved towards Lorenor with tremendous grace and speed. Crouching down, the warrior wrapped his arms around the weakened High Priest.
"Master Lorenor." Lorenor heard the guard say. "There is a man outside who is a royal messenger of Kebiras. He bears Emblems and markings of the organization known as The Cabal." Lorenor immediately looked up at the guard when he mentioned that name. "They are apparently the same Cabal that ran The Tournament of Champions."
Lorenor thought back to his brief appearance in The Tournament of Champions. All events now were intertwined in a constantly looping circle that made the mutant quite uncomfortable. Thinking about the team-based tournament, Lorenor remembered who his partner was. MetalDrago Scorpio, his good Captain of the guards. He was only able to set a brief foot on the battlefields chosen for by The Cabal for the Round 1 battle. From what he had later heard, MetalDrago Scorpio performed admirable in singles combat against a full team of two warriors. The mutant was particularly proud of the success his best-friend and brother-in-arms was gaining. Thinking about what he had learned about The Cabal, the mutant immediately did not like the way the day was unfolding.
"What is the messenger's purpose here?" He asked.
"He seeks audience with you sire." The guard said plainly.
"Allow him in." It will do no good to keep The Cabal waiting.
"Sire?" The guard suddenly asked in disbelief.
"You heard me, allow him in. I wish to speak with this Messenger in private." Lorenor said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"As you command my master." The guard said, and immediately went towards the door to allow the guest in.
***
A short while later, Lorenor had ate a fair share of food whilst he was entertaining The Cabal's Messenger. The man had an impressive height and stature standing at a full height of 6'5". Lorenor guessed the man's weight at well above 200lbs. The Messenger had an extremely dark brown complexion of skin. His clothing was elegant with aesthetics from the land of Kebiras. Lorenor studied the mysterious symbols that were more than likely Cabal symbols. The man had tribal markings on his face, and his hair was also braided in dreadlocks. He had piercing dark brown eyes. The man was armed, but there was no hostility in him. In fact, Lorenor had found himself liking the man almost immediately. He'd revealed his name was Khazan Qathar. The man had a jovial air about him. Lorenor learned that he was also very much a right-to-the-point type of guy. That was earning points with the mutant right away.
"So that's it Lorenor. The Cabal wishes to hire your services. Your reputation has exceeded you and even has far reaching influences in Kebiras herself." Lorenor heard Khazan saying. "We know of your connection to N'Jal. That is the primary reason you were considered for the job. One other has been chosen." The man hinted, but was not at liberty to reveal the identity of Lorenor's would-be partner. "The documentation you have received from me contains all the details of The Contract." The man leaned forward towards Lorenor. "Understand, the very nature of this job is extremely dangerous. We only want to work with veterans. If you turn this job down, my masters will understand and seek out others." A pause. "But the job must get done."
By then, Lorenor was already reading the documents. Dossiers were placed within the parcel, dossiers, maps, and other crucial intelligence. There were letters as well written by members of The Cabal. The request however, came from a certain member of The Cabal. Lorenor's eyes went wide when he saw the name of the man who was hiring him for the job. It can't be! He is supposed to be dead and gone! One name stood out above all the others in the package, and it was the name of their contractor. Xem'Zund. Another name was there too. Morian. Lorenor did not understand how Devon Starslayer would fail in his mission to destroy Xem'Zund. Lorenor hissed when he read that part of the documents.
"My Master knows your name Lorenor. He knows what you have become. He would have your help in completing this task."
"Listen to me very carefully." Lorenor began, acid in his voice. "I do-not know how Xem'Zund is capable of communicating from the dead, but I do know that he is a sworn enemy of The Forsaken!" Lorenor suddenly yelled and slammed his fist against the floor. Standing up quickly, Lorenor began to nervously pace. "Let me ask you something. Is he still alive?" Lorenor wanted to know, Lorenor had to know. Xem'Zund was a sworn enemy of his people and here he was asking for help...
"That depends. What do you consider to be a state of living. Understand something, there are no absolutes on Althanas. Xem'Zund is very much still an influence in this world. Though he has lost his physical shell, he still manipulates events behind the scenes. Much like how you operate."
Lorenor considered the proposition very carefully.
"What will be my payment? What your master asks for is a tremendous achievement to pull off. Even for someone like me, even with help." He said. He continued. "I have a condition for this job."
"Your payment? The matter is discussed in the parcel. Furthermore, my Master is prepared to offer you whatever it is you wish. As long as it is in his power to grant. He understands what is being asked of you is a great deal. And a very dangerous task. All he asks in exchange is the matter discussed in the parcel. You will have the means to get what my Master seeks." The man said.
Lorenor sighed. He was still shocked by he was hearing.
"I don't understand why I was chosen. But, like I said, I have a condition."
"State your terms." The man said.
"Well its like this..."
***
Monday, May 4th
C.P. 1808
3:30 P.M. (Daytime hours. Lorenor suffers a 50% negative modifier to his powers, but not his Skills)
Kebiras. It had taken Lorenor and Khazan Qathar approximately one month to reach The Garden of Secrets. The journey had been a direct one, filled with much conversation between the two men. Lorenor understood why he had taken the job in the first place, but he wanted to be certain that it was the right thing to do. Lorenor had learned a great deal about Althanas from The Messenger, and this was crucial to his knowledge. As they walked into The Garden of Secrets, the pair understood that their hour of destiny was rapidly approaching. Khazan Qathar stopped walking and motioned towards Lorenor. Lorenor paused as well. All around them, the chaos of The Garden of Secrets was apparent. Doorways from Phantaria flickered into The Firmanent at impossible positions for sometimes indefinite periods of time. Each gate held secrets.
Lorenor observed people moving in and out of the gates at will. Some of the people were native to Althanas, others were not. It made the mutant realize how small he was in the grand scheme of things. Great men plotted and schemed in an effort to dethrone The Thayne. Lorenor's goals were not as grandiose as that, and here he found himself working for a hated enemy. An enemy with the power to grant the mutant nearly whatever he wanted. It was too good a chance to pass up, and an opportunity to test his skill against an unknown enemy. When Lorenor stopped moving, he turned to face The Messenger. The man wore a serious expression on his face that had not been there previously. Frowning at that, Lorenor wondered exactly what the man was thinking.
"This is where we part ways Lorenor. We will meet again when your task is completed. May The Fates be kind to you." Then, the man pointed to a particularly large gate. "That is the gate you want to use. It will take you and your partner well within the target."
"Should I concentrate on any specific goals, or do I have liberties to use any methods necessary?"
"My master just needs the items harvested that was requested. After that, you can do as you and your dark lady pleases. The end result will be the same either way. Lorenor. If you are caught, this meeting never took place. The Cabal will not send help to get you."
"Better make sure it goes off without a hitch then."
"That you should. And with that, we part ways. Good luck Lorenor." With that, The Messenger walked off in a different direction to perform this or that duty for his master.
Lorenor found himself with no choice but to wait for his mysterious partner. He sat down on the ground, moved into a lotus, and began to meditate...