The Villains of Althanas (Chapter 1) (Open to All!!!)

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(Note: This is a part of a project I've been dreaming up for a while and discussing with Roy. It's time that the villains of Althanas united under one cause. If you are interested in this project please view ~Villains~ (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=175452#post175452) thank you very much!!!)

(I am using my level 10 until I hit level 11, thank you very much)

Night. The world of darkness spread out before Lorenor's amethyst coloured eyes across history. He'd sat idle for too long. Always considered a mover and a shaker within the shadowy super structure of Althanas' underbelly, Lorenor was poised to move yet again. He found himself within the depths of Concordia Forest that night. His purple glowing eyes almost hypnotic to those that viewed them. He stood atop a rock in a makeshift camp that housed his compatriots. All though he had property in Radasanth, Lorenor only ventured there when he needed to. Now was not one of those moments.

N'Jal has recently blessed The Herald with a vision. The vision held within it the promise of power and of greed temporarily satiated. Lorenor's greed had become legendary. A demon of the night, he represented demons that were greedy in nature. Lorenor knew that was the truth. He would do anything for almost anything and get the job done. Lorenor had blood on his hands, not just of the countless innocents he had sacrificed to N'Jal, but the blood of his enemies as well. Lorenor was no innocent soul. He was the baddest of the bad, he'd worked hard to become a High Priest of the lost Thayne: N'Jal and had his hand in her resurrection.

Lorenor carried his matron within him. He'd become a nightmare upon Althanas, a new plague. His cohorts lurked in the shadowy darkness as they looked upon the depths of Concordia that was N'Jal's kingdom. It was a kingdom of darkness, the night. And N'Jal would be it's ruler. However, a piece was missing. Lorenor knew that was the reason behind the visions he was having. There was a settlement just behind the length of the field they were facing. Yew trees, oaks, and other trees were swaying in the wind all about the mutant. All around him, he could detect the creatures of the dark stirring. Lorenor's Nation. The undead united under one banner: and that banner was N'Jal.

No longer would The Undead of Althanas be forced to hide in the services of Necromancers like that bastard Xem'Zund. Or Morian. Or any of the other charlatans of Althanas. Undead would earn their own territory and their own Nation. Lorenor was reciting the verses of N'Jal from The Necronomicon as it was spread before him in a particularly configuration. The three fell books acted as one enigmatic chaos engine. Lorenor stood atop a tall rock that oversaw the whole group of gathered Undead. There were roughly one hundred strong gathered before The Grand Primus. Somewhere in the quiet Concordia settlement laid an object crucial to N'Jal's resurrection. It was that object Lorenor sought that night. It was that object he would obtain...

((Open to ALL Villains!!!))

[Jack Frost]

Jack scowled, the undead stank horrendously, and he despised it. In fat he had no clue why he was even doing this job in the first place. Then he remembered that there was loot and gold involved. That brought a smile to his lips. He looked forward and regarded his employer with slight suspicion, but there was gold to be earned, and this man, if he could be called a man, looked like he had lots of it.

It had not been long since he had left home in the search of money, and lust for the stuff had quickly led to a sharp drop in moral standards. He paused and glanced around, it was dark, and the undead were starting to creep him out a little. He would not want to have to fight them, and felt bad for who they were meant to kill.

"Sir." He said, aiming the statement at his employer. "Would you like me to scout out where we need to go?" he asked unstrapping his umbrella from his back. His get-up was strange, cloaked in winter garb as if he was expected to walk through a winter storm. The umbrella in his hand was simple, yet had one minor enchantment that would be helpful....

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Clinging to his person like the embrace of a lost lover, The Living Dark manifested about him. The dark radiated about his shell, which was the conduit for the powerful vortex. It seemed to form a cloak about his person, radiating and being absorbed by his body. Yes, as an elemental of shadows, Lorenor was quite powerful by that point. Only a psychopath would attempt to raid the villages of Corone. Lorenor was reading loudly off the pages of the books, words that only a Spider Magi could read, the sermon of the hour. Almost as soon as the sermon was over, Lorenor saw that his latest employee, a young Mercenary by the name of Jack Frost, had asked a critical question.

Immediately, Lorenor had taken a liking to the boy. The boy had a spark within him that was visible to terrible High Priest's eyes. With his enhanced auspex powers, Lorenor could see the brilliant spark that radiated from somewhere within the boy. It was a core of vast elemental energies, his heart. Lorenor was just done giving his sermon. The words hung in the air, motivating the undead, but what could possibly motivate one in the first place? Lorenor took his chaos engine and placed each book carefully within his travel packs. Then, he turned to address Jack Frost. His eyes narrowed, glowing purple vortexes flowing out of the depths of the eye sockets.

Lorenor was a short fellow but had a gigantic stature. He weighed approximately two hundred pounds and was built like a solid wall of muscle. His skin was dark gray, almost black, and visible from the neck up. However, unlike most of the undead, Lorenor was not rotten. However, his skin did have terrible scarring from the recent battles that Lorenor had undergone. Though his regenerative powers were nearly flawless, the mutant could not avoid getting scarred up. His face had been cleared of markings though, thanks to a recent transformation. No eyeballs lurked within those eye sockets, there were no ears, no tongue in his mouth, and that was not a nose on his face. Instead of eyeballs, twin glowing furnaces burned out of his eye sockets representing the dark colour of his soul.

Lorenor wore his hair in a complicated mess of long dreadlocks. Their colour was silver-platinum. Lorenor had aged considerably in his lifetime, a result of a recent event in his life. He'd become The Grand Primus of the undead, and furthermore, he'd become The Herald of N'Jal. Lorenor had fought to become what he was today. As he readied his propaganda, the boy spoke. Lorenor turned to look at Jack Frost with a certain level of respect. Jack possessed a clear power over a force that Lorenor would never truly conquer: The Arkanos. Lorenor listened with respect and shook his head.

"No. My Scouts are already on patrol. Your task is to stick close to me and learn what you can from my experienced Warriors, and from me. Learn all you can. This will be a military operation that likely shapes your career. So just stick close to me. I will train you and prepare you for what is coming." Just then, one of The Scouts emerged from the dark. Lorenor turned to face his fellow man. Lorenor's robes seemed to flow about with the wind almost as if it was a sentient creature.

"Master Lorenor." The Scout began. "Your troops are in position..."

"Good." Lorenor said. His men and women had grown efficient with time and study. He looked at Jack Frost. "Follow me and stay close."

[Jack Frost]

Jack nodded at the solemn man standing before him. His pale skin glowed slightly in the moonlight, his teal eyes glowed fiercely. "I have but one request, I require a blade." he said holding up his umbrella. "This is the closest thing I have to a weapon, and I doubt I could kill someone with this." he said twirling it like a baton. Fog streamed from his mouth, even though it was probably not old enough outside to do so.

"I shall stand by you sir, and learn from your awe inspiring power." Jack said smoothly, not letting much emotion flow into his voice. He thought back to his old life with the elves, and scowled. Such a life was boring, and there was no profit to it. He thirsted for power, gold, and answers, and this man could probably give them to him. He felt a stirring oldness inside him, sucking all of the warm fuzzy thoughts from his mind.

He was ready to do some damage.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(Feel free to bunny the NPC I gave to you bro. You should try to get Plynt Armour and Weapons for your character that are suitable to you))

Walking with the boy, Lorenor listened to his request. It was a humble one. Nodding to himself, Lorenor looked sternly at the youth in question. He realized that he found himself liking Jack Frost, not for what he stood for, but for what he was about. The ice-cold energy that flowed from the youth made the mutant shiver and he pulled his Salvarn cloak to his person just a little bit tighter. He drew from that warmth. Summer or Winter, The High Priest always wore his cloak. It is precious to me. Lorenor motioned for a tough looking warrior, undead, to come to their position. He did so. Lorenor looked at the fellow with great respect, and then turned towards Jack Frost.

"Lad. This man is a Blacksmith of moderate skill. He can get you equipment made of Plynt. Be certain to have equipment fashioned for you that will be suitable for combat." Lorenor paused. "When you are ready, meet me in the command tent. I shall be there for the next few hours planning our mission with our chief strategists." Lorenor said.

Then, he nodded politely to both the blacksmith and Jack Frost. Making his way towards the command tent, Lorenor walked in silence. Two members of the undead race walked alongside The High Priest. One was female, and the other was a male. Lorenor acknowledged both of the individuals with deepest respect. For both of them were members of the dark clergy. One was a fellow High Priest of N'Jal held in high esteem, and the other, was one of the many High Priestesses in power. When he entered the command tent, he already saw various documentation on the floor, several people working the documents, and the same fellows discussing in silence. A strong smell of the herb known as cannibus filled the room.

When Lorenor entered the command tent, the fellow restless dead looked at The High Priest and bowed quietly. All discussion stopped when Lorenor entered the large tent. The High Priestess sat at the head of the group, Lorenor sat at one of the sides, and the other High Priest sat opposite The High Priestess. Several key members of the undead race were present in that command tent. Generals, High Lieutenants, tacticians, strategists.

"Hail, Grand Primus." One of the men said towards Lorenor. The others repeated the greeting. "Lord Lorenor, we have discovered weaknesses in their defensive patrols." There was a model of the sleeping settlement on the ground. Overall, there was roughly twenty buildings of various physical configurations laid out. Lorenor studied the organization of the buildings, and the wall that was etched in the dirt around the blocks. The man continued to speak as Lorenor listened. "They are basically patrolling here, here, and here. There are some Archers posted on the wall, but no more than twenty or so. The Archers can be taken care of by our best forward skirmishers."

Lorenor spoke.

"Has The Talisman been located? That is our objective in this operation. All other objectives are not important." Lorenor said, his voice rising so that all could hear him.

"It has. By the grace of our Matron-Lady." A symbol was etched around one of the buildings in particular. One of the women that were present spoke.

"It is a heavily fortified vault with strong Wards. We will have to be cautious to pierce the ward for it will be defended."

"As has been foreseen." Lorenor paused for a moment. Then he looked at the gathered men and women in his chamber. "The boy who has joined us, he will be a crucial element in this." Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Lady has shown me that within him lurks a terrible power. We must harness this power as quickly as possible. But the boy must willingly join our cause." Lorenor said.

"Do you think he will Master Lorenor?" A man asked Lorenor.

"The Lady says he will play an important role in our future. So if it is meant to be he must join us." Lorenor said quietly. "Now then, we must all prepare for what is coming. Our foes will learn the true meaning of what horrors lurk in the dark they loathe."

"Are we to take captives Master Lorenor?" Another man asked.

"We are to kill all who stand in our way, and let the lambs escape to tell Heroes about what will happen." Lorenor grinned carefully. "Once we have our Objective, we shall capture the city proper, and hold the fort as our own headquarters. From there we shall launch the rest of our Raids all around Althanas, in one fell swoop. There will be no one to stop this time."

"By the will of The Dark Lady." The gathered individuals said.

"May The Dark Lady guide us to victory."

[Jack Frost]

Jack nodded to his blacksmith and quickly formulated his list of things he needed. "I require a longsword relatively long in length but balanced for a man of my size. I also require gauntlets and a couple of plates that an be stitched to my jacket." Jack said grinning. "At once." The blacksmith replied. He had a couple strange undead take measurements and run off. The blacksmith went off, and began working on his gear.

Some time later his gear was brought to him. He slipped off his jacket, and watched as a somewhat clumsy fingered zombie woman with rotting flesh stitched the plates to his jacket. When she was done Jack slipped the Jacket back on, and also put the gauntlets on. "It's time to find Lord Lorenor." Jack said strapping his sheathed sword to his back.

He walked to the central command tent and stepped inside. "I am ready my lord." Jack said nodding to everyone in the tent. It seemed there was some sort of diagram of their target town. Everything looked intense, this would change his life...

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Meanwhile--

Mayor Cobalt looked at his dinner but was unable to eat. Something did not sit well with him, the recent events were making him tense. The Mayor was a sturdy human of Concordia origins. He had tightly cropped, reddish-brown hair, that was currently quite wild. He wore a fancy suit and glasses on his well formed nose. He also had a bushy mustache. Bags were visible beneath his eyes from lack of sleep these past few nights. It seemed like everything in his world was falling apart...

"Why did it have to come to this? Nobody listens anymore!" The Mayor said with anguish in his voice. He knew what was coming now, Seers within the the town's walls had predicted the event for months now. Now, a red moon blazed over head with the promised tidings of war to come. Mayor Cobalt looked at a nearby soldier in full armour and sighed. "Are the preparations ready?" There were going to be lives at stake that night.

"We can evacuate at any moment should things get really ugly. Mayor, are you certain that this event will occur?" The soldier frowned. "There hasn't been an insurgency of this magnitude since..."

"Don't say it!" Mayor Cobalt said. "Just the thought alone makes my bones rattle." The Mayor sighed. "He will come at some point during the night's events as was decreed. The Grand Primus will come to issue us a surrender of our town..."

"The Grand Primus..." The soldier said carefully. "Mayor, if you will excuse me there are still preparations that need to be made."

"O-okay." Mayor Cobalt said. "Just be certain that we can evacuate once the battle starts." Mayor Cobalt sighed again, he was a politician, not a soldier.

And this night was going to be a night from Hell.

***

"A direct assault should catch them off guard." Lorenor said carefully, he pointed with an athame at the front gates. "It will help provide resources for our ranks..." Two nearby soldiers nodded. "We will lay siege to whatever defenses they throw at us..." Lorenor said quietly. "But our main target is The Vault. Once we have secured The Vault, victory will be ours."

"My Lord, our scouts report that there is an acting Mayor. He will likely represent a valuable target..." The soldier said casually. "We should dedicate resources into his capture."

"That will be fine. I wish to confront this person directly." It was at that point that Jack Frost arrived. Lorenor turned to look at the lad, he seemed much more adequately prepared for what was coming. "You return Mr. Frost. Good. You look much better prepared now. The plan has been laid out, we shall march within the hour. This will be a deadly battle, so be prepared." Lorenor said calmly. "I expect resistance as soon as we arrive. But here is the main plan. We will send a forward party to contact this Mayor. And see if we can avoid unnecessary conflict. If the Mayor refuses to surrender, we will have our main forces attack at will." Lorenor pointed to a position just outside of the city gates. "Hold the position here. Do not allow anybody in or out of the city." Lorenor said carefully. Then he turned to look at Jack Frost. "You will accompany me with the forward party." Lorenor said.

[Jack Frost]

Jack nodded to the grand Primus. "Yes sir." he said nodding. "Tell me sir, what can we expect to encounter?" Jack asked. His magic was decent, but his skills with the sword were not professional level. If it came down to it he would end up ducking behind his boss. Fog steamed out of his mouth with every breath.

He was nervous, incredibly so. But he would have to follow through with this job. He would need this job, to get stronger, to get richer. His dreams counted on this job, he could feel destinies pull. Whoever this man Lorenor was, Jack knew he would influence his fate greatly.

Jack checked himself in the reflection of his blade. If he was gonna meet a mayor, he needed to look good. His teal eyes stared back at him, he adjusted the tilt of the blade and checked his silver hair, that stood in icy spikes. He checked his pale face, which was free of blemishes and hair.

He was a handsome young man, and he required attention he doubted any undead could give him. A silly request formed in his mind. It was an odd request, but he would find it interesting. "May I make a request sir?" a grin formed on his face. "I think I can bring in an extra source of income..."

[Mutant_Lorenor]

People looked at Jack Frost carefully as if attempting to analyze his thoughts. Lorenor simply nodded, he respected all who heard the call of N'Jal. He turned his attention to Jack Frost with a soft expression on his face. Well, as soft as Lorenor's face could possibly get. By then, Lorenor was battle-hardened, he'd been in the trenches for the cause of N'Jal, the cause of the darkness. Lorenor closed his eyes for a moment, and there was nothing but darkness flowing in his eye sockets. His thoughts were focused then, bent on serving the will of N'Jal. Althanas was still recovering from the war against the hated Necromancer Xem'Zund.

"Do not be afraid Jack Frost." Lorenor said carefully. "All are equal in the eyes of N'Jal." Then, Lorenor wore a hideous grin on his face. "What is your suggestion? It will be taken into consideration."

[Jack Frost]

Jack smiled wickedly, "I am a man of many needs, but the one need that I find will be hard to serve here is one of Lust. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the undead, I'm just not into sleeping with animated corpses. But back to the topic at hand, instead of killing all of the inhabitants of this town, we could capture a select few, women, and come up with ways they could be useful...if you catch my drift..." Jack said slightly.

Most common folk would find his suggestion deplorable, but Jack was among the darkest of Althanas' inhabitants, and he would rather not stick out morally. It seemed as if his employer could feel his anxiety. He sighed, apparently this N'jal wasn't like other gods, she actually respected her followers. "sir when we're done with this town I would love if you helped me train." the young ice mage asked smiling.

"But I guess we should get ready, this will be fun." Jack grinned, forcing all fear and anxiety to the back of his mind. He was going to earn his pay, and no one would stop him.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Considering the youth's words quite carefully, Lorenor nodded in response. He liked the way Jack Frost thought. Turning his head towards the panel gathered before him, Lorenor nodded. "His suggestion shall become a priority my pupils." Lorenor began. "The Dark Lady wills it." When Lorenor said that, the others began to talk quietly amongst themselves. An agreement was reached quickly. Then, Lorenor turned towards Jack Frost. "I shall give you whatever resources are at my disposal. Jack Frost. You have earned my respect this night. I will protect you and train you to the best of my capacity." Lorenor said. "Is there any further business before we begin the attack?"

[Jack Frost]

Jack silently thought of what he could possibly need at the very moment in time, and quickly realized that he was set for the night ahead of him. "No sir, I suggest we begin, if this siege carries on into the morn they may receive help." Jack said solemnly. He paused and took in the diagram carefully. He would follow master Lorenor, and he would lead him to the objective.

"I'm ready." he muttered making sure he had every important aspect memorized. This was it, there would be no turning back after this. Anything he did tonight, he would have to live with forever. He was willing to put up with that, this was the path fate had chosen for him. This was the path he would walk. He felt a slight stirring in his chest, ancient memories flicked quickly through his mind. Things he himself had never done, yet it felt that he had. He recalled several years of mindless repetition, practicing a certain sword style. A st lye perfectly suited for the blade he had received. An elderly voice rang through his head.


So it begins...

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(( Sorry for the long delay. We are moving ahead with the story. ))


~II~

Mayor Cobalt was not an idiot. As a man of the people, the small city had become his responsibility. He was a strong-arm of The Empire of Corone and as such, he had a reputation to uphold. Though he was a kind-heart by nature, the man never took kindly to threats. Be they from fellow politicians, noblemen, or otherwise. This time however, his seers had predicted that a great threat would come from Raiaera and spill blood red life sustenance upon the streets of their city. Jadet was the closest neighbor to the city, but Cobalt knew the odds. Help would not arrive if the prophets were true. They would be ignored. Corone's resources were being spread thin these days, and one nameless district sieged would not matter to The Empire in the long run.

The Empire was stable as far as things went. Though there were propagandists and anarchists everywhere, Cobalt knew the score. The Empire was going to last for the long haul unless someone took The Viceroys out. Cobalt thought about those matters as he looked at the delegates in his chamber. The Assembly Hall was now in session and each of the leaders of the various guilds and factions of the city were present. Mayor Cobalt wore a troubled expression on his face as he studied the arguing delegates deeply. Each man and woman present was attempting to decipher the latest, seemingly insane move by The Mayor. Cobalt was not a popular man to say the least and was known for making outlandish decisions based on what some would consider "impulse." Cobalt would call it instinct.

Trusting his prophets and seers, Mayor Cobalt had been a student of history. The Demon Wars that scorched Althanas was still fresh on his mind as his forefathers had been great heroes during those expeditions. In his heart of hearts, Cobalt fancied himself a hero. As such, he placed the very salvation of his city on his own shoulders, taking up a leadership position where others would fear the events the night would bring. It was marked by the celestial heavens, his prophets foretold that that specific night would be the night in question. Hordes of undead, The Forsaken they would call themselves, would raid his beloved city.

Blood would stain the streets red and fires would come coursing through every structure. Hundreds would pass to The After, but not before undeath's ugly maw would claim them into the great machine. Cobalt's hands shook at the thought of what was coming. And a name was on his lips...

"Be quiet all of you. I have the name of the enemy force's acting leader. It will be a creature calling itself Lorenor." Cobalt suddenly said, very seriously. "One of my Prophets has closely followed this creature's progress throughout it's history as it went down an exceedingly darker path. It is responsible for the revival of The Enemy of All." Cobalt said. N'Jal. He dared not utter the name before his delegates. "The creature has grown powerful in the dark. He will confront us. There is something that he is after."

One of the delegates, the leader of The Merchant's Guild stood up suddenly and looked at Mayor Cobalt with a scowl. "Lorenor? That's impossible, I have it in good faith from a source in The Knights of Dawn that the beastie was put down by their blades long ago. You are mistaken. You expect us to rally on the name of a single monster that has already been defeated." The man said carefully. He was challenging Cobalt's authority, but there was a double-edge sword between a disagreement and treason these days. "Good Mayor, you are overstepping your boundaries once again. When the battle of East District took place, it was your bumbling that left so many to die..."

That was enough and more than The Mayor could bare.

"Shut...up." Cobalt growled. "My inside source within The Citadel has given me a detailed dossier of the beast." Cobalt continued. "In my possession is the battle statistics and strategem the creature commonly uses. He was closely trained by renegade members of The Monks." Cobalt saw their reactions and darkly grinned. "If that is not enough, the creature has unparalleled capacity for regeneration. Removed limbs, dismemberments, you name it, your precious Knights tried it. Nothing could keep him down. They turned him to ash in The Citadel recently. It was a fellow who has an inside contact here in the city. A man calling himself The Trap Master." Several people whistled upon hearing the agent's name. "So you see, though The Knights slowed Lorenor down, he has returned. He always returns. It's as if death's grip itself has shunned him and mocks the whole of Althanas with the monstrosity." Mayor Cobalt was a good speaker, so he used his talents to good effect. "He is upon us and will arrive at any moment..."

There was a sudden interruption. An injured suddenly approached The Assembly Hall. He dragged himself across the structure as he headed towards Mayor Cobalt. His pupils were dilated, his skin was pale from terror of what he had seen, and his armour was torn in several places. He'd received several serious injuries and was not long for death. The man was a scout from what Cobalt gathered of the resources available to him. Cobalt cradled the man as he fell before The Mayor.

"M-my liege. A message from the field." The scout began.

***

Soon, the city's central square district was alive with activity. Some hours had passed and the battle had gone underway. A small group of undead had penetrated the city's defenses and approached the Mayor's position directly as if the event was some scripted theater show gone terribly wrong. Mayor Cobalt could see the creature named Lorenor and shivered when he realized what he was looking at. It was that prophet that insisted Lorenor would come to sack the town itself. He was after something, something that his forefathers had secured in their township long ago. The war of The Thayne had come to the quiet city.

***
(Bro please excuse the small bunny but we are moving on)

Lorenor's sword was already bloodied. His allies and he had felled many of the city's soldiers. Civilians were not a priority and were allowed to flee. Only the capturing of the city was the order of the day. The Vault, once secured, would contain the treasures that Lorenor and his people sought. As he looked at the leaders of the town, only one man stared at Lorenor with increasing respect. Lorenor assumed that man was their leader: Mayor Cobalt. Lorenor was standing alongside his companion, Jack Frost, who had proven quite useful during their excursion into the city. Lorenor kept his face extremely grim as he approached the delegates and officials of the city.

"Now that I have all of your attentions. We can discuss your city's terms of surrender." Lorenor said loudly yelling towards the leadership of the city. "Your city has something that belongs to The Dark Lady. Belongs to N'Jal. We are here to claim it along with your city walls. This will be our first step in storming Jadet. So. That leads me to one conclusion: what's it gonna be my good Mayor Cobalt. Will you give up peacefully or will more blood have to be shed on this hour?" Lorenor was deadly serious. Many had fallen already, and the undead were poised to completely destroy all that stood in their way.

"Under whose authority will you wage war on Corone!?" A man suddenly asked that was not Mayor Cobalt.

That deeply troubled The Grand Primus.

"To answer your question you great idiot, I have it under the authority of N'Jal to siege this place. I am The Grand Primus! Do-not seek to mock my intellect any further. This battle has long been in preparation to snatch life from the bosoms of you bastards." Lorenor wore a scowl on his face. "Do-not speak where only your leader has place to speak to The Grand Primus!" Lorenor yelled and pointed to Mayor Cobalt. "We seek audience only with the one capable of surrendering what we want." The Grand Primus waved his hand to his men as an order to continue to slaughter all who attempted to resist what was coming. "What's it going to be little Mayor? Will you surrender quietly, or go out with a bang?" Lorenor hoped that The Mayor would want to resist. It would make things oh so interesting.

[Jack Frost]

Jack had felt like a completely different person during the battle. It seemed as if some other personality was stirring. During this time he fought with increased skill, even though he had rarely fought with a blade before. his ice magic seemed to have grown more potent, he found himself able to do things he was not once able to. Icicles seemed to spawn from the moisture in the air, rather than his breath.

He had slain many men this day, and it seemed he was getting a sort of sadistic kick out of every death he caused. His blade was stained red from the many deaths he caused. He felt a sudden stirring in his brain. One word stirred through his mind like a vicious blizzard. Winter. It continued to stir with the increased battling.

He strode along side Lorenor, an evil grin spread across his face. He stood patiently while Lorenor talked. He hoped the mayor wouldn't surrender, he hoped more blood would be spilled. this was not the hope of Jack frost, but of Polaris Winter, lord of ice.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Tension was thick in the air. Lorenor could taste it against his flesh. It was bitter-sweet. Somehow, he'd expected the people of Corone to put up a better fight than what they had. However, he was no fool. He knew his luck would not last in his campaign against civilization. Inadvertently, he'd become a new villain from the shadows. Lorenor's eyes were locked upon the eyes of Mayor Cobalt as a few moments passed. The tension in his own gut was thick, and he wondered: was this the end? No stranger to death, Lorenor had died several times in his life. He was used to the fact that death's embrace would not lead him to The After or The Pyre.

Clenching his fists tightly until they popped, Lorenor saw that Cobalt was taking too long. Far too long. No leader of Corone would wait for such a long time when faced with certain death. It bothered Lorenor to no end. He figured that it was a sign of submission towards the last few moments, readied his weapon, and looked towards Jack Frost.

"Ready your weapon." Lorenor said carefully and then began to walk towards Cobalt. "It seems my intentions were not made clearly enough." Lorenor said carefully. As he walked closer, he raised his weapon so that the tip of the blade faced skyward. "This is your last chance. Guide us to The Vault, or die." Lorenor said, his tone quite serious, quite determined.

I will have the relics of N'Jal!

***

Within the crowd, there lurked a certain group of fellows. They were clad almost entirely in black, the hoods on their cloaks worn up to cover their heads in shade. Each of the men seemed to carry no visible weaponry, and they were burly fellows. All five of them. The leader of the men stood at the point in the group. At his boots was one of Lorenor's minions who was currently in the process of facing true death. Clad in black, the fellow had a sword pointed in the neck of The Forsaken. It choked on it's own blood as it died and burned into ash. A guard working for the city approached the squad thinking them allies.

"I congratulate you sirs, you have done us a--urgh!!!"

Out of nowhere, one of the men clad in black produced a bowgun and shot a single bolt into the knight's chest killing him instantly. The leader looked at his companion.

"That was not necessary. These people are of no consequence. Only The Vault is." The leader spoke in a quite voice. "The Weapon, The Herald of N'Jal, is here. He is approaching The Mayor. One of you four must activate him." The leader said carefully, giving out the order to cause further bedlam than the poor city had already seen.

One of the men, a skilled veteran, carefully approached the position where Lorenor, Jack Frost, and several others confronted the leadership of the city. Walking closely enough, well within proximity of the power-word placed deep in Lorenor's mind, the man began to chant the spell carefully...

***
As Lorenor prepared to confront Mayor Cobalt, something happened. Something very dangerous and very unexpected. The least worry that Lorenor would have prepared for at the time being. When Lorenor was no more than a pace away from Mayor Cobalt, The High Priest prepared his weapon. He began a swing, and The Mayor's terrified eyes went wide. Many soldiers attempted to charge towards The Herald in one movement. Everything slowed down. Then, Lorenor heard a sudden, strangely familiar verse. Feeling a pounding headache, The High Priest's senses went black for the briefest of moments....

***

In another language...

"O childe of the living dark, awaken and conquer our enemies! Be the weapon!"

***

Lorenor's eyes suddenly turned a deeper shade of purple. For a moment or two, he tensed his muscles as guards swarmed his person in a desperate attempt to protect their leader. As Lorenor tensed he ducked down and released the pressure on his powerful muscles. Leaping into the air, he activated his flight power, and was airborne. In that state, he could act without remorse, without mercy, and without pity. He could kill. His face was twisted in a deep grin as he acted. Moving through the air, he dived towards Mayor Cobalt in a fit of rage.

A few moments later, only the screams of The Mayor were heard as Lorenor tore the man apart. Voices burned through the mind of The Weapon as he acted. His blood boiled hot, and he was burning rage quite quickly. Lorenor swung and with each swing, he racked up another killed. Each swing was a lethal-stroke performed from a veteran killer. It was almost beautiful to watch. The true target was embedded in his head. Lorenor would hunt them down, all of them. As he cut a swath through those that were intercepting him, his attention finally turned towards Jack Frost. He cut a man down, and began flying towards Jack Frost. After he was well within striking distance, Lorenor swung his weapon at his former ally...

[Jack Frost]

Jack watched impressed as his leader tore several men to shreds. He whistled impressed, then the monster turned to Jack. The world seemed to slow down as he flew at Jack. Panic began to sink into his veins. Everything grew slower and slower. Finally a cold presence in his mind snapped, his eyes began to glow violently. He leaped put of the way with a speed he had previously never even dreamed of, but owed his escape to his advanced reaction time. The newly awoken god grinned coldly, fog streaming from his mouth. Father winter, the minor Thayne of Winter had reawoken.

He rose out his right hand and growled coldly. Something in the "vault" stirred. Another forgotten relic from the Thayne wars. A sword that was a deep teal began to glow violently. By sheer will alone Father winter called the blade to him, and by sheer will alone it came to him. It soared to his hand as if it had formed from nothing.

It was a katana, one of the coldest blades Father Winter had ever used. He could feel his power beginning to return. He laughed loudly. "Lets see what chaos the powers of two Thaynes can cause?" He bellowed loudly. He swung the blade as a test strike, a quick, precise strike. He was ready for this. He roared and let his power surge from his body. Several large towers of ice rose from the outskirts of the town. They shifted like liquid and formed an apex above the town. The moisture in the air began to freeze, forming a large dome around the town.

The temperature of the town began to plummet. In a matter of minutes it would be close to freezing in the dome, and the temperature would continue to drop. anyone left in the dome might as well have been dead. Of course Lorenor was probably immune to the cold, his zombies might have been as well. all he was concerned about was testing the power of N'jal. He had been asleep for a long time. he was unsure how N'ja was. It would be good for him to test his strength.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Something unexpected happened. An event that would forever alter Lorenor's destiny. As he maneuvered his way towards Jack Frost at best speed, the mutant felt a tremendous surge of power. Something within his new opponent surged from deep within him. For a moment, The Firmanent cracked under the weight of the secrets awakening deep inside of Jack Frost. Lorenor frowned deeply as he sensed what was actually going on. Jack Frost was actually a Thayne hidden within a boy's body. This will put a wrench into my plans. There was a concern deep in the back of his mind, but the current concern was to kill Jack Frost before he could awaken to his true power.

Lorenor missed his first attack due to a lucky evasion maneuver. The movement pissed The High Priest off. Lorenor saw the movement out of the corner of his eyes and compensated for his initial mistake. Jack Frost had moved far, but not by much. Then, the temperature around the entire town began to drop at an exponential rate. Thanks to Lorenor's Salvarn cloak, his own natural abilities, and his time spent in Salvar, the mutant was used to extreme temperature changes. Lorenor prepared himself for what undoubtedly would become a deep freeze.

As the temperature continued to drop, Lorenor felt tremendous energies burning from within Jack Frost. He put his eyes on his opponent for a long moment before moving again. Lorenor knew; that dodge was impressive. A boy with little to no experience was capable of dodging his attacks. That would prove an interesting challenge. Lorenor did not know what would happen when Jack Frost reached full potential, and that would be something that the mutant had to prevent at all costs. Though he was not his usual self, he was still rational enough to plan through various stages of attack.

After all, Lorenor was a strategist by nature. He doubted Jack Frost's mind could keep up with the intellectual capacity of a super-genius in his prime.

When Jack Frost evaded the attack, it opened up a larger set of possibilities for the crazed High Priest. Lorenor was on a rampage, without really understanding why. How could he? Lorenor suddenly, skillfully, slashed in a arch from a middle center of gravity. He slashed outward with the side of his body closest to Jack Frost. The mutant had a back-up plan ready in case the youth made the mistake of evading what was coming. As he attacked: a deadly thought burned through Lorenor's mind. Jack Frost's power was exponential...

[Jack Frost]

Winter's blue eyes glowed fiercely as he raised Frostbite, his sword, to block. Something happened that sent shivers down his spine. He felt the limit of his power. Sure he had slumbered for several millennia, but his dome had drained a fourth of his energy! The panicked him, he wouldn't be able 'win' this fight. Far from it. He would only be able to survive. Instead he searched for N'jals power. He had fought along side the Thayne at one time, maybe he could contact her, have her see that he was once again her ally.

Until he did manage to find her he would just have to fight his best. Although this body was not anywhere near as fast or strong as his old one. Something he would require work on later. Instead he had to focus on surviving Lorenors rampage.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(We are going to be continuing this thread, I apologize for the delay on my behalf. As you know I have returned, it's time to complete this Villainy project)

Lorenor suddenly found himself staring at some place he would never thought he see. Lorenor stood over the remains of The Bazaar district, it was crumbled and decayed. Buildings were crushed under the weight of some powerful energy, and an inferno raged through the streets. Lorenor walked across the famous streets of Radasanth, his eyes carefully observing the destruction. Something had happened, something quite powerful. Lorenor instinctively placed his hood atop of his head. Dark purple energy burned through the dark as he took in the scene before him. It was poetic, the suffering of thousands who lived, worked, and died in Radasanth, for Radasanth. Blindly following an ideal, a cause, a banner. Lorenor knew that Radasanth had become a cesspool and no longer the birthplace of Heroes.

But rather, it was the birthplace of Villains. The Age of Villains had come to Althanas. Clenching his fists tightly in anticipation, Lorenor drew his precious prevalida sword. He pointed it downward to the ground. All around were the sounds of screams and suffering from the victims of Radasanth. Before his eyes sat something brilliant that he thought he would never lay his eyes upon. In the fountain located in the former Bazaar District, there sat the sword of Radasanth. Shining, glowing with the promise of power. A sword that no man had ever lifted except the mighty Radasanth himself. Drawn to the sword's power, Lorenor walked over to it wondering if the legends were true. He had never attempted the impossible. Then again, Lorenor was a man who took great risks in life and they had all paid off in dividends.

Lorenor walked into the blood soaked water fountain which was once a symbol of great beauty and freedom. Corrupt, it now had it's own aura of darkness. As Lorenor felt his pants getting soaked with the wasted blood in the fountain, he walked over to the legendary Sword of Radasaanth. Knowing he lacked the powers of Letho, he knee he had his own power though. The power of N'Jal. Chosen as he was to lead the followers of N'Jal in their darkest hour, Lorenor felt obliged to attempt the impossible. As a tool for N'Jal, the sword of Radasanth could become a great boon. Wrapping his hands tightly around the hilt of the sword, Lorenor suddenly felt a powerful presence in his mind.

Back World Destroyer! The voice began. Back ye beast, ye are not welcome here! A terrible energy began to course through Lorenor's body. A terrible, purified energy, but the energy had become corrupt. Long ago the symbols on the sword protected Radasanth against the evils of the dark. But the light had grown weak, pitiful, it had lost it's once glorious power. No longer was there an elemental balance on Althanas, and Althanas had become a nether world of sorts. Though it caused him great pain to do so, Lorenor held on to the weapon. He had sheathed his prevalida sword previous to the current action he was undergoing. And then, something had happened. There was a powerful resonance in the air as a mystical seal of symbols broke.

The sound was like thunder across the very fabric of the Firmanent, sending a vibration through the air. But Lorenor held. Using his demonic powers and mastery of the dark, Lorenor held. Feeling pain coursing through every molecule of his body, Lorenor knew he had become powerful. He knew he was able to withstand a great deal of punishment now thanks to his unholy endurance. Hearing the voice in his head, a part of him knew who was yelling at him. It was the very soul of Radasanth himself. The enemy. The very incarnation of those forces who had rallied the Greater Thayne to banish the dark lady from Althanas in the first point. It had all come down to this one moment, when the scion of the darkness would do what no Hero ever could.

When the seal broke, the remaining powers of the light waned. It had become gray light, and then, it had become darkness. Saturated by the great evil that Lorenor had become. And in that moment, Lorenor and the dark lady he served had achieved victory over the forces of light. A terrible scourge, that dwarfed Morian or the infamous Xem'Zund blasted across the remaining lands of Corone, and then, Atlhanas. When the brilliant surge of energy faded, the Grand Primus, nay, the Overlord of Althanas, held something in his powerful hand. Despite the pain it caused him, Lorenor had broken the Sword of Radasanth from it's bond. Lorenor was the chosen one. Looking at the broken Radasanth, he looked down at the sword for a moment. He recognized the legendary metal, Adamantium. And then, he looked at the living darkness that had swelled on Radasanth proper. In the darkness, something powerful had looked back.

He knew he was looking at himself.

Awaken Child of N'Jal. Break free from the grip of thy enemy. The voice said...

***

Lorenor suddenly blinked several times as he realized what was going on. Somehow, during the hour when victory would be his, the victory had been robbed from him. Stolen. By a hated enemy. Lorenor growled as he realized he had attacked Jack Frost, an ally, with his own hands. Stopping the movement he was taking, Lorenor readied the sword in his hand. It was not the prevalida sword he had wielded all along, but rather, it was a sword that looked strangely familiar to him. It was a sword made out of a legendary material. Shaking his head as he held the power in his hand. Lorenor looked at Jack Frost, and yelled a command to his ally.

"Hold. Jack Frost. I am I again. We can worry about what happened later, we have a city to storm." Lorenor turned to face the enemy all around him as he held the sword in his hand.

The Sword of Radasanth glowed with a terrible darkness. In a moment, the sword of Heroes, had become the sword of Villains. Now, it was the Sword of N'Jal. And Lorenor grinned. He knew what had happened. Somehow, the past and the future, for a moment, had become one. The Grand Primus looked at the leader of his enemies.

"Stand your ground and fight against your enemies!" Lorenor yelled. "Or one by one ye shall fall like the cowards ye are!" Lorenor yelled, feeling the power from the sword in his possession.

[Jack Frost]

Sorry this post sucks...
Winter's eyes glared at Lorenor with deep skepticism. But he decided against testing the man. Power pulsed in his veins, a grin spread across his face. He raised the sword and held it in a manner that was not normal sword fighting means. The blade itself, was not conventional. It was four feet long from the grip to the tip of the blade. It lacked a hand guard, and the blade was sharpened in a way that was meant for slicing through most things that got in it's way.

He raised his blade and charged his foes. "Beware my wrath!" He roared, his teal eyes glowing with energy. It was a step for Jack he would never forget. It was his first step towards divinity.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Aside from that set-back this has been almost too easy. What is the major problem with this? Then why do I feel like this has been an empty fought victory?

Lorenor frowned, things were going almost too smooth. This is not the way it should have been... The Grand Primus thought to himself. He wanted a grand war the likes of ancient tales. Lorenor fancied himself the villain of Althanas, and at that point he felt a sudden emptiness in his heart that threatened to distract him from the moment at hand. Though he moved, the lingering feeling of doubt was there. He had no idea what that feeling was, only that it was there, tormenting his troubled mind. N'Jal had decreed that Lorenor search for the artifacts that had been stolen on a large-scale, so Lorenor mobilized. Was this war part of the effort, or a grand event meant solely to satisfy the needs of a single man? Lorenor wondered as he cut down another so that he could become food for his hounds.

With each subsequent kill the undead's invasion force grew powerful. The numbers were reinforced quickly and very few managed to escape the city proper. Those who were allowed were allowed to escape only by N'Jal's doing. And finally, the massacre had come down to this final moment. When the chaos had reached a fever-pitch, the leader of his enemies finally spoke. "All right!" The man declared and Lorenor steadied his sword. A raised fist was the only command he needed to give to the undead army now laying siege to the city. Lorenor turned his attention to their leader and smiled with that maniacal intent. The Grand Primus had heard what he had wanted to hear: he had made a city of Corone submit by sheer force alone.

Holding the sword of Radasanth in his hand, Lorenor approached the leader of the rapidly decaying city. He pointed his sword at the man. Then spoke softly.

"Have you come to your senses?" Lorenor asked. Then waited.

"I have. No more bloodshed. Order your men to stop. I will give you what you want." A nearby soldier looked at his leader with fear in his eyes.

"Mi'lord? We are going to surrender?" The Soldier asked incredulously.

"I have no choice. Too many are dead because of the monster." The politician turned to look at Lorenor. "Do I have your word you will allow us to leave once you have what you seek?" The man asked.

"Though you are in no position to barter, you have my word. I give it freely." Lorenor said and sheathed his weapon, the fighting was now over. Now would come the true test. Lorenor signaled for Jack Frost to follow him as well as several other nearby agents of the undead. Lorenor took a position near to the leader of the city. Several soldiers sneered at him with down-cast expressions. Lorenor simply smiled. "Lead the way." Lorenor said, and the man nodded in agreement. Together, the fellows made their way through the dying city. Impaled bodies were everywhere, some were grotesquely marred beyond recognition.

The Undead were an insidious lot and they showed no mercy in their kills. The only law they knew was N'Jal. And Lorenor was the herald of N'Jal's word. As he walked through the city, he admired the thorough job his agents had done in order to make their enemies submit. The undead were an efficient lot that now fought for a cause. The cause of N'Jal. On their own, they could have been bested by the military of the city, however, they were not on their own. They had a terrible leader guiding their actions now, and able to scheme in the dark. We have won the hour. Every so oft, Lorenor saw several groups of Undead standing by new "recruits" who were being inducted into the ranks. Lorenor walked proudly at the carnage he had caused.

"Why have you done this to us?" The man suddenly asked.

Lorenor shrugged at the question. "Your ancestors have stolen from us. We have come to reclaim what is ours." Lorenor as he walked. Then, when they finally reached the location of the vault; the leader pointed to an old building.

"They are here. I have the key with me. I need to accompany you into The Vault."

[Jack Frost]

Jack's teal eyes gazed over the massive destruction of the village. Both his and Winter's minds were chaotically synchronized, and each thought came out a fragment. Death. Destruction. Power. N'Jal. these words spiraled through his head. He had faced the Grand Primus in battle and survived only due to a unforeseen circumstance. Ice. Thayne. Winter. his mind continued. The battle had left the human side of Jack shell shocked, unable to process anything. All he was able to comprehend was the fact that a cold voice was trying to tell him something. He could numbly feel his hand clasped around a strange sword he did not remember having.

He found himself following Lorenor and some sort of politician. Surrender. Victory. Vault. his mind tried to tell him. Nothing felt real. His breath shuddered, and then his human side blacked out. Winter was left in control, and he continued to follow after Lorenor. He could feel the power of his blade at his fingertips. The insane amount of power only he could sense in it told him one secret. A smile crept to his lips. He would have to hide this blade for later. Jack couldn't be trusted with this sort of power just yet.

He found himself grinning at all of the chaos. It reminded him of the Thayne war. Back when all of the Thaynes had physical bodies. Back when Lady N'Jal roughly resembled a mortal woman. Back when he had been a god. That had been a long eon ago, and he doubted even the Thaynes themselves remembered his name. Perhaps N'Jal, indeed, she would most likely remember him. He kicked a corpse to the side and kept up with Lorenor and the politician, who seemed to be discussing pressing matters...

[Mutant_Lorenor]

We have come a long way you and I.

There are many things that need discussing, but now is not the time. For now though, we must reclaim that which has been stolen from us.

Remember these stories well my high priest, for they will be handed down to future generations of our people. This will see a victory for our people...a step further in the scheme of scheme and game of games.

Lorenor approached the politician with his sword drawn.

He pointed the fancy weapon in the general direction of the man's chest, studying the foe carefully, his eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Walking forward to the man's unusually calm demeanor, Lorenor leaned in close to the fellow. Hissing, the mad high priest spoke with genuine anger in his voice.

"No tricks?" Lorenor asked. "I would hate to have to cause anymore needless bloodshed this night." Lorenor said and looked back at the dying township.

The fires of war were licking each building that still stood by then. Smoke, like dragons, choked the air and swirled skyward in dark plumes. Bodies that were not used immediately to bolster the forces of the undead were set on long spears attached the ground. The fallen were erected in grotesque crosses that were upside-down. Mockeries of a certain pagan symbol on Althanas. Lorenor took it all in for a moment and the knowledge that so many suffered because of the grand primus filled his bosom with great pride. For the demon was a greedy demon. Lorenor knew that his people were a people of tremendous vices. That night, the undead were satiating their vices in the service of N'Jal, not some bastard Necromancer charlatan. Lorenor observed the fires and destruction of war a moment later, he could smell the fear on the man's flesh. Tasting it as it swelled in his own mouth. Lorenor looked at the man closely now, the man was taller than he by about a foot, and he was handsome as most Coronians had naturally good looks. The night had been long, and there were many casualties on either side. Lorenor smiled at the man cruelly with the expression of a victorious king. He leaned in close to the man, inhaling in the man's fear, tasting in the sweet decadent aroma that swirled off his very flesh...

"Don't do that." The man suddenly said. "Don't lean in so close you...devil. Isn't this enough? We have surrendered to you, you have destroyed many lives, many families. Isn't this enough?" The man asked. Then, he moved to walk away from Lorenor, who in turn, reacted quickly.

A hand snatched at the man's collar. It was gripped tightly, and the mutant's face became distorted with the impatience of a rat bastard.

"We will not rest until everything here is ours! Don't you understand what this is? This isn't a mere fairy tale war like in the old novellas. You have stolen us, this is the vengeance of N'Jal!!!" Lorenor felt his patience wearing thin at that precise moment.

His eyes were locked on the little man as he studied the fellow's movements. The man finally resided to the situation at hand and proceeded to enter the building. Lorenor had no idea what he was walking into. He motioned for Jack Frost, and two other Forsaken to accompany him at all times in case it was a set-up. Lorenor walked a short distance away from the politician as the man struggled against the terrible loss of life now on his shoulder. Lorenor looked upon the back of the man the fellow messed with some sort of device he kept upon his person, and then when Lorenor saw the device, his eyes went wide with fear for a moment. Impossible, that device is Golem-technology! Lorenor wanted to scream in fury for a part of him understood what was about to happen, but he had to see it for himself. The vault...could only be the by-product of a civilization that Lorenor entrusted. How can this be!? Lorenor was the paladin of the golems, he knew, he could not believe that a small key of golem technology would be in the hands of this back-water town. Lorenor moved quickly to the man, at his best speed, and suddenly ripped the chain off the man's person. It snapped. Lorenor held the device in his hand, studying the unique signature markings of the golem technology which would be naked to the untrained eye.

"You were gambling your entire city on this!?" Lorenor yelled, dumbfounded. "You coward, they have aligned themselves to our cause years ago! I don't need you to use this technology!" Lorenor held the key in his hand, the memories of a past that was forgotten, but not completely, returned all at once.

Formulas and equations, symbols, burned through his mind as he recalled with a certain degree of skill how to activate the small artifact. He turned to his Forsaken, and to Jack Frost.

"Victory!" Lorenor yelled. Then he motioned to a nearby Forsaken warrior. "Kill that lowly wretch. No death is too pitiful for him. Destroy him, he is no longer required." Lorenor grinned.

"You swore!" The man suddenly yelled as he was grabbed, the grand primus motioned for his men to stop for a moment.

"I made no such promise." Lorenor said. "I no longer need you to activate the vault. I have in depth knowledge of the ones who made this key." Lorenor turned towards the large, abandoned structure. Key in one hand, and sword in the other and walked towards where he was certain the vault would be. The equations in his head had shown him the exact location of the vault and it's precious contents...

Lorenor began to laugh.

"Kill him." He commanded as he walked away with his companions into the structure.

"No!" The politician yelled as the cannibals went to work upon his flesh...

A dark chapter of Radasanth's history was literally ripped to shreds as Lorenor moved to claim his destiny. A destiny that held the future of two civilizations.

For in Radasanth no longer was The Age of Heroes, but now, The Age of Villainy had begun...