The Ghosts That Be. ((Open to All))

[Lexxum_Vordic]

((This is my first attempt at ST'ing a Fallien Quest, so please come one and all))

((Takes place after The War (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=7629) Thank you very much))

Poetry-Whispering in the dark, angry eyes observe their prey. The sands hold secrets of many ages. O how the Dune Sea doth lay haunted with the memories of forgotten war. Phantoms in the dark rise again gripping the hearts of men. All but the bravest fall in the deserts of Mitra. Then truly, these are the proving grounds of Althanas.--Tribes of the Ruins, a song of Mitra

We gathered now in the dune sea traveling through the ruins of man. The chieftain told us of a dream visited upon him by the Phantoms of the sands. It was a matter of our culture that we held the Phantoms in high regards because they were our Ancestors. Some of them were the fallen of Man and his greedy vices. These were the False Phantoms, but Phantoms none the less and even they were respected. I listened to the chieftain's tales as he spoke of the vision. A single fire lit our encampment and I listened intently as did the others. We were a proud people.

The old ones of my tribe considered themselves direct descendants of the original Blood Lizards sent to punish the greed of men. This was during the Vadhya. Originally our people were peaceful creatures of the desert just looking out for our own, but the wrath of Suravani transformed us into predatory killing machine, revealing our true purpose. Now, like the rest of my people I lived for the hunt. Only the Arta rivaled my people in terms of the blood lust.

As we listened to the grand Chieftain's stories he spoke of a group of strangers that would come to our tribe. He spoke of the journey to an ancient ruin where a special artifact of importance awaited finding. And most importantly, he spoke of the hunt. Many dangerous creatures lurked in that ancient ruin. I saw him reach forward and draw a map on the desert floor, he told us to commit it to memory. I did so. I didn't like the idea of working with outsiders but if the Elder commanded it, then so it must be done.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor sat alone in the white room. Many months passed, almost six months, while the ghoul recovered from his injuries. He drank that strange herbal tea and ate the food stuffs that the Priestesses offered him. Lorenor didn't like cooked food. He made the effort to eat because he didn't want to disrespect the Jya and her Priestesses in anyway what so ever. Lorenor found himself in the folds of Fallien and knew that he was representing his Power Group, The Gol'bron with every move he made. So, he let the Priestesses nurse him back to full health.

Lorenor was able to remove the bandages a few weeks prior but his rib cage was still sore. He had all of his belongings with him. He primarily stayed within the small, cell like room. Lorenor only had approximately 50 by 50 square feet of the room to maneuver in. The ceiling was very high and the room was well lit. No markings lurked on any of the walls and the room was inside one of the castle's many wings. He'd been informed that he currently stayed in a structure called the Jya's Keep.

It was apparently a huge castle in the middle of the dune sea. Lorenor awaited eagerly for his chance to explore the Dune Sea. Many mysteries awaited discovery out in the wasteland, the promise of hidden treasures filling his dark heart with greed. As always. The small warrior ate his meal for the day and sat at the side of the bed. He investigated his personal belongings and saw that not a single item was missing. The room was cozy in its own way. There were no windows. Only a single door. Lorenor had permission to leave the room whenever he wanted to venture into the fold of the castle. He'd even made a few friends with the local Priestesses. He'd never had a chance to see the Jya herself, but the Priestesses were curious about the ways of the Atra.

Lorenor learned that the Atra were group of deformed creatures that shared similarities to the Spider Magi of N'Jal. These creatures were ghouls and Lorenor wanted a chance to meet them. See what they were about and find out if he could learn anything new about himself through the Atra. That Blood Lizard was the first to use the term Atra to describe Lorenor. Most used the words "ghoul" or "devil." Either way it went, the words meant the same things, monster. Lorenor walked around with his UASU suit for its protection against the sun. In a place like Fallien Lorenor needed all of the advantages against the heat that he could muster. There was a knock on his door after the hour struck midday.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

After the injuries I received facing that Atra specimen it took considerable amount of months to get used to my new hands. The members of Jya's Keep constructed a mechanical hand for me called clock-work. The machine functioned just like a real hand but was artificial. It was truly a work of great craftsmanship and a mystery to me. I knew that the delicate parts and gears within the mechanical hand required maintenance every few months. That was all right with me, I needed to get away from my people every so often. I sat there on the sand floor carefully observing the Chieftain and the others.

All of us gathered for the meeting. There were easily over a hundred Blood Lizards gathered in that one area of sand. I thought about my battle against the Atra and the humiliation that brought me. I'd gotten careless during that battle and it cost me my hand! The Elders of my tribe were able to regenerate but I was too young still. I'd completely underestimated the Atra. I told the Elder of the day's events and how we'd beat each other to a bloody pulp. The Elder struck me with an angry blow and chastised me severely for the failure. Now the Atra lurked in the Jya's Keep and had even gained the respect of the Follows of Suravani.

Such an insult needed a remedy. I had to revenge myself upon the Atra! I just had to! My pride as a warrior was at stake now. Yet, the Elder forbade me to cause trouble for the Atra. Even though this warrior was my enemy, I couldn't fight him unless the beast provoked me. This insult stung more than any other that my fellow Blood Lizards put upon my shoulders. I had to deal with the humiliation of loosing to a creature much smaller than I was. Not only that, my personal reputation as a warrior suffered greatly! I had to endure the hisses and grunts of my companions. Now I had to start from the bottom of the ladder once more in our society.

We were followers of Mitra, but we respected the Followers of Suravani. We believe that at one point there was a union between Mitra and Suravani that caused the creation of all life. And thusly every cult had to be respected, even the cults of False Gods. I felt several sets of eyes upon my person and heard some of my clans men insulting me behind my back. I let it go, I had to deal with the insults and the humiliation as a matter of attempting to regain my pride. I needed to regain my face. In one decisive moment that bastard Atra took away everything I'd worked so hard to achieve. I know that the Chieftain could've easily exiled me for my mistakes.

Instead he punished me and forced me to live with the disgrace. He said I would have to work that much harder to regain my honor. He forbade me from having vengeance upon my enemy. And further insulting me, I knew I had to WORK with the Atra sometime soon. For that matter I protested, but the Chieftain prevented me from voicing my opinion. They treated me like swine now and I would correct this in due time. I had to re-acquire my honor back! For a Blood Lizard, honor was everything. I listened to the Chieftains' stories keeping my eyes locked upon his person. I had to find my place in society again. Everything I'd worked so hard for--lost. Many of my kindred eyed me from time to time as they saw the expression of deep thought on my face. They must've known that I was planning something. Something big.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor got up from the bed and moved over to the single door. He opened it after only a brief moment and saw one of the Priestesses before him. She was slightly older than the rest of the Priestesses bearing facial markings that suggested she was in her mid-thirties. The Priestess wore a well woven white dress made of silk. The dress was stylized in the fashions and designs of Fallien's culture. Lorenor saw that her stomach was exposed and her blouse was openly cut. The desert heat required attire that allowed one to be cool and comfortable. A long slit in her dress was located from the bottom of her ankle all the way to the top of her left thigh revealing her well shaped leg. All of the priestesses were particularly strong women.

Lorenor admired her dark skin. She had a piercing of some sort on her naval button, a well structured bosom, almond colored eyes, brown skin, and black hair tied in braids. She wore simple sandals that were wrapped tightly about her ankles. Around her person she had various tattoo like markings that indicated her rank and position within the fold of the Keep. Whatever they meant, Lorenor didn't know. She wore a tiara with a single jewel upon her head embedded with a blue gemstone of some sort. Lorenor admired her beauty. She smiled when she saw that the ghoul was already up and about and dressed in his clothing.

"I'm glad to see that you're up and about." The Priestess said, smiling softly to the Atra. "We don't get many guests like you in our Keep. The Atra are still a mystery to us."

"Do you really believe I can find some answers if I seek them out?"

"Walk with me." She responded to my question.

Lorenor nodded and gathered himself. He left his weapons in the room knowing full well that he did not need them. Walking with her across the courtyard of the Jya's Keep, Lorenor saw the already familiar sight of many women working various jobs. Some were guards, some were Priestesses, some worked the land, some simply worshiped in silent meditation. The Keep welcomed all who wanted to seek out the mysteries of Suravani. The ghoul noticed that there were men in this place also who worked alongside women in unison. This scene made Lorenor think of possibilities with working within the Jya's Keep as a mercenary.

There were many tasks that needed doing. Also, Lorenor knew that he needed steady work. This might provide a chance for Lorenor to further test his growing skills. He also wanted to spread the name of the Gol'Bron into a completely new land. Namely Fallien. He knew that very few Power Groups functioned out of Fallien and the political situations was ripe for new allegiances and favors to be won. He got wind that the Jya needed protectors from many assassination attempts. Their enemy was the Cult of Mitra. Didn't that Blood Lizard mention something about Mitra? Lorenor thought as he walked with the woman. They walked towards a Meditation Pool.

The structure was located at the dead center of the courtyard. Lorenor had seen it several times before in his ventures outside of the room which was his station. The keep offered Lorenor free room and board until he could find himself his own place to stay at. That shouldn't be a problem. There was a lot of unclaimed land in the desert and Lorenor would only need a few workers to get a piece of property for himself. He'd take care of this on his own eventually. Lorenor sat down on a bench located near the meditation pool. Some naked women and men lurked within the pool relaxing and soaking in the relaxing warm waters, it was more like a public bath.

"What do you think of our fold Lorenor?" The Priestess asked him.

"I think it is a paradise on Althanas." Lorenor said with a small chuckle, he actually meant that.

She saw the look on his face and grinned. The Atra were definitely an interesting subject to the people of the Keep. He assimilated well into their fold without too many complications. The legends of the Atra whispered that they were a savage people. A people of utter violence and contempt of life, this individual was the exact OPPOSITE of that. Though filled with a darkness in his heart, Lorenor was an individual who had a great deal of honor and respect of life. Most outsiders wanted to change their way of living but this Atra did not. He accepted them as they were. He even spoke of the stories going on in the outside world bringing them news and information that they otherwise would never have gotten.

"You are too kind Lorenor." The Priestess laughed. "But we live in a dangerous age in Fallien. Fallien is not a place for outsiders, you were wise to get your papers taken care of BEFORE you entered our lands. At the end of the battle against that Blood Lizard you would've been deported back to your own homeland instead of allowed to stay at the Keep. But since you already had your Papers, we allowed you to stay. Also you ARE rather interesting and bring news to us from the outside world. So tell me more of your stories." She asked.

And Lorenor did so.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

((Note: The word Atma is a Sanskrit term meaning the Soul))

I sat back against the warm sand. Listening carefully to the Elders' stories as he continued to tell them. The chieftain was a great story teller. He often gathered the warriors together when they weren't on hunts to tell stories of the latest visions from Mitra. I smelled the familiar scents of my brothers and sisters and heard the calls of the deserts. Some people thought that the desert was a barren wasteland. No. It was an ecosystem teaming with its own creatures struggling for survival. The humans weren't welcome on our land.

We were created as a way to avenge the fall of Fallien. Mitra's cohort, Suravani, mutated us with her wrath from ordinary red lizards. My people were once peaceful creatures living amongst the dune sea until the greed of man brought about the corruption of Fallien. Now the desert barrens exist and the chosen ones were forced to adapt to the harsh environment. My people, the Blood Lizards, grew powerful sails and thick hides to survive the harsh sunlight. Our sails absorbed the solar heat while we rested and kept us warm during the cold desert nights.

We were part of the larger scheme of things. A violent tribe yes, but chosen none the less. Our chieftain was a representative of Mitra himself. The most powerful warrior in all of our tribe. He received visions directly from Lord Mitra himself. As a people from the desert, we worshiped Lord Mitra who represented the sun. We lived out on Suravani's womb so we paid homage to her as well.

The Elder spoke of the vision he had. We listened to it carefully. There was a specific way that the Elder spoke in. The Chieftain talked for many hours now and we listened out of respect for him. We all knew that the Chieftain could easily destroy any one of us with the level of power that he possessed on hand. Often, I sparred against the Chieftain to test my own skill. He remarked that I was the strongest lizard but I knew that was just flattery on the old warrior's behalf. I listened to him carefully. There were clues in his way of speaking. And then he mentioned something that immediately caught my attention.

"And so the Lord Mitra will bless us with the presence of a Small Atra Warrior to explore the ruins with. The Atra Warrior has already encountered one of our very own warriors. Lexxum Vordic. Who lost the battle to him. From what I hears it was a great battle indeed. Worthy of the Lord Mitra's blessings. Lexxum will bring great prosperity to our tribe." Several of my ken looked at me with looks of astonishment. Some were looks of disapproval when they found out I was defeated by the Atra. It was well known that the Atra were dangerous beings, even to our people. And that's how the movements of the stars were set to sail.

"The great Lord Mitra foretells that very soon we shall come across that Atra again. And he will assist us in exploring a shadowy place. A place of ruins and significance to Fallien's past." I saw the chieftain become serious after a moment. "A place filled with many ghosts."

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Being the bearer of news was never Lorenor's forte per se, but the ghoul tried the best he could. Staying in the central hub of the Gol'bron, it was easy to gather information going on in the rest of Corone. Sometimes, tidbits from lands such as Alerar, Salvar, and even Raiaera touched the denizens of the Gol'bron's town. Lorenor told the story of the local traders and miners and others that worked in the town. Some came from Underwood and others came all the way from the Liviol Sanctum in Scara Brae. A few of the workers in the Gol'bron's town even hailed from Akashima.

Yes, the Power Group had managed to gather together a diversified work force in a short amount of time. Lorenor spoke of these matters trying to help the Fallien girl catch up with the current events in the rest of the world. Many of the stories that Lorenor told drew surprised responses from the girl.

Lorenor spent an extensive amount of time talking about the current strife in Corone. She showed great interest in his words. Corone was Lorenor's only area of expertise and he only had rumors and small stories of the other places in the big world called Althanas. Fallien was behind the times in terms of the information they received. There was only a few port towns anywhere in the country and these were reached by Air Ship.

Once Lorenor was done speaking the two were silent for a long time. She kept her hands on her lap and he leaned back against the bench casually just staring at nothing in particular. Then again, with Lorenor, it was hard to tell what direction he looked at if any at all. The energy flowed from his eye sockets in a constant fashion. He looked at the various activity within the Jya's Temple for a long moment studying the different habits of the strange culture. Lorenor suddenly realized just how small he was and how small he felt in comparison to the rest of the world. No matter what he did, he was sill just a tiny piece of the puzzle.

Little did he know, events were moving that would change his life forever.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

I observed the chieftain incredulously for a long moment. He just told me that I had to WORK with that bastard Atra after my humiliating defeat at the hands of the ghoul. I felt anger welling up inside me with the ferocity of a sand storm. He was the chieftain. There was very little I could do against him and I knew it. He stared at me for a long time and I stared back at him. He knew what it was that he was asking of me and it made me sick to my stomach. He expected me to work with an ENEMY! I didn't want to stand for that but the Chieftain's rule was law and it was followed by everyone of us to the T. I felt Lord Mitra's gaze upon me beating down on my back whilst I pondered the situation. I knew one major thing; I couldn't deny the Chieftain a decree of law.

"Very well my lord. I shall do as you ask. I won't like it but I'll do it because your word is law as is the traditions of our people."

"That is more like it Vordic. You shall have to work harder to reclaim your honor after your failed battle with the Atra."

The Chieftain made a grand sweeping gesture. He was trying to include all of the gathered Blood Lizards in the gesture. A single fire lit the small encampment of Saurians making it the only sign that a nomadic village had been present there. We'd set up some tents and a few other small, easily collapsible structures that could be taken down on the fly. I didn't like the way that the situation was being played out, but I knew that I had to obey the Chieftain or risk exile from the tribe. Such a disgrace could not be tolerated by any Blood Lizard. We were proud Saurians and took care of one another as a large family would. There were a few hundred of us. Small compared to the numbers of other monsters living out in Suravani's bosom. But that meant that we were very well trained. We could specialize in various types of arts and educate ourselves in the ways of Men. Men were our greatest enemies next to our own dark hearts. Fallien became a wasteland after Men's greed nearly destroyed it and sent Suravani's wrath against us. I wasn't there for the Vadhya and neither was the Chieftain.

But there was some of the Chieftain's ancestors who were involved with the Vadhya and became the first true Blood Lizards. The oldest ones of our people. Some were still around today. Saurians had a very long life-span lasting for many thousands of years if you were particularly healthy and a strong warrior. I prided myself in being a strong warrior. All Blood Lizards did. The ways of Strength became our code. The Code of Honor. I nodded to the Elder and bowed to him to let him know that I would accept Lord Mitra's decree. I didn't have to like it, but I had to follow the orders like all Saurians did. I looked at the Chieftain showing him that I wasn't afraid of him. Which I wasn't. But I respected the leader's capacity of power.

"I swear upon Lord Mitra that I shall reclaim my honor and do his bidding!"

"That is the Vordic that we all know and respect."

[Sorahn]

Sorahn loved flying on Nyris. The great black dragon glided over the ocean waves, which shimmered brightly in the afternoon sun. Sorahn was extremely impressed with his dragon’s stamina. Though he knew Nyris was growing weary, they had been flying for what Sorahn guessed was at least an hour. The dragon spent most of the time gliding to conserve his energy, taking advantage of the strong wind currents over the ocean.

Some time ago one of his most loyal clan members, Lorenor, had gone to establish relations in Fallien. Though Sorahn had never actually been outside of Corone, he was open to the idea of spreading the Gol’Bron to other nations. So here he was, flying over the vast ocean to the island of Fallien, directly to the southeast of Corone.

He missed Rehnahlia already. His mate and most loved companion remained in Corone. She was quite angry with him at this decision, but he was already asking a lot of his poor dragon to carry him all the way across an ocean, he couldn’t burden him with the extra weight of another person. Also, deep down, Sorahn was extremely protective of her and didn’t want to see her get hurt, even though she was perfectly capable of handling herself.

He hated having her angry with him, but nevertheless she respected his decision. Their culture dictated that the male was the head of the household, and she knew he only wanted the best. However Sorahn would have to make sure his visit to Fallien was brief, because he couldn’t stand being separated from his mate. Ranoan couples were bonded by their very soul, so Sorahn felt like a piece of himself was missing.

He shook it off and tried to regain his focus as he saw the island approaching. They flew over large desert areas until Sorahn spotted an area that looked like a large city. With a quick thought through their mental link, he directed Nyris to land outside of the city’s gates. Large clouds of dust flew up as they landed on the sand and Sorahn gracefully dismounted. As he made his way into the city, Nyris took to the air again, in search of an oasis to get some water and much needed rest.

Sorahn was ushered into an area where foreigners could apply for some papers to be allowed entrance into the country. He got the usual strange looks from everyone around him, which he had long since gotten used to. No one on Althanas had seen a creature like him before, because he and Rehnahlia were the only ones on the planet that he was aware of.

He identified himself and told them he was here on business as the head of the Gol’Bron. Most of the workers looked at him funny, but luckily one of them who dealt a lot with foreign relations had heard of the group before, so he was granted access.

As soon as he set foot in the city he was impressed. The architecture was so much different from that in Corone. The styles of dress, too, were odd. Suddenly Sorahn realized that he had only seen a fraction of this beautiful world which he was now a part of. The thought had never occurred to him to look beyond the nation of Corone because even that took great effort to get used to, compared to Ranoa. He decided he would try to visit some other continents, although he still felt a strong attatchment to Corone. It was his home now and he would keep it that way. Still, visits to other places could be very enlightening.

He felt a bit overwhelmed when he suddenly realized he had no idea where to go or what to do. He began walking around, searching for Lorenor, hoping that someone would have seen him. Both Lorenor and he were quite recognizable, so he was confident they would find each other eventually.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

The large open courtyard area where they stood as was filled with a number of people taking care of business. Designed with desert motifs and the particular pantheon of deities that these people believed in, the buildings were impressive indeed. They were inside a large castle like structure built into the desert many ages ago Pre-Vadhya time. The eye in the sky glared down upon the land to imbue it with harsh baking heat. Lorenor stood by one of the many pools of fresh water that decorated the courtyard. Many statues and busts of various leaders and the gods of their pantheons littered the landscape. The entire structure was earth tone colored.

Lorenor could see many plants and trees that were important from various parts of Althanas. A complex irrigation system was placed underneath them that provided water for plant-life to grow. The people there dressed in comfortable, revealing outfits. They dressed for their heat and their clothing wasn't necessarily a fashion statement. They typically wore blacks, golds, or whites. Especially the Maidens in charged. White was a symbol of purity as a pear. The color black was its antithesis. The common pet that everyone had seemed to be cats.

This was clearly a culture obsessed with cats. The felines were everywhere and were viewed as protectors of the living from Phantoms. The particular maiden he spoke to never left Lorenor's side. They spoke for hours about various subject matters. Lorenor found it easy to talk to her about the many things affecting Corone and Salvar. In truth, he'd heard bits and pieces of information from Alerar as well. Even some stories from Raiera touched his informed ears. He listened to the stories that the various traders and workers entering the Gol'Bron's township discussed amongst one another.

Sometimes, Lorenor shared a tale with them. It was during the middle of a discussion with the Jya Maiden that Lorenor stopped all he was doing. The girl looked upon him with a frown as if to question his silence. "Is something wrong my Lord?" She asked him. "No. No not at all. Everything is all right now." Lorenor caught a familiar scent in the air. He stood up, turned to face the owner of the scent then called to Lord Sorhan. "OVER HERE! LORD SORAHN!" Lorenor yelled. This action drew some stares from people nearby, Lorenor didn't care. He was calling to his friend.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

But I knew the truth. The powers that be declared me the winner of that battle between myself and Atra. It was a vengeful battle, but in the end I'd won it and that was all that mattered. The Atra gained my respect nonetheless and I'd been forced to lie about the situation when it came to keeping my honor intact. With the desert winds flowing around my person, I looked upon my Chieftain and nodded towards him. Deciding that it was now time to take my leave, I allowed the desert to overtake me as I traveled through its comforting hills.

Like the other wild places of Althanas, the deserts of Fallien were more than just a physical place. I instinctively knew that there were many intricate layers to this place than just a physical level of reality. Many realities combined in the wild lands to form a deep maze of sand and heat. One that could easily consume outsiders that didn't know the ways of the desert. I traveled towards the Jya's Keep with my clockwork hand intact. I looked down at it feeling the artificial movements of my newly acquired "fingers." After a day's worth of lonely travel, I finally made it to the Jya's keep.