[Solo]The Nature of Undeath...

Lorenor found himself crawling through The Brokenthorn Forest, until he finally made his way to Stonevale.

He was badly injured from that last encounter...

I see lights up ahead...maybe a town...I just got to keep moving... Luckily for Lorenor, not many living creatures had a craving for the black blood of The Undead. He crawled through a clearing at that point and made his way to the bare outskirts of Stonevale proper. He had a rough time accepting that he'd lost a battle in such a way..but his opponent had been a superior one. Damn...I can't believe I lost... He crawled through the dirt and underbrush and finally saw the first few buildings ahead. There were some workers gathering grain and herbs from the field who spotted Lorenor first. At that same point, he passed as he began to hear panicked cries and Stonevale's alarm being raised.

***

When Lorenor awoke next, many days later, he found himself in a solitary cell.

A guard was looking right at him. "So...you're awake." The Guard said carefully.

Lorenor merely nodded. He'd been a prisoner before...the last time was for The Ixian Knights. He figured it would not be the last time such an event would happen to him. Lorenor finally focused and looked at The Guard for a long moment. "I take it you have spared me for a reason." Lorenor cut right to the chase.

"You met The Black Knight didn't you?" The Guard asked calmly.

"Difficult to say. I only know the man I fought was unusually strong. Was on my way to this city when he attacked...was an ambush really. Like he knew exactly where I'd be." Lorenor said calmly.

"You mentioned you were on your way to here, to Stonevale." The Guard added. "Normally...your kind is not welcome 'round these parts. But we have been employing a warrior from The Tular Plains of late to take care of a problem for us." The Guard said.

"...A Demon you mean." Lorenor said.

"...Yes. We need warriors of considerable strength to deal with a problem in our mountain range." The Guard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "However...you seemed the fighting sort. You seem stronger than the grunts we usually find. What business did you have in Stonevale?"

"I have come to train. And perhaps assist your local militia by volunteering my services." Lorenor said honestly.

"We do need to bolster our ranks." The Guard leaned in closer towards Lorenor. "Your eyes...they have a glow. But you seem sad somehow."

Lorenor looked away for a moment. "...Perhaps." He continued. "I have been fighting for a long time...I'm probably just a little tired."

"You fought The Black Knight and lived." The Guard added. "That means a lot to me, especially from a potential volunteer."


Lorenor nodded, behind the bars. He did not attempt to resist or fight...none of this was the fault of the townsfolk. I've been fighting for a long time...he has no idea. Lorenor thought to himself.

"There is one question I have before I order your release." The Guard said. "You have The Black Blood...are you Undead?"

Lorenor hesitated for a moment. But they clearly must have seen him in his brutally injured state...he'd been beaten nearly to true death. "I am Undead." Lorenor said with some visible sadness. "But I do not pose a threat to you or the town."

"That remains to be seen. But I see a sort of hope with you...if you can defeat The Black Knight...I will give you a full pardon."

Lorenor looked around as he stepped outside of the jail building.

It was standard Scara Brae architecture, modern era. The building looked like it had been through a considerable amount of turmoil over the years and centuries. For some reason, the jail called to Lorenor and he felt like he could relate to that old building. An official building with some important purpose to the locals. Lorenor looked at the guard captain for a long moment and nodded towards him. "Where do I go to enlist?" Lorenor asked a moment later and waited for a response.

The guard captain looked at Lorenor for a long moment and answered. "Far as I'm considered you're already enlisted. Welcome to the war, Private." The guard captain nodded at Lorenor with an understanding look on his face. "Just do you're best to fit in and don't start trouble with any of the locals and you will be fine." The guard captain continued to speak. "Your practical training will begin tomorrow bright and early. I'll teach you the ropes of the town of Stonevale and what your first few jobs are going to be." The guard captain said. "For now, you are dismissed."

Lorenor nodded back and adjusted his armour. From one army to another...here we go again. He thought to himself but he really didn't mind. His life had long been one of servitude and military service. He didn't really mind. His armour now had the insignia of Stonevale's local military. He didn't mind the extra responsibility...it was a definite positive element. The townsfolks likely do not trust me. It is all right, this is not a popularity contest. I'm just here to help. Lorenor opened his eyes and there was a woman staring at him from a nearby position. She motioned for him to go towards her.

He did so.

"You are the guy they found in the fields, yeah?" She asked. She had agreeable, flaming red hair and deep green eyes. Her skin was fair.

"Yeah...beaten nearly half to death I would add." Lorenor said. He tried to keep the mood uplifted and fairly social. He sighed after. "Sorry, still trying to get used to everything."

"They found you in pretty bad shape." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You fought the black knight. Why didn't he kill you?" Her eyes narrowed. "He normally kills his victims."

"I'm not really sure what happened." Lorenor said carefully. He didn't want to reveal the whole truth...though actually...he didn't understand it all himself. "He tried...hard." Lorenor said carefully as he narrowed his own eyes. "But beyond that I'm not sure exactly what happened. We fought...and then i found himself crawling through the bushes, in my own blood to here."

"They fixed your armour too." She nodded. "My cousin told me you were in really bad shape when they found you."

"Yeah...I intend to defeat him someday." Lorenor said truthfully. "I can't allow someone like that harming innocent people." He added.

"You'd fight him again?" Her eyes lit up for a brief moment. "Why would you do something like that for us?"

Lorenor smiled at that point and shook his head. "Because it is the right thing to do."

"You're a weird one. But I'm glad you're working with the guard captain now." She thought about the situation for a moment. "Keep an eye around town. I'd like to talk to you again at length. I will wish you the best of luck in your training." She bowed her head at that point. "Bye for now!" She waved and walked away casually.

Lorenor stared after her for a moment and then proceeded to go...someplace. He had no idea where he would go. I have no place to call home except the wilderness...I guess I will start there for now. Lorenor started to walk towards The Brokenthorn Forest. His eyes narrowed and his cape moved with a swish as he turned towards the forest and began walking towards it.

He set up a small and basic camp for himself near the town where he could rest, and meditate.

A lot had happened...mainly his defeat at the hands of the black knight. He still cringed when he thought of that event and what it had meant for him. I still have much to learn about everything. Lorenor thought to himself as he stared at a small campfire he'd put together. He had no need for mortal sustenance as an Undead. However, he still ate periodically out of habit. He'd acquired a taste for cooked monster meat which was a pretty interesting development for him.

He didn't have anything cooking at the moment though, he merely liked the warmth that fire provided. He sat on the ground and considered what he needed to do next, the day was still fairly young in his eyes. Old habits died hard...that was one thing that most Undead shared. His eyes carefully studied the flames as he meditated for answers. He wanted to know who the black knight was. Lorenor considered that development and event quite carefully. He knew I'd be there...that's a problem in and of itself. Lorenor did not believe in coincidences.

As he meditated he could quietly hear the voice of the holy light whispering in the back of his mind.

It was not the first time that he'd traded freedom for power.

Five years I gave Sei Orlouge. Why do I still feel like I'm not free at all... Lorenor thought to himself. He was deeply troubled by his defeat at the hands of the black knight. It wasn't so much the loss that concerned him, but the fact that his power had failed him. Or perhaps...No...maybe I'm the failure. Lorenor thought to himself and sighed. There were fireflies about, and other insect life native to the forest itself. It had a certain ebb and flow to all, and Lorenor was not a part of that natural flow.

Footsteps.

Lorenor heard footsteps a few hours into his meditations and he opened his eyes. "May I help you?"

"Don't mean to intrude." The guard captain said quietly. "Couldn't find you at the inn or the tavern, so I figured you'd be out here."

Lorenor nodded but still sat with his back to the guard captain, staring at the flames. "It's too much noise. But if you need company you are welcome to sit with me." Lorenor said calmly.

A moment later, the guard captain did sit down next to Lorenor. "I thank you. Things have been stressful for us since the appearance of the black knight."

"I understand...he is a difficult problem to deal with." Lorenor said.

"He attacks folks that wander too far off the road, but lately he's been getting bolder. The attack on you was proof of that." The guard captain said thoughtfully.

"I couldn't defeat him." Lorenor said. "His armour is likely enchanted in some way."

"That observation did occur to me too." The guard captain responded.

Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "My sword is not enchanted by I am powered by the light." Lorenor said. "I am a paladin."

The guard captain nodded. "Your kind is rare nowadays."

"Too many dark hearts wandering about. But yes, the world needs Heroes." Lorenor said.

"What Order do you belong to...?" The guard captain asked quietly.

"The Ixian Knights." Lorenor admitted calmly, though he was likely the last living remnant of that old guild.

"...That's a name I have not heard in a long time." The guard captain began. "My grandfather used to tell me stories about their leader and the mystic tablet."

"It's gone now." Lorenor spat out. "Some idiot destroyed it." Lorenor said casually. "I gave them five years of my life in reformation."

"The old legends talk of that." The guard captain said calmly. "They say that anyone, regardless of past sins, could find reformation."

"Even someone like me." Lorenor sighed at that point.

"What do you mean?" The guard captain asked.

"...I was a follower of N'Jal before Sei Orlouge found me one night." There would be no use hiding his past. The townsfolk would find out sooner or later anyway.

"N'Jal..." The guard captain repeated. "Either way you've fought a lot to get here. I am glad you're here now. You can help us defeat the black knight."

"I need only to find a weakness to his armour and I will fight him to the death." Lorenor promised. "Your town is safe now."

The guard captain nodded. "You're a good man, Lorenor."

"What's your name by the way?" Lorenor asked of the other man.

"Will. Will Blake. Most folks just call me Will though." He said with a soft chuckle. "When your training begins tomorrow, I am pretty sure you'll fit in just fine."

"Thank you Will. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like." Lorenor said. He always did prefer male company to female company anyway. He closed his eyes for a moment, and a mental image of the vampire Urei appeared quickly. He frowned upon remembering his old lover.

"You all right?" Will asked.

"Yeah was just thinking about a long time ago." Lorenor said truthfully. "Hey Will, do you have a family?" Lorenor asked.

"Just live with my Mother." Will thought back to his own past. "Had a wife a long time ago, but she died. Never had any kids. So I pretty much just work all the time. Trying to keep the town safe." Will said casually.

Lorenor nodded. "I have no one. Sei vanished a long time ago. The Ixian Knights disbanded, and I have just been travelling for a long time trying to find some purpose and meaning to it all." Lorenor said carefully.

"Life can be mysterious at times, don't you agree?" Will asked. He placed his hand on Lorenor's shoulder. "You're here now maybe the towns folks can help you find your purpose."

"I promise you I will defeat the black knight." Lorenor said with a smile.

"I have no doubt that you will." Will answered.

Lorenor paused for a moment as they talked, in his mind he was seeing an image of an old friend...long gone. He had a troubled expression on his face but it was difficult to discern reality from his actual memories. He was so old by that point his mind was fractured. Lorenor placed a hand on the side of his head.

Will saw that action and nodded towards him. "Are you all right?" He asked.

Lorenor nodded after a moment, the memory soon fading. He relaxed physically a little bit, looking towards Will. "I was just thinking about another time, was all." He was being honest, the man in his mind was his former lover, and he wasn't certain that Will or anybody would accept his sexual preference towards men. "When I fought the black knight I was thinking of the armour he wore. I could not pierce it with my weapon, or my faith." Lorenor said, revealing some of his Paladin's Oath to Will.

"I was thinking that before too when we fought him to a stand-still one time. His armour is likely enchanted or augmented in some way." Will explained. "We don't know anything about him, only that he attacks those who wander too far off the main roads." Will explained.

Lorenor rubbed his chin. "He knew where I'd be. That's a start at least." Lorenor was developing a hunch that he and the black knight were somehow connected. I'm not sure...but there is something there for certain. Lorenor narrowed his eyes at that point, and stood up. "I think I have something." He said suddenly. Lorenor turned to look at Will. "I doubt the townsfolk would be informing him of traveler's routes. There has to be something we are not seeing correctly." Lorenor didn't understand the way of the mind, or the way of the psionic. Sei Orlouge had such powers...as did all of his bloodline. Now that blood was all but spent...or so he assumed. What would Sei do...? Lorenor thought for a long moment at what his former master would have done.

"This is a thinking man's game, Will." Lorenor said. He began to gather his equipment.

"Where are you going?" Will stood up as well, suddenly quite worried for his friend.

"He has some way of tracking our movements. I am going to put that to the test." Lorenor said. "In the mean time...keep travelers off the road until I return. I have some idea of how I can pierce that man's armor." Lorenor said carefully.

"Lorenor, you're going to face him alone? Let me come with you!" Will begged.

"I can't allow that." Lorenor said calmly. "Your job is to keep the towns folk safe, we'll complete my training when I return. I'm going to face him...alone." Lorenor explained.

Will nodded at that point and placed his hand on Lorenor's shoulder once more. "May The Thayne guide you."

Lorenor nodded. They've been silent for a long time now...and some say that they are being hunted down. Lorenor finished placing his gear on. "I will return once I have defeated him. You can rest assured on that." He said.

"Lorenor...good luck. I will be waiting for your safe return." Will said truthfully.

***

As he sat in deep meditation, the black knight listened to what his followers were saying. Some were asleep at that point and others were intently observing their leader. The only piece of his armour he didnt have on while he meditated was his helmet. The black knight was a strangely handsome man, particularly well structured and built. He had a scar on his face, and deep green eyes. His hair was a particularly blond hair. He had no facial hair, he was clean cut. The black knight suddenly opened his eyes. "It has begun." He said to his followers. "Gather your equipment, the one we fought the other day is on his way to this location."

"That Undead fellow?" One of his followers asked.

"The Paladin." The black knight said with acid in his voice. "If I can defeat him, we will secure our victory for all time."

His follower looked at the black knight. "Why didn't you finish him the last time?"

"I hesitated." The black knight said calmly. "There is something familiar about him...something from a long time ago."

"Either way, we will follow you to the end, my lord." The follower said calmly.

"I know...there is a plan in motion. The one who comes for us may be our undoing." The black knight closed his eyes and listened to something far away. "He is already on his way."

"You have the Orlouge blood in you, don't you?" His follower asked.

"That's a story for another time." The black knight said calmly. He felt his helmet latch itself on. "Right now, gather the troops." The black knight ordered. "This will be the final test. The prophecy must be foretold."

"My lord, he wore the symbols of the old Ixian Knights." His follower said calmly.

"He is probably a sole survivor of that old guild." The black knight responded. "Let's go we must move quickly." The black knight said and he was already moving to go face his arch enemy.

His faith was called to question at that point.

For the longest time, since Lorenor had given Sei Orlouge five years of his life...he’d been a stalwart defender of the light. Lorenor felt the light’s calming energies passing through his body as he maneuvered through The Brokenthorn Forest. His eyes were closed and it was night, very late into the night as a matter of face where our story begins.

Lorenor looked up at the stars and recognized a few of the constellations native to Althanas. The stars calmed him down normally, but at that point...he knew he was scared. His armour is strong. Enchanted. There has to be a reason for that. Lorenor thought to himself as he walked through the wilderness. I maybe should have taken Will up on his offer and have him join me. But there is something else going on. This is my test to help me find my purpose...I can feel it. Lorenor guessed that something else was likely occurring that he was not seeing. He could not place anybody else that lived in Stonevale in danger, his code forbade that.

As he walked he suddenly felt another presence.

”You.” Lorenor suddenly said as he opened his glowing eyes and looked up at the black knight as he looked directly at him. Lorenor hesitated. There is something else going on, I have to learn the truth of why this is all happening. Lorenor adjusted his body for a moment, shifting uncomfortably in his own skin.

”You’re here. I knew you would be.” The black knight’s voice echoed from out of the helmet he wore. ”The blood is the key.” The black knight looked directly at Lorenor and talked to him. ”You didn’t hesitate last time...why do you do so now?” The Black knight asked.

Lorenor looked carefully at the black knight. I need answers...I have to know the why of all this. Lorenor thought about what he would say to the strong man. ”I have to know.” Lorenor said. ”I have to know the truth. You are not attacking folks for want of coin...there has to be something else you’re far too powerful.” Lorenor thought he understood the nature of good and evil at its very core. This is something different...I don’t know what is actually going on.

The black knight found himself also hesitating at that point. ”You want to know...the truth of why I am doing this?” The man looked away for a moment then back towards Lorenor. ”What I am about to tell you is not so easily understood.”

Lorenor raised his right hand in a tightly clenched fist at that point. ”I have to KNOW!” Lorenor started to walk towards the black knight at that point.

The black knight paused for a moment and then looked directly at Lorenor’s approach. ”I know who you are.” The black knight said. ”You’re called Lorenor.” He continued carefully. ”You are the one I have been waiting for...and the reason why all of this started.” The black knight looked away one more time and then returned his gaze. ”Lorenor. This will be difficult for you to understand...but you are MY FATHER.” The black knight suddenly removed his helmet, blonde hair, fair skin, green eyes. He put his helmet on the ground.

Lorenor stopped his approach at this point. ”You are correct...I do not understand how any of this shit could be possible.” Lorenor looked at the black knight, he knew there was no way the man could be lying. Lorenor tried to think of any time he could have had any female companion but the last significant other that he’d had was in fact Urei...or was there more to it than that? ”HELP ME UNDERSTAND.” Lorenor suddenly yelled.

The black knight reached into his packs and pulled out a small journal. ”A long time ago, you gave this to my Mother before you vanished.” He extended his hand towards Lorenor and tossed the small book at him, as if judging him for past crimes. ”I hated you for a long time.”

”...Your Mother…?” Lorenor knew that a huge clue to figuring out who he actually was rested on the ground in front of him. A small journal that could hold all of the truth that he needed.

”I could not make a move on you when you belonged to The Ixian Knights that time of your life.” The black knight continued. ”But I’ve carefully tracked your movements. This was from before you became a pathetic follower of N’Jal.” The black knight looked at Lorenor accusingly. Then something happened. He kept his hand extended towards Lorenor and yelled something that the paladin did not expect. ”SHOW ME YOUR SOUL.” The black knight yelled.


Reality flashed before Lorenor’s eyes as the black knight entered his mind…

Lorenor could feel the black knight in his mind...his son. Somehow, the man in his head had been telling the truth the entire time. How is this possible…? Lorenor thoguht to himself knowing that the black knight could see his thoughts, into his mind. As his eyes refocused Lorenor found himself in a large chamber with thousands of other Lorenors, some looking at him, some looking away from him. The black knight stood in front of his Father, and walked closely to him.

”What are you…” The black knight began. ”Your very soul is fractured...across time...across space...this is not right.” He looked at Lorenor and continued to talk. ”Your soul is somehow fractured, that much is true.” The black knight was reading deep into Lorenor’s very being. ”When I heard that N’Jal had claimed you...I cursed my own blood.” The black knight looked at Lorenor at that point. ”But now...I have to wonder what you really are. I see no allegiance towards N’Jal. Maybe from parts of you, but that is something else all together.”

”I swore an oath to N’Jal a long time ago.” Lorenor began as he could feel his troubled mind being read. His most intimate thoughts, and desires. ”But I no longer hold any allegiance to her.”

”Parts of you do...or at least...how can this be..? Versions of you?” The black knight looked around and another Lorenor stepped out from the group of Lorenors.

THAT Lorenor, Lorenor recognized. His eyes narrowed as he saw the old version of himself, from when he was a Vampire. The black-clad Lorenor looked at him.

”It has been a long time.” Not Lorenor said calmly.

”Who am I?” Lorenor asked of his son, he asked of the other Lorenor too.

”You...were a Hero of the allied forces a long time ago. Hundreds of years ago, when the first Demon War happened.” Not Lorenor said. ”You died. So the mortals could have their victory.”

Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Not Lorenor spoke. His son, the black knight, looked on with fascination.

”I died...then what happened…?” Lorenor had to know.

”Before he raised Raiaera...sad times those were...Xem’zund had many followers. One of his followers traded you Immortality for your soul and for freedom.” Not Lorenor said calmly. ”You were one of the first Vampires from back then. You were not bitten you were created Pure.”

The black knight remained silent as Not Lorenor spoke.

”You long for a purpose.” Not Lorenor said.

”Perhaps...but what I long for is The Truth.” Lorenor answered.

”You’ve only begun to understand you true importance. I am here to show you what you are meant to be. What you once were and what you are meant to become.” Not Lorenor walked up towards Lorenor.

***

”ARGH!!!” Lorenor yelled as he awoke from the vision he’d shared with his son. Suddenly, the connection to The Holy Light was gone.

Not Lorenor stood in the clearing with the both of them. ”The light was blinding you from the truth.” Not Lorenor said calmly.

Lorenor stood up as his body began to radiate with the energy that left him.

”You don’t need any of The Thaynehood. You don’t need Sei or The Ixian Knights, the man before you...your son will help you find your way.” Not Lorenor extended his hand towards Lorenor. ”Join with me and fulfill your purpose.”

”The light...I can’t feel the light…” Lorenor understood what had happened, the light had shackled him and weakened him from what he was before. N’Jal had also been a burden, Lorenor was weighed and bogged down by other men’s beliefs and wars. Lorenor clutched himself in the pain of being ripped apart from the light. But despite that, he took Not Lorenor’s hand…

The black knight observed with growing interest. He is not what he seems. He is something far greater than I could ever have hoped. My Father...the legendary Hero from before. No...he something greater than that. He had no purpose but I am going to help him fulfill his new purpose and in turn, find my own. Fascinated, the black knight observed as Not Lorenor and Lorenor became one person. He carefully studied as the two forms became as one person and Lorenor was somehow...different.

The man opened his eyes when it was all said and done, and he had purple glowing eyes. The sadness that lurked there before was gone, replaced with something far more sinister.

The black knight looked at his Father. ”There you are...Lorenor. The man my Mother fell in love with.”

Lorenor knelt down and picked up the journal that the black knight had given him. ”I will read through this very carefully.” Lorenor’s voice was a little deeper at that point. ”Can I ask you something?” Lorenor asked.

”You may.” The black knight responded. ”You are owed that much. I have shown you the truth of the situation, I do not seek redemption for my actions. Only that I have fulfilled the prophecy I was meant to.”

”I have to know how youro armour is so strong.” Lorenor knew he would not be able to fully defeat his son. But had to know the whole truth of why things were happening the way they were. He’d obtained a great deal of information form the black knight that he was still processing. It was all very overwhelming, yet Lorenor handled it well.

The black knight chuckled. ”You really want to know…?” The black knight asked, he was only partially hesitant to reveal his secret.

”Yes I do.” Lorenor said truthfully.

”Because of you, I was able to retrieve this from the old Ixian Knight’s castle. It was shattered and there were a lot of bodies when I got there. But I did find one glowing fragment, a shard that was useable.” The black knight explained. He moved towards his armour and removed the shard of the tablet of destiny from his armour. It glowed with tremendous power, despite being merely a shard. The black knight showed Lorenor the glowing shard, a small piece of the original tablet. He replaced the shard back in his armour.

”A fragment of the tablet…” Lorenor said thoughtfully. He nodded towards his son. ”There is something I have to do are you going to remain in this area for a time? I have to sever ties to Stonevale so that I can go with you.” Lorenor said to his son.

”You would join me…?” The black knight asked.

”Yes. You are my SON and I have to make up for lost time. I wasn’t able to be there for you and I have to make up for that. All I can ask is for your forgiveness someday.” Lorenor said honestly.

The black knight considered. ”Father and son reunited huh…? I like it. Very well, do what you must I have waited THIS long for you. I can continue to wat for as long as needed.” The black knight grabbed his helmet and placed it back on his head. He heard the sounds of the latches locking his helmet in place. The black knight walked towards Lorenor and offered his Father his hand.

Lorenor shook the man’s hand vigorously. His son. ”Promise me one thing.” Lorenor said.

”Sure.” The black knight responded.

”Try not to attack any of the locals until I return. Like I said, there is a thing I must take care of.” Lorenor started to walk back towards Stonevale.

”Father. I will halt the attacks...for now. The prophecy is far more important than greed.” The black knight said calmly and began his journey back to his camp.

”The attacks will be halted.” Lorenor said, he was staring at William Blake, they had been talking for a good while before that point. Lorenor’s return back to Stonevale hinted at the change that was lurking in his heart and soul...something darker had happened.

”You’re different now, Lorenor. I can’t quite place it exactly...but somehow The Black Knight has changed you.” William said, keeping a safe distance from Lorenor, but able to talk comfortably with him.

Lorenor looked at William. ”The Black Knight will no longer be a problem for the town. Your town is safe.” Lorenor promised, attempting to keep the peace between himself and the towns folk.

William shrugged. ”My concern is no longer just about The Black Knight. You’re no longer a Paladin, I can tell something is different in you. You have forsaken your sacred vows.”

Lorenor shook his head. ”What does that matter?” He closed his eyes for a mometn and then reopened them, looking at William. ”The attacks will stop you have one less worry.”

”But at what price?” William suddenly asked.

”That does not concern you…” Lorenor began. He noticed William motioned for a few nearby town guards to approach Lorenor’s position, tensions were thick. ”What are you doing?” Lorenor took a momentary step back, he did not want to harm the townsfolk if he could help it at all. Lorenor eyed the extra guards that were attempting to surround him. ”You’re making a huge mistake, I have upheld my end of out bargain. The Black Knight will stop his attacks on your citizens.”

The nearest of the guards suddenly attacked after William gave the command. ”Take him.”

Lorenor raised his armored arm and the sword clanged against it. He crouched down slightly but did not attack. ”Don’t do this, I don’t want to harm any of you.”

William’s face had a shadow pass across it. ”Then make this easier on all of us and just surrender yourself. I don’t know what happened between you and The Black Knight but you are no longer here to help.” William had family that was killed by Xem’Zund’s scourge during the razing of Raiaera. He never trusted Undead to begin with.

”No!” Lorenor had traded power for freedom before. He knew the path being imprisoned again would take him. The nearest of the guards attempted to recover from the previous actions and began an attack, Lorenor was ready that time. ”You don’t have to do this!” Lorenor begged, he sincerely liked Stonevale and did not want to harm her citizenry. However, he was no fool. He had to defend himself and was already charging his power up.

***

Nearby-

The Black Knight was observing his Father’s behavior from a safe distance. His followers were also present, his finest warriors. The Black Knight placed his helmet back on his head, feeling the latches and his source of power returning quickly. One of his followers walked over to him.

”Lorenor is in trouble our scouts report.” The man said calmly.

”I made a promise we won’t harm the town’s folks any longer but the guards are a different story. But there is something I want to see.” The Black Knight said calmly.

”...What will you have us do?” The man asked of The Black Knight.

”We wait, until the prophecy has occurred. All else no longer matters.” The Black Knight said and began to move.

***

Lorenor released his energy on the nearest guard, instinctively, and the man was sent flying several paces backwards. This changed the entire scenario. Lorenor’s hand glowed with a very specific darkness. He looked down on it for a moment, hating what he had become but knowing there was no other way. ”Stay back!” Lorenor yelled.

William readied his weapon at that point. The other nearby guards did the same, the guard that was knocked backwards was out of the fight, stunned.

Lorenor’s hand glowed with a tremendous power, and he drew his own claymore. His powers as a former paladin worked similar but were altered at the base level. He commanded something that was no longer light but not quite darkness either. It was something far more sinister. And it stared back at Lorenor from beyond. You have accepted what you are. A voice spoke to Lorenor in his mind. Lorenor responded deep in thought as the assailants circled around him like vultures. I don’t want to harm any of them… Lorenor responded to the voice from beyond. They have made their choice my child. Now you must make yours. Fight. Or die.

”What is he…?” One of the guards yelled suddenly.

William looked at his companions. ”That’s a manifestation of the taint within him! He will destroy us all if we don’t make a stand now!” William yelled.

Memories.

They were a funny thing sometimes. Lorenor recalled a time back during The Demon’s War when he was fighting alone surrounded by the enemy. He’d died during that war and the allied races had abandoned him. But something far more sinister had happened in exchanged and he’d traded his soul to live again...and again.
Lorenor looked as his former companions abandoned him once more. I did not want it to be this way. Will it always be like this? Lorenor asked of the voice in his head. There was a momentary pause and the voice from beyond responded. That is up to you to decide, but decide quickly. Time is ticking. Lorenor held the hilt of his weapon with both hands as he stood in a slightly crouched battle stance. His weapon was held at a slight forty five degree angle pointing towrds William and the other guards. ”...The choice has been made then and there is no other way.”


”Enough talk!” William suddenly yelled.

Why do you hesitate... The black knight carefully used the foresight granted by the shard at his disposal. He was able to know the actions of his Father at will and saw what he needed to see. Stonevale is corrupted now..my Father helped them and this is how they repay him...? The black knight hesitated as well. He found himself on the verge of fulfilling the prophecy that the old man gave him. It was his alone. I don't know what to do. He clenched his fist in frustration. Looking towards his followers, he hoped someone would have an answer he needed to hear.

"My lord, what would you have us do, they are attacking him. We need him alive for the prophecy to occur." His follower said carefully.

The black knight looked at the man. "He's surrounded. I want to see the powers of The Void firsthand. However, he does not want to harm the guards...something else has happened." At that point, The black knight felt a materializing of the air behind him. "You're here."

The prophet had arrived, wearing the same black coloured robes as before, the same markings. "Nenkulor...what is your desire?"

The prophet looked at his latest mark and nodded carefully in the black knight's direction. "Lorenor..." The prophet said with a little more emotion than he usually revealed. "Has the meeting with your Father gone as planned?"

"He has revealed to me the information I needed to see. His souls is fractured, just as you've said. But there's a complication." The black knight turned towards Nenkulor Shima.

Nenkulor opened his eyes at that point. "...What kind of complication?"

"One side of his soul has become aware and acts on it's own." The black knight said carefully. "The situation has become dire."

"It's not the same as before then." Nenkulor nodded at looked at the black knight. "Here is what you and your followers must do now..."

***

"Why do you hesitate...?" William Blake asked of Lorenor who kept a good few paces away from him. "If you don't fight back, we'll kill you...so why do you hesitate?"

"...It's as I have said before. I don't want to harm any of you. You've left me no choice in this matter and I just would rather be on my way." Lorenor held his claymore sword with both hands. Tightly around the grip.

Nearby another fight started. "It's the black knight...!" one of William's soldiers yelled and intercepted the black knight...or at least attempted to.

Lorenor cursed. "Shit!" He yelled and looked at William. "Call your men off, and let me leave with him." Lorenor said trying to retain his composure...but admittedly the situation was going south quite quickly.

"...This is how you have defended us...by siding with our enemy?" William suddenly yelled.

Lorenor growled. "You fucking idiot, it was the only way to thwart the attacks on your people! Please listen to reason." Lorenor was growing desperate with each passing moment. He'd already injured several of the guards without killing anybody but the black knight's presence would complicate matters further.

William looked at his men. "He has sided with the black knight...kill them both." He said with finality.

At that point Lorenor looked at his son, then at William. William was running towards their position, when Lorneor suddenly attacked. "Fuck you!" He yelled and sliced William's head clean off the neck.

As William fell to the ground, dead, his men looked at the unfolding situation with a growing sense of alarm and shock. The black knight had also killed another guard with relative ease. The black knight looked at his Father with a certain sense of approval. Takes a lot of guts to kill someone you care about like that... The black knight thought to himself.

Lorenor pointed towards the guards with his huge sword. "This is the choice I leave to you. Back off, or be destroyed. No more warnings, you have one chance to make a choice." Lorenor was through playing games...

...And something happened...

Lorenor's mind cleared after all he had witnessed. All that had come to pass. There he was fighting a man he was certain would have become an ally, and the town guards were breathing down his neck with bloodthirsty eyes. Lorenor did not want to harm them when it happened, but William's head landed on the ground with a disgusting plop. Blood ichor poured out of the neck stump of William and everything stood still for that moment. Lorenor felt a rush in his body and reality faded away...He faded away.

The fragments of reality shattered like glass before his stunned eyes. What is this...? Before him, appeared a field. One one side of the field was the Holy Light. Glowing with a warmth that was comforting for the Undead Paladin. And on the other side was the Void. Lorenor looked down and he saw a small orb in the field, a planet. ...No...not any planet. But Althanas herself. Lorenor looked about and saw a form manifest in between the Void and the Holy Light. A pang of familiarity burned in his heart as he saw who stepped out of the shadows to meet him in this place of eternal conflict.

"We can finally meet again." The prophet said calmly.

"William Blake...I had to kill him, he left me no choice." Lorenor said to the prophet.

"You were not meant to be there." The prophet said calmly. "To be fair you did not know your Son would be there."

"So...now what?" Lorenor asked.

"You are going to go back but you would never have met William Blake or gone to Stonevale." The prophet frowned for a moment. "You and your kind are not welcome in Stonevale."

"...He said a Haidian was working for them though." Lorenor protested.

"That's not relevant. What is relevant is you have a chance to set things right with your Son." The prophet said "He has a larger role to play in all this because of the tablet's shard."

Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why are you telling me all of this?" Lorenor asked.

The prophet paused for a moment. "You are far too important in the events that are coming." The prophet continued. "Live Lorenor...forget about Stonevale, your journey goes on a different path than that little town." The prophet spoke one more time. "Your son will know what to do when you awaken again."

***

When Lorenor's eyes reopened he found himself staring at the black knight. The black knight, his son was fighting Lorenor and he recalled the first time they fought. Here...before the events of Stonevale...I am back in time now. He realized that the prophet had done something to change the ebb and flow of time/space. His claymore was holding the black knight's own weapon in place as they parried one another.

"Why do you hesitate...?" The black knight growled.

Lorenor looked at him and frowned. "I've seen this before..." The first time...Lorenor had been defeated. But this time, he was armed with a knowledge he lacked then. "You won't beat me twice." Lorenor suddenly said.

The black knight hesitated for a moment. A sudden gust of wind filled the Brokenthorn Forest. The black knight listened for a moment. "...The black wind howls." He said quietly.

Lorenor proceeded at that point suddenly. He lunged forward, and released his weapon in a moment, ducking beneath the swipe that defeated him the first time. Instead, Lorenor plunged his hand into the armor of the black knight and proceeded to remove the tablet's fragment. "This does not belong to you." Lorenor said as he watched the man's suit of armour loose it's power.

"...How did you know...?" The black knight asked in confusion.

"You are MY SON." Lorenor held the fragment of the tablet in his hand, feeling the power flowing through his body. "You have summoned me here, and we need to talk. About what is coming...the coming storm. We are not welcome here in Stonevale. It is time for us to head to greener pastures."

"You...ARE Lorenor." The black knight said calmly, realizing that he'd calculated well. All that had transpired was to get his Father out of the shadows...out of hiding.

"Yes I am." Lorenor said. And he stared at his son.

Father and son reunited...the two looked at one another as the wind howled around the forest....

Lorenor considered the situation at hand. He held the fragment of the Tablet of Destiny in his hand. Sei Orlouge... Lorenor thought to himself as he recalled his old friend. Lorenor placed the fragment in his packs and looked at his son. "Like I said earlier...we need to talk. I owe you an apology." Lorenor said calmly.

"...I have waited this long to hear this. You beat me so what are you going to do now?" The black knight asked.

"We need to leave Scara Brae. Someone told me that much. In the meantime...you and I have much to talk about." Lorenor looked at his son. "How is your Mother doing? Things happened shortly after her and I were together...i wasn't able to be there. Surely you know why." Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I heard you'd become a servant of N'Jal." The black knight said calmly. "Further...I have heard you were doing unspeakable things as such." The black knight said.

Lorenor looked at his son. "I don't want forgiveness for that...I had no choice at the time. It was the only way to protect you from what I had become." Lorenor said. "Through it all I had lost sight of who I was."

The black knight looked at his Father. "How do you wield The Holy Light?" He had to know. "I look into your eyes, and I see a sort of sadness there...not the hatred that the followers of N'Jal are known for."

"It was Sei Orlouge." Lorenor said calmly. "Back with the old Ixian Knights, I'd undergone five years of Reformation." Lorenor thought back to that point in his life. Sei had saved him...perhaps though, Lorenor had saved himself. "During Reformation I'd purged all connections and ties to N'Jal." Lorenor explained. "I'd forged a connection to the light." He further added and nodded at that point. "That was when everything changed."

"Yes...I see that now." The black knight said to his Father. "We will all leave Scara Brae together and go to the mainland of Corone with you on our side." The black knight said calmly. "The shard...I want you to have it."

Lorenor nodded. "I meant to keep it anyway, but thank you. I will know what to do with this. I have some idea of who actually originally destroyed the tablet..." Lorneor decided to keep that information to himself.

"What do you intend to do now?" The black knight asked.

"We're going to Corone and try to figure things out from there. Is the Prophet here?" Lorenor asked to the gathered followers.

Nenkulor Shima emerged from the crowd. "I am here, Lorenor." The Prophet said calmly.

"So...it was not a dream." Lorenor thought out loud. He shook his head. Then looked at the follows of the black knight and his own son. "Pack you're things, we're moving to greener pastures."

Lorenor began to walk towards the Prophet and there they would talk...

~The End~

Thread Title: The Nature of Undeath
Judgment Type: Full Rubric
Participants: Paladin_Lorenor

Let me start by thanking you for your patience and assistance; judgment of this thread was delayed while we used it for internal training, and I really appreciate you allowing us the time to do so. In order to show my appreciation I'll give you some bonus EXP. The Nature of Undeath delved quite appropriately into Lorenor's persona and past, while providing some interesting development of his current storyline. I really enjoyed this thread, both for the comedic and touching aspects, as well as the clear amount of effort you put into it.

Plot: 17/30

Story- 6/10
Your main strength here was the simultaneous telling of Lorenor's backstory mingled with the continuation of his current Stonevale storyline. You really dug deep in order to bring your main character to life with elements of his past. The main thing that could have used some improvement was the introduction/beginning. You started off telling rather than showing, but didn't even really tell anything important. Lorenor was running (or crawling) through Brokenthorn Forest, having just lost a fight, but we never learn who he was fighting or why. That kind of information would have been really helpful in shaping the story from word one, but once you picked up steam deeper in the thread you really improved in this area.

Setting- 5/10
The setting was pretty consistently present and utilized on occasion, but for the most part it felt like a fairly flat backdrop. Two things I would suggest you do more of are providing thoughtful details and having your character interact with things. The thoughtful details are elements of the setting which your character specifically notices. I am not saying that you should write a huge paragraph of detail - quite the opposite, I'm saying you should have him notice one or two things about the places he goes specifically because of who he is. For example, what would he notice as a member of the undead, or as a paladin, that humans wouldn't notice? As for having your character interact with things, that is fairly self explanatory. It can be a great way to tell more about your character while bringing the setting to life. For example, when he was in the jail cell Lorenor pretty much just sat still. He could have grasped the bars, kicked the mattress, paced within the confined space, or a number of other things that would have fleshed out the scene a little more.


Pacing - 6/10
Solos are generally easier to pace than co-op threads or battles, and I felt like you did a solid job overall despite the fact that you were fairly ambitious with the pacing by jumping between the present and the past. One note that I have written down for you over and over is "show don't tell", and while I'll talk about this more in Technique, I wanted to bring it up here because it did affect the pacing. A great example of this is actually the very beginning:

Quote:

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Lorenor found himself crawling through The Brokenthorn Forest, until he finally made his way to Stonevale.

He was badly injured from that last encounter...

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You start the story off by telling the reader what's happening, and then you segued into some dialogue which actually kind of showed what was going on. All in all, I think the beginning would have been stronger if you'd just deleted what I quoted above and started with the internal dialogue. Overall though, good work on creating flow between posts and keeping things fairly smooth.

Character: 18/30

Communication - 7/10
Communication I think was your strongest area in this thread, despite a certain nasty habit, which I am going to address very clearly right now.

Please stop putting all of your dialogue in bold. It is an eyesore and makes it difficult to gauge the intended tone of the words.

That said, your characters' dialogue was consistent and representative, for example when Lorenor and Will were speaking I could generally tell who was talking without having to look at the "said so-and-so" part. A lot of the dialogue between Lorenor and TBK helped to tell the story without being overly obvious, and that bolstered your score. You also employ internal dialogue well, using it to bring the scenes to life more. Keep up the good work, but honestly... stop with the bold already. It is painful.

Action - 6/10
Overall your action writing is good, but you need to do more of it, and again this brings us to showing not telling. I'm not saying you need to add more action scenes; I'm saying you need to describe what actually happens in the action scenes you do include, and preferably in every scene. A great example of this comes in post 3 where you have Lorenor set up a basic camp, without describing what that entails at all. What does a member of the undead even require in a camp? This could have been an opportunity to build character through aciton, and it kind of went to waste.

Persona - 5/10
Your portrayal of Lorenor and his son was solid, the main weakness here was the use of Will as a plot pusher and the way TBK started off as a faceless monster. I was really glad when you ended up developing him into a real character further on, but that could have started the first time Lorenor encountered him so there were some missed opportunities there. As I mentioned Will seemed like a pure plot pusher, just kind of there to make things happen. I would encourage you to apply more energy and creativity to the creation of unique NPCs rather than reusing the same old ideas, you are a great creator of characters and you should display that more.

Prose: 16/30

Mechanics - 6/10
I still notice a lot of needless capitalization in your posts, and you had a decent number of miscellaneous errors that slipped by your proofreading, but you are really showing improvement in this area and I encourage you to keep working at your editing skills. Don't be a afraid to go over a post 3-4 times if necessary in order to spot those little errors, such as this:

Quote:

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"My sword is not enchanted by I am powered by the light." Lorenor said. "I am a paladin."

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This is a tricky to notice typo but it is pretty glaringly obvious to someone reading it for the first time. I always recommend reading posts out loud when editing, as this will help you catch such errors, so give that a try and let me know how it goes.

Clarity - 4/10
There were a couple instances where I became quite confused with what was going on. The two worst offenders that I noted down occurred in post 2. In post 1, it seemed as though the biggest problem the locals had was a demon in the mountains, and then in post 2 you suddenly alluded to a war without really going into any detail about that. Needless to say, I was confused, as I wasn't aware of any war in Scara Brae. In that same post, you also had the insignia of the local military suddenly appear on Lorenor's armor, without any description of what it looked like or where it came from. These instances and others like them had me scrambling to re-read and figure out what was going on.

Technique - 6/10
You're starting to get a handle on use of metaphor and that is awesome, keep working at it and experimenting with different forms. One of my personal favorites is personification, and with your creativity I bet you could come up with some great examples. The main thing I'm going to focus on here though is showing and not telling. Here's another example I took note of:

Quote:

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It was all very overwhelming, yet Lorenor handled it well.

---

This line literally just tells us two things, without expressing (showing) either in any way. Think about these questions: how was it overwhelming? what physical or mental symptoms were there? How did he handle it well? What techniques or previous experiences got him through such a difficult moment?

Wildcard: 8/10

I had to throw you some extra points here, both because of the delayed judgment and because I really enjoyed reading this thread. Keep up the good work!

Final Score: 59/100

Paladin_Lorenor receives: 1875 EXP and 180 GP, as well as a shard of the Tablet of Destiny!

Note: Rewards are inclusive of Stonevale 1.5x bonus.
Also note: The Tablet of Destiny was awarded in addition to GP because it has no special powers and presumably cannot be sold. If it obtains powers/value in a future thread, those properties will need to be approved as spoils at that time.

Congratulations!

Rewards added.