A Damned Mess

What a damned mess…This is what happens Salak’nor when you go off to the corners of the empire to “preach”.

Three champions have betrayed the cause as it were…Shoa…well I can hardly be sad about that fool, Zig the drunkard, well if two had to go then I couldn’t be happier.

But Mneri…the loss of the priestess, the champion of Hir’eek

He still wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but apparently she had betrayed the empire…consorted with ELVES!!! Disgusting traitorous elves…

It made no sense, she was loyal and…and a friend, perhaps the only one Salak had ever had within the empire, for masters such as the Emperor himself could hardly be called friends. He was a good judge of trolls…he trusted little but he was ready to tutor Mneri in the arts of the witchdoctor at risk of revealing his other…secrets…

He laughed humourlessly Oh remember what you said Salak, she would do well, she would serve proudly ha! A damned and accursed traitor…she’s betrayed the empire and me, may whatever soul she has be exterminated for the rest of eternity.

And…Rlaris…what had happened to the old troll? Salak thought he heard something about a traitor, but…could it be? Rlaris has served for so long, why would be possibly defect, betray or do anything disloyal.

Damn it! I am sick of this, Shadra please help me, my Queen grant me some insight into the mess that the empire seems to be becoming, is the webs of logic through out the world unravelling? Nothing is making sense anymore!

Lifting his staff, he started to chant in a dark hissing language which he always used for the common shadow incantations, dark spirits gathered around Salak

“Come” he told them “We have work to do”

Regrets

Salak sat quietly on a rock in the vale; he was exhausted, annoyed and bored. There had been little to do in the empire lately he felt a now common depression coming over him
How long have I been a recruit for? He asked himself then shaking his head he smirked slightly, oh how his slow advancement weighed heavily on his mind, slowly he thought about all that had changed since he first joined the empire and a feeling of anger washed over him
“He was the apprentice of the emperor…not that the emperor would remember”
Salak hissed at the memory, that fool Chak…but he was right…Tziak would barely remember him…how had it come to this? He was once the apprentice of the emperor now he was nothing, standing up he angrily kicked a stone.
I wonder…is there anyway to ask the emperor for the apprenticeship again Salak mused to himself then sighed as he decided that it was unlikely
Salak you idiot you are a failed priest, a failed apprentice and a failed troll of the empire. The thought hit Salak harder then he would off expected it to.

Standing up Salak strode off muttering to himself about finding herbs to give him a strong, deep…and dreamless, sleep.

Sins in Sleep

Darkness

“Why son? Why did you do this to me?” cried a familiar voice, Salak’nor frowned he was standing in a small hut…it was familiar…looking around he recognised that it was his families’ old hut.
“Why little one? Why?” cried the voice again, Salak looked around…and almost fainted when he saw who was calling out, it was his father, lying in a heap on the ground with blood running down the side of his head.
“Did you not care for me? Was I a bad father?” asked Sal’kaz.
Salak’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly as he tried to contemplate an answer the world shifted and everything changed.

Darkness

“Salak…this is all your fault” Salak looked around, they where in a forest setting, seeking the speaking and he soon found her, it was his mother, her skin was marked with burns.
“What have you done to us my boy? What did we ever do to deserve this” she asked
Salak swallowed loudly and muttered a response, taking a deep breath he spoke again louder “You were disloyal!”
His mother laughed “He deserved nothing less!”
Salak tried to respond but the world spun and once again change came

Darkness

“Brother, how could you do this? I thought we where close” Salak knew who this was straight away turning he looked at his sister, she sat on a rock and her skin was incredibly pale, looking around Salak noticed that this was on the verge of a forest. Salak looked at her before speaking,
“I…regret what I did, however I had no choice” Salak said slowly and quite quietly,
“You heartless bastard, you are not sorry” Said his sister Seril, she wore the same smirk that Salak himself so often wore, her voice was as sarcastic and mocking as Salak’s was.
“Choice? You always have a choice you fool, oh little brother, teller of lies, life of sins!” this was from a second voice deeper and stronger than Salak’s own, looking around he saw his younger, much larger brother standing near him.
Salak opened his mouth and then shrugged
“Your right, I don’t care, if I had not done what I had to, I would be dead also…I prefer it this way” after speaking Salak smirked
The world started to twist and change was coming, all that followed was the laughing of his brother and sister.

Darkness

“Oh Salak, my heart, you where a fool” Salak froze, slowly he turned around to see a familiar troll standing near him, she was slightly shorter than Salak and thin like he.
“…Tal’ai…” whispered Salak
Salak stood shocked and before he realised it, there where tears running down his face,
“Oh Salak” Tai’ai moved over to him and hugged him, Salak held her shaking slightly from sobbing. After a moment Tal’ai pulled away from Salak, and he could see she was crying also
“Good bye Salak” murmured Tal’ai
“No…wait…wait!” Salak shouted but the world was already shifting.

“TAL’AI!” Screamed Salak, breathing heavily he looked around to see he was lying in a hut a troll came to the opening and frowned, despite the late our this troll was still in leather armour,
“Alright priest” asked the warrior
Salak nodded and muttered a thanks before watching him leave, lying back down into his bed fearing the coming of dreams.

Champions come again

Salak’nor had felt extreme surprise at how much had passed since he was last in the empire.
Kel’jiin was now exiled from the empire, deemed by two separate blood drinkers a traitor and a heretic.
The champions of the primal gods were all so being reselected, one for each aspect, this process was well on the way, and one potential aspect for each had been announced.

For Shirvallah the tiger there was the blood drinker Rlaris, an old troll yet one of immense strength and fighting skill, Salak’s knowledge of the troll was limited yet he had seen the old troll in action a few times and had been impressed. Umkankik, the last champion of Shirvallah had been a legendary warrior; Rlaris has a lot to live up to…

For Hir’eek the bat there was Mneri, a new troll to the empire, she was a priestess, a quiet oddly reserved troll. She had a lot to fulfil to live up to Hir’eek’s expectations…Tziak the last champion had became High Priest and then the emperor! Yet Salak had a feeling that she would do well.

For Bethekk there was the elder Shoa, Salak had met her a few times but didn’t know much off her except she seemed arrogant, not uncommon given her station however. Kel’jiin the last champion of Bethekk…for all his faults was a legendary hunter within the empire, and a great warrior. Perhaps arrogance is a common attribute in Bethekk’s favoured?

For the twin snakes of Ula’tek and Dara an elder by the name of Zig’Tuul. Last time Cai and a troll named Zulhan had been selected to represent light and darkness, this time but one was chosen. Perhaps this was due to Zulhan’s horrific downfall…hmm…even the gods do not see all ends it seems. Salak had not met Zig’Tuul yet, he had heard that the troll was a drunkard and seemed an odd choice for a champion…yet Salak had faith.

And for Shadra…no thing…no one for the venom queen. Yet Salak had had a strange…experience he had been told that he was apparently being watched as a potential champion. Of course nothing had been announced, Salak doubted it, he was too weak for such glory.
Kel’jiin had quickly found Salak and over the span of a few days explained everything to him, apparently he was the “Consort” of Shadra, Salak found this odd and hard to believe, yet it seemed the truth. There last meeting had not gone soo well, in fact Kel’s rage may of killed Salak had it not been for Mneri’s intervention, thank Dambalah that Salak had been able to send that spirit for help…although he had doubted Mneri’s powers to sense spirits, she was no witch doctor.
Kel’s anger had been aroused due to Salaks…statements, he was pathetic in Salaks eyes, perhaps…perhaps he was the consort of the venom queen, but no way would Salak listen to him complain about Bethekk betraying him.
Fool! His arrogance was his downfall! He was as bad as Shalkis in Salaks eyes…worst because he still pretended to be something to the empire!
And yet he was likely to take Shadras champions place…perhaps reinvited back into the empire.

Damn these politics!

Salak had been gone to long from the empire, his mind unadjusted to politics, he only dared weave his manipulation on the least important and weakest minded…oh how sad everything had become.

When will the emperor come…Salak needed guidance…and no high priest existed.

Salak must find Tziak he must!

An Old Wound

Salak’nor cursed as he stepped over the Gnome corpse, the ugly thing had attacked him out of nowhere, and to make matters worst, it had caused him to dirty the hem of his black robes, sighing he sat down on the ground.
He was tired, the shadow magic he was using was far more physcially and mentally taxing than those shamanistic arts. Lying back on the soft grass, shadowed by trees he slept…

With a start Salak awoke, he looked around, it was almost night moving himself into a sitting position he loved at his left arm for a moment, then mechanically unwrapped the red silk cloth around his upper arm. As the flesh beneath the cloth was revealed Salak grimaced, in the moonlight the words that never healed on his arm glittered brightly, standing out against his skin, they read in the ancient Gurubashi
“All Hail Hakkar”

Salak looked at the disgusting “scar”...he had carried it for soo long and yet no amount of regeneration or even magic of the Emperor himself could heal it, it brought back so many memories. For a moment he simply stared at it before sighing and shaking his head, curse you Rathess…you sit beside the Emperor as his guard and yet you were capable of this only a year ago…

Salak never understood why Tziak trusted the fool priest, yet it was not Salak’s place to question the ruler of Trolls.

Rewrapping the cloth around his arm he stood up and looked around
When would he find another of his empire? He had been gone too long...for all Salak knew the emperor could be dead...no not that never that...the spirits would tell him...wouldn't they?

And so the priest walked off into the night, with renewed fears of what he would find once he met his brothers and sisters again.

Salak returns

Salak’nor stumbled through the Vale, it had indeed been a tiring venture, not only had he been attacked by humans and had some odd conversations with spirits, but his departure from the empire on Spiritual matters (mostly rituals) had been wasted. He had been unable to get his hands on more than 4 human children, it was disgraceful the amount of guards the humans were using in small villages.
Luckily the spirits had made the beasts of the Vale passive and he had travelled through it unharmed, sighing he rested on a wall frowning.
He knew he wasn't powerful, yet once he gave up his elemental powers to once again pursue a path of Light and Shadow, to better serve the Spider Queen he realised how weak he was. A strong wind could probably kill him right now, it was sad, at the age off...what age was he now...well into his thirties he must be! Whatever, at his age he should be able to do powerful things with the spirits, but he could hardly heal a cut or hold a shield…
He needed training, and he needed to learn more of these priestly ways as his elemental shamanistic powers were not beyond him. Those spirits of elements had accepted his new path and would never help him again, now voodoo magic and the spirit world was his new powers…one in which he had no skill.
HE had been in the empire longer than many, and had less power, less respect…but then do I care?
No I guess not, I am not powerful and perhaps never will, yet I can still serve Shadra…that makes me happy.
How the mighty have fallen Salak...you have become so pathetic...once you were..NO Silence your thoughts fool!

Looking down at his chest he cursed
Yet it would have been nice to not have lost my tabard…getting up he moved further into the Vale, hoping to run into a Troll of the empire before he died of hunger…

Shadra's Message

Salak had been gone again from the empire, he hated it but he always needed to go into seclusion, he found it difficult to find sacrifices for his rituals amongst the Vale, and always would rather use lesser beings than other trolls.

Sitting on a large hill in the edges of the vale on his return to the empire…to his master Tziak he heard something…his spirit seeing abilities were not great, he found a place to relax and closed his eyes, the lesser spirits he commanded were acting…
Mad
There was no other word to describe it. He commanded them with his will, yet they were restless, and he could not properly command them. Soon he sensed something of such power his vision went white…he could no longer sense individual spirits or see their forms, just power…infinite power.
A voice spoke to him and when it did he screamed with the pain it caused…but also how exultant it made him feel
“My servant, get up, the lesser beings come…get up and fight…I shall grant you strength”
Salak’s eyes snapped open and he spun in time to see a human with a dagger charge at him, attacking the man’s mind he quickly left only a gibbering fool, rocking back and forth. Keeping low he moved though the forest till he saw a man with a large sword and plate armour, even from this distance Salak knew it was one of those paladins.
Salak poor stealth skills however betrayed him and the paladin turned and ran right at him, in that moment Salak knew he could not win…poor, weak Salak did not stand a chance. He would of froze and waited to die only the choice was not his own, his arms moved in strange gestures at their own accord, his mouth muttered words of power and burned his throat, a blast of shadow took the Paladin in the chest, yet he came on. As his sword flashed towards Salak’s throat the troll ducked with unnatural swiftness, especially for one as puny as the little troll priest, hammering his fist into the Paladins face he used the shadowy arts to reach into the Paladins mind and take control.
The Paladin moved, jerkily, towards a large empty space his eyes wide in fear of what he could not prevent, stopping he stood their unable to move. A rustling sound came from the left, then from the right then from in front and behind, soon he was surrounded by countless amounts of spiders, as they climbed up his body burying under his armour eating his flesh, eating through his flesh he gained enough control to scream and then fell to die a long and agonising death.

The Paladin however was not the only one with no free will however, Salak himself did not have any control during the entire battle. He had watched as his body did deeds both physical and magical beyond his abilities or understanding, as the human died the young troll felt himself sway, unnatural strength left him, magical strength also vanished and he fell into a world of darkness…

Waking up Salak looked around, fear made his heart smash painfully into his chest. The world was black there was nothing but darkness and after what seemed an eternity and voice spoke out, as cold as any magiks used by the frostmane tribe but also inhuman…and yet also in a way, feminine.
“What is wrong my creature…my servant….why do you fear this place?”

“Who…who speaks?...I demand to know…in the name of the Emperor!”

The being that could not be seen laughed
“Your emperor holds no power over me…at least not as I am now…and as to whom I am…all you have to do his think and you should know…your blood should know…”

Salak licked his lips both fear and hope in his voice
“G…great mistress, my Queen Shadra?”

The voice laughs
“Not quite” said the voice “and now for a more fitting surroundings”

The darkness…melted, it ran away and in its place was the Gurubashi Arena…only it was not a ruin it was beautiful, it was as if it had been cared for and maintained since it was built…and it did not look old either.

Out of the corner of the Arena came a Troll female, she stood in front of him, with light blue skin and blue hair, she was more beautiful than anything that Salak had ever seen. He had never been good with females, despite how they were subservient, he had always been nervous around them and the beauty of this Troll made it worst. Soon he realised he was staring at her and he cursed himself…she’s a spirit you fool, for all you know a powerful one! Be respectful, but be proud! Bowing Salak spoke to the spirit avoiding staring at the appealing beauty of the creature

“It was you who saved my life, and I thank you, but please tell me, how can a lowly priest of Shadra help you, were you sent by the emperor?” asked Salak

“I told you he holds no sway over me at the moment…what do you think of the surroundings? Of this Place?”

Salak pondered whether to speak his mind, she was not a troll…surely she would not judge him as a weakling due to his thoughts…slowly she spoke
“It is indeed beautiful Great Spirit; I would dearly love to examine it in more detail”

“And what write poems about it? Oh do not look so surprised, I see into your thoughts, I have been given certain abilities until my job is done….you are not he average Troll…this I like and so I think shall my mistress. I do not judge a Troll on his battle prowess, I do not think that your interests in reading non-Troll texts or anything to be ashamed of…although to keep it too yourself is indeed wise. Well this place is only a memory of the Arena how it was, nothing more than an Illusion”

The female troll walked right up to Salak making him swallow audibly, she reached out touched his amulet and smiled slightly
“You wear this still, even after the tricks that monster Hakkar played on you, tell me do you consider yourself a priest of Dambalah or Shadra…oh yes I know both but which is foremost in your mind?”

Salak licked his lips and spoke quietly…fearfully
“The great mistress has always been known to me…I would like to say Dambalah…but in my heart I must….must say Shadra”

The female nodded and smiled
“It is good you speak the truth”

She wondered off a bit and spun around before speaking
“I am a messenger from Shadra, she is watching you. A number of the old Champions have failed little priest, and as such all most be re-selected. Many will be watched, one of witch are you little priest. Shadra has her eye on you so be wary, she wanted you too know this.”

Salak felt dizzy and stared at the spirit
“Me…A Champion…I am too weak…too pathetic”

“No…no you foolish little priest, she knows you are weak, she knows you are cowardly, but she has seen other things in you that are appealing. But you are not yet chosen, there could be dozens of more appealing candidates, I was only giving you a message from my Queen. Now little priest, return to the land of the living and return to your Empire and your Emperor, you have been gone from his side too long, and your lack of training has made you weak indeed.”

She turned and as she went to step into a shadow she stopped and spoke almost in a caring voice
“Salak, your father’s death hangs over you as does your ancestors…and your tribe under Hakkar’s influence, the voices you heard, and the ones Hakkar wished to trick you with.
All of this is a burden. Your father died saving you Salak, and has great strength in the spirit world as his faithfulness to Shadra in life has granted him.
Your Tribe is no longer that of Hakkar, you may have the blood he can control but Shadra and Dambalah shall shield you from its worst effects, you can cast of the tribes name from now on.
The voices you heard were Hakkar…but in your…ahh…confrontation with misled Rathess, that was Shadra who saved your will and life…and that mark on your arm will someday be healed…do not hold it against Rathess any longer, he is no longer a puppet of Hakkar as you should know…and Shadra is happy you still wear her necklace and the symbols of the spider on your robe.”

Salak listened and his eyes watered slightly with memories of all the events of his life and he spoke in a shaky voice staring at the spirit that still remained in Troll form
“Are you truly a messenger? Are you sure you are not the Spider Queen”

The female troll laughed slightly and winked before pointing at him at which point the world exploded into harmless flame.

Sitting up with a jolt Salak wondered if it was a dream, only the half eaten corpse of the Paladin told him otherwise…getting up he stumbled further into the Vale…he most return to his Empire…to his master…