Ahzraei

Zachary sat silent amidst the roar of the water and the screams from the surrounding boats. The two other men on board often exchanged terrified glances with each other, but did not speak. Another wave rocked the boat violently, forcing Zach to brace himself. The spray of salt water made him sputter and blink, and in a second the man furthest from him had fallen overboard. The other man screamed and rushed to the side his companion had fallen from. The boat, meanwhile, tipped even further as the weight moved dramatically from one end to the other. Zach swore passionatley, uttering obscenities that had once earned him a place a target for a judge's gavel, when he had spoken them with regards to the judge's offspring. Furious, he lept off the boat just as it capsized. Completely soaked, he tread water hard to draw breath. The shock of it began to set in, and he felt the weight of his shoes and clothes. Like a madman, he swam for the still-bobbing lifeboat that had cast him out. Reaching it, he attempted to overturn it once more. Gasping with effort, he flung the water-logged boat over, assisted by the swell of another wave. Climbing in, he attempted to start the motor. After a few false starts it rewarded him with a loud, friendly engine noise. "Wait!" Gasped a voice to starboard. Zach spotted the imbecile who had capsized his lifeboat. From the looks of it, he wasn't a very strong swimmer, either. Sneering, Zach gunned the motor, leaving the hapless man to scream loudly until he was silenced by the next wave. As he neared the island, the engine sputtered and died. With a curse, Zach attempted to persuade the motor to restart. No luck. As he sat several hundred feet, he noticed that his sodden feet were getting wetter. Swearing all the more violently, he began to bail. Fortunately, the boat had not completely sunk by the time it glided onto shore. Amused, Zach surveyed his various peers who were not so fortunate. Almost half a dozen unconscious men and women lay on the beach, the shattered remains of at least one boat floating in the surf. Two of their number started to revive the fallen. Zach hopped off and strode towards them. The least bedraggled man was speaking. [B]?Alright, we?re shipwrecked on an island, to all those who think this is some nightmare. Rhett and I dragged you guys here, and so here we are. What do you all say to finding a dry spot and talking there? The storm?s getting worse??[/B] He paused to stare back at the sea, which was breifly illminated by lightning. [B]?I?m Alex, by the way, and that?s Rhett. She?s Annabelle,?[/B] He said as the thunder echoes receeded. [B]?And they?re the only people I know. So ? let?s find a spot to talk for a while, then decide what we want to do. How about it??[/B] [B]?So? we?re supposed to follow you into an island, when we don?t know you??[/B] Zach interjected brazenly. [B]?I?m Zachary to you,?[/B] he added. [B]?Zachary, no one knows anyone. So you?re going to have to trust my judgment, okay??[/B] Alex said, a bit rankled. [B]?Hm? no.?[/B] Zach crossed his arms and stared at him. [B] ?If you don?t want to, don?t follow. I?m not going to force anyone to do anything ? we?re all equal. Goodbye.?[/B] Alex said with a shrug. He turned away, in conversation with Rhett. The party, with some furtive looks at Zach and a few coughs, eventually followed. In disgust, Zach joined them. Apparently, this Alex fellow had a bit more to him than Zach thought. Still, if anyone was going to get them off the the island, it would be Zach. Only he could make the decisions that no one else had the guts to make. That, he was certain of. After a while the party regrouped in a small cave. Alex was yammering again. [B]?Why don?t we go around saying our names and what we?re good at. That way we can get to know how we can utilize one another?s skills to survive. I?ll start. I?m Alexander, and I spend a lot of my free time outdoors. So I know how mother nature works, and I might be a good hunter, though I?ve never tried.?[/B] He looked around, as others timidly began to offer up their knowledge of some paltry hobby. "Excuse me," Zachary interrupted after a few had spoken. "But who do any of you think you are? Cooking from berries and nuts? Knowing 'mother nature'? We're [I]lawyers[/I]. This is like an extremely poor joke, 'ten lawyers trapped on a desert island.'" Despite themselves, a few of them laughed. Alex looked as though he might say something, but Zach kept going. "We're not going to survive in this kind of environment, even if we make ourselves into savages. Don't you get it?" Zach took another step forward. "We need to be [I]rescued[/I]. Come on, you act as though it's impossible. You're forgetting that we have two salvagable lifeboats with some equipment. How do any of you even know that we're not just five miles from a larger island? A ship came this close to this island once, how many ships do you think come to Hawai'i every week? We have enough supplies to last us a few days, why don't we actually try and get [I]off[/I] this godforsaken place?!" The others ceased their shivering and looked at one another. Despite the distaste for Zach that Alex had oh-so-gently cultivated in them, the allure of rescue and civilization had a powerful effect on them. OOC: Sorry if this is a bit hostile, but I've noticed that no one else is roleplaying the evil jerk. Any desert island situation needs one, ... figured I'd take it on myself. Edit OOC: Hope this is better, the boat is broken and unseaworthy. Also Zach says the boats are salvagable not intact. Not sure what I was thinking there ... having too much fun I guess. Sorry.

Name: Zachary Anderson Age: 38 Appearance: Zachary is thin and reasonably tall, only a few inches short of six feet. His dark brown eyes have a habit of staring intensely, sizing up his adversaries in the courtroom. His goatee and longish hair are black, yet streaked with the first of his gray hairs. He has pale skin from spending most of his life indoors, and wears a dark business suit wherever he goes. Personality: Zachary is an ambitious, greedy lawyer who has a reputation of undermining his opponents' positions by any means necessary, without the constaints of ethics, only expendiency. He always seeks to dominate any social group he is in and consistently catalogues and researches his opponents' mistakes and flaws for future exploitation. He is a close student of the legal arts, and often comes away the real victor in his cases, bringing ruinous charges upon his clients through loopholes in his own contracts. He has no empathy or caring for anyone else, save perhaps his close friends and a few family members that he likes (although his hesitation in sacrificing their well-being for his own would still be decidedly short). Place in the Group: While Zachary will intuitively seek leadership by any means necessary, he also possesses a quick and adaptive mind. Having no know-how in anything beyond lawyering and an interest in politics (go figure), he has a great deal of common sense and a sharp intellect, although he will only use it for the group's benefit when he will benefit most. Having no combat or weapons training, his aptitude for assassination of his rivals is low; but where he is going, there is plenty of opportunity, and he wouldn't flinch at it if the situation requires it ... Special Skills: None really, except for a knack at organization (with himself as the organizer), manipulative social skills, and a keen intellect. Record of Events: When the storm began, Zachary knew that he should keep an eye out for his safety, regardless of any assurances by the crew. When the boat began to rock more violently he cautiously gathered his most indispensible luggage (his legal papers and a book he had brought with him) and made his way to to a life boat. He cursed inwardly as he saw that the one he was moving toward had been claimed by a pair of overweight lawyers in suits. The announcement of the impending doom of the ship galvanized Zach. He donned his life preserver and proceeded to the boat. If the two fat men took it, there would be little room for him. He slipped on the wet deck, and paused to regain his balance; while he did so, another man emerged from belowdecks and caught sight of the boat. "Thank God!" He said. "All the others are taken!" Seeing Zach, he smiled in relief. "I hope we can all fit." Zach nodded distractedly. The two men unfastening the boat hadn't heard the newcomer. Zach waited until the other had drawn even with him, then faked a stumble into him. The other man cursed under his breath, falling over and sliding into the railing. "Sorry," Zach said, extending his hand. The other man took it. "That's ok," He said, grasping Zach's hand and rising. "Come on, this thing is sinking faster!" Zachary nodded, then, with all of his strength, struck the man in the back of his head. He slumped once more. Zachary quickly hefted his nerveless form and hurled him overboard. He then walked up to the lifeboat and exchanged greetings with the occupants, sparing a passing smirking thought to his unfortunate victim's lack of a life jacket.

Ashem's single eye intently tracked the movement of their pursuers beneath the green canopy of the forest. He rested comfortably on a high branch of a tall pine. Phoenix had first noticed their mysterious stalkers; he did not say how, and Ashem didn't ask, but merely investigated himself. Phoenix had been right. Ashem had observed the mystery party for about twenty minutes, growing increasingly nervous as they approached. He leaned forward. At last, he saw the familiar shape of a hawk rise above the tree canopy and fly towards him. The hawk perched upon a branch next to Ashem's. He had seen Azalea transform before, but he still stared with an eerie fascination. In a burst of color and energy the crest of change restored a bemused Azalea, who swayed on the branch a moment before Ashem steadied her. She uncharacteristically smiled with rapture. "Flying is wonderful ... I'm going to do this every day when all this is over." "What about our followers?" Ashem inquired intently. Azalea sobered. "Chaos' soldiers. They have orders to find us I think." Ashem muttered a curse, and dropped to a lower branch. "Follow me," he said, descending as rapidly as he could until he could jump to the forest floor. Landing without injury, he brushed himself off and looked around for Phoenix, and uttered another curse, this one far more vile. He should have known the man wouldn't have waited for them; he must have gone to confront the soldiers himself. Curtly summoning Azalea, he set out in the direction of the soldier band.

"Will you stop that?" Phoenix said irritably. "What?" Azalea replied defensively. "That [I]humming[/I]," Phoenix spat. They had been proceeding along the path for about a half an hour in silence. Ashem was ignoring them, ever-watchful of the slowly darkening forest. There was no sign of Roland, Saturnine, or her mysterious attacker. "I'm sorry if it annoys you," Azalea said. "It's a song my parents used to sing to me. I'll sing it if I want." But she stopped after that, and walked on the right side of the path, leaving Phoenix on the left. "This is a waste of time," hissed Phoenix to Ashem in open contempt. "Chaos knows we're here. Why not just take the main road, and to hell with the forest?!" "You don't know that," Ashem said calmly. "If we still have it, there's no reason to give up surprise." "If I recall our first meeting correctly, there were six of us. There are two unaccounted for. They could be spilling out our intentions to Chaos right now!" "Chaos already knows he has enemies. Speculation at this point would be foolish," Ashem said. At that moment, a man stepped out from the underbrush onto the path in front of them. He was dressed in a ragged brown cloak, under which Ashem could discern the shape of a short sword. A great rustling in the bushes around them confirmed his suspicious; a gang of highwaymen. "Alright, no need for heroics," the man in the cloak said in a thick drawl, leering at Azalea a moment before glaring belligerently at Phoenix. "Jus' let us take what we want ... and you may end up alive tomorrow." Phoenix laughed aloud. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. Tomorrow you will never see."

Ashem smirked silently to himself from his position in a corner of the entrance hall. Saturnine, obviously engraved with some sort of angelic crest, was testing her new powers against Phoenix, whose crest was recognizable as the crest of Darkness, identical to Ashem's own. Idly, Ashem wondered if any of them had gained some sort of power that would enable them to see him while using his powers of stealth. When he noticed Phoenix in the stables, he had cloaked himself in shadow, hoping to test his newfound abilities against the other potentials. Noiselessly Ashem willed away his concealment. Saturnine and Phoenix were still staring at each other, taking stock of the new powers they each had acquired. Phoenix gave an almost imperceptible start at Ashem's sudden appearance, and narrowed his reddened eyes when he gazed upon the crest of Darkness engraved on Ashem's forehead. "Well," said Ashem, breaking the silence in an amused tone, "Aren't we complementary." "...Ashem?" Said Saturnine, in a slightly uncertain voice. "Stealth, I assume, and Darkness, of course." "Splendid choices," Phoenix said sardonically. "In your voyeurism, have you noticed where the esteemed Roland is awaiting us?" Ashem smiled. "I can understand why you'd look to him for direction, if you're so concerned about being caught off guard. Or are you so confident that you think you could kill Chaos without us? ... No, I haven't seen him." Phoenix's lip curled. "That would be suicide ..." he said reluctantly. "As I'm sure you know." Ashem paused. Apparently, Phoenix knew of his own past somehow. Or was he simply trying to unsettle him? He had been right to be suspicious of Phoenix. Or was Phoenix rightly suspicious of him? Annoyed, Ashem put such irrational conclusions from his mind. "Shall we find him then?" Said Saturnine, somewhat disdainful of Phoenix and Ashem's confrontation.

Ashem swiftly rode out of the forest, his new crest boldly emblazoned on his forehead. After some experimentation, he had determined the best ways to use it to complement his accompanying crests of Stealth and Illusion. Annoyingly enough, his mastery of complete disappearance had begun to bother his horse, who had seemed to develop a mild paranoia whenever Ashem was not riding. As the trees around him grew sparse, he heard raised voices on the path ahead. As silently as possible, he dismounted and led Nau'ian behind a large tree. Clenching his right fist, he willed the shadows to hide him from sight. Making no noise at all, he slowly crept up to the side of the path. The red livery and armor worn by the arguing men sparked instant recognition in Ashem's mind. [I]Chaos' soldiers.[/I] The one nearest to him was tiredly arguing with his two companions. "All I say is, I haven't seen any dragon. The captain's crazy; he's always hallucinating promotion, a dragon shouldn't be too far a strech." "Maybe I should tell the captain what you're so fond of sayin' about him, Warveck," A much shorter soldier to his right shot back. "He just might shut you up for good." "Ha! Let him try," Warveck said. "I wouldn't mind being captain." Ashem silently retreated as the soldiers continued their march down the path. Delusional captain or no, Chaos' army never hung around a border village like this one for its health. Whatever the reason, Ashem was sure that Roland would want to know about it.

Ashem awoke, blinking repeatedly to draw his lethargic mind out of its dark sleep. For once, his nightmares had not haunted him. His hand flew to his forehead. It was there, in its dark and rigid glory. Vivid memories of the painful procedure swam into focus. But it had not deterred him; he had felt it before, although not nearly as intense. For the first time in his life, he actually felt that he could control what happened to him. Staring defiantly at the rising sun, he focused the power that was his new crest. All around him the light lost its foothold. A black veil stifled the early morning, plunging it back into total darkness. Shadow eclipsed all. And yet, Ashem could see, through a red-tinted vision. He felt stronger, faster, and more powerful than ever before. Smiling confidently, he reversed the effects of the crest with a thought. Once again, sunlight glistened on the pond's surface. He looked around for Godo. The was no sign; but since he had instructed Ashem to rest and then return to Roland, Ashem did not really expect to see him again. Ashem gathered his belongings, sparing only a vaguely grateful thought for Godo; the man had been slightly unnerving, not the type he would usually allow this close to him. But what was done was done, and Ashem was better for it. Casting about for his horse, he spotted Nau'ian grazing a distance away. Whistling for him to return, Ashem took a final look at the pond; it was just as it had been yesterday.

The pond was tranquil; as serene as the steadily thinning forest Ashem was leaving behind. Ahead of him lay the hills, many of them unadorned with trees, bare save for a uniform sheet of grass and the occasional stone. Ashem halted, and dismounted. According to his map, the pond was the final landmark. Godo would appear to meet him after he had set fire to his map. Reluctantly burning his best guide to navigating the wilderness, Ashem waited expectantly. He was not disappointed. A deepening ripple began to pulsate from the center of the pond. Soon it started to spray water upwards in a circular funnel. At the top, a small man with crossed legs impossibly levitated upwards. This could only be Godo. Ashem frowned, squinting at the incredible sight. Something was not right. He closed his eye and focused his thoughts, then viewed the man with greater cynicism and concentration. As Ashem expected, he disappeared. An illusion; having used them many times in the past as a soldier, Ashem was skilled at recognizing their like. "You have been marked, Enforcer Dal." The voice came from behind him. Ashem whirled around; the man who had been floating in the illusion was standing before him. Ashem narrowed his eyes. This was no illusion. "Godo," He replied curtly, relaxing his grips on his swords. "What is Enforcer Dal to you?" "He is standing before me," The man said, an enigmatic smile embracing his lips. "What do you know about me?" Ashem demanded, tensing again. But Godo merely spread his hands. "Knowledge shared is often knowledge lost. Remember this when next you meet Chaos." "You speak in riddles," [I]How cliche,[/I] Ashem thought. It sounded to him that there was little substance to this man's tricks. But he had known Ashem's title as a soldier ... "I am here to engrave you so that you may contribute to the downfall of the tyrant Chaos. My services have been requested and I am here; yet you already possess talents. What is it that you need me for?" Godo smiled lopsidedly once more. Ashem relaxed, letting out a heavy breath. "I desire to be engraved with a third crest." "And which crest would you like? There are so many, you know. And yet, the ones you may want more often place you at a disadvantage." "I don't think so," Ashem said confidently. And he spoke the name of the crest that was strictly forbidden among Chaos' army; the symbol whose power was reserved for Chaos himself. "Give me the Crest of Darkness." A manic glint shone from Godo's eyes. "As you wish, Enforcer ..."

It was midday. Ashem had left all civilization behind; following the map, he had driven himself from the cobblestone road and into a dimly lit forest. Oddly enough, he felt more relaxed in the woods than in any village. His expert eye still constantly scanned the shadows, however, probing for violations of his solitude. A partial clearing, divided by a small trickle of a stream proved an ideal place to rest. Ashem dismounted and allowed his horse to drink. He had decided to name the animal Nau'ian. It meant 'Illusive Shadow' in the tongue of Erivehn, the land where he had been trained in Chaos' army. Ashem examined his map once more. Apparently, Godo was waiting for him several miles to the east. If he knew his geography of the region, the location he was headed towards was in the near foothills of a nearby mountain range. Annoyed, he cursed himself for not learning the territory better when he had come here; but then, he hadn't exactly been overly concerned with safety or escape when he had encountered Juren in that tavern in Brunid. An impatient neigh from Nau'ian brought him back to the present. Giving to map another cursory study, he remounted and resumed his journey. The stream running through the clearing had a distinct slope downward; Ashem decided to simply travel upstream as far east as it would take him.

[I]The stare of the dark eyes of Chaos was boring a hole into his skull. Ashem glared back. His vengeance was about to become reality. The stench of death and the sight of the bloodstained floor drifted out of focus as Ashem focused solely on the object of his hatred. Slowly, Chaos rose from his throne, casually glancing at the soldiers that Ashem had just slain, their blood still seeping into the ornate carpet. And he laughed, coldly and mirthlessly. Ashem stepped forward; Chaos raised his hands. Suddenly Ashem lost control of his limbs; he could not move or speak. His swords fell to the floor and he felt a red mist inexorably crawl across his vision ... "You dare to betray me?" Chaos thundered. "No one defies me and lives..."[/I] Sweating and short of breath, Ashem abruptly awoke. He gritted his teeth. It had been four years. Four years since he had learned of Chaos' deceptions; four years since Ashem had tried and failed to kill Chaos. The tyrant was simply too powerful; he had barely escaped with his life after that. Ever since then he had been on the run ... Stepping out of bed and donning his clothes, Ashem felt new determination. Next time it would be different. Now, he had an opportunity to gain a third crest; one that he could use to combat Chaos' power. A few minutes later, Ashem went to the stables, gazing approvingly at the early sunrise. Speaking tersely with a stablehand, he chose a sturdy-looking black-colored stallion. Dubiously examining his map, he set out to find Godo.

Ashem quietly left the conference, his mind still swirling with thoughts and questions. For the first time in years, he had a chance to topple Chaos, with the help of this man Roland. Much as Ashem hated having to follow anyone, he long ago had reluctantly admitted that he didn't have the charisma to be a leader. He had tried, he really had. But these were the first people he had seen in a long time who had any interest in fighting Chaos' tyranny, and it was Roland who had succeeded in recruiting them. He smiled. Time would tell, of course, how long Roland could keep this motley crew together. Some of them, he was sure, sought not only to remove Chaos but replace him. He thought of Phoenix, the scarred man who had mostly remained silent during the meeting. There was someone to keep an eye on. Maybe it was his similarity to Ashem, or simply his demeanor, but Ashem didn't trust what little he knew of him. Ashem paused, hearing approaching footsteps. He quietly stole behind a column on one side of the hall. For an instant he stared down at his hands, seeing the twin crests that Phrexi, one of Chaos' lieutenants, had given him during his final promotion before he had abandoned Chaos forever. Engraving was a carefully guarded secret among Chaos' legion, and his had not come without a price. Angrily, he shut his single eye against the onslaught of distasteful memories. No; he much preferred to keep his engraving, as well as his past, a secret. Resisting the urge to use an illusionary enchantment, he peered back into the hallway. Ashem silently let out the breath he had been holding in. The light footstep belonged to Saturnine, the representative of Lattinae. Relieved, trying to shake the suspicions bred of years spent running from Chaos' soldiers, he waited until she had passed, then continued in the opposite direction. At last, Ashem came to the room he had been given for the night. Normally he might have refused such a courtesy, or at least have examined the room for traps and the like. But Ashem doubted that Roland's plan was a deception; it seemed far too elaborate for that. Still, he hated having to second-guess the motives of everyone around him. Maybe once Chaos was dead he could stop ... and the ghosts of his family and friends would leave his dreams. Grimly, he settled in to endure another restless night.

Name: Ashem Dal Age: 24 Personality: Self-confident almost to the point of arrogance; moody and withdrawn. He has almost an anarchistic and individualistic nature, relying on others only when necessary. Appearance: Tall, with long dark hair. Wears an eyepatch over his right eye. Normally dresses in dark clothing. Weapon: An assortment of lightweight daggers and swords Ambition to Fight Chaos: Originally a member of Chaos' army; however, he was an estranged native of the "defiants'" community. When Chaos destroyed them, he betrayed Chaos and sought revenge. Three Crests: Crest of Darkness (forehead), Crest of Illusion (left hand), Crest of Stealth (right hand) Your Encounter With Juren: Juren met Ashem in a tavern in a nearby village; Ashem had his own plans to confront Chaos but was so far unable to perform them on his own. He had almost given up hope in his seemingly impossible task and was attempting to inebriate himself to the point of trying his suicidal attack plan anyway. Juren witnessed a brawl in the tavern between Ashem and a soldier of Chaos who was seeking to apprehend Ashem. Ashem, although drunk, was able to subdue the soldier before passing out. With reservations, Juren hid Ashem from the rest of the soldier's unit in return for a promise of Ashem's appearence before Roland.

Username: Kameulon IRL name: Hugh Travis Class: Tempest Weapon: Dual Longswords for hand-to-hand combat Appearance: Kameulon specializes in evoking fire-based offensive spells. Dresses in a dark red robe that handily conceals his weapons, which normally lie sheathed on opposite side of his belt. Hugh is a teenage technophile who lives in Seattle, Washington, USA. Before the release of Lore, he was an intern at a software company. He spent his leisure time playing the more primitive RPGs, but quickly began to play Lore as soon as he could. Soon he neglected his job and school altogether to make for time for Lore.