Tales Of Narime: The Eye Of Zephena

Prologue - Evil Plans

The sun was setting in a deep orange glow of the horizon over the Gejin Mountains. The ominous darkness of the On coming night was overtaking the rocky landscape of the mountain range. As winds & dust blew powerfully over the ground & pathways that made their ways up the mountain. These mountains held the great & forgotten fortress known once in ancient lands as the StoneSiege. This great & ancient ruin was once one of the greatest strongholds in all the lands, & to the ancient kingdom of Adiria which once ruled a large potion of land which included these mountains, the fortress had been an invaluable asset to that kingdoms armies for thousands of years, but no longer.

The kingdom like the fortress was in ruins, & for nine hundred years the kingdom of Adiria was only a memory, & many of its secrets forgotten, which also included StoneSiege. The fortress itself was but legendary now, known only to a few. StoneSiege has stood for thousands of years, holding troops & seeing many great & terrible battles, the bones & armors of hundreds of thousands either littered the mountains & pathways leading up the mountain to the fortress, or were ground into the dust long blown by the winds into oblivion, but on this night the ruined fortress would serve a darker purpose than a foundation of warfare & kingdom defenses.

Through the darkness of the coming night someone with a torch in hand approached the ruins, they ran quickly up steps, & across the winding mountain paths, the winds sweeping the grounds did not deter them from their mission for someone was waiting for them. Someone within the ruins, a most unforgiving & uncompromising sort. The sun set over the horizon but the orange glow still remained but only for a short while. Steps led up mountain corridors, steps that were cracked & broken by the years of disuse, but they were no trouble for the traveler who journeyed to hear of his masters plans.

Finally he came to the great iron gates of the old fortress, they were tall & heavy doors, measuring fifteen feet high & they were at least three feet thick & normally it would take several men to open & close them but the engineers long before had built great mechanisms to open & close the gate ways. One of the giant doors was opened slightly, by others that were inside with his master, He thought to himself. He crept in, & moved through the stone ruins to a lit up door way. The door was lit up by light from torches, they were lit to tell the others that were expected to be there where to go.

This man went through the doors & walked though the halls, following the wooden torches, their pitch coated, cloth tips burned with great intensity. The figure moved until he came to a great, domed room. The room looked more like an observatory, most of the room was clear except for what looked like a wellspring at the center, & at the center of the room stood at least ten other people, including a tall fully armored figure.

He hesitantly approached the group, as the large armored figure saw the man, he waved him over. In a deep, almost altered sounding voice the great figure said "Ahhh, Koloth, you've finally come to join our group." The man approached the circle & introduced himself "Master, I made great haste to come here." He said.

"You have it then?" Asked the tall figure. Koloth again hesitated to answer. The tall figure moved towards him slowly, looming over him by at least two feet. "You do have it don't you?" The tall figure asked in an even deeper voice. "Master I." Koloth began but he could not bring himself to continue. He was nearly shaking in the presence of the tall figure. The tall figure looked menacingly over Koloth & then like a viper striking prey grabbed him by the throat. "YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MAP, YOU SWORE TO ME THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IT HERE TONIGHT?!?! The tall figure yelled, practically roaring. Koloth was now quick to answer his masters comments. "Master please, I was told that I would have it tonight but Lazarin has not brought the map to me yet." Koloth choked out.

The Tall Figure pulled him by the throat closer to him, leaning down towards him. Koloth's face almost touching the black helmet of the figure. "You are lying to me!" The Tall Figure said, in a low tone. "I swear to you Master by all the gods, he is coming with it." Koloth choked out. The tall figure stood back up, still holding Koloth by the throat, he wasn't quick to let him go but he finally did so, & walked back over to where he had been before. Another of the people there spoke up. "Master Koloth is a true fool, he entrusted the map to a mere brigand like Lazarin, if we are lucky Master, Lazarin hasn't taken it to find the Eye himself, if he hasn't already sold it for rum." The person said. Koloth, still gripping his throat, struggled to stand & choked out. "No Master, he will bring the map, to him it is only an object, he doesn't even know what it is, or how to open it, Lazarin will not know the full potential of the map & where it will lead us."

The Tall Figure leaned in & again spoke "Are you curtain of this?" He asked. Koloth replied with "Yes, Master, He will bring the map to us." The Tall Figure stood up straight & said "Good, good I knew I could count of you all delivering on your words, with that we can get down to business."

"Master, we are talking about THE Eye of Zephena?" Another of the people there asked.

"None other, disciple." The Tall Figure replied. Another, a hooded figure spoke up "But Master, how can we be sure of its power, or even of its existence?" The Tall Figure was quick to answer "I have tasted of its power through the Astral Ethereum, when I was within the Astral Ascent I tasted it's great & eternal power, it exists, I know it." He said, looking over all his disciples. The Hooded Figure spoke again "Master, when you go through the Astral Ascents you know that reality does no exist there as it does here, your scenes can be manipulated by the Ethereum." The Tall Figure replied quickly "I KNOW WHAT I FELT, I know it is true!" He exclaimed.

"Master, we would have to move in secret, if any of the high lords of these lands hears of your plans or that you are even here in these lands they will send their men to kill you!" Another of the men there stepped forward & said. The Tall Figure hesitated for a moment but replied "I know what will happen, I know the consequences, I don't care, I will have the Eye & no one will stop me!" The Tall Figure said.

"If that is what you wish my lord then it shall be made so, you will reign over the lands." The hooded figure said. Another figure stepped forward adding to the conversation "We must move as soon as the map gets to us, there is no room for any hesitation." He said.

"We shall, my disciples, we shall, the rewards of godhood shall be ours in this time." The Tall Figure said. The Tall Figure looked out one of the tall ported openings in the stone wall, staring out on the mountainous lands out beyond the fortress. Bathed in darkness the lands shaped & curved in jagged, rocky out crops.

"We will find the Eye of Zephena, & these lands shall know, that it is I, Lord Tyranius Shadowbane, that will be their master, & their god!" The Tall Figure, Lord Shadowbane, said, turning to his disciples. They all laughed to the thoughts of the ominous plans that they had.