Clan Titan

((This RP is mainly for Zuka to become a demi-lich and has a relatively straight-forward storyline. However, it can be flexible if anyone wants to introduce anything))

Jade lightning bolts shot across the obsidian sky of P’leik as the ground rumbled and shifted, forcing mountains to rupture from the ground, faults to split wide open, and canyons to collapse violently. The negative energies of this realm made it unstable at best, always chaotically shifting when one least expected it. It had taken Zuka months to grow used to the turbulent realm, but when he finally did, he embraced it as a normality of life. It helped to keep unwanted visitors away and offered unparalleled seclusion. Both were perfectly fine by him.

Seated on the obsidian skeletal Dark Throne of P’leik, Zuka of Telemnar was an imposing figure to behold. His undead sights remained transfixed upon an unseen object as he telepathically lorded over his realm and commanded his fearsome hordes. Though his face was placid and devoid of any emotion, his mind was just as turbulent as the realm itself. He plotted and planned for the future, devised tactics and strategies for upcoming wars, but most importantly, he devoted the greater portion of his mind upon the Ritual of Change.

He sought not to become a lich, an undead spellcaster bound to the will of the Lich King, John Irenicus II. Instead, he sought to become a demi-lich and to retain his own freewill. The process was dangerous, though, and the necromancer knew it, but the rewards far outweighed the risks. Finally, he decided that the time had come.

Zuka called upon Kaz’kulga, Ceris, Mimmukarr, and Gorothal and related to them his decision. The hordes were to continue their preparations until the Ritual of Change was completed. From there, he would decide the next course of action. Next, Zuka headed to the underground labyrinth of the fortress and called for his seven greatest necromancers: Kersael, Kune, Mekleth, Zhogar, Suhani, Tiulikr, and Corellon.

Zuka and his seven necromancers returned to the Throne Room, locking the thick obsidian doors behind them. It was here that a great evil took place, one that Zuka had rarely done before. The seven necromancers were drained of their blood one at a time, then forced to drink the blood of Zuka from his undead wrists. By the end of the hour, they were fledgling vampires, and Zuka ordered them to return to their quarters and report back the next week. The great necromancer then sent several of his agents into the Material Plane, each entrusted with a certain task. They all returned within the week with everything he asked for.

When the vampires returned the following week, they saw that Zuka had indeed been busy. Eight amulets, each holding a red soulstone as a pendant, and a phylactery containing the necromancer’s soul were laying on the top of an oak table. An ancient staff, whose origins remain unknown even to the most knowledgeable historian and the most ancient Elf, was lying next to the table. Zuka then revealed his plans to them.

“I will entrust each one of you with an amulet carrying one of my soulstones. So long as any of these soulstones remain intact, no harm may befall my phylactery. You will take great care of them; die for them if you have to.”

He then led them into the Throne Room, carrying the staff, phylactery, and the eight amulets.

“There are seven portal chambers surrounding the Dark Throne. I will send each of you into them. They lead to tiny sub-realms within the Astral plane. You shall never again face hunger, thirst, age, or the like so long as you remain there. Once you have all entered, I shall seal them shut with great magical seals that shall never again open, except from the inside or from the very staff that I hold in my hands.

“To ensure that none will ever open the seals, I shall hide this staff. My most loyal and trusted commanders will safeguard it with their lives to ensure that none endanger you or my soulstones.”

Zuka then handed each of them an amulet, keeping the eighth for himself. Then, taking the Takrin staff in his hands, he muttered arcane words and channeled their energies. Suddenly, the seven portal chambers sprung to life and created portals, each brimming with shimmering arcane energies. He bid each of them a final goodbye and watched as they entered the portals.

When the last vampire had left him, he sealed the portals shut. The necromancer walked to the first chamber and ran the staff over a specific rune. Arcane sparks flickered as an energy barrier formed, effectively forming the magical seal. He repeated the process for the remaining six chambers before traveling to P’leik’s barracks. Once there, Zuka called two of his trusted officers together: a vampire, Abhorash and a Pit Lord, Nechrarch. He gave the vampire the staff and a final mission.

“Abhorash, Nechrarch, I entrust you two with this staff. Take it to the deepest depths of Baator. None shall ever find it there, but you and your comrades should not take that fact for granted. Guard it, and guard it well, for if this staff is found once more it might be my undoing. Now go, the two of you.”

When they had left, the necromancer then commenced the Ritual of Change. It was a moonless night in the Material Plane, just before midnight, and he had plenty of time to spare. He sacrificed a virgin Moon Elf in the name of his patron deity and drank her blood. When he had finished, he drank the venom of five Emperor scorpions and waited as their effects took place. He quickly ordered an undead servant to dig a thirteen-foot hole while he waited for the venom to take effect. When his body was lifeless, the servant buried him thirteen feet beneath the soil next to his phylactery. Zuka remained there for a full lunar month before his corpse was recovered.

But Zuka was not a lich, as many had expected…he was a full-fledged demi-lich, free to do whatever his own will told him to do.

In a fit of insanity, he slew his undead servant and several other demons. Growling to himself, he took his phylactery and returned to the Throne Room. There, he recovered an exquisite box from under his Throne and placed the delicate phylactery inside. When he sealed the box shut, a magical enchantment suddenly came to life. Zuka smiled to himself…or what would pass for a smile, for he no longer held any skin. His phylactery would remain safe within the box so long as the soulstones remained intact. He then stored it safely underneath the Dark Throne in a hidden compartment, where no harm would ever come to it…or so he hoped.

Now was the time to forge new armor. While the blacksmiths were busy forging the armor from darksteel, a variant of steel darker than onyx and slightly weaker than mythril, Zuka gathered several key components for his new armor. He took a dagger and headed to the dungeons. There, he found a young, virgin female elf and began to cut the flesh off of her, ignoring her painful cries and pleas to stop. Next, he traveled to his alchemy lab and gathered the hair from the mane of a unicorn, a component that was gathered from an agent earlier. While there, he ordered several servants to grab dozens of vials filled with the blood of elves.

Zuka returned to the Hellforge with the ingredients and began the dark ritual of binding them with his new armor. The darksteel was interwoven with the unicorn’s mane and the elf flesh, effectively rendering the wearer immune to horror and fear. In fact, Zuka enchanted the armor to reverse those effects, making him even more courageous when the odds were against him.

Then, the armor was brought out of the forge and allowed to cool. Once finished, he placed the armor in a coffin and poured the blood into it. He allowed the blood to soak into the armor before taking it out to dry. Finally, Zuka had the armor brought to his Well of Souls and fused dozens of souls into it, which would effectively render him immune to death spells.

Finished, Zuka ordered his servants to place the armor on him. The demi-lich was pleased. It fit his skeletal frame perfectly and would serve to protect him from any conceivable harm. He returned to his Throne Room and walked to the balcony overlooking the courtyard of P’leik. He could see countless undead, demons, and abominations preparing for war, as per his orders. All was going as planned.

Satisfied, he then turned his attention to the Material Plane. He could never risk leaving P’leik again, for if his soulstone were lost, he could face possible doom. For that reason, he began to search for a suitable host to corrupt and possess, a host that would serve as his harbinger.

A suitable host, bound in shackles and chains and carried by a Pit Fiend, was brought to him within the hour. He was a muscular, middle-aged man with a cropped ruby hair, fiery emerald eyes, and a stubbly beard. Zuka growled in approval, and the Pit Fiend released him. Still growling, Zuka planted the seed of corruption within the man’s heart. His base desires of lust and greed were perfect roots for the corruption to sprout from, and within minutes his former self was erased, replaced with a replica of Zuka within a different body.

The harbinger was then sent to the Material Plane to foretell of his master’s coming.

“Behold, ye mortals, for Zuka of Telemnar, The Destroyer, The Lord of Destruction, and the Dark Lord of P’leik, has risen from his slumber! He shall come soon to smite all who oppose him! Those that join him shall be rewarded greatly, and those that stand against him shall die a terrible death! The tides of war have come once more. For whom shall you fight?”

As quickly as the harbinger had appeared, his body disappeared in a brilliant flash. In order for word of war to reach all, the harbinger had to be constantly moving.

From the Dark Throne of P’leik, Zuka of Telemnar, the Lord of Destruction, smiled to himself. Indeed, all was going as planned…

Akunosh and Mormont rode their destriers hard through the night and reached Titan by daybreak. When they arrived, they found a strange man spewing out words about the return of Zuka. Mormont and Aku's hearts sank. They were too late to stop Zuka's Ritual of Change, but there was still time to slay him before he could amass his armies.

The two continued to ride on and reached a herbalist shop. They dismounted, tied up their warhorses, and entered. The herbalist, Gothry Daenerys, was a powerful mage, spy, and informant for Valyria. She motioned for them, and they came.

"Ser Akunosh and Ser Mormont. What a lovely surprise. I take it you've seen that crazy man too?"

"Yes. He is a harbinger of Zuka, come to warn about the impending war."

"Indeed he is, Aku. You seek passage to P'leik, do you not?"

"Naturally. We need to put an end to his threat. Now."

"Alright, alright, no need to get riled up. I've prepared the portal for you. Go downstairs and enter the third door on the left. Everything is there."

"Thank you, m'lady."

Akunosh and Mormont both ran down the stairs and busted into the third door. Their armor was already waiting for them, along with several potions and more weapons. How she had acquired these from the Estate, they did not know, but they were grateful.

When they were done donning their armor, Jorah gave the paladin a small smile.

"Just like old times, isn't it, old friend?"

"Just like old times indeed."

In perfect unison, the two unsheathed their swords, brought their kite shields in front of them, stood in a defensive stance, and marched into the blue portal. Years of combat and training would no doubt pay off.

As the Dark Lord of P'leik smiled to himself, he detected subtle ripples through the arcane currents on his realm. A portal was forming itself just outside of his walls. Zuka let his mind branch out and probe the arcane energies, discerning its location. It was obviously from the Material Plane, but from where...? He probed deeper, his mind brushing against the arcane currents and pushing deeper into the portal. His mind felt not only a familiar location, but a pair of familiar presences.

The portal was in Titan. And the two were Akunosh and Jorah. So, they were the ones who were going to stop him, eh? Zuka chuckled to himself. Revenge, hatred, and murder, dark thoughts indeed, were raging in their minds, and he held no doubt that the emotions would feed the negative energies and quickly corrupt and warp the two men.

Then, the two began to march through the portal, side by side, shields at the ready and swords in position to begin slaying all who opposed them.

Zuka quickly sent a telepathic message to all of his horde.

"Do not bring any harm to these men. Allow them to come before the Dark Throne. These are my orders. Obey them, or face death."

Shortly after he gave the message, the two men appeared through the portal. The innumerable demons and undead that comprised of the horde began to split their ranks, revealing a massive chism that lead to the fortress of P'leik.

"Akunosh, Jorah, you have finally arrived. Come, the two of you, and meet me in the Dark Throne. We have much to discuss..."

Zuka's telepathic voice reverberated through the realm, drowning out all sounds, including the violently shifting plates that forced a chain of cliffs several miles away to collapse.

Zuka would wait for these men to come before him. And they would be in for a surprise...

As Akunosh and Jorah marched through the portal, the paladin had a feeling that someone...somewhere...was watching him. It was slightly disturbing, but he thought nothing of it. They entered the portal and felt themselves being propelled at tremendous speeds before slowing down and exiting on the other side. What he saw, however, made his heart skip a beat...or two.

Hundreds of thousands of demons waited for them. All hope for ever winning a battle against them suddenly disapppeared. Akunosh knew they were outnumbered, but if it were to come to a fight, he would take as many of these foul beasts with him as possible.

As soon as they had come through, however, the Telemnar Hordes began to split, revealing a path leading straight to Zuka's fortress. The obsidian gates were wide open, as if Zuka had been expecting him. His voice, which reverberated throughout the realm, confirmed this suspicion.

Akunosh gave a quick glance at Jorah, and the knight nodded. They continued to march, wary of the demons and undead that howled, snapped, snarled, and hissed at them, but none of them dared to advance any closer.

Within, Akunosh was raging with fury, his thoughts ladened with revenge and murder that burned like a fire. This realm...it fueled his anger, and he felt himself becoming stronger. Instead of resisting it, he embraced the darkness of the realm and allowed his thoughts of murder to feed the dark energies.

It seemed he was destined for this place, afterall...

Zuka watched and waited patiently as he had learned over the course seven centuries of warfare. These two men, as impeccable as they seemed, were not beyond corruption and damnation. He plotted, and waited, and soon he would forge a new destiny for the paladin. His other friend, the knight, did not matter as much to him, but another ally was certainly better than another enemy, especially given his future plans. Allies, it seemed, were running short.

"Akunosh, Jorah, come. We were once great friends, and we can renew that friendship if you seek me in my Throne Room. I will make the way clear for you..."

As the demi-lich spoke, the ground twenty feet before the two men split asunder violently, revealing a massive Pit Lord named Kuj'khaelin as he forced his way out. The pit lord, clad in obsidian plate mail, motioned for them to follow. He would be the one to take them to his master...

:Lemac having waited in the shadows steped out and approced the throne feom behind and on the left side. She rested a hand on the back of the throne and bent down to whisper to Zuka.:

"Have you found me some new playings."

:Lemac didn't wait for a respoce before she stood upright. She kept one hand on the back of the trone, the other rested on the top of her buldging pregant stomac. She knew that if she was seen here some would question her goals. But to her Zuka had his uses to her goals, as she knew she had her uses to Zuka goals. Though to what end they where able to help each other they didn't disclose to the other.:

As the ground was split asunder, Aku and Mormont raised their swords, poised to strike at whatever this apparition was. But Zuka's voice, on the other hand, told them that this...thing...was to lead them to the Throne Room. When it had fully emerged, Ser Mormont involuntarily took several small steps back, clearly frightened of the Pit Lord. Akunosh pitied the knight; he had never fought anything paranormal besides the undead.

When Akunosh began to follow the Pit Lord, Jorah reluctantly followed. The paladin sheathed his sword and lowered his shield when they entered the fortress. They were safer here...or at least for the moment. Akunosh didn't know what Zuka had in store for them, but it didn't seem likely that harm would befall either of them. Besides, the demi-lich was friends with his wife, and Zuka was more honorable than that to harm him...wasn't he?

Zuka knew that Lemac was present, even though she did cling to the shadows most of the time she was here. Regardless, she still found ways to startle him. She whispered her remark into his ear, and Zuka smiled to himself. Quite an odd woman, he had to admit, but she was resourceful.

"You can have the knight, for all I care. Only Akunosh matters to me..."

As his voice trailed off, Zuka allowed his vision to blend into Kuj'khaelin's and saw the two following him. Good. All was going as planned. Zuka turned his attention back to the Throne Room and thought quietly to himself. Perhaps Lemac might have a suggestion. It was worth a shot, at least.

"Lemac...what do you have in mind for these two men? We have a paladin skilled with the blade unlike any other I've met, and a loyal knight that would follow his mentor to the deepest depths of Hell if he had to. Quite amusing, isn't it?"

The demi-lich was quiet again.

"Yes master Zuka, quite amusing. You know it's been some time sence I last drew a blade against some one. But in my current state that would be just plain foolish woudn't it. But I am sure that I might be able to entertain myself otherwise. You have such a nice dungeon, with a few openings."

:Lemac pondered the idea for a moment and then a second option crossed her mind.:

"There is another option that could prove entertaining as well, but something tells me that there coin purses are quite empty. So it might just have to be the dungeon to pass the time. But I wonder exactly why did they travel here. To offer a tribute, or to try and stop you in your goals."

:Lemac looked back towards the entrance, her mind filled with questions as to why they came, and ways to get that information from them.:

The massive Pit Lord named Kuj'khaelin led the paladin and the knight to the throne room where Zuka lorded his realm. On his left was a woman, pregnant from the looks of it, though he detected no maliciousness about her. That made Akunosh worried. Why was she here? Was she a part of Zuka's sick scheme?

The Pit Lord moved out of their way, and Akunosh truly saw the horror that Zuka had become. Growling aloud, he unsheathed his longsword and started up the flight of stairs to reach the throne.

"I should've killed you long ago, Zuka. I should've killed you when I first had the chance. But no, I allowed you to live, didn't I? Well, I'm about to settle that. I have come all the way here to kill. Do you hear me? I have come to KILL!"

Akunosh was seething in anger by the time he reached the top where the throne sat. The dark energies of the realm swirled about him and began to corrupt the paladin down to his very soul.....

When Lemac had finished speaking, Zuka held his silence. His Pit Lord brought the two men to his throne room and moved out of their way. Suddenly, Akunosh began to storm up the stairs, sword in hand, ready to kill him. Zuka suddenly chuckled loudly, his telepathic voice booming throughout the fortress.

"Ah, Akunosh, my dear friend and trusted ally. Surely you do not hold a grudge against me. Was it not I that trained you in magic? Was it not I that aided you whenever you required it? And this is how you repay me?"

Zuka shook his undead, fleshless skull.

"You disappoint me, paladin. Tell me...you have come to kill, yes? But whom shall you kill?"

The demi-lich allowed that question to hang in the air, waiting for the paladin's answer.

Akunosh was frustrated with Zuka's untimely maneuver to delay his certain death. But when he asked the final question, the paladin was dumbfounded. He had come to this realm to kill...yes, he could remember that. But...but he couldn't remember who he was to kill now.

"I...I...don't know. I have come to kill...and I shall do so...but I cannot remember..."

He shook his head violently, trying to clear his mind. The dark energies of the realm were quickly devouring his willpower, consuming him in hatred, and corrupting his soul.

"Zuka...tell me...who have I come...to kill...?"

When the demi-lich saw that the paladin was utterly confused and corrupted, he allowed himself a smile. He had won him over, true, but now he had to secure his control over his mind before he regained his wits.

"Akunosh, you have come here to pledge anew your friendship, loyalty, and support to me, Zuka of Telemnar, the Destroyer, the Lord of Destruction, the Dark Lord of P'leik, and your rightful Master. And to answer your earlier question....."

Zuka raised his right hand and pointed at the knight who still stood at the base of the steps, sword and shield in hand, watching in horror as his best friend was falling into darkness.

"You have come to kill him in my presence to prove your loyalty....."

:Lemac smiled, the turn of events couldn't have gone better. She held back a giggle as Zuka pointed out the target of the paladin. Lemac walked down the steps to Akunosh. She stopped on the step next to him and smiled as she kissed him fully on the lips.:

"Serve Zuka and your rewards will be great. Fail and you will have to face me."

:Lemac smiled and returned to Zuka's side.:

Akunosh now knew that his mission was clear. He had to prove his loyalty to Zuka and to this woman. He ignored her when she gave him the kiss, instead focusing on the task at hand. The knight was a formidable swordsman, but Akunosh had the strength of Zuka to rely on.

Slowly, steadily, he descened down the obsidian steps and kept a wary eye on the knight. The two brought their swords and shields to bear, ready to strike. Mormont's fear was palpable.

"Akunosh, old friend and comrade, listen to me! You don't want to do this! Zuka is our enemy! Please, for the love that you once had for the Light and for your wife and unborn child, listen to me!"

That made Akunosh pause...he did have a wife...yes, the Amentan, zipcat. And she was pregnant with their child. She was due soon...very soon. But that did little to phase him in the long run.

"Perhaps I shall pay her a visit after I deal with you, then?"

"Akunosh, what the hell has overcome you? I don't want to fight you!"

"Then lower your shield and I'll make your death quicker!"

"So be it, old friend..."

An explosion of sparks erupted when the steel of their swords met. Akunosh recovered, struck again, parried Mormont's assault, pressed onwards with three consecutive overhead slashes, fell back to the knight's reprisal, side-stepped from his fourth strike and swung his sword upwards. A shower of blood and a muffled cry from the knight reassured that he had hit home. Akunosh fell back to observe the damage he had done.

Mormont had been cut from his right hip to just past his left nipple, straight through plate, mail, and boiled leather. The blood ran freely from the cut and pooled onto the ground.

"Akunosh...damn...you for this."

The former paladin did not respond. Instead, he charged once more and their swords met in an explosion of sparks. They broke off, reengaged, twisted, turned, whirled, parried, hacked, slashed, broke off again, and continued the deadly dance of sword fighting.

Mormont's attacks began to lose their tenacity, and his reactions were becoming sluggish. Akunosh knew that he had him beat, but could not afford to let his guard down. The mortally wounded knight lunged towards the fallen paladin, but Akunosh swiftly sidestepped out of the way and, with surprising ease, hamstringed both of his legs. Mormont buckled under the weight of his armor.

The cry of pain that the knight let out was the excruciating howl of a coward about to face his death. He lay helplessly on the ground, folded back over his kness, and whimpered in pain. Akunosh walked towards him.

"Ak...unosh...wh...why...have you done this? Why have you...have you damned everything that...we once...stood...for...?"

Akunosh remained calm, holding neither pity nor grief nor guilt for his deed.

"Answer...me...p-please. For...the love that...you have...of...of...life."

Bored with his prey's pitiful pleas, Akunosh turned towards Zuka.

"What shall I do with this one, master?"