C:\Documents and Settings\Raven\Desktop\Numbers1.htmlThe Hand of Mask

Chapter 1 : Initiate of the Masks

If only Darktome would have had a clue as to what would happen after he dropped

off the child that evening. He left the infant on the doorstep of a

blacksmith's home in Murann and stepped back through the gate after checking

that nobody else was around. But a cleric of Mask was just around the corner,

and found the entire ordeal quite peculiar. An elf leaving a child on a

doorstep. A powerful elf at that, this one will become something special, and

it may even bring about the rise of the shadow god again. He scooped up the

child and dissapeared into the shadows once again, taking passage ways and

tunnels the city guard would give their left arm to know the routes of Deep

into the under-city of Murann to the temple of Mask and the home of the Night

Masks. Thieves, rogues, bandits, clerics, warriors, all united under the cloak

of secrecy. He makes his way through the few groupings of the Night Masks and

directly for the temple to see the high priest of the city, and to tell him his

plan for this elf-blooded child.

The temple of Mask began the child's training early, mixing his study of magic

with those of the thieves of the Night Masks, and the child excelled at both, as

if it were truly in his blood to know the magic arts. The child was given no

name until age twelve......

"Ok, young one, here is your setup. You are on the street, there is a small

crowd bustling about." the thief motions for his cohorts to begin walking

around, mulling about as if on the street and they begin walking back and forth.

"Now, we have trained you long enough for you to know HOW to pick a pocket or

cut a purse, lets see you in action against fellow thieves who value their

treasure. If you fail, I warn you... The clerics may take it easy on you, but

we are not as nice about failure" And he grinned. one of those toothy grins

with the glint in his eye that he would enjoy causing the boy trouble and pain.

He had always been looked down upon by these men. Brought into it all so young,

boasted to be so great by the priests of Mask, given special training through

the church, and these fellows forced to teach him the ways of a rogue.

'They want to put me in my place' he thinks to himself. 'I cannot fail or I

will never live it down.... now the smart thing to do in this situation....'

the boy studies the crowd carefully, checking each person as they walk around,

seeing what they are each carrying.

"Well go on, boy! We don't have all day to wait for you to take a small purse!"

the thug pushes the boy into the crowd, immediately bumping him into three of

the thieves. The boy clambers to his feet after one of them trips him.

'you will pay for that one day' he thinks to himself as he stands, brushing

himself off as they move around him, unaware that he has inventories everything

they have, and already taken much from the first two. The third escaped the

robbing only by luck. He steps forward slowly, acting to be looking for

something on the ground as he deftly and seamlessly takes his pick and choose

from each of the passers by. Within a minute he walks back to the man who

initially sent him in, taking one last thing as he hands the man a small pouch

of items.

"Not bad, boy, but you didn't take the real treasure!" the big grin again.

"Lars, here has on 3 rings of gold and platinum, and look at Vincent with the

big heavy pouch of gold there! I'm sorry to say this is not very pleasing to

me. I do believe it is our turn to have some fun!"

"You measure wealth in an odd way, friend." a large man steps out of the

shadows. He is known to all, he is the guild leader Ankhar from Calimport. His

dark skin and hair, along with his size make him unmistakeable amongst the

others. "The boy just took the second most powerful magic item from each of

your thieves. You can keep the gold rings, I'll take the magic if you dont want

it. Not to mention the boy was smart not to take the most powerful thing the

person has, or the most expensive. They will be watching that."

"Bah, this wasnt a test of the boy's magic abilities, we all know he can outdo

us in that. he gets too much attention around here and it is undeserved. I

could have taken nearly everything from these men and they wouldnt have even

noticed a touch" the braggart thief says haughtily as he looks up at the large

Ankhar.

"Dont speak so quickly, oh master thief Gerard." Ankhar says with a light

chuckle, mocking the small man. "the boy got you on the transfer as well. He

knows the game and he knows how to make the numbers work in his favor. he may

not come away with the biggest prize, but he comes away with more than enough

and has less risk than you do. You dont stay in this business by being too

risky."

The boy reaches his hand into his pocket and flips the ring back to Gerard that

he swiped during the transfer. "Thank you for the lesson, Gerard. I have

learned much from you and I am very sorry if you feel that I am a burden." 'yeah

right' he thinks 'one day I will have this slime working for me. If he doesnt

get caught before then.'

Ankhar laughs and pats the boy on the head from so far above. "Numbers, yes I

think that name will do well for you, boy. Tell the clerics not to call you

child or boy anymore, you have a name, and it's one you earned. Now go on and

learn more, I dont want anymore idiots working for me, bring me some skills I

can put to good use."

Numbers turns and begins walking back towards the temple smiling happily. 'I

may not have earned any gold today, but I came away with something that means

more than that to me. I am someone' Then he hears calling behind him.

"Hey Numbers!" Gerard calls out. "I still dont like you, but you have proven

yourself to not be TOTALLY useless." Numbers doesnt even turn to look, just

keeps his steady pace towards the temple and the library he calls home. '

Time to read up on these strange people.... monks, I believe is what I heard

them called. What is their power source and how can I use it?'

Such is the beginning of the new class of Mask followers, a new path, but it is

not complete just yet. Many years lie between what happened then and what is

happening now. Eighteen more years of learning and training, becoming stronger,

becoming more than anyone expected before we really catch up to where Numbers

finds himself today.