When I first stole into this chamber, centuries ago, I did not

fathom the true power of knowledge. To know the future, Raziel...

to see its paths and streams tracing out into the infinite... As a man,

I could never have contained such forbidden truths... But each of us is

so much more than we once were... Gazing out across the planes of possibility,

do you not feel with all your soul how we have become like gods? And as

such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are

legion... Our futures are predestined - Moebius foretold mine a millennium ago.

We each play out the parts fate has written for us. We are compelled ineluctably

down pre-ordained paths. Free will is an illusion.

The Tyrant's final words before disappearing into the Time Stream

------

"Tell me who you are and where did you came from. But make it quick before I relieve you of your head!"

This strange being left him with no choice. His memory was absent, his whereabouts unknown.

"I have no idea."

"Do not lie or by what ever is left holy in this land I will smite you down."

The creature before him did not lower his weapons. He did not believe him. How could he, he himself would not believe it.

"I'm telling you the truth. I have no idea. I don't know how I and, I don't know where I came from, and for a matter of fact I don't know where we are right now"

The winged being looked at him narrowing his eyes. He then lowered the two axes, placing them on his belt. He sighed.

"I guess I would have to believe you. Come, follow me"

The blond man turned around and walked towards the exit. The elda followed him.

They walked down corridors which were carved in the mountain's stone, covered in tapestries depicting various moments of what must be the history f this place. Soon they came into a small room, lit by torches. Its walls barren reflected the light giving the atmosphere a warm homey feeling. The floor was covered in pillows of gold and brown colors. The blond man waved a hand towards the floor as he closed the door.

The elda with no memory sat with his front to the door, crossing his feet under him. The blond man took a similar position in front of him.

"I guess it is to be expected" he sighed " Tell me, what do you remember?"

His voice was now warm, with a glimmer of weariness. His youthful face hid a mountain of experience that came with age.

"I remember waking up inside a stone edifice to the south west of here, which lay in the middle of a lake. I have no recollection of how or when it was. To me that happened just a few hours ago."

The blond man listened carefully:

"Since you came through the Chronoplast, that holds no relevance. It might as well be millennia, either past of future"

The elda gazed in disbelief. He continued though hopping to get clarification afterward.

"The place seamed abandoned for some time, except for another like me. I followed him to this mountain, but never got a chance to speak to him, nor get close enough to distinguish his features. As I stepped through the portal, I arrived here. I can only presume that it is the same place."

"You presume right. This is the Chronoplast, a time streaming device allowing passage through time. And I am Lothiam its guardian."

The blond man leaned forward.

To the amnesia elda the name brought back a voice. His vision went blank and in front of him appeared a scene unfamiliar to his eyes. A dark haired with a read half cloak with a white sigil, dressed only in black leather pants and red armbands was holding a long haired blond man in his arms. The former's marble white skin was in stark contrast to the others normal tone. The blond man had a slight glimpse of fear in his bright blue eyes. The voice boomed into his head, but it was full of warmth as the dark haired man uttered: "My youngest child. You are Lothiam the keeper of my secrets. That will be your task since I'll make you a god amongst men". He then brought his mouth down on the blonde's neck in a soft kiss.

The vision was suddenly gone, and the room came into view. In front of him lay the man he just saw. The blond blue eyed man, but now with a marble white skin and large leathery wings. So different. It appeared that he was endowed with a lot of wisdom.

"What happened?" he asked gently

"I had a vision. I had a vision of you in the arms of a man with skin like yours and …" he just noticed. The man in front of him had three fingered clawed hands. And so had the one in his vision. The human Lothiam however did not. "What are you exactly?"

Lothiam shook his head.

"You seam to be truly lost. Where do I begin explaining?"

"Start with you becoming a god among men" the elda said.

Lothiam raised his head to meet his gaze :What did you just say?"

"That is what the man in my vision said to you when you were human."

Lothiam pondered raising a finger to his lips:

"Curious. . . I was alone with him when that event took place. Anyway" his look turning to the elda "I shall begin at the beginning.

"Millennia ago your race ruled over this land, Nosgoth. They went into conflict with another powerful race that claimed supremacy over this land as well, the Hylden. Each practiced their own strange magic. Soon they engaged into a long conflict. Near both races came up with a final solution, the extermination of the other race.

Your race managed to banish the Hylden to another dimension and raised nine pillars to lock the biding. These were white columns that went up into the clouds. The Pillars where bound to Nosgoth, and Nosgoth was bound to them. Each pillar summoned a guardian with particular abilities to act as its will in the land. When one guardian died, another was born to take its place.

The Hylden however, before being banished cursed your race with immortality and blood lust."

Now he understood. He felt the sharp canines in his mouth. He was a vampire. But he had no memory of ever dining on blood. And Lothiam must be one too. The blond man continued:

"This affliction drove your race mad, leading many to commit suicide. When no more Ancients were left, the pillars summoned human guardians to them. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. With their new gained power they forgot about the land and used their abilities to their own ends. The pillars were corrupted and the white columns which had stood unblemished for two millennia cracked.

"The binding between worlds was strained. Into this world a young noble man was born to take up the role of Balance Guardian. When he reached adulthood he was turned from the light and made a vampire. By that time vampires were hunted down and exterminated by humans.

"Nosgoth was corrupted and the barrier between worlds was collapsing. The only way to restore the pillars was for all the corrupted guardians to die and for new pure ones to be borne. The young vampire did just that, slaying all but one. When he was presented with the choice of sacrificing himself as the last corrupt guardian to restore Nosgoth, or remain for he was the last living vampire, he chose the former. At that moment the pillars shattered and the land was plunged into decay."

"He doomed a world to save his hide? What an imbecile !"

" Do not judge to quickly." Said Lothiam supporting his head with the left hand "When the Pillars tumbled, leaving only their stubs poking out of the ground, the barrier shattered and the Hylden rushed back into this world. Distorted and enraged by the other dimension, the Hylden swept all in their path. They were lead by their fanatical Hylden lord by the name of Hash'ak'gik. Four hundred years after the pillars shattered, the last remaining vampire, the corrupted guardian managed to destroy him. And so began the new vampire rule over Nosgoth. In a land shaken by cataclysm he raised six vampires as his lieutenants. Each started a clan, and all set dominion over Nosgoth.

"In time each of them evolved and began to change their appearance. First their sire and then each in turn. The corrupted guardian became viewed as a god. The humans where turned into slaves and the great vampire lord became the Tyrant. His rule was merciless. The landscape changed, falling deeper into decay. A millennia and a half after the pillars collapsed, his first born lieutenant, Raziel, had the audacity to evolve wings" and on that word Lothiam spread his appendices letting light filter through the leathery membrane. He tucked them back before continuing:

"For his transgression the Tyrant cast him into a whirlpool of water called the Abyss. The touch of water is like acid to our kind, and so he was sent to his doom. His clan was then pray to the others, being leaderless, the Razielim were wiped out. Except for three which took to the east to hide the purge.

"Five hundred years after Raziel was executed, he returned as a wraith seeking vengeance. One by one the degenerated clan leaders fell to his rage. All except for the Tyrant. It was here that their last known fight took place, before they both traveled into the past."

"Did either of them return?"

Lothiam shook his head.

"No. But it was a chance for us to come out of our hiding. I am one of the last surviving Razielim. But when the Tyrant disappeared, the Hylden could return unopposed. They had a new leader : Ha'dra'as. He was a whirlwind compared to the previous one. The Hylden swept into Nosgoth and took control whipping out the remaining degenerate vampires. Only the three of us remained. That was three hundred years ago."

Lothiam bowed his head and sighed. He shook it briefly and with a loud intake of air he continued raising his eyes to the elda:

"In that time we came out of hiding and established key positions around Nosgoth, starting a war to survive. We turned the few willing humans we found to our cause. For three hundred years we fought the Hylden, just to have a place to live.

"They hate our kind. It is our ancestors, your race which banished them, and they want to wipe us from existence. But we are so few and we are barely clinging to what little we have. Our greatest advantage is secrecy and the magic powers of our leader."

The elda with no memory frowned at the last sentence.

"One of you three is the leader, but not you."

Lothiam smiled briefly:

"All three Razielim are equal. No, our leader is another far older than any of us. You will meat him soon. It is imperative. Your blood will give us strength. You, whoever you might be, are our best hope since this ordeal began."

"I would like to believe you. I have no purpose just yet. Maybe your leader can tell me what I am, or who. Your cause sounds just and I will lend you whatever service I can offer. But I have one question"

"By all means, ask away."

"If this land called Nosgoth is ruled by hylden why don't you just leave. Are you so tied to this land?"

Lothiam shook his head

"Yes and no. It is the place of our birth but we do not treasure it that much. But there is no place where we can go.

"You see, the hylden came and conquered Nosgoth in a very short amount of time. Then they set to expand their territory. One hylden lord took dominion of the eastern lake country Nevrast. To the north beyond our current position another hylden lord took command of the twin mountains Thangorodrim and the land around it. To the south lies the great sea and no one has ever sailed past it. That only leaves the west."

Lothiam paused and started laughing.

"That is where the hylden advance first tasted defeat. Beyond the western mountains lay a power none of us had any idea it existed. Not even the Tyrant knew. Not that it would have made any difference. They managed to halt the hylden advance. Ha'dra'as is still planning a campaign against the western kingdoms."

"And why haven't you allied with them?"

"We tried, but they turned us down. They harbor the same hatred as the hylden far our kind. The kingdoms of Mycenae, QuelFalas, and the Confederacy of Nine belong to humans. So we are stuck here facing our enemy.

"But enough history. It is time you get to be seen by our Leader"

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