The gift

[Joos]

There was no movement along the road. Only the low treetops lining the road away from Lorkh made the shadows move and dance in the faint moonlight. And another adept shadow danced along the trees on the ground, also away from Lorkh.
The entity that once was a man, was stalking the wildlife, wishing not to be seen at any cost. "I have it!" The thought did not fill him with the usual pleasure he felt when he had accomplished his mission. "I have it!" The thought rung in his head, echoing, sometimes faint, but always returning, forcing him to push it down to focus on remaining within the dark, being the shadow. "I HAVE IT!"
What was that? He stopped dead in his track. Was that a feeling of Dread? The once-man tasted it. Fear He had not felt it since the Beastmaster had eradicated Shan from the beasts mind. Fear. He suppressed the build of a manic laughter in his throat and clutched the black skull diamond around his neck.
Had he gone too far? "Yes, you did." Wouldnt it been enough to just steal some holy symbols from the acolytes? Why had he pledged his cause to the Strifeleader? A foolish spur of the moment thing. It had worked though, but only too well. He wondered what had managed to create such a perfect stone, as his fingers caressed the symbol hanging around his neck.
A twig breaking awoke him from his musings. Had he been spotted? Goblins, veterans from the war it appeared, were making their way across the road, heading towards him. They would walk right over him soon, and there was no time to sneak off unnoticed. He would have to fight. If he struck first, he would most probably fell all four without to much trouble. He hoped they were alone.
Quickly, he readied his bow and lowered the blindfold from his right eye. Immediately the world changed. Rotting trees with faces frozen in the bark like tortured souls howling at the moon met him. The goblins showed equal amount of decay to his eyes. One had his arm peeled naked to the bone with maggots crawling in the wounds with blood dripping slowly to the ground. Another's face was a grinning skull with burning eyes, looking straight at him, leering, taunting
He loosed arrow at the leering skull before the mad images of death and decay would overcome him. The sonic arrow flew straight to the goblins face and rent it asunder in a loud BANG. The other three jumped and looked around confusedly, chattering in their foul language quickly drawing their weapons. As they charged him, the once-man let loose another arrow and wounded another goblin.
The goblins charged in, short swords held high and thick shields held low. They were unprepared for Shans quick fallback from their charge as he quickly rolled in behind a tree. Supriced, the goblins tried to run both sides of the tree meeting only eachother. The third, wounded goblin who had stayed behind clasping his arrow pierced arm never new what hit it. As the two goblins came back around the tree they saw their comrade falling lifelessly from the shadows arms, a second smile under its chin.
Carefully they approached slowly, trying to circle him as he quickly drew Fang'Rist from its scabbard on his back. The wicked looking blade fell quickly and heavily on the shield of the goblin closest, driving it to its knees. The other goblin charged in, stabbing with its blade, drawing blood. Shan danced away from the second goblin, rounding the goblin on the ground and made a huge cut in its back as it was scrambling to get up.
Laughing as he proceeded to trade quick blows with the last goblin, he saw a worm crawl out from the goblins left eye. And another from its ear. Abrubtly, it started laughing and black, sticky fluid ran down from its open mouth. Shan, battlehardened, a member of the Cold Dawn, who had seen many of the atrocities that could be done to a living body, flinched in surprice. It earned him a solid cut in his abdomen. Grunting in pain, he let Fang'Rist fall over the goblins neck, and it was dead. For a long time he stood and watched his creation. Had he freed them from their miserable existance? Did they even know how malformed they were? Did they know the truth?
The once-man called Shan tied the knot over his right eye again... The world slowly turned back to normal. Life returned. But a throbbing the back of his mind remained as he picked up his bow and dagger and started on his way again. He tasted fear again, but he was not afraid. He never was.
He heard the Strifeleaders mocking laughter as if he was again bowing his way out of the temple of the Black Sun.

Edit: A few touches here and there.

[Frostfather]

I like it.

/FF

[Davlin]

You see, if you're very unlucky you get what you ask for.

[Valiantman]

"I have a bad feeling about this..."
- You-all-know-who

Interesting times indeed.

[Joos]

Bad feeling? Thats about right. Thanks dav, was great! ^_^

[foaloke]

Very intriguing story, Joos. I'm dying to know more about Shan's right eye. Err... maybe "dying" wasn't the right word to use. *frantically searches for any DMs*

Seriously, can't wait for more.

[Joos]

We'll see when I can add more. Next session is not set yat, but I am sure the "good" DM's of WF and TLR will expand on this for good measure (I fear).

[Rumple C]

I'm ready for the next installment, slacker!

[Joos]

I'm ready for the next installment, slacker!

I would, but I've forgotten what happened to poor, evil old Shan. I actually think this was the last thing that happened to him before Davlin and SaberCraig stepped down from the Loudwater server way back then. I didn't manage to pick up any interest from any DM's with him, so he died the pitiful death of neglect.

Thanks for finding this, I'd forgotten all about it. Good old times.

[boombrakh]

I like that it's about 7 years between posts