Daman Slade

As Daman entered the room, he began to take in his surroundings. The room was small, housing only six people, including himself, and a few pieces of furniture. There were three girls in the room, two of which seemed to be twins. The twins, who looked to be about seventeen years of age, were both blond, and from Daman's quick assessment of them, they seemed to act the part as well. The other girl, who was reaching her early years of adulthood, had bright, almost unnatural red hair and heat seemed to be emanating from around her. From what Daman could assess, she seemed to be intelligent, but highly volatile, listening to her emotions first and reason later. A sign of weakness from Daman's view.

The most surprising of the attendees to this 'meeting' was a young boy in a bright green jacket. The boy looked to be about eleven or twelve, not quite having reached the teen ages yet, but everything about the boy besides his appearance seemed to suggest otherwise. His entire essence seemed to be comprised entirely of intelligence. Before Daman could take a closer look at the boy, he noticed something else that demanded his attention; the room seemed to be filled with a strange sort of darkness. Although the room was well lit, shadows were flickering in places where shadows should not logically be placed.

The center of this phenomenon was around the man who Daman immediately recognized as Geth de'Erebos, shrouded in his unnatural shadows. Dark shapes moved on the floor and walls around him. He was standing at the end of the room behind a large ornate desk, which, by the carvings, Daman recognized to be hand-crafted by a carpenter from some part of the Northwood.

Daman began to asses the man, trying to acquire every detail that he could about him in as little time as possible. Geth had dark, near black, hair containing silver streaks above the ears: Geth must be beginning to feel the influence of his age. His face was strong; he had a powerful chin, a broad nose, and a thin mouth: the face of a politician and a leader. Geth wasn't tall, but strongly built, a low center of gravity: he could hold his own, physically. The shadows around Geth's face shifted and Daman got a view of his eyes; deep set, dark grey. They seemed to be surveying Daman in the same way that Daman was surveying him. The eyes showed intelligence and wisdom, but also apathy, lack of emotion. Daman was looking forward to find what had caused that in a man with as righteous a cause as Geth had.

Daman closed his eyes and let his mind begin to open. He immediately located Geth's presence and moved in on it. He wasn't surprised when he was met with opposition. Geth had been trained to block out the attacks of a psychic. He was a politician, and for a politician, your mind is your way of life. Daman felt around the wall, looking for weak points. The wall was strange, not a form that Daman had ever encountered before, not even very strong. It seemed to be more geared towards keeping something in, rather than keeping something out. After a few seconds, his mind caught hold of a chink in the wall. Daman sent all his energy at the flaw and within moments he broke through. As he entered Geth's mind, darkness closed in on his consciousness. Overwhelming waves of black power rushed into Daman's mind. He immediately released his grip on Geth's mind and retreated back into his own, eyes shooting open, grasping for a hold on reality. When he became aware of his surroundings he found himself staring into Geth's cold, dark eyes. The essence of this man seemed to fill the room around Daman, almost crushing him. Geth blinked, and the shadow's of his imprisoned memories seemed to flash across his eyes. Finally, Geth looked away, turning to focus on the other members of the meeting and the overwhelming feeling vanished.

“I would like you all to welcome into our presence Daman Slade, a criminal, a psychic, and the newest member of our revolution.”

Geth de'Erebos and Apollo Kiran

The blight spreads over this land, consuming all it comes in contact with; the white oblivion that swallows all freedom and choice. And the people, they welcome it, they praise it. They give all they have to usher in their own swift destruction. It rides in, waving its pure banner, lighter than the clouds it seems to be made from. Its standard is raised by more and more deceived masses.

Why don't they see it as I do? I was once esteemed by them, the citizens of the Drystan Isles. I was a leader. But, when I tried to reveal to them that they were mistaken, that their hero was corrupt, they turned against me, afraid of what I am, of what I can do.

I, Geth de'Erebos, have been given a blessing and a curse. I have been given the power to control the darkness that embodies their fears. The shadows that I command I use only to protect my people, but still they fear what I do. Their deepest nature compels them to hate the black night. It is this nature that blinds them. They look to the light, willing to ignore his flaws, the flaws that will be their destruction.

My former friend and business partner, Apollo Kiran, political leader and head of the Lumi, is the light that blinds them. In our youth, we had plans; plans that could save the Drystan Isles from its rampant crime. But, before our plans could be initiated, the day came when the Drystan Isles were thrown into a state of utter turmoil. Soon after, I discovered my curse—the darkness, but Kiran discovered a curse of his own. He had received a light—a cursed light. His light brought him pride.

After the turmoil in the Drystan Isles had settled, Kiran proposed a new plan. He proposed that our gifts had set us above others, set us in a position to rule them. I disagreed. We were given our powers to help the people around us. Being chosen to wield this light and darkness was a sign that we were meant to protect and empower those people that Kiran has deemed 'lesser.'

In the beginning, I failed to speak out against Kiran. He had stood by me for as long as I could remember, I was afraid of losing my lifelong friend. Things began to get out of hand. Kiran began amassing followers. He continued to pressure me to join him. Finally, I spoke out against him. An argument ensued and from that argument stemmed a conflict. It was that day that the world learned of our curses; the day light and darkness clashed for all to see. In the end, I was overpowered by Kiran. As he stood over me, I saw the horrible light burning in his eyes and knew that he had lost himself to his own power. As all the light in the world fell upon me I used the last of my energy to escape.

When I awoke, the world had changed. Kiran knew I had escaped and had convinced the world that I was the scourge that would destroy the Drystan Isles, not he. Due to his deceit, the world had turned to him as a savior, when all he could bring them was destruction.

And now I wait, biding my time and growing in power. Kiran, or the Light, as they call him now, must be stopped. My greatest fear is that I will not be able to stop him, for as quickly as my power is growing, his is increasing faster.

But I have found a weapon that he has no knowledge of. I found more who are like us; more who were given opportunities and gifts by the catastrophe that none seem to remember anymore. I have begun to gather them together, those beacons in a dying world; those candles that shine out in the night. I have started a movement that can only end in war. I am gathering the Flames.