tuo oi mi bl ATribe & Sourcebook Dream Pod 9ATribe bs bol biel vleleled es mia Pano ‘The Beasts rose fron hunantty%s despair. welconed thon with open aras, for they tool: our shapes and entered our bottles. AS much as ve called out for asavior, so did they. The Fold was split and they poured through, nevborns cater to experience as auch as they ‘could, They laid bare secrets which we were never meant to "nov. The Zort, anane spoken, tnthetr tongue, cLated to be gods, and ve ‘tolloved. Tthas been generations nov, and st111 they hovl into the night. They have created rules fend braditions avd Ture to jana Judgeatt et ‘thensellves, and still they rage. They see? ‘nothing less than all of usunder their pover, eternally. They are tahunar, otnerworidly, bestial. They play at being ‘axe us, wal’cing abroad tn the borites stolen fron our in, But they are not us, ~The Words of Ra'Fan, Slayer of Port Horrors of the Zuri 1s a sourcehoo¥ detatl- ‘ing the pack and presart af tha boacts that stali the shores of Vinary. Within these ‘pages you ill see the Beasts through their ‘OWn eyen, and dtscover the true horror of thotr unearthly nature. = Bight nev Aspects used by the Four Fouses; ~Suivtertie wie vapardied Atqoephore rules ~Dorens of beasts, weapons and NPCs, + Tipe and advice ror veaving tne ary = Details on the Serfs, Go'troh and Hunters, re iil Den eon Perot)Horrors of the 2’bri g = zNoes > a es NT oO o fy OQ Table of Contents | credits Writing | sntinaningtetin yl ce Joe iti aan ne cen naga Copy Editing yt Editorial Direction iy adi Ber scam a tnt te ole silhouette Design eh Shane as Cover & interior Art in chr tm et Layout Art Direction Marketing & Administration Tribe 8 Created by: sepa a a gain pes te | Special Thanks en ann | sctunwrt res pte seh le nora ap 1 right rer ten Irony: tn eninge seine Rites bk nde ni Fes bingy rom hee ands ering ebating Chapter One: Introduction “They Are The Beasts, We Are The Beasts 5 Step ito My Patlor iB Whe Watches the Watches? .an.enen8 AGice ina Spi. 8 TE ME ATA nnn The Hunter's Story ane ANWhee! Within A Wheel scsosnene M River of Return 2 Rockabye... Chapter Two: House Sangis..... 14 The Barons Beasts nnn Val’ Asigation A Glimpse of Sangs History and tradition Dermal Desi. Beauty ofthe Beat. Dangerous Liisons... Loving the nce nnn 2 Chapter Three: House Koleris..24 “The Serpentine Shadow “The Prison OFFS snnnnn Shackles of Tadton The Rules of Slaughter ‘The Red Paths tothe Seed Lordy Powe on | Machingto War Lam the City Heiypacht The Closing nn The Camps. Luberation. HTK cnn Ave Mio Bich : Pieces ofa Whole Asa Nest Fragments nnn AB ‘Rbonom. The Ending Times. The Closing The Camps... The Revats ‘To Sup With Finds... Servent and Tools A Hierarchy of Tenure on “The Calling of Melanis 7 The Orde -Folowes and Mystics “The Bek'ne- Architects of Pain ‘The Vhen - Eaters of Secrets “The Qhifar- The Cloaked Fist. Chapter Six: Others Set eons ANEW LF nn ‘The Prodigal Daughter. Called 8y Name. Life inthe Feds. “The Baying ofthe Kuril. Hunters inthe Shadows... Puente’ Tale Brothers ofthe Black Path. Le for alte Geb oo Hist0"Y on Homeis Where You Co to Die The Process. “The Mens of Torture The Third Soul Natural Sundering Efacs Bom in Chain Mind the Beast. Cyd of Madness en ‘The Mobius Horse and Rider The Beast Aes[tevtesrcontents (A \ SReReaeee ss a ” 2 3 3 % 98 4 Ra % + panos 8 y arte Amoiphe ” WSF conn the Wenig chs ke Weaving the Bett onnsnnennnee 9 Fei, 100 Weng th Fe nnn 100 THEMES nnn 10 Ranks and Hera nn 10 Sangis 7 Weaving the Sangs Gekroh Huneers. Hunters and the Seven Tb une 109 Hunters and the Alen nee 1D Hunters andthe br... Synthesis Chapter Nine: Creatures “Things That Go Bump In The Night Bestay... m Kole: Viewed nnn M Kets: Ripa Ant. m2 Sang: Bloodweeper. Sang Rapin Viper nnn Means: Demic Mie sold Means: Sampler Orne m2 Means: Symbins . 18 Peis: Was Machine nn CGkrohs The Mithops 1 CCehrohs The Weres Seri: The Ku Demon Hounds... 16 ‘We Are The Souls Of The Earth: NPCs. 16 Femi: The City Heypacht 16 Gekroh: Ryshall, The Blood Horde 117 Melanis: Prince Ids nn WB Sang: Prince Fa'Cul Sangis: Duke Belz ey The Swordin The toe: Weapons and AIF 19 Fleming Amoe Kolers: Ble Canon Sangis: Sanguine Blades. Ser Plague... si Hunters: The Aus of Righteousness 121 Map of 2'bri Territories Z'bri Reference T: Index. Aland digs 0971095 159 TheOnam Ra ia he te te Sere bt een ins tn Vinay, eins inci ag and em valorem Pn (997.1998, strands Arig roan opeathabok my brad nt te pein epi, tt srt cet rin erp ay arte ara stn ea ern tht ri ene ee coe ‘hese feeder ht ‘hn yf ge tt ol poh singh terre ra dca brea eg ect ak ror eon eH ide bse wrndscom Ab ect he gene microm spe ik tpt hr eth Ne a dee Nt hy cae fing» Chapter one: Introduction The Sangis are complete when all of Creation succumbs to their touch, birthing a new world born of rape and passion. Bag ue el CRU eee RE them, for then they become the Great Totality. The Koleris are complete when Creation lies in ruin, leaving a Deu emu eke oie WR Lg Ue Wee aol RUE eek neo uc) they would vanish into the void and have new places to explore Poy UE mCFrom the letters of Atara Ven, member ofthe Eighth Tribe: Thisletters late, ! know. And lam sory — the things | have learned will not easly resign themselves to parchment and ink, | willbe home as planned, in two weeks, though | could easly remain here for centuries and not lear all hat there is to.uncover Kt'alsik has been mas forthcoming, and hs Skyealm perspective fascinates and repulses me atthe same time. Bazaar looks so ferent when regarded from the semi-transparent windows of his roost in the clouds. Our fights land our trials seem so peny, so distant and removed. ‘scares me tha understanding comes so easly, and I have to force myselfto recall the evil thats the very nature of the Beasts. Why should that be the case, when I icin a warm chair that pulses wth the blood of our kn, and lean on a wall slick wth sweat, that reaches out to embrace me when my weariness grows strong? | entered the building through a tunnel of flowing blood, and rode ino the sky in a cariage formed from human har twisting and coling itselfin hypnotic patterns. The evidence ofthe Beasts’ perversion is all around me, and yet. And yet: | cannot seem to bring myselfto hate K'ask for what he is. | have seen sorrow in his stolen eyes, and a longing that he Cannot articulate punctuates every gesture. Beyond his physical evil, there isa Sense of vast wrongness about him and his presence here, as though the earth self was revoting aginst his very existence. He does not belong inthis realm, He and his kind violate not only every moral aw but the fabric of the universe itself. Even more horrible, they are aware oftheir \wrongness with every breath that their stolen bodies take Can you imagine what it must be lee to spend every moment, awake or asleep, knowing that you do not belong here? “That every breath you take is an abomination, and every word you speak offends the arse? To know that your word has been sealed off, that you are in hel, and can never, ever return to your home? itis no wonder thatthe Beasts are what they are. They have been living this horor since long before the Age ofthe Camps. They see us live our lives, they see us a peace and harmony with the word, ving in our proper place, and they hate us. They hate us and love us atthe same time, wanting to kllus, wanting to be us. Wanting thei ‘Seed’ as we once craved the Fatimas’ love, wanting to touch the River of Dream as they once did They are more lke us than we had ever imagined. And they are more alien than we could ever dream | } | | |LIntroduction ‘The Memoirs of Deacon Vytor, a5 told to Test Subject 0548: Hel, ile one 'm glad to ee that you'e sil with us. ad? Yes, 'm glad ve grown quite atachedto you over these few days... what? You don feel the same way? Wel m sure that we can change that quite soon. 'm hur, you know. ‘You've been a wonder help to me, andI'llbe sue to kep your soul for my own when ths shell dies. No, no, | dont think your Fatima wll save you. Things don't work that way here Now... where were we? Ah, yb. Please don't move right now. There. As you were saying? Shall we pass the time in ‘onverstion again? Your questions have begun to intrigue me, and tis wil take alte time to set. The Houses? No, they ‘ae nothing like your Tribes. twas not until the destruction ofthe camps that we banded together nto these incestuous litle clans. For eons we roamed free to do as we pleased on this world of yours, to savor the delicacies that your kind had 10 offer. Each of us ruled his own domain, each had his own experiments and studies to perform. We did not bow to any ‘overlord, nor did we cower before your monstrosities of metal. You think me wrong? remember all ofthis quite early ‘Am [not one ofthe oldest there ever was? Here — lt me make you more comfortable. The pinis delicious, sit ot? What do you thnk about tightening this 1? Lam curious a to your actions. Ah ys, the Houses. The aval of your Nomads made things dficuit for us, you now. They were the ones to break through and open the succulent folds ofthis word tous, but then they had to un cresting, The Closing ofthe Fold was not an ently pleasant experience. Have you ever felt an explosion atthe very foundation of your being? Felt your anchors be ripped avay and been let to twist uncortolably inthe wind? Fel the understanding be tor from your throat as you lay there, helpless? No. thought not. (The Closing — “The Closing lf us bref, isolated, repulsed by and drawn to you atthe same time. The Camps were an intresting but poory thought-out idea. We had the materials for our experiments cose by, we had the fl to play our games, we savored the taste of your pure and primal emotions in the mushy, bloody air. But we stopped growing, Those of us who dared to reach out, dared to experiment and try to lear, were ostracized. We formed our group and we stayed within it. “The others soon followed. But instead of being perfectly content to remain in our own created paradise, we stagnated... ‘we toted. We created nothing ew. Then the Nomads came back... but thi storia par of your myths as wel \While we daw our own boundaries around the Houses they were s permeable as your ow flesh — here, how does that feel now? We are stuck as we afe. now. but atone point we had choices. Much ik your ancestors, when they chose ‘which Succubus to tag along behind during your Liberation. The young ones, the foolish ones, the hasty and vile ones joined the rest ofthe bloody fighters to pla with ther herds in the Slaghterields. The slow ones, the ponderous ones, the ones with too much soul fot their bodkes, or too much body for their soul, they merged ito a Collective. A Hive. Now ‘two hives, a | hear. The power-mongers, the hedorists, the dilttantes and connoisseurs raised Tibor above them all and row kiss the Baron's feet. And then there were the scientists, the explorers, the curious ekers and wise men, who eschew all ofthat superficial inthe pursuit of pure knowledge. You don't seer teribly impressed. Hmph.Lintroduction “The balance ofthe Houses is as inticate a the balance ofthe Tres. The Sang spend ther time in prety dreams, ing over us all — as fara we let them. The Kolers keep themselves leashed with chains of tration, the leis bound into themsehes and we... we teach the Sangis, help the Flemis mold and shape their children, and release the Koeris from ther adress. They ae all indebted tous. And we to ther — but ss ofthat now. We were speaking ofthe camps. wish had that amount of raw material avalabe to me now. You hae such beautiful potential jus let ime get this outof your way Such an awkward place to have something danging, wasniti? x ‘The Liberation ___ We played in ourcamps for a while, bung our stores of knowledge — your a anatomy is realy quite fascinating — and then everything seemed to happen at once. . ‘We paid our fealty to Tibor and kept the other houses quiet, until the Nomads | retuned again They snuckinto your dreams where we could not flow, whispered words ito your eas wth ther ancent as and made general ruisances of theses. “And otk that you spend 0 much ime worshipping... 'm sory... did that nt hur? Lee metry again. No, dont bhve that wil etyou sep. Where was| — ah, 1 yes. the Nomads etumed, you bit your gant metal uccub, and proceeded to rake mincemeat ot ofa few of ou younger and stupider watos.'m sure that you felt ery proud of yoursches | “The Liberation was bit ofa nuisance, | mustadmit. had to abandon most of my | experiments and ty to repeat the fndings all ver again! I'm sure that you can 2ppredat th bother inohed, especialy fom your cunt perspective though! | have to admit that ling Tibor made things somewhat easier, The Baron is much ess concermed with the actions of his followers, which gives us more freedom than perhaps, in is best interests. The Liberation gave us fledom to play, and play we have Ie began atthe moment when the Fold was spit and we poured through int this fresh ‘new world. Itbegan when the Fold was dosed and we felt oursousrippedinathousand | pts. began when you rose up against our love and make your great conquest. And {yetit began before that, when your world screamed out as one for salvation, wher your i Souls grew 30 empty that you were wiling to fil them with anything and we answeced your cal. For decades we walowed in your love and your dreams, taking al that you save us, and more. Such bliss! (Does the sight ofthe blade disturb you? | would advise you not to move — this next partis something ve not tied before.LIntroduction From the Letters of Yanik Turinkin: ‘tara, you are out of your mind, Please understand that | donot say this ity — is it possible that you have been possessed and are simply unaware ofthat fact | have never heard you speak like this before, and grow concemed. Why, inthe name of anything hoy, did you decide to go up there with that hing? He has warped your perceptions beyond any reason, Deus and |are both worried about you. Come home. {have been doing some traveling, and have found some things that you need to see. The beasts are not what you claim, “They are ev beyond all comprehension, perverted beyond all understanding. You are wading too far into this word that you cannot hope to escape from. Joh’an or not, hes evil, and you are in grave danger. From the Letters of Count Valk of Melanis: Count Lothar, Greetings. Things have continued as planned, but our muta fiend has Become something of anita. While he contest promise that he wil erate ou proposals ations consent bel hs commitment to our timate goa. NemerathofCapalis no more analy than Magesle the Whore. His sets wll ony make im a more dangerous foe; tsar beter that we prepare for his apaging ambition rather han wat forbs betrayal Nemerath came down from the|north to speak with that thrice-damned Deacon again. Does he not comprehend that \Wytoris nothing more than a puppet of Ethian andthe Baron? He sits and waits, reveling inthe stagnation of this ell. hole, while the rest of us bur. Trying to gain ether of ther support is nothing but a waste of time. This most recent mark ‘of the Baron's trust n Nemerath will ensure chat he does not waver overtly in his commitment. Meanwhile, the Deacon putters through his experiments and blssfuly ignores reality. He wil be of no help whatsoever. Parity ‘My companions have been proceeding apace with the ask athand. tis amusing to see how easly the Tribals flo the wil ofa few determined members of my house. Their "Goddesses" are not doing ther jobs propery, that much i ‘obvious. If we eliminate the northem faction fom consideration, it may be possible to begin much sooner than we criginally had planned. My cohort are in position, forthe most part, and can begin ther task once the word is given | have assurances from certain sources thatthe Baron will not interfere. He grows weary ofthe intricacies at court, and his mind has been tured towards the island, The turmoll therein the last few years ha his complete attention, and he has begun to let slip the reigns. A few careful reminders in certain ears wil ensure that hs attention remains fixed on the tin _Bodlngs and their followers for as long asis necessary. | trust that you have catied out your part of the bargain with equal alacrity and | await your reply. The messenger bearing ‘this missive is supple, and of good breeding stock. Enjoy him as you wil. rmmcramsoromes enennemae esataLintrodvetion From the Letters of Yanik Turinkin: ‘tara, maybe this wl change your mind We came across a document that brought a craig cil to my back, fort foretold the fture if we donot tke action soon to prevent. The horrors are no the wronged beasts yu spoke of so cloquently — they ae planing to destroy us al and return us tothe ways ofthe days ofthe camps. You spoke of a balance held by the Baron, how he can control his followers and force them to respect the pact forged so long ago — but he isnot even involved in ther true plans Perhaps hei as much aiguehead as others | could name "ve copied the information | discovered into tis etter. Please, beg of you. read it wth an open mind, that you may see the danger that le before al of us ft comes fiom the hand ofa man who has hunted the Beast fr so long that he knows them as wells he knows himself You know that | mean RaHam, the Zr Slayer He traveled into the H' Kar for many years, and witnessed countess atrocities that would long ago have broken ised were not forthe hatred forthe Bast thi fil hic hear wth rage and his arma with fury. He has walled the lands of the Kolers, and been embraced by the fesh ofthe Flems. He has spoken withthe Cuides, waded trough the organ fds and sam vers ofiquefied fat. He came across one ofthe Hunters and sat with im fr weeks. hs manuscript shows what he leamed, A Sheba fiend of ine dug this document out ofthe library. We willallbe kiledifanyone iscovers that you have : Please, ead this and understand, ¢ The Hunter's Story fy From The Memoirs of Ra'Ham: ¥ © lalmost tacked the Hunter before | understood what he wa. I took me time to accept that one ofthe vile abominations F ‘could understand the pain it was causing, see that it did not belong here. | ermain wary of him, but respect his actions. We D> hunted togeterfora few moons, and he old me what he remembered ofthe monsters past, ota could understand © them beter. ‘The Z’brihad once lve alongside us, or 50 the legend goes; or maybe they were just within earshot, close bt not here But inatime-before tie, they were banished beyond the River of Dream — or perhaps we just stopped listening. Long ~ forgotten by humanity, the Z°bi forgot us as well. The Hunter told me thatthe word here was once very ferent, teeming with people with hopes and needs and yearnings. ‘As their world grew, so did ther needs they became unconnected with one another, lost na tbe that dd ot low them tolive together as humans, but more lke anonymous ants. They yearned for something better, for explanations, for something tangible, strong, ofl their souls and make them complete. The world sreamed out a one for sahation, and empty sou's abounded. ete eemmnmmmrntil Ee sea Se reng wa cur need that it eemesed the River of Pram,Lintroduction ‘They came from seemingly nowhere, 2 fist only afew. These came to be called The Nomads, for they were the st to cross over. They came to ad us, io show us the tre way; to piece together the fragments of our existence: Messiahs of spirit and flesh “The beasts rose from humanity's despair, yng in ther own twisted way, to make us whole again. We welcomed ther with open arms, for they took our shapes and entered our bodes. They had needs, just as much as we did — they needed that essential completion that only we could provide ling the holes in their souls. As much as we called out fora savior, 0 did they. The Fold was split and they poured through, newboms eager to experience as much a they could But we needed too much, too fast, and they were the same. The world of our forebears cracked under the pressure, their wants and needs overpowering everything. Families were split apart bythe pursuit ofnew experiences, civilizations ruined by the selfishness ofits members. They aid bare secrets which we were never meant to know. Beasts and cation the creatures saw our weakness and devoured us. The Nomads, weak and fal vanished and slowly the Beasts came to rule ‘over us. The Z'b, a name spoken in ther tongue, claimed to be gods, and we followed. ‘And the Nomads saw this, and attempted to correct what they saw was adamatic mistake that would be fatal ol and they dosed the Fold, ust asthe opering ofthe Fld led othe aria of our socalled saviors, di the closing forever bar them from thers. We are forever each others’ salvation and damnation in one. “The Fold was closed ae they fet ther souls, ther entire beings ripped apart in a thousand ways. The camps were an act ‘of desperation, fervently attempting to find the Seed once mace by digging into the Flesh. The Hunter remembers wal, forthe 'b became more. ie in our realty at that ime. bared fom hr holn, ht shed oti. Horr wed pon te ah cated nthe bores and fehl det, couing eli al Alar nd te Zherdev lng oes tees ands dept an alee dese alate he Beas hinge wth cigs and des fe eat ‘rays but ely, ood ands with hh ‘And the Beasts rejoiced, for they were tasting new intoxicating flavors. And the Beasts howled, for they knew an unbear- able gory. ‘The Fold has been closed for generations now, and sil they how into the night. They have buit themsehes rules and traditions and lords to pas judgement on ther, and stil they rage. They rage agaist the Nomads who abandoned them here, agains the Fatimas who bar their progress, against us, for refusing to bend to ther undying wills. Thy seek nothing lescthan all ofc under thei power, eterally They pl themeeves int crles, each tying to outdo the res. Some ty t0 retum to ther home. Some ty to return uso the camps. Some simpy want to tear us into shreds and feast on our steaming entrails. Bu they are not us. They areinhuman, otherworldly, beast. They pla at being ike us, ever to the extent of waking abroad in the bodies stolen ftom our kin, But they ae not us, wL Introduction From the Letters of Count Lothar of Kolers: Count Valk, | thank you for the gift ofthe messenger. He was indeed a pleasure. | would ask that you retain any siblings that he may have had for my future use. | wil iscuss a proper exchange with you at later date. While your news ofthe northern contingent is unfortunate it was not entirely unexpected. Nemerath is not a necessary piece of this puzzle, and contingency plans aren place. The annexation proceeds apace, ad our herds have begun to ‘7w rapidly. The humans not attached to the Nomads are much better at accepting out guardianship, and they tend t0 bbe more easly pliable. Perhaps Vytor would appreciate a gif? ‘United We Stand [Atary rate, Nemerath s not our concem any more. He has made his postion clear, atleast on this matter, Perhaps tis better tha he not interfere, as he would no doubt expect appropriate recompense for his tne and effors. have no wish to share this wealth with anyone but a select few. Let him play out his dreams in the camps, and we will continue wth our own work here. | have received word from the south. T'sserion has succeeded where Tot nd filed, and the disputed teritores are now urs. My l'chet have moved to secure the land and mark the new herds for my Order. You are welcome tothe pick ofthe crop, ofcourse, as soon as you can find the time to journey here and make your selection We move tothe new strong: hold soon, and wil strike out from thereto take the necessary steps towards surrounding the island. “Divided We Rule —__ The other Orders have begun to sniff 2 my heels. | have been accused of becoming more Sangis than S'Onis himself, and ny ‘good fortune’ an large herds have begun to raise minor suspicion | willbe moving some of my Order away to ‘reduce the obvious signs ofthese machinations, so that these rumors wit be brought to the Baron’ attertion, Distracted he might be, but his wii sil the law i Forthe Seed and the Blood.LIntroduction YX ‘River of Return From the Writings of Sabine, ofthe Brightwing Caravan: Our Lady ofthe Dance, | write ths report to you inorder that you may hear and understand. Damma's dreamision led us south, past the land ‘ofthe Outcasts and down into the tertory once claimed by Boarhead, The lands lush and green with only the barest ‘races of ancient cvization showing through the underbrush, We saw afew footpaths, probably made by the nfortunates who lve outside your grace, but no other signs of fe fr quite some time. The Outlands ae a strange and tering place, Bright Lady, chaos without the guiding hand ofthe Chaos-Maker. \We had been traveling for almost ten days before we sighted the fist sign of if. Or rather, the fst sign tha life had been there since the deaths ofthe ancients. Ihe foorpatns began to increase i frequency and number the further east we ‘moved, and we grew hopeful that we would find a smal settlement, possibly even a Tribal setdement that we were ‘unaware of. Drawing closer, we noticed that all sound had ceased, There was no wildlife to be heard, even the birds were silent, ina kind of hushed awe. We passed through a stand of tres into a clearing, and understood. “Clarity ‘We were looking at the runs of village that once had thrived here. Ramshackle houses, made of ried mud and rumbling brick, stood empty, ther doors swinging on broken hinges. A clay bom lay onthe ground, shatered into blackened shards. The ar reeked of blood and smoke, though there was no fie damage tobe seen. We stopped the caravan and walked in on foo, silently, the weight of an urknown grief pressing heavly on our shoulders. There was no cone there. There were signs of struggle, and dried blood caked on the now dusty ground, but no bodies. None atl. Paeter found a snapped-off handle, probably froma hoe, now covered in some strange sme that reacted when he ‘touched it. That told us what we needed to know. The Beasts had come. We fanned out, then, searching every house and every room for survivors, expecting not to ind anything, We were not dlsappointed, Tancred picked pa trail, and we sent scouts ahead to uncover the secrets behind this empty graveyard “They retumed aftr a day, their hands shaking ad eyes wild, The Beasts had indeed invaded the southern shores, but had ‘not retumed to thir inferal ctade when ther looting was done. The scouts had not gotten close enough to see the ‘Beasts themselves, but the all pervasive atmosphere of doom surrounding them and thei lands was enough to prove their continued presence. it was all th scouts could doto stop from king each other, the aura was so strong. We deampod and iinet. We are bound to the glory of your name, Oh Dancer, but we are not people of batt We must have been spotted, hawever, because not two days after we began our tumultuous run for safety than we fet the anger and utter hatred that folows the warrior beasts wherever they go. We were close to turing on each other when the beast itself broke out ofthe bushes and attacked the Caravan. Your gifs were enough to enable our escape, Sweet “Trickster, but we lost four tothe attack. As far as we know, the beasts are stil down there, We know not what happened to the squats who used to cam thos lands as ther own, QL Introduction ‘While that in itself would be more than enough to fil one report ear other news as wel. My brother's caravan, a the i end oflast month, began a journey out tothe eat. know that tis was against your Sster's edits, but he beeved 35 deo, that theres more thee than the Judge wil telus. Or you. Perhaps hiss sacrilege, but remain sure in my knowledge ‘hat your love permit curity : He set out near the fist beginnings of sping, hoping to cross the ice while twas stil solid, but trying to plan itso that he 1 swasmainly traveling afer the fst thaw, when the ground is somewhat warmer. His caravan went with him gla, and they left in high prt. We have not heard from them since. tis row the end of summer, Lady of Song, and he promised tobe back before fst fost. woud say that hey were simply delayed, but there have been rumcrs of movement to the noth of kind which Ido not ie “The beasts are moving, Bright Lady. Despite the peace we have held for generations, they ae moving and regrouping. We are in danger, Dancer, and must prepare.Chapter two: Sangis Into Dream we walked, And into Reality were born We Engines Pleasure and pain unfathomable. We live in the blood of your birthings, ‘And die in the arms of your lovers We are made in your image, Rom arts Come to us, and live the cycle again Bae ere‘Autumn Equinox Bal — Baronial Musings Dy great hall teases and delights wit ts splendor this evening. Bodies gracefully spn and ty fo my entertainment, whl the Lords watch with ther entourages from the sides. tis the joyous celebration of the begining of the winter. Through the whiting of dancers comes my lover, to stand tall and elegant atthe fot of my throne. His chest heaves, his skin fushes is yes listen, 2 | fondle him in greeting. His gaze tus to the crowd, and els me of the atest gossip, and asignatons listen politely, teasing him to gasps in my lp. Through the bones of my once lord Tibor, fel those in the chamber mostintmately. gas fthey were al within me; the steps and grinding ofthe dancers, rantalizing intimate touches upon my soul; the thrashngs in the alcoves, a lusty warmth in my loins; the murmur of inerigue,a sweet liquor in my bel SFOn fs pasion irc ears wh hiss of hep pars for ust the ening send gin ego Sequin me Ti bond wih FO ow yer ato yh bare dnp ota par ba inthe Beng the mos egtene, wonder hsthe began ofa new pase mycin? nthe Bk Tetons pce sia fier eth te Send? Sang Wchet and ses. of my harem start to foi about me, sipping ibis of sweet food benveen my ips and, perhaps sensing my introspection, seeking to pleasure me with ther expert caresses. Pleased by thel attendance, indulge. Prince Fa'Cul and the other skincrafers have outdone themselves for his ball. Forms gasp thrust, seam stroke, bleed throb and ejaculate with me. ‘Amoment freezes, One heres a pretender, a spy, and perhaps an assassin. He kisses and withes, buthis mind shows his pretense. His purpose here wil not remain a secret for long, but such an expert deception fequires tact to seek the source. How to shift the blade and whatever poison it carries, to pierce another's heart? } | cradle the pretender’s head, and with a seductive grin, whisper words too tempting for him to ignore, | ee him, caught by the promise of overwhelming ecstasy. know he will not fal to be at the tryst tonight.i Houre Saneir be st Onis, Knight of Sangis A natcisiic and jealous bing toni s fered and envied. ston postion asthe aro over places Timon par in Hose Sangiswith Prince FC henalf St Oni physic prowess and leadership of ‘he Saron bodyguard the Tons, assures im respect and obedience F iggy tomatoe pants tens pola ann Headvt cinta berconcommingel te Lies prince — hough teow he harbors pln hat the rnc dees the aon Stn rakes cesta ny woud be lover the Rn be ae se that he dest ind out ape fr] apy cont privaged past, ighlghts: esti aris, Atmosphere Sang’ be) Attributes AGE-+5,APP +5.810 - 42.CREHA FIT HL INF 4 KNO SPER 6S PSY HS.WILL STR 1 HEA 2,STA9S D9, AD9 lis Atti 2/3, camoutage Oo 2/44. comiba Sete 3/45 Dance Bed Dade 2/63 elgcte (2b coure meric) 2/58, Grooming 3/48, and tnd 37 my hlnimidate 2/42 Leadership 2 4 Sa Mle 3/4 Negation 271, Notice 27+3 Real write 2/71 ding 2/03 Ritual 1/1, Suction 3745 Seah 2748 Speak (Crib 1/0 avo (Foe) 2/ ‘ surerng Appeasement Sod stealing, Exsnguiation) 3 ge Baron Favor hacking the Talons. Viz Ix Assignation — A Glimpse of Sangis History and [A has gone wel, but this assignation both troubles and deights me deeply. move swiftly through the rooms of flesh and bone, to get tothe place he proclaimed. My position amongst the Baron's immediate houschold has allowed me deeper penetra tion of the House than anyother inftrator that lam aware of. Now | race through these fair places ofthe Ziggurat, wondering if the Baron has guessed that am V's a Melanis spy. This abode s instil with eroticism, which shift from the subtle to the blatantly perverse in sypical Sang style. In some places gentle curves of skin ‘wir nto pungent cfs, whilst in others one runs the gaunt of pawing hands amidst ‘orgasmic discharges from al sides. My passage to the imperil apartments leaves me slick, sticky and breathless Within the aro chamber ave seme of the ment fntatic ofthe flesh rar’: ‘works large chandeliers of polished tooth and bone that bubble glowing fountains of blood as ifthey were flames; a great stone poo! filed with the tears of many whom we ‘nurtured in the camps; a carpet of ips, whose tongues dean and ticle. | pass bythe Sirens, stunning srs and Wchet whose bodies tempt all who wish an audience. Messengers and even ambassadors have been lstto their appetites for days before leaving, their tasks unfilled They recognize me and lt me pass with afew choice caresses. have heard this barter oust extends ito the pit realm, where tis ven more powerful thus preventing any, even in dream, from intruding in upon the Baron. The Baron's bodyguard, the Talons, ignore me as well. This pack of S'Onis knights who make up the Baron's personal bodyguard often go out hunting and their numbers are unknown — say thirty a least — but not the handful we were led to believe. Lantve atthe great blubber bed and gaze out the vaulted, sighty opaque bone windows Then | hear him enter, his faint reflection cils me — those eyes. . Dear pet | care not to dwell too much on the pas. Secng you brings about concerns that promises we have made between the Houses have been forgotten Pease come close and be privileged to hear my recollections. Inthe beginning, we knew tis estence was ripe for us. The Seed called, especially to my Sang children. Although I ed those who had fst been drawn by the stk of ‘power and indulgence, Tibor was the most powerful. He organized the great crossing, Ico the fea. Power ad sex were penile, bu confit was Ue late force oF ail and Tor thrived. During ths tim, an authority structure developed amongst the bri based on personal strength and diplomacy. Once in place, Tibor brought about ftuals of domination to keep the order, ts origins par of ths world and part from the ace of death that was our eterral home before. Thus began the peerage. To help keep the peace a form of etiquette evolved, to bring halt tothe excesses of violence and Kling between Z’b. The Koleri refined tis etiquette furthest, needed it the ‘most, because of ther most vilentrature. But then Tibor’s kingdom collapsed with the fall ofthe camps, and | sought to save as much as possible. 16Tibor's flue to maintain rule reflected his limited views that oppression and slavery would sufice as evstence for these humans, He had to be destroyed for that allure so it would not be reved. The camps served many useful purposes, taught ust take pleasure in the Flesh, to understand the Seed, but after our fling, we have since discovered that cooperation allows for so much more, When the Fold was closed my Sangs brethren and | were best able ofall the houses to reclaim the spiritual release, which gave us the vitality we needed to establish the current detente | organized the House structures based upon the evolution of our kind inthe camps. I drew from the chaos the allances and deals | needed to hold all Under my power, and those that resisted were san or outcast. All who remained took partin the rul of llegiance. The Princes submitted to and consumed of me, and ‘heirlessers to them, all the way down to the last ofthe least. then swore; ‘Al who carry my seed | vow to treatas | would my own flesh. So began a new conquest conquest ofheans, saw ar this re that they the Tribes, ‘must come to us with wiling minds. We must show them that cold, sient, “death” ther fate under the creatures they call the Fatimas, My Sangis children are best suited to show them the delights we have to offer inthe Seed. Ths Truth has kept their ancestors from oblivion, from the abyss. They must be tempted to understanding, so that | can bring them all on the journey to deeper truths. so want to immotaize each ‘and every one of ther, to end their pointless, ignorant existences | But now hs, the one and oly way we can ean our safe ul, has been forgotten by your master and other schemers who secretly cal for change. Ri acutingberayalto | ny effons, 0 my poston, So you are going to tel me in your own words what you Chocyrtue xoenicin pete everietvectaryariaayie | ry great plan, So dearest creature, look deep into my eyes — the gateways to your soul Report ofthe First Winter Snow: Mind of the Beas — Vir | ‘My Lotd, my secret study ofthe Sangis continues. ; | know a review has been in order fora decade or so, and |am the fst to get lose ‘enough tothe Baron's immediate household to witness the inner sanctum. You have asked for this document to be botha history as seen by the Sangis and current reflection onthe Sangiscuiture. | have endeavored to do my best. am glad the record is almost complete, for | feel that my perspective is being skewed. | am taking too ‘much enjoyment fom walking the way ofthe Sang. With each encounter, fear my purpose willbe revealed by my own ips. Pray recall me soon, “The House of Sangs encompasses those Z'br whose ratures ae soley focused on a passion of purpose found only in erotic indulgence and abuse. They bing to these ‘couplings an erie sense ofthe intimate andthe unknown, Atone evel, with intimate familiarity, they expose and daw out hidden desires. At another lve! they remain dary len even tous, bringing to ther rung hated and sadistic hunger beyond ‘even our understanding To be seduced by 2 Sang isto experience the heights of physical pleasure andthe depths of depravity — 3 combination they skin, Wi. Mouse Sancte “The Sangis lusts ao sated by acts of dominance and sadism. Exquisite painis on par with the heights of sexual ecstasy, and holding the delicate balance between te extremes i considered amongst the Sang the work ofa master. nll intimate encounters the Z’b know only the dominant and the submisive. They ee the hurnan ideal oF equalty as an enigma and ali. For them, there sno partnership in intercourse, and to even attempt such would only dul the pleasure ofthe experience. This domination is more about the emotional than the physical as lst and pain are used to expose the dark secrets ofthe submitting soul Uterance ofthese perversion brings forth torturous gut to add luscious cream to the communion. + “The Sangs spend ther time tempting and expting one another to sat their desires. From intimate tryststo wild orgies ‘of sex and domination, they seek satisfaction from everyone, to quench their camal tis. Any fal orgasmic success only serves to give momentary respite, however, for their drives, the deep dark urges, cannot be pacated for long To counter this, lst for new and more overwhelming fshl sensations colors ther every pursuit. Amongst the Sangis House, a special group known asthe Shineratrs, Or AMIS, are Seif syled experts at dscovering new ways in which wo be rate. “The Baron shows great favor to those who uncover particulary exotic delights for him to indulge in, making these Artists a potent force in House Sang. | (fall the Houses, the Sangis have the mostnteresin human motivations and desires, particulaly emotional inocence and bonds. They have long since mastered lust and sadism, but other, more delicate, emotions are yet tobe fully explored and understood. Innocence and love fascinate the Sangs, who sense within bath a potent source of pleasure. Corupting, the innocent ia luxury few Sang enoy, for tei fellows and serfs are fr from untainted. The Squats are barely better, their sous so crude and armaltic. Within the Tribes much purer forms of innocence and love canbe found, and presently the Tribals have become the infatuation ofthe Sang ete. Toying withthe senal and emotional purty of come “Tribal members allows the Sangs to experience the same sensations they felt when they frst came across the River of Dream. The delicate lsh and psyches of prepubescent Agnites and Evans are the most favoured choices fora wel planned subtle corruption or violent sadistic abuse. ‘The Sang find the corruption of ove a most challenging and rewarding experience. Some ofthe Sangsbeleve love represents the root ofthe power ofthe Tres to wield Dream. The angi have tried to study lov in captivity previously, butthererperimers have aways become tainted and fl because ofthe presence ofthe experimenter. But the Sng find the greatest of personal pleasure in destroying the “bonds of ove” in carly calculated ways whch allow them to drink deeply ofthe reitant suring, At present. several long-term studies of couples amongst the Tribes are being conducted independently by some ofthe Sars Lords, to ty and unravel more ofthis aen phenomenon. The Baron isa connos- seur ofthe careful manipulation and torurous destruction of such tes oflove, ad his Lords krow that their sucess in czperimentation is certain way o gai is attetion and favor. For the Sangs to tempt and manipulate people they mus nd a weakness in thir chosen victims tat they can exploit — | chinkin thei armor, ait were, Such susceptibility normally take the form ofa natural tendency to indulge in high immorality, severe depression oF psychological trauma, extreme sefishness and a ent towards violence inthe subject — anything that can cut the vitim of from both society and her inner self. Once found, such seeds must be slowly cultivated to conceal the abuse from the waking mind, Sang Lords use ther supematual influence to do ths, with suggestive ideas snipes de They ee djs en pom actions that reinforces her weakness repeatedly, to makeita — and prominent — par ofthe victim's character. Then, when the sedi firmly embedded an the victim's propery blinded to her own weakess, the victim drawn nto more eldest acts, to futher dehumanize her. is his ast stage that leads victims to wanton violence, suicide and what the Tribals consider deeply depraved actions =e humans that survive, such couplings remains a permanent scar on their abit to love.i. Bouse Sancie ( Beauty of the Beast INE ‘Well, dear Vi, you have a peculiar insight into my House; refreshing view that | will muse on at some latter date. AS | sithere deep in your being | sense that there is more to you than this dry dissection ofthe Sangis heat. Surely your ‘master ah yes, had more in ind than sociology when he placed you here. Ah yes... he wanted to know my weaknesses, So my dearest let me coax yu along some more. Tellme what secrets you have uncovered —— "Report ofthe Summer Equinox: Powers and Players — Virtx ‘The Baron's authority over the Sang i absolute, though his interest appears to be fickle, He soften away inthe Zigguat, leaving Prince Fa'Cul and the Baron's lover Knight StOnis to handle House afais. None dare speak up against fis wishes the fate ofthe last Prince — the one whom they had chained and at int the wilemess.— remains a recent reminder of what it means to defy the Beast. The Baron's swift appointment ofFa'Cul tote mantle of Prince isthe epitome of Sanguine intrigue. The Prince, who must be the most feminine 2°brit have ever encountered, is said to have seduced the Baron right under the nose ofthe Baron's longterm lover, Sf. Rumors abound, andithas sired up ‘several powerful cabalsin the court. Prince FC thrives inthe power and dominion granted by her new role, and several Sangs Lord have already found themselves out of favor. For some, iis a simple sigh or fale to receive an invitation to a ball for others, tis request for them to expend ther serf resources for her monstrous ar, thus diminishing their power, A few Counts have even been forced back to the River Quarter, losing theirtiles and places inthe senate to those whose loaly i more assured, So fa, she has shown she can manage the duplicity and power plays ofthe senate. She has begun raking some of her magistrates to higher posts, and amongst these are several ofthe elite skincrafters. ‘The Baron's lover — the Knight SI Onis — and his militant Talon companions may be preparing to stage their own coup. ‘have heard thatthe second in charge, Re'Qum, has been entertaining Count H'xand vitor from other Houses. They Appear too small a group to do much, but wth powerful ales outside the Sangis they are too well placed to be ignored. ‘The other Sang Lords now better than to speak up, but the rumor that Duk Bele, the lover of the lst Prince, is ‘growing tired of the decadence and apa. He heads a third faction bent on purifying the House from the apparently growing inuence of outsiders and the upstart Courts. The Dukes would surly be drawn tp such a cause. Their dislike of these Counts — the pretenders — i wellknown, The Dukes have greatly enjoyed thei time spent nthe pleasures of ‘their positions, and wll certainly fight tooth and nil to keep ther. One Sangs W chet ever told me, amidst ministratons, that Duke Bele has been directed by the Baron to build this power base tobe ready for is personal command, wtich would make sense given his loyalty to the Baronial mantle. Whom the Baron is really backifg, and how much of this is is doing, Ihave not yet ciscovered In summary, my Lord, the regime appears tobe infu. tis @ good time to tempt those losing power to join ouraliance. [A present, more than the usual blood hasbeen spilt amongst these nobles and the atm stave “tastes” have died exposing some poison or trap destined for thei lord. The idenitof the perpetrators only publidy appears as rumors amongst the lv chet courtiers, kights and slave masters. Soon though, whispered accusations ‘are likely to become pleas forthe Baron to allow dues or they wllend up in open fighting between lordly estates. The Baron is unikely to permit such actives. can only imagine that oon the shadowy conidbrs ofthe Ziggurat and Sangls Palaces willbe stalked by assassins and perhaps we shall even see aretum of some of the forbidden rituals. y iyRia Sain Below each Lord exist minor Lords and superior W’chet, who manage the running of the Lord's esate, The power of these lesser Lords means that, like our own elite, they can escape mundane death and so have litle to fear from the rest ofthe palace ‘machinations — although they are very mucha threat to each other. Wth their own fates intricately linked to that oftheir Lord, their efforts against one anther try to strike a balance between undermining their opponents and maintaining the public image ofa united frat. For this reason alone, ths handful of elite usualy use ther & Lnderngs to try ad better their own poston, whilst sabotaging the efforts oftheir & Palace Balls peers, me Theiipisiettenemoting | The man bry of ug Whe ve es feat cecpion under a cud of Sangsocl calender thegrand | imminent betrayal, Tying to gin the favor ofthe master ofa palace isthe highest Ta thenpestatamiau x | pty fot mot Sanat ile Tints become te red are cout, See en eae | Doayguan or sae maser egies choke bend of cuming oauee, sna enema ving | don tnd wae. Oczna mare caus ugh ih aon, ply aaetbitiite | gh pig acy two Lorilee mda afer i : 7 ‘excruciating torture, to deter such depletions of the house staf. sable ee | Theis ofa fof competion by uy of snctned dung When ar ceclunmcipmntoie | toch cota tgeter, the Sings Lol aang fra competion tht il e ‘eis bodies into theltet fiona, | S86 the loser dead, or banished to be traded to another Lord. Such competitions, on ceca, athe sof an evens entrainment. rin the cas ofthe more power bonds wear*a special crated er. i ' important prt of how wl you el be ress at ch an eet Shiner mae name fr wn theres shee events, ceveingthemscbes with tr made tf" wadbes nd & contr croton tng ty » ssh eves as ipertnt to nei place the ama of wealth oO in leet nd property one has, Many ofthe Count are well connected to oar exceptional ‘Rincatersin ther om ight by Sev bl ct 8 tom ot ceremonies for newly sured stave who are parade tires peers Current fashion sto bring mont untouched and unaltered specimens, with unblemished ial virgins bing the height of chicp ae “The Sangis serfs ive much as our serfs do. The Sangis see that any that are to appear in public view are made presentable in a mix ofthe current fashions andthe tractiona taste oftheir Lord. For this reason, the Sangisslave-mastes are skilled flesherafers, to keep their wards in vogue, “The pride of most Lords require ther to have excessive numbers of sex servants and serfs designed forthe “wardrobe” The constant tate of fuxin the appearances of these servants provides an ideal way to get pies and assassins into a Lord's boudoir am sure thi is already being undertaken on some scale, but another ways to appeal to the burring dese of mst serfs to become a favored one. With our House's own fesheraing expertise we shoul not only be able to disguise one of our own — such 351 — but use that quintessential Sangis tactic to tempt and then corrupt these beings todocourspying “To the outside observer the Sangis Palaces appear as clusters of domes surmounted by single great towers. Their external similarities belie the vast repertoire of the Sanguine indulgence, forthe fleeting fashions and peculiar tastes ofthe Lords have. ro limits | have found Sangis sin-craftng to be equal in many ways to ours in appearance and aesthetics, but they til lack a tru insight into the task. Some palaces are tender and sweet scented, caressing the visitor, drawing her into alcoves of orifices and probing flesh. Others are places of sharp bone and fling tendons, where solid mists of stinging, musky vapor blind and choke. Favored serfs, chet guards, savemasters, courtiers and artss are found here, close to their lord. “These servants are the best placed to know their master’s business, without being so lose as to be impossible to approach ‘The bony spite that rises from each estate contains the boudoir ofthe resident Sangis Lord. W chet guard are quit diigent at screening al that pass, to make sure no assassin oF spy sips into thec lcs plarof pleasure. The buildings themselves, much like our own, have living defenses whose crang began during the camps and are Lpdated ever more recent with the flesh of their lyal serfs Nested inthe upper half ofthese devotions to excess the Lord and his elit lve in ‘decadence. Here they gaze from windows and balconies a their peer, Highly socially ‘concemed — in terms oftheir image, power and position — the Sangis use this section to entertain. Splendid parties are held often to allow the Lord to show off his ‘collections, hs fine fesh and bone crafed furniture, and to draw praie and desire with bis entertainment. ‘Scenes thave witnessed include the sipping of ne wines inthe grote ere ofan evening sunset whilst a specially crafted se undergoes ruinous torture: and cil it, ‘pulsating, tenacle-filed chambers, swimming with intoxicating ures and withing bodies. a skincrafters ‘The Songs shape their ais to reflect both ther prt pce angi society and their peramal tastes ype they design their adie to accentuate thee sexual spel butin a ashion of wanton excess and perversion. Many Sagis spend their time exploring fishes and taboo. siting portions oF their bodies a thee hin dictate, For the Sagi ond uch time's alo penton the alteration of serfs whom they pln "wear to Inportan outings or asignations The shincrafers are favored or vie and atance on particulary important ocasons, Whatever the inal design are, one canbe sure that great care has Been taken to tempt others a ony the Sngs now how: When one gazes ‘on aSangis form, one camat hls but be hth drawn and repuled by the beauty and perversion, as eeply hidden fide deies are sted rom the subconscious depths. rince cul has secretly organized several exceptional and trusted shincrafes int a group of spies and asasns known a the Beatin” Their ably to craft themselves and others in the guise fathers even members of ther ries and inthe cas of the most serio toposes others fen tet uncover teacher ad treason among the Sang momen agit tas“ — fat ‘Stop, my Melais spy. Trying to regain possession ofthis est shells a futile task Just watch and enjoy this candid ‘experince through your eyes and my mind. You have been so enlightening, and so its my tum to reward you. Ah, hereis the main balioom and there fs Count Hx debauching with the entourage of one of your brothers, Ethan. Don't they look tightin the ruddy igh? You would think they were lovers but realy they are my, and each others, greatest adversaries, H'x thinks | have forgotten what tis to rue, and inhi own way fels that he does what is best for my throne. Evian, yourlord, am sure thinks he has a masterful scheme in play, but he only sees what wish him to see of my ru. ‘Their ambitions se tit that others do not rise too high, and know them well enough to keep my throne. For example, see how the would be Koleris prince, Sku, restrans himself from bringing about a bloodbath forthe sake of Count He's whispered promises, Ah, itis a tangled web of irtrigue, deals and rue allances, and | am the spider in its midst who feels even the sightest tremor, and makes sure eveything stays intact: Now over herein the pool you ean just make out Pince 'ark’oom's entourage and my dearest S'Onis. have asked iy Kcightloverto spend tonight reminding the Prince of cur ancient es. You see ithe likes of Sali out the truth behind Tibor's demise, the Prince's suffering wile long and painful. | ee you stl have nt gasped the uth Suffice to say Tibo’s death was my plan, pat between the Houses and the Nation's Fatmas to end the destructive confit: As you wal know, the younger of us especially the Koes — fn the tedium of waiting fr bloody glory too much Soon thei fatal desires willbe sated, butat my bidding, and not in some aborted coup. The Tribes are stronger than you might imagine, and we cannot afford a schism, "Now we pass another great scheme, Prince Ski, here cooling off his enormous sealessbuk onthe balcony. indeed, itis ‘more appropriate to callthe Femi a a whole ‘the schemer: Theirs an intriguing philosophy, to assimilate ours and this native ntelgence, which echoes a desire lose to my heat. Why do allow such threat? Lt’ jut say that they forget that my seed bound their existence with the tual of submission after Tibor’ fall. But, my pretender, you can render one final great service to your lord and master to pay for your sins. |. the mighty Baron ofthe 2’, rarely have opportunities totravelin the flesh fom H' Kar. Mary times | come to haunt the Tal lands, to stady and indulge, but few are the times | gtto taste the sensations ofthese doomed who lve under the Death Coddeses ‘We stroll n the midnight ar ito the great twisted wood, My Melanstrl’s astonishment and fears delectable, adding undercurrents to the physical sensations of his body. reach outinto the stygian depths and draw fortha gf. He hears, struggles — which | permit —to turn and see. The beat crashes nto the moonlight, hair, rail, tooth, stench and seaming eyes. It leaps. A sogay explosion shudders its shadowy form, the creature's orifices jetting its bodily uid onto the leaves, bark and wiry shrub it crashes, broken and crumpled at is fet. spend some tine basking in the blood and bile that dribbles, teaming and acrid ff my tral’ form. ‘The path continues, through brambles and grared trees. | sense my estranged, glible “lis” — the Squats — are ‘esponsble for this wal, How ry beloved Hshdon begules them wit promises of power and reeibution, Thelr sett made prince, Luther, wil be an interesting ally in the inevitable struggle to come. Luther's people have come very close to accepting us, Ining as close tothe Seed as ther Serf peers. His force, with the Kolers, should prove ample competition to the Tribes n that they wil, with careful handling, reduce themselves both to insignificance. Best of al, this will assure there will never again be another Tibor. iei. House Sancis “The Tribal Hunting grounds loom. feel Hr people, Joan's, the Battle Bitch, nearby. Images of indulgence we could have ‘aunt captor and thrall alike, but tonight's design trviaizes these temptations. We pass on rounding the basc of the Harbinger of Death's ite hill — She who began the Rebelion of lgnorance. | trl forthe time when She has become the {ate She has led so many to. A fleeting image of excreting into Her bony pit from atop the crumbled dome dances through imy mind. One day. Then the remains ofthe great city are about us, Scents assault my tal’ nostri; sweet sel fires, the delicious stench ‘of bodes, the sharp and tag ofthe forgotten world's buildings. My senses reach beyond my thrall, to my lost children siting high above us — outcasts, criminals, hermits and disciple ofthe Seed, They huddle in jgnorance in their crumbling spires. The purge that comes wll see most meet long and painful deaths. Some, my spies and the few who have offered ‘mute and assistance, | may allow to call on my mercy. But we shall se, Finally, the river. tNeave those find withthe water vessel ave. suits me present to keep the pact, written by the Whore ‘of Words. Ths delat, rumbling patience is what we need to enlighten these lost slaves fo the Deaths. Sheba's control wanes, 25 it seems to war; its own worst enemy. Assured it sa sign; the moment of renewed struggle staks doser. We. pass amongst the flooded runs. hen away. Theisand ofthe enigma ofthe Falen is smal, bu thesis the path that my subjects ard fd most enchanting. Escaped from, but ving within the shadows ofthe Death Goddesses, the are instil with new sual frm and focus. They are ale in ways on par with thse of my own splendid Houte Tey blaze with Dream, We, the Sag pleasure moths, come to dance ami the fares (Oh, how take pleasure inthis place, feeding ofits so-called “Fallen” denizens as they grow strong in ther passionate fives. Here we continue our search. Closed by shadows, we pass mosty unnoticed into the places of fleshy excesses, where these lst souls, instinctively but unknowingly, purse the Seed. We watch, my thal spellbound between desire and fear. The bodies wrthe asthe party nears its peak. My tings impeccable. Sweaty bodies side, lik under the faint candlelight. My presence washes over the revelers, bringing renewed appetite to those flagging with exhaustion. Then, all too brely, we ride. lam caught between passion, enticement and restraint. They delight in y thal’ form. They ae so caught upin thei lust that they only see the carly, ther ignorant fears momentary forgotten nthe cry ofthe Seed (One ater another, | draw them n to touch, penetrate and delight them in ways their own Hodes cannot match ‘A subte shift takes us toa new level: My thral's mind twists, trying to escape the fate he hnows is coming, wh stil foggy from the orgasmic waves that hve just passed. have allowed him to see atthe height, my plan, and the secret use for him. Those around me offer lite resistance, some barely noticing my Sundeing touch upon them. The pretenders fed and taken to the roof bythe writhing mass. have them hold my dear tral fr, and then the ites and blows begin. Caughtin that great nexus between pleasure and pain | lease him soe can struggle and beg them to relent. Finally, he hangs pal suspended in space over the had stones below. He thrathes as loops encircle his fine throat. A crowd has gathered inthe treet watching, mesmerized by the sight. Then, bleeding and bruised, we are pushed and plummet, and jerk back wth snap of rope and neck. AS! dit away, |enoy bisa orgasm ast spils onto PN BChapter three: Koleris Blood pulses and screams, Flesh writhes and years. Nae CRC Aaa as Corea NeuHouse Kolerir in We bun ke fires in the right. ‘The forests alive, and we tear it with teeth and talon, gouging wounds in bark and sil, shivering with need as splinters ‘ake our skin. We sense our forbidden prey drawing nearer. smell ther blood inthe trembling ar. ur skin writhes and suppurats, steaming hot and rancid with hate. Our lust swels as we long forthe slaughter to come. \We ae forswor, but our fury is unfettered at last. Our flesh is forfeit, but we will no longer be deried We bum, and the world will catch fre around us. “There isa scream inthe dark. One of the oxen s thrashing in its traces, kicking atthe drovers. Voices answer, shocked q and angry, and the beast screams again, in pain ‘ ‘Amoan escapes my lip. The blade is pale wit inthe moonlight. | place its tip just above my genitals and slice the skin ‘open to my chin. My prde-mates take up ther ives as well, asthe sweet, ragged agony ripples through my chest. My fingers fable eagerly forthe gaping cut as the pain tums to rage. Blood cals cut to blood. Pain must answer for pain. | pull andthe skin comes fee with a long, quid rp. Naked muscles spasm and gisten. I shriek, and the voices inthe forest shickin tun. The Prison of Flesh We ae the Kolers the Shackled Ones, and we suffer like no other in this hel of tagnart flesh. This world was once a paradise. Life spattered and sprayed, bursting from putrid sacks of meat and bone and soaking, t the churned earth. Such ecstasy, such vitality! We found the Seed in each raw moment of slaughter, tearing apart the ; fleshy husk to release the life within! We leapt from body to body, rending our mates and feeling ther teeth in our breast, lusty communion of camage. Hundreds died, night and day, making way forthe newborn. We clothed ‘ourselves in gore, and knew ourselves to be hoy, ‘And how did humanity reward our devotion? By burying us alive, closing the Fold and imprisoning usin crypts of skin land bone. We ean fe! the blood hissing in our vena, but we dare not open cur artsrics and lett fice, We can ice cu blades along our skin, but we dare not cut too deeply. We dare not consummate our lusts, or we will perish Is ‘obscene. Our blood: soaked Eden is now biter poison on our tongues.2. Foure Koleris “thee S \When the Tribes squirmed from the camps we ached to lose ourselves in fervent murder, but we dared not open our bodies to blade and claw and the red, red Seed. Ilingere, just out of reach, denying us peace. No matter how mary we killed, it was never enough to slake our need. Long had we been the angels of war, the sublime hands of death, We were the Sword ofthe Z'bri: champion, protector, executioner, bearers of ancient tradition. No moc. I ‘Then came the tebe blow. Tibor, greatest of us, fll beneath hated Joshua's blade. Ourinsies churned with anguish and humiliation. Our veins blackened wit thwarted rage. The Baron, who rose in Tibor’s place, commanded an end to the war, and tradition demanded we obey. Defeat seared our souls. We lad waste to our lands, kling everthing we touched. We savaged our souls with loathing, Our bodies twisted and writhed with rage, and as we seethed in our prisons we found our way back tothe holy Seed. We rent our sou from moment to moment, and were reborn, even as Our talons twitched to rip esh rom bone. Murder without, murder within, fury without end. was not the sweet communion of shredded flesh, bu it sustained us. R a ‘That was when the Sang came tous, gathering together the scattered prides with promises ofa reckoning. They reminded us of our traditions and our venerated Orders, and they said that things might be made right again. The time would come, and we must prepare. We have counted each day since. Each day, the fre within burns higher. The Sangis sill wallow in fleshy decadence, the Flemis abandon themselves in ther deviant hives andthe Melani fulfil themselves with arcane secrets. Yet we are empty. So longa the Tribes exis, there canbe no retum to paradise, no atonement for Tibor's fll The Baron has stayed our hands, and lft us to feed upon ourselves. As tradition demands, we have obeyed, but not for much longer. ovL g side tinditt Its no sal hing fora Kole to forsake is cath even nti time of madness. Obedience to radon bur dep in f7 cur ous, and once give our bloodetting form and purpose. Mch ofthat ileal nowledge has ben lost, eroding precious Inks to our deni, but some tenet si have the weigh of ages: respect and obey the mighty, forsake no oaths and kno blood go unspiled Even in times past, when we leapt from body to body inthe chaos of tattle, raw savagery and physical power were the ‘merits by which we Koers judged ourselves, This sal the more important now, as we must mak the best ofthe forms we are trapped in. Our skin is sacred its scars and mutations bearing witness to our ferocity and the log itany of bates we have fought. We ache forthe Seed: t beckons ikea lover from the heart of the ray, and those who leap unyielding into the storm of claw and blade attract others seeking to share in their renown. inthis way, we form our many prides, ‘ach ofthem centered around a wartor of great promise eflectng his plory and atthe same time seeking to usurp it rom him. A pride leader must defend his power at every turn from both within and without, and challenges occur almost daly here which a par flowed cea k's th Fayed One, whose kn dangled nates chet and arms. We were Koleris ofthe Order of Razors, or we sought the Seed in hacked meat and severed veins opened by our long blades. Hiker commanded age pride, so great was his renown, with fourteen ofusragingin is temibleshadow = sie hued 16 Wy slake issieds. honky wey 0 were his alone: each Kelis mst posses as many seis » ashe canto demonstrate his tebe appetites and to prevde gis fr those mightier than he. We keep our serfs lose, Er forraids and saughtrs are commonplace by prides wishing to increas their standing, Four ofthe serfs were mine, butof course Hrkshr could cai them as his ow, 35 could any others inthe pride whose enown ecipsed mine. AS we are is commanded to obey the mighty, we take what we wil rom the weak Every pride has its hierarchy, and itis aWvays influx. Our rage hollows us from within, and our hunger ever swels. We may } satisfy ourneeds on those of lesser status than ourselves, or partake oftheir ers as we wish, though we may not slay a } serf outright, unless we due! ts wner forthe privilege. Blood flows daily within the pride, through a precise dance of fl custom and rank, laws older than time. | % 52 House Kolerte ‘The Slaughterelds are home to the many prides, and thas been so since the time ofthe camps. Each pride claims as. much ofthe wasteland as ican hold with claw and blade, declaring ther stalking, Ary prey within the stalkngis theirs alone, to do with as they wll Hrk'skr’'s staking was large, atthe edge ofthe Order's Duchy and inthe shadow ofthe sgyeat Ziggurt. ntimes past the Baron drove ser, prisoners, or Chained Z'bl into the Slaughterfldsto whet our appetites, and many entered by way of our lands. ‘The Baron’ gts have dvindled overtime. Now they are rare, sweet gifs, and those prides nearest the Ziggurat watch their borders closely. remember the day the how went up from Jkrur, echoing over the waste. Prey. Our minds reeled With lust. The two last pride members were left to guard the serfs, howling and slashing in frustration as the rest of us raced afer the prey. Our noses tasted the ashen wind and our jaws slavered atthe thought of wet, red flesh, ‘twas one ofthe Chained, a huge, misshapen thing of terrible strength an ferocity. Our entire pride could have ited ‘ourselves against partaking of ts blood and pain, bur when we ave, tt was already fering, fans savage from hundreds ofeuts. Other Koers danced around it, dificult to follow withthe eye. They were Unseen Strikers, members ofa neighboring Orde, and they had stolen our kil The Chained one ded as we approached, and we shricked in fury. Death is priceless inthe Slaughterields — itis the meat and drink of Captains and Lords alone, fr the W'chet that perishes is lost forever. We had come too late tothe feast. Hunger twisted our bones, rage sethed and boiled from our skin. The ‘Unseen strikers heard our cries and howd in challenge. ‘They had violated our stalking, and stolen our prey. Our blades sang in the ar as we approached. Our minds were abut lost to visions of gore — but the aus of our House restrained us, holding us back from the brink, hedging us from the point of no return. Laws and tradition are branded on our souls ithas been o since long before the closing ofthe Fold, before ary Z’bri thought of themselves as Kolers. The laws gave our actions purpose and form, and are even more important today. Without laws and careful ritual, we could not survive at al. \We stopped our approach at thity-sx paces, showing respect and restraint. As our pide was larger, only an equal number coflow-status Razors brandished ther blades, Hrik’shrr was the accuser, and soit fll to X'agr,the Unseen pride leader, to speak fist and declare his ations Yet he didnot. We could fel their hunger as strongly as our own, and the anger weeping red from their pores. They were defiant, consumed with need. Finally Hrk'skr spoke to me. “Go to him. Give him no blood: greeting, but tel him that he must fight me for his crime, or aim a hundred of hs serfs in forfeit” the Unseen Ones. Etiquette is a weapon to the Koleris, for the Z’bri who loses control loses status as well, or worse, loses. beyond echmaton the crf balance ofreason and ge and becomes Chained. The Chained are prey, by command of the Baron. So tr and ag sought to unbalance he fer, pushing oe anche’ sa contol | ag coud rat igor me but speaking me was beneath him. He held otis am forthe blood gesting Low stats Koleris must show subservience by granting their superior a bloody wound, while taking no such pleasure in return, When refed ea unsctled X ar and his enter. epee Hk’ demands ove fc shouts and scream. Aid Wis Wein dn ek pg VLA pe pg ONG Uiela ORLEEGy se re again and again, and my pridemates howled in outrage. X'aqr’s people were undone. By interfering with Hrik’skr’'s challenge, they opened themselves to retribution. But before we could act, the assassins fied, blinding us with Sundering and leaving us howling for blood. Half of us chased after the Unseen Ones, howing for vengeance, while the rest remained t9 guard our srs. The acid bile ‘from their dans left gangrenous holes gaping in my chest, and I savored ther pain. The wolinds enriched my standingin the pride, so much so that Ian alongside Hrik’sr's chosen ones. We would make Xr payin blood orn sees, or else ‘we would seem weak. We also race the rising tide of our rage, hoping to fed it before it swallowed us from with. 0Dues ae fought daily in the Slaughterilds, usualy between members ofa pride jockeying for status. tis acre, deadly dance, ste dus fed ther hunger without givngin to the sweet release of kiling. The due contiwes until one ‘opponents incapacitated, lying ina heap oftor ibs and spied errs, or oses contol ofthe fury, at which point they have forteted their cam. ‘Serf raids are also common between prides, even within the same order. Serfs are a source of status among the prides, and the only steady supply of prey. A powerful pride might have 2s mary as a hundred or more, bred for huetng and food. “The larger the herd, the harder tis to defend, reflecting upon the prde's prowess. AS revenge for what X'aq and hs pride tad done, we intended to slaughter evry ser they had. Prides that lose all their serfs lse nary ll thei stats, and become an embarrassment to their Order and its Captain, They would have to disband, and ty and seek acceptance with ther prides. Sometimes, prides conducting sr raid woud steal the se instead of ling them immediately. As the years wear on since the closing ofthe Fold, Becomes harder and harder to grow content with wounds and scars, while great Lord sill ‘gorge themselves on death inthe Zigguat. More and more ers are slaughtered bythe prides, and the herds grow thinser, while our appetites only grow keene. ‘As we hounded the Unseen Ones orto their own lands, we saw that they had succumbed to sucha hunger. They had all but consumed their meager herd, and the handful remaining was an inst in itself tothe blood pice we demanded. The Unseen Ones cowered inthe his, howling our presence to all the nearby prides. thers might try to take our herd whl it was poorly guarded, We had na choice but o leave. cheated of our due. We dug our knives into our skin, ouging our cheeks to fee the blood flow. Hksr screamed to X'aqr that there would be a reckoning, and ther ces taunted vs as ‘we retumed to ourlands. Hi'skr and the greatest ofthe pridematesslaked ther fury inthe slaughter of thee srs, and then we began to run, driving the herd ahead of us as we sought the holding of Krksul, Captain of our Order. ‘The Red Paths to the Seed Even before we were called Kole, the warrior Z'bri sought the Seed in splintered bone and bloody spray, the instant of divine revelation asthe body i tipped asunder. Yet there sno single path to reach this communion — over the centuries there have been hundreds of different methods and practices that open us tothe ory of death. These philosophies are ‘the bas for our House's many Urders, each refining thew mndwdual approach tothe at of batt. | and my pride follow the Order of Razors, whose catechism hold thatthe Seed is strongest when the body is cut so ‘deeply that moments pass before it eaizes that itis dead, We fight wth bone swords and knives, honed to unnatural eennes,and lve to strike swfly and cleanly. Other Orders’ philosophies are far more formal and intricate, such asthe (Order of Bras, who perform numerous rituals before bate, and restrict themselves to very spetic foes. Some Orders are very ancent, going back farther than our emergence from the Fold, wile others, ike the Order ofthe Leviathan, are only a decade old. The catechisms ofthe Orders give particular focus to our use of Sundering, and when our rage has washed all other aspects of elf away, we cling to our Order as final, precious shred of dentity. — te nN ‘There are scores of Orders surviving inthe Slaughterfields, each led by a Koleris Lord who serves a its Captain, A Captain is charged with maintaining order and discipline within the prides who serve him, and enforce the Baron's lw. In return, the size and poner ofeach Orde reflects upon the Captain's status at Prince K'ark’oom's court For ths reason, Captains ‘often feud and scheme with one another to advance ther statu tthe expense of another's. Often the prides are the tools ofthe feud, gong on ser rads Or seeking out duels that weaken a val Order’ strength. Occasionally, the schemes culminate in sanctioned war. ee2 House Koleris : Unt the prides, the Captain of an Order remains in one place ruling smal cout of lesser Lords fom however great a stronghold as his Order can manage to build. The forts of er hamlets surround the stronghold, as wel as one or more breeding fas. ‘A Captain holds much of his Orders wealth, giving gifs of herds tothe prides that serve him well. The thick, ich cent of several hundred serfs set ou bodies to ‘trembling 3s we approached Kr'ksul's stronghold, a show of wealth and power that served to remind us of our lowy station, ‘A Captain's court is s large and complicated as the Captain can manage, the better to show his status ois people and the Ziggurat. Our pea for justice would be dificule and expersive, requiring great Hrik'skr to give blood greeting and herd gts ‘tothe Captain’ majordomo, his Master of Ses, is Lord Marshall and his rusted \Leutenant, wath more gis to come before the Captain's reply could be heard, We would never actually find ourselves inthe presence ofthe Captain. Our lowly status forbadeit Captain kriksul F ‘ ‘So we camped our herd and howied a challenge at the stronghold, and were forced to The Captain of the Order of Razors * wait: We watched our serfs taken away in twos and thees, and watched Hrk srr Sptont alco rone wet seturn with their fragrant blood staining his chest and arms. Our pride’s wealth fst mapper songs pa & _—_ Prominent Koleris onders | when the oldstom pa. Ee pissing dy dns ores sich pas ores, } | and-we wat onthe Lord's every command, hoping to secure such gf for ures. 2 Aid thescoresofpowerfalr | petty orders stil served by the | Because the Lords may still taste the true flavor of the Seed, we trust that they strive Bh eri ee stand abovetherest __CeaSlesly to reopen the Fold and rerum us alto paradise. Some, whose patience has g ln tennsef pes fiiencejand soured over the years, have suggested that the Lords intend no such thing, content : | withthe power they now held over us. Such dissenters and rebels are qucly weeded i ut andslenced, tha tats Seppe slong wth thesis and den othe edges of ; The Order of Bones our lands, orto the Syrealms. As our hunger grows nd the herds grow thin, we must ‘depend onthe Lords to lead us, or all our faith in the tadtionss for nothing, ard all FFL thssanamiow onerwhoe te may cout on ou age woe mbna | Captain Krtul cours the favor of many Zr nobles, ensuing the loyay of is prides w through ich favors from the other Houses, Powerful prides acta bodyguards to tricwsedthefolkishnighs | Sarg nobles, andin rez the Sagi shape our wasnt Sronger, deadlier, clathenscesin armor hioned | pyc fem i elation that cir as mune benefited beth Hees, at flung at will swords | compettion free among the Razor prides to be chosen. The Flemis have ecety fehionel om hun highs the | taken an interest in our House, Seeking prides eager fr glory and setting them against Onteri teen tration with | AbOnomn ads and ambushes. Though the thought of ene, communal eshsckens cutovactintatinandrigslof | us th armor ané weapons the Flemis provide, as well as sacs ofhealing juices that serertagecerinas | eankitsevered ibsbackin pce, a of reat value, AS tothe Men. hey 0 oO not seekus. Rather, wend ourselves tung them, atime and rage wears avay of myserycachpurpertingt? | the memories of what we once were. Their knowledge provides a link to past gloves, inne secret ofsunderingot | and their powers of Sundering can release our brethren who have lost themsehes to bs snow Zvi. theorleropests | Chaining They ak fv hing in ertur, antic wruhle i Fach lay ses i eve with tit dicplinesnddemands | intheir debt. When wll they calli du? heating yy and savagery at the command fits Captain, Jit the der has worms undying aly tthe aro and nj conidersBl support from the sangiscaure ‘While my pride waited for retribution, our Captain moved among the Lords at he iggurat. Though the Lords sures rom rage than W chet, theirsis sil aninticate dance of status and protocol, where any slip can bean invitation to attack. Compet: 2 tion forthe Prince's favor is ferce, and Yel, Captain ofthe Unseen Strikers, was one ofthe Prince's favors.The petitioning lasted for days. er rebufled every tempt andthe Prince tured a blind eye. Our Captain demanded a duel, and was refuse. But these were merely diversions, meant to hold Vl’ attention. inthe back round, Krksul was gathering support among other Captains. When the duel was ignored, Krsul had exhausted all ther means of revenge, and was fre to petition the Prince with the suppor offive other Captains to declare a war. Yk was trapped, having closed of all other avenues of escape. The Prince had ite choice but to agree, Inthe fice of rks’ support. Now Yr stood to lose far, far more than the skin of «afew pride members “That evening, the Captain and ahs cour arived at his stronghold and, as one, Shicked the War Howl. Our ery for revenge had turned into a raging storm. When pidemates fight, itis a duel — bloody, quick, and decisive. When prides ight. t isa raid or skirmish, a fast hit and-run that leaves one othe other weaker than before. When Orders do bate, itis war. ‘Wars ate rae things within our House, and must be petitioned before the Prince. The scope and nature ofthe war must be detale inthe pettion, though not necessarily ‘the reasons behind the confict. Only one potential side need make the petition, naming ts enemies, and ifthe petition is approved, the two sides havea single night's truce to assemble their forces before the fighting begins. “The Prince permits such wars because it reminds us of our ulimate purpose, as the ‘Swords of the Z’bri Koleris Orders comprise the bulk ofthe Phalans, the bei army, and our Lords hold most ofthe highest positions of leadership tis not enough to master the at of single combat; we must aso know how to fight asa larger unt, for the day we tke to the field and muddy the eath with Tribal blood. The wars test our skilsas solders, and force us to work with Kole from other Orders. ‘Combat on such a large rele ako recut in violent changes in the politcal hierarchy, affecting even the highest Lords, Fortunes can change hands overnight, and when the ‘smoke clears, the balance of power inthe Prince's courts rarely the same. Krksul had carefully gathered the alles he needed to ensure is victory even before the petion was declared, Perhaps he had been looking for such an opportunity for some time ‘Aste chief peitioner (and the highestin status among his coalition), Krk would take overall command ofthe eight Orders, and te various warriors were to assemble inthe shadow of is stronghold, We would fight forthe enemy se, kiling or taking a hundred fr each Order inthe Coalion The Useen Strikers, inthe face of such fearsome opposition, managed to find only two ales to its cause, and between the three ofthem thee wast nearly enough serfs ofl hss demands, IY lost, hand hsales would be ruined 2. House Kolorte The Yellow Order “hinder came san theme ofthe camp, tscatechisms eveloped amie he festering bloated corpses ofthe lng lds ‘The Keer ofthe Yellow Order foun the Sed in he bloated Infections oftheir injuries and cahivated the arts of pis corruption. widely beled ‘that twas the Yellow Order tha first created the horror of Klas Pogue these Kes became hosts {or virulent forms of gangrene and spread infection with every swipe ofthe talons this Oder controls sible portion ofthe daughter adler many other Order, their herds have grown factional each yar Some Lords whisper that they have ound means contro the infections (hey spread in theres, corapting them — and controling them — from thin. n ¥of eres a 2. House Kolaris ‘The Order of the Leviathan, This Onder was very recent formed from. scone of diposened vi whose prides had been lihanded. The Lethon ought the Favor of the lem and afer series of rads guns the rebel Zr ln abonom,the Hemi rewarded them by using Assinlation to combine ther bodies int three Image, terrible Beats Since hee Aormation, the Leviathan have grown in rae nt nw here are nearly two dozen ofthe horriie creatures. Thelr appetites, th sical and pital are undoubtedly ravens, yet the ‘Onder maintains only 3 token herd ‘Their cam physical power ha tide them a force tbe reckoned within the laughter, though many Sangs openly question their akimate lyaien, Blood and Honor “The Orders gathered through the night, while Krksul held a tournament to determine ‘who among his Wchet would claim the glory of reincarnation during the war. We battled ike frenzied beasts, andthe air was fille with the shrieks of combat. Great Hrikskrr won the honor, as did five other pride leaders. By moming, our forces filed the ashen vale. We set out for Yk kr’ ands beside the (Order of Biter Dancers, whose flesh crawled with poison spores, and withthe Order cof the Pale Riders, who went to war on the backs of huge, misshapen serfs. There was the Order ofthe Stranglers, who chanted as they marched and swung thick garotes of knotted sinew, and the Order ofthe Maggots, whose bodies squirmed and seethed in anticipation of virgin flesh, ‘Arrayed against us was the Order ofthe Long kif, an old and much diminished howe of grec radon who faced cenatn ruin ro ful an old deb to Yk. There was als the Orde ofthe Caras, trib warirs whose long servic to the Flemis have allowed them to beneft fom gts of Assimilation, merging the bodies of slain enemies into their own to create huge ning war machines. “The Unseen Strikers tured their talents on us at once, lashing out in ambush with their poison darts and disappearing into the shadows, We longed forthe sight ofX'aqr and hs pride, but were denied. Our blood sang to be marching wth an army, yet we ‘wondered how our plea would be served amid the upset of battle. Would we be _uaranted se to make back all we had lost? Would we be allowed to partake of kil to makeup forthe one dried us? We were bome along on a tide of battle lus, and soon aur need for bloodshed drowned all ther thoughts ina haze of red “The Long knife and Carcass awaited usa the foot of Yk’ stronghold, ferce and the City Heiypacht, an avatar of bss toa thousand thousand corpses. fl, barely, warm fingers caressing my shattered stall, spiritual tendrils winding through my broken mind, path whispered the voice, caling my true Z’bri name. Your thoughts fow within ours so easly. We knew your strength would save you rom the Nomads doing. Let our desires envelop your own, let your mations become ours, know what ‘tistobeus. The finger lifed my bead, pulled my eyeldsapartto let me gaze into the unity ofa hundred 2b. Our. ‘my spt ef that moral shel and ded int the great Collective. Aundrea whispers explored me then Become Flemis. Become us % ‘inquisition | gave in to the Flemis chat day, reveling for days in our unity of thought. Where my lnk toa milion hurran minds was a sensual caress, the Flemis Collective of only a hundred 2'br was a violent and smothering orgy! My anger with the ‘murderous Nomads combined with the wave of our collective hatred, and witha decision made as one, the Flemis descended upon the mortal word. Inhabting a hundred millon humans at once, using powers gained from all our experiences, we merged thet bodies into amorphous beasts, Thousands of beasts sharing the minds and revenge of the Flemis thousands of monstrosities with but cone goal, the utter destruction ofthe Nomads. ‘Thus began the great Inquisition, the days we... remember witha guilty 2eal. The destruction of 'bri souls, once an unthinkable act, became a new pleasure. Some we destroyed physically before rendering their soul inco ghosts, others we ravaged mentally before absorbing and devouring their mind wit the strength of cur Collective. We unleashed horrors both physical and spiritual upon the mortal world, lsh swallowing plagues ane epidemics of madness all aimed to wholly destroy the Nomads for their crimes. For months we hunted our cousins, our linked thoughts driving the immense hulks forward, aw ‘clase we beeved the Nomads to be defeated, but we both know beter now, don't weit vistors! With the Inquston ‘over, our sous exhausted and ur Feshy bodies weak, we were approached by the Melani. They were a painful reminder cof our. ..my vanity atthe City Heiypacht, but any personal contempt was washed over by inference and curiosity fom the others. The Melans Brotherhood discussed with us 2 plan to undo the damage ofthe Closing. And do you know what this plan was, my guests? Remember back to a previous if, one filed with the pain’s blsful release. Remember the lives you spent herded like Cattle, your sous ignored for the Sake ofZ’bri indulgence? Remember the Camps? \When the Means approached one of our bodies they spoke with us al, Some of the Collective protested and others were reserved, swallowed my pride and was among thos in favor, and among the most infuential ofthe Collective. Each individuality succumbed to the Unity and our bodies converged to meetin the lands pow known asthe Hl Ka. Lumber- ing, cawing, and oozing across the land, we ad the Brothers Means gathered mortals through temptation fear and brute force. We contacted eth bri ones who would no give thsiselves We Cleve wha a yor ino Fiding afer the Closing, teling of our pan forthe fue. ‘And oh, ry ite visitors, what a wretched future it came to be. ‘he Search For the Seed xX ‘Our Camps were so decadent! We indulged ourselves, hinkingtheflsh and chewing the bones of our mortals... the port of Flom thst was H'palht bathed in the memories of my dead city. We remade entre tes wily kia sinew rather than steel and glass. Linking to the minds of thousands of mortals, we experienced the torture of individuality and considered the fear of mortality, As beings without bodies, we never feared our own death. nthe back of our vast Mind we believed the Nomads had not truly known Oeath, for they were aso Z’bi only we had considered this rather than pushing it deep below other memories We. ..1do not krow what other factions bleed the Camps tobe. For we lem it was a rediscovery. The Closing eft usa shut of fom the spritual word, abandoned us to suiferin this mortal word of fesh Bu we rediscovered a power within hs world A prize beyond our reach before we arrived to this side ofthe Fold, Do you know what this was, ite Bests? No? It wasthe flesh Your flesh red us across the Fold wih promises ofthe Seed, bu the Closing made us curse cur dese! Oupain blinded uso our orignal passion. The Inquisition quelled any thoughts or yearnings other than te eats of our tatorous brethren. But the Camps left sil and introspective; the Seed once again became our preoccupation. Every thought, every action performed inthe Camps was to bring the Seed within our grasp. A thousand bodies, their lsh oft and gelatinous, combined into a single mas. One mind stretched across ahundeed humans, each action mimicked a hundred times in unson. Skin meted, bones skewed, organs burst Al this forthe Seed (Our unity was our strength, 2 single Mind composed of a thousand minds, a Collective of thoughts and experience and knowledge. And wit tis came vast insight into the Seed. Though closer to the Seed than any other Z’bri because of our unity, we sil lacked the raw flesh that caries and channels the Seed. Orly humans tly ae leh; Z’bri can ony use skin and bone asa vessel, Within every body there stil exists a sel, even when one of us inhabits it. A trace of the soul and the Seed. You, my litle humans, aré very special indeed!