WritersShowcase

Shrouded in darkness in the world we know is a facet of reality man has chosen to forget, rightly named the Forsaken. Aryn, an Egyptian adolescent once human but now ‘changed’, runs into a battle between a Templar Knight and Fiends named Kazhren. The Aadm (human) by the name of Hayashi is able to protect Qyra, a seven year old child from their horrid grasp but what really catches Aryn’s eye is the Templar’s uncanny ability to completely heal any wound. The Holy Order of Knights Templar frowned upon all forms of inhuman capabilities, so why was this one so different? Suddenly, Qyra is engulfed in a cocoon before the Egyptian finally takes his leave, mystified.

Plagued by dreams of her, he returns to that place in curiosity, only to find the Templar still keeping watch over her. Right before their eyes, the cocoon abruptly hatches to release not a child but a woman. Though different in many ways than just age, it is still Qyra that emerges. Apparently charged with the duty of killing Qyra, Hayashi had been unable to do so. However, the sight and sounds of her change prompt him into action but Aryn knocks him out using his telepathic wield. Conversing, Qyra tramples upon the Egyptian’s pride before being whisked off by invisible beings.

Awaking to find himself alone, Hayashi reports to his Cleric before heading back to the place he had found Qyra, an old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Whilst pondering on a means of getting back in there, the building suddenly comes to life and attacks him. Only by the interference of Aryn in his discretion does Hayashi make it inside and it is the Psi abilities of the Egyptian that finally tames the daemon of a breed named Mensarh.

The two come across a strange Kaij’n (hybrid i.e. half human- half daemon) after banding together, her body possessing not one but two distinct personalities. The enigmatic Sirath and the fiery Deidre. A misunderstanding stems from Aryn trying to probe their shared minds but after his failed attempt, he frees the women known as the Dual in respect and all animosity soon turns to the Aadm as the Egyptian no longer seeing the need for having him around. By the skin of his teeth, Hayashi manages to escape Aryn’s clutches while taking the Dual as his unwilling guides, through the use of Sigils and Elms (a form of magick use). The Templar learns late of their completely different states of being as Sirath holds him to ransom, taking the opportunity to interrogate him till fiends show up, after them. The Dual leaves him behind and makes good their escape while Hayashi flees and fights, still in search of Qyra.

Aryn runs into another Kaij’n being experimented on by the mansion’s medical staff, making him one of the numerous Hellion of which Qyra is feared to be the greatest and darkest. Due to feelings of hybrid companionship, he frees the boy named Chest’r whom then takes revenge upon his violators. Aryn’s curiosity lands him in trouble once again as their wields prove incompatible, the Egyptian forced to harm him. Shrugging the incident off, Aryn then runs into Hayashi’s quarry, Qyra, but picks a fight, only to be beaten by her pet daemon, Dell. The woman–child then asks him to take active part in her rebellion against her mentor and father of the Hellion, Knelhc. Rebellion, then world domination with the aid of the Hellion. Being naturally stubborn, Aryn declined her offer, Qyra then leaving him for the time being while he licks his wounds and thinks of revenge.

Out numbered by the fiends, Hayashi is saved from death by one of the mansion’s Maesters by the name of Geargn whom mended him only in order to take him apart again. It is a long battle during which the Aadm learns that he is no longer human thanks to the Maester’s tampering. Geargn also tells him of a time he had also been a Templar and the hidden threat of an ancient cult named Mithra, eating into the Order, whilst boasting of expertise in human experimentation, himself another example of his capabilities. The spell cast onto Hayashi is eventually disrupted before the appearance of a large Garou (werewolf) with a child atop it, present only to aid him in his fight against one of their masters. They are Escimi and Cellmah respectively, sent by Qyra in the hope of taking care of Geargn.

During Aryn’s wanderings, seeing a premonition of the girl Cellmah and her words spook him when the true Maester of the mansion arrives. The old haggard man with a youth impossible for his age, is held to ransom by Aryn’s Psi as the Egyptian notices an opportunity to learn more about his enigmatic existence but he learns nothing of importance. Taking Aryn’s preoccupation to his own advantage, the Maester attacks the Psi-wielder in hope of adding him to the ranks of his Hellion. Unlocking another door to his potential, Aryn defeats him and almost destroys himself in the process. Calming down, he seeks his reasons for coming and with no real answer, decides to leave. While doing so, the Mensarh engulfs then crushes him inside of it.

Revenge on the mansion’s head surgeon is the Dual’s first concern before Deidre tries to save all the Hellion she can but the Mensarh thwarts her plans. After so doing, they seek a means of escape and run into Chest’r whom had apparently survived his run in with Aryn. The Egyptian, also still alive but only in a state of astral being, comes across them and decides to take out his frustrations upon them which all ends in the Mensarh swallowing both Dual and Chest’r but not before it and Sirath are accidentally infected by the boy’s wield of death.

Unremorseful, Aryn then meets Hayashi and his saviors, in hiding as Escimi still recovers from a nasty wound inflicted by Geargn. The younger of the Hellion present, persuades the Egyptian to help them defeat the Maester and he agrees, taking Hayashi’s reluctant body with him. Together they defeat Geargn but Aryn kills him before Hayashi can learn more from the Maester, the Egyptian further taunting him over his jumbled memories. Not needed any more, Aryn is reminded of his own inadequacies by his time with the Templar and finds himself drawn to the mound of stone which had claimed and broken his body. Strangely, a force throws him back into his body as the stone melts away, his body now fully mended. Big headed, he goes to face off with the Mensarh at its core, only to be captured by Dell on Qyra’s orders.

Escimi with Cellmah and Hayashi, on their way to find Qyra, have their path barred by a band of Hellion led by Singh, son of Knelhc. Spokes person for all the Hellion left in the mansion to be exact, preaching against his father’s favorite, Qyra, and her plans as all they really want is a peaceful life in the Forsaken. In order to attain this, they are willing to thwart her plans when she appears before them all. Calling all those faithful to her and her cause, she loses the few she had previously had instead, including Escimi and Cellmah. Hayashi decides to attack her then when she vanishes but not before summoning a vast legion of daemons to vanquish all that opposes her.

Beneath the mansion, the Dual and Chest’r wait to be crushed by the moving earth when the latter’s wield finally kicks in and causes the Mensarh to leave them be. Snatching at opportunity, Sirath uses her wield, Blood Forge, to dig their way back up, Chest’r following behind at a safe distance.

The Garou sacrifices itself to get Hayashi close enough to Qyra but Cellmah gets there first. Qyra, whilst trying to find out what makes Aryn tick, determined to get him on her side, must unravel his past relations with a female Hellion named Amber in his past. Her guard, Khan, another son of Knelhc’s breaks in, under the control of a power greater than what Cellmah is known for but wielded by her.

It turns out that Knelhc had not died but simply hidden himself in the safest place within the mansion, Cellmah’s mind. Now in full control of her body, he uses her elevated wield to battle Qyra when the Templar arrives and casts a spell which destroys him and the tower they had all been in.

Deidre and Sirath emerge to find that they had lost Chest’r along the way and the latter is mortified as she had grown a liking for him, despite what he had done to her. Aryn also happens to be nearby, thrown by the explosion with an eye bleeding when the Mensarh begins to move in its death throes. The Psi-wielder saves the Dual from the dying daemon and sets her down in safety, the seed of a bond silently forming between them. Sensing Qyra’s presence nearby, he goes after her.

She is weak and injured but as Dell tries to confront Aryn, she stops him. Without warning, Crusaders, the elite of the Holy Order of Knight’s Templar appear from all over. Reinforcements sent to aid a now dead Hayashi, slaying every daemon and Hellion they can find. Qyra sends Dell to deal with them while the Egyptian renders himself and the woman-child invisible to all eyes including hers, when he falls victim to a trap set by her. A triumphant Qyra boasts of her win and is about to finish him off when she collapses from exhaustion.

Aryn watches her still body, wondering what exactly to do to her when two beings appear and ask him to leave her be. Intimidated by the capabilities they bear, Aryn, seeing no point in fighting over her and leaves her in their able hands. As he walks away, they ask him to join them in building something greater than each individual. The first true hybrid nation, but he declines. Somewhere nearby, a battered Escimi carries an even worse Cellmah as he seeks the closest direction to civilization and help. He leaves with her in search of a new beginning.