Dark Horizons on the Isle of Twilight

[Vanion Shadowcast]

The word spreads around the city of Rhy'Din like wildfire, despite the fact that many are not overly familiar with the Duels of Magic and the portal to the Twilight Isle in the Red Dragon Inn.

A vampire there, Vanion Shadowcast, has defeated another Wizard to obtain the Key to the Tower of Air. The result makes him the first magic user in Rhy'Din to have ever obtained the keys to all of the Elemental Towers.

Rumors have it that this is a dark omen, and that the victory has granted Vanion a weapon that he has been seeking for some time. It is to note that the doors to the Temple of Myr'Khul shut at Midnight, after Vanion won his Key, and have not opened since.

Something bad was coming. The Old Temple District buzzed, and many of its denizens abandoned the section of the city as religious war seemed imminent. What was coming?

[Karen Wilder]

Karen's agents had been keeping a serrupticious eye upon the Temple of Myr'Khul since the night it had risen... every unusual event was reported in detail to the secret spymaster, Lucien Monterre.

Lucien knew there were secret tunnels below the Temple... but finding and infiltrating more than a few had proven maddeningly difficult. He was also well aware that some of the Temple's residents could enter and leave it's grounds through supernatural means.

When the doors closed and remained so, Lucien looked for a reason... and came upon it quickly.

The Tower of Air... After so many attempts, Vanion had finally conquered it. But unlike his previous victories, the vampire did not immediately shut himself up in his newly-won Tower.

Despite the lateness of the hour, a messanger was sent to Commander Wilder. The Templars would need to be alerted to this potential menace. Lucien also prepared a less detailed and more anonymous report for the Temple of Divine Light. He did not send it yet, however... that would be Karen's decision.

For now, he stepped up surveilance of the Temple of Myr'Khul and sent an envoy to gather the Old Man and his allies... With luck, they might even bring the Bard's Daughter and the Young Mage. If things were as bad as he thought, the Templars would need as many allies as they could get.

[Rhaine]

Golden feline eyes watched from the darkness. Soon after, large black cat leaped into a warp, and landed on ideally polished marble floor.

"So any news, Lyrt?" the priestess asked. The cat looked into her eyes, and purred something.

"I see. Things are getting fun in our intermediary base. I will see how my report is taken... the Lord might give me precise orders I would have to follow."

She knelt in the cold silence of prayer hall, chasing off all worries and problems. The report had to be pure facts. Inhaling deeply, she opened her memory and awaited the orders...

[Keith Althos]

Holoprojector came to life in Althos R&D office. Keith looked at the familiar face - grey hair, unnaturally large dark blue eyes, lips curved slightly in ironic smile. How many do really know how much she means to our company, he wondered lazily.

On the outside, Althos R&D was one of Mentar Station research companies, one of those being on the bleeding edge of technology, implementing everything a maniac's imagination could throw. Althos clan specialized their company (on the outside, of course!) on home automation and life support. Little did outsiders know about the true specifics of their work - living armors, metamorph enhancements, neural interfaces, stealth-morphs, and undetectable weapons. Everything aimed at turning an individual into death incarnate.

"Hail, Rhaine of Lerdann," Keith nodded politely.

"Evening, Keith. Do you have secure channel now all to yourself?"

"Naturally. Something interesting?"

"I would like five half-hundred sets of living armor with metamorph enhancements. Matching neural interfaces on best of Dehtyar's hand guns. Five half-hundreds of neural controls locked onto one... Remember, dear, this is urgent. Oh.... and a catalogue of your intelli-home appliances," this made the hologram of Rhaine smile a bit.

"That will be delivered by tomorrow dawn. But... why lock all control interfacts onto one?"

"I trust no one but myself, Keith. And things are getting hot here".

"I see. May I question the last paragraph? Did you finally get an urge of settling down with someone?" Keith's grin matched best of Rhaine's impish grins.

"You may question, but will I answer?" her tone was toxic. "No, this is a bribe. And a way to promote our services and goods in this city. Read Elynne's articles on progression, might teach you something useful. Now, get going, time doesn't stand still."

Ah, there it was.... Always business-like, and always a double meaning to any action. Keith grinned, and shut down the secure channel. In the end, Althos clan owed a lot to her. She was the one to save the results of so many experiments when a terrorist from Lyrid station decided to get a hold on their secrets for free. After this, she invested much of her time and effort in their works with molecular bionics... enough to earn herself position of co-owner. He knew well that Rhaine was using them, but so far her manipulations brought nothing but profit to the clan. Little big boss. How many would know how much she meant to Keith and Elynne? To twins of Althos clan that were kidnapped - and teleported into safety by strange young-looking woman with ageless eyes?

No one should know. And her order shall be followed.