Role

Chapter 11

Zah's life has been as long as it has been brutal. Centuries of war have
passed by and Zah has long watched over the Village in one form or another.
Brave Villagers rising up, before being snuffed out. Enemies too, the
powerful, the cowardly, the respected. Many have faced Zah, few remain, but
always more arrive at the gates.

In all Zah's time, only one thing has remained constant: change.

In his youth, this would have bothered Zah, but time, wisdom and the Fury of
Winter had changed that. Zah no longer fought for victory, to rid Thera of
magic. The hatred for magic in all its forms remained and the rage that came
with it, but Zah no longer believed in the final victory.

Instead Zah now embraced this everlasting change. Every mage brought down,
gave opportunity for another to rise in his place. Every fallen comrade,
brought more young and eager to fill the Village huts. This was the beauty
and futility of mortal life.

So it was that Zah found himself standing within the Village circle, lying
broken before him were the corpses of rival Villagers, challengers to his
position as Commander. Zah had cast out the absent and weak-hearted Elven
Commander Galgeron and rightfully taken his place.

It was the second time Zah had stood as Commander, but this time it would be
different. Zah would bring conquest and destruction, wars and devastation to
the realm. The commands of the Lord of Strife sang within him. The Thirst
which had always dominated Zah rose up once again, the need to abandon
oneself and destroy. Only this time it was more powerful than ever, and with
it came a spark of darkness.