Faith of the Blind (Intro Thread)

[Saul Omen]

We come to understand only through questioning.
If we do not question, we will find no answers.
Blind faith is the worst kind of ignorance.

It was so very simple to get into the house, Saul had to wonder if his services were really necessary. A simple knock on the door, a set of fake credentials identifying him as a doctor, and he just walked right in. Of course, had the client not provided the alternate identity, this would have been far more difficult. Unable to keep a smile of anticipation off of his face, Saul Omen, Ice elemental and hired assassin, walks into the mansion of a wealthy politician. Evidently he had been funding the expanding war on drugs in Chicago, and his employers took such an attack personally. It was in their interest for this man to die, and they had made it in his interest as well. And so, he would.

Marble stairs made a beautiful climb up to the second story, but one that was treacherous for wet feet. It had been raining for hours now, really coming down in buckets, but Saul hardly cared. He did not feel the cold, and had always enjoyed water. Pausing at the top he glanced at a nearby servant questioningly. "To your right sir." the man instructed, receiving a grateful nod as the 'doctor' turned away. As he approached the door to the master bedroom, Saul paused and cleared his expression. Concern replaced anticipation as he opened the door, medicine bag in hand. He wore fresh dress pants and a clean white shirt and tie, his normal disheveled appearance nowhere in sight. It would hardly due for a rich and capable doctor to appear anything less than immaculate, would it?

"Good evening Mister Anderson." Saul greeted, trying very hard not to chuckle. It was honestly the name of the man, but every time he heard it made him think of the Matrix. "How are you feeling?" not very well would be his guess. Earlier that day Mister Anderson had the terrible misfortune to get caught on the busy streets. Saul had brushed his hand in passing, and just like that the fever had been planted. In minutes boils and sores had spread across his skin, his fever raging as he was hurried home. No public hospitals for this privileged man. He had called a private doctor, and here Saul was.

Sitting beside the man on the bed, Saul began to examine his skin. He had no idea what the tools in the bag were for, but he would not have to keep up the charade long. Feeling the wrist where a pulse should be, Saul felt nothing. But the man was alive so he was just inept. No surprise. "I think I know exactly what is wrong with you." he declared, feeding disease into the man even as he faked trying to cure him. The boils were festering and the sores spreading even as he watched. Leaning forward he allowed himself a wicked grin, placing two fingers on the side of the man's neck. "It's me." he whispered.

Mister Anderson finally noticed that his fever was sky rocketing, his flesh horribly discolored and warped by the sickness. His throat filled with phlegm and boils formed inside of it, bursting and adding pus to the blockage. As his 'patient' began to choke Saul called out for assistance. Servants rushed in, following his hurried instructions to do a great many things that would not help at all. The politician was dead in minutes, the servants turning to ask the doctor what they should do. But while they had been busy with their master, Saul had vanished.

Staggering as he reappeared from the Shuffle, Saul steadied himself quickly. He was in the middle of the city, bustling Chicago. Luckily he had appeared in an alley, where he was less likely to have been seen teleporting. Chuckling to himself, Saul opened his hand and stared down at the trinket. It was what the man had been clutching before Saul opened his hand to feel his pulse. The sight of the medallion made him laugh. It was the symbol of Forgery, the god of lies and deceit. Saul shook his head, encasing the medallion in ice before throwing it aside. Only fools turned to the uncaring Gods for aid. He hated all of the followers of the gods, and those who worship Zaystev particularly. His Aunt had died to one of his minions. She used to be one of the Accursed, and they had hunted her down to seek his favor. Well fate had a sense of humor as well it seemed.

[Varos Talantos]

Forgery Zaytsev scowled at the figure's turned back as he walked away from the God's concealed form. He had been observing the scene after one of the three Heroes of Forgery Zaytsev had suddenly caught a raging fever with pus-filled boils and incapacitating, whooping coughs. Symptoms of an unnatural disease.

He had stood near to the his beloved when the 'doctor' had arrived, hidden to all but Tristian Anderson's eyes. Though he had desired to aid his Hero, this battle was not his to fight. If the Conspirator had been more clever and secretive, he would not have been in this situation. He watched the life force seep from his follower painfully as blisters appeared spontaneously, growing larger and larger until they would pop with a vile gush of green, yellow, and black pus.

When finally his life had ended, Forgery was sure to keep track of the being who'd committed the act, pursuing him to this alley after a simple teleportation. The "doctor" might have been fortunate he'd not ended up in an ocean, but he was certainly going to recognize his misfortune at attracting negative attention from a God. The God of Deception watched as the Elemental threw a special medallion like trash and growled slightly. He watched invisibly as the being walked towards a brick wall that looked like the way out of the alley to the ice-lover, waiting for impact.

[Saul Omen]

We come to understand only through questioning.
If we do not question, we will find no answers.
Blind faith is the worst kind of ignorance.

Saul staggered back as he walked into...nothing. Eyes wide as he stared at the empty space, he reached out and placed his hands against what felt like a brick wall. "Illusion." he growled, panic filling him as he spun. Ice particles appeared out of thin air, floating around him and forming in sharp icicles. There were seven of the frozen blades in seconds, facing the darkness before him. Illusions meant some other supernatural creature was about, and he was doubtful that this was just coincidence. Those with powers were common enough, but for him to randomly teleport into an alley with one right after killing off the politician...just too inconvenient.

His eyes saw nothing, but that hardly mattered. He was dealing with as killed illusionist here, they could be standing right in front of him and he would never know. Startled by the thought, he sends the icy blades rotating around him at high speeds. At least now nothing could get close without getting cut up. "Who is there?" he asked, knowing that nobody ever answered when asked that question. The idiots in horror movies always called into the darkness, letting the monster or killer know exactly where they are. Well they already knew where he was, he just had to find them too. The alley was filthy, coated with the grime of the city, and there were many hiding places. The dumpsters against one wall, the trash bags piled beside them. Feeling jumpy he sent a single blade slicing through the bags, hacking them apart viciously.

[Varos Talantos]

Forgery snickered inwardly as the Elemental face-planted into the wall. A cheap trick, but humorous, nonetheless. Forgery watched this being's eyes as he registered the danger he was in and created a protective wall of whirling icicles around him. Icicles shredded through the alley, destroying bags of garbage and other such debris relentlessly in the creature's rightfully-placed concern.

Forgery allowed a booming laugh to escape and fill the space of the alley, deep bellows thickening the air around them. A masterful user of illusions would be able to conjure such and to further impress the artful skill of his tormentor upon the assassin, Forgery darkened the sky to a bruise-coloured black and blue. The God decided to acquire a fraudulent attacker and a random Human was summoned to the place, invisible to the eyes of the ice-mage. The Human's eyes widened, seeing the cascade of frozen daggers swirling about and opened his mouth to scream. Unfortunately, Forgery had silenced the poor being and he stood soundlessly appalled for a moment before being shoved roughly from behind into the cyclone of icy blades. Immediately, four blades sunk deep into his flesh and he became suddenly visible as he crumpled to the ground in an unmoving heap.

The sky cleared and the alley revealed it's true openings to the ice wielding humanoid. Forgery watched, still hiding himself, to see his Hero's murderer's next move, thoughts flickering briefly to a cat toying with a mouse.

[Saul Omen]

We come to understand only through questioning.
If we do not question, we will find no answers.
Blind faith is the worst kind of ignorance.

OOC: if you want to curse or convert him then feel free to try.

Saul smiled to himself, stepping forward and looking at the body. He seemed almost surprised. Ice began to creep across the body until it was fully encased, leaving only the areas over his joints exposed. The small blades became larger, almost cleaver-like, one hovering over each of the gaps. With a sudden burst of speed they hacked through the flesh, severing tendon and muscle easily. The body collapsed into a pile of fourteen pieces, blood pooling as the ice quickly vanished. He must have been another follower of Forgery, why else would he have followed Saul? "Not even your God can put you back together again." he muttered with a grin, leaning down and placing the palm of one hand against the man's forehead. It began to quickly rot, dissolving into a pile of mush around the skull in minutes. His hands followed. Now if anyone wanted to know who this had been they would have to use DNA.

Turning from the decimated corpse, Saul stepped out onto the main street, blending in with the busy crowd easily. It had been an interesting day, and he did so hate when his missions became interesting. Routine meant that everything went according to plan. Only screw ups made it more exciting. That only happened when he was in danger. He wanted to live a long and full life filled with riches, and in order to do that he would have to actually stay alive.

[Varos Talantos]

Forgery looked on as the assassin mutilated the corpse of the innocent Human, obviously assuming that it had been the source of the confusion. Forgery grinned secretively, a pleased smile creasing his face and plunged into the crowd behind the man.

To ensure true invisibility, the God phased out of material existence as he followed. While keeping his three foot distance from the man, Forgery's eyes flashed over with an image of an ocean of bubbling lava stretching far as the eye can see. A moment later, the image transferred from Forgery's eyes and into the retinas of the unsuspecting iceling before him. After all, what could frighten a wielder of ice more than an image of a place where his power was nullified?

Besides, this would inevitably immobilize him in this reality (lest he walk into traffic). The God maintained his distance and watched the Ice Elemental's reaction.[/color]