Okay, I've decided. Let's investigate that ancient temple that folks at Ashbury kept whispering about.
Really, sir? Why not do that after this whole Wheel clan business is settled?
Disregard dear Virgil's opinion, Gilford. I concur that we investigate that temple. Who knows what sort of ancient magic we can discover down there...
Arf!
Three to one, Virgil. You lose.
*Sighs*
The journey was unremarkable...
The welcome was expected...but the descent, revealed something unexpected...
Uh..yes..Hullo there, friend. Might I speak with you a moment?
Yes, Geoffrey?
Yes...this place, this temple...I think I know what it is..
Well...out with it..
Well...we don't talk about it much. Necromancers, I mean. The symbol there, the eagle with the snake's head, that's the symbol of the Derian-Ka...
Who were the Derian-Ka?
They were a secret order of dark necromancers.formed during the Age of Legends. The darker arts haven't always been so well-received, and so they used to practice their magicks in secret. I wasn't aware that they actually haad a temple. *He looks around, a slight shiver goes through him.* A bit spooky, if you ask me...
(Fascinating.) What else do you know about them, Geoffrey?
Heh...sorry, but it's not something I talk about frequently. It's kind of an "old boys" affair, if you get my meaning..fraternity oaths, and all that.
I see. You're as helpful as ever, Geoffrey. *Roll eyes*
Always glad to be of service.
The monstrosities the party faced deep within the temple left no doubt of the necromancy at work.
But there was much to gain from the treasures...
And mysteries to be solved.
An altar of offering. Seems to be asking for a black diamond. Going to be hard to find.
Best not to mess around with old rituals, sir.
Come..there's much more to find beneath this temple..
Ancient library was plundered and valuable scrolls were found.
As well as enchanted equipment of old. Liberated from its guarded containers. Yet the most surprise came from the last room itself...
(An undead speaks to me?) What? Who are YOU? Are you alive? A spirit...?
Ahhh...the voice..of the living...*It sighs, a sound like the crumbling pages of an old tome* So..long..it's beeenn...
Again...what are you?
Warrior in the army..of ..the dead. Currrsssssed...death...with..no...releaaaaseee...Life...beyond this wasted flesh...
(His bones..no flesh remains...how is it possible?) What happened to you? What curse do you speak of?
This...temple...a..home..to the Order. Speakers....commune...dancing with the..dead. They..brought..us back to ..sever..the..Hand..So very long ago...
I don't understand. Sever the hand? Whose?
Lisssstennnn...*The voice grew faint.* Travel north..to the cave.. Find the Pool...bring..back..the..blood...*He points to a place on the map.* Pleeeeeeaseeeeee...I...want...to..liiiiveeee...
Dragon's Blood? For real? I don't know...Hey!
The skeleton whispers several words that the party cannot make out.
There's only one thing left to do then.
I don't know about this, sir. He looks...ancient. Are you sure bringing him back to life is a good idea?
The amount of ancient knowledge he possess...he must've been down there for hundreds of years at least! What do you think Geoffrey?
Uh...do as you like, I..I just want to be out of here.
Hmph. Let's go get that Dragon's Blood, shall we?
Before the party continues towards the Dragon's Blood, they made a short trip to Ashbury to sell their gotten loot and identify several powerful artifacts.
Amazing. That trip was so worth it! And that ancient spirit is just icing on the cake! Let's go!
In the midst of the journey...
Hmph. Don't make me laugh. That bourgeois pig got what he deserved!
Must've been an associate of Bates...hiring these bounty hunters to kill me...
Bates. THE Gilbert Bates? Renowned Technologist of Tarant?
Aye. I killed him.
You...you WHAT?!
Is there going to be a problem?
ABSOLUTELY..not! Good show, doing your part for us mages!
We need to stay on our toes, sir. Someone must've told them about you..
First the assassins, and now this. *Thinks for a moment.* Appleby! He'll pay for this!
The party continues their journey towards the place of Dragon's Blood...
Another hole on the ground? How exciting!
Not sure if the blood is still here, but hey, the chance of finding some old treasures..worth it!
The party fought past some of the ancient guardians and stumble upon a dried pool...
Hmm. Completely dry. We need to go deeper.
Let's hope there's even a pool that isn't dry at the end of this trip.
Stay focused.
I see it! There! Charge!
They were victorious.
Dragon's Blood. *Scoops a vial* Think it's the real deal?
Why, yes..I've tasted dragon's blood before.
*Stares and holds the vial at Geoffrey.*
I was just jesting with you!
Ah well, only one way to find out...
The party made the journey back to The Ancient Temple...when suddenly...
What? Who are you?
Don't you know? Are not you the reincarnation of Nasrudin? Has it been so long that you don't recognize your old nemesis? Or perhaps you are not the Living One after all..merely a puppet playing his role..
(It can't be..) Ah. You must be Arronax...
So..you remember me, do you Nasrudin? Do you remember what I did to your pathetic Elven Council? Do you remember when all of Arcanum shook before my power? Be warned...they will do so again. I have to bring you a message...
*Glances at Virgil momentarily.* And that message is?
The message is this: whether you are the Living One or not. Whether or not the coward Nasrudin hides in your bone or still rots in his grave, the inevitable will still come to pass. I am returning. It has already been set in motion, and there's nothing you can do about it. I am returning, and all will fall before me. Everyone you know...everyone you love...
You bastard! Face me as a warrior!
(Shit.) ARRONAX!
Can't...move...my strength..leaves...me. Damn it.
Sir, are you alright? It's him, isn't it?
I know. We'll get him. Wheel clan, right after this.
*Nods.*
I'm starting to wonder if I'll die from all this excitement...
Woof!
Yes, yes, yes. Let's get moving shall we?
(The Prophecy is true after all. Could it be? I am..the Living One?)
Later...at the ancient temple.
What will happen? What exactly is going on here..
Use the blood...on...me...
Fine. *Splashes the contents of the vial on the skeleton.*
His flesh..reforming?!
Who are you?
*He looks at Alain, surprised, as if he's forgotten Alain was there.* Me? I am...Torian Kel, Warlord in the Gray Legion of the Derian-Ka. *He looks around, at both Alain and the surrounding temple.* How many years has it been..? All of this, and you..so unfamiliar..
I don't know...how long were you like that?
I..I don't know. I was a warrior, raised from the grave to serve in the undead legions of the Derian-Ka. We fought a great battle with the...what was it? So many years ago, and I am all that is left. *A great sorrow passes over his features.* Alone, so alone...
Torian Kel...I have many questions. Might you answer them?
*He shakes himself, turning to Alain.* Forgive me, I owe you a debt of gratitude. *He holds an arm over his breast, bowing slightly.* What question did you have?
I had some questions about the Derian-Ka...
What would you like to know about the Derian-Ka?
Who were they?
The Derian-Ka was the ancient Order of the Dead, formed by the disciples of the great necromancer, Kerghan, in the years following his banishment. They were a secret ancient society, unknown for years, who practiced the arts of Dark Necromancy...
Why was it so secret? What were they doing?
*He looks at Geoffrey, bowing slightly.* Perhaps you should ask your companion. He is of the Derian-Ka...I can sense it. Greetings, sir...
Uh..Geoffrey? What's he talking about?
(Unfuckingbelievable.) I see...
Yes...listen here. I know a little about the Gray Legions. You might want to think about stepping carefully around this fellow...remember, they were raised for one purpose and one purpose only...
Yeah, Geoffrey. I'll consider that.
I think that would be advisable, friend. And whatever happens, don't ask the old chap to come along with us! I mean, I like a good reanimation as much as the next man, but REALLY...it's so gauche to travel with the undead. And I really don't trust him, in any case...
(Jeez, he's so paranoid all the sudden.) *Turns back to Torian Kel.* Hmmm. So, Torian Kel..you were speaking of the Derian Ka?
Perhaps things are different now, but the practice of the dark necromantic arts was forbidden for many years. The Derian-Ka lived among the shadows for centuries, wielding their dark magicks behind locked doors, uncovering the secrets of the spirit worlds..soul-poisons, the raising of the undead, *He points to himself* spekaing with spirits beyond the grave.
What happened to them?
There was a great schism in the Order. Within the Derian-Ka were an order of assassins. They were called the Molochean Hand, and for centuries they were the silent weapon of the Derian-Ka, a deadly defense against the world and its prejudices. But one day the Hand turned against the Order, and there was war between them...
(The same Molochean Hand that is after me as well?) And so? What causes the schism..?
I never knew what happened to cause that rift. But because of it, the Gray Legions were raised.
What were the Gray Legions?
The Gray Legions were a great army of the undead, raised by the Derian-Ka as protection against the Molochean Hand. Our sole purpose was to eradicate all traces of the Hand, so that the Order could continue...
You spoke of a great battle?
*He seems lost in thought, his eyes somewhere far away.* 10,000 strong we were, fearless and of one mind. Standing upon that battlefield, the darkened sky reflected in our black burnished Dread-Armor..the stamping cavalry on their Shadow Stallions behind the endless rows of the stone-faced pikemen. It was cold, but we had no breath...the air was so still..
And the Hand?
The Hand? Yes, the Hand...*A look of pain and regret flashes on his face.* The Hand were the greatest warriors of their time. Quick, deadly, precise. They stood across from us, on the opposite ridge. Lightly armored, faces masked...their archers armed with Elven Great Bows, almost as tall as they were. *He whispers.* And fire, stranger, so much fire...
And there was a battle?
Oh yes...there was a battle the likes of which Arcanum had never seen, perhaps will never see again. The Hand threw themselves against us, we without death, time and time again. They severed the arm that held the sword, burned the body which held the arm, destroyed the souls within those bodies...the Hand, you see, were themselves not unlearned in the ways of magicks...
And the Gray Legions were defeated?
Yes...the Gray Legions fell on that day, but so did many of the Molochean Hand. A few soldiers from both armies stumbled off the battlefield, and were lost to history. The Derian-Ka were never heard from again...
You said you were 'the last'..what did that mean?
As I said, there were a few Gray Legionnaires who survived. Because we were undead, we walked Arcanum for centuries, trying to stay hidden from the eyes of man. But the flesh, even the flesh of the undead, cannot last forever. Little by little, year by year, our earthly shells decayed.
Hence, why you were a skeleton a few moments ago...
Yes...and I was fortunate. Do you see the piles of dust scattered here and there? Those are the last remains of my companions. Dead, but not dead..you see, their souls are still trapped here on this plane. Forever tied to their earthly remains. A curse..a cruel, cruel curse.
Is there nothing to be done?
There is nothing I can do. The Dragon's Blood pool can restore the flesh, but even it has its limits. Nothing will ever raise my comrades from the dust. They will live on...without voice, without dreams, without vision...
(Such a sad fate of the undead..) What will you do now, Torian?
Now? I don't know...I don't belong here..it seems nothing like the world I remember. All I know is war and death....even after all these centuries, I still feel the bloodlust, the need for battle. But mostly, I wish to free my remaining companions as I have been freed. Perhaps I will try to find the means to do so.
(To face Arronax, I will need all abled warriors like him along.) Perhaps you should come with me...
Come with you? But why? We are of different worlds, stranger. I am a deathless warrior, raised to shed blood in defense of a long-dead order. All I have left are my memories, and my hopeless quest...
I see something, too. Perhaps we might find answers together.
*He is silent for a while, considering.* Perhaps you are right. Yes. We might just find our answers in the same place. I will come with you, and fight by your side. What is your name, stranger?
I am Alain Gilford.
As I am in your debt, Alain Gilford, I pledge to fight by your side until...well, until I can no longer do so...
*Salutes.* The honor is mine, Torian Kel, Last of the Gray Legion.
Next to the dog, Torian is one of the most specialized melee character with no armor and weapons limitations like Gar the Orc. However, his alignment is evil and would never follow a good-aligned character. A neutral stance between Magic and Tech means he fits equally well when outfitted with both Technological and Arcane equipment. A potent combination, to be sure.
What makes him interesting is that he is completely optional and can be missed by many players. Accessible only by stumbling upon the Ancient Temple or Ashbury rumors, Torian Kel will usually elude players on their first playthrough. Fully voiced, and possess several paragraphs of lore and interaction with other party member and the main plot itself, Torian Kel is perhaps the Vincent Valentine of Arcanum.