Chronicles of the Enslaver

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Ximun held the blade in the flames until it glowed hot then dug it into the flesh of Argider’s chest. The Zar whispered a prayer to his patron as the shaman proceeded to cut angry runes into his skin. The pain was intense and the smell of charred flesh assailed the senses but upon finishing his prayer Argider met it all with a grim smile. The Zar and his tribesmen had been caught by surprise as they’d been exploring the city ruins. The zealots of the Witch Hunters who had assailed them on their way into the city had descended on them once again. The tribesmen had been separated at the time and Argider himself had fallen in the melee that followed. Overwhelmed by the weight of numbers against him Argider had been battered to the ground. Fortunately the southmen had been over eager and pressed on before checking to see if the tribal lord still drew breath. Argider had been unmarked by the encounter but his fury with himself had yet to subside.
Argider had demanded that his shaman carry out the ritual. In part so that the scars would remind him of his own failure but more as an act of penance and to show his patron Elazar that he was worthy of his favour and could not only weather this pain but indeed revel in it.
Upon finishing applying the burning scars to his Zar the shaman had fetched the narcotic laced ink he’d mixed earlier and emptied the bucket over his chieftain. Argider let out a scream born of pain and ecstasy as the ink seeped into the raw flesh of the cut runes. Purple ink sprayed from the Zar as he raised his arms to the heavens and the droplets that flew into the flames ignited in a pinkish glow.
“Glorious Elazar!” Argider roared. “I bear the scars for my failure in your service. I swear upon my soul I shall not fail you again!”
The tribesmen had gathered around to watch the ritual and had sat in silent awe of the Zar’s resilience. Argider looked down at them with demented eyes.
“Drink!” he screamed. “Tomorrow we will take our enemies’ hearts as penance for their cowardice! And their tongues we’ll nail up as an offering to our Lord!”

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More on this at a later point...