Fangir and Soran stood in the new shrine room, near a pillar. neither were taken aback when the column's shadow coalesced into their master. The shadowy figure looked towards Soran. Its vacant face did not move, but a voice emanated outwards nonetheless. [b]"Report."[/b]

Soran replied with his harsh cadence, "Our focus was on erected a more permanent heart for your greatness. That is done, as are the quarters below and this shrine. I am sure you will find the facilities to par with your expectations."

Shaige replied with an insidious whisper, [b]"Indeed. I have already inspected your work, and it exceeded my expectations. Well done."[/b] The shadow's gaze now fell on Fangir. Once again, he said, [b]"Report."[/b]

The archdruid began to speak, "Most of my tribesmen were assisting Soran, though I put every spare hand to work on other tasks. The battlefield above was cleaned. We have put the enemy's armor and weapons into storage. Soran oversaw the cremation of the corpses..."

The shadow mused to himself, [i]"So, Soran has lied to Fangir. How perfidious. Ah, though he was clever to consider what the humans' reactions to sacrifices might be, it is unnecessary. The imps do not understand just how savage and barbaric these forest tribes are...they are no strangers to blood sacrifices."[/i]

Fangir had been continuing, "A foundry and metal smelter is being built. We shall melt down our enemies' armor and weapons, mine our hills, and then arm ourselves with proper weapons." He declared, "For too long have we kept to the old ways. If we are to be strong and defeat the vile crusaders and all the other tribes, then we must work metal."

Shaige answered, [b]"Are you a fool? The crusaders fell victim to my spirits; their armor is in pristine condition. Their equipment is ten times as valuable as a disguise than it is as mere scrap metal. A foundry is indeed good. I need an army that is well equipped. However, you will have no metal to work. Your smeltery would produce smoke. That smoke would either choke your entire tribe to death in these caves, or it would have to go to the surface and reveal our presence. And the other tribes are not your enemies, the crusaders are. The other tribes will flock to my side easily enough, and you will bury any petty feuds."[/b]

Fangir was unfazed. "Fine. We shall keep the armor that is in good condition and melt the rest. Soran too was glad to point out that furnaces produce smoke. I am not a fool. We will simply block off a section of the caverns and route all the exhaust into there. What does it matter if we turn some vacant hole into a soot-filled inferno?" 

Then, Fangir vehemently addressed his master's last point. "The other tribes ARE our enemies. They hate us more than they do the crusaders, as they are not yet the ones under attack. They would sooner die than join you, now that you have sided with us. And now, I must go see about leading a foraging expedition. I expect the other tribes will soon regain their courage and resume their trespassing on our land. When that happens, we must have more food in storage."

Shaige was impressed, albeit taken aback. Fangir had more wit that the Keeper had given him credit for, and he possessed no small amount of courage to stand up to his master. Humbled, though refusing to betray any sign of it, Shaige said, [b]"Wait. When I returned to this place, I passed your razed village. It was filled with looters. If they were not from your tribe, they were from another."[/b]

Fangir stopped in his tracks, having already began to walk off. He turned around, enraged, and hissed, "I shall gather my druids. We will kill every man who would walk on the Mutig tribe's land, looting our fallen and sifting through their homes."

Shaige simply commanded, [b]"No. You shall remain here."[/b]

Fangir seethed in anger. Before the archdruid could speak, Shaige continued.

[b]"You say that they are your enemies, that they would sooner die than submit to my rule? So be it. We will make an example of that tribe, but not yet. Some small skirmish would achieve nothing. You are to finish construction of the forge and smelter. Arm your tribesmen and druids. Prepare them. Soon, we shall go on the offensive. But until then, not a single man is to leave this cavern."[/b]

With that, Shaige vanished. He reappeared further up, where his followers were busy scrambling about and doing their work. There was no need to hide himself in the shadows or go invisible, the sight of him only commanded respect and adoration, and the people worked harder in his presence. In his wanderings, Shaige came across a small storage room, out of the way. Inside, he found nothing except a pile of tiny idols and figurines. There were bears, wolves, spiders, and all sorts of beasts, carved from bone and wood. Every last idol had been smashed and thrown into this heap, as the Mutig tribe had forsaken their spirits after the battle and turned to worshiping Shaige instead.

Shaige was touched, in a way. He treated his enemies with ruthlessness, but his followers he was benevolent towards, at least more so than most Keepers. The shadow wandered back into the busier tunnels. The shadow's hand touched the head of the first man he saw, and the tribesman instantly fell asleep. Shaige's shadowy form enveloped the resting body of his follower, and a moment later the two reappeared far below, in Shaige dungeon heart. The Keeper set about making a new creature, blessing this human with his power.

Second Minion: 0/5
Foundry and Smelter: 0/5

[hider=Shaige's Stuff:]

[u]Minions:[/u] Soran the imp construct, 9 imps, 100 pain elementals, Fangir the archdruid, 30 druids, ~300 Mutig Tribesmen
[u]Resources:[/u] Several hundred corpses ready for sacrifice. Plenty of different tools and weapons, though they are generally of poor quality or materials. Enough food to last a month on meager rations.
[u]Infrastructure:[/u] Shaige's dungeon is a sprawling, subterranean city. The entrance is in the side of a rocky hill, in the form of a narrow cave concealed with magic. Down below are many twisting corridors and chambers of varying size. Magical lighting is used, so as to not suffocate everyone inside the poorly ventilated cavern. The cave system is massive, and much of it is unused and unexplored. Shaige's dungeon heart is a fountain of blood in the sanctuary directly below his shrine room, deep beneath the surface and the rest of his dungeon. A foundry and smelter are in construction, in one of the previously vacant branches of the upper caverns.
[/hider]

[hider=Compendium Entries:]
[u]Shaige, Prince of Darkness:[/u]
The ghost of a keeper from another world. He was summoned into Elysium with no memories of his past life, though his extended stay in the Void gave him an unrivaled mastery over the the various types of black magic: blood, shadow, smoke, and soul. He is capable of taking several forms, though as a general rule, he is far weaker when he takes on an ethereal or invisible body. His true form is a humanoid mad of pure, coruscating violet light. Shaige prefers to cloak himself within a robe of pure shadow, though his amethyst eyes always peer out from within the hood. He is manipulative and Machiavellian, keeping everything from his goals to even his name a secret from his followers. Nonetheless, those who serve him are well rewarded and fiercely loyal.

[u]Forest Tribes:[/u]
These tribal civilizations make their home in the forests west of Paterdomus. There are five tribes: the Mutig, Ruhig, Heftig, Feige, and Klug. There has been feuding and fighting between the tribes that reaches back generations, and as a result they mistrust and hate each other. However, the tribes are very similar: each is ruled by shamans, druids, witch doctors, or some other caste of magic users. They all used to worship their bestial tribal spirits and loas, however the Mutig have recently abandoned their spirits and taken to worshiping a new patron spirit, the keeper Shaige.

Nestled in the foothills of the Hindrun ranges, they have long been isolated from the rest of the world and are thus technologically primitive. However, their isolation has ended: as Paterdomus's hinterlands spread and farms began to appear on the outskirts of the forests, raiders emerged. The Paterdomans are now in the process of launching a crusade to rid themselves of the tribes and gain new territory further inland. Thus far only the Mutig have been attacked, though the result was worrying. Their village was razed, and just a third of the tribesmen managed to escape to a cave system in their territory. The rest of the Mutig were slain or enslaved, but that third that escaped is now under the protection and leadership of Shaige.[/hider]