[center]
[i]My goddess has shown me many things, but what speaks to me the most, is that true salvation can not be achieved through negotiation, but reached by brazen victories.[/i]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/XfNSbfx.jpg[/IMG]

Name: Damien Cass O'Shalna
Age: 24
Build: 6'2 230lbs[/center]

"Damien's always been plagued by nightmares, since he was a boy we would always rush to his room as soon as the screaming started. He said it was a beast that chased him, it would chase him through a thick forest, he would talk about how it was so foggy he would trip and fall and get up and keep running. They always ended the same way, he would run out to a beach, the beast chasing him into the water. He usually woke up by then, but sometimes...he said sometimes he'd drown until a woman would grab his hand. We took him to the best doctors, consulted the city's best psychologists. I mean, we would put him through test after test. He must have had his brain scanned at least a dozen times but they would all say the same thing, 'he's fine, he'll grow out of it.'." the voice began to tremble with confusion, "they never stopped, even when he was a teenager. He would lock his door, he said he had to fight the beast in his dreams but he never won. It wasn't until..."

"Wasn't until when, Mrs. O'Shalna?"

"It wasn't until he started reading those books, spending time with Faes. When he found out he was Fae, something clicked inside of him. He was able to figure it out, but I lost my eldest son, and that still hurts me to this day. He was a 5 Star Recruit, won All-American honors, First Team Collegiate Defensive Captain. He received the Ray Lewis Award for being the best linebacker in the country -- just look around, his awards are all over our living room, it's all I have left of him." the occasional sniffle came around, Damien's adoptive mother reached for a tissue and tried to calm herself, "It was this Avan kid, some kid he met in class that said he could rid him of his nightmares. He was the one that gave my Damien all of those old books, that spoke of gods and old traditions. He would go swimming every morning, up before the sun was, gone. I should have known then, I should have known I would lose him! He sat me down, he talked about how he was finally able stop the nightmares. He said 'Mom, I was never supposed to fight the beast, the beast was meant for me to embrace.' He spoke of all these things I didn't understand, he wouldn't stop about his one true goddess, the one he was meant for."

"Can you tell me the name of the goddess he began worshiping please?"

Mrs. O'Shalna laughed through her tears, the name brought her a miasma of different emotions. The goddess in question was the one who cleared Damien's clouded mind, cured him of his nightmares but also infatuated him so much he disconnected from his adoptive family all together and create the Sea Tigers, a movement of Fae that would eventually become his new family, as he felt it was intended to be so. Mrs. O'Shalna wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked up at her wall to a picture of Damien when he was still a child.

"Liara...her name is Liara."

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Damien's boots left heavy imprints in the sand as he walked out to the beach. Central Forest cut clear through the sea, and the forest was dense enough to allow him to follow the river bank all the way without being seen by any drones. His scouts recognized when he was on a walk, and kept their distance out of respect for their calm leader. He removed the leather spaulders and vambraces, undoing his belt so he could slip his neomesh shirt off. His sword made a soft thud as it hit the sand. A twig snapped in the treeline, prompting Damien to stop and smile. His elven captain, Alistar made his presence known as he emerged from the treeline with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you going to see her again so soon? Frequent visits are unlike you, Damien. I hope you're not quarreled by our recent developments. Had I known it would have bothered you so, I would have waited until a better time to tell you."
"This isn't about Helen, Alistar, I've just got some things I need to hear from her right now, which is why I'm doing this. I'm fine, and when the day comes where something burdens me so much it hinders my ability to lead these men properly, you will be the first to know."
"Not the orc?"
"No, not the orc."

They both laughed, and Alistar nodded in acceptance to Damien's reassuring words, "Cool, you win, I'll see you in a bit then, boss." and with those last words, Alistar the Shadow walked calmly back into the forest. Damien used the rhythm of the waves to focus his mind, clear his thoughts. Slowly he began to walk into the water, eyes still closed, waves gently crashing into his form. Things went quiet, things got dark and Damien opened his eyes to find himself in the silent vastness of an immensely foggy beach. Waves crashing in the calm distance. Damien blinked himself into a focus, listening for her footsteps. He grew impatient after a few minutes, knowing she was watching him clearly through the fog. It was what this goddess did, constantly testing, teasing, waiting.

"I know you're there, I'm sure you like what you see."
"The re-opening of old wounds make my lovely man stronger and I need to you to be strong. How could you think of her again when you know you have me, my love? Her chance was so long ago, and I grow tiresome waiting for my king to come see me again. Your unfocused mind worries me, my king. Am I not beautiful enough for you, dearest? Are my gifts not rewarding enough to keep me in your heart?"
"You know that's not true. You are everything to me. Her time is over, she chooses Ulrich over me. She's Ulrich's and I am yours Liara, I am yours and no one else's" he spoke sternly, looking around for her figure to appear among the fog. Soon, it did. Her soft skin and hypnotizing curves approached him with soft footsteps. She wore nothing but a short, soft transparent toga and a crown lined with the teeth of a large tiger. She smiled and examined him with silence, her lips curving maliciously upward as she slowly walked around him, her finger tugging at his waistline.

"Your words calm my heart Damien, they make me long for the day when you will finally join me here and become my king. You would have me everyday, my love. I would be yours and you would be mine and we would have eternity together. You know it's what your heart desires, my love. Please Damien, take your life and join me." she spoke, her words infections to Damien's affection as she pressed her body against his, her hand pressed firmly on his chest, enticing him.
"I have things to take care of, you know I can't."
The air grew tense as Liara's blue nails slightly dug into Damien's skin. In the distance, a growl could be heard, footsteps circling the two became clearly audible. Damien was frozen, Liara's hold on him was too strong for his will to break. Her hand made it's way to the back of his neck, snatching it in close in one intense motion.
"Maybe I should take you myself, now that you are grown and strong enough to be my king. What if I decided to take you away, all for me to hold sway over? My love, I desire you with all of my heart, let me bring you into my world forever." she whispered sharply, words laced with chilling anger. Damien was finally able to break free of her hold, grabbing her hand and removing it from his neck, her nails leaving burning scratches.
"Not today." he whispered, and for a moment, they looked deeply into each others eyes before sharing a deep, passionate kiss.

Damien awoke amongst the wet sand, looking around before seeing his gear bundled a few yards away. He got up and looked around before feeling the burning cuts on his chest and neck. For years, he had accepted Liara as his one and only true love, destined to join her after a good death, but Helen and Ulrich would come to make things much more interesting.