Rediscovering ones self

[Nicholas Kain]

It hadn't been long since Nicholas Kain had been turned, but he was still unsure of what he had become.

In the simplest terms he was a Vampyre. A creature of the night, that fed on the blood of others.

It has been a question that had been bothering him since his arrival at the Shrine. He had spent the first day or so investigating the Shrine and the rooms contained within. He had found a room that he felt most comfortable in when he found this library.

After careful inspection Nicholas found that not only did the library contain many books on many subjects, a small bar nestled in one of the walls, a fireplace, and comfortable furnishings. But that there was also a passage concealed behind one of the large bookshelves that led to an unclaimed bedroom, which Nicholas quickly took possession of.

He hadn't spent much time there, all the questions running through his mind was making it difficult to sleep.

One question in particular had been bothering him. It had been one of his last thoughts as a mortal. Was being undead actually being dead, or was it being alive?

So far his research using the books on the walls had not helped with any answers.

Laying back on one of the overstuffed couches in front of the roaring fireplace Nicholas closed his eyes and tried to talk out his question out loud.

"If death is loosely defined as lacking consciousness, awareness, and a permanent cessation of all vital functions, then a Vampyre is alive due to us being conscious, and aware. Yet our bodies are dead. Every cell in our bodies seemingly defiant to the laws of nature are dead yet still functioning. So are we not dead? No, because we are immortal, which is living forever.... sigh..."

Opening his eyes Nicholas looked into the fire, almost hoping the answers lied within it.

[Death Knight Soth]

A bone chilling cold swept throughout Kain's room as he contemplated the deep and dark mystery's of his new birth, a Vampyre! The fire in the marble fire place fought defiantly against the frigid cold that sought to snuff it out.

The Death Knight of old entered the room. His every step seemingly calculated, his stride confident and smooth. Soth eye's glowed as if there was a light behind them. An uneasy feeling crept over the new Vampyre as he stood once he realized he wasn't alone. Kain knew immediately that the being before him, was as he, ... A Vampyre! He didn't know how he knew this...Nevertheless, he knew. But something was strangely different about him that Kain could not quite put a finger on. His attire was impeccable Kain noted as the stranger slowly walked closer to him. In one of his gloved hand's, he carried an elaborate sheathed sword. The Dark Knight stop mid way from the door way and were Kain was now standing. It seemed like time was standing still before the silence was broken.

"I am Soth Nuevole, ... and you are, Nicholas Kain." Soth slightly bowed to Kain as the cold breeze in the room ceased at the precise moment from the pronunciation of his own name.

"I have come to shed some light on the nature of your frustration my brother. If you,...that is, will permit me to do so...The answer's and question's you seek lay not within the stokes of the fire my friend."

"How could this being know his every thought?" Kain pondered. The Knight's face was stoic and most serious as his penetrating stare seemed to look right through Kain.

[Nicholas Kain]

There was much about this man that he seemingly already knew. "No", he thought, not so much knew, but felt. The man standing in front of him was not only a Vampyre, but one of many years, one who possessed much wisdom.

"Please," Nicholas motioned towards one of the large chairs that sat at each end of the table in front of the fire. "I would be most honoured if you would enlighten me unto your ways. There is much I have learned so far, but as I was taught as a boy, the knowledge one seeks is not always in a book." Nicholas paused for a moment. "Can I offer you something to drink? I have found myself enjoying a beverage called 'Blood Wine'. I had never heard of it before arriving here, it is quite......... different."

[Death Knight Soth]

The Death Knight bowed once more at Kain's hospitable gesture to sit. Soth studied the man as he walked to the bar to fetch the two a drink. He was confident, well learned, and had insatiable appetite and taste for perfection. He was the perfect weapon!

"Yes, I would, thank you." Soth replied in a low tone. Alana had done well in choosing this man and giving him the "Dark Gift," after all she knew what she wanted and would let nothing stand in her way in attaining it!

The Death Knight leaned forward and set the elaborate Sith weapon next to the hearth. Soth interlaced his long Vampyre finger's together as he took in the heat from the fire place, a warmth that would never take the edge off the chill that he would forever feel. Kain returned and handed Soth a crystal goblet filled with the infamous blood meed. This indeed would take the edge off the hunger he felt...Always felt when the pang's of hunger attacked his kind, it was simply unavoidable.

"You are most gracious my friend." Soth nodded to Kain as he took a chair not far from Soth. Long moments passed as the two Vampyre's looked into the fire and sipped at their blood wine. The fire crackled and cast an erie luminescent glow about the large room. Shadow's cast by the fireplace danced out of sync on the wall's causing a hypnotic presence about the two Vampyre's. The shadow's were none other then the undead spirit's at Soth's command. Always there awaiting his word, always waiting to be set free from their bondage and service to him, but never would that be. Eternal slave's to him, the "Master of the Undead" as long as he existed!

"The sword you see before you Kain, is three thousand, six hundred and eighty-seven years old. A fabulous weapon of it's time, and even now it still retains it's sharpness from the very day it was conceived. Master "Norrel Mon Ferral" was it's first owner. A man not worthy to carry such a prestigious weapon." Soth paused and took another sip of his wine. Kain's eye's fell on the weapon that Soth was describing. It's make was much like that in nature of a katana. It's black lacquer sheath glistened from the fire light that graced it's feature's. A precious metal inlay adorned the sword's scabbard in ineligible ancient glyph's. And the many precious stone's that were set into the hilt sparkled and shimmered. It was beautiful, magnificent in it's own right! It was worth a fortune no doubt, Kain thought as Soth continued.

"It too hold's a deep mystery much like our self's my friend. "Venmorel Tol Narmonious." Soth said in an ancient Vampyre language that Kain had never heard of before.

"It mean's "Strength and Balance." Soth finished letting out a slight sinister chuckle before he took another drink of the meed.

"Yes, we are that, and much more...My brother. What you seek will come in due time my friend. It is no mystery unto our self's. The book's and tome's before you that line the walls of this chamber. They tell not what already lays within you young one. You alone know and have the answer to it's riddle Nicholas." Soth posed once again as Kain listened intently to the Knight.

"Indeed Nicholas, ... Steel is strong, but "our" flesh is stronger! ...What is steel compared to the hand that wields it? "Soth then held up his gloved hand, looking at it in an admiring way, then clenched it into a balled fist. Kain could hear the leather glove creak and grown as Soth slowly tightened his grip.

The Knight then stood and looked to Kain. He slowly walked to the side of Nicholas and rested his right hand on his shoulder looking down into his eye's with a piercing glance.

"But really Nicholas, what do the Damned really have to say to the Damned?" Soth posed for a moment, then walked to one of the many tall book cases that housed countless tome's on various subject's and topic's.

Kain at this point had more question's then answer's due to the Knight's cryptic word's. What could this all mean? There had to be a meaning behind all his word's Nicholas thought.

"The Sith sword is now yours my brother. It is my gift to you. With in it lays the key to knowing who you truly are, what you are!...You are indeed worthy of it's ownership, ... Nicholas Kain."

[Nicholas Kain]

Nicholas looked at the sword. it was truly a thing of beauty. A deadly beauty at that. The question of what the ancient glyphs etched into the metal said was added to the number that the Death Knight had created with his words. This would indeed be a journey of discovery, and with the dark gift he would have eternity to delve into it's secrets, unlocking the answers to questions much older than he.

"You honor me by bestowing this gift unto me my brother."

[Death Knight Soth]

Soth slightly turned his head back to look at Kain. A smile played on his face.

"The pleasure is all mine, my friend.

The Knight then began to slowly walk the length of the large book cases that lined the wall in the large room. Kain's collection was extraordinary to say the least. There were book's and tome's, bodies of work that spanned back as far as the Death Knight himself.

"Impressive..." Soth thought to himself as he ran his Vampyre hand over them as he walked. He was fascinated by Kain's thirst for knowledge as well. Obviously he was a well studied man, and Soth held great admiration and respect for this insight he seen in the young Vampyre.

What a fortune he must have had sent on just a fraction of the whole of his collection. It's price would be astronomical on the open market alone! Soth knew that Kain was more then just a collector of knowledge. He had a true taste for the old world's. This is where they where both kindred spirit's at heart when it came to the exceptionally rare. Soth too had an extensive collection of his own. Ancient weapon, rare armor, item's that also spanned back further then he himself. The Death Knight even had many of the sought after item's of his former master, Exar Kun. The countless year's that Soth lived brought in a treasure trove of many ancient relic's and artifact's that were in there own right, priceless, powerful...!

"Tell me Nicholas, why the great interest in the wealth of knowledge is see before me?" Soth paused, then turned once more to study Kain.

[Nicholas Kain]

Nicholas placed the sword carefully onto the mantel, he would acquire a stand for it later, but for now it took a place of great prominence in the room simply resting on the granite surface.

Turning at Soth's question Nicholas closed his eyes. The answer was not one completely known to him either, but he would tell the Death Knight as much as he himself knew.

"I suppose quite simply it is due to my turning. As a child I was not taught anything except the skills needed to be one of the underworld. Although those skills brought me much money, the majority of which you now see before you, it did not bring me much fulfillment.

'Learning takes up time that could be used to make money' someone once told me. Now time is not an option, for I have forever. Where I found no fulfillment in my former self, I find much in these works. The knowledge that many of these works have not been read for hundreds, if not thousands of years drives me to discover the language the were written in."

Nicholas paused and walked over to the shelves and removed a book from the shelf.

"This book is the first in a collection of many volumes, I was told there were hundreds of such books, though I was only able to acquire 15, and not in order. No volume is the same. They are each in different languages, all of which long dead. The merchant who sold them to me told me of the legend of the texts. He said they were volumes of reports. Though I doubt that word does them justice... At least to us..."

Nicholas placed the book down on the large table that sat behind the furniture in front of the fireplace and gently slid it across to Soth, who picked it up and began thumbing through the unreadable pages.

"You see my brother, if the legend holds true then they are not mere reports. No they are much, much more. They are our history."

[Death Knight Soth]

Soth took long moment's as he read hurriedly through some of the ancient rare tome that Nicholas gave him. He understood portion's of the language to some extent. But want he read was most fascinating in the scope of what it contained. "The History of Vampirism" Many of the chapter's that Soth thumbed through were in different dialect's unknown to even himself. Soth then turned back to the very front of the book were he was astounded to read the author's name. It was the fabled writing's of Pyetre Drackov, "The Watcher Chronicles!" The Death Knight knew many language's that he had picked up alone the way in his long existence, but the nature of the writing's were purposely changed from chapter to chapter, making them impossible to decipher. Odd he thought, however is was ingenuus. Soth could see why the writer compiled his work this way. It was not meant to be read by any other's, but the "Watcher's" them self's!

Soth looked up to Kain who was now sitting across from him at a large oaken table fit for a king. He sat the book back on the table then folded his hands behind his back once more.

"You now have my full attention Nicholas...So it seems we have those who are intrigued with our eternal nature. For quite some time from the look's of it. Yes,... I have heard of this Pyetre Drackov..." Soth paused for a moment then continued.

"Some say that he himself was a "Creature of the Night." Whether this is true or not, I would not know. But there is obviously a reason, a deeper purpose behind their fascination with "us" no doubt. Tell me more on what you know of their kind my friend. The Death Knight then sat down across from Nicholas. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his Vampyre hands in front of his face awaiting to hear what his brother knew and had to say about "The Watcher's" history.

[Nicholas Kain]

"Very little so far. I have only started to work on the texts and I have been working in chronological order. I have been able to decipher the opening text. It seems to be a preface, but not one written by Drackov, someone else, but I don't know who.

They call themselves the Sarafan. Closest translation is "Watcher". They have been around almost as long as Vampyre's. Actually they were born out of the desire to understand us more. Why, again that isn't clear either, it could be for many reasons. I'm hoping that the Sarafan charter will be somewhere in these volumes. Or perhaps some other clue.

But that is not what you asked. To continue, it seems that the Vampyre's on Drackov's home planet began to multiply and diverge, so he created a network of watchers that would report to him regularly with details on the Vampyre's actions. Eventually like most Drackov died, but his legacy lived on. Even when his people developed the ability to reach into the stars did the Sarafan continue. From what is written they are everywhere now. Made up of species that even we may not know of. The likelihood that one is even here on this planet watching us is very great. After all, both you and Master Lynch are a couple of the more infamous Vampyre's in the galaxy, it is very likely that one or both of you has had a Sarafan watching you for years without you truly knowing it."

Nicholas finally paused to form his thoughts.

"Truly, if these texts are true, then they will bring insight to us also, about our past, present, and perhaps future. They may also help lead us to these Sarafan. As much as it is interesting to read about our pasts in these texts, I personally find it unsettling to know that we are known about and watched almost constantly. If one were to turn away from their code of secrecy and begin selling information.... I don't believe I need to tell you of the possible consequences of those actions."

[Death Knight Soth]

Soth brought his index finger's to a pyramid point, letting the tip's of them rest lightly on his lower lip as he contemplated what Nicholas had just reviled to him. The thought of "other's " watching them was indeed unnerving to say the least. The Death Knight eye's narrowed at the shear thought of it. The "Sarafan's" were a brave lot indeed to triffel with the like's of any Vampyre's let alone a whole family of them!

"Nicholas, what your telling me here,...I find valid and intriguing. The body of work's you have compiled and assembled over time proves it's own case. But my question to you is...Where do we start? I want to get to the bottom of this matter. The Shrine's location still may not be compromised yet. And it can never be so. Pandora has gone to great length's to insure that that "Mother" is never found! We must join her in that conquest to see that it never does. It is our obligation to the Queen Mother to do so, at all cost!...I will partake in this journey to find the truth with you my brother. Let us become the "watcher's" and turn the table's until we are satisfied with the knowledge that we are not at risk."

The fire in the fireplace was now growing dim. But there was a new fire the was kindled in the cold heart of the Death Knight. He himself now had to know the truth to their mystery! Question's washed over him, question's that needed resolve. But what plagued the Knight the most,...was the one searing thought he could not shake. "How does this clan of the "Watcher's," if they do still exist, go undetected by the eye's and nature of a Vampyre? What technology did they posses that keep's them unnoticed, at arm's length from the creature's of the damned. Were they tapping into the Force? Perhaps the Dark-Side it's self to keep their amenity at bay from them? Only time would tell...And a "Child of the Damned" had plenty of that...

[Nicholas Kain]

Nicholas stood and walked over to stoke the fire bathing the room in it's glow once more.

"Well it could be anything. If I had to make a guess I would say a combination of many things. The most probable would be that they have teams of Sarafan for each one Vampyre and larger teams for groups of Vampyre's like the Shrine. That way even if we were looking we might not always see the same person. Couple that with the possibility of using personal holo emmitters to change their appearance and we would never know we were being watched. Which after all is the idea."

Nicholas paced around the room as he talked. He always found that he thought problems through better when he was on his feet and moving.

"The other possibility is that there is only one Sarafan per Vampyre. This one is harder to imagine as there would have to be a heavy reliance on technology, such as holo emmitters, mini cameras, slicing equipment, etc.

If it was me doing the watching then I would be more trusting in people not being discovered as easily as technology. It can be discovered much readily than people."

Nicholas paused once more to refill his glass of Blood Wine.

"As for finding them? I don't believe that will be so easy. There are many ways that I would do things if I was leading them to make sure that I could not be found. No I don't think that we can find them directly just by looking at faces in the crowd. No I think we must unfortunately be more methodical than that.

I found something in......" He paused and searched the shelves until he came across the book he was looking for. "... this book."

He flipped through a few of the pages until he found the beginning of the chapter he wanted.

"Look here, this chapter tells of a number of artifacts that may be connected with the Sarafan. If we could find some of these, perhaps we could backtrack them and find the head of the organization. Kill the head, and the body dies." He said with a satisfied grin.

[Death Knight Soth]

After Nicholas poured himself another glass of Blood Meed after stoking the dimming fire, he filled Soth's and sat the goblet in front of him. The Dark Knight nodded his head in agreement to what Kain was saying.
"I agree my friend...I see there is great evidence to support your view's." Soth then thanked Kain for the refill.
It was becoming very apparent to Soth, this clan that called them self's the Sarafan's where indeed a sophisticated lot. Technology or not, they were extremely advanced in there way's when it came to stealth. Or was it so simple as Kain stated prior. A network that worked together for a common goal? As one, but as many! Spanning over the charted and uncharted world's alike. From rim system to rim system, each group enter mingled with each of their own culture's for a common purpose.

"If they had gone unnoticed for as long as they had from what the book's were reviling about them. What else were they capable of?" Soth pondered for a moment as Nicholas fetched an old book from a near by shelf.

Were they merely here only to simply observe Vampyre's? But what were they after? Or was there a more sinister plan that went along with there guise?

"No, it won't be an easy task my brother to find even one "Watcher" in the mist's of the great expanses. However, there is always evidence left behind. The book's you have collected over time is that in it's self. Theses' book's are the lead we have and need. With deeper reading and interpretation from theses writing's my friend, we may find the next clue to their riddle's we seek." The Knight took a sip of his wine as Kain handed him the old tome.

"Have you an idea what theses relic's look like Nicholas? Perhaps there are symbol's within the book's them self's that represent the posable relic's you speak of. We must narrow this down to that possibility. If you can locate any marking's, symbol's, picture's of sort's that you think you've ever came across, we just might have our first lead."

Kain's laugh was then joined by the Death Knight's. Soth was indeed looking forward to opening the old book's and tome's with Kain and breaking the code to the mystery of the Sarafan's...But he also knew it was easier said then done!

[Nicholas Kain]

"I haven't found any pictures of relics unfortunately. Though I have only been through some of the many books you see here."

Nicholas walked to the one wall in the room that was not covered in books. Feeling the wall for a pressure point that was hidden he slid his hand down the wall until he found the spot. With a slight push on the point the wall slid upwards revealing a computer screen and keyboard. It was something that he had just recently installed, and had uploaded with a list of books, and if known, the content of the books. The search feature that he had in mind when he began cataloging and recording the books was not complete yet, but it would give the Vampyre's a place to start.

Looking over he noticed a look of surprise on Soth's face.

"What my brother? Did you believe that I was completely devoid of technology in this room?" Nicholas said with a smirk on his face. "I have made some additions since I arrived."

Without another word, Nicholas sat down in front of the keyboard and started typing commands to begin the search. He started with a basic search on the Sarafan to weed out the few books that he owned that were not on them.

Next he began to narrow down the list of books with a process of cross referencing the original list with keywords. Using "ancient", "relics", and "symbols" Nicholas was rewarded with a relatively small list of 50 odd books.

Printing off a list of the titles and their "call number" or at least the code that gave Nicholas a basic idea of where the books were located in the room he turned to Soth.

"Well at least now we have somewhere to start."

[Death Knight Soth]

The Dark Knight shot Nicholas a wicked smile then finished off the rest of his blood wine. After setting the goblet down, he reminisced on the great under taking he took in refurbishing his "Chamber." Much in the same manner as Kain had. Hidden wall's, display panel's, enormous floor vault's that housed many of the priceless artifact's he had collected over his long life span.

"I find we have more in common then meet's the eye my brother." Soth let out a slight chuckle and stood. Walking up behind Nicholas, Soth folded his hands behind him and peered over Kain right shoulder. In no time at all Kain had narrowed the search on the Sarafan tome's to fifty.

"Well, at least now we have somewhere to start." Nicholas turned to glance back at Soth, then handing him a print out of the find. Soth studied the list for a brief moment then looked to Kain.

"Perhaps the key we are looking for lay's within the book's listed here. I tend to believe that what we are after will indeed be encrypted in some fashion. From what I gather Nicholas, and in what you have described to me,...the Sarafan are quite clever in covering their track's. If we were to upload the text to your computer, then cross reference the common text's and subject's in general, it might bring to light the code or better yet a path way to our first lead. However, many of the chapter's are in ancient dialect's and could prove to be quite bothersome. Can this be done Nicholas?" The Dark Knight handed Kain back the list as a smile played on his face.

[Nicholas Kain]

"Well unfortunately the works are not all computerized. Some are not even in the index. However there may be another way to narrow down the list somewhat into something that we can start with."

Turning his attention back to the console and began another search. It was not the same type as the first but it was cross referenced with the results. This time he searched files that he had scanned into the computer. Although they were few and far between Nicholas had scanned any picture that he came across in a book into the database for easy recovery later. Slowly a list began to form on the screen. Scanning the results only one jumped out at him. The small synopsis that was attached subconsciously told Nicholas that he needed to look at the book and not the scanned image.

After looking to see where the book was located in the room he stood and retrieved it. Flipping through he found the picture and his eyes grew bright as he looked at the picture.

"Brother, I think we have our first clue." Nicholas said as he began reading and translating the ancient language in his head.

Placing the book on the table Nicholas showed the image to Soth.

<img src=http://nkain.clanpages.com/images/Symbol.jpg>

"It says that the Sarafan took on this symbol somewhere in the third or fourth generation of their clan. The author speculates that it represents something but does not know what. However he says that once it was adopted the symbol became a staple in the Sarafan culture. Actually more than a staple... Every Sarafan was tattooed with the mark so that they could identify each other. More over, the mark emblazoned all Sarafan buildings and artifacts of any importance."

Nicholas wondered to himself why none of the books he owned carried the mark, but realized it was a question for another day.

"Bare with me for a moment brother and tell me what you think of this.

One of the more open Imperial databases is the one dealing with archeology and anthropology. If we could access it and run a search for this symbol then could we perhaps find the location of some of their ancient buildings, maybe even some artifacts? To others they would be nothing, but to us they could be useful tools. One of the best ways to track your prey is to study it's patterns, and for sentient species, that means studying their past."

[Death Knight Soth]

Soth took the old tome by one of it's lower corners, then turned it to face himself. He studied the image for long moment's, then he ran his index finger over the parchment.

"Yes, Nicholas, this is it! This symbol also has a significant meaning to it as well." Soth ran his finger up to the top of the image, then stopped. He glanced over to Kain.

"This whole glyph represents a unified body and branches of a lower authoritative body, but they are as one! This being the head, represented as the crown symbol you see here at the top." Soth then moved his long Vampyre finger to the middle of the image and made a kris cross motion with his finger as he traced the two bars that made an "X" in the center of the image that appeared to be a ruling scepter.

"Perhaps here, we see four head's that represent two equal lower bodies or united bodies if you will. I don't want to presume what their importance may represent here, nevertheless, there is a possibility we are looking at their infrastructure. Whether or not it represents only one of many governing body's, I would not know." The Dark Knight paused for a moment as he crossed his arm's then rested his hand on his chin as if in deep thought.

"If this pattern here is archived as being a known tattoo amongst the "Sarafan," then indeed it shows unification and power to some existent." This time Soth let out a sigh as he looked back over to Kain.

"There are still so many question's left unanswered my brother. This is a start Nicholas. But I am afraid we will need more then this. Are there any indication's in the work's you may have read that might give us a location to work with?"

[Nicholas Kain]

"Off the top of my head... No I can't think of any reference to this glyph. However that doesn't mean there has not been any."

Nicholas turned his attention back to the computer terminal. Within several seconds he had connected to the Empire's archive files. From there he entered the Archeology and Anthropology sub-directory. When prompted for what he wanted to search for Nicholas entered the filename of the glyph and started the search.

After a few minutes to start the search a chronometer became displayed on the terminal screen.

Search complete in:10:48:30

"Well it seems there are more files on record in the archives then I first believed."

Turning in his chair Nicholas looked at the chronometer on the wall and shook his head when he saw the displayed time. Rubbing his eyes he looked up at Soth.

"It is late, and there is really no more we can do until the primary search completes. Perhaps we should both go feed, and sleep and with a little time, and a little luck when we return in eleven hours we will have an idea to where we should continue the search."