Post by Engine of Chaos on Jun 3, 2017 19:09:14 GMT -5
One Ring
The One Ring – a single, unifying entity forged to ensure that one could rule all. The ring itself managed to create a kind of lust not before seen across Middle Earth. The Ring could change a person – from their core to their very appearance. The Ring could shorten life expectancy, or it could enable some to strive on for so much longer than they were ever intended. It’s dark and unyielding draw could rarely be fought, causing friend to turn upon friend, enemy to side with enemy… For the most evil being to find the good within, and for the best man to fail.
To be the Lord of the Ring would mean total dominion.
To be the Lord of the Ring would be the ultimate.
To be the Lord of the Ring would mean to be immortalized.
"Is it time?" Asked Gabriel, the Black Hand.
"Almost, my friend." Replied Ichabod, the Lieutenant of Barad-dûr. "His time will come. The Lord of Chaos will return to us, and when he does… We shall be ready."
Gabriel slowly ran his hand over his jaw as he leaned back into his brimstone throne. His heart, blackened and crooked, would continue to feign his continued love of their Lord. Yet deep down, he dreamt of ruling over all. But to do that he would need to master the Ring once and for all.
"You seem unlike yourself, Gabriel." Replied “The Mouth”. His eyes bore deep into the Dark Hand’s soul.
"His pestering bewilders me." Said Gabe, the Tower– merciless, cruel and manipulative. "It would be prudent to shut the mouth."
"I urge caution." Said Daniel. He had once been kind – but he had found his calling as the Hammer. He was dangerous in his insanity. Though less likely to enjoy the pain of others, he was quick to anger. "The Mouth is a powerful ally, and one of the Dark Lord’s favourites."
Their combined effort allowed the Tower and the Hammer to remain hidden to any whom Gabriel saw fit – for the moment, Ichabod would not learn of their presence.
"I am fine, Ichabod." Replied Gabriel with a smile. "I am weary of waiting – we have been awaiting the arrival of Chaos for some time. My impatience is a flaw of which I am more than aware."
"You’re not alone." Added Ichabod, looking to the horizon upon which the realm of Gondor lay. "We have walked this path for a long, long time. We have watched friends come and go. We have seen victories and defeat. We have been close to our goal on more than one occasion only to be thwarted."
"We have tried, time upon time, to gain control of the ring. It has passed from hand to hand, and even now we are forced to fight off those who wish to take it for their own." Replied Gabriel in frustration, his eyes turning to Mount Doom – visible in it’s fury. He cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Has there been any news of the Ranger?"
"Unfortunately not. Yet it does not trouble me. He is green, and uninterested in forging a path that leads to The Ring – he fights for the wrong reasons. For revenge. For justification. For a friend. For legacy. Anything but that which truly matters."
"The future." Said Gabriel, almost inaudibly.
"Precisely." Added Ichabod with a smile. "Chaos will reign supreme, and when it does, it won’t care who gained revenge, or did the most good deeds. No-one will care who did what they could to remain neutral of their potential frailties. Chaos will feast on those who it sees fit – and we shall be right there by it’s side."
The fool. Gabriel smiled inwardly, knowing the truth. Chaos would consume all, no matter what their loyalties. Victory could only be gained in one way and one way alone – mastery of the Ring.
"And what of the gangrel creature – the one they call Zane." Asked Ichabod.
"He still evades our capture." Said Gabriel through gritted teeth. "He’s a slippery beast."
This was, for the most part true, however it had come to Gabriel’s attention that it had been a long, long time since Zane had held mastery of the Ring. His domination had long ago passed on and, in all likelihood, had passed on many times since. Zane was once a happy, normal member of his society. And then the Ring corrupted his heart. Since the day he found it, Zane has been little more than a shell of his former self. Slowly but surely, over the years, it had corrupted and destroyed everything he once was.
He wasn’t the first, nor would he be the last – but one thing was for sure. Zane was the most changed by the experience. The one who, above all else, desired to be the master of the Ring once again. He would give all and everything to the task, and would never be truly satisfied with his lot in life unless he would ascend to that lofty pillar. That Ring is what kept him awake at night. That Ring is what made him turn his back on his old life.
That Ring would allow him to make alliances with those who would be his enemies. That Ring would be the one reason he would allow himself to serve others. Of course, if asked in kind, Zane would believe that he served no master but the Ring itself, but everyone else could see – in exchange for the chance to feel that Ring against his skin once more, Zane would allow himself to be used and abused over and over again. Syndicates and moguls alike would pull him this way and that – and he would allow it. Because he believed that this was the path to his “Precious.”
Zane’s lust for the Ring had changed him wholly, for sure, but that didn’t make him any less dangerous. Gabriel knew that for a fact – this is why his men hunted down the creature that longed for the feeling. A creature of obsession is often more dangerous than a creature of want. It would be prudent to remove Zane from the picture – to prevent his meddlesome ways. He, like others in this world, knew that Zane would have a part to play in this story. What that was, remained unclear.
"He must be caught, Gabriel." Scolded Ichabod. "For he is the wildcard neither of us can read."
"I’m aware of what I must do." Spat Gabriel. He took a moment, realising the searching look that The Lieutenant of Barad-dûr gave him. "I have Uruk’s looking for him as we speak – the War Chief’s have been notified. They send their best captains."
"Captains." Mused Ichabod. "All of those filthy Orcs feel they have a right to be Captains. They bit and claw at one another, all the time looking to climb across the corpses of their former allies and for what? To stand at the side of a War Chief who will always be subservient to us."
"The Captains are of use, Ichabod." Said Gabriel. "You above all should know that."
"He speaks the truth." Came a voice from the distance. A shining, elvish glow broke the gloom of the Dark Tower. "He sees them for what they truly are."
"What is this?" Snapped Gabriel. "What is this treachery."
"It is not treachery, Gabriel – not on our side at least." Smirked Ichabod. "Samantha comes to use with news of the Elvish folk – she stacks the decks in our favour."
"Do not mix words, Ichabod. I am here to stem the flow – to try and turn back the mistakes of my kind and create a future where balance is truly restored."
"By giving us information about the Elves." Said Gabriel with a raise of the eyebrows. "Like I said – I’m trying to right the mistakes of my forebears."
"And what news do you bring Samantha?" Asked Ichabod "What do the Elves have planned for us?"
"Your focus is far too narrow, Ichabod." Said Samantha with a smirk. "There comes an attack from all sides."
"We should strike now, summon our forces and attack with all of the rage of Mordor." Said Gabe, slamming his hand onto the heavy stone table and cracking it.
"Whilst I appreciate the Tower’s willingness to run headlong into a battle we may have no chance of winning, my suggestion would be to wait and see what forces march against us. We have been prophesied many a great war and it has been over two thousand years since the last."
Gabriel thumbed his chin, as his two greatest confidantes battled it out for his action. This had long since been the course of action – The Tower preaching pain and suffering, whilst The Hammer preached a swift death – many in some cases – when required. Though both could be chillingly cruel and beautifully so, The Tower had always been a warrior. Gabriel wasn’t sure he could even feel pain anymore.
The Hammer, however, had once been a Healer. His mace had turned him sickeningly evil, but he was never cruel for cruelties sake. He took more pleasure in the kill than the pain – he had no need to string out the suffering of those who he took to task.
Together they were known throughout Middle Earth as the The Black Captains – feared and loathed in equal measure, and no-where was this more prevalent that Mordor. Their devotion to Chaos was seen as something to be feared or something to hate in almost everyone who heard their name. Yet they ruled, because they had power.
"I appreciate your counsel, my friends, but this is not as simple as all of that. We have an army of mixed races marching towards our door – the time for rash action and appeasement has gone. We most reforge our thinking. We must find a middle ground."
"And you expect what? For us to wait and see whilst attacking with intent. See reason – we must act now. We will be caught between them all." Said Gabe in temper.
"You expect us to stride out into a sea of enemies and be victorious?" Asked Daniel.
"Yes!" Said Gabe with a grin. "We are all powerful."
"Not without mastering the Ring." Said Daniel.
"The Ring be damned." Said Gabe with a wave of his hand. Almost immediately, however, he quailed at the look from his fellows. "I merely mean that the Ring will play no part in this."
"And how could you possibly know that?" Asked Daniel. "How do you know that one of our enemies does not march upon our lands with all the power they could possibly need."
"Because, he, like I, know that the Master of the Ring is a Hobbit. A small, insignificant creature who hoards the power for herself for no other reason than she can. She does not deserve it, she does not welcome it. Her only consideration for her power is to flaunt that she holds that which others want more. She is not Master of the Ring – she’s merely preventing others from taking it." Said Gabriel with a flick of his eyes.
"At least Zane treats the Ring with the respect it deserves. Least he loves and cherishes it – she merely wears it like a trinket."
"How can you know this?" Asked The Hammer, with a touch of reverie in his voice.
"Because I know, Daniel. Gabriel always knows." Added Gabriel with a smile.
"Then… Why do we not take it? Why do we not seek out this Hobbit and take the Power that she so wastes? Why do we not take back what is destined to be ours?" Asked Daniel.
"The time is not right, my friend – there are many paths to be walked before we are ready for that." Added Gabriel with a stroke of his jaw.
"This is the will of Chaos?" Asked The Tower with a fire in his eyes.
"This is the will of your Leader." Said Gabriel with a touch of finality.
For a moment, both The Tower and The Hammer looked to argue but The Hand shot them down with a stare.
"She will be ours – but we must first win our battles before we win the war. For now we have to focus on Zane and then…"
"The Melee…" Said Daniel quietly.
"Precisely." Said Gabriel with a smile.
"What do we know of the Melee?" Asked The Tower. "What do we know of who we may face?"
"Fortunately for us, Samantha bore us some interesting news – we are, of course, not alone in having battles to face before the Melee begins – some have joined forces in order to increase their chances of survival – personally, I believe it merely increases the opportunity for defeat. Wallace the Beige and Killian the Yellow have wandered this land for years."
"They have thwarted us before." Added Daniel cautiously.
"Perhaps, but never have they had to face another foe before facing us." Added Gabe. "Who stands in their path?"
"Pierce." Said Gabriel. "Gabrielle."
"A showman and his assistant – hardly difficult work for Wizards, wouldn’t you say?" Mocked Daniel.
"Perhaps." Said Gabriel knowingly. "But they’ve met before, and the Wizards were hard-put to escape with their lives. This is what happens when you walk this World for so long – miracles lose their vigor. That leads to complacency – something that we will not be afforded when they attack us."
"They fight harder against opponents they feel worthy of them?" Asked Gabe. "Hardly the work of the great and the good – surely all fight, if for the right cause should be tackled equally. Is that not the nature of the morally uncorrupted."
"The Wizards are not without blood on their hands, Gabe – do not mistake their cheap tricks and outward buffoonery for an inability to do what has to be done. I fully expect them to walk away with their ridiculous hats held high – which is why we must remove them from the battle as early as we can."
"For the good of Chaos."
For the good of the hand, thought Gabriel.
"The Elves send Lucy – a powerful and intoxicating creature. She can, however, be disarmed by lve."
"You seek to woo her?" Asked the Tower in shock.
"Not at all – my interests in Lucy are little more than that of Samantha and Ichabod. I wish only to extract salient information before turning her on her way. The Elves have long been our staunchest enemies – the chance to turn one to our way of thinking is rare. A second? Well that would be tantamount to sorcery."
"And you believe you can?" Asked Daniel.
"The love in her heart leaves her susceptible to a lowering of the mood. Elves are at their strongest when they are happy, healthy and fully in control. When her mind is clouded by love, she finds herself unable to effect situations that would suit her best. She is disarmed by he love in her heart and, given the downfall of her love…"
"We have heard no words of this…" Said Gabe with a furrowed brow.
"No…" Said Gabriel. "But she would not run headfirst into this war alone, without him by her side should things be running smoothly." Added Gabriel with a nod.
"And Dwarves? Who should we fear from the dwarves?" The Hammer questioned.
"As much as Dwarves should be feared – we must look no further than Ingalls. He was part of the party that returned the Lonely Mountain to Thorin Oakenshield."
"A Dwarf of substance, then." Said The Tower. "A Dwarf to be feared."
"Hardly – his failure was clear for all to see. Always a little too late, never quite managing to strike the killer blow that he so wanted. Now he follows battles wherever he can, not to revenge himself upon those who have wronged him. But to revenge himself upon those who have taken away his chance for revenge."
"A complicated Dwarf – who knew there was such a thing?" Added Daniel with a grin.
"Precisely – still, he has the ability to be a thorn in one’s side. "
"Ready to be plucked and disposed of." Chuckled Daniel again.
"And what of the race of men sent." Asked The Tower. "Who have they chosen as Champion?"
"A Lord and his squire – Lord Hastings and Rydell."
"The Lord who once held the ring?" Asked The Hammer.
"Not him – someone like him, but definitely not him. Time was that all that saw him would have believed he was from the same stock that marched upon the Dark Lord. Even recently, he looked to shed his veneer of ineptitude for something that looked to be strength. Alas, he has merely come across as another man unable to stave off the charms of the Ring."
"What about the Squire?" Questioned Gabe.
"The Squire will only ever be a squire." Smiled Gabriel.
"And the Wraiths?" Asked Daniel as the smiles faded from all of their faces.
"We have the Nazgul." Said Gabriel rubbing his mouth. "We have the eight."
"And what do they have?" Asked Gabe "What do they have that can stand up against the Nunbolg?"
"They have the first Wraith. They have he who forged the ring. They have he who has won many a Melee before."
"Speak his name." Said Daniel in a hushed voice. "Speak it."
"Demios." Said Gabriel scratching his forehead. "They have Demios."
The original Wraith – he who forged the Ring. He who created everything they fight for so desperately now.
"We have the eight." Said The Tower.
"Do not plead ignorance – Phear itself fights in this Melee."
"It is the idea that strikes fear into your hearts. The Wraith has no body – and without a host, he’s merely a parasite unable to effect the World as he once was. We have nothing to fear from Phear."
"And if he finds a host?" Asked Gabe.
"Then and only then, we should worry."
For a while, they were all quiet – considering that which was coming. A storm at which they were in the epicentre. This would be the fight of all fights.
"Gentlemen – let us have some fun, tonight. Find me a Ranger. And his family."
He smiled despite himself, as his mind returned to the forging of the Ring – four posts, three ropes and some canvas. This was the only Ring of Power that he was interested in. Domination between those ropes – to be the Lord of the Ring – would mean true and unequivocal immortality. He had embraced the Chaos, and it had brought him this far. Now… Now it was time for him to come forth and finally become the Lord of the Ring.
As Gabriel and Ichabod stood on the battlements of the Black Gate and watched as their foes began the long march to their doorstep, they found themselves almost wistful.
"Tonight, my friend, could be the first night we find ourselves on opposite sides of the Melee – tonight truly is every man for himself." Said Gabriel with a smile. "This battle encompasses us all."
"Let us at least TRY to destroy our enemies before turning on one another." Said Ichabod with a returned grin.
"Until the last?" Said Gabriel extending a hand.
"Until the Chaos consumes us all." Said Ichabod, returning the shake.
With a finality, they turned to their enemies, before signalling the charge.
I’ve been asked many times in the last year, what it is that’s important. Is it personal glory? Is it the greater good? My answer has always been diplomatic, and too the point – that we work for the greater good. I seek to change that answer – my answer is… Why can’t it be both? Why can’t I take the glory that I so richly deserve whilst simultaneously striving to improve the world in which we live in? Why can’t I spread my message of Chaos, while simultaneously proving that I am the Lord of the Ring.
Why do the two have to be mutually exclusive.
It’s not unfathomable that my personal goals would align with that of my friends. We are currently in a state of flux – our goals and our means both bending to the new, streamlined dynamic. I wish to take keep Zane away from his goal, whilst also starting my path to remove Eden as the current Master of our Ring. Why would that hinder our fight for Chaos? It would not. I am more worthy that those who stand in my way.
It is the Order within the Chaos.
You see, for so long everyone seems to have misunderstood my position. A man like me tends not to do well when the World is crumbling around his ears. But what everyone misses is that I seek not to live within the Asylum, merely vet the inhabitants. Where you see Chaos, I see Chess. Where you see calamity I see victory. Where you see a group hell-bent on causing as many problems as possible, I see a group intent on ensuring that the rest of this World can see things our way.
The Chaos that consumes.
I will find Zane – and I will prevent him from creating any problems for me and my friends. Why? Because Zane is a once glorious creature that has been twisted and changed by the very Ring he seeks to love so very much. I will not claim this is for his own good, or to change the face of the World in which we live – I will do it because, Zane is a danger to my future and my plans. For him, the Chaos will be real – and when once again he falls victim to me he will skulk back under whichever rock he came from. Zane will fail, because failure is what he excels in. He will lose, because losing is what he does.
Zane is not the man he thinks he is. He’s not even the man he used to be.
And then when the time comes I will win the Melee – not because I’m the best, not because I want it the most, not because I am unbeatable but simply because I am. That is all – I am. Call it luck, call it chance, call it destiny but I will be the Lord of this Ring. I will stand tall as the victor and finally call myself the master. But understand this – I don’t need the Ring to achieve greatness. But this Ring needs me in order to be truly great.
And so the Ring-Bearer.
Believe this or not, I don’t care whose ring it is when I come to take it. It will not change the outcome – whether it be Eden or that Uncle-figure, Somers. I will take that Ring from them and make it my own. I’m sure they believe the same, but in the end they will be consumed by my own brand of Chaos – unable to stand the burning of doom. When they fall – and believe me they will fall – they will have been sacrificed for something bigger than both of them. They will have fallen for Gabriel Baal.
And the will rise as his servant.
And then, as a merciful Lord, I will choose whether or not they will live to see my rule or whether they will be offered a merciful death. For my enemies will be forced to walk to the very precipice of where our Ring was forged and they will watch as I choose whether or not to use it to reign dominion over them all or destroy it for good. Either way… We will be remembered. Gabe, Daniel and I… We will be remembered.
We will rise.
We will conquer.
We will recycle.
One ring to rule them all.
One ring to find them.
One ring to bring them all.
And in the darkness bind them.
One ring to conquer all.
One ring to bend them.
One ring defeats them all.
Then Gabriel will end them.
2013, '18, '23 
2013 