Longetalos writes "On the night of the Blood Moon Festival, the streets of Molag ran with blood as Iuz slaughtered the Hierarchs of the Horned Society and assumed control of that blasted land. But he did not get them all. One, Nezmajen, managed to escape the wrath of the Old One, and plotted his revenge and the retaking of his capitol...
Author: Longetalos
The Story of Nezmajen
by Richard Di Ioia (ricdii@yahoo.com)
Used With Permission. Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.
Seated on the throne of the highest of Hierarchs of the Horned Society, Nezmajen brooded in silence. The last few years had been particularly unkind to the Priest of Nerull, and that was quite a statement considering his chosen path in life. A few years ago, the Horned Society had fallen to treachery by the forces of Iuz in the span of one night. Nezmajen only survived that fateful night because his god Nerull had appeared to him in a dream a week earlier. Within the dream, the skeletal god had pointed his scythe to the south and Nezmajen had seen the city of Molag burning, the figure then had pointed his scythe to the northeast and a vision of an ancient Flan city had appeared. Nezmajen had woken up the next morning with the irresistible urge to leave Molag and find this ancient Flan city to solve the riddle of his god-sent dream. When he had first left Molag in secrecy with his small retinue, Nezmajen had not understood the purpose of the quest nor the timing of the dream. But when news reached him of the activities during the night of the Blood Moon, he had realized the true power of Nerull. His god had known that Molag would fall that night and had set Nezmajen the task of finding an army to retake the Horned Society and to take revenge upon that hated half-breed Iuz. For years Nezmajen wandered the northern reaches of the Tangles following the quest that Nerull had given him that night. Nezmajen's task was to find the Necropolis of the Dead - the ancient burial ground of Nerull worshipping Flan.
Ultimately, Nezmajen succeeded and was able to exert control over this vast army of undead. It was a dangerous gamble bringing his army back to Molag, but Iuz's war to the west had distracted him enough to allow Nezmajen's army to move in close enough to strike. The fight was all over within one bloody night. The defenders of Molag having either fled into the night or been killed and re-animated as undead in Nezmajen's legions. With Molag secure, Nezmajen had moved southwards towards his previous allies within the Horned Society. With an undead army at his service, it did not take Nezmajen long to regain their oaths of fealty. But this time the lines of power within the horned Society were altered. No longer would a cabal of Hierarchs rule the Horned Society, it would only be ruled by a High Priest - Nezmajen the First. As his first act as ruler, Nezmajen had declared all orcs to be outlaws within his realm. For glorious months, the streets of the southern lands had run red with blood as the outnumbered orcs were slaughtered by the hobgoblins. Years of repressed anger and resentment finally being released in an orgy of murder and sacrifice as orcs were found and killed. Nerull made known that he was pleased with the actions of his priest and had sent Nezmajen a Saint to attend him.
When the dust had cleared and the blood stopped flowing, Nezmajen had marched his troops to the north. But Iuz stood ready for him. The Northern Crusade had ended and Iuz was only fighting a war on one front. He had placed as many resources as he could within the hands of Greater Boneheart member Althea and had told her to hold the northern parts of the Horned Lands. After months of warfare the two sides reached a stalemate. The border finally settled on a diagonal line 50 kilometers to the north of Molag. Since that time Nezmajen has ruled everything from Molag southwards, with Iuz still controlling the northern reaches of the previous Horned Society.
Bored by these memories, Nezmajen stood up from the throne and clapped his hands. Immediately four figures ran from the furthest shadows of the room to stand before him.
"Dance for me, my pets. I wish to be entertained this night." Commanded Nezmajen.
The four figures removed their richly adorned Hierarch robes and stood exposed as the wights that they had become. As the figures bounced and danced in wild abandon, repeatedly clawing and biting at each other, the torchlight glinted off the holy symbols the four wore around their necks. Holy symbols forged in the form of a grinning skull.
Note: Horned Society, Iuz, Nerull"
