Ego Pen 

“The sound they made, was sickening. Not the slain priests cries & screams echoing thru the ruin. Not the slaughtered leen inhabitants screaming for mercy. But the three Skelle Troops bellowing out a hymn, song or chant of sorts. I dont quite know what it was, but….the sound of it all made me sick and week. This, awful, deep tone they made, it was…unnatural. I’ve slip past many Skelle and overhead their dialogue. But this was not normal coming from their skinless skulls. At first they started and each spoke differently than the other, then after a moment, it was as if they were one voice. Just not the voice of their own, if that makes any sense?

The front of and rear fortifications of Hijnbar were collapsed and now occupied soley of Warlock forces. I say soley because it appeared the Warlocks took not a single captive or prisoner. Not even the young ones. The cities inhabitants were all culled in Warlock fashion. Piles of corpses, dismembered and skinned. Hijnbar’s defenses had no prep time. Nor would they have any reason to. The city is just a home to common Leen families who on and off the world. My time there turned up nothing unordinary. Hardly a detatchment of troops for protection. Seemed like the guards and mages there had the sol purpose of just keeping the peace among the city dwellers. 

On arrival of the Skelle, I parted ways with Hijnbar. My departing  is where I saw the  undoing of this particular Leen priest. There ultimately was not much of a fight to be had. For the priest or the other Leen forces. The leen mages and warrior guard were just too few. Several companies of skelle quickly surrounded the city and made light work of the tower walls. How and why the skelle showed up is unknown to me. No sight or sound of a portal beast in the area. No passing of warlock ships overhead. With them filling in the city and butchering anything that moved, I traveled side wall passages and thru destroyed dwellings. Standandard procedures on my way back to a kor channel. Unseen, on foot, just entering woodland. I froze in place at the sound of detonation behind me. A leen priest had came out of hiding and made a run towards the city docks where many ships were left untouched. He didnt get far. A skelle mage saw his attempt to flee and forced a large fireball to the priests feet, blasting him from the road and into a field that boardered the shore. The priest healed his wounds quickly and casted affliction spells at the three skelles chasing him down. But being skelles, they resisted as if they had not been attacked at all. 

When I was making my way thru the city I saw plenty of corpses piled over my head. I didnt bother to examine or look at them. I knew what they were. Also I knew this priests fate was death. But I watched anyway. Partially because I wanted to make sure my tracks were covered and nothing followed me. The other half it was watching the enemy of my enemy do what I have often wanted to do.  I almost had the full urge to turn around and continue to the kor channel when I saw the ships departing the docks and sailing out to sea. One by one leaving the docks. Some managed to get away I thought. Cargo ships, battle vessels and fishing boats all departing. Then they all slowed down and just sat in the water or drifted away. Nobody was on those ships. A Radiant Legionnaire emer…”

A deepend voice pours from a stout olive skinned across the room  “Are you certian it was Radiant?”

“Yes Silt Master, I’m certian of it. It wore deep dark armor on its head, shoulder and feet. The red javelin piercing broken bone etched on the helm side and the legionaires blue glowing frame was unmistakable” replied the firm voice belonging to a goblin sitting in a fine wooden chair. Still weaing black hydra scale armor from his previous scouting op.

The olive skinned figure moved away from a wall of shelved tomes & books  and stepped closer to the sitting goblin. “Continue”. 

“It had been waiting the whole siege I believe. In the docks among all the water vessels. Hoping to catch any leen who attempted to flee. None made it that far though. When only two cargo ships remained, I watched it come from behind the stern of a large trade ship. Then with one arm, it placed its black gauntlet on the ships nose and shoved it out into the sea. Like it was nothing sir. A full size trade ship…”

Silt master standing with arms crossed and pulling at one side of his mustache.

Silt Master: Legionaires….ugh…and radiant….*sigh*….an immovable object. 

“The skelle that incapacitated the priest…*shivers* that song or hymn, whatever it was. The four of them gathered round the moaning priest. The legionaire mouthed something to the other skelle, they noded and bowed to the legionaire. None started chanting until the Legionaire pulled what appeared to be a  hand blade from its hip armor. The legionaire rolled the battered priest over and then kneeled over his body. The three skelle positioned themselves behind the legionaire and also kneeled. The chanting began and the legionaire looked up into the sky for a moment, then placed the hand blade on the lower back of the priest. A bright flash began arcing between the handblade and the priests body…and his screams began to echo. As the legionaire moved the blade over the priests body, sizzling sounds accompanied the flashing arc that lit up the bones of the skelle chanting, singing something awful. I covered my ears and turned away until the noises had stopped. When I looked back, the legionaire stood tall, holding the priests perfectly flayed skin. No blood, no messy jagged cuts like most skelle make when culling their enemy. It was like the pristine hide from a prized beast. Once the chanting stopped, my senses were fine and made way to the woodland channel entrance…”

Silt Master: Did you see what was done with the priests pelt?

“The Priests…pelt?”

Silt Master: Yes…

“The legionaire took care in folding the priests skin and carried it in its arms back into the ruins of Hijnbar, that was the last I saw”

Looking upon the walls of displayed weapons, trinkets and scrolls, silt master Set takes a few steps away from the goblin assasin sitting at the trade room table.

Silt Master: ….*sigh*….Fiend Skin

“Silt Master Set….what?”

Silt Master: The Radiant Legionaire, was procuring a pelt for Fiend Skin. 

“I’m familiar with the Warlocks skin trade but I’ve not heard of Fiend Skin.

Silt Master Set: Warlocks raid was for skin. Unfortunate fate for the Leen there. However, not every creature or being has a high spirit value. The Leen Priest had it for certian. That “hand blade” you spoke of . A Ego-pen. A warlock tool that more or less easily removes skin from a body and traps whatever spirit energy the body possess…in the skin. They dont trade Fiend Skin to the likes of Witches, Nef or corrupt Leen factions. Your time in Hijnbar before the siege, did you ever see or hear of a Recruiter?

“No sir, not a whisper, nor a single note or sighting of any Warlock recruitment. No activity for a whole season prior to the siege.”

Silt Master Set: Well, thank you for your time and service to the Kor. I’ll personally see to it that bonus pay and class points are awarded. I’ll see myself out and I’m sure we will see each other again around the grounds. 

Set opens a door that give way to a busy hall of goblins. Some in masks and hoods. All weilding weapons or have them stowed on their person. Before Set walks through the door, the goblin still sitting at the trade room table speaks up.

“Sir, one more thing!”

Silt Master Set:…Yes?

“What of the Fiend Skin? What do they use it for?”

Set pauses in the rooms entryway. He stares at an image on the wall of a five toed foot across the room. Under the foots outline is a long blade horizontally placed under the foot. Encircled around the image is writing  “In the roots of our enemy, we live”. Set stares and ponders for a moment longer and  finally turns and looks at the goblin in black hydra armor. “Abominations”.