New Arrivals

New Arrivals details the first appearance of the Choronan in the Dark War Universe, and runs in parallel with Shadows of the Past.

Chapter 1
Nar’kric strode through the stone hallways of the mighty fortress of the Uuram Clan. The dark corridors were lit only by the occasional lightstone and were verging on uncomfortably cold. But the fortress was worth these discomforts, considering its size; it was home to two thousand Uuram Choronan and armed to the teeth with defensive weaponry.

He turned to the left and ascended a spiraling flight of stairs, passing a lower ranking Choronan as he did so. The lower was clad in a few simple pieces of armor and some rags, a stark contrast to Nar’kric’s own gleaming silver armor. The lower stepped aside and bowed as Nar’kric passed, though he paid no notice to this. Nar’kric made his way to the top of the stairs and walked, along the length of another unremarkable corridor, until he reached a large metal door, behind which were his quarters.

He entered to find his two servants, a pair of low ranking Choronan with similar armoring to the one he had just passed, cleaning his quarters and preparing his food. They bowed as he entered and one removed his cloak for him, hanging it up. He waved his hand at them and they bowed, before leaving him in peace. Nar’kric sat at his desk and prepared to right a report on the status of the universe he had been surveying, when there was a knock at the door. He sighed.

“Enter,” he said, frustrated at the interruption.

A female Choronan, clad in similar silver armor to his own, stepped into the room.

“Hello, Ses’rel,” said Nar’kric.

“Nar’kric,” she replied, tail twitching.

Ses’rel disturbed Nar’kric deeply, though he would never admit it. To admit that he was afraid of a lower, despite how slim a difference in rank there was between them, could cost him his position. However, it was not so much Ses’rel herself that disturbed him, but her abilities. Infused into her armor was a Kanohi Mask of Destinies. She knew the exact time, location and cause of his death, and the deaths of everyone else she had ever met, including her own. She hadn’t told him anything about his death, but even if she did he would be unable to change it.

“Kel’renac wishes me to inform you that you are being promoted. In a week’s time you will be leading a small task force, of your selection, into a recently discovered universe,” said Ses’rel.

“Since when were you our leader’s messenger?” He asked, failing to hide his irritation at being disturbed.

Ses’rel didn’t answer back, instead she lowered her gaze to the floor.

“I assume we already have information on this universe?” He sighed, knowing it was best not to keep Kel’renac waiting on anything.

“Naturally, it is one we have been studying for several years now. We are calling it the Dark War Universe.”

“So what am I meant to do, go off to this universe with a handful of warriors, learn their ways, find their weaknesses, determine where our fortresses should be built?”

“Those are the usual proceedings yes...”

“Some promotion,” Nar’kric growled. “Recon like this is for lowers, this universe is not a new discovery, like the one I have been surveying. If we have already been observing it for years, I should be leading an attack, not skulking about in the shadows.

“Well...” said Ses’rel, walking over to him and leaning on the desk.

Nar’kric wondered whether he should scowled her on her lack of respect, but in the end decided against it; if there was one Choronan in the Uuram Clan which could get away with which others could not, it was her.

“This universe is not like those we have previously encountered,” she continued. “It is undergoing a full scale war, battles raging across many of the Northern landmass. While this should make it easier to claim this universe in the long run, it also means everyone is on high alert. Otherwise peaceful beings have highly tuned sense; everyone is constantly awaiting an attack. It will be harder for us to go unnoticed, which is why Kel’renac chose you. You are the one he thinks could pull this off.”

Nar’kric took a moment to absorb this information, being drawn to the last thing she had said. If Kel’renac was telling him to do this then he had to obey. Then again, Kel’renac wasn’t just telling him to do this, he had chosen him to do this. Maybe this was a worthwhile promotion, perhaps even worthy of gold armor.

“What am I to be taking with me?” He asked, with far more interest than he had previously felt.

“Fifteen other Choronan, of your choosing, along with four Hyei, an Olmak-qet and a Narskevox, meaning one of your Choronan must be a Narskevox greaa,” replied Ses’rel.

“Presumably you are going to volunteer to fill that role?”

“Only with your permission.”

“Very well,” said Nar’kric. “Now leave, I shall compile a list of those whom I believe should accompany me on this mission, along with any additional resources I will need. It shall be delivered to Kel’renac before the day is out.”

Ses’rel bowed, the slightest trace of a smile visible behind her mask, and turned, striding out of the room. Nar’kric watched her leave before turning back to his desk. He took out a piece of paper and began to write a list of names. The report, would have to wait.