Disturbance at the Entrance of Squ'bai Shrine

Necrotaph Emissary fantasy concept

A sudden green flash tears across the otherwise calm, serene sky of Squ'bai Shrine.

A lone, outlandish vessel appears high in the atmosphere.

Alarms shriek across the planet’s orbital defenses. Psionic countermeasures snap online.

A bolt of green lightning erupts from the ship, trailing viridian mist as it punches through the atmosphere. When the thunder touches the ground, a single figure teleports into existence and strides toward the entrance of Squ'bai Shrine.

Ornate Overseers guarding the entrance to the waterworld advance to confront the intruder.

Necrotaph Emissary: “Greetings, Squi'th, I wish to speak with your Masters, I come in peace.”

The massive gates flare with azure light. A sphere of blue energy blossoms before them, and high-ranking Illuminate officials materialize.

Necrotaph Emissary: “The centuries have been kind.”

Illuminate Envoy (through a hovering translator): “We wish we could say the same about you. To what do we owe the suffering caused by your blasphemous presence on our sacred homeworld?”

Necrotaph Emissary: “Your hospitality remains as warm as ever, I see. What has changed is that you seem intent on mastering the art of war as of late.”

Illuminate Envoy: “Someone has been watching us.”

Necrotaph Emissary: “Oh, I have been long by your side, watching you from afar for eons”

Illuminate Envoy: “Get to the point, Dragur.”

Necrotaph Emissary: “Very well. Dead matter cannot be mind-controlled, so spare me your indignation. We came to this system to harvest carbon-based life—humans, to be precise. We know you are struggling to subdue them. We can offer you counsel, drawn from millennia of war.”

Illuminate Envoy: “Who said we are struggling? If your insight weren’t so shortsighted, you would see that humanity is fracturing as we speak. They turn on one another. Rebellion brews. Their dissidents splinter into countless factions. Collapse from within is imminent.”

Necrotaph Emissary: “Then let us cooperate. Together we can hasten the fall—and divide the spoils.”

Illuminate Envoy: “No, thank you, servant of the underworld. This is our holy retribution. That world must fall to us alone. It is personal. We will avenge the unprovoked genocide they committed upon us. Now leave. The Council can no longer tolerate your presence.”

Necrotaph Emissary: “As you wish… unless we reach the prize first. Consider this a competition—a healthy one, I hope. Block our path, however, and even aquatic flesh might start looking appetizing. Our King and the entire nobility have not fed in centuries.”

Illuminate Envoy: “Begone necroid.”

Necrotaph Emissary: “Until we meet again”


To be continued...

Media: AI generated, inaccurate representation
Source for inspiration: Necronomicon - A 4th faction manifesto