The hobgoblin sat his spade tot he side, wiping the sweat from his furred brow first before bending over, scooping up the clump of clay and dirt that had caused his ditch digging shovel to be impeded. An order barked from one of the giant over seer's made him wince, but he whiped away the clay for a momment, fanged mouth moving aside in a smile as he saw the glowing gem beneath.

The giant caught the glint from the corner of his eye, baring down to scoop the hobgoblin up in one swift movement, fingers like tree's trying to pinch it from the hobgoblins grasp. "Thats property of the horde now!" he snarled, but the hob goblin lept from his hands and made a break for it. Damn horde wasn't worth something this..wonderful. Just seeing the gem made his greedy heart beat faster. In fact he gazed upon it as he ran, so fast he didn't see what he colided into.

"Push of!" he roared, swinging with surprising quickness with his empty hand, clutching the gem to his breast, but his bones met solid, immovable steel. Golden, gleaming...he squinted and looked up at the towering figure of the Suit of humanoid armor...but there was no human smell! They couldn't just appear like this!

The golem raised its empty hand, even as the one baring the sword drove through the hobgoblins throat, elminating most of his worries right there and then."Units 3-4 commense bombardment. Units 5-8 Close and Scourge" he said in his flat, tinny voice, swining his hand to signify the commensement of the catapults, which sprung in unison, raining not only burning pitch down on the small camp, but small golems as well.

In hours all that was left of the small camp was blood and clay, though the Golems, congenially, placed a Cordorian Flag dead center of the carnage, white flag snapping beautifully on its red and black background.


-------



The darkned laboratory holding the great machine of Lum was aroar with laughter. Mad, mirthless, horrible laughter, there was no humor within it, it was as if any trace of real 'humanity' where removed. Enzan greedily worked the stone into the workings of the device so complex even deities would not be able to understand its maddening workings.

The shadows collased and the Hands emerged to speak with him, but enzan was ready, his greasy hands wrapping around the lever he had found the workings of and pulled it. And laughed that horrid laugh, his body colapsing onto the groaning chair he was working on, pulling a thick hung of flesh from the whole fried cow laying next to it on the table, greedily tearing into it and dribbling liquified fat and grease down his chin.

"Oh you thought you where clever did ya...thought you where so smart! Gods....gods know nothing do they! You thought me just a mad fool, but I, yes -I- shall show you the fool!" he brayed, kicking his obsese little legs in glee as the golems stood frozen in mid-attack.

"Gods...creators of filthy disgusting sub humans! look at them! look!" he snarled, bashing at the controls untill a silvery orb appeared, showing images to any who looked. A dwarf and an old man playing chess. A gnome magician playing tricks for a few children. An elf embaracing a human woman.

"Interbreeding..corrupting, horrible idiot sub human garbage....But who has the power in his hands now! What gods can save you! I will control the gods....I will control everything, I will be beyond the gods, I will be creation itself!*he threw his hands into the air, laughing again, spraying bits of flesh and spittle from his mouth, laughing untill bile climbed his distended throat and foam flecked his greased and ratty beard, falling to the controls, heaving. One of the small tin functionairy golems rushed forward, moving aside the naked mans lounging robe to hook the tube to the specially made slot in his heart, placing the healing potion on the other side to dribble its contents directly into his blood stream.

"I knew all along..and your mine now...not even machines....just shadows!" he snarled, trailing the tiny golem before him as he walked before the silent, motionless Hands of God, ripping one's helmet aside."Empty! Empty as a gods promise! But your goddess will serve me when I choose, and you'll be the first..." Enzan hissed, tossing the empty helmet away from the frozen torso, turning again to the Machine where he began to adjust and alter the settings.

"Oh yes, Little city of filthy halfbreeds worshiping their filthy gods....I think we need to show those damned druids a little show.." he muttered, turning again to a choking laugh as the images upon the silvery orb became differnt views of the city of kholigen, and finally turned to each show the Imperator, reflected in a thousand lights.