I have sinned. I have fallen and paid the ultimate price for all I have sought to accomplish. As such I am damned for all eternity to never find that one joy that make life worth living. For what, the sweet taste of immortality, I have died a thousand times and all I have accomplished is to remember that I, in my lust for power performed an act that will haunt me till my soul is extinguished for all time. Some things cannot be forgiven and no matter how many times I am reborn, I have yet to find the secrets of power to undo the sins of my past so many lifetimes ago. Though my sins have allowed me to remember all that has transpired through out the memories of my soul, I am still haunted by the crimes I have committed. At times I live consumed by the haunting memories of a thousand lives and all the sins that have transpired. I live each one seeking redemption. To find the sweet secret of oblivion. In all these lives I have failed to find methods to eradicate the eternal self. Such words were never spoken truer. Then the warnings given to me. Faced with the lust for power and the desire to live forever. While I have found an immortality of sorts, reborn with each life memories fresh as though I had lived it. The sins that follow me through the ages are more then any sane mind can stand. To be reborn impure and jaded by the glories and pains of so many lives is a curse that far out way the gifts that my sins have granted. To know that there is nothing more to accomplish and nothing more that can be done to undo what never should of been done. Then to be alone for all this time. It is a wonder I have remained sane in this waking nightmare the world has become. -Raynne's confession to the world Predating the time of recorded history, in an age before the last age the story of Raynne begins. Lost in time and remembered only by a few who learned to never forget as they were reborn. Such was a time of promise. The spirits that man seeks so longingly for today were one with the people. Man was capable of great feats powered by there mind and spirits alone. Such was an age of legend, that many myths and legacies of this age hint towards in rumors and fractions of the truth. A time were the men many cultures considered gods were born and trained. Becoming great beyond the scopes of what are limited minds can yet fully achieve to understand. During this time Raynne ruled a great domain and was well loved for his righteousness and justice to his people. Though he lusted to become more then a man and as such possessed many dark secrets that would destroy the trust his people had in him. Raynne was well studied in the mystical teachings of the time and became renowned on this world and many others for his magical prowess and intuition. Though for him it was never enough and as time went on he became more and more obsessed with the forbidden lore. The darker magics of the universe that could destroy or create in equal measures. In his lust for power he sought not enlightenment and the betterment of the world, but to achieve a state that was as close to omnipotent as possible. it began slowly and with innocent intentions as first. At first it was merely the desire to break the established limits. To go further then any other had gone before. Then as time went on such plateaus became longer and longer in the discovery, the drive to the forbidden began to consume him. Such was the beginning of his fall. As time went on and Raynne's lust for knowledge brought him into darker and more dangerous realms. He began to consort with demons and other foul beings to skim from them the secrets of creations that the fallen still possessed. It was during this time of dark study that he became the lover of the demon queen Allandra. Through there unholy union Raynne learned much of the forbidden knowledge he had sought For Allandra was one of the rare few that had seen the beginning of time. Through this knowledge and gifts of his new found master Raynne gained more power then he had imagined possible. Of course it came with a price. The incurable tainting of his soul. As he grew stronger and learned more and more of the dark secrets of creation, to slowly was he transformed into a monster. Uncaring of the transformations of himself and his inner being, the lust for more to great to even bring into his mind the horrible sacrifices he was making. As time went by and Allandra had less and less to teach him. Demanding more and more for each scrap of knowledge she had to offer. Eventually the price became to much for even his primal lust to know all. So he left and went to seek out a new teacher. Perhaps one more in tune with the light side of things. His mind not even seeing that the abomination of spirit he had become would appall any creature that stood for the pure side of things. Only thinking that the duality of understanding would bring an even greater plateau of understanding. As events would have it the demands of his position came to the forefront and the demands for an heir become to loudly spoken for him to ignore. Still desiring to appear as the just and righteous leader that he had always shown himself to be in front of his people he began the search for his mate. Weaving magic through out the established world seeking out the perfect mate for his soul and she was found. A common girl of exceptional beauty and heart. So they were introduced and soon wed. Raynne all the time forcing back the dark urges that he developed during his instruction with Allandra. Time passed and he and the girl name Liliana found happiness. Raynne found a new purpose in life and the lust for more knowledge and power was tamed by his new found desire to give more and more of himself to the love of his life. During this time of happiness Allandra grew jealous as such being often do. For she had marked Raynne as her own and his new found devotions to another made her bitter heart seep with the desire to destroy what he had. Though she knew that Raynne had grown to strong for her to face him alone. The desire to survive and the risk of being unmade were to great for her to face him alone. So he instead slowly began to send corrupting thoughts into his mind. For the link they had formed during his instruction was strong. Thoughts of jealousy and unfaithful drifted through Raynne's mind. His great skills in magic quickly putting his thoughts to ease as he discovered his paranoid thoughts were unheeded. Still Liliana saw that something was wrong and began to inquire. Eventually Raynne admitted to her that he had consorted with a demon for many years learning secrets that no mortal before him had learned. Being of a good nature Liliana was appalled that her husband could have been so consumed. She was disgusted that he had been the lover of a demon and that he had sought forbidden lore in his lust for power. Eventually this knowing drove her away from him and Raynne fell into a sullen despair. On one such night when his sorrow brought him the desire to end his life. Allandra came stopping him from finding his release in death. "There is a way you know for you and your love to be together forever."She spoke with sweet seduction as she allows did. Sparking in Raynne the thirst to know all her secrets once more. "Tell me why I should care demon, all that I have cared for before her is paled by the pain my sins have caused her." "Silly child, I did not give you all my secrets. To have your love forever you must come and learn more. Through me I shall give you the secrets of life eternal, for her and for you. Though as always my knowledge comes with a price." "I have paid enough of your price, demon be gone." "My dear you have only began to pay the price for what I have given you. Come with me and I shall share with you all my secrets and you too shall know the secrets of creation as so few have known before. Or you can remain a hollow shell and rot away wanting for a love you can never have. Look at you no wonder she is disgusted with you. You are barely a man. I can make you so much more." Raynne looked into her eyes and saw that he had no other choice in the matter he had to understand more to find true happiness again. "What is your price, Allandra, my queen" Laughing Allandra looked him in the eyes and smiled her seductive grin "You are mine in this life and you can have her again in the next." "Very well my queen I am yours again till such times as my body dies." "Good we have much to do know come." "As you wish" Raynne stepped through the demons portal and and returned to his study under her dark tutelage. Soon after his decision was made, Lianna returned to apologize and let her love know that she could look past the sins of his past as he had come so far since that time. Alas he was gone, never to return. Eventually after it was apparent that Raynne would never return, she took over his throne as regent till there son was old enough to rule. Many years past and the Raynne's corruption grew complete. Allandra's plan to make him suffer for all time was nearing completion. Liliana never remarried, she waited hoping that one day Raynne would find the courage to return. Eventually that day came but not in the way she had hoped. Poisoned by the taint of Allandra, Raynne became consumed with the desire to live forever and to punish his one time beloved for betraying him. Through Allandra he learned the secret lore of the soul. With that knowledge came the infernal practice of soul consumption, a diabolic act in which a mortal can gain s sort of immortality by feeding on the immortal soul of another. Such cursed practices were banned in long ago decree among both the host of light the dark, for it erased from the time line a a unique being. Such things caused great disasters in an earlier age and the teaching of such things were banned and strictly enforced by the host of balance. Though Allandra feared not of the repercussions of such things and so taught Raynne the most forbidden of all lores. As such Raynne consumed the Spirit of his love one and gained a semblance of immortality through this fel act. Though such things never go unpunished, many years passed and Raynne became a scourge to the world he once protected, feeding and destroying on a whim. No one was safe from his fury and he truly became a demon of such a magnitude that even to this day his name is considered an ill omen with in ancient circles. If given the time he would of consumed the entire world for his dark mistress, but such wanton destruction caught the notice of the heavenly host who sent a there greatest General, the Angel Daniel to put an end to to Raynne as he had committed the ultimate sin he was to be unmade and erased from the Book of Life. Such a punishment had not been decree for many millennium and Daniel felt great guilt for performing such an act. Though he was bound to follow his Lords command or take his place among the fallen. So he offered Raynne the right to face him in honorable combat and if he was victorious Raynne would be unmade. If he was to fail in his duties he would take his place and in such be unmade. Raynne accepted the challenge as his madness left him feeling invincible. The two being engaged in a battle that would shatter worlds in its wake, they fought for many days Daniel always having the upper hand. Raynne had grown weak from the struggle and Daniel seemed unshaped. Finally Raynne surrendered realizing he was to weak to fend off his punishment. As such Daniel bond Raynne and began the ritual of unmaking. Then something strange happened. While being unmade, Raynne held on and fought with a new found strength. Though stripped of his power and his memories, his very soul. Daniel watched in horror as he completed the ritual and watch the twisted mass of the former man instead of dissipate into the nether, reform again as something new. Perplexed he took hold of newly formed soul and went straight to his Lord. "Daniel what is it that you brought me" "My Lord I bring you what remains of the demon Raynne. I have performed as you asked the rites of unmaking yet still the final phase I was not able to complete. While he has been purged of all thoughts, memories and powers, his soul refuses to be unmade." "Perhaps your conviction has failed you and you could not complete the task. I Know such things make you uneasy." "No My Lord, I completed the rites even though it pains to perform such an act. Even if to purge one so vile from the cycle of life. He simply did the impossible and fought off the final unmaking. "I believe you my child, what has happened here is a secret lore, know only to those of us who saw the beginning of time. He has ascended. While the rites can remove everything from him, they cannot destroy him. He is forever beyond that now. Soon his memories and powers will return. I can bind him but even yet, slowly he will become more and more. Till he eventually rivals those of us from the beginning. As such i cannot let him exist as he is. Tainted by Allandra's poison. And as of yet, I have not punished you for your failing me. In my wisdom I see an answer that will serve both purposes and give this tainted soul a chance for redemption, to serve a purpose greater then that of the Destroyer. "What my lord is my punishment then. As I have failed and as such must seek penance. Though my intentions were pure, the failure of my act pains me as much as the success would have." "Simply my child you two must become one. Your light shall balance his darkness, as such your light will diminish. You shall then be reborn, the duality of your nature to balance out the taint that cannot be removed with the virtue you hold so dear. As in such you will be given the chance to become like the ancients and understand the duality of life. It is both a great curse and a great blessing. I see this as befitting the nature of the transgression. Understand that it will be a long journey, flowing many ages before you have found the way back to an immortal. Understand that the taint will torment you and your light will burn his tainted soul. Till one day you both learn to fuse the two parts together then you will find the enlightenment you must seek. Remember this before you decide, you can always choose to disobey and join with the ranks of the Fallen." "My Lord I accept your offer and see your wisdom in such things. To be given the chance to become one of those that determines fate is both a blessing and a curse as you have said. On my honor I will strive to guide this essence we will become towards the light. While I feel fear quiver my will away, i have no desire to join the fallen. Failure would cost me more then this." "Understand you will be stripped of all your power, your gifts of creation and your connection to the infinite divine. Though you will always remember, you will be like man. Forced to learn and grow each step of the way on your long journey back to the divine. it will be full of pain, full of joy and you will have a freedom of choice that your kind does not fully possess or understand. Such a things may change what you understand of the light and what you hate of the dark. Such is the price you pay for the ability to grow again." "I understand and accept, upon my oath as a servant of the light I will become one with this man and we shall together learn the secrets of our freedom." "As it was Spoken so let it be. Be one Raynne and Daniel, return to the Book of Life and be reborn." So it came to pass that the essence of an angel and a demon were fused as one and a new mortal soul entered into the universe. To learn and grow, to become more then the two before could of become. In the great irony of fate. Raynne did indeed gain the knowledge of the light that he sought to complete his duality of understanding. Though they always remember, they can never forget. The pains of Raynne'e sins haunt his mind and the pain of Daniel's sacrifice burns with in. For in finding the truth he learned of choice as he had never before felt. Lives came and went. Always remembering, always alone. For the sins of the past stood solid and inflicting there penance time and time again through the ages. Such was why these things were bound and made to be forgotten for the effects were eternal. Never to find that perfect love that mortals rarely get, but seek after there entire lives. For the rest of humanity once in a great while the mate to ones soul is met in a life and great things happen, love is made, new joys are discovered, refreshing the soul and making pains of the past seem immaterial to the present joy they face. While not every life are the mortals given such a blessing but often enough to make the endless cycle of birth and death and being born again, more bearable. None such would be the case for Raynne as the penance for the forbidden sin was great and took its toll. Coupled with the gift to remember each life strongly as if it was during the actual moment of existence. Such was the punishment of the forbidden. A punishment that was greater then many will ever be able to understand. Each life moving forwards an back, driven with a desire to learn more, that same desire that had driven Raynne to madness, tempered by the calming cool of Daniels reason. Each life slowly rebuilding what was lost to him, slowly increasing his power.