Agrond and Shakti agreed that when Ghast became of age
he would serve as a member of Styx's court, if only to make him hand
over their son. Styx never again showed his face at the den he
provided for them, and in time, came to realize that they owed him
for everything they had been given. Ghast was raised with all the
affection and care two Primeran sires could provide. They groomed the
boy to prepare him for the day he would serve a righteous and kind
lord, and the very Primeran he owed his life to. For fifteen years
Agrond succeeded in keeping his precious family a secret from prying
eyes, but sadly, this is not a tale that ends well. Agrond and Ghast
returned home one evening after venturing to a nearby market
together. Upon their return, they discovered the den a ruined mess
and Shakti's lifeless body mangled and broken on the floor, the
Primeran symbol for 'heathen' carved all over her body. Though try as
he might, Agrond could not console young Ghast, who wept and screamed
for days on end, a symphony of despair that only added to his own
misery and pain.
Knowing that he could not take care of Ghast and
conceal his true identity, Agrond presented the boy to Styx early in
the hopes that he would protect the boy and allow him to find his
beloved's murderer. Styx openly accepted the boy and promised to
watch over him. For the next five years, Styx began to teach Ghast
the secrets to his strange magic that he called “Alchemy.” Styx
revealed that this was the power that he used to remove the poison
from his mother so she could sire him. Styx went on to explain his
desire to educate Ghast in alchemy in the hopes that he would be able
to assist in achieving Styx's ultimate goal, a secret he refused to
reveal until he was positive of Ghast's unwavering conviction and
loyalty. During his time under Styx's tutelage, Ghast was no closer
than his father in achieving their true goal, discovering who killed
his mother and avenging her. Styx saw that Ghast would never become
the loyal apprentice he needed until his blood lust was sated, and
so, Styx approached the boy with an idea. “My dear student, you
clearly have little interest in perfecting my craft as you cannot
wield it to aid your own desires. So perhaps we can make a deal that
will give you the power and vengeance you seek.”
A deal was made that day, Styx would give Ghast the
means by which he could avenge his mother, and in return, he would
serve Styx with unwavering devotion and loyalty in his quest to
achieve his own ambitions. Ghast did not hesitate to agree and begged
Styx to elaborate on how he could avenge his mother. Styx sat the boy
down and began to reveal a secret that the Zodiac Ministry has worked
tirelessly to hide from the citizen's of Pandemonium.
“Listen well Ghast. Do you know of the Black Hearts?
The Primerans spoken of as rumors and stories? You have? Good, for
there is more to this tale that the ministry tries to keep from
everyone, a truth that if revealed threatens their rule. Are you sure
you wish to continue? Having this knowledge will make you a target
should anyone ever learn what you have discovered... Well then, I
suppose I'll tell you. Beyond the boundaries of the documented
territories governed by the ministry lie the uncharted lands of Ferus
Mundus. The ministry has led you to believe that these territories
are filled with nothing but untamed wilderness and the roaming
Primeran clans deemed unfit to join Pandemonium society. But here
lies the truth, our world is more vast than you can possibly imagine,
for the lands that the ministry controls pales in comparison to what
the true masters of Ferus Mundus govern."
"You are a fool if you believe that the ministry is the
most powerful force in Ferus Mundus. No my young friend, that
privilege belongs to the Black Hearts. They are the true rulers of
this world who merely 'allow' this city and its rulers to exist. The
ministry hides this fact to prevent as many Primerans from joining
the Black Hearts as possible, which will only increase their power...
Who are they? Why, they are the recipients of true power. Power
bestowed upon them by the master of masters. This is what I propose
young Ghast, flee from this place and travel to where even the
ministry dreads to follow, and find yourself a master among one of
the Black Hearts, for it is said they will share a fraction of their
power with a worthy soul to become an apprentice."
"There is Daemon, leader of the Hive Army, a militarized
society composed of insect Primerans, though rumor has it he killed
himself invading Pandemonium during the early days of its creation.
How about Beelzebub, a despotic king said to rule a wealthy kingdom
in the great desert. Perhaps Mammon, who is said to be a rat as well
and reluctantly rules a city of cutthroats, thieves, and murderers.
Ah, but you are a young adult now, so maybe you'll seek across the
sea for Leviathan, who is said to be the most beautiful creature in
all existence. Perhaps the sea life is not for you, maybe you will
find some way to take to the skies and discover Belphegor, a pirate
who claims no land as his home and instead sails the skies with an
army of floating ships. Finally, let us not forget the last Black
Heart, Asmodeus. They say he operates a perverse and twisted carnival
that appears only at midnight, and inside, all manner of depraved
acts are committed. The choice is yours, dear student. Go and seek
out the power you crave. Become an apprentice to one of the Black
Hearts and take your vengeance... Hmmm? Why did I seek to join the
ministry if I despise it so? Well, you'll just have to return to me
when your vengeance is complete, for once your loyalty is assured, I
will share all my secrets with you willingly. Never-the-less, I'm
afraid I've told you enough secrets for one day...”
Ghast took the words of his mentor to heart and immediately set out upon a journey in the hopes that one of the Black Hearts would take him as an apprentice. Ghast's departure from the city of Pandemonium was a shock to Agrond, who was never told of the discussion between Styx and his son. Though it's quite obvious that Agrond would never had let his son even fathom the idea of confronting a Black Heart. To Agrond, as well as the rest of the Zodiac Ministry, the Black Hearts were demons that ruled the outer territories of Ferus Mundus with lies, fear, and all kinds of malevolent behavior. Agrond himself had never come into contact with any of the Black Hearts before, and based on the stories he was told from the other members of the ministry, he wished to keep it that way. In fact, based upon the memories passed to my lord from Ghast, all of the current members of the Zodiac Ministry have never crossed paths with a Black Heart, instead, they seem to carry with them an inherited hatred from their ancestors, the founding members of the ministry.
Ghast fled under cover of darkness and paid his way
onto a small merchant caravan preparing for leave on a trade route to
the outer edge of the ministry's territory. After several days, the
caravan arrived at the edge of the wild territories, and though he
was implored by the members of the caravan, who had come to know him,
not to go, he continued onward without so much of an acknowledgment
of their concern. The wild territories are vast uncultivated
wilderness that are home to the majority of Primerans in Ferus
Mundus. Pandemonium is home to only the clans represented by the
members of the Zodiac Ministry, which includes the following:
Leporidae, Equidae, Muridae, Felidae, Bovidae, Phasianidae, Caprinae,
Colubridae, Colobinae, and Suidae. But to humans these are
respectively known as Rabbits, Horses, Rats, Tigers, Oxen, Fowls,
Sheep, Snakes, Monkeys, and Pigs. During the time when both Agrond
and Styx were members on the council, their respective clans, the
Draconae and Canidae, were present as well.
Both the dragons and the wolves no longer have a place
in Pandemonium and are both feared and rejected, but unfortunately
I'm getting ahead of myself. Ghast took to the wilds with only a few
personal necessities and the training of both Agrond and Styx to aid
him.
For many years he searched for a Black Heart, but finding them
was something of a complex matter. Many of the other Primerans Ghast
spoke with all identified the Black Heart who claimed the land in
which he was searching, but none could say exactly where they
resided, some actually moved about their kingdoms instead of staying
in one place. But all Primerans knew the laws dictated by the each
Black Heart that ruled these territories, though few seemed
frightened by them as the Zodiac Ministry had portrayed. Truthfully,
the one rule that existed between all the Black Hearts is that if you
disagree with the laws of the land, then you should not remain in
their domain for long. After learning this, Ghast made sure to know
the laws of each territory he visited, so as to not incite the wrath
of that land's master.
Eventually, Ghast began to despair, his hopes of
finding a Black Heart to teach him began fade, but as he grew more
despondent, his hold on his vengence grew tighter. With no hope of
finding a means to attain what her desired, Ghast began to cling more
and more to his most cherished possession, his anger. Ghast soon
found himself in a ruinous land, filled with deceitful and lawless
Primerans, taking what they wanted whenever the mood fancied them.
Such a place brought out the worst in Ghast as he struggled to
survive now that his resources had run out, and any means of
returning home safely had vanished. It was in Ghast's final moments,
as he clung to life dying from lack of nourishment and exposure,
that his grip on his desire for vengeance never waned even when his
eyes began to shut out the light of the world. But, before the Ferus
Mundus could vanish from his gaze, he appeared. A massive black
figure that seemed to blot out his fading world towered above him,
and with a golden hand, reached out to Ghast, and took hold of him
before death could claim him.
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