None may doubt that in time, the living will wipe themselves from existence. My masters, however, make it clear that we are to regard this as an opportunity, a chance to expand the domain of the undead. Their purposes are veiled, that only they may truly understand the purpose that has been set forth for us all. But while thou speak of merely patching the metaphorical quilt, we have further goals than simply this. A new tapestry in its entirety is due, even if the sinew and veins of the living must be used to knit it. We know not what design fate may weave if left to its own devices, thus we shall forge our own future, force the hand of fate. Soon, the shadow shall fall, and all shall be united under a single vision, a single purpose.
My mind has been preoccupied as of late; the living have much about them that my masters would take interest in learning of, so I must be vigilante in my purpose. However, that thou haft been among the living for a time thyself is pleasing to me. Whatever knowledge of the living thou haft found in thy mad slaughtering shall be bestowed upon me, that it may be relayed to my masters.

Whether or not thou take it upon thyself to extinguish more of the living is of no concern to me; 'twould serve the Shadow Isles well, expanding its reach. Know though, brother amongst the undead, that the shadow approaches. The time for restraint shall soon come to an end.

That sounds refreshingly cliche. At least no true harm will come of it, though the living say otherwise. For they are unenlightened as to what truly makes them live. The body is a mere tool of the soul, when it is no longer needed, it is discarded, so it may be with the current order.

I'm afraid that I have nothing to share with you regarding the living, Heccy. I don't care enough to retain any deeper meaning to vitality than what I've already seen. Living is overrated. Death is inevitable, a shadow lingering upon all those whose souls have yet to find peaceful rest. Yes, even beings like ourselves, who transcend it, can still be susceptible to its machinations. It is only our individual wills - our insatiable ambitions - that allows us to extend our presence upon this world. But once we've accomplished what we set out to do we, too, will succumb to its cold embrace.

I was once a living person. A human who had lost everyone they cared about to Pestilence and War. I was the sole remaining member of my lineage, one which I couldn't propagate. Initially, I only killed out of petty jealousy - ending the lives of those who could have children simply because I was unable to, but after years of doing so it became more than just a vengeful crusade. All the blood spilled, the death, the ruin - I reached a point where I had finally found a purpose. Killing became my reason to live, but it wasn't a survival mechanism. It became a sacred task, a mission so hallowed that it eventually became an art in itself. There was beauty in death, and I came to view murder in the same manner an artist views painting - a meaningful endeavor to which I devoted my life!

Even now, after my mortal expiration, I continue my art. Each new kill is more wonderful and significant than the last. I don't restrain myself at all, Shadow of War. Unlike your masters, I don't care for subtlety or tact. If I wish to paint the streets red with the blood of the hapless, then I'll do it. I have an eternal craving to bring death. I can't fight it, nor do I even bother. Unlike an assassin who kills for duty or profit, I kill simply because I need to. Death claims everyone and everything, in time, so who are we to deny it its right?

- Jaques

Aye, yet the living would oppose the order that we have come to know in undeath. They would seek to extend their meaningless mortal existences, even when immortality awaits them beyond the veil. Woefully few even attempt to understand my position; life is a burden, from which I liberate all.

My offer shall remain for thee, Deathsinger. Thy brothers and sisters in undeath would benefit from thy aid in the coming crusades.

((Nice to see Karthus being officially factored under the Shadow Isles' champions.))

Hmph. At the least, I would request thou do not interfere when the time comes to scourge the living from this world. From thy speeches, thou art clearly a fickle and capricious being, unliving though ye may be. Thy love of carnage and bloodshed is both refined and savage, at least by the standards of the living. This I can appreciate. Thou wouldst make a valuable asset when the time comes. Consider it, Jaques...

I am not adverse to this offer, but I shall commit in due time.

(( I love the lore redo. Its so much more appropriate. Lets have some fun. ))

Aye, 'twould be a great boon to have a necromancer such as thee marching with our armies. As I am sure thou know, a necromancer would aid us in bolstering our ranks as the campaign advances, turning the foes of the Shadow Isles against them. How they shriek upon being faced by the dessicated corpses of their allies...

((Can't get this mental image out of my mind: a hooded Karthus in a dinghy approaching the Shadow Isles' shore, Hecarim observing from atop the seaside bluff. Not to be self-promoting, but I cannot shake the idea that Hecarim is a pretty major player in the Shadow Isles' populace.))

(( Yeah, I agree with you. Frankly, Hecarim wouldn't be a champion if he wasn't already a Shadow Isle general. I think Mordekaiser is the same way. I can Imagine all the Shadow Isle aligned champions major leaders in the Shadow Isles. ))

((Aye, not just some pushover spirit of the dead. To me now, the hardest part of RP'ing a Shadow Isles champion is considering how powerful they might be on something like the Sparring Grounds. I mean, now Mordekaiser is basically the living embodiment of pain and agony, Karthus is a totally unique being with 'the keys to life and death', and for all we know, Hecarim may or may not be a Horseman of the Apocalypse. Not sure how to tag a 'power level' on those, except to say that I'm sure they're markedly more powerful off of the Fields.))

(( I just let the scope of the RP dictate how much power I let Karthus use. Its not a matter of how much power he has, its how much he decides to use; Karthus doesn't want to use more power than is needed. It depends on what you want to do, and what everyone else can. ))

Hmm. Well, I'll think about it. I'm not very fond of the notion of cooperating with others, but I might have to reconsider if it means being able to kill with impunity. I don't what you would consider "interference", so for now I make no promises to you, Heccy. I kill when the need, and the urge, arises and when I'm not infallibly compelled to spill the blood of another I am quite fond of playing around with them. Generally this means that I only really kill once per day, and if I've already taken a life then I won't need to take another. I'm not greedy, at least not anymore.

For now, bygones, then.

- Jaques