Hammers and Spears embrace a frozen dawn whereas the newest generation of Warriors will be born. Embedded in their flesh and bone from birth, comes a rite of passage that all Marthians must take up when their adolescence freezes, and maturity breaks through. The scars that are bestowed upon the winner in battle are rewards to be worn fiercely and with pride from that day forward. Though it can be viewed as a brutal means of weeding out the weak, and the unblessed, by other species, the Marthians hold true to their traditions. Not all Marthians who aspire to be Warriors are permitted to join their brethren, however. The rift port on Marth 509 is in a rather open, and unprotected space, having spawned in a small outcropping of fractured tundra before most Marthians can even remember. Blizzards and a lack of directional knowledge often deter trespassers or the inexperienced from venturing to its location but, it is not without its Guard. Marthians who face off in the Chosen Ritual, proving their ferocity and strength but, unable to contend with many of their companions, are placed here. Having shown determination and endurance, they are the ones tasked with withstanding the bitter cold and harsh winds of the frozen wastelands to ensure the port is protected from all who seek to use it for misdeeds. It is a source for quick transport between star systems but, it can also bring about chaos if anyone were to use it to transport weapons of war, including throngs of Warriors themselves.
Marth 509 is a harsh and cold wasteland, and there is no room for weakness upon its frigid surface. The ritual that Marthians must take up before becoming members of the Guard is known as the Chosen Ritual. From a young age, each Marthian is pulled into this ritual, where they are to face the darkness of Zorn, and determine the path in which they will take – Warrior, Crafter, Guard, or Blessed. Those who welcome Zorn’s embrace, through the darkened Mora that emits from the sacred speech can feel their bodies become stronger, and their minds become more focused. A frenzy may embrace their mind, and they will enter a mode of battle from which their freedom comes only from the release of their dark energy. Crafters will find a similar strength but, their focus will be on furthering the success of their people. Their minds will swirl with a sleepless willpower to push forward, build, and create, to forge paths anew. Blessed are imbued with the dark energy summoned forth, pushing strength from muscular formation to mind and spirit, to harness the mora called to them and use it to defend, and enhance their people, or hinder foes. Warriors are the most common, thus the harsher rite of passage that the Marthian youth must face off in shortly after their Chosen Ritual.
Surrack was one such Marthian youth, facing off against his own brother in the rite of passage. All kin were to be held close and respected but, there was nothing held above the strength to fight and survive. Gifted a heavy sword after his ceremony, he practiced day and night, in blowing winds and frigid cold until his face was frozen and his limbs ready to shatter. He swung and swung until his body became tempered to the cold and weight, until the sword he swung was just an extension of his own being. The dark energy he had been graced with at the choosing had continued to call to him, and he to it. His teacher was a devout Marthian Warrior who had seen numerous battles and was riddled in scars that Surrack admired. Scars meant victory and fortitude, and Surrack would stand for nothing less.
His brother had gone down faster than Surrack imagined. As a youth, the sight of blood and the loss of his truest friend was both a lesson, and a nightmare. Surrack’s brother had not wanted to be a Warrior, he was born a Blessed but, he would follow his brother to the ends of the frozen tundra, to remain at his side. The wounds that had been placed upon Surrack’s arms were not sword slashes or spear thrusts but, the claws of desperation and regret. With the light fading from Surrack’s brother, so did the light of his own soul. The Rite of Passage was complete, within mere minutes, and Surrack would ascend as a Warrior for the Marthian army, proving that he was not only a capable fighter but, one willing to cut down anything that stood in his way of accomplishment, even if they were his own flesh and blood.
Unthal, the Battleborn, and the Marthian who had begun training him, explained to Surrack that the strength he sought could be pulled from his focus. He had to visualize victory, and the method in which he would take it, in order to pull the dark energy from the very air around them and use it to enhance his own skills. Through endless amounts of training, meditation, and repeated knockdowns, Surrack began to understand that he could not simply indulge in battle but, picture its outcome before its very beginning. In doing so, he was able to pour vast amounts of dark energy into his body, and any weapon that he clutched in his claws. He had watched the practitioners of Zorn go about their teachings, commencing their ceremonies and rituals but, seeing no true manifestation that would gift him the strength he desired.
In his mind, the visage of the lesser God, Zy’thi appeared in a shroud of smoke and ash, the very image of ferocity and determination like smokeless fire. It was Zy’thi who encouraged Surrack to extend his strength beyond his physical prowess and allow the dark energy to flow through him. If Zy’thi was permitted to join Surrack in both body and mind, he promised that in return, Surrack would soon become an unstoppable force both on and off the battlefield.
With piercing blue eyes that emit a fiery glow, and razor-sharp fangs, Surrack was thrown into the fold, cutting down each and every foe with minimal effort. He had allowed Zy’thi’s knowledge to guide him, for his body to pull the hatred, malice, and viciousness in the air of opposition into his lungs and push it to spread throughout his form. The veins in his arms would pulsate, his grip getting tighter, and his body becoming solid as rock. Zy’thi would flow through him, matching Surrack’s power and passion with his own to see his own power and influence grow. Surrack would accomplish what those before him could not, and aid in the expansion of the Marthian Empire beyond the stars that looked upon the planet.
