The Exemplar

[Shang Tsung]

He had tried his best, but Shang couldn’t hold back the scowl that gradually took root across his youthful features. From this height, the city of Darkshire left much to be desired, with its sagging rooftops, crumbling structures, and general appearance of a city in the midst of an urban conflict. Outside the city walls, the Moors were busy living up to their moniker, and the skyline was equally drab. From his vantage point, Shang could spot what looked to be the rotting remains of old farmsteads, and he could even see vague impressions where fields may have been. Aside from those drab reminders of what the city had once been, it wasn’t until one got a few dozen miles from the city that there’d be anything like a forest or hills.

Since someone had decided to build a city on a flat stretch of land rather than in the mountains, Shang could only imagine that the Pale Moors had once been a gentle place. Whoever had wrecked the place deserved his admiration, because all that remained of the past were corpses.

“What made you join?” The booming voice of the man started the sorcerer, almost causing him to topple headlong over the side of the wall. After steadying himself, Shang turned around to face the man, who promptly backed up to give his newfound associate some breathing room. “Greetings, I am Atelos. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

From the getup, Shang guessed he was starting at a career military man or a veteran soldier of fortune. His olive-colored skin and deeply corded muscles revealed a lifetime of dedication, and his eyes revealed nothing remotely close to weakness. On top of that, he wore little…just a short cloak around his broad shoulders, cloth wrapped around his waist and groin, and durable soldier’s boots. A heavy bronze shield was strapped to his back, and a xiphos dangled next to his waist. In the cradle of his left hand, Shang spotted a bronze helmet.

Strangest and least commonplace of all, however, was the faint white aura that glowed around the man's impressive figure.

“My name is Shang Tsung,” the sorcerer said, extending a hand to the other man. The two exchanged a firm handshake before relaxing their postures and both turning their gaze to the landscape beyond the city. “Are you also a foreigner in these parts? You seem a little too Grecian to be from Darkshire. Were you pulled into this realm as well?”