Lord Colicor rested comfortably in his quarters in the Spire of Eternal Thought on Omni. His room was dark, lavishly appointed, but an obvious shrine to the Necromatic Arts he studied for so many years. Skulls of many races hung on silken cords suspended from the ceiling. Diagrams, scrolls protected by powerful dweomers sat out in the open.
The furniture was all made of darken wood, rumored the dead carcasses of treants. Dark curtains covered the windows, allowing almost no light into the room. The only source of light was a blue shimmering globe next to Colicor's leather padded chair.
On the floor at his feet was the body of a man, dressed in armor and shield. His face contorted into a mask of pain, his eyes showing no signs of life. The man was a member of the house guard, protectors of the Spire of Eternal Thought. Now, he was another dead husk.
Colicor reached over and touched the blue globe. For an instant, it flared brightly, but then receded. He kept his hand on it as he spoke.
"This is the log of Colicor, greatest of all Magi, ruler of Omnispace. Should you ever find this, then you will know of my greatest achievements, my greatest triumph. For here I will now tell of how I was able to achieve total mastery of this sphere."
"I have always dreamed of ruling this world, even before I learned I was magi. I knew I was always destined for something more than to be a simple trader's son. When my powers developed into their own, then I knew I was on my way to my destiny."
"That bastard Monitor always stood in my way, however. Curse the stars that made him, he was always more powerful than me. He was the stronger one. If fate hadn't cursed me with this pitiful excuse for a body, I..."
"Enough of that! While Monitor was gone, I planned to take over the council in his stead. I planned to create a disaster of epic proportions, so grand that the council would have to name me Imperium Ars Magican de Facto. I had it all planned too. Thanks to my extensive skills in necromancy, I created a virus that would kill any sentient exposed to it."
"I injected it into a human guard, and sent him to Tropika. The entire colony was obliterated in a day, and when the supply ships were to arrive, the virus would have been carried away on those ships. Ah, my plan was sheer genius."
"Once again, the fates were against me. The virus, without any living matter to support it, died simply because transport ships were delayed in arriving. They couldn't keep their schedules! Damn Spelljammers! Damn them all to hell!"
Colicor started to shake in rage, but soon calmed down.
"I must relax. I must be calm. I must tell the world of my plans, and if you have found this, you must listen."
"You probably think me mad, don't you? I can tell, even now. I know that you think me insane. I am not. I am the greatest genius mind ever born, and I am all powerful. It is I who will rule Omnispace alone!"
"I know. I can hear what you're thinking. What about the council? What of the administrators, the politicians? Well, the politicians are only human. They can be replaced. And the magi..."
"I have plans for the magi." With that, Colicor removed his hand from the globe and stood. He walked over to a large, darkenwood desk and removed a long steel box. The hinge creaked when it opened.
Inside, there were eight daggers. The blades were roughly hewn and pure white, imbedded in hilts of steel and gold. Colicor removed one, examined it, then placed it in his belt. He repeated the process six times, leaving one blade within. He closed the box and, after making sure the daggers were hidden under his black cloak, walked out the door.
Arnus Maclod was one of the Council of Nine. A magi, he was the master illusionist and a very friendly man. Despite his love of illusion, he was always open, straightforward, and honest. A rotund man with fiery red hair and beard, he always had a smile for anyone he would meet.
Everyone, that was, except for Lord Colicor, the man walking toward him.
"Greetings, Maclod," Colicor whispered.
"Lord Colicor," Arnus replied, bowing to the leader of the council. "What brings you out of your chambers? I thought you were working on your speech for the opening of the gates?" The magi did nothing to hide the spite he held for Colicor.
"Actually," Colicor replied, "I was looking for you. I have something for you." Colicor reached into his belt and pulled one of the daggers out. In the same motion, he flung it into Arnus' chest. The rotund magi looked at him with first shock, then with humor.
"HA!" Arnus replied, looking at the dagger. "What kind of trick is this?" As soon as he finished speaking, Arnus Maclod's eyes rolled into the back of his head. By the time he hit the floor, he was dead. Colicor cast a spell over the body, making it rise up from the ground and follow him.
Colicor returned to his chambers, and levitated the body of Arnus onto an examining table. Arnus was slowly losing his skin. In places, muscle and bone could be seen. Colicor watched the rapid decomposition of the body, and made a few notes onto a pad. Minutes later, there was nothing left of Arnus Maclod but a few bones.
Satisfied, Colicor returned to his seat. With a wave of his hand, a breeze blew the few remaining pieces of bone away. Colicor replaced his hand on the crystal.
"IT WORKS!" the small magi exclaimed. "It was painful, and costly, but the daggers work! I sacrificed quite a lot to get this power, but now the rulers of the council are mine to kill at my leisure. And tomorrow, I will open the gates to all Omnispace, and then all this will be mine!"
For miles, some said after that, they thought they could hear a faint laugh carried on the wind. Some thought it was a laugh, but it couldn't have been a human.
