Editing The Asherlux Society (section)

===Absalom's Rebellion (400 to 451 CA)=== 


Absalom's rebellion provided an irresistible and unexpected opportunity. When he and his band of resistance fighters were driven from Kmet-Tha, the Ahserlux Society sought the man out and offered their services should he be willing to reinstate their program to its former position. Absalom seems to have been hesitant at first but with Haman's increasing power he eventually conceded to their requests and an alliance was formed.

The first contribution made by the Asherlux Society was to train certain resistance fighters in their new forms of combat and mental discipline, something that made them more deadly than a common soldier. Absalom lacked the manpower to take on Haman directly so creating a corp of elite soldiers would certainly help strengthen his position. In a sort of payment for this, Absalom's elites were incorporated into the Asherlux Society's breeding program along with the promise that Absalom himself would eventually donate his own seed.

As the decades drew out, Absalom encountered failure time and again, and began to increasingly rely on mercenaries to bolster his diminishing Belteshazzar forces, he knew he would be perceived as an invader inviting the barbarians of common humanity to the very gates of Kmet-Tha. This did not dissuade him, but it did make him uneasy about the vulnerable position that would put him in. That along with Haman's astounding powers made him doubt whether he could either defeat Haman or hold the island. This started in him a deisre to create a partner, another immortal to assist him in this conflict. At the relatively young age of 134 year, Absalom was in his prime and had time to play the long game. He simultaneously began trying to father such a partner and trying build an army of hybrid soldiers mingling Bleteshazzar blood with that of common humans. In these two efforts he relied heavily on the Asherlux Society.

In the later task they met with moderate success, producing men and women who held the common gifts of their race, though many of them didn't show obvious outward signs of their heritage. With the later, however, they were met with less success. Absalom fathered five children, each of them with pure Belteshazzar blood and created with women who were descendants from previous Immortals. Each were trained in Asherlux arts and each was extremely powerful in their own right but the spark of immortality remained stubbornly unlit.

Then finally in 450 CA the Asherlux Society found a way. It was risky but they believed it could work. Their plan was to "stoke the fire" of the perspective Immortal by using part of Absalom's power. An arcane ritual was created wherein Absalom would during coitus release his power time and again, until he had spent himself utterly, which would hopefully charge his seed with power that fueled his immortal spirit. Absalom was reluctant but after weighing the potential losses and gains he consented and conducted the ritual with his consort.

The ritual was a success. Absalom's consort became pregnant and even in the womb Absalom reported that he could somehow feel the same power that was in himself resonating from his child. His consort and child to be were sent to sea with several Asherlux members, a small retinue of servants, and a priest of Ashtra's Midwife sect. There was however a price, Absalom's exertions somehow diminished his power, and he would never again be back to his full strength. However, both he and the Asherlux Society viewed this as an overall success.

Thus invigorated, the Asherlux Society turned their attention ironically to the very purpose to which Haman had desired, breeding better warriors, superior Belteshazzar that could react with frightful speed, manipulate lesser humans, and have complete control over their bodies. They had been working on this to some degree for centuries but that had been in order to create and Immortal, now that they had done so they sought to create his perfect servants, to make certain that Absalom and his heir/partner would see their potential usefulness.