Shaige traveled through the hinterlands of Paterdomus with a swiftness few corporeal things could match. Silently and without being noticed, he flitted from shadow to shadow, ever observant of his surroundings. This land was laden with magic; the very forests themselves up in these mountains seemed to be enchanted, presumably by the creator of this world. This magic that could hide terrible traps just as easily as it could lull one to sleep held no power over the ghostly keeper. From his empty visage there was a cold, level gaze that missed nothing.

There were animals everywhere in this forest, which seemed peaceful enough. Deers, squirrels, bears, and the occasional wolf were spotted by Shaige, but they did not run. Their fur always stood up straight and they knew something was wrong, but they could neither see nor smell the ghost, and so they carried on with their lives without ever knowing the specter had been within mere feet. There were signs of human activity as well. There was the occasional path left behind by a small group of men traversing the forest for some reason, but there were many more paths left by cautious feet. It seemed that some group was hiding in this forest, and going through great lengths to cover their tracks. Shaige sought out to find these people.

After some time, the spirit found himself in the shadow of a stony crag that jutted out from the land like a scar. Clinging to a small ledge near the top, Shaige could sense something. He peered at the spot more closely, and saw through the illusion magic that had been hiding the entrance to a cave. Within that cave, Shaige saw moving creatures. It took a moment, but he recognized them as humans. For some reason, Shaige felt a bizarre and utter hatred for those creatures. They had existed in the world of Shaige's prior life, and so he had been born with a plethora of knowledge regarding their language, cultures, behavior, and prowess in battle, amongst other things. Yet, coming into existence without any memories, Shaige's negative opinion was meaningless, built upon a foundation of air.

Entering the cave, Shaige decided to observe these humans for some time. He would reevaluate his opinion, and even if he was right in seeing them as a nuisance and a threat that needed to be crushed, it could never hurt to better know the enemy. The sun began to go down, exaggerating the shadows in the cave and the bright light from the hearths and magical lights within. Realizing that nearly a day had already passed, and that this would take some time, Shaige decided to contact Soran. Reaching out, over the hills and forests to where he sensed his loyal servant, the keeper managed to establish a connection with the construct.

The pain elementals vigilantly patrolled the hilly area, ensuring that nothing could enter the master's cave unseen and unchallenged. The imps, meanwhile, were gobbling a stew they had cooked from some stolen vegetables, some morsels of meat from animals they had trapped, and a bit of ash and tar for flavor. They had taken the liberty of summoning more pain elementals for their master, but after that they had nothing to do. So they simply sat in the cave, watching over the tiny vial that was their master's most valuable possession. Suddenly, Soran jumped, spilling his stew. The others burst into laughter.

Shaige's voice echoed in the mind of his construct, [i]"Is all well? I have traveled far from our small cave, and will be preoccupied for some time."[/i]

The imp construct replied aloud, "Master? Is it you?" The guffawing imps instantly fell silent in respect.

[i]"I feel you speaking, but your words fall silent upon me. You must project your thoughts across space and into my mind. It should be effortless, for I have already linked our souls together."[/i]

[i]"Oh wise and powerful master, do you hear me now?"[/i]

[i]"I do,"[/i] the ghost responded, unaffected by the flattery. [i]"What have you done in my absence?"[/i]

[i]"I am afraid we were not at all productive. We summoned several more pain elementals, and when there were no more souls in the vicinity, we rested. We had no orders."[/i]

[i]"Good. Do not act on your own accord, unless absolutely necessary. I am to be consulted first,"[/i] Shaige replied, his commanding tone evident enough, even through the telepathy. [i]This land is not so desolate as you might think. I want you to immediately begin using illusion magic to conceal the cave, fortify the entrance, and then expand the interior. Have the pain elementals patrol a wide area, taking care not to be seen. Do as I say, for I will be kind to those who serve me well."[/i]

As Shaige's voice faded, Soran snapped out of the daze the telepathy had rendered him in. Within seconds, he was organizing the nine imps and giving out tasks. Under his guidance, they worked efficiently and without argument. The presence of a construct greatly expedited progress.

[b]Shaige's Stuff:[/b[
[u]Minions:[/u] Soran the imp construct, 9 imps, 17 pain elementals
[u]Resources:[/u] A few bags of tools for the imps. Food is starting to run low, so the imps have resorted to trapping some small animals to help stretch their supplies.
[u]Infrastructure:[/u] A dungeon heart, the imps' makeshift altar, some small animal traps outside