It was cold. And too bright. The whiteness burned at his sensitive eyes. He didn't expect to appear here.

The figure looked down at the body that he had made for himself. He was much taller then he was used to, which suited him fine. He never could stand being looked down upon. His skin so pale as to be nearly blue. He brought his hands before his face and and saw that each finger ended in a claw. He grinned and ran his tongue over his teeth, noting the two sharp canines. He had become exactly what he had wished. He took note of the items laying at his feet. One was a formless shape of pure chaos. It's colors swirled and changed like the surface of oil. The other was a sapphire. It sparked with energy and the snow around it was melting, although slowly. He could feel some divine power in the gem still and so he decided to put it to some use.

He held the gem over the chaotic material and focused on it. He knew he needed some protection in this harsh landscape and so he focused on armor. The heaviest armor he could. The power left the gem as a lightning bolt that struck the formless stuff an forced it into a rigid shape of Warplate Armor. He grinned his fanged grin and started to equip it. He felt only slightly better with it on.

There was still some power left. Just enough to create one last thing. He contemplated it and came up with a wonderful idea. He focused on the blue gem once more and thought of all those repressed feelings, each sin that wasn't committed. Lust, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, and Pride. Each one had a temptation. Each of them had an edge that could bite you from any distance. There was weight in front of him and so he opened his eyes to see a magnificent glaive. The haft was made of seven carved sections, each one representing a sin and the blade gleamed like a savage tooth. It seemed fitting for one such as he. He grabbed the weapon and gave it an experimental swing. Suddenly a nearby tree, almost twenty feet away, split in half and collapsed. He stared for a moment and grinned even wider. Yes, fitting indeed. He named the weapon Temptation in honor of it's creation.

He started on his way. He could feel that he was no where close to where he wanted to be and he had to find a way there. He saw a massive fortress in the distance and assumed it was as good a place to start as any.

---

He hadn't realized how much even this body would be susceptible to the cold. He knew that if he didn't find some way of combating the freezing temperature that he would perish before he could even start wreaking the havoc he longed for. He suddenly stumbled upon a clearing in the snow. He looked up and realized that he had made the fortress and that it was made of ice. Without even thinking he rushed into the open doors and reveled in the respite from the wind. Suddenly he felt heat, and it was growing warmer. He looked up as two massive flaming creatures approached him. He wanted to hurt them but he didnt' have the strength. They approached him and picked him up from either side. Their flames stung him but didn't burn him as his armor reacted to the heat and solidified into a deep red plate with a flame motif. The brought him past ranks upon ranks of different elemental creatures; ice, air, fire, even earth archons were swarming this place. His captors brought him before a throne and he was thrown to the feet a red skinned, horned giant. The creature glared at him and flames lit his eyes and the blade resting at his side.

With a voice that boomed he asked, "Who are you to run into my house?"

The small figure shook from cold but not from fear. "I refer to myself as B'Aria. And I am half of a god."

The efreet laughed long and hard. "Half a god!? And why should I believe you, oh mighty godling?"

B'Aria smirked and brought the sapphire before him. He aimed it at one of the two archons that had brought him inside and focused on the innate powers of the gem. Despite being drained of all divine energy it was still a powerful elemental artifact. The gem throbbed with energy and unleashed a mighty lightning bolt that obliterated the flaming creature. B'Aria turned back to the efreet to see him wide eyed in disbelief. The horned giant looked at this puny figure with a little more respect and eyed the gem hungrily. B'Aria noticed this.

"How often can you do that?" The efreet asked him. In response B'Aria lifted the gem and unleashed a second bolt that destroyed the other archon that had carried him in.

"An artifact like that could bolster my army. I could, perhaps take over another house with it." The significance of these words was lost on the vampire but he suddenly realized he had found a way to survive this place and perhaps find a way to his destination. He didn't like the thought of parting with the gem but the gain would be worth the loss.

"As it so happens I am willing to trade the gem." The efreet looked intrigued at these words. "All I ask is for something to survive this hell and directions to my destination."

The giant considered these words and grinned a tusked grin. "Done. Where do you wish to go?"

"Bolermos."

"That is on the prime material plane. This is the Elemental Chaos. You are a ways from home." B'Aria looked angry at these words. "But, as it so happens I know the location, and have the key, to a portal." B'Aria smiled at this and nodded his ascent to the trade.

The efreet grinned and snapped his fingers. Two frost archons grabbed the vampire before he could react and stretched him out. "What are you doing!? We had a deal!" B'Aria screamed.

"Oh yes, small one." The giant stood up and pulled a small orb from a pouch. Vapor poured off of it. "And I intend to honor it." He knelt down and brought a clawed finger up to the vampires right eye. "This will hurt."

---

B'Aria awoke. The efreet had been right. It had hurt. He brought his hand up to his face and felt frost covering the right side. It didn't feel cold to him however. Suddenly he realized that he felt quite comfortable on the ice he was laying upon. He sat up and looked into the smug face of the horned giant. B'Aria grinned to show no hard feelings.

The efreet leaned forward. "I have done more for you then you may think, small one. That orb does much more then simply keep the cold from biting. It allows you to control it as well. A fair exchange I think?"

"There is still a matter of that portal." B'Aria said.

"Yes." The efreet pulled out a scroll tube that was decorated with inlaid dragons and handed it to a nearby archon. "Take him to the portal."

The archon took the tube and bade the vampire to follow him. B'Aria nodded to the giant and walked after the fiery creature.

---

He was brought before an array of stones. Three of them had fallen in a closed pattern of a triangle. As they approached the tube began to spark and a blue glow suffused the stones. B'Aria was intrigued. "You did not even read the scroll."

In a voice that sounded of crackling flame the archon stated, "There is no scroll. The tube is the key."

"What would happen if the tube was taken into the portal?" The vampire asked as he circled around the stones.

"Then the key would be on the other side and the portal could not be opened from here."

"Oh, that makes things much simpler." B'Aria raised Temptation and slashed from across the portal. Despite the blade not coming anywhere near the archon, his head was cleaved off and, to B'Aria's delight, frost rimmed the wound. The scroll tube dropped from the dying creatures grasp.

"Consider that my thanks to your lord." B'Aria said as he picked up the tube and jumped into the portal.