Rex pointed to the giant glowing orb. This was his victory and his people would soon be free, no longer oppressed by the priestesses. Soon the people from the stars would take this evil thing and the threat of its infinite power would be gone with it. Ever since his elder brother had died in mysterious circumstances Rex had wanted revenge on the priestesses. Garrath had always questioned the power of the orb that the priestesses worshipped. Rex had believed like the rest of his fellow countrymen and in awe of the priestesses’ beauty joined the temple guard. He only started listening to Garrath’s claims after a novice had rejected his advances claiming she had to remain untouched. Rex refused to believe the rumours that the women living in the temple to part in unnatural acts. Garrath consoled him explaining how all of the magical feats the priestesses performed could be done without the aid of the orb. Then one day Rex returned home to find his brother’s charred body lying in the middle of the floor of their humble cottage. The priestess’s claimed the orb had struck Garrath down for his blasphemies. But apart from Garrath’s burnt flesh there was no sign of fire in the home. Even his clothes had remained un-charred. Rex suspected some trickery, but there with no witnesses to Garrath’s demise to describe the event. Rex began to suspect some of his own comrades under the command of the priestesses had done away with his brother, burnt his body then carried to his home and placed it there in fresh clothes. Rex deduced the killer was his own sergeant after he heard how the man boasted in the taverns about bedding one of the priestesses, and soon the sergeant was found face down in the town’s open sewer. That was two years ago. The previous night Rex watched a star fall to earth outside the town walls. Curious and determined to discover what it was before the priestesses could get there first, Rex headed out to investigate. There he found a new wondrous building surrounded by people in dark close fitting armour. They did not seem scared by his approach. They explained how the building was in fact a ship that travelled between the stars. Speaking in his tongue they overcame his scepticism, by demonstrating how the sticks they carried moved back when they spat fire. The people showed him the far larger version of the sticks attached to their ship and explained how these acted like engines. It wasn’t magic but something they called science. Rex explained about his brother and how he disbelieved the tales of magic spun to them as children. The people took them to meet their commander, a tall red haired woman. She looked at him with a hunger that at first frightened him but as she spoke about the treasure she and her crew sought, he realized she was no threat. The more she described the object she desired the more Rex could see an end to his troubles. The orb was what these people sought, and he would lead them to it so they could take it away and end the priestesses’ terrible reign. That night alone with the commander he negotiated his fee for leading her to the temple. Little did he realize how much his reward would be. Convinced the orb was not unique, the commander intended to leave some of her crew armed with their fire-sticks to search out more orbs and she would make sure they backed the commands of the world’s new ruler, Rex. After the commander had removed to orb the temple would become his palace and the priestesses his concubines.