Soul Reaver and his companions walk for hours through the foreboding wasteland. The horror around them is endless - no true 'life' survived here... everything is a parody of the natural order of things, trapped in a vile, pain-filled half-life. Occassionally, earthquakes rock the ground, as if the planet itself were shuddering in pain from its tortures.

As they walk, the surrounding only become more bleak, more inhuman. Mountains of quivering flesh and bone meet their eyes, and they pass rocks that scream with broken voices.

The few stars that were visible in the sky disappear over time, being replaced by an endless, rolling mass of dark crimson.

Slowly, Soul Reaver feels the gravity of the planet letting go. It is not that it is weakening... rather, it is as if it no longer had any meaning.

Soul Reaver allows himself to Warp-walk a few metres away from the surface of the planet to test if it will work. He floats unsteadily upwards.

Satisfied that they have travelled enough, Soul Reaver temporarily returns to the ground and addresses the others.

"We are here. Now we head into that Warp. We will be entering the domain of our enemy - we are fighting on his own turf. I do not know what to expect... I've never seen anyone impose their will on such a huge area... let alone control the Warp itself in this way. It is as if he is infecting the Warp... and this Warp infects everything it touches with his will."

Soul Reaver turns away. He seems to think for a few moments. Then, his hand goes to Blooddrinker, and he draws the weapon. Looking around him for a few moments, he takes a sudden, experimental swing at the air.

Blue sparks spit from the blade, and it makes a screeching sound as if it were running over metal. Soul Reaver's face looks drawn.

Blooddrinker, can you not make a Warp Gate here?

A hollow voice replies in his mind.

No, my master... I cannot. This reality is not the Warp through which we normally travel. Cleaving it is impossible... I feel a concious resistance to all such attempts.

Soul Reaver nods impreceptably, then turns around again.

"My companions, my fears have been confirmed. While we are in this... Warp, we cannot open Warp Gates. We cannot escape, save by leaving through the massive Gate we have entered by... unless the Warp Lord allows it.

Anyone who wishes to turn back, I ask you to do so now, or it may be too late."

Soul Reaver then sadly looks at the world around him. The journey has sickened him. The abomination of this planet went against all that was meant to be. His eyes suddenly fall on the Staff of Ashara, being carried by Asaki. Soul Reaver calls to her, before addressing everyone.

"It has occurred to me that the Staff that we carry is not only old, but also untested. This weapon, which supposedly is the only means of defeating the Warp Lord, has apparently never had any confirmed cases where it has been used. We have no idea of its exact operation or the strain it places on the user.

Also, I find this world here to be a perversion of nature and goodness... a soulless, tortured place kept 'alive' despite its wishes to die. I suggest we use the Staff to give it peace.

Since I beheld this place I wished to see its pitiful existence ended. We may be carrying the tool to do this with us. If we try this, it will let us know if the Staff is reliable... if it truly has as much power as is rumoured, power enough to vanquish the Warp Lord... and we will know how to use it when the time really comes."

Soul Reaver closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I would not suggest this if I were not prepared to take this risk myself. I volunteer to try and use the Staff.

What say you?"