Tak-Ne learns he and other rare people were born with an energy called the Quickening that makes them invincible to age, disease, and injury after their First Death, connects them to nature, lets them sense each other, and prevents them from having children. They can only die if beheaded, and immortals can absorb more Quickening energy by killing another of their own kind. For this reason, some hunt each other in "the Game", where the main rule is to never fight on holy ground. Tak-Ne is told that one day when just a few are left, those immortals will be drawn to a faraway land and fight in the Gathering, the final battle for the Prize: enough power to enslave humanity. According to the Game, "In the end, there can be only one." Determined that a corrupt person must not win the Prize, Tak-Ne battles and kills several evil immortals throughout history. One enemy he is never able to defeat is the murderous immortal known as the Kurgan (Clancy Brown). He and Tak-Ne battle each other in Babylonia, Greece, and ancient China. The encounter each other during the Battle of Plataea, when Tak-Ne fights alongside the Spartans. During this fight, Tak-Ne shatters the Kurgan's sword.