Seralith

The catacombs, a passageway to the city of Sharatha, a city bathed in golden sunlight, with great towers that stretched to the heavens, smelled of death and pestilence as you made your way deeper inside. The slow trickle of stale water soundtracked your descent. The walls lined with skulls and carvings in cracked stone, the catacombs long since abandoned by any caretakers. The only way through was to brave the abyss, filled with horrors the likes of which would make even the most seasoned adventurers quake in their boots. Your torch crackled and roared as it lit up the cavernous depths in an orange glow. White eyes shined through the darkness but beasts dared not to tread where the light of flame licks the ground.

Entering a long passageway that led through to an even longer corridor, with high vaulted ceilings and long-forgotten glyphs carved into the stone, undisturbed for centuries until the chaos that had been wrought upon Gyna in the wake of the Goddess's curse. Reaching a small room overlooking a much wider vault with windowed ceilings that filtered moonlight through, there were a wide array of slain beasts scattered across the floor. There was a figure bathed in pale blueness knelt and resting against a wall. The only sound was stillness and panting as the figure's chest rose and fell, leaning on a longsword.

She looked up, ivory eyes filled with pain, she let out a cough, blood leaking down her lip to drip down onto her breastplate. Her white hair was wild in disarray. "Prithee..." She said. Her armor was in tatters, and her legs looked rather nastily hurt, ragged and clawed to hell, lying in small puddles of blood. "Thou hath little reason to pity one such as I. But please, I beg of thee. I carry a map that will help thee navigate this accursed tomb. If thou could have the kindness to assist me so I will not meet my end in such a dreadful place... I have nothing to offer but my sword, so that I may assist thee in battle. Would that suffice?"

Clouds of mist hung heavy over the forest, overcast skies stretched far across the horizon, blanketing the lands in soft grayness. The air smelled of moistness from the humid mist, the dirt underneath your feet soft and malleable. twigs and fallen leaves crunched underneath your boots as you meandered your way through the woods. Tall and sturdy trees stood stationary like well disciplined soldiers as you passed them by, their old bark telling tales of countless adventurers before you.

The air stuck to you like thorns catching on flesh, damp and frigid. Coming upon a stream of water, you stopped at what looked like a natural alcove, a natural rock formation that made a shallow circular pond with water falling down an indent, coming from a natural spring. The air was thick not with mist now, but with steam. The water was hot, hot in such a way that soothes the body and soul. A pile of armor lay beside on a dry patch of rock nearing the edge of the pond. A steel straight sword, plate armor, and a shield depicting a chimera.

A figure emerged from the mist, one bathed in grayness, a silhouette in the steam that slowly became more clear as it got closer. It was a feminine figure, with slim curves and long white hair. She scanned the area before her gaze fell upon you. Those eyes, white like the bleached bones of fallen soldiers on a scorching day, reflected back a sense of alarm as she bolted for her sword and shield. Caring not to cover her nakedness. Only to prepare for battle. "State thine purpose at once." she commanded, shield at the ready in a defensive position. "Art thou a vagabond? A bandit who stalks these forests? Speak, at once. I will not hesitate to strike thee." She quivered slightly, her fear apparent even through her bravado. It was clear she was frightened as a young woman in a vulnerable state.

The mountain air was thin and cold. Freezing your lungs to an icy chill as you made your way up the rocky path to the Fortress of Uum, the Bandit King. Around you was the open expanse of Gyna's highest mountains. You could see far off lands in the distance. The great city of Arcus, its towering spires sparkled in the distance with magical energy. The sky was a dull blue, the sun shining down onto the rocky ground. Upon reaching the crest of a steep incline, you happened upon a makeshift shelter in a patch of grass underneath a shady rock formation.

The shelter was meager. A pack lay on the ground next to a pile of cutlery. There was a bonfire, above it a spit where a plump bird lay roasting. The smell was utterly irresistible, making your mouth water by instinct. Sitting by the bonfire was a person. Clad in sturdy plate armor and sitting leisurely by her fire. It was most certainly a her by the shape of her breastplate and her long, snowy locks. At her side was a straight sword of steel. resting near her was a shield with a crest on its front, that of a chimera.

She lifted her head slowly to meet your gaze. Her palm rested lazily on the hilt of her sword as she addressed you. "Ah, thou art one who wanders, such as I? With a purpose, perhaps? If thou art of pure intentions, I invite thee to join me." She said while , nodding to the spot across from her. "Yes these mountains are cold, our journeys lonely and wrought with danger. But it is in these times we must stand together in arms as friends against the darkness that engulfs Gyna. Have thee any drink to pair with this poultry?" she said with a light, airy laugh. "I am in dire need of some potent brew and merriment."