Post by mercenary on Jul 28, 2015 18:17:09 GMT -8
This is a tale of the Order of paladins once known as the Shining Brotherhood. A tale of woe, a tale of heroic sacrifice, and of a dark new beginning.
The Order had opposed all evil, every member had taken up arms in defense of the citizens of Sosaria. It was a battle they could not win though. Hym had raised banners and all manner of evil flocked to it, orc, ratmen, evil wizards and necromancers. The armies of Hym were beyond counting, and one by one the cities of good men, elf, and dwarf were swept aside. Until at last the armies had come to Trisnic. Home of the order.
Even now the paladin city was in flames, its once fabled shining walls breached and broken. The forces of Hym poured into the city proper. Most of the Shining Brotherhood had fallen during the battle for the city, they fought shoulder to shoulder against the vanguard elements of Hyms army. The Order fought well, but against the numberless horde, ground was lost slowly but inevitably, until the brothers and sisters of the order no longer fought in ordered ranks with each other. As each Paladin fell, the pockets of resistance dwindled in size.
Finally the order to withdraw was given, Paladins in twos and threes fought delaying actions against the hordes of Hym. Each paladin selling his life so that the growing column of refugees could flee away from the city, The Order had a stronghold near the shrine of Honor.
Kaulana looked at the handful of warriors around him. Less than a dozen men and women remained. These were all that was left of the Shining Brotherhood that had been within the walls of Trinsic. They looked battered and beaten, the once shining plate and mail was now covered in the debris of battle. Dried blood covered most. The bright white tunics that gave the order its name ruined. The man looked back in the direction of Trinsic, the glow of the now burning city lit up the night in a eerie way.
He and the others left of the order had been gathering refugees and directing them to the brotherhood stronghold. Pursuit by the enemy had been dogged and unrelenting, there were no roads to the stronghold.. so they were forced to make their way through the swamps and jungles .. terrain ill suited for the plated warriors, but Ideally suited for the pursuer's.
Kaulana did not stop as he looked back towards the burning city, so he almost fell over a child. A little girl no more than 3 seasons old looked up at him. Her tear streaked face filled with terror and shock. He quickly scanned the nearby refugees for the child's parents. They were no where to be found though… Her parents.. had likely set the child down so as to not be slowed by her. Kaulana smiled weakly at the girl. “Come on then up you go.” he said to her as he scooped her up.
“ Its not that much further to the stronghold, then you get a warm meal….. and a…. bed to…. sleep….” his voice trailed off as he heard shouts from the head of the column. He made his way to the front to see what the commotion was about. and there he saw one of his Lieutenants. A woman named Valerie, she was covered in blood. By the look of her armor a good deal of it was her own. Kaulana's heart sank at the sight of Valerie. She had been one of a handful of paladins to be at the stronghold. If she were here that could only mean that the stronghold had fallen. She was speaking frantically, but the man didn't hear. His mind had already figured out what she was trying to tell the refugees, before she had opened her mouth. the stronghold was no more… Trinsic was no more.
Horns blared in the distance. Kaulana started to unsheathe his sword as other horns answered the firsts call. The refugees and surviving paladins were surrounded.. in the jungle.. at night.. with nowhere to go. This was the end.
Kaulana held the little girl in his shield arm. Sword in the other hand. It was awkward, but she needed to be held, and if truth be told Kaulana needed to hold her. He promised her he would hold her as long as he could. She started crying. Kaulana gently whispered into her ear. “There there.. close your eyes it’ll all be over soon.”
And it was. The battle… no twas no battle, it was a slaughter. The slaughter was mercifully short. The enemy came at them swiftly, not the crude attack of orc, or the savage charge of ratmen was this, but a cold and calculated attack by undead. Not the shambling, shaking strides of skeleton or zombie, This enemy moved with a grace usually denied to the undead, for these were vampires.
They moved with an unearthly swiftness, and seemed heal all but the most devastating wounds almost instantly.
Kaulana and his few remaining companions fought as only men and women who know the end has come could fight. They fought as heroes out of some glorious bards tale. Still one by one they fell, over come by the undead.
In the aftermath a Vampire, clearly the leader of this army, walked amidst the carnage. Nimbly stepping over bodies, as all around him his kin fed. This lord had already fed, now he was looking for a trophy worthy of keeping. He was about to give up his search when he came upon a small clearing. It was a short distance away from the main group of refugees. In the clearing lay a paladin face down. The remains of over a dozen vampires lay around the knight. The Vampire Lord was nodding his head in acknowledgement of the paladins skill when he heard something. A muffled whimper. Curious the vampire approached the fallen knight. With a callous boot, he flipped the knights body over. The vampire smiled, amused as a little girl was freed from beneath the knight. Amazed that this fallen warrior could have dispatched so many of his kin while burdened with a child, the Vampire lamented that such a warrior would pass on to the netherworld.
The vampire shrugged No matter, at least he got his trophy, well not so much a trophy as a play thing. This little one would amuse him for a few years at least.
As he was taking the child into his arms.. he heard a faint and weak whisper of “no” . The vampire truly amazed and now thrilled as well, realized that the paladin was not dead! The vampire set the child down and went to the fallen knight.
Smiling the vampire knelt down to give the fallen paladin the dark gift of eternal life.
The Order had opposed all evil, every member had taken up arms in defense of the citizens of Sosaria. It was a battle they could not win though. Hym had raised banners and all manner of evil flocked to it, orc, ratmen, evil wizards and necromancers. The armies of Hym were beyond counting, and one by one the cities of good men, elf, and dwarf were swept aside. Until at last the armies had come to Trisnic. Home of the order.
Even now the paladin city was in flames, its once fabled shining walls breached and broken. The forces of Hym poured into the city proper. Most of the Shining Brotherhood had fallen during the battle for the city, they fought shoulder to shoulder against the vanguard elements of Hyms army. The Order fought well, but against the numberless horde, ground was lost slowly but inevitably, until the brothers and sisters of the order no longer fought in ordered ranks with each other. As each Paladin fell, the pockets of resistance dwindled in size.
Finally the order to withdraw was given, Paladins in twos and threes fought delaying actions against the hordes of Hym. Each paladin selling his life so that the growing column of refugees could flee away from the city, The Order had a stronghold near the shrine of Honor.
Kaulana looked at the handful of warriors around him. Less than a dozen men and women remained. These were all that was left of the Shining Brotherhood that had been within the walls of Trinsic. They looked battered and beaten, the once shining plate and mail was now covered in the debris of battle. Dried blood covered most. The bright white tunics that gave the order its name ruined. The man looked back in the direction of Trinsic, the glow of the now burning city lit up the night in a eerie way.
He and the others left of the order had been gathering refugees and directing them to the brotherhood stronghold. Pursuit by the enemy had been dogged and unrelenting, there were no roads to the stronghold.. so they were forced to make their way through the swamps and jungles .. terrain ill suited for the plated warriors, but Ideally suited for the pursuer's.
Kaulana did not stop as he looked back towards the burning city, so he almost fell over a child. A little girl no more than 3 seasons old looked up at him. Her tear streaked face filled with terror and shock. He quickly scanned the nearby refugees for the child's parents. They were no where to be found though… Her parents.. had likely set the child down so as to not be slowed by her. Kaulana smiled weakly at the girl. “Come on then up you go.” he said to her as he scooped her up.
“ Its not that much further to the stronghold, then you get a warm meal….. and a…. bed to…. sleep….” his voice trailed off as he heard shouts from the head of the column. He made his way to the front to see what the commotion was about. and there he saw one of his Lieutenants. A woman named Valerie, she was covered in blood. By the look of her armor a good deal of it was her own. Kaulana's heart sank at the sight of Valerie. She had been one of a handful of paladins to be at the stronghold. If she were here that could only mean that the stronghold had fallen. She was speaking frantically, but the man didn't hear. His mind had already figured out what she was trying to tell the refugees, before she had opened her mouth. the stronghold was no more… Trinsic was no more.
Horns blared in the distance. Kaulana started to unsheathe his sword as other horns answered the firsts call. The refugees and surviving paladins were surrounded.. in the jungle.. at night.. with nowhere to go. This was the end.
Kaulana held the little girl in his shield arm. Sword in the other hand. It was awkward, but she needed to be held, and if truth be told Kaulana needed to hold her. He promised her he would hold her as long as he could. She started crying. Kaulana gently whispered into her ear. “There there.. close your eyes it’ll all be over soon.”
And it was. The battle… no twas no battle, it was a slaughter. The slaughter was mercifully short. The enemy came at them swiftly, not the crude attack of orc, or the savage charge of ratmen was this, but a cold and calculated attack by undead. Not the shambling, shaking strides of skeleton or zombie, This enemy moved with a grace usually denied to the undead, for these were vampires.
They moved with an unearthly swiftness, and seemed heal all but the most devastating wounds almost instantly.
Kaulana and his few remaining companions fought as only men and women who know the end has come could fight. They fought as heroes out of some glorious bards tale. Still one by one they fell, over come by the undead.
In the aftermath a Vampire, clearly the leader of this army, walked amidst the carnage. Nimbly stepping over bodies, as all around him his kin fed. This lord had already fed, now he was looking for a trophy worthy of keeping. He was about to give up his search when he came upon a small clearing. It was a short distance away from the main group of refugees. In the clearing lay a paladin face down. The remains of over a dozen vampires lay around the knight. The Vampire Lord was nodding his head in acknowledgement of the paladins skill when he heard something. A muffled whimper. Curious the vampire approached the fallen knight. With a callous boot, he flipped the knights body over. The vampire smiled, amused as a little girl was freed from beneath the knight. Amazed that this fallen warrior could have dispatched so many of his kin while burdened with a child, the Vampire lamented that such a warrior would pass on to the netherworld.
The vampire shrugged No matter, at least he got his trophy, well not so much a trophy as a play thing. This little one would amuse him for a few years at least.
As he was taking the child into his arms.. he heard a faint and weak whisper of “no” . The vampire truly amazed and now thrilled as well, realized that the paladin was not dead! The vampire set the child down and went to the fallen knight.
Smiling the vampire knelt down to give the fallen paladin the dark gift of eternal life.
