ROLEPLAY HQ - fallen-paladin

We used to be protectors, valiant knights and mages who dedicated ourselves to defending those who couldn’t defend themselves. I remember watching the Brothers train new recruits from a distance, nothing more than a little peasant boy, and wanting so badly to become one of them. Oh, how foolish I was. My first decade or so in the Brothers was perfect. I went from a simple, uneducated peasant to a fine warrior, trained in the ways of war, as well as how to read and write. I fought anything from bandits and criminals to monsters such as vampires or skeleton lords, driven forth by my belief in the Brothers and our holy power. We were a force to be reckoned with, called on by the kings in far off nations to quell uprisings and protect people from rampaging beasts. I wholeheartedly believed we were doing good. That was, until the leadership changed. With our Master dead, his apprentice took up the mantle and things began to change. We still continued to fight the same things we fought before, yes, but we began to only do things we were getting paid for, and for each job we asked for more and more. Several of us didn’t understand why we had suddenly changed from traveling protectors to just.. Mercenaries. We used our holy powers to do the bidding of the highest bidder. The breaking point came when we were hired to deal with some ‘unrest’ in a nearby country. When we arrived, we saw how terrible of a state everyone there was. There was barely enough food for everyone, and the unrest came from soldiers taking what the people had because they weren’t getting enough either.. And then we were commanded to wipe out these people. Several of us refused, and had our Brothers turn on us, calling us ‘traitors’.

8:09 AM

Then everything went dark for me. When I awoke, I could hear a cart moving but couldn’t see. When I asked what was going on, one of my closest friends spoke up, saying that all of us Brothers started to fall over. We had been punished for our transgressions, and everyone had lost something. What I lost was my sight. Others had lost limbs, or other senses and abilities. I could tell that I no longer had my holy might. Clearly, we had broken our oaths and those above decided we were unworthy, and struck us down. Now, a year later, I carry nothing but the clothes on my back and my old weapon, wandering from town to town taking whatever charity people wish to give me. I think I am heading roughly north, as I feel there is something drawing me that way.. What it is, I have no idea, but my feet move on their own. Perhaps there is a way to redeem myself, or my Brothers. Perhaps there is a way to restore my sight, or gain an alternative. I do not know. @IvyTheToxic

It was a bright morning, the sun shined across a valley, where the ruins of an elvish village could be spotted in the distance. A small road led into the ruins just a few kilometers/miles ahead. Down that road a carriage pulled by a horse. Inside the carriage, 4 people were discussing among themselves. 2 humans, a drow, and a dwarf. Who were they? Mercenaries, to them, as long as they could earn good pay, would do any task required. The 2 humans, a woman, and her husband. The woman is in her late 20s and her husband is in his early 30s. They sat next to each other and enjoyed each other's company, having a moment for themselves. ''Say, Mira. Do you think we'll find any rare boars around these parts?'' Asked the human man, to which his wife replied. ''You should worry about what we're going to fight here eventually. The gods only know what kind of monstrosities lurk in these woods.'' Her husband replied back ''Don't worry about that, we're both skilled enough to kill anything that comes across, besides, we got druid girl with us and Mr long Beard.'' So far, they seemed to get along, however, the drow woman wasn't quite on friendly terms with the humans. They always had some racist remarks or jokes that didn't quite sit well with her. As she heard them speak and the mention of her name, she quickly corrected them. ''Hey Lance, no fair. I am a summoner, not a druid. Alright? There's a difference. Get it right or...'' ''Or what?'' The human male asked the tone of his voice from joking to dead serious. ''You're lucky we're in the same mercenary company, else I would've torn the two of you to mince meat.'' ''Oi oi, relax yer traps all of you. Can't ye see am drinking?'' Annoyed, the dwarf stepped in. --

10:07 AM

''We still have so much ta travel, about 2 more days. Ye humans are annoying, and you Drow, resemble an elf, so I don't like you as much either. All of you shut yer traps'' From an outsider's perspective, this was a typical day in a mercenary company, shit talk, and threats, but it was the standard for hired blades. The carriage driver hearing the commotion in the back announced ''Lads and ladies, we're approaching the ruins of the village. After that, you're on your own.''... Soon after the carriage arrived at the ruins, dropped them off, and drove backward where he had arrived from. Now the party would have to continue on foot from here. On their journey towards the nearest down, all they saw was death and decaying bodies, Corpses impaled on spikes, and much more. The road was filled with traces of atrocities... All the mercenaries could do was grimace at the sight and steel their spirits going forward... @Cecil

Walking through the ruins of the village, all alone in the carnage, was a single man wearing dirtied blue robes and using a glaive as a walking stick to help support him. Long blue bandages were wrapped around his head, trailing off behind him from the slight breeze that carried the scent of death through the air. The man kneeled down in front of a collapsed building, picking up a piece of splintered wood and running his thumb across it. "..Smells of ash." His voice was quiet, as if he were simply talking to himself. "..This whole place was burned. Hopefully it was just a simple bandit raid.." A man could be hopeful, but he doubted it. Ever since his Brothers fell, there had been a rise of all manner of monster attacks, especially further out from big cities where adventurers didn't swing through often. Upon hearing some footsteps somewhere off to his left, the man rose to his feet, letting the splinter fall to the ground. He had no idea who it was, of course, but if it were bandits.. Well, he'd find out pretty quick. The small mercenary band would be met with the sight of this lone man standing in the wreckage of the village, facing them with covered eyes. "..Who's there?" His voice broke the silence, confident despite his disability. @IvyTheToxic

As the group walked, they randomly chatted while looking around the ruins. Disgusted, the human woman then vomited violently on the ground upon seeing the gruesome sight of a villager who was literally crushed into a blood pulp. Her husband quickly rushed to her to aid her as she vomited. The dwarf, however, was unaffected by the stench, he scoured around finding empty glass bottles and storing them in his pouch. He thought it could be useful, especially for where they were headed. As for Faelu, she was kneeling down next to a dying woman. Her lower half was...so to say removed entirely. As she bled out, her arm reached for Faelu, and muttered ''Please...k-kill me''. Faelu turned away momentarily to take a deep breath, as the human woman before her pleaded for a quick release. With a quick deep breath, Faelu pulled out her dagger and slit the woman's throat, putting her out of her misery for good. After 10 minutes the party finally decided to take the road and get out, however, due to Faelu's long vision, she saw a man in the distance way before the party could due to their bad field of view. As they went forward, they eventually stumbled upon a wanderer, Soon the wanderer asked ''Who goes there'' The dwarf on a whim or instinct pulled out his axe before speaking out, without thinking. ''Who's askin?'' The human woman then spoke up, curiously she remarked. ''I've never seen such a glave...'' ''What is wrong with you people.'' Faelu interrupted rudely. ''Good sir, we are Mercenaries, we're traveling to our next destination to find work...forgive me for asking. I noticed you covered your eyes with a cloth...are you blind?'' Faelu was genuinely worried about the man they just met. How could he wander like this when death is everywhere? Did he have a death wish? Meanwhile, the other 3 were bickering and discussing work, paying very little attention to the blind man in front of them. @Cecil

"..I mean you no harm, sir." His head turned roughly in the direction of the dwarf. "Please, return your weapon to your side, or back, wherever you hold it." He raised his free hand as a sign that he was peaceful. As for the glaive, the haft was long, but well-crafted, with the large blade that was surprisingly clean, given it being carried by a man who could not see it, presumably. When she said that they were mercenaries, the corners of his mouth twitched downward. Mercenaries.. could be quite distateful, and the fact that one of them had already drawn their weapon made him perhaps.. distrustful of them. However.. He would not be hasty. "..Yes, it makes sense that you would travel this way.. Death lays heavily on this region. It has for a long time.." His musings were mumbled, as if they were meant for him to know. "..Yes, I am blind. Though if your companions believe that it will make me an easy target, they would be mistaken. Not that I have much of worth on me to steal." @IvyTheToxic

'They may be idiots, but they wouldn't dare rob a blind man. At least not on my watch, yes Dwarf I'm talking about you.'' The dwarf scoffed and opened his bottle of mead before taking a few sips and commenting. ''Ahh, nothing like some good mead in the morning ta wake me up. Oi Drow girl, I would suggest you hurry up or we're going without ye'' Her company wanted to move fast before sunset was upon them, however, Faelu refused to leave the wanderer to his faith. Her kind heart simply didn't allow her to relax, even if he wasn't defenseless or easy pickings, it made her curious. She couldn't help but ask. ''Young traveler, why are you out here? This place is filled with death and decay, are you not worried someone might attempt to kill you? Or worse, death isn't the only thing they can do to you. What if marauders find you here, I've had my fair share of encounters with them and I do know they roam this area often, especially now in the summer season.'' Tired of waiting, the rest of the party began walking ahead while Faelu awaited answers to her questions and his reasoning. @Cecil (edited)

The man chuckled quietly as this woman expressed concerm for his safety. "I'm not a young, foolish adventurer, mind you. While your concern for my safety is appreciated miss, I know what I'm doing." Shaking his head, he turned to face the way her party had gone. "..There are certain things you pick up on when you've been blind for a long time. Your friend there is heavy-set, perhaps a large human or a denser race like a dwarf, while the other two are lighter. I'd say human or elf, if I had to guess. You? You're in a similar state. Perhaps more lightly geared, so I wouldn't place you as a warrior in the traditional sense.." There were several guesses he was making, and he'd have no idea if they were true or not unless this woman made any sort of sound of surprise, perhaps. "There were only four of you, and you weren't quick to attack a blind man like brigands would. That's why I felt confident enough to speak up." After a few more moments, he began to continue walking north. "..Your friends are going to leave you behind if you don't hurry up, Miss." @IvyTheToxic

As she thought, he wasn't someone you'd mess with. While she gazed at her party getting further ahead. She couldn't stop but worry, the least she could do was give him a bit of help. She smiled and assured him. ''I am a summoner. I have my usefulness. Anyway, I don't know you good sir, but I know where you're headed there will be a lot to deal with.'' She quickly put her heavy bag down and began searching for some provisions. ''Let's see, I cannot do much for you, but offer you some food and water for your journey north. Please accept these, and may Elune keep you safe on your journey.'' Without saying much after, nor arguing, she left a few jars of dried of meat, some tomatoes and a cucumber, as well as a glass bottle filled with fresh water. She even left a tiny bag for him to hold as to not have his hands busy. ''I also left you a tiny bag where you can store those provisions. Well, that is all I can do for you, good sir.'' She gently poked his shoulder as she walked past him to let him know she had no malicious intent and to sort of say goodbye, all though she hoped he'd make it, where he's going. Then hurried back to her party, just to listen to their complains. @Cecil (edited)

"I have traveled far, Miss Summoner, and I've managed so far. Thanks for the concern, though." He heard her bag hit the ground, so he stopped. Maybe she wanted to give him some supplies for his journey, like many had before. His suspicions were confirmed when she spoke up, offering rations for his journey north. A light smile came to his face as he faced away from her- Despite the stench of death hanging heavily in the air, there was still some light left in this region, even if he couldn't see it. "Thank you, Miss." Xantrius spoke up when she brought him the bag, which he slung over his shoulder carefully, as to not break any of the jars inside. "May your travels be safe, and your life prosperous." It was a simple phrase, but it was one that he had picked up soon after his loss. Then, he continued walking north, letting his feet carry him closer to his destination, wherever that may be. @IvyTheToxic

10 minutes ahead onto the road, the dwarf looks at his map, before announcing. ''Lad, ladies. It seems we have taken the wrong road.'' Faelu walked over to the dwarf before snatching the map from his hands. ''Gimme that you lousy drunk oaf.'' She gazed at the road, and It was indeed the wrong route, instead of heading north-east they took the west-south route, forcing themselves to turn back. ''He's right, you guys. It's time to actually turn back and return back to the ruins, then from cross this bridge.'' The 2 humans approached Faelu and gazed at the map themselves. ''Maaan, are you for real? I am tired Faelu, can't we just make camp in the ruins ahead? It'll get hot soon.'' Said the human woman. Lance, the male human also remarked. ''it would be good for us to actually find a shelter inside of the buildings. It'll be better than staying in the open. Especially in an hour when the sun will be way higher. Not to mention me and Longbeard will cook in this plate armor. A sigh escaped Faelu's lips, as the one holding most of the essential provisions in her heavy bag, she decided to agree with their pleas. '''Fine, we better head back, maybe I can catch that wanderer, and offer him shelter at least.'' So they turned back as quickly as possible. 10 more minutes later they returned to the village ruins and took shelter in a semi-destroyed home with its second floor being rather untouched except for a few corpses they threw out and the blood that needed to be removed in order to not spread disease as they rested. --

5:38 AM

That was the dwarf's job. Longbeard was skilled in runes and alchemy cleaning. The human was the cook, she was responsible for cooking the party's meals. As for Faelu, she was the scout and guard. Her job was to forage whatever she can find and watch out for threats. They would usually take shifts during the night. As for the male human, he was the smith and tailor, he took care of the company's clothing, padding, leather armor, shoulder armor, and so on. Faelu wasted no time. She told the party ''I'm going to scout around. I'll use my wolf as a mount. If I'm not back in 2 hours forget about me.'' The dwarf jokingly replied. ''Suit yourself, Drow. But you better return. Or I'll fuck your corpse.'' On her way out she rhetorically replied ''That's the only way you'll ever get to touch me, Longbeard.'' When she stepped outside the ruined house, the girl's eyes glowed in bright green, a light emitting from her left hand, before she slammed on the ground, a pentagram then formed itself beneath, from it A horse-sized Tundra wolf emerged wagging his tail, and nuzzling his face against Faelu's face. She hopped on his back and exclaimed. ''Go, Buzz, Straight north'' with it, she rode north, hoping to catch up with the wanderer before it got too hot outside. @Cecil (edited)

It didn't take very long before she was able to catch up with the wanderer, given her mount moving at a much faster speed than the blind man. When the man heard something approaching quickly from behind, his grip tightened on his glaive and he turned, both hands on the weapon as if he were ready on a fight. They were approaching quickly, with different footfalls than if they were riding on a horse.. "Who's there?" He called out, facing in the direction of Faelu's approach, a serious expression on what was visible of his face. It was clear from how the way he held his weapon, completely confident despite his disability, that this man was a soldier, through and through. Someone with proper training in the ways of war. @IvyTheToxic

''Whoaa, easy boy, easy.'' Said Faelu, patting her Tundra wolf on the head before hopping off, then with a polite tone reply. ''Fret not, wanderer, It is me, the summoner you met earlier. Looks like we're headed in your direction as well, alas, there is not much time before the swelling heat arrives. It will be difficult for you to travel in this heat.'' She gently approached him but still kept her distance, as he seemed agitated with his weapon in hand. ''I mean you no harm. I would like to invite you to camp with us until the sun lowers itself and the heat dissipates. No worries, The big wolf is my mount and summon, it obeys my every command blindly, so there is no chance of it ever turning on you, you have my word.'' She gently extended her hand and said. ''My name is Faelu Aifini. So, what will it be, traveler? Do you wish to camp with my party at least until it's cool enough to travel, or do you wish to risk it in this soon-be scorching heat?'' There wasn't much she could offer but a helping hand, and perhaps some rest and respite from the long journey. Meanwhile,, back at the temporary camp the humans and the dwarf sat down for a shot of mead. The male human Lance then asked the dwarf. ''What was that about the corpse?'' to which the dwarf simply replied. ''Ahh, nothing lad. We have been bantering with da drow that if she were to die, I would fuck her dead body, hehe'' He laughed while chugging directly from the bottle. --

8:16 AM

''Didn't you and her end up fucking back in Willow Village?'' Asked Mira curiously, now that Faelu wasn't in their presence, the dwarf nodded and replied ''Ay, but don't mention it ta her. She'd kill us both, you know how drows are about da whole morally wrong thing ta do. I don't know. She keeps denying et, but ay, back in Willow village we had ta fight tooth and nail ta survive, yall remember? What ha happened was me and her got trapped in da tower and the time the drow hadn't been with a man, human, elf, or no matter.'' Mira smirked at the dwarf and told him. ''Is this why she always berates you with her usual racism? She never called you by your name, not even once, Argus.'' ''Oi oi, go check da meat woman. If it burns we're gonna eat ya instead, hahaha''... @Cecil (edited)

Once she said who she was, he lowered his glaive back to its normal position. "Ah, miss Summoner. Sorry for my aggressive response to your approach, you can never be too careful." His head quickly rose, as if he were feeling the air. "..Hm. Yes, you're right.. The sun should be reaching its height soon, and a few hours of rest would do me some good." He took a couple of steps forward, unable to notice her extended hand. "I am Xantrius. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Aifini." With that, he moved to go back the way they had come. "Hopefully your friends are willing to let me rest with them, they didn't seem like the most friendly of lot." To be honest, he had a moderate distaste for mercenaries in general, due to his own bad experiences in the field.. But this one seemed alright, from what little interactions he had with her. @IvyTheToxic

She spoke up ''Wait! Mr Xantrius, wait!'' Then quickly walked to his side and told him. ''Stop for a moment, would you? It'll be far easier to travel back to our camp if you ride on the back of my wolf.'' She then whistled for Buzz to walk over. Upon hearing her whistle, the big wolf walked up to her with his tail wagging. She gave him a pat and then commanded him. ''Buzz, sit. Good boy.'' As the big wolf sat down, she gently extended her hand and said. ''Grab my hand, fret not, we'll be faster if we mount my wolf.'' The wolf at that moment could feel that Xantrius was not a threat to his master. Rather, he seemed happy while he gazed at the man in front of him. ''I think my wolf likes you, Mr Xantrius. I've never seen him as that friendly towards someone who wasn't either my party or me.'' @Cecil

"Ah.. While I understand where you're coming from, Miss Aifini, ever since I became like this, it hasn't been easy to put much trust into anything that doesn't allow my feet to touch the ground.. I would feel far more comfortable making the walk back." It hadn't even been that long since he departed the ruins of the village, after all. If he had to guess, he'd been walking for less than twenty minutes, given the amount of steps that he'd taken afterwards. He'd gotten very good at counting his steps, as he had little else to think about over the past few months of travelling. "If you want to ride ahead and let your friends know that I will be staying with you all, by all means, be my guest." Xantrius motioned forward with his empty hand. "I'm sure they would appreciate the heads up far more than they would appreciate the speedy return of a stranger." Xantrius still remembered that cart ride away from the town after the Incident, how disoriented he was and how overwhelming all the sounds were.. The animals, the creaking of the wood and the shifting of bodies.. That was not something he wanted to deal with again if he could help it. @IvyTheToxic

''I guess I can't help it very well.'' She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote in plain common with a bit of ink and a feather pen from her bag. ''I'm returning with the traveler, do not be alarmed. I'm leaving Buzz with y'all, don't let the darn dwarf give him any alcohol. Wolves aren't supposed to drink it'' After finishing her message, she told her Wolf the following ''Buzz, go back to camp. Howl outside for either Mira or Lance, if the dwarf pops his head from the window, you do not howl, clear?'' The reason Faelu stayed behind with Xantrius was that she didn't want him to walk back alone, but rather to keep him company, in her mind she was worried he didn't have much socialization apart from the people who occasionally gave him some charity. Wolves were smart creatures, however, this one was even smarter. She had taught him how to recognize hand signs even words. The words were camp, food, dwarf, Mira, Lance, and a few others. And the words go home. The wolf licked her on the cheek a few times before swiftly departing forward with the message attached to his neck. His speed got him back to the camp 10 minutes later. As soon as it arrived in front of the building the big wolf howled loudly. A head popped up from the window, it was Mira. She absolutely loved Buzz. ''Ahh, it's Buzz!'' She quickly ran outside and gave the big wolf a hug before petting him and giving him belly rubs. After that bit of affection, she looked at the message, then went inside and read it out loud for the rest of the party. ''She'll be here in 20ish minutes. Interesting,'' Then went outside and fed the wolf some meat in a bowl. @Cecil (edited)

The moment he heard the wolf scurry off, Xantrius continued walking in the direction it had gone, acutely aware of the woman's footfalls beside him. "I'm guessing you sent your wolf off to deliver a message?" He questioned as they walked. To be honest, he was surprised by her willingness to stay with him as he walked. In most cases, people gave him whatever they could spare and then went on their way. That's the way it had been for almost a year now, ever since he set out on his journey from the far south, where he had spent his days recovering. She was correct in her assumption that he didn't get much in the way of social interaction, as he kept to himself when he was in towns when he could help it, and the vast majority of people he had encountered were simply scared of him and his tough appearance, despite the cloth wrapped around his head signifying his lack of eyesight. Xantrius wasn't surprised by people's fear of him, though. After all, he was once a Brother, who had lost their honorable status long, long ago. "..You know, you carry an unfamiliar accent, Miss Aifini. You must not be from this region." @IvyTheToxic

She giggled, before smiling at him and replying ''Just a mere warning to my party that you'll be camping with us'' Then she answered his question. ''Uhm no, Mr. Xantrius. I am from a neighboring country, if you must know, I'm a drow.'' She was impressed with his keen hearing, the inexperienced drow hadn't really interacted with the disabled as much as she'd like. However, he felt different. ''I come from a small drow village.'' She commented before complimenting him, or rather, praising him. ''I'm impressed by your keen hearing Mr. Xantrius. I have to admit I don't often get to interact with different people, it's either our employees who hire us or the party. The rest are usually villagers or civilians who run away at the sight of mercenaries. '' ''But I don't blame them, who would wanna run into someone who kills people to put food on the table? If it was me, I would run too. Heh...'' @Cecil (edited)

"Well, hopefully they're okay with it. I wouldn't want to intrude on a group that didn't want me around. Too much trouble comes out of that." He knew all too well what happened when someone tried to force themselves into a group that had no need for them.. It wasn't pretty. "Really? What country are you from? I can't say I've heard the accent before." To be honest, he didn't care what race someone was. Everyone was the same to him, since he couldn't see to make judgements on their race or appearance. What mattered most to him was the way they carried themselves, and how they acted around others. "Thank you, Miss Aifini. Ever since I lost my eyesight, it felt like my other senses became sharper. Perhaps the loss came with blessings of their own right." His sharp hearing was one of the reasons he still felt confident enough fighting, even with his major disability. Any melee combatant, especially a well-geared one, made plenty of noise during battle, making it easy to guess their movements and let muscle memory take over. "Mercenaries carry terrible reputations. How can you trust someone who could just as easily turn on you if your enemies offered them higher pay? If I'm being honest, I have a.. particular distaste for mercenaries.. Bad experiences, I'm sure you'll understand. From what I can tell, however, you seem alright, Miss Aifini." @IvyTheToxic

''That's kind of you, Mr. Xantrius alas, not everyone is on that opinion. My party criticizes me for not aging at all. I look a lot younger than my actual biological age. You see, drows are a species of elf. While we have pointy ears we are not entirely related to the elven species, the high elves, the dark elves, or the wood elves. Our pale skin makes us quite unique. Obviously, you cannot see that, but, we're often misjudged and ridiculed for being an inferior race. Even the proud dwarf in my party is jealous. I cannot tell you my true age because I don't want to worry you, and because it's rude to ask a lady her age.'' A gentle giggle left her lips before they were interrupted. From the nearby trees, 5 masked individuals appeared. Some holding swords, some axes, and some bows. A tall human male appeared in front of them and snarly announced. '''Ahh, what do we have here? A blind fool and an ugly drow. But hey, beggars can't be choosers. I will make this easy for you. Hand over your valuables, food, water, everything. Should you refuse, the following will happen. First, you, the drow. We'll have our way with you for several days if not weeks, but before that, we will slowly skin the blind fool beside you. You will hear his screams every night as each of us takes our turn removing bits of skin, we'll start with the face, then the rest of the body.'' -- (edited)

1:22 AM

''Who knows, if you hand over your valuables right now, we'll let him go and we'll keep you as our personal toy. I've never fucked a drow before so I only assume you'll be a great treat.'' Not amused by the threats, all Faelu could do was laugh wholeheartedly. She laughed and laughed, and laughed until her stomach hurt until eventually she replied with a cold, yet threatening tone in her voice. ''You are a few hundred years too young or foolish to even step up to me, both in the bedroom or with a sword in hand. I'm gonna be merciful. If you 5 young people leave now, I will not chase you down. Considering this my only offer, should you, however, even attempt something, you will be food for my hungry pets.'' They looked at each other and thought ''She looks way too innocent or harmless to be that powerful'' The tall figure wasted no time and ordered his goons. ''Kill them both!'' Before they even had the chance to get in range or fire a shot. Wild roots appeared from the low ground and entangled 3 of the bandits. Stunned, the remaining bandits looked a bit shaken. Their leader struggled to free himself from the rosy thorns that latched tightly onto his armor, legs, and waist. A silent sigh left Faelu's lips, she gave Xantrius a pat on the back and told him ''It's only fair I let you have some fun. If you need me, I'll be toying with their so-called leader, I'll make him pay for his rude behavior.''... - (edited)

@Cecil

"I've met many an elf before in my travels, before I lost my sight. They're heralded as the most graceful, beautiful beings in the land, due to their near-eternal youth and supernatural grace. Why someone would look down on an elf for those features.. I don't know." He heard the snapping of twigs and the movement of the brush and stopped just before the five bandits stepped out. They were moving together, all at once, so it was difficult to determine the exact numbers on sound alone. "..You would rob a poor, blind man of all that he owns?" Xantrius 'looked' in the lead bandit's direction. "You truly are the scum of the earth. Threatening a blind man with torture and death while threatening an elf with rape? Despicable." Xantrius slammed the haft of the glaive on the road, kicking up some of the dirt. He only paused when he heard Miss Aifini's threat and the bandits' murmurings amongst themselves. When it was clear that they would fight, he stepped up and raised his glaive, ready to fight. From the sound of it, Aifini had cast some sort of spell to immobolize or otherwise remove three of them from the equation, which left only two left. Xantrius stood his ground, head lowered as the two approached. The moment a boot slid across the ground, or a sharp breath was taken, the haft of the glaive was swung, twirling through the air with practiced skill, slamming into the chest of one bandit before twirling again to smack the face of the other. Xantrius moved gracefully, despite his disability, using the sound of the bandits to locate and attack them. However, he had no intention of killing them. Instead, he wanted them to learn their lesson and perhaps find a better path through life. So, he kept swinging the glaive and hitting the bandits all over their bodies with the solid wooden haft. @IvyTheToxic

''What are you!'' Yelled the leader in anger, the more he struggled against the roots, the tighter they would wrap themselves against him. Same for the two goons beside him. Seeing Xantrius deal with the remaining two put her mind at ease, however, the question now was, what to do with them. The beaten goons who suffered by Xantrius quickly dropped their weapons and began begging. ''Please, please. Mercy!'' Faelu simply observed, swinging her feet from the top of a tree before jumping down gracefully. ''What to do with you...I got it. First, I would like to talk with your dear leader. You, shithead.'' She spoke, smacking him with the handle of a stick she found nearby on the forehead. ''Why did you attack us, huh?'' Each time she asked a question, she annoyingly smacked him across the forehead with the little stick. ''Ow, ow. Alright! I'll speak, stop hitting me with that darn thing!'' She smirked before throwing the stick on the ground and approaching ever so slightly. ''So, speak Mr.Mighty.'' The man looked around as if telling his goons to keep their mouths shut while he spoke. ''We are but poor soldiers who were discarded by the army for not meeting the physical requirements and left with no jobs, we had no other choice. Please, please believe us!'' --

5:16 AM

Just as she pondered about letting them go, despite their harsh and rude language towards her and all the threats, she noticed something. A woman's hairpin on one of the bandit's sword scarab. She quickly grabbed the hairpin and asked. ''Where did you get this? Hmm? You're no mere bandits...'' She fiddled with something in her hands. It was a horrendously looking worm. A mutated flesh-eating worm. She then spoke again. ''if one of you doesn't speak out about this hairpin, I'm gonna have the worm eat your brain from the inside, you don't want, surely, do you?'' The mutated worm wiggled aggressively in her palm, causing one of the goons to reveal what he knew. ''It's from a woman w-w-we kidnaped! She's in a cave nearby...'' Her facial expression changed from one of silliness to seriousness. She grabbed the tall human, kicked him in the back,, and said. ''Show me where this Cave is'' Before walking into a path that led into the forest, she looked at Xantrius. ''I'll be right back. Do not worry, the remaining goons won't escape, they are in the range of my roots, should even one of them attempt to escape, additional roots will spring from the ground and they will be restrained.'' --

5:16 AM

She smiled and then left. Not even a 3-minute walk later the tall human led her into a cave, the dark looked like nothing special from the outside, however, on the inside a horrid view. 3 women between the ages of 19, 25, and 30 were strung against the cave walls, fully naked. The older woman had passed away a long time ago due to torture, however, on the wall flailed the fresh body of a 19-year-old girl. Her death was at most 24 hours ago. Shocked by the view, with tears in her eyes Faelu couldn't contain herself. The way the women had been tortured was a brutal one, so much so that Faelu almost threw up before regaining what little composure, she began kicking and beating the restrained bastard. ''You monster! How could you do that to them? How could you! For what you did I will kill you in the most painful way!'' She shouted so loudly that Xantrius could hear her from afar. ''Lowest of the low! Scum!'' --

5:17 AM

The beating she gave him was brutal, he was a bloody pump, barely able to breathe from the punches and kicks she inflicted on him. As he lay there bleeding and crying. Faelu took down the corpses of the women and placed blankets on their corpses. With tears still falling down her face she dragged the almost lifeless body of the bandit leader out in the open again, when they saw him beaten to a pump, they knew, they knew she had found their secret. With a teary expression, she couldn't help but embrace Xantrius, it was sudden but what she saw in that cave broke her. When she embraced him she sunk her head on his chest and cried, barely able to speak from the shock. ''Forgive me, Mr Xantrius. Those men...they did horrible deeds, they strung a few women on the cave walls, tortured, raped, and killed them...their freshest victim was killed barely a day ago.'' As she cried she occasionally gazed at the bastards, her anger rising by the minute. ''I'm letting you choose their punishment...whatever it may be, make sure those low-life sons of whores either die or suffer for life.'' As she embraced him, she also trembled with anger and Xantrius could feel it.

5:17 AM

@Cecil

The glaive's haft was planted firmly on one of the bandit's chest as they cried for mercy. "..What happens to you is not up to me." Xantrius's face 'stared' down at the bandit, a quiet frown on his face. Clearly, he wasn't exhausted or even angry, more disappointed than anything else. His head turned slightly to Faelu as she interrogated the leader, shaking as the leader made the excuse of 'soldiers discarded by the army'. Xantrius kneeled down beside the bandits who he had beaten, mumbling quietly to them. "To be denied by the army does not mean you are denied everywhere. Your decisions have led you here, not the army. Do not make excuses for your poor judgement." Then, he stood again, taking his glaive off of the bandit and stepping back slightly. It seemed that Miss Aifini had a plan to handle the situation, and he was simply a traveler. He'd let her decide what she wanted to do with them. When she said that she'd be back, her going to investigate some cave, he simply nodded and put the haft of the glaive dangerously close to one of the men, letting them know that they'd regret trying to run if they tried. When he heard the drow's screams, he ordered the bandits to rise to their feet and walk toward the cave, his glaive pointed at them. He heard lighter footfalls approaching quickly, to which he nearly pointed his glaive towards but stopped in time for Faelu to embrace him. The sudden embrace caused him to take a couple steps back to catch himself, and his head turned down to her. As Faelu described their crimes, she and the bandits could see his grip on the haft of the glaive tighten enough to make his knuckles go white. There weren't many things that made a man like him furious, but hearing of those sins? It brought a righteous fury to him that he hadn't felt for a long, long time.

7:37 AM

Stepping away from Faelu, he approached each bandit in turn. In a quiet tone, he seemed to be murmuring a prayer of sorts to some kind of god, damning them to burn in whatever hell they would be sent to after their deaths. "I am not your judge, I am not your jury.. But you have left me no choice but to be your executioner. You have claimed innocent lives, torturing them and twisting their bodies for your own selfish pleasures. Stealing from merchants without killing them is one sin that a bandit can atone for, but the murder of innocents is not. May the gods have mercy on your soul, filth." He repeated that statement for each and every bandit he struck down, forcing them to kneel through a sweep of the haft before swinging the blade and decapitating them each with a clean slash. The moment of hesitation came each time when he was lining his blade up with their necks. Once it was finished, he swung the blade to the side to flick the blood off and returned to his position before, scowling. "..Let us be off. Let the wilds claim their corpses." @IvyTheToxic

Seeing the execution in front of her eyes gave her some respite, but it was not enough. What she did next, was something she'd never considered doing in her life. She grabbed some rusty weapons lying on the ground, took out her knife, and began making stakes. Why? She wanted to implate their heads on the stakes. This would serve as a warning to other criminals. She, however, didn't mutter a single word to Xantrius, she simply told him ''You can head to camp, Mr Xantrius. I have unfinished business here, do not ask. All you have to know is that, in order for the tortured souls to be finally at peace, they deserve a proper burial. They didn't deserve such fate to the hands of these bastards. I do, however, thank you for doing what I wasn't able to.'' No words came out of her mouth afterward. She got to work. She scrapped whatever wood she could and impaled the bandits' heads in separate pikes. Attached to the pikes was also a message in common saying ''Criminals be warned, this is the fate that follows you.'' She didn't look at Xantrius at all during all of that work, and she didn't care If he either stayed with her, went back to camp, or went his own separate way. After she finished her work, she headed towards the cave holding a small makeshift shovel in her hand. Intent on digging graves for the corpses covered in blankets. Those women could at least use a proper burial. She found a comfortable spot near a big ancient tree. Then began digging, gazing at the cave occasionally. Given how small her makeshift shovel was, this was gonna take at least 1 hour and a half if not more to dig a 6-foot grave on her own, for each woman. @Cecil

He could hear the anger in her voice, and her movements were stiff. Clearly, she was incredibly angry because of what the bandits had done to those women. That was completely understandable, as he was angry as well, but from what he was hearing, it sounded like she was taking it further. Xantrius did not stop her. Instead, he folded his legs and waited patiently for Miss Aifini to do what she needed to. He didn't want to leave without her, lest her companions think he did something untoward, or allowing her to get into trouble if more bandits show up. It was better for him to stay here and listen, just in case. There were several times that he had gone out of his way to give his foes proper burials during his time with his Brothers, as well as the innocent lives lost in the crossfire. Her desire to give them proper burials was a noble one. By the time she returned to where she left the paladin, he was still there, sitting with his bandaged gaze staring off into the distance. "..I take it you're finished, then? Have you gotten all your anger out of your system?" @IvyTheToxic

By the time she Faelu finished the graves and finally buried the corpses of the women, she was tired, and covered in dirt. Before returning to Xantrius she knelt down facing the makeshift graves she made and began praying. ''Elune, bless their souls and help them reach the heavens.'' She then muttered a prayer in elvish, before standing up and heading back to the paladin. She was surprised he was still there, did he seriously wait an additional hour and a half just for her? ''Oh, Mr Xantrius, you are still here. I thought you were gone by now, well. I apologize for seemingly being so cold. What I saw in that cave really had me in a dark place in my mind. At least now I can sleep peacefully, knowing those poor souls have been given a proper burial and can now rest in peace.'' She then grabbed her backpack and looked for a handkerchief to wipe the dirt and sweat from her face. Feeling a lot better she also took a sip of water before speaking back to Xantrius with a smile on her face. ''Let's get going, we have less than 30 minutes before the heat appears, maybe we can take a dip in the nearby lake...'' @Cecil

"..I agreed to come back with you, and i'm a man of my word." For more than a year now, his word was all he had, so he valued it far greater than most. Using his glaive to help him stand, the paladin turned to face her voice and shook his head. "No need to apologize, Miss Aifini. Before I lost my sight, I witnessed crimes most lose themselves to. It came with the profession." Turning to face their destination, he began to walk slowly as she cleaned herself up. "..The sun will reach its zenith soon. We should go." He agreed with her there, before tilting his head for a moment. Then, he shook it. "Your party must be worried that you've been killed. It is better if you return to them sooner, rather than later." With that, he began to walk at a decent pace, confident in his movements since he had followed this trail once before. @IvyTheToxic

They walked for about 20 more minutes after, finally reaching the camp. Everything seemed peaceful. The giant dire wolf was sitting outside with the female human. She was petting him and enjoying his company. ''Oh who's good doggy, yes you are'' In the distance, the direwolf noticed Faelu's presence and ran to her with his tail wagging. He got closer and licked her face a few times before receiving a few pets on the back of the head. ''Hey buddy. I see you've spent time with Auntie. Good boy. Okay, come on, go away.'' She gave the direwolf one last pat before turning to Xantrius. ''We're Mr, Xantrius. Please head upstairs with my colleague. She will guide you upstairs. I'm gonna go on and take a dip in the lake with my wolf.'' She mounted Buzz and told the human woman. ''be nice to our guest and tell the dwarf to mind his manners. I will go for a swim in the lake. Okay? Don't worry, Buzz is with me.'' The human woman replied. ''Alright, but don't stay too long, or there will be no food left for you.'' She then rode with Buzz away and towards the little lake ahead, it was just 10 minutes away on horseback. When she arrived, she stripped her clothes and jumped in the lake, fully naked. Her wolf standing on guard, gazing around for threats and such. @Cecil

The paladin nodded in Faelu's general direction as she spoke with her beast companion and the other human, allowing her to get everything situated for her dip in the lake. Once the wolf departed with its master, Xantrius turned to face where the other woman was standing. "..I guess it's time for me to meet the rest of Miss Aifini's party. I am Xantrius." He bowed his head respectfully. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss." With that, he motioned for her to lead the way inside, ready to follow. Her footsteps and breathing alone were enough for him to follow, due to his keen hearing. @IvyTheToxic

The woman smiled and replied ''Call me Mira, well then, be careful on those stairs.'' Once they got upstairs, they met with the dwarf and the male human. Lance approached Xantrius and put his hand forward for a handshake. ''Ahh, welcome. It's nice to see a friendly face once in a while. I'm Lance, the dwarf over there is Argos. Hey dwarf, don't be so rude, at least greet our guest.'' But, the dwarf looked at him and remarked. ''Huh, another human. Argh...I hate all of you. Humans that is. I would rather hang out with an elf. Alas, I'm stuck with you per contract. You there, the blind man. How come you're all alone in this shithole? A blind fool like you shouldn't roam around these desolate death pits. But I guess you have your reasons. From what I can tell, you were once someone not to be messed with. Tsh, fate is one hell of a bitch ain't she, hahaha.'' The dwarf kept on sipping on his ale, already downing half of the bottle on his own, on the side where Argos sat was a blow filled with chicken bones and a plate with meat. He indulged himself further, without gazing at the 3 humans now sitting around the small table. As Xantrius's attention was kept by Lance, Mira served him a plate of freshly made beef. On the side a few mashed potatoes and a sliced tomato in a few pieces. ''Have some food, now then. We'd like to know more about you, it's not every day we see a fella like you.'' She remarked, also taking a seat beside him, a curious look on her face. @Cecil (edited)

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Xantrius." He bowed his head respectfully in Lance's direction, though he didn't shake his hand due to being unable to see that it was offered. His head turned to the dwarf as he spoke, and then he shook his head. "I'm sorry you feel that way about us. I hope whoever hurt you in the past got what they deserve." He offered a calm smile. "As for why I'm here.. Well, I'm headed north. I can't really explain it, but it feels like something is calling me there. I can handle myself in combat, Miss Aifini will be able to attest to that once she returns." Xantrius accepted his seat at the table and the food offered to him, carefully eating it as to not make a massive mess. "..There isn't too much to know, really. I was a warrior, I lost my eyesight on the battlefield, and now I wander. The first few months were the hardest, but i've managed to get accustomed to my new life slowly. A year gives plenty of time to learn, after all." @IvyTheToxic

While they conversed, Faelu was having fun swimming slowly in the lake, the sun shining upon her face, the water gently grazing her curves as she floated above the water. Suddenly her dire wolf picked up a scent. He began growling at something, curiously, Faelu gazed at him and asked. ''What's wrong, Buzz?'' As soon as she spoke, a crawling zombie approached the water. It was just a plain walker zombie, nothing to worry about as long as she kept her distance. She quickly got out of the water and dressed herself once more, then grabbed her sword and stabbed the walker zombie in the head. This wasn't the first time she dealt with the undead, however, she did wonder how could it wind up so close to the ruins of the village. It only meant one thing. A necromancer was nearby. Usually, zombies could rise from infections once turned into one by a necromancer. All it took was a bite to turn someone into a mindless monster. Needing to see what's going on, she cast ''Eagle Eye'' it allowed her to take control of a bird and scout out from the sky. While she flew around, she noticed a mass of people, they all wore tattered clothes, had pale skin, and were very undefed. Yeah, this was a horde of Walker zombies. They were in the thousands, soldiers, villagers, dogs, and zombified wolves. They were descending straight from the mountain. They were going to descend into the ruins in about 3 days maximum, for they never rested, never slept. She didn't, however, see a necromancer, could it be that they have been left on their own devices? No. Such a large force was being controlled. She mounted her dire wolf and booked it straight to the ruins. She needed to warn the party. @Cecil