I'm telling you that I don't own Wizards/TSR/or D20
This is based on one great campaign I played. I have permission from the
other players to use their characters
************************************************************************
A burning piece of lumber fell from the rafters, the first to fall from the immolating roof.
Felisto knew something was going on outside, but he no longer cared. The time for caring was over for him, his days as a defender of the meek no longer mattered. The people he had once saved now hated him; and nothing he could do would change that. Reality seemed distant as he listened to the massacre outside the inn's window, listening to the screams of horror as the dead he once strove to defeat now feasted upon the living. Soon the walls would begin burning as the undead flailed around, knocking down torches, dodging fire spells. Such misery outside those walls, but such misery was nothing compared to the anger and fear that now welled up inside of him. He lay there on the bed, barely breathing and wallowing in self pity. He shifted his left hand to reveal the tattoo that bound him to the god that had chosen him; the god that had promised life. Not the death that surrounded him now.
The amulet of Pelor fell from Felisto's hands, hitting the ground and bouncing once. twice. and lying there amidst the golden chain that once held it around the Paladins neck. Such a thing was trivial now, as the burning sensation became stronger.
"You wallow in remorse but you know the way out of this situation. Simply follow me. Follow me to the edge of your world. There we will find redemption. Your god has abandoned you, but mine will not. We will go together and prove that you are still blessed by the gods, albeit different ones."
The Paladin stared at the cloaked figure in the corner of the room, the one who had been beckoning him when he started this rampage of terror. This creature. whatever it was had the power to see into his soul; and despite the lack of an evil aura, it still held a sense of danger. From beneath the hood of the creature's cloak nothing could be seen, just a darkness tinged red by the building burning around them. It was always at the corner of his vision, watching and taunting, beckoning. He knew that nothing would remain the same should he follow the dark cloaked creature. He could stand around, watching the town burn with his atrocities, burning like his own mind; or he could join this creature and see what lay beyond the simple sun, embracing the dreams that were hinted at. The cloaked creature, the dream beckoner stepped into the center of the room, the edges of the cloak ethereally passing through any object they came across, and halted.
A hand reached out from beneath the cloak, one ravaged by ages, covered in bandages at least a century old. Felisto reached out, and took hold of the hand, feeling the chill as it touched more, as it touched his soul. The creature withdrew its hand, and turned about slowly, reaching up to draw away the hood that covered its features. The hood dropped, revealing the bandages upon bandages that covered the mummy's body.
"You will come now, and I will show you the way unto life. You will help me in my quest, and draw your powers from my god. Like I, you are now a cleric of Il'Laquar, goddess of dreams. Goddess of the silent dead. Now come, we must find more that require salvation."
**************** The town burned that night, and by morning the dead were gone, leaving behind a single grave, covered with the symbol of Pelor, on which was attached a golden amulet on a golden chain. The gold glittered in the breeze, and reflected the light of the newly risen sun.
A burning piece of lumber fell from the rafters, the first to fall from the immolating roof.
Felisto knew something was going on outside, but he no longer cared. The time for caring was over for him, his days as a defender of the meek no longer mattered. The people he had once saved now hated him; and nothing he could do would change that. Reality seemed distant as he listened to the massacre outside the inn's window, listening to the screams of horror as the dead he once strove to defeat now feasted upon the living. Soon the walls would begin burning as the undead flailed around, knocking down torches, dodging fire spells. Such misery outside those walls, but such misery was nothing compared to the anger and fear that now welled up inside of him. He lay there on the bed, barely breathing and wallowing in self pity. He shifted his left hand to reveal the tattoo that bound him to the god that had chosen him; the god that had promised life. Not the death that surrounded him now.
The amulet of Pelor fell from Felisto's hands, hitting the ground and bouncing once. twice. and lying there amidst the golden chain that once held it around the Paladins neck. Such a thing was trivial now, as the burning sensation became stronger.
"You wallow in remorse but you know the way out of this situation. Simply follow me. Follow me to the edge of your world. There we will find redemption. Your god has abandoned you, but mine will not. We will go together and prove that you are still blessed by the gods, albeit different ones."
The Paladin stared at the cloaked figure in the corner of the room, the one who had been beckoning him when he started this rampage of terror. This creature. whatever it was had the power to see into his soul; and despite the lack of an evil aura, it still held a sense of danger. From beneath the hood of the creature's cloak nothing could be seen, just a darkness tinged red by the building burning around them. It was always at the corner of his vision, watching and taunting, beckoning. He knew that nothing would remain the same should he follow the dark cloaked creature. He could stand around, watching the town burn with his atrocities, burning like his own mind; or he could join this creature and see what lay beyond the simple sun, embracing the dreams that were hinted at. The cloaked creature, the dream beckoner stepped into the center of the room, the edges of the cloak ethereally passing through any object they came across, and halted.
A hand reached out from beneath the cloak, one ravaged by ages, covered in bandages at least a century old. Felisto reached out, and took hold of the hand, feeling the chill as it touched more, as it touched his soul. The creature withdrew its hand, and turned about slowly, reaching up to draw away the hood that covered its features. The hood dropped, revealing the bandages upon bandages that covered the mummy's body.
"You will come now, and I will show you the way unto life. You will help me in my quest, and draw your powers from my god. Like I, you are now a cleric of Il'Laquar, goddess of dreams. Goddess of the silent dead. Now come, we must find more that require salvation."
**************** The town burned that night, and by morning the dead were gone, leaving behind a single grave, covered with the symbol of Pelor, on which was attached a golden amulet on a golden chain. The gold glittered in the breeze, and reflected the light of the newly risen sun.