Young Prince Lalit scowled as his covered palanquin halted. The heir of the Vinnraj state of Nashput motioned to his major domo to see what the problem was. It was bad enough he was "visiting" his uncle in Grom City, a cesspool the locals called their capital in the inspired named foreign country of Grom, but it was even worse that he now had to suffer prolonged contact with the lower castes . The Prince simply wanted to visit his uncle's manor near the harbor. It was set upon a cliff and it offered a magnificent view of the ships as they entered the busy port. Despite the lack of beauty from the rest of the city, the young prince enjoyed watching the myriad of vessels sailing in and out of the busy harbor as he continued his studies. It was a tranquil sight, the only thing that broke the monotony in this dreary country.
Lalit watched with disdain as the commoners outside his litter stared and gawked at him. His aristocratic blood boiled as he suffered their curious glances. It was bad enough they didn't speak any proper tongues, but it was even worse he had to endure hearing their chatter. He knew they were barbarians that did not know their place in their world, and hoped his exile in this land of savages would soon be over.
"What is the cause of this delay?" Lalit asked in a soft voice. His voice might not have carried through the sounds of the crowds around him, but the onus was on his servant to hear him not for him to project his voice.
"It appears that a wagon is blocking our path, oh enlightened one. ", responded the major domo curtly.
Lalit smiled, he enjoyed being given the honorific "enlightened one" . He was only a boy and he knew his scholarly pursuits had not earned him such a title , but he thought it was simply a matter of time. All his tutors said he was bright and receptive, and they said it was only a matter of time before he produced his own brilliant treatises, a sentiment that Prince Lalit agreed with.
As Lalit fumed silently a sudden scream broke the air.
The Nashput prince froze as he watched the crowds disperse. From his peripheral vision he could see his guards being massacred by what appeared to be three maybe four dark robed cowled bandits. The prince's fear was replace by anger , as the cream of his uncle's soldiers were slaughtered effortlessly. He saw some of the soldiers strike their attackers but their blows proved futile as the bandits shrugged off their strikes.
Lalit's major domo dove into the palanquin and landed across from the Prince. Lalit was furious, and would have struck the man if more pressing matters were not at hand .
"Do something you worm! " , screamed the prince as the situation outside deteriorated.
Lalit watched in fear as one of his soldiers was cut down . Another soldier gurgled as dark chains wrapped around him , causing him to fall to the pavement flopping like a fish. Two of the attackers approached the litter but seemed stopped by some sort of invisible barrier. They slashed and oddly seem to claw the palanquin , but it was to no avail. The prince stared in shock as he noticed something peculiar about his attackers, their hands were backwards.
"Rakshasa. ", he whispered in stunned disbelief. The demonic creatures were a plague on his beloved Vinnraj, and Lalit was shocked to have seen them here. The malevolent creatures were master shape-shifters and could take any humanoid form they choose. Indistinguishable from normal humans save that some portion of their body was inverted or backwards, the vile monsters often assumed a pleasing form to ambush and slay their victims.
Dark iron chains began wrapping around the palanquin , and sparks erupted where it met the nearly invisible defensive barrier.
"The protective wards won't hold them for long Enlightened one. I will distract them while you run to your uncle…..", exclaimed the major domo as he triggered a lever, resulting in metal blinds to instantly fall into place. A sudden green swirl of magic enveloped the old man as he took the form of Prince Lalit.
Lalit stared in shock then began to protest . How dare he take his royal visage! Was the domo a Rakshasa as well or simply a mage of some sort? Did the old fool expect him to run past those evil spirits? If he did run, where would he go to ? Although he had been in this wretched city for a few weeks, he still did not know the lay of the town. Was he expected to find succor amongst these barbarians? There were too many questions and demands on Lalit's tongue for him to voice properly.
Before the prince could express his objection, the now transformed major domo opened a glowing portal and Lalit vanished from the palanquin.
Martinez's troubles seemed to have vanished. The man with curly dark hair , perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee, and light brown skin practically danced into the inn he was staying at. He was thin but his frame gave off the impression he was a runner of some sort. The self-proclaimed duelist, tracker, demon hunter, and ladies' man had seen his fortune change for the better in the last few days. Not only had his small band of troubleshooters freed one of the Navy's vessels of a demonic possession, but some High Admiral wanted to meet him and personally thank him. The Grommers were considered good employers, if you can stomach the bureaucracy that they wallowed in, but with an Admiral's seal of approval he would be able to charge a hefty premium to all his other clients. He was given an invitation for himself and a guest to attend a high society gala of some sort, a perfect opportunity he thought, to impress the Lady Stille.
Lady Stille was not only a very eligible widow, but a minor noble from a backwater barony north of Lower Lueders called Veb. The place was plagued by an evil sage, his pet demon and an army of summoned monsters a year ago. Martinez and his trusty side kick Raoul were summoned to help and with the surprising help from the baroness's and one of her servants, managed to save the day. Since that time, Lady Stille had left her barony in the hands of her daughter in law, and had accompanied Martinez on a few adventures . Not that Martinez minded, for one thing the Baroness was quite gifted in divine magic and fairly competent in the arcane aspects of it as well, the duelist recalled her referring to herself as a theruge of some sort. For another thing the duelist felt some sort of chemistry or attraction towards her that he could not deny.
She was well mannered and pretty in some unnatural way. When he first met her, she took pains to disguise her youthful appearance with a grey wig and make up of all things, but she seemed to have abandoned this practice since they left. She had a hint of dark ancestry in her blood that gave her unnaturally long life and she had been ashamed , for obvious reasons, to flaunt it to her peasants. She was slightly above average in height, with a well-proportioned but still athletic physique that was obvious from even the modest dresses that she wore. She had pale skin and an almond shaped face with large almost piercing blue eyes. Her most notable characteristic was her thick shoulder length light blue hair. It was obviously an unnatural color but did not seem out of place especially from her apparent age, and the popularity of the youth dying their hair in Grom City these days. The only fault that Martinez could find in her was her annoying habit of name dropping and putting on airs. It was of course expected of minor nobles to behave in such a fashion , but from talking to her you would expect her to be the Queen of Grom or something.
Martinez was sure that he could dazzle her with the praise and accolades he would receive from the Admiral. She had been less than receptive of his attentions , but it was only a matter of time before his winning smile, natural good looks , and bad boy charm would win her over he mused.
As Martinez entered the Drunken Squirrel Inn, the busty waitress smiled and waved him towards an awaiting table. The duelist winked at the lass but refrained from slapping her inviting behind, the baroness might be watching and she probably would not enjoy such crassness. Martinez slid into an awaiting chair and greeted his companions.
"Looks like we're climbing the social ladder boys. Guess who's been invited to the Admiral's Gala tonight? ", he snorted at his companions. He did not see Lady Stille amongst them, but assumed she was simply resting in her room away from the noisy boisterous crowds.
His long time companion Raoul took a swig from his drink then grunted. The half giant was short for his race, but still towered over seven tall. He had over-sized features and large knotted muscles that were covered in scars and crude tattoos.
A small thin boy sitting next to the giant looked at the duelist curiously as he munched away on some form of fried potato dish. Jimmy was an orphan that had left the barony with Lady Stille in hopes of apprenticing under Martinez. The duelist wasn't receptive to the idea at first and sent him away, but it proved futile as Jimmy had constantly returned back to his side. Finally the duelist relented , but only at the urgings of his companion Raoul. The boy was too small to fight demons , but he had proved a very adept learner and had an uncanny ability for a human to detect the supernatural. "I've never been to anything that fancy before. Can I come? "asked Jimmy.
Martinez smiled and shook his head. "Sorry young Jim, this invitation is for me and the baroness. Sorry little guy, Hos before Bros. ",he chuckled cockily.
The half drunk man sitting across from Raoul and Jimmy snorted. Sir Jose had similar racial features to Martinez, but while the duelist presented a crisp professional image the knight came off as rough and haggard. Despite his coarse appearance, the knight's tabard was clean and well tailored . Even though they were at a tavern he wore his armor that was both polished and well maintained. Martinez had known Jose for a long time , ever since they were boys in the impoverished country of North Darokin. Their choices lead them on different routes but their paths crossed last year during the incident in the barony of Veb. Jose was a member of the proud and famous Order of the Husky, a band of knights known for their tenacity and bravery. The two North Darokiners were never very close, but they both considered the other as a friend. "Madre... sorry for you esay….Stille's orando at a shrine or something. Said she won't be back till tomorrow morning. " grinned the man with his annoying provincial accent. It was the way most of the people of North Darokin talked, but Martinez found it prudent to distance himself away from that dialect. Jose often hid it well, but it often surfaced during battle or a bout of heavy drinking.
Martinez's jaw dropped . His plans for impressing the baroness had been dashed. His mind quickly scrambled for a back up plan . He wondered if that smiling waitress was available. He glanced behind him and saw the busty woman laughing on the lap of some local militia sergeant and quickly shelved those plans.
"Ooh…..can one of us come then?" asked Jimmy swiftly and mercenary like .
Martinez frowned but conceded. He would rather have the lady Stille wrapped around his arm, but failing that , at least one of his other companions could bask in their glory. "I'm going to my room to get changed and ready. You guys figure out amongst your selves who gets to tag along. ", sighed the duelist as he retired upstairs.
The three remaining companions stared amongst themselves. It was clear young Jim wanted to go, as the half giant and knight appeared uninterested at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with the upper class.
"This is a great opportunity. I hope all the important people in town go there. Grand Crusader Sarin, Admiral Douglass the Third, maybe even chancellor Reinhardt. I bet they'll have all sorts of yummy treats and exotic drinks there as well. ", chirped the boy enthusiastically.
At the mention of drink , Raoul and Jose's expressions changed dramatically. "We'll draw straws. ", stated the knight at the prospect of free booze.
"Did we really have to evade the harbor patrol? Avoiding the local tax collectors and getting into the city for free seems more trouble than its worth I think. ", commented the hooded man in a Vedic accent as he rowed the skiff towards the docks. It was not dark yet, but his mistress thought it prudent to reach the shore as soon as possible.
"Silence Aki, do not question my decisions. ", stated a similarly cloaked woman . Although she had lived in Vinnraj for over a century , Akash thought it amusing that she had not abandoned the barbaric mannerisms and speech of her northern descent.
"Yes Lady Ivory. I am but a humble servant, " responded Aki with an exaggerated flourish. Lady Ivory gave him a warning glare, and Akash knew that any other servant would be slain by her terrible spear, or rended by her impossible strength, but he enjoyed the fact that he was her favorite servant and could cross the line of decorum between her mistress.
"We are not avoiding taxes, we are avoiding spies. I have been to Grom City before, and it is a chaotic place where information is freely bought and sold. Even if the Rakshasa's are not directly monitoring the harbor, there could be those that can sell our arrival to them. An albino and a tiefling from Vinnraj should attract some attention don't you think? " sighed the Ivory Lady. Akash would have added giant after the term albino , but it was not easy to determine that from looking at his mistress. She was roughly six foot tall now , over a foot taller when they first met, small for a giant but Akash knew better. She told him that her current height was a curse and she used magic to release her full power. Akash believed her, he had seen her in battle , seen her unleash her fury and grow to her true height .
"Should you not give warning to Sardar Milan? He should be in the city and your old ally could aid us in our search for your foe. ", suggested Akash.
"No Aki. The Rakshasa's eyes and ears are everywhere. If Rajah Mogombo knew we were here , he might vanish before we track him again. We will instead strike at him swiftly before he can react. ", replied the Ivory Lady.
Akash knew she referred to herself only for the attack. The tiefling was a decent fighter but was merely support and back up for his mistress. Few could keep pace with her battle prowess .
Akash rowed towards the dock, his questions answered. When they nearly reached the dock , a thought came to his mind.
"Mistress. You mentioned you have been to the city before. If you can't seek aid from Sardar Milan, perhaps you can find allies amongst old friends or acquaintances? ", Akash asked.
The Ivory lady paused, and for a moment he thought he saw a smile crept up on his normally stoic mistress's face. She glanced upwards at the evening sky seemingly to read a phantom message that was not there."I did have friends here, dear ones, but that was over a century ago. I doubt any still live. ", she sighed.
Stille knew she was drawing curious glances from the other members of the congregation, but she drove it out of her mind as she prayed to her god. Koryis was a god of healing and hidden knowledge, and the sight of an armored woman in his halls drew the appropriate stares. Besides the power of her faith, Stille had much to owe to Koryis. The holy woman Lady Wayland rescued Stille from a brothel when she was only a slip of a girl. The House of Koryis, was the orphanage she was placed in and taught her both letters and numbers . More importantly it showed her a different path than the life of suffering she had grown up in. Lady Wayland was a great inspiration to Stille and she kept in contact with the holy woman even after she was given up for adoption. Though she had a distinct abyssal taint in her bloodline the childless couple that adopted her didn't seem to care. They just wanted a child and the then quiet demure Stille was the answer to their dreams.
Her adoptive father was a minor officer in the militia while her mother was a street busker that enjoyed mixed success with her singing. At the time, Stille wouldn't have suspected them from anything beyond what they had portrayed themselves as except for the constant string of friends and companions that would visit them. Warlords, Champions, Wizards , Crusaders, even Royal Adventurers seem to know her parents well and they held them in high regard. As a child, young Stille wasn't sure why these people would treat her parents with such reverence , but she delighted when they played with her.
As the years past, Stille learned to hide her deformities well. Such a dark background might have resulted in her death in some cultures, but it was marginally accepted in the relatively progressive empire of Grom. The general policy of the government was that if it could be taxed then it was legal. Despite the marginal protections of the law, she knew well the fear and anger she evoked when most people saw her fallen heritage. She told herself that she wasn't ashamed of her features but found things easier for herself when she used heavy dresses, occasional wigs and the skilled application of make up to conceal her "traits". It didn't seem to matter to her husband though and he embraced her fully regardless of her heritage.
Things had gone remarkably well after she married. Her husband was a minor noble in northern Grom , but he provided them with a comfortable lifestyle. They had several children who also had children, but none of them displayed any of her unique characteristics . The barony seemed like heaven compared to her less then humble beginnings at the brothel but of course all things had to end. One of the side effects of her bloodline was apparently long life. She despaired each day as she watched her husband grow old while she remained young. She assumed most of the citizens in the barony guessed she had half elven blood in her or used expensive age delaying magics, but her seclusion and her prodigious use of age altering disguises deflected all inquiries. In the end all she could do was brood and mourn for her departed husband in relative solitude, that is until the incident last year.
An evil sage that practiced in the dark arts and his pet demon, attempted to take over the barony . It was beyond her power to deal with so she requested aid from her church. They sent the self-absorbed demon hunter Martinez and his cohorts , but even they were over matched by the evil that confronted them. In the end, the crisis spurred Stille to assist them and Veb was saved. Stille found the conflict had broken her lethargy and accepted the fact she had to move on. She asked to join Martinez as a healer, and he eagerly accepted.
Though the sharp eyed Martinez eventually divulged her heritage , the demon hunter did not seem to mind. There were worse things than her that prowled the lands and after a less then amicable start, he was more than willing to accept her help. She also suspected that the man was enamored with her but she had kindly rebuffed his numerous advances. There was no chemistry between them and they would have been a preposterous couple since she was already a grandmother for Koryis's sake.
As Stille contemplated her past and present , screams from outside broke her concentration. The priestess rose up and reached for her heavy broad sword , drawing gasps of shock from the other parishioners . Though the clergy of Koryis offered no weapon and arms training, thankfully her father and friends provided it to her as a sort of bemused hobby. The rest of the congregation seemed more worried about her than the screams outside but a familiar old priest nodded knowingly to her as she exited the church. He intone a prayer of blessing on his old teacher , as Stille readied herself to confront whatever conflict laid outside.