THE CHAMPIONS OF FIRIONA VIE
Belrosian awoke to a mist-shrouded morning in Firiona Vie. He took a few quick bites of travelling rations and splashed his face with water. Then he stashed his bedroll and spellbook in his pack and stepped outside. The previous night, he had arrived at the elven outpost on the Maiden's Voyage, the impressive gnomish caravel that plied the Timorous Deep. The wizard stretched and breathed deeply. The air was warm and humid, and smelled of the sea. He took a moment to reflect on his surroundings before setting out.
The elves had established this foothold on Kunark not long ago. They found the place deadly and inhospitible, yet pilgrims and explorers flocked there, as did mercenaries and adventurers. In typical elven fashion, before even the fortifications were complete, the elves had erected a great temple, and atop it now stood a colossus in the likeness of their avatar- princess. The great statue of Firiona Vie which gave the settlement its name served as a lighthouse for ships on the Deep and a beacon for all who were good in Kunark. But she surveyed little else that was fair. By the standards of Felwithe and Kelethin, Firiona Vie was a cesspool- an ugly, half-finished village that was more of an armed encampment than a town. The walls were crudely fashioned, and the siege engines towered above all save the great statue. Guardsmen and soldiers outnumbered craftsmen and scholars here. Firiona Vie was a refuge in a wild land- an isolated fortress of good at the tip of a sweltering, tropical continent teeming with dark and evil.
Belrosian found his friend Keil facing the sunrise, deep in meditation. "Greetings, Weedmage," the wizard said with a sarcastic grin. The half- elven druid blinked and came reluctantly out of his dawn reverie. Not quite ignoring the wizard's good-natured barb, Keil smiled up at the erudite. "Ah, Uncle," he said. "It is good to see you finally awake. Are you always this late abed?" Belrosian only scowled. "Come, Belrosian," Keil said, laughing as the wizard helped him to his feet. "We should not keep the others waiting."
They found Kalweni and Hallertau resting at the drawbridge. The paladin and the warrior had been fighting drachnids through the night, and by their expressions having a tough time of it. Kalweni looked troubled. "These drachnids are some fellspawn of the dark elves," she said, "and an abomination to all that is sacred before Karana. They terrorize the forest, cutting our supply lines and making it all but impossible to get reinforcements to our troops battling at the Sarnak Fort."
Keil nodded. He was counted high among the order of the Champions of the Light, as was Kalweni. "It is for this very reason we have come here," he said.
They made their way along the shore, until they came to some ancient ruins. A clear stream flowed down out of the mountains and fell by a short fall into the sea. Kalweni glanced at Keil. The druid shaded his eyes with his hand and peered westward. "I can see any number of drachnids in the woodline across the bay, moving about unhindered," he reported. Kalweni nodded. Belrosian clenched his spellbook tightly, and Hallertau busily checked the straps on his armor. And so the four Champions set out to take the fight to the enemy. "If I ain't dying, I ain't trying," said Hallertau with a grin. The others said nothing.
The group crossed the bay and set up on the beach. Kalweni thrust her great blade Wurmslayer into the sand. "With the sea at our backs and the dark woods before us, we make our stand here," she ordered. "If things go badly, you all are to fall back across the bay to the shelter of Firiona Vie's battlements." The paladin turned and looked into the darkness of the jungle. "Await my return. I will see what I can smoke out." Grabbing up her weapon, she ran off.
Moments later, they saw Kalweni returning. Chasing her out of the jungle came three huge drachnids. They were like giant spiders, save that dark elven torsos sprouted from the front- Tier'dal faces, feral with rage, with angry red eyes. Belrosian could do nothing but stare for several moments. Here he was, about to fight the very creatures which terrorized all who would journey to the Lake, which he himself had once feared.
Kalweni slashed at the spider-things about her, radiant with the blinding light of Karana's blessing. The largest drachnid hissed at her, and lashed out with a barbed leg. Hallertau leapt in- an armored whirl of blades, kicks and curses under the spider's belly. Keil snarled like a feral wolf and cast a spell. Although he came from a forest far away, the jungle responded to his call. The very earth itself seemed to reach up, hampering the movements of all three spider-things. Belrosian gestured, and spoke quietly some arcane syllables in Old Erudian. From his frail hands came fire and ice.
With a sickening thump, Kalweni's wurmslayer severed the dark elven torso from an unnatural spider's body. The female had been the largest of the three. The two remaining male drachnids did not hesitate for a moment. With an evil hiss, they leapt at Kalweni to avenge their mate. Soon, they too were defeated.
That day, the four Champions went on to slay drachnids in heaps. They fought on until their party had run out of arrows. Adventurers bound for the war in the Lake cheered as they passed.
If but for a day, they were the Champions of Firiona Vie.
Belrosian awoke to a mist-shrouded morning in Firiona Vie. He took a few quick bites of travelling rations and splashed his face with water. Then he stashed his bedroll and spellbook in his pack and stepped outside. The previous night, he had arrived at the elven outpost on the Maiden's Voyage, the impressive gnomish caravel that plied the Timorous Deep. The wizard stretched and breathed deeply. The air was warm and humid, and smelled of the sea. He took a moment to reflect on his surroundings before setting out.
The elves had established this foothold on Kunark not long ago. They found the place deadly and inhospitible, yet pilgrims and explorers flocked there, as did mercenaries and adventurers. In typical elven fashion, before even the fortifications were complete, the elves had erected a great temple, and atop it now stood a colossus in the likeness of their avatar- princess. The great statue of Firiona Vie which gave the settlement its name served as a lighthouse for ships on the Deep and a beacon for all who were good in Kunark. But she surveyed little else that was fair. By the standards of Felwithe and Kelethin, Firiona Vie was a cesspool- an ugly, half-finished village that was more of an armed encampment than a town. The walls were crudely fashioned, and the siege engines towered above all save the great statue. Guardsmen and soldiers outnumbered craftsmen and scholars here. Firiona Vie was a refuge in a wild land- an isolated fortress of good at the tip of a sweltering, tropical continent teeming with dark and evil.
Belrosian found his friend Keil facing the sunrise, deep in meditation. "Greetings, Weedmage," the wizard said with a sarcastic grin. The half- elven druid blinked and came reluctantly out of his dawn reverie. Not quite ignoring the wizard's good-natured barb, Keil smiled up at the erudite. "Ah, Uncle," he said. "It is good to see you finally awake. Are you always this late abed?" Belrosian only scowled. "Come, Belrosian," Keil said, laughing as the wizard helped him to his feet. "We should not keep the others waiting."
They found Kalweni and Hallertau resting at the drawbridge. The paladin and the warrior had been fighting drachnids through the night, and by their expressions having a tough time of it. Kalweni looked troubled. "These drachnids are some fellspawn of the dark elves," she said, "and an abomination to all that is sacred before Karana. They terrorize the forest, cutting our supply lines and making it all but impossible to get reinforcements to our troops battling at the Sarnak Fort."
Keil nodded. He was counted high among the order of the Champions of the Light, as was Kalweni. "It is for this very reason we have come here," he said.
They made their way along the shore, until they came to some ancient ruins. A clear stream flowed down out of the mountains and fell by a short fall into the sea. Kalweni glanced at Keil. The druid shaded his eyes with his hand and peered westward. "I can see any number of drachnids in the woodline across the bay, moving about unhindered," he reported. Kalweni nodded. Belrosian clenched his spellbook tightly, and Hallertau busily checked the straps on his armor. And so the four Champions set out to take the fight to the enemy. "If I ain't dying, I ain't trying," said Hallertau with a grin. The others said nothing.
The group crossed the bay and set up on the beach. Kalweni thrust her great blade Wurmslayer into the sand. "With the sea at our backs and the dark woods before us, we make our stand here," she ordered. "If things go badly, you all are to fall back across the bay to the shelter of Firiona Vie's battlements." The paladin turned and looked into the darkness of the jungle. "Await my return. I will see what I can smoke out." Grabbing up her weapon, she ran off.
Moments later, they saw Kalweni returning. Chasing her out of the jungle came three huge drachnids. They were like giant spiders, save that dark elven torsos sprouted from the front- Tier'dal faces, feral with rage, with angry red eyes. Belrosian could do nothing but stare for several moments. Here he was, about to fight the very creatures which terrorized all who would journey to the Lake, which he himself had once feared.
Kalweni slashed at the spider-things about her, radiant with the blinding light of Karana's blessing. The largest drachnid hissed at her, and lashed out with a barbed leg. Hallertau leapt in- an armored whirl of blades, kicks and curses under the spider's belly. Keil snarled like a feral wolf and cast a spell. Although he came from a forest far away, the jungle responded to his call. The very earth itself seemed to reach up, hampering the movements of all three spider-things. Belrosian gestured, and spoke quietly some arcane syllables in Old Erudian. From his frail hands came fire and ice.
With a sickening thump, Kalweni's wurmslayer severed the dark elven torso from an unnatural spider's body. The female had been the largest of the three. The two remaining male drachnids did not hesitate for a moment. With an evil hiss, they leapt at Kalweni to avenge their mate. Soon, they too were defeated.
That day, the four Champions went on to slay drachnids in heaps. They fought on until their party had run out of arrows. Adventurers bound for the war in the Lake cheered as they passed.
If but for a day, they were the Champions of Firiona Vie.