Nestled on the coast of the Azure Sea is Saltmarsh, a sleepy fishing village that sits on the precipice of destruction. Smugglers guide their ships to hidden coves, willing to slit the throat of anyone fool enough to cross their path. Cruel sahuagin gather beneath the waves, plotting to sweep away coastal cities. Drowned sailors stir to unnatural life, animated by dark magic and sent forth in search of revenge. The cult of a forbidden god extends its reach outward from a decaying port, hungry for fresh victims and willing recruits. While Saltmarsh slumbers, the evils that seek to plunder it grow stronger. Heroes must arise to keep the sea lanes safe for all.
Since the Dawn of War, Supreme Lord General Bane - God of Tyranny, has ruled from The Conqueror's Throne on the plane of Acheron. He is the master of all Acheronians by the Will of His Command, and master of a million souls by the might of his inexhaustible armies - alive, and dead. He is the Emperor Ruler of the plane of war for whom thousands of souls are sacrificed every day in the Battle Against Hell. Yet even in his immortal state, the God of War continues his eternal vigilance. Greatest among his soldiers are the Prime Paladins, bio-engineered holy warriors. But, for all of Acheron's soldiers, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from the nightmares of Hell. To be a Acheronian in such times is to be one among untold millions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. This is the tale of one such Prime Paladin: Misha Praskovia.
WHERE I COME FROM
When the stars of the universe were young somewhere far and deep in the multiverse, ages away in space and time from the Prime Material plane, a war began. There were two sides: Acheron: The Plane of War, and the endless, horrific, unrelenting legions of Hell led by Asmodeus.
The War Against Hell, as it was come to be known, was barely a stalemate for both sides, favor shifting like a snake forwards and backwards as the eons raged on. It was during the Age of Assimilation that many wonders were brought into the Acheronian War Machine in it's eternal battle of conquest and glory to try and gain advantages to even the odds against their mortal enemies, but the most important technology appropriated during that Age was the technology that enabled the creation of what was later called: The Genesis Chambers. With the fusion of spirit, magic, and alien technology, Acheron was finally able to mass produce soldiers to hold the seemingly endless hordes from Hell at bay. By His Command, Bane's greatest creation from the Genesis Chambers were the bio-engineered super soldiers called the Prime Paladins. So powerful they were, that they only numbered one thousand, and answered only to the Twelve Legion Commanders of Acheron and Supreme Lord General Bane himself.
"They shall be my finest warriors, these men and women who give of themselves to me, whom I have created. Like clay I shall mold them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and muscle of steel. In great armor shall I clad them and with the mightiest hammers will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and strength so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against Hell. They are the Defenders of Acheron. They are my Prime Paladins and they shall know no fear."
- The Immortal Lord General Commander Bane on the Founding of the Prime Paladins
WHAT I AM
About twenty five years ago, the Genesis Chambers birthed a newborn and the plane celebrated: by Bane's Will another Prime Paladin had been created. Misha Praskovia was never told what number Prime Paladin she was when the Genesis Chambers birthed her, it mattered not. All she knew since the time of her creation was that the next twenty years of her life as a Prime Paladin would be dedicated wholly and completely to training and fulfilling her destiny based on her genetic programming and specifications. Nothing was more important. Nothing else mattered. For all Acheronians, all that matters is glory, honor, loyalty, courage, strength, duty, and the destruction of the Armies of Hell. Prime Paladins had slightly different specifications to serve the Acheronian War Machine, and when Misha turned 6 she was handed to the great Legion Commander named Taetanicus. From that moment on, Misha's training began as an Operative who would serve Supreme Lord General Bane and travel the multiverse to destroy the enemy from without.
"I see a rising deluge of violence drowning the Acheronian Empire. Like the sea crashing upon the cliffs, it grinds and crushes with every surge. Entropy. Cruelty. Lunacy and hatred. These are the weapons of The Enemy. The Tides of Hell have toppled civilizations, bringing them from supremacy to the brink of annihilation. You will submit to the Will of Bane, and only in death does duty end."
- Legion Commander Taetanicus of Acheron
WHAT I KNOW
***CLASSIFIED*** (TRANSLATED FROM ACHERONIAN TO COMMON) PRIVATE ENTRY: 4528-D
By the Will of Bane, The Iron General, God of War and Tyranny. When I, Misha Praskovia, was created by the Genesis Chambers on the Plane of Acheron, it was probably no different than the birth of any other screaming human newborn on the planet Toril. Wet, weak, covered in blood, and angry. Yet, when I turned 6 years old, I was none of those things at all. That is when I began my training.The Genesis Chamber technology was masterful, but not perfect - once created, you needed guidance and training to reach what Acheronicans call: Condition Prime. Our Lord Commander Bane had plans for me, and I began my physical and mental training to fulfill the destiny as a Prime Paladin serving His Command, His Will, His Intention. Legion Commander Taetanicus was responsible for my training at that young age. When I was 8, Taetanicus, for the first time, brought me to the Armory and showed me the most magnificent, most massive warhammer and shield I had ever seen on a table of pure onyx. Surrounded by the other eleven Legion Commanders, I had no idea what was happening, and I was scared.
”Strength of Body. Strength of Will. Strength of Courage. These will be your weapons of Conquest. But first, you must master strength of the body. You will know you are ready when you are able to lift these Instruments of Glory - your tools.”
He slowly gestured to the table, offering for me to pick up the hammer and shield. I tried will all of my strength, tried to concentrate, and was doubtful. Naturally, the hammer did not budge. I was too weak. He sent me to the Hall Of Iron and spent the rest of the day lifting heavy things in various ways until my body and muscles were broken. The next day I came back to the Armory with him and, again, he tested me, and once again, I could not lift the hammer and shield from the table. I frowned and got angry, and shot him a mighty scowl and held my gaze to his. With infinite patience and wisdom he sent me back to the Hall of Iron where, again, I trained and lifted bars of metal until one day I noticed I was getting bigger, stronger, and more powerful. With each passing day, with each passing month, with each passing year, the weights became ever so slightly lighter. When I was 13 I finally lifted the hammer and shield above my head, held it there for as long as I could. Then, the next part of my training began: The Code. Burned into my genetic programming since before the Genesis Chambers ejected me were the laws of my people that were always obeyed.
You shall not lie. You shall harm the innocent to advance yourself or promote order. You shall kill to advance yourself or promote order. You shall not aid the weak. You shall honor legitimate authority that promotes you and your comrades. You shall follow the law. You shall not betray others. You shall not aid criminals or those who protect the weak. You shall use the law to advance yourself and your comrades. You shall seek unlimited power over others and unlimited order in society.
By the time I turned 18 I became a woman with much strength and power, filled with honor and duty to Him. Was I created to be another faceless pawn to be played in the war against Asmodeus that would never end? I knew this was not my fate. The God of War had other plans for me. I bowed my head on one knee and I accepted my first mission - and journeyed to another time and place. I spent three years hunting a very dangerous enemy and was determined to prove my worth.
With the death of the one of Hell's great agents, a woman named Cora "Crispy" Perkins, by my hands, a major blow was struck to their forces. I returned to Acheron and accepted my next mission: to travel to a word named Atlas. Again, upon victory, I was sent to a world called Toril and was tasked with saving a woman named Carrhae - who's cosmic destiny, by Bane's Command, I was to have a hand in.
Years ago, the Elemental Cults of Evil grew in such size they became a grave threat to the Sword Coast. An adventuring team was dispatched to stop them, as was a young Prime Paladin - but the Prime Paladin, Misha, had a different mission: the ensure Carrhae lived. Everything else was secondary. Infiltrating the cult of air, Misha posed as one of the cultists and waited for her moment to act.
The last thing Carrhae remembered was watching Mercy and Zephyr lose consciousness before feeling her skin burn as a bolt of lightning ran right through her. As she lay on the ground, she looked at the broken body of Strife. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."were the last words she said before her consciousness faded. Then she was in darkness. An infinite void with a small light at the end. Carrhae desperately tried to get closer to the light, moving her arms and legs like she was trying to swim through the nothingness. She wasn't sure if the light was a return to consciousness or the eternal paradise that Sune promised, but she needed to get there. Suddenly she felt something take hold of her and pull her away from the light. Carrhae woke up gasping for air on a table, trying to shield her eyes from the sun. Then her eyes came into focus and she realized that it wasn't the sun. There was no sun. The sky was on fire. This wasn't Brightwater, the plane of existence that Sune ruled. How did she get here? She started screaming and tried to get up when she saw the impossibly tall armored figures standing above her, only to lose consciousness again when the larger one spoke a word an a harsh language that she didn't know, forcing her to fall asleep.
After slumbering for an uncertain amount of time, Carrhae felt herself being gently prodded by a hand that felt strong, yet soft at the same time. "Wake up leetle one. It is time to be finishing your Sleep of Beauty." She woke up this time to see a beautiful woman with red hair standing over her. She tried to get up, but found that restraints kept her from moving her arms and legs.
"Please. Whoever you are." A finger went over her lips. "Shhhh, leetle one. I am Misha Praskovia, servant of Lord General Bane. I am Paladin, like you. You were taken to Genesis Chambers to be feexed up, but you threw feet when they wake you up, so they make you go to sleep again and I watch you so you do not hurt yourself. You are weak now, but we will train you to be beeg and strong again soon." As the woman spoke, Carrhae slowly realized that neither of them were speaking in Common, or any other language that was spoken on the Prime Material plane. "Okay Misha. I'm going to need you to answer some questions for me. What plane of existence are we on, for starters?" "We are at Banehold, my home. Ees capital of Acheron. I take you here to Genesis Chamber where you get feexed up like new." "How did I get here?" "I teleport you here. Legion Commander gave me meeshion to keep you safe. I deesguised myself as one of your enemies and teleported you out before they sacrifice you." "And the others I was with, Zephyr? Mercy? Strife? Where are they?!" "I'm sorry leetle one. Commander only told me to save you."
Carrhae screamed and began weeping at the last statement. Misha stood by and gave her some peace while she did so. Eventually she stepped back in to calm her down. "No more crying, leetle one. You must work again to become strong. You were not brought back to be sad and it hurts to see someone so beautiful cry." Misha released the bonds around Carrhae's hands and feet, allowing her to wipe her eyes and stand up. She asked Misha if her possessions were here too. "Most of your theengs were lost, but I was able to save your pretty armor." "Thank you Misha. It appears that I am in your debt." "You can repay Misha when you are beeg and strong."
Carrhae didn't know how much time she spent training with Misha in Banehold, but by the end of her time, she felt as strong as she was before she left for Feathergale Spire. When she was returned home, Carrhae found out that she had been gone for four years and that her fellow Sunites had mourned her death. Needless to say, they were quite surprised when a not-dead Carrhae showed up at the temple. They celebrated when they saw that their champion was alive and had returned to them. Early the next morning, Carrhae snuck out of the temple. She wasn't abandoning them, she just needed a moment to herself, something she hadn't been able to get in four years. She ran out to the beach. She walked into the ocean until the water was around her ankles. She stood there for a moment, just looking at the twilight sky before the sun came up. She waded deeper in the ocean, going until the water came up to her waist. Carrhae then took a deep breath and immersed herself in the water for half a minute before resurfacing. And now I am a new woman. When she returned to the temple, she found a wristband that was covered in the runes that she had grown familiar with during her time in Acheron.
With the ale being placed on her table and the barmaid explaining it was from the lady in red, Kali gave a side glance over to the said patron, an eyebrow raising in question. She let the glass sit there for a minute or two before letting out a sigh and pulling it towards her, sliding aside her already emptied tankard as she motioned for the woman to come over and sit across from her with a nod of the head. Might as well see what she wants then, probably another lonely housewife lookin' for adventure. The brunette can't help but smirk at her thoughts, but nonetheless, her cyan eye follows the blonde as she makes her way towards her. She cocks her head to the side and speaks first. "Aye, what can I do for ya, lass?"
Carrhae takes a seat across from the woman and extends her offer."My name is Carrhae and I have recently come into possession of a ship, but unfortunately I lack a crew and must assemble one from scratch. You look like a person who knows their way around a ship and so I thought that you would be perfect. You'd be second in command, answering only to me and you would receive better rewards and privileges than the rest of the crew as a result of your rank. What do you say?"
As Carrhae puts the offer down on the table, Kali takes a sip of her ale, locking eyes with the blonde as she spoke. She pulls the glass away from her lips with a scoff once she finishes her part, gingerly putting down the tankard."The offer is generous, miss Carrhae, I'll tell ya that, and it is clear you know next to nothin' about ships 'n' crews considerin' you're just oh so willin' to give up that first mate position to a person ya just met in a tavern." The hybrid leans back in her chair with an air of confidence about her. "A first mate position is built on trust, and you know next to nothin' about me. Aye, I do know a ship very well, inside and out, and how to keep a crew in check. I'd be willin' to help ya, but, tell me," She leans in again, elbows on the table, with a grin dancing on her lips. "What makes you think you can trust me?"
"I'm not sure. There's a lot of things that could make me think that you're trustworthy. Perhaps it's a gut feeling. Perhaps I'm of the belief that an experienced sailor who's drinking in a place like this can't afford to bite the hand that feeds them. Perhaps I'm just a foolish bimbo who is putting her trust in a bandit and once we've sailed past the sight of Waterdeep you'll cut my throat , steal my ship and tie my body to the prow as a warning to other fools whose beauty outweighs their brains, letting them know that they should never leave the safety of dry land." As Carrhae speaks, she also leans in until there's only a few inches between her and the other woman, a smile beginning to form as well."Or perhaps it's because I was rescued by an individual who spent the next four years getting me back to full strength because they believed that beautiful women must stick together in this harsh world and that left an impression upon me. Regardless of the reason, I trust you and I'm coming to you before anyone else, offering you the job of being my second in command. Do you want the job?"
Listening to Carrhae speak and seeing her inch closer to the pirates face only caused Kali's smirk to grow wider. When the question was proposed again, the hybrid kept herself there a moment longer, staring intently at the woman before pulling away with a boisterous laugh. She waved over a barmaid as she tried to suppress her laughter, slapping a gold coin into the maids hand ordering another round for her and Carrhae, wiping a tear that formed at the corner of her eye."Aye, aye, I agree with ya on that lass. Oi, yeah, we women need to stick together, thanks for the compliment there, real flatterer you are. Sure you ain't another housewife lookin' for some adventure, yeah?" She chuckles and leans back in her chair with the drink Carrhae had bought her and slams it back with no issue, putting it down next to her original empty glass and waits for the barmaid to return with two new glasses of cool ale being place in front of the two women."I'll think 'bout takin' the job, if you don't mind me askin' some questions. A little get to know me game, wanna play? You can ask me a question or two first, if you really want, promise I'll answer as honestly as I can." Kali picks up her glass and gives a small cheer over to the blonde, taking a drink as she waits for a response.
Carrhae wondered how the mysterious woman was going to react to her inching toward her. She intended to look confident as well, but it could very well be interpreted as her trying to flirt. Not like she wasn't trying to do that, but she did have business to accomplish here. She lets out a little chuckle at the mention of housewife."I'm flattered, but I'm not anyone's wife. As it currently happens, I'm not in a relationship with anyone at the moment. But I we're here to talk about business, not pleasure at the moment."She smiles and clinks glasses with the unknown woman and is amused at the mention of a game."I do enjoy games and it does seem like we're getting into personal details, aren't we? I'll bite. First off, what's your name? I've offered you mine, but you have returned no such favor to me." She feigns sadness before returning to the game."Second, if you do know ships as well as you say you do, how come you're here and not on a ship? Trying to seduce bored housewives?"
Kali's eyebrow raises at Carrhae mentioning she wasn't in a relationship, and relaxes a bit when she was done talking, putting down the now half empty glass on the table with her thumb gently rubbing at the handle. "A captain who isn't in a relationship, eh? Ha!" Kali shakes her head in disappointment. "Girly, you have a lot to learn 'bout being one of us. Every sailor is in the relationship with the sea, learn it that now before she turns and spits you out faster than you can apologize to her." She pauses to take another swig but just before she drinks she says: "Name's Kali, by the way." With another gulp of ale down the hatch, she speaks again with a smirk on her lips again. "You caught me, guilty as charged," She raises her hands in feigned surrender and chuckled. "Sometimes a sailors gotta get their fill of dry land every now and again. Bein' out at sea, as lovely as she is..." Kali's look darkens as she settles down her hands back on the table. "She can be a real monster when she's pissed 'atcha." She shrugs at Carrhae, forcing a smirk. "Story for another time, yeah? My turn. Let's see... How'd you find yourself in possession of a ship? Those things aren't cheap, ya know? And where are you off to that you need a crew, n' what for?"
"Oh, is that true? I'll have to get acquainted with the sea, lest I offend her. But I do hope that she isn't the jealous type." Even as Kali smirks at her, Carrhae can tell that her second question hit a sensitive spot."Someone dear to me departed a few years ago and they left me in their will since they lacked any blood relatives to speak of. I ended up acquiring a large sum of money that I used to purchase a ship." She stops for a moment, thinking of how even in death, Zephyr was able to give Carrhae a beautiful gift. Once again you shower me with tokens of affection, never once expecting any repayment outside of love. Know that I will never forget you and I will thank you for this in the next life."As for my destination, I intend on heading towards Saltmarsh. I've heard that there are a number of interesting jobs worth taking there. Perhaps something that might be profitable for us, should you choose to accompany me." Carrhae is a little slow as she drinks her ale. She hadn't had any alcohol in a while and the ale that the tavern served was not of a high quality. "Hmm. Back to me. What's the longest amount of time you've been out at sea? And I don't know if this counts as a question, how do you feel about a friendly arm-wrestling match? I want to know how strong the woman I'm trusting with my life and my ship is." She puts an arm on the table, clearly indicating that she wants Kali to lock arms and accept the contest. On the inside of Carrhae's arm, Kali can see a tattoo of three bells."And don't think that you have to go easy on me. I'm not some bored housewife who's looking for adventure." She says as a smirk returns to her face.
"You'll get well acquainted with her in due time, just keep in mind that she has her days of jealousy,"Kali gives a short laugh."And I see. I apologize for your loss, miss Carrhae. Very generous friend of yours though, may they be restin' in peace." The pirate bows her head, then takes another swig of ale, listening to her next question and offer up an arm wrestling match."Ah, **** it, why not?" She slides her glass away to make room for her arm, her eye glancing at Carrhae's ink before grasping onto her hand. Kali doesn't start right away and instead answers the blonde's previous question."Longest time I've been out at sea was 'bout... few months? Had a good carpenter, kept the ship in tip top shape, chef kept us all nice and fed... Good bunch they were." The brunettes has a solemn smile on her face reminisces about her old crew, but manages to shrug it off and return her gaze back onto Carrhae. "Very well, you tell me when you want to start this, let me ask ya, why did you decide to buy a ship and try n' be a pirate?"
"Waterdeep no longer feels like the home that it used to be for me. In fact, it's become a place that I'd rather get away from. I figure that no better way to do that than by getting in a boat and sailing away." She feels Kali's hand grasping hers and how strong the brunette is."It's also possible that like I said earlier, I'm just a dumb bimbo with overly romantic notions of sailing." She puts her free hand on her chin and thinks about the next two questions that she want to ask."We can start after you've answered these questions for me. What was the strangest thing that you've ever seen on your journeys? And what was the deadliest?"
Kali's face scrunched up in thought of the inquiries, pursing her lips, then relaxing once she found her answers."Strangest thing... Suppose would be when my crew stumbled upon a tiny little island not marked on any map we had, but had one lone occupant. Small old man, 'bout the height of this table here, named Phineas. We offered to take 'em to... Anywhere but there, but he was very adamant on stayin' there, says he was waitin' for his wife."Kali gave the blonde a shrug."Don't know if he's still there, kinda hopin' he found his wife though. As for the deadliest," The hybrid mimicked Carrhae's way of sitting, resting her chin on her hand. A little lie never hurt no one. "Sailing through siren infested waters. I am a species who finds myself attracted to both men and women, so were the rest of my crew, except our cabin boy. Found out he was gay that day!"She bursts out in laughter, but it quickly dies down as she settles her freehand on the table. "Anyways, let's get this started, shall we? I'll ask more questions after we get this done. Don't rub it in my face if I lose, had a few to drink after all."
(Kali 8 vs Carrhae 16)
Carrhae is able to defeat Kali, but being an ungraceful winner isn't in her nature, especially since she's getting along so well with her opponent."Good sport. So tell me, when you and your crew sailed through siren-filled waters, did your cabin boy place cloth in all your ears to drown them out or did the poor fellow have to tie you all to the mast and sail the boat himself!" She laughs at that."I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's your turn to ask me the questions. Carry on then."
Despite the loss, Kali couldn't help but smirk, releasing Carrhae's grip to go ahead and pull in her drink again."Yep, put cotton in our ear holes, little ****er was sneaky as shit too, one of those halflings, you know? The sirens never even noticed him. Helped us break out of their stupid curse before we all went overboard." The memory brought a genuine smile upon her face. "Don't worry 'bout it, anyways, hm..."She takes a drink as she thinks up more questions to ask."You said you wanna get away from Waterdeep, why is that? If that's too personal for your tastes, how 'bout... Why me as your first mate? Don't have anyone else to ask? You found anyone else to be a part of your crew?"
"You don't have to be afraid about asking me personal questions. I'm hiring you to be on a ship with me for months and months at a time, I figure that we're going to get personal."Carrhae's expression gets serious."Some time ago, I went through a rather dark spot where I lost some people dear to me and being in Waterdeep reminds me of them. It kind of makes it hard to move on if I can't go shopping or go relax in the baths without thinking of the times I spent with them, you know?" She takes another sip before answering Kali's second set of questions. "Perhaps you might have had too much, it seems like you're starting to forget things." She says as a smile starts to return to her face."I'm starting a crew from scratch, starting with a first mate. I don't personally know anyone else who could serve as a first mate, but I'm sure that if I went asked nicely and paid for drinks, I could convince some sailor in this city to come on as my first mate. I'm coming to you first however, because you're strong, you're good with a ship, you don't seem likely to betray me, and if I'm being honest, I kinda think that you're hot." She claps her hand over her mouth before laughing."Perhaps I should stop drinking too. It seems that I'm starting to get a little loose with the tongue."
"Again, I apologize for your losses, but I see that we've find ourselves to be in a similar situation then, miss Carrhae, I'm tryin' to move on myself so I do understand the difficulties that come with it. Hopefully bein' on a ship for months and months to come will help ya with that, butcha never forget that they're watchin' out for you." It then dawned on Kali that perhaps maybe the drink was starting to get to her head when Carrhae mentioned it, the pirate glancing down at the remainder of her ale before finishing it off in one big gulp. She wipes her mouth with the sleeve of her coat, her tongue swiping the bottom of her lip ever so subtly before leaning back in her chair, a smirk playing on her visage with the blondes mention of finding her attractive. "Aye, convince me using those?"She bluntly points to Carrhae's chest. "I mean, they're nice and all, but, they ain't gonna stop me from betraying you." She laughs and waves her hand dismissively."I kid, I kid." For now.The hybrid then puts her hands on her knees and stands up from her seat. "Anyways, I best be goin' then, gotta pack n' shit like that. What's the name of the ship, by the way, capt'n? Want me there tonight or in the morn?"
Carrhae smirks at the mention of her boobs stopping Kali from betraying her."I don't know about that, these things have managed to distract some attackers of mine. They might mess up your aim as well." She bursts in to laughter again. Carrhae gives her a small pouch with 50 gold."My ship is called The Belle of The Sea. You can stop by whenever you're ready to do so. And consider this your first payment as well as a thanks for good company. May it be the first of more to come." Carrhae hands Kali a pouch with 50 gold inside.
Kali smirks down at the pouch she was so graciously handed, and gives the blonde a curt nod of her head. "Easiest fifty I've ever made, that's for sure. Thank you kindly."The hybrid quickly pockets the gold before spinning on her heel and promptly exists the establishment. Ah, **** me, what the shit have I gotten myself into this time? She could only respond to herself with a hysterical laugh, earning her a couple of glances but it didn't seem to matter to her. She stops laughing with a sigh, her hand gently touching her eyepatch. Aye, I've been through worse, haven't I?
Carrhae says farewell to the brunette before finishing her final drink. She feels slightly dizzy as she stands up. When was the last time I drank? Was it that night at Feathergale Spire when they invited us to feast with them? Gods, that seems like it happened a thousand years ago. Maybe it did. Before she can get too deep in thought, a barmaid comes to the table and presents Carrhae with a tab that was larger than she was expecting. Has the price for alcohol really gone up that much in four years? Maybe I should leave Waterdeep. Carrhae tosses down another pile of gold with the feeling that she might be serving as Zephyr's maid in the afterlife to make up for all of this reckless spending. She heads back to The Belle of the Sea to clear her head.I've found a First Mate, now I just need everything else. Although, I think that I could convince the Temple to give me a Cleric to serve as a doctor. They keep asking how they can help. That's two down, how hard could this be?She thinks as she rests in the captain's quarters.
Carrhae comes running downstairs when she hears a horrible cry coming from the lower deck. She saw that the doctor she hired was gone and in his place was a hideous looking man with multiple injuries. She asked what was going on and his only response was to rudely ask the same. She pulled out her sword and pointed at him."I don't think you understand. This is MY ship. You're going to answer my questions here. Now who are you and what have you done with my doctor."
The ragged man looks around the room, taking no notice of the captain or her sword. It all semed so strange and foreign until he laid eyes on the painting with a new subject. It began as a chuckle, then a laugh, then hysteria. Finally, he turned to Carrhae with a half-ruined smile, "I'm not in Barovia, am I?"The captain's question and threat seemed to finally resonate and the stranger's hand became wreathed in black, wispy light, "Yes, it feels similar to before, like looking through a hole and knowing a whole world is beyond. While I piece all this together, your doctor is safe...mostly. If you'd like to keep him that way, I'd suggest we have a seat and a long discussion."
"Sit down, then." The armored Paladin does not sit down or lower her weapon, but she stops pointing it at him. "I'm Carrhae and you're on my ship. I've never heard of any land called Barovia. Now who are you and what have you done to the doctor?"
Grishkar holds his maliciously glowing hand to the painting of the terrified doctor. "How is it fair for you to interrogate me when I seem to be your guest?" His hand traces over the painting's frame which begins to corrode and rot. "I'm not sure how this beauty works, but I know he's stuck there. If you need a doctor, well, I know enough about bodies to fit the bill. At least until I figure out this painting."
"Guest implies that I invited you here, something that I have not done. I'd say it's actually quite fair for me to interrogate you when you're on my ship and the doctor that I've brought on board gets trapped in that painting the exact same moment you appear. Now can you tell me who you are and why I should trust you over any other doctor in Faerun?"
"You may call me Grishkar Darkmoor, and in Barovia, I was quite the physician. When people heard I had come to town, they crowded to find the travelling priest who worked so many wonders and improved the lives of so many. However, all that changed when I was accosted by former associates."His movements begin to take on a mild theatric quality, "I had received grand revelation from my Master, visions of apotheosis and enlightenment. Oh, but those I traveled with were nothing more than brigands, charlatans, and rogues."He crosses halfway across the room and sweeps up a candle on the way, holding it close to his face, "Do you see this grievous injury? It was they that inflicted such terrible wounds upon me. It was only through self defense that I survived. They had a knife to my very throat and were going to cut my neck and let me bleed in that painted world."
"Who is your master? And if you were such a great doctor, why did your associates try to kill you and leave you in a painting?"
He waves a hand dismissively, "Brigands and rogues, as I said. However, my Master is not one you would know here, it seems, but he provides eternal life to his faithful and their subjects. He also teaches wisdom - that mortality can be a chain as much as a bond, and sometimes a chain must be broken for the greater good."
"I'm not so sure that I want a doctor who serves a being with such a dismissive view on mortality. Your job, if I do decide to bring you on, is to provide healing for my crew. Surely you can see how the whole breaking the chain of mortality goes against that."
Another dismissive shrug, "Sometimes. But enough about me. That sword arm must be getting tired. What is it that this ship does for a living?"His one good eye is piercing, while his dead eye seems to take in the entire world.
"I do not tire easily. This ship is headed to Saltmarsh. What were your company doing in Barovia? Outside of performing wonders and getting betrayed. How did you come across this painting?"
"Quite simply, Barovia was ruled by a man portrayed to be a demon, an unknowable font of evil in the world which must be purged. In time, I began to understand that, despite his dark nature, there was tragedy which made the monster everyone saw. When I expressed pity, I was renounced."Grishkar sits up and appears resolute, "But one of faith should not be shaken by those of lesser constitution. I saw beyond the monster and hoped to reason, but was betrayed as I said because of it. Now as for this wonder,"he glances up at the wall, "It was much larger in Barovia. We came across it in the bowels of our target's castle. Apparently it was a trap for unwary intruders and would eventually serve as my tomb. All beside the point which you so artfully touched and diverted from,"the unsettling face splits another mockery of a smile, "What is the business of this ship? To say you're going to this 'Saltmarsh', you have to understand I hear that and don't know whether it means we're off to drink with gods or sail into oblivion. Merchants? Military? Explorers?...Slavers?"
"It means that I have a mission to attend to in Saltmarsh. One that you needn't worry about unless I choose to keep you on my crew. But you're confident that no one else but you are able to figure out how to get my doctor out of the trap he's in?"
"I've had time to contemplate the nature of it, yes. Considering it seems to connect to multiple worlds, I assume you want an answer soon or your doctor here may be replaced with someone else."
"You assume correctly. And since you offered your services earlier, you can take the job of doctor, at least until you've freed my doctor, possibly later if you prove to be effective or if I take a liking to you. Welcome aboard The Belle of the Sea, you can call me Carrhae. Don't make me regret this."
"Grishkar Darkmoor. So nice to make new friends, isn't it?"The priest gives a theatric bow and settles into the cabin.
Each time Misha Praskovia returned home to Acheron was always a proud moment – to return to her people, her duty, and the war.
The war against Hell was always there, even before she was created in the Genesis Chambers, but her Legion Commander, Taetanicus, always reminded her she would not be a pawn in this war to be played, but that she was designed for a higher purpose to serve in it. The war always was, is, and forever would be. Using technology appropriated from civilizations long since conquered, Misha stepped through the portal to return back home to the Plane of War, Acheron. There, on the first cube, a mighty War Fortress stood at its center: Banehold. Here, the Great Lord General Tyrant of the Plane, God and Supreme Emperor Bane, made his home and surveyed his Domain from The Conquerors Throne and directed his soldiers from High Command. Acheron consisted of four enormous planetary sized cubes, and smaller shards somewhere deep in the multiverse, but Banehold would always be Misha’s home.
Honor. Glory. Courage. Power. Respect. Courage. Law. These were things that mattered to Acheronians, and Misha’s genetic code was programmed appropriately as per The Lord General’s Will. As constant battle waged on Acheron, such was the nature of the Plane, Misha followed her instructions and entered Banehold to report to her Commander, Taetanicus. Already a massive man, Taetanicus always wore his battle armor, and when he did, it was like he was a living metal behemoth, five times the size of a Prime Material Plane man. Entering High Command, she saluted and kneeled low, and deep. She dared not speak or look at him before The Legion Commander acknowledged her.
(The following conversation is translated from Acheronian to Common)
“Praskovia.”Taetanicus said, turning to face her. “You have returned.” "Yes, Legion Commander.” Misha said, still kneeling, head down.“I was successful.” Taetanicus was pleased. It was the only thing that mattered. “Excellent. Rise.” Misha stood at perfect attention.“Your orders, Commander?” The Legion Commander turned to the battle map on the table. It was enormous, and contained star maps, and whole details of planetary systems in the millions. One stood out from all the others.“You next assignment will be a follow up. Travel to the world where the Paladin you saved resides. She is about to embark on a mission of importance, and much danger. Our enemies will be numerous. You will act as one of her crew. Our agents have already secured you a position. You have never been to this world before, and you will see and be a part of things very new to you. Bring your world honor, and glory.” “Your will be done, Legion Commander. I will go, and return victorious. All hail Bane, Lord General.” “Dismissed.”
As Misha spun and turned to leave, one would notice a small smile on her face. I’m going to see Carrhae again! Bane truly favors me! She gathered all of her things, but most of all she didn’t forget her hammer, her shield, and a cabinet which contained her new and improved armor. It was still shades of red and gold, but was tighter, sleeker, more form fitting and was easily opened to wear, and unlatched to take off. Saying a prayer to Bane in the Temple, she set off to another place, and another time.
WATERDEEP
As Bane forsaw, Misha was lost in wonder at everything she saw. Reading the reports of this world did it no justice. The sky, again, like the other world she completed her last mission on, was a beautiful shade of blue. This world was much more populous, and people of all kinds walked in the Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. Truly, it was. People would give her the occasional stare, and she would always smile in return. But, she had a place to be, and an assignment to complete. She made her way to the docks. In one hand, she carried a large duffel bag full of clothing and other items, the other hand dragged a massive crate on wheels. Her shoulder length red hair was pulled a bit back by a tan hair strap she usually wore, and the midday sun shone on her face - and it felt good. She loved the heat. Her bright green eyes took in her surroundings. Her skin was tan, and well taken care of. Because of the weather - and trying to blend in - she wore shorts and a loose short sleeved shirt tied up revealing her midriff. The only sign that distinguished her between an intellectual and a soldier was that she had almost not an ounce of body fat, and appeared to be chiseled from stone. Years of fighting, training, and exercise had given her a strong, yet extremely feminine and sexy physique, but was yet of average height and size for a lady. Finally, she had found the sea vessel she was looking for, "The Belle of the Sea". It was a mighty fine looking ship that moved on water. She smiled, and began to board her. I have a job to do. Lets get this done.
Kali had been second guessing her decision in joining Carrhae's crew once she had gotten on board the ship, the blonde running off to do some errands soon after they had arrived, leaving the hybrid behind to explore the vessel she had called "The Belle of the Sea". She didn't have too much to drop off in her quarters (at most a bag of clothes and few personal items), so the pirate didn't have too much to do aside from push and move some heavy items on the ship (as requested to move by her captain). With the sweat she had worked up, Kali had stripped off her signature red coat, leaving her in a loose fitting, low collar cotton top, her sleeves pulled up to her elbows to allow more of her inked skin to breathe and soak in the hot sun. Now, with most if not all the heavy lifting done, the blue-skinned woman decided to people watch for a few minutes as she took her breather, using her elbows to prop herself up as she leaned against the ships railings. She was idly observing the stall sellers, shouting out their wares to the people walking by, sailors carrying cargo to-and-fro from shop to ship, their captain yelling out orders. It washed a somber feeling over the sismic hybrid, bringing back a memory of her and her crew, how she'd cry out orders and how quick they were to do them. They were so sickeningly loyal, even after all that she had done to them. If only she could find a way to turn back time and reverse her mistakes-- A sigh had passed her lips before her eye caught sight of something truly interesting, her mind now focusing on this red-headed woman walking down the docks, looking at the ships and their names, a bag in hand and a crate being pulled right beside her. An eyebrow raised, mainly at what she wore, capturing the gazes of many men and women about her (Kali included), but the woman seemingly did not care at all. Definitely not a housewife, she internally laughed as she carefully watched the woman turn to start walking up the gangplank of the ship, wait a second--"Hey, hey, woah--" Kali called out to momentarily pull the human's attention on her before she walked up any further, the hybrid jogging her way over to block the entrance of the ship, her hands on her hips. A single cyan eye had given the red-head a look over, mentally complimenting the woman on her physique before continuing. "Sorry, lass, this ain't the luxury cruise line you're lookin' for," She points down the dock. "Down there, that's where you'd be lookin'." She gives her a smile. "I hope you enjoy your vacation! Now off with ya, they can be real stingy if you're late to board."
Misha laughed out loud at the woman blocking her path. It was not a sarcastic laugh, nor hurtful, or condescending in any way. It was a laugh full of happiness, as if discovering a long lost friend not having been seen for ages. "Many apologies!" The redhead said, setting down her bag and crate."First time on this world, ya, and new to Water Deep!" she admitted excitedly. "Ees very possible I am on wrong sheep! Have never seen vehicle that moof on water, too! Or...much water at all!" When Misha spoke, she had an accent from a far away place, clearly, showing that Common was definitely not her first language. She reached into her shorts pocket and stuck her tongue out deep in thought as she searched for something inside. Her lean arm muscles danced as she dug deep, and pulled out a piece of what looked like thin parchment and read it - looking at the name of the boat while she did, as if verifying information."Is thees boat called the Bell of Sea?" she asked delightfully expectant, her green eyes twinkling in the sunlight."By the way, big star in sky so warm! Always like thees? Could relax all day and make skin brown, feels so good!"
Kali's eyebrow was raised again, intently listening to what this woman was saying and trying to decipher what kind of accent she had. Definitely not of the north, despite her muscles, she was too lean, too thin, people of the north were thicker, carried more meat on their bodies similar to the hybrid herself. Perhaps part of the Moonshae Isles? She was new here after all, wait, no she said first time on this world? What?She tried to not look completely clueless as the redhead dug through her pockets, a cyan eye glancing at the way her muscles had shifted, but was quick to meet her gaze. When she said the name of the ship, Kali's lips thinned. Carrhae and I are going to need to discuss the people she hires. Before she goes about asking questions to the woman, Kali answers hers."Aye, uh, the sun? Yeah, it's.. It's out most of the time, we get cloudy days here n' there, uh... You sure, you're lookin' for a ship by that name? ****, okay, yeah, we're... This is the sheep-- Ship. Ship you're lookin' for." Feck. "Okay, okay, so, before I show you your quarters, what'd Carrhae hire you for? Carpenter? Rigger?" Stripper? Prostitute? Escort? Where in the Nine Hells did blondie find this one? She's hot.Kali cleared the back of her throat to rid herself of anymore impending thoughts. "Here, let me help me with your things," The pirate says as she leans over to go ahead and pick up the crate for the red-head, pulling it on the ship before moving to allow the woman to board. No matter how heavy the crate may have been, it didn't look like it made the hybrid break a sweat."Oh, right, where are my manners?" She extends her free hand out to give a handshake to the woman."Name is Kali, first mate on this ship. What's yours? Also where are ya from? I've never heard an accent like yours before."
"Such beautiful weather!" Misha admitted happily, "Can get used to days like thees, always!" Her face brightened even more at confirmation that she was at the correct ship."Ah! So, thees ees right ship! Good news." Kali had many questions, rightfully so. Misha was about to answer them, but as Kali leaned down to help her with her things, it struck the Acheronian at how beautiful her skin was, and the color of it, too. She had beautiful brown hair and was in very good shape, and she was a bit larger than Misha. Her loose, low shirt showed an amazing bosom as well. And she had..art(?) on her arms!"Gasp!" she gasped, distracted, "What is that on arm! Ees like, art! On your skin! Never see before. Oh! I am sorry, as well. Manners disappear because distraction with art. I am Misha! Misha Praskovia." She extends her arm and took Kali's hand. A firm grip, and it pleased Misha. To give a strong handshake was a honorable sign."I am old friend of Carrhae. Ees long story, come, I tell you theengs as you show me to my room- ah ta ta ta ta-!" Misha swatted Kali's hand away gently as she went to help the Paladin with her things. "It's ok, it's ok, I carry! Please, it is my honor. Very heppy to meet you." Misha easily hefted up her crate and bag again, and followed Kali to the Paladin's room. "Your language is new to me, I say sorry now in case no make much sense. I am..soldier from place far away, called Acheron. About 4 years ago, I met Carrhae on special meeshion. Cannot say too many details, please forgive." Misha admitted sadly, "But when I heard that old friend needed crew spot of boat swain, I apply! Very heppy to see old friend and join her on meeshion. I am strong, healthy - I can fix boat, use anchoor, and work with wood. I feex sheep! Can also fight and heal."
Kali's hand that was going for the crate stopped mid way when Misha had pointed out her tattoos and promptly had been retracted when swatted away, the blue-skinned woman blinking in confusion, but shrugged anyways. "Alright, alright, I'll leave ya to it then," Her hand goes back on her hip."They're, uh, tattoo's by the way, I got a lot of 'em," As if to make a point, Kali goes and shows the red-head her other arm, not as marked at the other but inked nonetheless, and also the tattoo she had on her collar bone. "Much more underneath the clothes, maybe you'll get lucky 'n be able to see 'em one of these days."The hybrid gives a laugh and calms down a bit as she leads Misha below decks to the crews quarters, talking along the way. "At least ya know what generally the boatswain does, just remember to try 'n make friends with the carpenter, they're gonna be your best friend, who ever they may be. Anyways, don't worry 'bout not makin' any sense, you're talkin' pretty good to me. Never heard of the place you're from though, 'side from not talkin' much about this special mission you met our dear cap'n on, what's your place like? Can ya talk 'bout that?"
Misha leaned in a bit as Kali said the word."Tattoos. Ok! I try and remember. And, yes!" she said innocently, "Would love to see one under clothes! Maybe one day when bathing under sun!" Misha and Kali went down below, the Paladin being careful to not bump her crate against the beams or the hull. "Ever since getting assignment and coming to thees world, did best to try and learn poseetions and others on sheep. I hef much to learn, positive, ya. I make friend with carpenter!" With a mighty heft, Misha squatted down and lifted the cabinet upright, lengthwise, and give it a loving pat before turning to Kali again."This room is perfect! Much more room than bunk back home. I come from place called Acheron. World not like thees one. In fact, Acheron is not beeg planet, like circle, ees made up of about 4 massive cubeworlds located in plane very far away." She took a moment to stretch and get comfortable on her bunk bed, her lean muscles defined enough to give anyone a proper anatomy lesson."I come from first, largest cubeworld, called Avalas. My peeple are a culture of warriors and soldiers, honor and glory - my home plane is an eternal battlefield. It is where those who are alive - and dead - go to fight for the rest of their lives. Our ruler, his name is Bane, is Lord General and Supreme Commander. My home is currently locked in age old struggle against forces of Hell. I was created not to fight in war, but to be..different operative to help Homeland, ya?" Misha smiled and tilted her head as she finished, clearly curious and looking her over, and she was not shy about it. "So deefrent. Never seen a woman like you before!"
The more Kali listened to the red-head talk, the more the hybrid felt like she needed a smoke. Talking about different planes with cubes, and war... Girl had a cute accent, though, she had to admit, and it distracts from the fact that she was supposedly created and not born and definitely not a muscular stripper or prostitute like she had originally assumed. In the midst of Misha talking about her home and being of a different plane, Kali made herself comfortable on a crate just a few feet away, patting her waist to see if she had her pipe on her, stopping only when the other pointed out that she was 'deefrent'."Different in the sense that I'm... I'unno, tad bit crass, pierced, and inked everywhere with one eye or the fact that I'm blue?" She quips with a smirk, her hands resuming their search before successfully locating the item in question and pulling it out on her lap. Gonna need to buy some more before we head out. "So, Acheron is where you come from, huh? Can't say I've ever heard of it, always been part of one plane and you're sittin' in it." Her arms extend wide. "Welcome to Faerun, it's a shithole, aye, but it's my shithole." She laughs, her hands going back to her pipe, reaching into her pack to pull out a match."I wasn't always blue, you know? Used to be niiice and tan, always out in the sun, liftin' some shit, enjoying the views on the ship..." Kali had focused on lighting her pipe for a second, and after lighting it she burns out the match before taking a long drag."Gettin' high." She laughs again, turning her head to exhale the smoke and not get it in Misha's face. The scent itself was quite earthy, with just a subtle note of pine. Thankfully, this wasn't one of the more stinkier ones Kali had smoked before. Wouldn't be all too nice to stink up the crew quarters with the smell of spoiled dairy now would it? "Sorry, this stuff keeps me at ease, you want to try it? I won't take any offense if you say no, promise."
While Kali was talking, Misha was staring at her with a very obvious childlike wonder. The Paladin had amazing posture, and sat straight up and gave Kali her undivided attention. Her smile never left her face, it's like she was always smiling in some degree. "Yes!" Misha nodded, "Read reports about thees world, heard it was hole of sheet!" She laughed loudly, but not obnoxiously, it was a boisterous laugh, full of love and energy. "But no worry, will not make joke about thees world. After all, belongs to you, ya. I tell many people about my homeland, get similar reaction: never heard of eet, and how very strange. Ees ok! Will have plenty of time to tell you stories of world and of life. Learn many theengs in travels!" Misha looked very curiously at the smoking object Kali handed her, it gave off an aroma Misha did to recognize, but more or less understood it's purpose. Not wanting to be rude, she took a chance. "Try? Ok! Why not, ah? New planet! A sign of our new friendship!" She carefully took it, and took a deep puff. After about five minutes of coughing, Misha handed it back to Kali. It took her a moment before she could speak again. "Friendship maybe not getting off to good start, ah? *COUGH!!* Will hef to practice, ya?" She laughed again, wheezing, clearly not used to smoking anything at all. "Sorry! Not use to such a device. Never put smoke in body, just lots of water, exercise, and meat." She laughed again. "Diet and exercise very important back home. You are beeg and strong like me! We have something on common, but maybe not..how you say..gettin' high." The last two words she did her best to playfully imitate Kali's accent. She continues to look at Kali, with affection and curiosity. This one is so friendly! She is beautiful, strong, like me, but different. Can understand why Carrhae picked her as number two! Would like to know more about her, eef working close together. Am very excited about being here! And..why am I so warm all of the sudden?
Once the words 'hole of sheet' escaped past Misha's mouth, Kali coughed up a laugh along with hers, waving a hand in the air to disperse of the smoke that had accidentally escapes her lips, but then returned bursting into laughter when the red-head had taken up all of five minutes hacking her lungs out. The hybrid apologizes through fits of laughter, happily taking back the pipe from her and once finds her composure again begins to speak. "Sorry 'bout that, I didn't think your first time would be that bad, ahaha. Hadn't had a laugh like that in ages, thank you, lass." Kali takes a second to clear her throat before continuing, hoping that she wouldn't laugh that loud again. "Anyways, what we got goin' on here is perfectly fine, don't worry your pretty little head about it, we're friends, 'kay?" Stop lookin' at me like that, shit, her eyes are like polished emeralds. Ugh. "Advise for the next time though, try inhaling it directly into your lungs and start slow, there's no rush, like so," Kali brings her lips back onto the pipe, sucking in a breath as slowly as she could manage, before pulling away and exhaling the smoke out. She looks back at Misha with a small smirk. "Smokin' ain't exactly the, uh, healthiest thing to do really... Unless you do it in moderation. Stick with water, meat, and exercise. Hells, I spot for you if ya want me to, and then, if you're ever feelin' extremely stressed or got lots on your mind," She wiggles the pipe between her fingers. "Meet your good ol' first mate Kali in her room late at night and she'll hook ya up. You might even get lucky too." Despite the fact that she had one eye covered by her eyepatch, Kali manages to get it to seem like she was giving Misha a playful wink."Cute mimicking of my accent there, by the way. You feelin' okay?"
"Yes, am fine!" Misha smiled, clearing the last of the smoke in her lungs with a final cough by turning her head and covering her mouth. She observed carefully as Kali demonstrated again. She looked at her and nodded sagely. "Ach, yes! Now, I see. Weel do better next time. Lots of theengs new to me, since most of life has been training weeth no much..fun, recreation. War consumes much of my people but I was not made to fight in front line, have deefrent job to do, like operative." She took a moment to take a drink of water from a very militaristic looking canteen. "While doing job, like to eat well, keep body in top phyeesical condeetion, and of course making sure hammer, shield, and armor are always polished." She pats the upright crate lovingly. "Maybe sometime we exercise together, show each other teeps!" she offered. "Don't sleep much so if want me to say hello late night, a pleasure! Feel very lucky already!" She said innocently."You have injury of eye?"She asked, carefully. "No one offer to feex it?"
Kali wasn't too sure if it was the weed the caused her gaze to linger longer than it should have when Misha took a drink, or if it was the fact that she had been so touch starved the last few days that made her swallow hard when the red-head pulled the canteen away from her kissable looking lips-- No, yeah, it was the weed, she had deduced, catching her barely paying attention to the rest of what she said. "Huh, uh, mmm..." Kali took another drag of her pipe, deciding then it would be best to put it out for the time being and using up that time to try to remember what the hells she said. Something about war, right? And her body? She did have a nice body and Kali didn't try to hide the fact that she was gawking at her abs now. Am I staring? Oops. "Sooo, you weren't made for the front line, butcha were built like that? Hm, most operatives I know aren't chiseled like they were carved from stone, but again, they're not from a cube planet I've never heard of til today!" She chuckles and sets aside her burnt out pipe."Yeah, sure, we can work out together, could even wrestle on the top deck too, if you'd like. Promise I won't throw you overboard." The hybrid sticks out her tongue playfully, giving Misha the opportunity to see, what looked to be, a metal bead pierced in the middle of the muscle. With the question of her eye in the air, Kali pushes herself from the crate she had been sitting on and brings herself close to Misha, leaning forward just enough to get into eye level with her. "Aye, you might get even more lucky, lass, I don't often show what's under my eyepatch, but, I'm high enough and..." Kali drags her long fingers down the paladin's abs slowly with an ever so subtle smirk tugging at the corner of her lips."You're hot enough, I think, just don't get all squeamish on me, okay?"Kali retracts her hand from the other and lifts up the flap of her eyepatch to show Misha that there wasn't anything there, just a gaping hole."Can't fix what not there, unfortunately."
Misha let out a loud laugh again, even clapped her hands a bit in delight. "Used to wrestle and leeft for many years while training, still do! Worked hard, was always pooshed to limit back home. You are in for fun time. I go easy on you, ya - try not to break your arm, or back." she reassured, confidently."Special people in Banehold created for specific purpose, now, because of War. Various genetic specifications. Misha created for deefrent purpose to fight in war, not massive in body like Legion Commander Taetanicus, but tight, strong, powerful like strong beautiful woman. I can handle you, ya - we have fun!" She smiled, excited about the opportunity to play and exercise with her new friend. That's when Kali leaned in and told Misha about her missing eye. Kali was larger than Misha, and had a beauty to her that, as she got closer, Misha got to really appreciate. It all happened so fast. Kali locked eyes with Misha, and the Paladin felt Kali's fingers on her stomach, going down. She instinctively tightened the muscles of her midsection at the sensitivity of the touch, twitched just a little - Misha was ticklish. "No, I ahh.." Misha started saying, blissfully lost in the unexpected moment of Kali's fingers on her stomach, and the sudden warmth in her loins. "I..No. I no be squeam." She squeaked out. "Feel very..warm, comfortable..with new friend." She kept smiling, now realizing Kali was being just a tad flirtatious with her. And, Misha liked it. Lifting up her eyepatch, Kali was missing an eye completely. Bane, have mercy. This poor woman. Her new friend."What happen?" was all she asked, still rushed with the flirtatious gesture, and wishing at that moment Kali would touch her again.
A low, sultry chuckle emitted from the back of Kali's throat hearing the hesitation between Misha's words, as it only caused the hybrid to inch closer to the red-heads face, their mouths just shy of touching. "Aye... I tend to have that affect on people."She would say softly, her eye flickering from Misha's to her lips, licking the bottom of her own. She is so awfully innocent, what if I... Kali stops herself from tilting herself even further onto the paladin when she asks what happened to her eye, the brunette reluctantly pulling back but just a little bit."I made a deal with... Some people..." She tries choosing her words carefully, distracting herself by placing her hand back on Misha's abdomen, seeing as she quite liked the touch, as did the barbarian herself, feeling the contraction of her muscles move only made her grow more excited. Yet she continued to talk. "I... Broke that deal for a good reason, they didn't like that, so they took my eye. Plannin' on gettin' it back though, eventually... Maybe." A silence fell between them, if only just for a minute or so, Kali's fingers dancing ever so gently on Misha's abs, memorizing every bump and curve of her body before finally asking:"Do you like it when I touch you here?"
Misha looked at Kali, smiled softly. It was a smile like someone was a little shy, somewhat new to flirting, yet interested and intrigued. Misha didn't pull away. She was curious as to where Kali was leading, especially because flirtatious interactions didn't happen often to her. Kali was indeed very pretty, and suddenly Misha became lost in the moment. She leaned back a little bit, enjoying Kali's fingers as they felt the muscles of her stomach. Kali knew how to work her fingers, and the little hairs on Misha's arms stood at complete attention at the erotic touch. The moment seemed to last forever, and it felt good. Thank you Bane, for allowing my first new friend to be beautiful, and actually..attracted to me, it seems! How crazy this world is! She is so nice!"Yes.." she said softly, her face becoming more sultry by the moment, the warmth in her pelvis growing."You hef..very nice way of..welcoming new crew members." She purred, definitely now picking up that the barbarian had obvious flirtatious intentions. Between the sensation of the pleasant surprise at being hit on so early in the day by a pretty woman, and just barely arriving to Toril, she took a chance, and it wasn't even the afternoon yet! As Kali touched her, Misha slowly tugged at the front knot in her shirt that barely covered her chest playfully. "The way you talk to me, ees cute. Like friend, but..possible, more? Starting to theenk idea een head maybe sometime soon, eef you like, can spend time alone more, ya?" Misha shivered in ticklish delight as she spoke, looking at Kali as politely as she could. After all, Misha was new here. Kali had an amazing body, too - was big. Strong. Powerful curves. And her skin was such a lovely color. Everything about Kali made Misha curious."We can get to know each other very well. Much to know about one another, maybe you agree?"
"Aye, I do, don't I?" Kali was quick in noticing the little things that changed with her new friend the more the pirate had pressed onto her; the way she looked at her now, the way she spoke, the way she was playfully tugging at the knot of her shirt as if the barbarian didn't want to rip it off her already. She'd use the excuse that it was the drugs taking over for what she was doing, well, what she was going to do for the next hour or three not her lust, but not here. Definitely not here."We're alone now," She breathed, pressing the palm of her hand on Misha's stomach to slowly inch it upwards, the brunette leaning more into Misha as her fingers just barely touched past where the paladin's shirt had been knotted before she stopped, their lips shy of connecting once again. "Want to take this opportunity to learn more about what good ol' Kali? Come... Let me show you my room."
And, that's how Misha and Kali got..very aquainted.
I dream of the first times, the longest memory I speak of the first times, the oldest eon I sing of the first times, and the Dawn of War I am the The Iron General
Once, the Light of Paradise shone lit up the night sky and the tears of our parents wet the ground Each of us, in our own way, set about to live and defend ourselves against The Primordials
Kord, The First Born, He who loved competition and proving himself Tuern, Second Born, who loved pain He caused His enemies, and I, Achra, The Third Born, who loved the domination victory gave
The Dawn War against the Primordials was the earliest war from an age lost to the greatest memory of time before time I, Achra, rallied the Gods together while Kord and Tuern fought among themselves. I led an army of Gods, Angels and mortals against The Queen of Bronze
The first Primordial to fall was Tabrach-Ti. After a terrible fight that shook the heavens, I, Achra, was victorious. It was that day that all Gods agreed to work together. It was that day the Primordials called me something else:
Bane
- Fragment of "The Chronicle", one of the earliest recorded written histories of the The Iron General, Bane
Carrhae had found a first mate for her ship. And she didn't even have to look too far, as her instincts had proven right and the blue-skinned woman at the bar turned out to be an experienced sailor who accepted her offer after a few drinks, a questionnaire, and some light flirting. But she still needed to find everything else, something that was going through her mind as she walked through the docks on the way to The Belle of the Sea. On her way, her nose caught the scent of an absolutely delectable meal being prepared. Odd. I don't see any restaurants in this area and I certainly wouldn't expect to find a restaurant with gourmet food this far from the upper-class parts of the city. The Paladin looked around her before realizing that the source of the smell was coming from under the docks. She climbs down and follows the scent to a makeshift home. She pops her head in the door. "Oh hello. I just caught a whiff of what smelled like some wonderful food being prepared and had to find the source. You don't mind if I come in, do you?"
Indigo's shack looks strange from the outside and can really only barely be called a building. From the outside it looks like a random assortment of driftwood, logs, pieces of ships washed ashore with some canvas and cloth to bind it together. A light humming of a happy little tune can be heard from the inside and a small amount of fragrant smoke can drifts through the air drawing Carrhae toward it. As she enters through the door that's little more than a few beams held together with rope and dried mud, she notices that the inside is much cozier, and everything is impeccably organized. There is a table with four chairs in the middle of the room, a raised bed with no mattress, and shelves along the walls that contain all manner of spices, cooking implements and instruments, jars of pickled goods. Hanging from the rafters are dried and smoked meats and fish of all variety. The air is more humid and pungent inside and there are several fires going on the inland side where a hole has been dug to let oxygen in. More holes in the roof let the smoke out and a 5' tall bipedal turtle hums a happy tune while tending to the contents of a pan over the open flame. "Oh... bon jour madame. But of course, come in come in. Please have a seat, eet iz not yet ready, but... ah how you say... soon, no?"
Carrhae didn't expect the ramshackle home to be so cozy and well-ordered, but she also wasn't expecting to find a talented chef here. She certainly wasn't expecting to be greeted by a human-sized turtle, but she wasn't too startled, since she had met a number of unusual beings during the last few years. She wipes off her boots before entering and removes them once inside. Once invited, she takes one of the seats and gets comfortable at the table. "Sune's Blessings upon you. My name is Carrhae and I was returning to my ship when I smelled your cooking and came here. So what's cooking today, Chef..."
"Ah... my apologies mademoiselle, Indigo mistook vou for another. And ahhh yes, blessings of zee Sun por vou as well." She turns to face Carrhae and gestures toward herself, still holding the pan over the fire with her other hand. "Indigo cooks for zee... how you say... impolvershed?... at times and has little trouble telling fleshy mammals apart, oui?" She turns back to the stove and continues to work on the meal. "For today we have zee pan fried stingray, whisk butter and chives. Et un petit sprinkle of Indigo's personal spices." She reaches her hand into a pouch that hangs from her apron that has "AMOUR" written on it in big letters surrounded by the outline of a heart, and takes a pinch with her clawed fingers, dashing it across the pan causing it to flare up suddenly. She laughs and sets the pan on a piece of cloth at the center of the table. "Simple but delicious, no?" She plucks the stinger from the fish and turns it around so that the dead eyes of the creature stare up at Carrhae, cold and black."Let zee dish rest a moment before tasting it, s'il vous plait." Indigo says as she goes to fetch plates and silverware. The stingray is browned and has a small square of butter still melting over the top of it, the sauce in the pan sizzles and despite Indigo saying that the dish was only stingray, butter and spices, the stingray is surrounded by an assortment of cubed roots and crisped leafy greens. the leafy greens have little blisters and are lightly browned, and you believe the root vegetables to be a mixture of turnips, beets, and potatoes. The aroma fills your senses, and you experience a warmth that you didn't realize you could feel from the sense of smell alone.
"Oh no, not the sun Indigo, Sune. She's the goddess of love and beauty. I didn't know that you cooked meals for the less fortunate, that's very kind of you, Indigo. I'm not stealing a meal from anyone, am I?"Carrhae desperately hoped that Indigo would say no, as she was taking in the aroma of the dish and felt her mouth begin to water in anticipation. It was evident that Indigo was an incredibly talented cook and that this dish was much more than the simple offering of stingray, butter, and spices that she was claiming. Carrhae's inner hedonist was screaming for her to devour the meal right in front of her, but the virtuous Paladin would receive no rest from her conscience if she ate food intended for someone who wasn't as fortunate as she was.
"Oh ho ho, mon petit mademoiselle, do not worry." Indigo says, walking behind and reaching around her to place a plate, an impossibly clean cloth napkin, and utensils in their proper places, "Indigo always prepares enough for tout le monde. You'll tell me if it is... how you say... serviceable, oui?" She takes a seat across from the young Captain, and gestures for her to help herself. Indigo props her head in her hands, elbows on the table, watching Carrhae expectantly, a gentle smile at the edge of her beak.
It took all of Carrhae's restraint to not immediately dig in to the dish before her. Instead, she takes a knife and cuts off a small piece of the stingray and puts it in her mouth. The mix of butter and spices hits her taste buds and the Paladin chews it in her mouth for a long moment, trying to savor it as much as she can before finally swallowing it."Indigo, this is wonderful! I think that you're not giving yourself enough credit here, you should really be working in a restaurant somewhere with recipes like this!"Carrhae's upbringing as a Sunite had taught her to appreciate the beauty of the physical form and of works of art and her time with the Jingle Belles had got her to appreciate the performing arts; dance, music, poetry. And now she was beginning to think that food might be something beautiful as she cuts off another piece and places it in her mouth. "Oh gods! I missed this so much!" She says with a mouthful of stingray and various roots, so lost in the enjoyment that she forgets her manners. The culinary arts were not highly valued on Acheron and it had been a while since she had eaten a good meal. "I'm sorry! I usually don't talk with my mouth full."
"Oh ho ho!" Indigo claps and picks up her own utensils, "Not to worry mademoiselle, Indigo understands zhat it can be difficile to control oneself in zee presence of delightful zhings. Let us eat and enjoy ourselves, and zhen mais parler, no?"Indigo begins to eat, taking her time to enjoy her meal. She takes dainty bites, careful to take a proportionate amount of ray, root, and crispy greens with each mouthful to ensure the perfect mixture of flavors. Every time she puts the fork to her mouth, she closes her eyes to savor her food, fully present in the experience.
Carrhae goes along with Indigo and focuses on finishing her meal before engaging in any further discussion. She eats as slowly as she can, looking to savor the experience rather than mindlessly devour what's in front of her. Still, she finds that the experience is over sooner than she wanted it to end. She dabs the napkin over her face to clean up what small spots were there from her eating. "Thank you Indigo. It's been a while since I've had a good meal. I'll admit that it was a bit of a challenge for me to eat slow and not just gobble it all up. So, how much will this cost?"
Indigo looks at Carrhae with a shocked expression "Why... nothing at all mademoiselle... Indigo is not a criminal to whom you must give douceur to partake of zee gifts zhat zee Sun, zee Ocean, et zee Earth." Her shocked expression turns into a little smirk, "But of course, Indigo accepts donations for zee acquiring of spices and accouterment for zee benefit of zee communauté locale..." she trails off. "Mais dites-moi, mademoiselle... et, pardonne-moi if Indigo speaks out of turn, but you say you are going to your ship? Zis ship it is yours as in, you work aboard it or are you perhaps... le capitane?"
Yes, I am the captain of a ship. But I'm afraid that I don't have much of a crew at the moment. It's just me and a first mate that I hired not half an hour ago. You wouldn't be interested in coming on and serving as our chef now, would you? You'd get good pay, a place on the ship, and a kitchen that is stocked with the ingredients that you request and is furnished to your specifications.
Indigo stares at the captain blankly for what seems like a long time. "Do you know zhat here in Waterdeep zee kind of discrimination Indigo has had to face? All Indigo wanted since little child was to sail the seas of Abeir-Toril. She had her own ship for a short time, but zee Ocean crushed her on zee shores along zee... how you say... Coast of Swords, no? Indigo come here looking for help et maybe some food, but she is looked at like she is un monstre, et chased away whisk fire. But for zee few commoners who come to partake in Indigo's cooking, everyone is so... how you say... hostile. Mon Capitane, it would be a pleasure most genuine to cook for vou and a crew veritable." At this point she's kneeling deeply before the Captain and holding Carrhae's hand to her own forehead, a sign of her deep felt gratitude. "Mon Capitane, all Indigo kneads to know is where to sign."
"I'm sorry to hear about that, Indigo. As someone who has been given a form that society has deemed conventionally attractive, I can't relate to your experience, but some dear friends of mine were discriminated against for what some called monstrous appearances." Carrhae says, recalling the conversation she had with Strife in Beliard and how Zephyr spent weeks hiding their true form because they thought that they wouldn't be accepted otherwise. She allows Indigo to move her hand onto her own forehead, seeing that her acceptance means a lot to the Tortle. "My ship will be a place no one will be judged on the basis of their race. I would be honored to have a chef of your caliber on The Belle of the Sea. Take as much time as you need to gather your things before you get on the ship. We aren't leaving soon. And one more thing." Carrhae reaches into her pocket and pulls out a copy of the pie recipe that she found in the book from Womford. "Do you think that you could make this for me some time? I've been dying to try it out."
Carrhae felt like she was doing well for herself. In a very short amount of time, she had found herself a First Mate, a Boatswain, a Chef, and a Quartermaster. But Kali had reminded her that there was still work yet to be done. "You still need to get guns and someone to fire 'em, Captain. There's a lot of things on the sea that'll be all too pleased to send us all to a watery grave and most of 'em aren't goin' to get close enough for ya' to stab 'em with your sword." And so Carrhae went out posting notices in the public spaces of Waterdeep.
"Looking for someone skilled with cannons or willing to learn. Must be good at taking orders and willing to go on extended sea voyages. Report to Captain Carrhae at The Belle of the Sea. Evil Elemental Cultists need not apply."
Shortly after, a young woman shows up at Carrhae's ship, eyes sparkling with excitement. She looks like she's in her early twenties, with black hair in a pixie cut and dark green eyes set into a light-skinned face. She waves an arm. "Permission to board?"
"You may board. My name is Carrhae, I'm the Captain of this ship."Carrhae reaches out towards the young woman, inviting her onto the ship and keeps her hand extended for the woman to shake. "I assume that you've come in response to the job posting for a Master Gunner?"
"Yes!"Sana grins and shakes Carrhae's hand. "I'm Sana. I love your hair, by the way. Mind if I borrow it? Great!"Her hair transforms into a copy of Carrhae's, the shape slightly altered to fit with Sana's face shape and features.
Carrhae's too shocked by Sana shifting her hair for the moment to say something about her name, or how she's glad that she likes her hair, or ask her how she intends on borrowing it."Are you a changeling? I knew a changeling, once they took my form when we went to a bathhouse. It was a rather nice experience. A lot like looking in a mirror, except it's a real person. You can borrow my form if you like, although I must warn you that it comes with more admirers than you might be ready for. Oh, I've gotten sidetracked. It's nice to meet you, Sana. Have you ever worked on a ship before?"
Sana laughs."Yeah, I'm a changeling! Right now I'll just borrow your hair, it's really great. I don't like to take people's entire forms, it tends to make them nervous and stuff. Nice to meet you too! And yeah, I actually grew up on a ship!"
"You did? That's great! What exactly did you do on there?"
Sana shrugs."Mostly hit stuff. Or direct some smaller attacks, once I got older. Healed a bit, every now and then when our doctor was occupied and somebody needed help."
"Ok, you're a skilled combatant, that's certainly good, can't have too many people who are skilled with a sword. Tell me Sana, do you know how to use a cannon? Or are you willing to learn if you aren't?"
Sana shrugs. "Perfectly willing to learn!" She grins. "How hard can it be?"
"That's the spirit! Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask me before you take this job?"
Sana shrugs. "Is there anyone who's going to have a problem with me being a changeling? Not everyone's as...relaxed about what I can do as you, and that's one of the few things I'd rather not leave up to Tymora."
"My ship accepts all kinds. Our First Mate is a Simic Hybrid, our Quartermaster is a Drow, and our Chef is a Tortle. No one should have an issue with your abilities."
"Wonderful! Then I'm in!" Sana's eyes glitter with excitement and delight.
"Excellent! Feel free to get your things together and do what ever you need to do to get ready, since we're going to be on the seas for a while. But don't feel like you have to rush, it's going to be some time before we leave, I still need to find a few other people to fill positions in the crew."
"Yes ma'am, Captain!"Sana laughs as she salutes, her hair transforming into a feathery white cut that poofs around her head like a cloud. "Can't wait to see where Tymora takes us!"
"Yes, I think that the gods will smile on our ventures!"
"I certainly hope so. Oh, one other question, where are we going first?"
"Saltmarsh. I've heard that there's profitable work there."
"Great! Never been there, sounds fun."
"I hope it is. I could use some fun. One last question, are you a Paladin?"
Sana laughs. "Yes! Of Tymora."
Carrhae smiles at that."I'm a Paladin too! I worship Sune, but I'm sure that the two of them get along!"
Sana beams delightedly, her eyes turning bright silver like coins. "Fantastic! It's wonderful to meet another paladin. And I'm sure they get along fine as well, luck and beauty of all kinds can tend to go hand in hand, after all!"
Prudence and Ash d'Sloop were wealthy and successful merchants, managing to grow a tidy little mercantile into a prosperous trading company, annually trading tens of thousands of gold pieces worth of foodstuffs (wheat and rye), cloth, gold and gems all across the Azure Sea. Yearning to start a family to have an heir to bring into (and someday take over) the family business, Ash purchased a stately manor in the thriving city of Gradsul, at the mouth of the Sheldomar River in the Kingdom of Keoland. The manor overlooked the Azure Sea, and the d’Sloops growing fleet of trade vessels docked in the sheltered bay below. Shortly thereafter, little Dog d’Sloop was born, so named for the dog moon that was shining bright that night.
Ash couldn’t wait to teach Dog all the tricks of the trade, so he started to bring him on trade expeditions from the ripe age of 4. He was quite popular amongst the clientele in cities all across the Sea, and especially a favorite amongst Ash’s shipboard crew. Being a Tabaxi, he was quite active and could easily climb up to the crows nest of the boats, and scamper across running and standing rigging lines with ease. This brought a continual smile to Ash’s face, proud of his boy, carrying on the d’Sloop tradition.
Upon reaching puberty, though, at the age of 12, Dog’s personality changed. He no longer was the happy-go-lucky kid, always the charmer of his fathers crew and clients. He started getting the typical teenager holier-than-thou chaotic attitude. On one trip to Keoish, he managed to embarrass a wealthy client, causing the client to cancel their lucrative trade contract. On a subsequent trip to Oeridian, he slept through his watch post duty, causing the ship to turn into a beam wave from a massive storm, and lose the entire shipment of goods (worth thousands of gold) as it spilled into the deep sea.
Ash and Prudence were at wits end with Dog. His unruly attitude was hurting their business, and causing them stress beyond belief. Something had to be done to set Dog back on the right path. In Gradsul, the military accepts applicants as young as 14 years old. So, on the day of Dog’s 14<sup>th</sup> birthday, Ash and Prudence packed up a bag of clothes, his favorite teddy bear, and dropped Dog off at the front gate of the Semfur Military Academy.
3 months later
Dog had breezed through basic training, falling back on his years of sailing experience learned at the feet of his father. He finished at the top of his class, with top scores across the board. Except for decorum. Dog was constantly getting demerits from his superior officers for his cocky attitude. Commandant Lord Redlocks, the commanding officer, a Paladin of Sune, had a brilliant idea. Perhaps deploying the boy, under the tutelage of an operational sea captain, would instill in him honor and decorum that he so desperately lacked.
The following Morndas, the Commandant delivered a letter to Captain Carrhae, offering the services of Ensign Dog to the Captain as her personal assistant and Cabin boy. Free of charge for one year, as the academy would cover all of his expenses. The only payment the military expected in return was in the form of teaching and instilling in Ensign Dog a sense of decorum.
Sloop smartly salutes, and looks quite dapper in his starched white military uniform. But it all goes downhill from there.
"Nice to meet you, Captain Boobs!" he blurts out. "So, when are we doin' this thang?"
He then walks on-board the Belle, stepping around the Captain, and lets out a loud whistle of admiration...."Blimey, nice booty you got here!" as he lovingly caresses the main mast. "What sort of speed you get outta her? 7...mebbe 8 knots?"
Carrhae grows red in the face, marches up to Sloop, and slaps him across the face.
In a raised voice, she lays down the law: "YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS CAPTAIN CARRHAE, SAILOR! IF I EVER HEAR SUCH INDECENT ADDRESSES OUT OF YOU AGAIN, I SHALL HANG YOU BY THE MIZZEN. IS THAT CLEAR?!"
Sloop: "Aye, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. Do you need your cabin cleaned, Cap'n?"
Carrhae: "That's more like it, solider. Not at this time. But you can make yourself useful by going down below, dropping your bag off, and finding the galley. I'm sure Mr. Indigo has need of an assistant."
Once Sloop has left Carrhae's sight, she buries her face in her hands and lets out a deep sigh. After 20 seconds of knowing Sloop, she immediately understood why Lord Redlocks was willing to pay to have her take the young Tabaxi off his hands. Sune grant me patience, I thought that four years in Acheron was a trial. I'm definitely going to partake in smoking with Kali. She smirks a bit at the thought of this cocksure youth trying to be smart with Kali or Misha. I imagine that he'll have a rude awakening, trying to act like a big shot on a ship full of people who have been sailing and fighting longer than he was alive. Although maybe I should warn him about Grishkar. For a second, she moves like she's about to go after Sloop, but stops. He wouldn't listen. I'll just tell Grishkar not to kill or maim him. But perhaps a good fright may prove educational. I mean, Grishkar already sorta looks like one, why not let him play the part?
Acheron is the Plane of War. It is made up of numerous immense iron cubes of various size floating in infinite space, very different than other places I have been. It has four main layers. But, it is my home. When I was 13, by His Command, I was allowed to visit the different cubes of Acheron. Avalas, the first layer, is where I spent most of my training to become a Paladin of Conquest. It is often called "The Battlefield". It contains the highest density of metal cubes and is thus host to the most fighting on the plane. The cubes are dotted with fortresses and covered with battlefields, hence the nickname. Collisions between the cubes causes them to break apart in to smaller cubes, hence the smallest cubes are the oldest on the layer.
Taetanicus, The Great Legion Commander of the Primes, the one responsible for my military training, took me one day on my 13th birthday to see the edge of the Cube. Already stronger and more disciplined than others of my creation, I remember that day like it was yesterday, and when he showed me, it was unlike anything I had seen in my life.
The Infinite Battlefield. My home.
When Taetanicus spoke, his voice rumbled and shook my core. I had deep respect for him. He made me strong. He made me tough. He gave me discipline and forged me into a weapon of Conquest. "Acheron is the bridge between the ultimate order of Nirvana and the regimented evil of the Nine Hells, our Great Enemy. As such, each layer is emphasized order over evil. You were created NOT to be a pawn in this War, but something Greater. A Daughter of Conquest. A Prime Paladin. Your destiny has been written long ago. Soon, you will fulfill it.
"With your great wisdom, I understand, Commander." I said, saluting him. It was the best birthday ever.
Within a cabin of a ship bound for Saltmarsh, a tome rests within a chest, never more than a few feet from its owner. The cover is leather-bound, but the material is very different from even fine leather; it's more supple, softer. Two metal bindings enclosed the book, made of some blue, alien metal, and with no obvious way to release their hold.
That annoying cat was at it again. I had to reeducate her on the folly of being so close-minded. Claiming that life and light are the only things worth living for will lead to a dissapointing end. There is only Death in this world; to pretend otherwise is to be as a child throwing a tantrum when they're told to obey. The righteous are truly annoying...claiming that killing is "evil", but killing for their god is "good". Just like those priests...
Met woman claiming to be touched by this "Strahd" person. Thought she was likely just clamoring for attention until the host of this land so graciously made an appearance. I had expected some devil from the lower planes, but a vampire? It seemed a bit anti-climactic until his display of power. Perhaps he can he persuaded to serve, if not at least assist, in Nerull's designs?
This is interesting: a den of lycanthropes served as a resting place for a book detailing Strahd's ascension. Such knowledge is best reserved for those capable of wielding it, not the fearful hands of ignorant children. This book will be the key to regaining power over this world. The Despiser is not yet know here, but I will be His herald. (A series of prayers follows muddled with foreign, comfortable-looking characters)
Had a run-in with one of Strahd's more formidable creations. I may have overstepped, but now I know that Strahd is a mind to be studied, not a monster to be carelessly destroyed.
Met with a man claiming to be a bishop, wanted to kill him outright. That is, until he showed off his pet. A perfect construct, only obvious due to stitching, but her form was breath-taking! Strahd's major creation was capable of speech, but this man made his creation move with a dancer's grace. (Most of the page is scratched out and ripped through some violent outburst) ...share in such marvels and wisdom....servant of Nerull could....arrogance and hubris!...(a few lines remain after the attempted censoring, offering prayers of strength and vengence, and a promise to raze a particular chapel to the ground and hang someone from a post as a puppet, forced to plea forgiveness for eternity.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Carrhae was walking around the city of Waterdeep, purchasing ingredients for Indigo as well as supplies for the ship. She could have very easily delegated this task to one of her crew, but in truth, she was happy for the excuse to take a promenade around the city. She had already begun to put together a crew and at this rate, it wouldn't be too long before she had fully assembled one and could set off for Saltmarsh. She'd be leaving this city soon, so she may as well get a chance to say goodbye to it before then. Carrhae paid a final visit to a number of locations, having a drink of wine at the Yawning Portal, stopping by the temple of Sune to say farewell to her fellow Sunites and promise that she'd figure out how to save the doctor that they sent along with her. But she also stumbled across some sites that were more significant to her than anyone else.
She came across the headquarters of The Order of The Gauntlet, where four years ago she was assigned to that doomed mission. The Order was welcoming to Carrhae when she first returned to the city, but she had no intention of joining back up with them. It was their failure to send reinforcements that ended up getting her and her friends killed. Strife was right. There were too few of us to deal with the Elemental Cults. If the Order had listened, they would still be alive.
Then she came across the Harper Headquarters, the same place where she met the Jingle Belles all those years ago. For the first few days after she got back from Acheron, Carrhae had tried to keep something of a low profile. She wasn't a legend, but she was enough of a celebrity in Waterdeep for her return from the dead to bring more attention than she wanted at the time. Somehow, the Harpers managed to find out. Carrhae was never able to figure out how, but the Harpers wouldn't be too good at their jobs if she could, now wouldn't they? She didn't tell everything, but she did explain that she was the only survivor and asked them if they could retrieve the bones of Mercy, Strife, and Zephyr for proper burial. They obliged out of kindness to the young Paladin and returned Mercy's body to her Dwarven friends, as they would know best what she would want. For Strife, Carrhae personally buried her in the graveyard connected to the temple of Sune. I'm sorry my love. I hope that it brings you some solace in the next life to know that you were buried in grounds that were blessed by Sune.
She passed through the alley that contained the portal to Zephyr's tower. She couldn't find a temple to the Traveler in Waterdeep when she first got back, so she crossed into the plane where Zephyr resided and buried their body in the sea near their tower. Carrhae walked into Zephyr's tower and saw a note lying there for her on top of several large bags.
Carrhae
You and the rest of the Jingle Belles were such sweethearts. You accepted me for who I was and if it wasn't for you, I think that I'd still be alone in this tower instead of saving the world with a bunch of wonderful women that I consider to be sisters. I'm not as wordy as you or Strife were, but I think that I can repay for the way you've been nice to me all the same. For the last few weeks, I've been working hard and BOY have I raised a shit ton of money. I'm not going to go into all the details on how I made it, but I didn't do anything illegal, so don't worry about the po-po coming after me. I don't have any family outside of you guys, so I'm leaving it all to you if I don't make it. You've always been taking care of us, so I trust that you'd know what to do with this money.
P.S. Don't let Strife blow it all on drugs. Even if she ****s you :p
Love, Zephyr.
Carrhae was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears after reading the letter. I'm so sorry. You came with us because we were nice to you, because we accepted you for who you were and welcomed you into our family and it got you killed. It would take Carrhae some time to take Zephyr's money back home with her and when she finally got the last bag, she found that the portal to Zephyr's demi-plane had closed behind her, a signal that Zephyr was truly gone.
All of these things had worked to convince Carrhae that it was time to leave Waterdeep. Where once she walked the streets and saw beauty, she now saw reminders of the loved ones she had lost and it brought her nothing but pain. So she would get out. Get as far as she could and start anew. Which is what led her to the Belle of the Sea and what caused her to place her trust in a beautiful blue-skinned woman in a bar. As she returned to the ship, she was still deep in thought as she walked up the gangplank. "Kali, could you let Indigo know to come up here for a moment? I've got those supplies." As soon as those words are out of her mouth, she spots a red-headed beauty. No. That's impossible. What would she be doing on the Belle? "Oh my gods, Misha! Is that you!?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Taetanicus, one day, took me to the second layer. He was the most massive man I knew, and his armor was so large and exaggerated it was like it was built for someone four times his size - and he was already a hulking mass of an Acheronite. Standing on the edge of Thuldanin, a massive cube identified as the second layer of Acheron, my training continued. Now 18, I was taller, stronger, and had survived many battles. I spent hours upon hours a day running, fighting, and lifting heavy things until I could lift no more, till my body failed. At times, I had to hold things over my head until the fire in my muscles matched the fire raining down from the sky from The Nine Hells. It was unbearably painful constantly, as if my genetic instructions were pushed to absolute limits, bending the rules of it's code. There were many days I could not move. Every moment I wanted to cry from pain I knew that the next day I would be tougher and stronger than the previous day. I was fed a very specific diet that allowed me to maintain a perfect level of fat and muscle, but still remain a normal size for a female Acheronian. I was designed to be powerful - but fast, precise, and mobile.
Compared to Avalas, Thuldanin is very much like the first layer, consisting of numerous huge cubes. On this layer the cubes are scarred and pitted by battle. Many pits lead down to labyrinths containing the refuse of the endless battles of the plane. The remains of broken war machines and other devices line the interiors of the cubes, even some finely crafted weapons can be found amongst the rubble. Thuldanin has a preservative quality that results in the petrification of objects and creatures that spend too long on the layer. We left almost right away. As we did, Legion Commander Taetanicus spoke to my mind.
"Here me, Praskovia. Your destiny was written long ago. Learn to master yourself and your abilities, for one day you will learn to save others. A day will come when someone will rely on you, someone important, someone you must protect at all costs. Always remember: There is no cowardice in faith. There is no fear in conviction. Brave are they who know everything yet fear nothing."
We left almost right away.
AROUND TODAY
It was years later did I realize that person was Carrhae. The great wheel that was the War Machine of Acheron turned as I aged and reached well into independence and experience. While the main forces fought Hell within on the plane itself, the special forces of the Prime Paladins continued to serve in fighting the war without.
I remember the day I met Carrhae again on the ship.
"Of course ees me, don't be rilickudous!" Misha's smile could not have been brighter as she turned when she heard a familiar voice. She was working with the ship's anchor when Carrhae came on board, and as Misha approached her, the captain could see she was covered with a thin sheen of sweat, and every part of her lean muscular body looked like steel cables ready to snap, but had such a feminine sexiness to her.
She laughed and embraced her friend warmly in a rib crushing hug.
"So good to see you again, leetle one!" She pulled away, looked Carrhae up and down, her hands on her shoulders, as if inspecting merchandise. "You look fantasteek! Could not be happier you are steel ok! Was wondering when I would see you again, and behold Lord General smiled upon me once more. Sent me here to beauteeful Toril to keep eye on you." She raises her finger and pulls down the lower lid of her right eye, then releasing it, winking. "I, obveeously, said yes! So, here I am! Hef orders to protect you, make sure you complete meeshion. Cannot believe luck to be sent here to see you again." She looked around, "And on sheep that floats on water! Eencredible! Hef already met First Ofeecer Kali when I came on board!" she played with the knot of her half shirt at mentioning Kali's name, and quickly looked away, smiling like a naughty child.
After a few moments, she cleared her throat and smiled brightly at Carrhae. She gave her a mighty peck on the cheek and Carrhae was sure that she had never seen Misha so happy since they met years ago.
Carrhae felt overjoyed to be around Misha once again. She didn't feel like she would've gotten through the last four years without her. While Carrhae was certainly grateful to the Acheronians for saving her and restoring her body, but they weren't the best when it came to acknowledging her emotional needs. They were more concerned with making sure that she was strong enough for a mission that she never really understood. Except for Misha. She was always treating Carrhae like a friend, giving her a friendly smile, a kind word, or making her laugh with her adorable mannerisms. Carrhae didn't expect to ever see Misha again after she was allowed to return home and she certainly didn't expect her to be joining the crew of her ship. She was so happy that she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Although possibly, that may have also been because Misha currently had her locked in a bear hug at the moment. Merciful Sune, is this what it was like for poor Strife? I now understand what they mean when they talk about smothering someone with affection. Carrhae taps Misha on the arm. "I yield! I yield!" She says, jokingly. "Well, I can see that you haven't been letting yourself go since I left. I'm glad that Bane gave you this mission. Toril's a beautiful place and I was beginning to miss you." She listened patiently while Misha explained that she was helping her with her mission. Carrhae never fought in Bane's armies, but she was on board with the whole war against the legions of Hell thing. But she didn't really understand the whole mission deal. "I'm still not sure about what they mean by my mission, but I'm happy that you're here as well. I feel safer with you here and I'm sure that with your help, as well as the rest of the crew, we'll succeed in this mission, whatever it is."
She smiles when Misha mentions Kali. "And how did you like her? She's a bit crass, but she's friendly once you get to know her and hot in a rough and tumble kind of way."I imagine that with me and Misha on board, Kali must feel like she's in Heaven. "Well, it sounds like you're pretty situated, so maybe now you should introduce yourself to the rest of the crew. Indigo should be coming up soon to get her supplies, Sana is working with the guns, Sloop is probably with Indigo right now, and Grishkar should be working on that project I assigned him." Talking about the crew got her thinking about Kali again. She told me to make haste with gathering a crew. but I doubt that she was expecting it to go down like this. She'll probably want me to tell her where I found these people, especially Misha.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
"Well, I can see that you haven't been letting yourself go since I left. I'm glad that Bane gave you this mission. Toril's a beautiful place and I was beginning to miss you."
"Letting go? Of course not!" Misha laughed and dismissed the notion right away, releasing Carrhae from her bearhug. "You of all peeple should know to appreciate Acheronian workout schedule, no? Believe you shed a beet of blood AND tears during regrowth, ya? But you worked hard, and very happy to see you again happy, and strong!"
"I'm still not sure about what they mean by my mission, but I'm happy that you're here as well. I feel safer with you here and I'm sure that with your help, as well as the rest of the crew, we'll succeed in this mission, whatever it is."
"Everything will be clear soon." Misha told her captain. "I know that theengs now seem a bit..eh..unknown, or eh, how you say? Up in air? But Lord General have plan, and to question Him is to invite doubt." Misha wiggled a finger as if reciting a rule told to her long ago. "Meesha will not let you make bad decision, ya? Long time ago, you trusted me. Now, trust me again, ya? I made promise to keep you safe. Soon, all will be revealed."
"And how did you like her? She's a bit crass, but she's friendly once you get to know her and hot in a rough and tumble kind of way."
"Ach, she is beautiful, strong woman. Misha much respect person who take care of themselves physically, as you know." Misha said, turning a bit red in the cheeks talking about Kali. "Never met woman like her before, ees a bit different. Have to say, had interesting way of getting to know me! No complaining, for sure." Misha laughed a bit more loudly than usual, as if remembering something lovely, and somewhat, perhaps, private. "Very happy with choice of First Offeecer, must say to you."
"Well, it sounds like you're pretty situated, so maybe now you should introduce yourself to the rest of the crew. Indigo should be coming up soon to get her supplies, Sana is working with the guns, Sloop is probably with Indigo right now, and Grishkar should be working on that project I assigned him."
Misha nodded happily. "Yes! Of course!" she agreed. "I weel do that, gladly. Have a very good feeling our meesion will be fun, and exciting. Truly, you and I have been blessed by The Lord General.." Misha slapped Carrhae on the shoulder, "..and you are not even Acheronian!" She threw her head back in a bellowing laugh and turned to leave to introduce herself to someone she didn't know.
"Great to see you again, leetle one!" Misha called out to her as she walked away, and it didn't take a genius to know she was smiling ear to ear.
Sana spends most of the time before the ship casts off familiarizing herself with the guns and playing various games of chance at the local taverns and looking for new features from interesting people to add to her repertoire. She's delighted to discover that there's a wide array of such features evident in the various crew members on the ship. The first one she decides to tackle is Kali's skin-the unusual color requires a myriad of tiny adjustments to shading and texture that she's less practiced with. On this particular day, she's (likely unwisely) splitting her attention between examining a cannon's securement ropes and adjusting the shades of blue on her right hand.
Sana's form tends to change from day to day, and today she has brown eyes, a petite, curvy form, and long black hair in an elaborate arrangement that resembles a braid twisted up and around her head in a style reminiscent of a headband. About 60% of her skin is Kali's shade of blue, while the rest is still the caramel color it was before she got distracted. Her face is round, and there are smile lines at the corners of her eyes. She looks in her mid-20s at the moment, and most of her forms fall somewhere in the 20s-30s range.
As Sana squints at her light blue finger from her position cross-legged on the deck-ostensibly to check the knots on the securement ropes-she notices the reunion between Carrhae and the redhead. As Misha nears her cannon, she scoots out from behind it and waves, the blue in her skin being rapidly replaced by its original caramel color as she does. "Hi, I don't think we've properly met! I'm Sana, what's your name and what fortune of Tymora's brings you here? Also, do you mind if I borrow your eyes, the color's just lovely!"
Like usual, she doesn't wait for a response before appropriating said feature, her eyes shimmering from dark brown to Misha's distinctive green as she bounces to her feet, abandoning the half-tied knot on the deck.
Zaedriana, The Headmaster Emeritus - my mental teacher- took a liking to me. I have no idea why, for all I wanted to do was to fight and exercise. But I received an education nevertheless weather I wanted to, or not. When I was 20, I was taken to the third layer of Acheron: Tintibulus. Tintibulus contains a large number of four-sided, five-sided, eight-sided, and other solids in preference to the six-sided cubes that predominate the other layers. A layer of thick dust coats the surface of the solids here, which are made of a grey volcanic stone. Magicians' libraries are scattered here, and is one of the best places on the plane for magical research. A few times I was seen reading from these books, in an effort to learn tactics and strategy that would make me a better fighter, and to understand the universe outside of my own. Zaedriana was the first one to explain to me that I was not born, but created with biological engineering.
"In our war with The Nine Hells, the Acheronian War Machine discovered a way to make warriors faster than birthing them from the females of our kind. With knowledge we have acquired in our conquest of the multiverse, we discovered a way to make titanic birthing chambers in Banehold where we could create soldiers faster, better, with tailored specifics to fit our needs. We called them the Genesis Chambers. Therefore, you do not have parents, and you will notice you lack the emotional capacity to wonder where they are, what it is like to have siblings. The matter of family is no concern to you. This was done on purpose, for you HAVE one purpose as a Prime Paladin."
"I understand, Headmaster Emeritus. Bane's Purpose is my purpose. It is His Will. Thus it will be done."
AROUND TODAY
"Oh!" Misha said, not seeing Sana by the cannon. "Hello! I am Misha!" she smiled, extending her hand. "Borrow? My eyes? Oh!" she paused for a moment, noticing Sana changing like a shapeshifter. "How..? What magic ees thees?" she asks you curiously, looking you over. "Thank..you.." she says in childlike wonder as you appropriate her eyes, replying to your compliment. "How do you do thees?"
Sana grins. "Hi Misha! I don't know if I can exactly explain how I change shape...I just do! Kind of like elves see in the dark, I guess, it's just something we changelings can do! I don't know if it's magic, or natural, or something else entirely, nobody really ever explained it to me." She wiggles her eyebrows, sending a cascade of colors through them momentarily before they go back to black. "It's interesting, seeing all the different kinds of people and appearances and seeing the ways they can be combined." A wave of blue rushes through her hair as she remembers the excitement she would feel growing up every time the Devil's Luck docked at a new port, seeing all the new, unique people. "So, you're going to be joining us on the ship? How do you know the Captain, she seemed happy to see you!"
Misha was clearly amazed at how Sana could change her appearance at will, and it took a few moment for her to snap out of her wonder to answer the question directed at her.
"Yes!" She nodded happily. "I weel be joining everyone on the sheep, very excited to be here!"
She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "I come from a far away place, very deefrent from thees planet. My home is on a plane called Acheron. I was created to serve special purpose. About five years ago, was ordered by my Legion Commander to come to thees planet and rescue Carrhae from very bad fate. My world has an..interest..in certain people. I took her bek to home plane and we feexed her. I was placed een charge of her regrowth. We became good friends, and when she was ready, sent her home. Did not theenk I would see her again! But, once again destiny and honor of The Lord General smiles upon me - wanted me to watch over her and make sure meesion successful! So, here I am, ya?"
"I am very happy to see her again and see that she is well!" Misha said happily. "My society want to make sure we succeed - Carrhae weel bring much glory and honor to us!"
***PLACEHOLDER DO NOT POST***
*CRISPYDM PRESENTS*
GHOSTS OF SALTMARSH
Nestled on the coast of the Azure Sea is Saltmarsh, a sleepy fishing village that sits on the precipice of destruction. Smugglers guide their ships to hidden coves, willing to slit the throat of anyone fool enough to cross their path. Cruel sahuagin gather beneath the waves, plotting to sweep away coastal cities. Drowned sailors stir to unnatural life, animated by dark magic and sent forth in search of revenge. The cult of a forbidden god extends its reach outward from a decaying port, hungry for fresh victims and willing recruits. While Saltmarsh slumbers, the evils that seek to plunder it grow stronger. Heroes must arise to keep the sea lanes safe for all.
COMING IN MAY!
***PLACEHOLDER DO NOT POST***
PROLOGUE 1: MISHA
Since the Dawn of War, Supreme Lord General Bane - God of Tyranny, has ruled from The Conqueror's Throne on the plane of Acheron. He is the master of all Acheronians by the Will of His Command, and master of a million souls by the might of his inexhaustible armies - alive, and dead. He is the Emperor Ruler of the plane of war for whom thousands of souls are sacrificed every day in the Battle Against Hell. Yet even in his immortal state, the God of War continues his eternal vigilance. Greatest among his soldiers are the Prime Paladins, bio-engineered holy warriors. But, for all of Acheron's soldiers, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from the nightmares of Hell. To be a Acheronian in such times is to be one among untold millions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. This is the tale of one such Prime Paladin: Misha Praskovia.
WHERE I COME FROM
When the stars of the universe were young somewhere far and deep in the multiverse, ages away in space and time from the Prime Material plane, a war began. There were two sides: Acheron: The Plane of War, and the endless, horrific, unrelenting legions of Hell led by Asmodeus.
The War Against Hell, as it was come to be known, was barely a stalemate for both sides, favor shifting like a snake forwards and backwards as the eons raged on. It was during the Age of Assimilation that many wonders were brought into the Acheronian War Machine in it's eternal battle of conquest and glory to try and gain advantages to even the odds against their mortal enemies, but the most important technology appropriated during that Age was the technology that enabled the creation of what was later called: The Genesis Chambers. With the fusion of spirit, magic, and alien technology, Acheron was finally able to mass produce soldiers to hold the seemingly endless hordes from Hell at bay. By His Command, Bane's greatest creation from the Genesis Chambers were the bio-engineered super soldiers called the Prime Paladins. So powerful they were, that they only numbered one thousand, and answered only to the Twelve Legion Commanders of Acheron and Supreme Lord General Bane himself.
"They shall be my finest warriors, these men and women who give of themselves to me, whom I have created. Like clay I shall mold them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and muscle of steel. In great armor shall I clad them and with the mightiest hammers will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and strength so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against Hell. They are the Defenders of Acheron. They are my Prime Paladins and they shall know no fear."
- The Immortal Lord General Commander Bane on the Founding of the Prime Paladins
WHAT I AM
About twenty five years ago, the Genesis Chambers birthed a newborn and the plane celebrated: by Bane's Will another Prime Paladin had been created. Misha Praskovia was never told what number Prime Paladin she was when the Genesis Chambers birthed her, it mattered not. All she knew since the time of her creation was that the next twenty years of her life as a Prime Paladin would be dedicated wholly and completely to training and fulfilling her destiny based on her genetic programming and specifications. Nothing was more important. Nothing else mattered. For all Acheronians, all that matters is glory, honor, loyalty, courage, strength, duty, and the destruction of the Armies of Hell. Prime Paladins had slightly different specifications to serve the Acheronian War Machine, and when Misha turned 6 she was handed to the great Legion Commander named Taetanicus. From that moment on, Misha's training began as an Operative who would serve Supreme Lord General Bane and travel the multiverse to destroy the enemy from without.
"I see a rising deluge of violence drowning the Acheronian Empire. Like the sea crashing upon the cliffs, it grinds and crushes with every surge. Entropy. Cruelty. Lunacy and hatred. These are the weapons of The Enemy. The Tides of Hell have toppled civilizations, bringing them from supremacy to the brink of annihilation. You will submit to the Will of Bane, and only in death does duty end."
- Legion Commander Taetanicus of Acheron
WHAT I KNOW
***CLASSIFIED***
(TRANSLATED FROM ACHERONIAN TO COMMON)
PRIVATE ENTRY: 4528-D
By the Will of Bane, The Iron General, God of War and Tyranny. When I, Misha Praskovia, was created by the Genesis Chambers on the Plane of Acheron, it was probably no different than the birth of any other screaming human newborn on the planet Toril. Wet, weak, covered in blood, and angry. Yet, when I turned 6 years old, I was none of those things at all. That is when I began my training.The Genesis Chamber technology was masterful, but not perfect - once created, you needed guidance and training to reach what Acheronicans call: Condition Prime. Our Lord Commander Bane had plans for me, and I began my physical and mental training to fulfill the destiny as a Prime Paladin serving His Command, His Will, His Intention. Legion Commander Taetanicus was responsible for my training at that young age. When I was 8, Taetanicus, for the first time, brought me to the Armory and showed me the most magnificent, most massive warhammer and shield I had ever seen on a table of pure onyx. Surrounded by the other eleven Legion Commanders, I had no idea what was happening, and I was scared.
”Strength of Body. Strength of Will. Strength of Courage. These will be your weapons of Conquest. But first, you must master strength of the body. You will know you are ready when you are able to lift these Instruments of Glory - your tools.”
He slowly gestured to the table, offering for me to pick up the hammer and shield. I tried will all of my strength, tried to concentrate, and was doubtful. Naturally, the hammer did not budge. I was too weak. He sent me to the Hall Of Iron and spent the rest of the day lifting heavy things in various ways until my body and muscles were broken. The next day I came back to the Armory with him and, again, he tested me, and once again, I could not lift the hammer and shield from the table. I frowned and got angry, and shot him a mighty scowl and held my gaze to his. With infinite patience and wisdom he sent me back to the Hall of Iron where, again, I trained and lifted bars of metal until one day I noticed I was getting bigger, stronger, and more powerful. With each passing day, with each passing month, with each passing year, the weights became ever so slightly lighter. When I was 13 I finally lifted the hammer and shield above my head, held it there for as long as I could. Then, the next part of my training began: The Code. Burned into my genetic programming since before the Genesis Chambers ejected me were the laws of my people that were always obeyed.
You shall not lie.
You shall harm the innocent to advance yourself or promote order.
You shall kill to advance yourself or promote order.
You shall not aid the weak.
You shall honor legitimate authority that promotes you and your comrades.
You shall follow the law.
You shall not betray others.
You shall not aid criminals or those who protect the weak.
You shall use the law to advance yourself and your comrades.
You shall seek unlimited power over others and unlimited order in society.
By the time I turned 18 I became a woman with much strength and power, filled with honor and duty to Him. Was I created to be another faceless pawn to be played in the war against Asmodeus that would never end? I knew this was not my fate. The God of War had other plans for me. I bowed my head on one knee and I accepted my first mission - and journeyed to another time and place. I spent three years hunting a very dangerous enemy and was determined to prove my worth.
With the death of the one of Hell's great agents, a woman named Cora "Crispy" Perkins, by my hands, a major blow was struck to their forces. I returned to Acheron and accepted my next mission: to travel to a word named Atlas. Again, upon victory, I was sent to a world called Toril and was tasked with saving a woman named Carrhae - who's cosmic destiny, by Bane's Command, I was to have a hand in.
THIS IS MY STORY
PROLOGUE 2: CARRHAE
Years ago, the Elemental Cults of Evil grew in such size they became a grave threat to the Sword Coast. An adventuring team was dispatched to stop them, as was a young Prime Paladin - but the Prime Paladin, Misha, had a different mission: the ensure Carrhae lived. Everything else was secondary. Infiltrating the cult of air, Misha posed as one of the cultists and waited for her moment to act.
The last thing Carrhae remembered was watching Mercy and Zephyr lose consciousness before feeling her skin burn as a bolt of lightning ran right through her. As she lay on the ground, she looked at the broken body of Strife. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." were the last words she said before her consciousness faded. Then she was in darkness. An infinite void with a small light at the end. Carrhae desperately tried to get closer to the light, moving her arms and legs like she was trying to swim through the nothingness. She wasn't sure if the light was a return to consciousness or the eternal paradise that Sune promised, but she needed to get there. Suddenly she felt something take hold of her and pull her away from the light. Carrhae woke up gasping for air on a table, trying to shield her eyes from the sun. Then her eyes came into focus and she realized that it wasn't the sun. There was no sun. The sky was on fire. This wasn't Brightwater, the plane of existence that Sune ruled. How did she get here? She started screaming and tried to get up when she saw the impossibly tall armored figures standing above her, only to lose consciousness again when the larger one spoke a word an a harsh language that she didn't know, forcing her to fall asleep.
After slumbering for an uncertain amount of time, Carrhae felt herself being gently prodded by a hand that felt strong, yet soft at the same time. "Wake up leetle one. It is time to be finishing your Sleep of Beauty." She woke up this time to see a beautiful woman with red hair standing over her. She tried to get up, but found that restraints kept her from moving her arms and legs.
"Please. Whoever you are."
A finger went over her lips. "Shhhh, leetle one. I am Misha Praskovia, servant of Lord General Bane. I am Paladin, like you. You were taken to Genesis Chambers to be feexed up, but you threw feet when they wake you up, so they make you go to sleep again and I watch you so you do not hurt yourself. You are weak now, but we will train you to be beeg and strong again soon." As the woman spoke, Carrhae slowly realized that neither of them were speaking in Common, or any other language that was spoken on the Prime Material plane.
"Okay Misha. I'm going to need you to answer some questions for me. What plane of existence are we on, for starters?"
"We are at Banehold, my home. Ees capital of Acheron. I take you here to Genesis Chamber where you get feexed up like new."
"How did I get here?"
"I teleport you here. Legion Commander gave me meeshion to keep you safe. I deesguised myself as one of your enemies and teleported you out before they sacrifice you."
"And the others I was with, Zephyr? Mercy? Strife? Where are they?!"
"I'm sorry leetle one. Commander only told me to save you."
Carrhae screamed and began weeping at the last statement. Misha stood by and gave her some peace while she did so. Eventually she stepped back in to calm her down.
"No more crying, leetle one. You must work again to become strong. You were not brought back to be sad and it hurts to see someone so beautiful cry."
Misha released the bonds around Carrhae's hands and feet, allowing her to wipe her eyes and stand up. She asked Misha if her possessions were here too.
"Most of your theengs were lost, but I was able to save your pretty armor."
"Thank you Misha. It appears that I am in your debt."
"You can repay Misha when you are beeg and strong."
Carrhae didn't know how much time she spent training with Misha in Banehold, but by the end of her time, she felt as strong as she was before she left for Feathergale Spire. When she was returned home, Carrhae found out that she had been gone for four years and that her fellow Sunites had mourned her death. Needless to say, they were quite surprised when a not-dead Carrhae showed up at the temple. They celebrated when they saw that their champion was alive and had returned to them. Early the next morning, Carrhae snuck out of the temple. She wasn't abandoning them, she just needed a moment to herself, something she hadn't been able to get in four years. She ran out to the beach. She walked into the ocean until the water was around her ankles. She stood there for a moment, just looking at the twilight sky before the sun came up. She waded deeper in the ocean, going until the water came up to her waist. Carrhae then took a deep breath and immersed herself in the water for half a minute before resurfacing. And now I am a new woman. When she returned to the temple, she found a wristband that was covered in the runes that she had grown familiar with during her time in Acheron.
PROLOGUE 3: KALI
With the ale being placed on her table and the barmaid explaining it was from the lady in red, Kali gave a side glance over to the said patron, an eyebrow raising in question. She let the glass sit there for a minute or two before letting out a sigh and pulling it towards her, sliding aside her already emptied tankard as she motioned for the woman to come over and sit across from her with a nod of the head. Might as well see what she wants then, probably another lonely housewife lookin' for adventure. The brunette can't help but smirk at her thoughts, but nonetheless, her cyan eye follows the blonde as she makes her way towards her. She cocks her head to the side and speaks first. "Aye, what can I do for ya, lass?"
Carrhae takes a seat across from the woman and extends her offer. "My name is Carrhae and I have recently come into possession of a ship, but unfortunately I lack a crew and must assemble one from scratch. You look like a person who knows their way around a ship and so I thought that you would be perfect. You'd be second in command, answering only to me and you would receive better rewards and privileges than the rest of the crew as a result of your rank. What do you say?"
As Carrhae puts the offer down on the table, Kali takes a sip of her ale, locking eyes with the blonde as she spoke. She pulls the glass away from her lips with a scoff once she finishes her part, gingerly putting down the tankard. "The offer is generous, miss Carrhae, I'll tell ya that, and it is clear you know next to nothin' about ships 'n' crews considerin' you're just oh so willin' to give up that first mate position to a person ya just met in a tavern." The hybrid leans back in her chair with an air of confidence about her. "A first mate position is built on trust, and you know next to nothin' about me. Aye, I do know a ship very well, inside and out, and how to keep a crew in check. I'd be willin' to help ya, but, tell me," She leans in again, elbows on the table, with a grin dancing on her lips. "What makes you think you can trust me?"
"I'm not sure. There's a lot of things that could make me think that you're trustworthy. Perhaps it's a gut feeling. Perhaps I'm of the belief that an experienced sailor who's drinking in a place like this can't afford to bite the hand that feeds them. Perhaps I'm just a foolish bimbo who is putting her trust in a bandit and once we've sailed past the sight of Waterdeep you'll cut my throat , steal my ship and tie my body to the prow as a warning to other fools whose beauty outweighs their brains, letting them know that they should never leave the safety of dry land." As Carrhae speaks, she also leans in until there's only a few inches between her and the other woman, a smile beginning to form as well. "Or perhaps it's because I was rescued by an individual who spent the next four years getting me back to full strength because they believed that beautiful women must stick together in this harsh world and that left an impression upon me. Regardless of the reason, I trust you and I'm coming to you before anyone else, offering you the job of being my second in command. Do you want the job?"
Listening to Carrhae speak and seeing her inch closer to the pirates face only caused Kali's smirk to grow wider. When the question was proposed again, the hybrid kept herself there a moment longer, staring intently at the woman before pulling away with a boisterous laugh. She waved over a barmaid as she tried to suppress her laughter, slapping a gold coin into the maids hand ordering another round for her and Carrhae, wiping a tear that formed at the corner of her eye. "Aye, aye, I agree with ya on that lass. Oi, yeah, we women need to stick together, thanks for the compliment there, real flatterer you are. Sure you ain't another housewife lookin' for some adventure, yeah?" She chuckles and leans back in her chair with the drink Carrhae had bought her and slams it back with no issue, putting it down next to her original empty glass and waits for the barmaid to return with two new glasses of cool ale being place in front of the two women. "I'll think 'bout takin' the job, if you don't mind me askin' some questions. A little get to know me game, wanna play? You can ask me a question or two first, if you really want, promise I'll answer as honestly as I can." Kali picks up her glass and gives a small cheer over to the blonde, taking a drink as she waits for a response.
Carrhae wondered how the mysterious woman was going to react to her inching toward her. She intended to look confident as well, but it could very well be interpreted as her trying to flirt. Not like she wasn't trying to do that, but she did have business to accomplish here. She lets out a little chuckle at the mention of housewife. "I'm flattered, but I'm not anyone's wife. As it currently happens, I'm not in a relationship with anyone at the moment. But I we're here to talk about business, not pleasure at the moment." She smiles and clinks glasses with the unknown woman and is amused at the mention of a game. "I do enjoy games and it does seem like we're getting into personal details, aren't we? I'll bite. First off, what's your name? I've offered you mine, but you have returned no such favor to me." She feigns sadness before returning to the game. "Second, if you do know ships as well as you say you do, how come you're here and not on a ship? Trying to seduce bored housewives?"
Kali's eyebrow raises at Carrhae mentioning she wasn't in a relationship, and relaxes a bit when she was done talking, putting down the now half empty glass on the table with her thumb gently rubbing at the handle. "A captain who isn't in a relationship, eh? Ha!" Kali shakes her head in disappointment. "Girly, you have a lot to learn 'bout being one of us. Every sailor is in the relationship with the sea, learn it that now before she turns and spits you out faster than you can apologize to her." She pauses to take another swig but just before she drinks she says: "Name's Kali, by the way." With another gulp of ale down the hatch, she speaks again with a smirk on her lips again. "You caught me, guilty as charged," She raises her hands in feigned surrender and chuckled. "Sometimes a sailors gotta get their fill of dry land every now and again. Bein' out at sea, as lovely as she is..." Kali's look darkens as she settles down her hands back on the table. "She can be a real monster when she's pissed 'atcha." She shrugs at Carrhae, forcing a smirk. "Story for another time, yeah? My turn. Let's see... How'd you find yourself in possession of a ship? Those things aren't cheap, ya know? And where are you off to that you need a crew, n' what for?"
"Oh, is that true? I'll have to get acquainted with the sea, lest I offend her. But I do hope that she isn't the jealous type." Even as Kali smirks at her, Carrhae can tell that her second question hit a sensitive spot. "Someone dear to me departed a few years ago and they left me in their will since they lacked any blood relatives to speak of. I ended up acquiring a large sum of money that I used to purchase a ship." She stops for a moment, thinking of how even in death, Zephyr was able to give Carrhae a beautiful gift. Once again you shower me with tokens of affection, never once expecting any repayment outside of love. Know that I will never forget you and I will thank you for this in the next life. "As for my destination, I intend on heading towards Saltmarsh. I've heard that there are a number of interesting jobs worth taking there. Perhaps something that might be profitable for us, should you choose to accompany me." Carrhae is a little slow as she drinks her ale. She hadn't had any alcohol in a while and the ale that the tavern served was not of a high quality. "Hmm. Back to me. What's the longest amount of time you've been out at sea? And I don't know if this counts as a question, how do you feel about a friendly arm-wrestling match? I want to know how strong the woman I'm trusting with my life and my ship is." She puts an arm on the table, clearly indicating that she wants Kali to lock arms and accept the contest. On the inside of Carrhae's arm, Kali can see a tattoo of three bells. "And don't think that you have to go easy on me. I'm not some bored housewife who's looking for adventure." She says as a smirk returns to her face.
"You'll get well acquainted with her in due time, just keep in mind that she has her days of jealousy," Kali gives a short laugh. "And I see. I apologize for your loss, miss Carrhae. Very generous friend of yours though, may they be restin' in peace." The pirate bows her head, then takes another swig of ale, listening to her next question and offer up an arm wrestling match. "Ah, **** it, why not?" She slides her glass away to make room for her arm, her eye glancing at Carrhae's ink before grasping onto her hand. Kali doesn't start right away and instead answers the blonde's previous question. "Longest time I've been out at sea was 'bout... few months? Had a good carpenter, kept the ship in tip top shape, chef kept us all nice and fed... Good bunch they were." The brunettes has a solemn smile on her face reminisces about her old crew, but manages to shrug it off and return her gaze back onto Carrhae. "Very well, you tell me when you want to start this, let me ask ya, why did you decide to buy a ship and try n' be a pirate?"
"Waterdeep no longer feels like the home that it used to be for me. In fact, it's become a place that I'd rather get away from. I figure that no better way to do that than by getting in a boat and sailing away." She feels Kali's hand grasping hers and how strong the brunette is. "It's also possible that like I said earlier, I'm just a dumb bimbo with overly romantic notions of sailing." She puts her free hand on her chin and thinks about the next two questions that she want to ask. "We can start after you've answered these questions for me. What was the strangest thing that you've ever seen on your journeys? And what was the deadliest?"
Kali's face scrunched up in thought of the inquiries, pursing her lips, then relaxing once she found her answers. "Strangest thing... Suppose would be when my crew stumbled upon a tiny little island not marked on any map we had, but had one lone occupant. Small old man, 'bout the height of this table here, named Phineas. We offered to take 'em to... Anywhere but there, but he was very adamant on stayin' there, says he was waitin' for his wife." Kali gave the blonde a shrug. "Don't know if he's still there, kinda hopin' he found his wife though. As for the deadliest," The hybrid mimicked Carrhae's way of sitting, resting her chin on her hand. A little lie never hurt no one. "Sailing through siren infested waters. I am a species who finds myself attracted to both men and women, so were the rest of my crew, except our cabin boy. Found out he was gay that day!" She bursts out in laughter, but it quickly dies down as she settles her freehand on the table. "Anyways, let's get this started, shall we? I'll ask more questions after we get this done. Don't rub it in my face if I lose, had a few to drink after all."
(Kali 8 vs Carrhae 16)
Carrhae is able to defeat Kali, but being an ungraceful winner isn't in her nature, especially since she's getting along so well with her opponent. "Good sport. So tell me, when you and your crew sailed through siren-filled waters, did your cabin boy place cloth in all your ears to drown them out or did the poor fellow have to tie you all to the mast and sail the boat himself!" She laughs at that. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's your turn to ask me the questions. Carry on then."
Despite the loss, Kali couldn't help but smirk, releasing Carrhae's grip to go ahead and pull in her drink again. "Yep, put cotton in our ear holes, little ****er was sneaky as shit too, one of those halflings, you know? The sirens never even noticed him. Helped us break out of their stupid curse before we all went overboard." The memory brought a genuine smile upon her face. "Don't worry 'bout it, anyways, hm..." She takes a drink as she thinks up more questions to ask. "You said you wanna get away from Waterdeep, why is that? If that's too personal for your tastes, how 'bout... Why me as your first mate? Don't have anyone else to ask? You found anyone else to be a part of your crew?"
"You don't have to be afraid about asking me personal questions. I'm hiring you to be on a ship with me for months and months at a time, I figure that we're going to get personal." Carrhae's expression gets serious. "Some time ago, I went through a rather dark spot where I lost some people dear to me and being in Waterdeep reminds me of them. It kind of makes it hard to move on if I can't go shopping or go relax in the baths without thinking of the times I spent with them, you know?" She takes another sip before answering Kali's second set of questions. "Perhaps you might have had too much, it seems like you're starting to forget things." She says as a smile starts to return to her face. "I'm starting a crew from scratch, starting with a first mate. I don't personally know anyone else who could serve as a first mate, but I'm sure that if I went asked nicely and paid for drinks, I could convince some sailor in this city to come on as my first mate. I'm coming to you first however, because you're strong, you're good with a ship, you don't seem likely to betray me, and if I'm being honest, I kinda think that you're hot." She claps her hand over her mouth before laughing. "Perhaps I should stop drinking too. It seems that I'm starting to get a little loose with the tongue."
"Again, I apologize for your losses, but I see that we've find ourselves to be in a similar situation then, miss Carrhae, I'm tryin' to move on myself so I do understand the difficulties that come with it. Hopefully bein' on a ship for months and months to come will help ya with that, butcha never forget that they're watchin' out for you." It then dawned on Kali that perhaps maybe the drink was starting to get to her head when Carrhae mentioned it, the pirate glancing down at the remainder of her ale before finishing it off in one big gulp. She wipes her mouth with the sleeve of her coat, her tongue swiping the bottom of her lip ever so subtly before leaning back in her chair, a smirk playing on her visage with the blondes mention of finding her attractive. "Aye, convince me using those?" She bluntly points to Carrhae's chest. "I mean, they're nice and all, but, they ain't gonna stop me from betraying you." She laughs and waves her hand dismissively. "I kid, I kid." For now. The hybrid then puts her hands on her knees and stands up from her seat. "Anyways, I best be goin' then, gotta pack n' shit like that. What's the name of the ship, by the way, capt'n? Want me there tonight or in the morn?"
Carrhae smirks at the mention of her boobs stopping Kali from betraying her. "I don't know about that, these things have managed to distract some attackers of mine. They might mess up your aim as well." She bursts in to laughter again. Carrhae gives her a small pouch with 50 gold. "My ship is called The Belle of The Sea. You can stop by whenever you're ready to do so. And consider this your first payment as well as a thanks for good company. May it be the first of more to come." Carrhae hands Kali a pouch with 50 gold inside.
Kali smirks down at the pouch she was so graciously handed, and gives the blonde a curt nod of her head. "Easiest fifty I've ever made, that's for sure. Thank you kindly." The hybrid quickly pockets the gold before spinning on her heel and promptly exists the establishment. Ah, **** me, what the shit have I gotten myself into this time? She could only respond to herself with a hysterical laugh, earning her a couple of glances but it didn't seem to matter to her. She stops laughing with a sigh, her hand gently touching her eyepatch. Aye, I've been through worse, haven't I?
Carrhae says farewell to the brunette before finishing her final drink. She feels slightly dizzy as she stands up. When was the last time I drank? Was it that night at Feathergale Spire when they invited us to feast with them? Gods, that seems like it happened a thousand years ago. Maybe it did. Before she can get too deep in thought, a barmaid comes to the table and presents Carrhae with a tab that was larger than she was expecting. Has the price for alcohol really gone up that much in four years? Maybe I should leave Waterdeep. Carrhae tosses down another pile of gold with the feeling that she might be serving as Zephyr's maid in the afterlife to make up for all of this reckless spending. She heads back to The Belle of the Sea to clear her head. I've found a First Mate, now I just need everything else. Although, I think that I could convince the Temple to give me a Cleric to serve as a doctor. They keep asking how they can help. That's two down, how hard could this be? She thinks as she rests in the captain's quarters.
PROLOGUE 4: GRISHKAR
Carrhae comes running downstairs when she hears a horrible cry coming from the lower deck. She saw that the doctor she hired was gone and in his place was a hideous looking man with multiple injuries. She asked what was going on and his only response was to rudely ask the same. She pulled out her sword and pointed at him. "I don't think you understand. This is MY ship. You're going to answer my questions here. Now who are you and what have you done with my doctor."
The ragged man looks around the room, taking no notice of the captain or her sword. It all semed so strange and foreign until he laid eyes on the painting with a new subject. It began as a chuckle, then a laugh, then hysteria. Finally, he turned to Carrhae with a half-ruined smile, "I'm not in Barovia, am I?" The captain's question and threat seemed to finally resonate and the stranger's hand became wreathed in black, wispy light, "Yes, it feels similar to before, like looking through a hole and knowing a whole world is beyond. While I piece all this together, your doctor is safe...mostly. If you'd like to keep him that way, I'd suggest we have a seat and a long discussion."
"Sit down, then." The armored Paladin does not sit down or lower her weapon, but she stops pointing it at him. "I'm Carrhae and you're on my ship. I've never heard of any land called Barovia. Now who are you and what have you done to the doctor?"
Grishkar holds his maliciously glowing hand to the painting of the terrified doctor. "How is it fair for you to interrogate me when I seem to be your guest?" His hand traces over the painting's frame which begins to corrode and rot. "I'm not sure how this beauty works, but I know he's stuck there. If you need a doctor, well, I know enough about bodies to fit the bill. At least until I figure out this painting."
"Guest implies that I invited you here, something that I have not done. I'd say it's actually quite fair for me to interrogate you when you're on my ship and the doctor that I've brought on board gets trapped in that painting the exact same moment you appear. Now can you tell me who you are and why I should trust you over any other doctor in Faerun?"
"You may call me Grishkar Darkmoor, and in Barovia, I was quite the physician. When people heard I had come to town, they crowded to find the travelling priest who worked so many wonders and improved the lives of so many. However, all that changed when I was accosted by former associates." His movements begin to take on a mild theatric quality, "I had received grand revelation from my Master, visions of apotheosis and enlightenment. Oh, but those I traveled with were nothing more than brigands, charlatans, and rogues." He crosses halfway across the room and sweeps up a candle on the way, holding it close to his face, "Do you see this grievous injury? It was they that inflicted such terrible wounds upon me. It was only through self defense that I survived. They had a knife to my very throat and were going to cut my neck and let me bleed in that painted world."
"Who is your master? And if you were such a great doctor, why did your associates try to kill you and leave you in a painting?"
He waves a hand dismissively, "Brigands and rogues, as I said. However, my Master is not one you would know here, it seems, but he provides eternal life to his faithful and their subjects. He also teaches wisdom - that mortality can be a chain as much as a bond, and sometimes a chain must be broken for the greater good."
"I'm not so sure that I want a doctor who serves a being with such a dismissive view on mortality. Your job, if I do decide to bring you on, is to provide healing for my crew. Surely you can see how the whole breaking the chain of mortality goes against that."
Another dismissive shrug, "Sometimes. But enough about me. That sword arm must be getting tired. What is it that this ship does for a living?" His one good eye is piercing, while his dead eye seems to take in the entire world.
"I do not tire easily. This ship is headed to Saltmarsh. What were your company doing in Barovia? Outside of performing wonders and getting betrayed. How did you come across this painting?"
"Quite simply, Barovia was ruled by a man portrayed to be a demon, an unknowable font of evil in the world which must be purged. In time, I began to understand that, despite his dark nature, there was tragedy which made the monster everyone saw. When I expressed pity, I was renounced." Grishkar sits up and appears resolute, "But one of faith should not be shaken by those of lesser constitution. I saw beyond the monster and hoped to reason, but was betrayed as I said because of it. Now as for this wonder," he glances up at the wall, "It was much larger in Barovia. We came across it in the bowels of our target's castle. Apparently it was a trap for unwary intruders and would eventually serve as my tomb. All beside the point which you so artfully touched and diverted from," the unsettling face splits another mockery of a smile, "What is the business of this ship? To say you're going to this 'Saltmarsh', you have to understand I hear that and don't know whether it means we're off to drink with gods or sail into oblivion. Merchants? Military? Explorers?...Slavers?"
"It means that I have a mission to attend to in Saltmarsh. One that you needn't worry about unless I choose to keep you on my crew. But you're confident that no one else but you are able to figure out how to get my doctor out of the trap he's in?"
"I've had time to contemplate the nature of it, yes. Considering it seems to connect to multiple worlds, I assume you want an answer soon or your doctor here may be replaced with someone else."
"You assume correctly. And since you offered your services earlier, you can take the job of doctor, at least until you've freed my doctor, possibly later if you prove to be effective or if I take a liking to you. Welcome aboard The Belle of the Sea, you can call me Carrhae. Don't make me regret this."
"Grishkar Darkmoor. So nice to make new friends, isn't it?" The priest gives a theatric bow and settles into the cabin.
PROLOGUE 5: MISHA
Red.
The sky here was always beautiful shades of red.
Each time Misha Praskovia returned home to Acheron was always a proud moment – to return to her people, her duty, and the war.
The war against Hell was always there, even before she was created in the Genesis Chambers, but her Legion Commander, Taetanicus, always reminded her she would not be a pawn in this war to be played, but that she was designed for a higher purpose to serve in it. The war always was, is, and forever would be. Using technology appropriated from civilizations long since conquered, Misha stepped through the portal to return back home to the Plane of War, Acheron. There, on the first cube, a mighty War Fortress stood at its center: Banehold. Here, the Great Lord General Tyrant of the Plane, God and Supreme Emperor Bane, made his home and surveyed his Domain from The Conquerors Throne and directed his soldiers from High Command. Acheron consisted of four enormous planetary sized cubes, and smaller shards somewhere deep in the multiverse, but Banehold would always be Misha’s home.
Honor. Glory. Courage. Power. Respect. Courage. Law. These were things that mattered to Acheronians, and Misha’s genetic code was programmed appropriately as per The Lord General’s Will. As constant battle waged on Acheron, such was the nature of the Plane, Misha followed her instructions and entered Banehold to report to her Commander, Taetanicus. Already a massive man, Taetanicus always wore his battle armor, and when he did, it was like he was a living metal behemoth, five times the size of a Prime Material Plane man. Entering High Command, she saluted and kneeled low, and deep. She dared not speak or look at him before The Legion Commander acknowledged her.
(The following conversation is translated from Acheronian to Common)
“Praskovia.” Taetanicus said, turning to face her. “You have returned.”
"Yes, Legion Commander.” Misha said, still kneeling, head down. “I was successful.”
Taetanicus was pleased. It was the only thing that mattered. “Excellent. Rise.”
Misha stood at perfect attention. “Your orders, Commander?”
The Legion Commander turned to the battle map on the table. It was enormous, and contained star maps, and whole details of planetary systems in the millions. One stood out from all the others. “You next assignment will be a follow up. Travel to the world where the Paladin you saved resides. She is about to embark on a mission of importance, and much danger. Our enemies will be numerous. You will act as one of her crew. Our agents have already secured you a position. You have never been to this world before, and you will see and be a part of things very new to you. Bring your world honor, and glory.”
“Your will be done, Legion Commander. I will go, and return victorious. All hail Bane, Lord General.”
“Dismissed.”
As Misha spun and turned to leave, one would notice a small smile on her face. I’m going to see Carrhae again! Bane truly favors me! She gathered all of her things, but most of all she didn’t forget her hammer, her shield, and a cabinet which contained her new and improved armor. It was still shades of red and gold, but was tighter, sleeker, more form fitting and was easily opened to wear, and unlatched to take off. Saying a prayer to Bane in the Temple, she set off to another place, and another time.
WATERDEEP
As Bane forsaw, Misha was lost in wonder at everything she saw. Reading the reports of this world did it no justice. The sky, again, like the other world she completed her last mission on, was a beautiful shade of blue. This world was much more populous, and people of all kinds walked in the Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. Truly, it was. People would give her the occasional stare, and she would always smile in return. But, she had a place to be, and an assignment to complete. She made her way to the docks. In one hand, she carried a large duffel bag full of clothing and other items, the other hand dragged a massive crate on wheels. Her shoulder length red hair was pulled a bit back by a tan hair strap she usually wore, and the midday sun shone on her face - and it felt good. She loved the heat. Her bright green eyes took in her surroundings. Her skin was tan, and well taken care of. Because of the weather - and trying to blend in - she wore shorts and a loose short sleeved shirt tied up revealing her midriff. The only sign that distinguished her between an intellectual and a soldier was that she had almost not an ounce of body fat, and appeared to be chiseled from stone. Years of fighting, training, and exercise had given her a strong, yet extremely feminine and sexy physique, but was yet of average height and size for a lady. Finally, she had found the sea vessel she was looking for, "The Belle of the Sea". It was a mighty fine looking ship that moved on water. She smiled, and began to board her. I have a job to do. Lets get this done.
Kali had been second guessing her decision in joining Carrhae's crew once she had gotten on board the ship, the blonde running off to do some errands soon after they had arrived, leaving the hybrid behind to explore the vessel she had called "The Belle of the Sea". She didn't have too much to drop off in her quarters (at most a bag of clothes and few personal items), so the pirate didn't have too much to do aside from push and move some heavy items on the ship (as requested to move by her captain). With the sweat she had worked up, Kali had stripped off her signature red coat, leaving her in a loose fitting, low collar cotton top, her sleeves pulled up to her elbows to allow more of her inked skin to breathe and soak in the hot sun. Now, with most if not all the heavy lifting done, the blue-skinned woman decided to people watch for a few minutes as she took her breather, using her elbows to prop herself up as she leaned against the ships railings. She was idly observing the stall sellers, shouting out their wares to the people walking by, sailors carrying cargo to-and-fro from shop to ship, their captain yelling out orders. It washed a somber feeling over the sismic hybrid, bringing back a memory of her and her crew, how she'd cry out orders and how quick they were to do them. They were so sickeningly loyal, even after all that she had done to them. If only she could find a way to turn back time and reverse her mistakes-- A sigh had passed her lips before her eye caught sight of something truly interesting, her mind now focusing on this red-headed woman walking down the docks, looking at the ships and their names, a bag in hand and a crate being pulled right beside her. An eyebrow raised, mainly at what she wore, capturing the gazes of many men and women about her (Kali included), but the woman seemingly did not care at all. Definitely not a housewife, she internally laughed as she carefully watched the woman turn to start walking up the gangplank of the ship, wait a second-- "Hey, hey, woah--" Kali called out to momentarily pull the human's attention on her before she walked up any further, the hybrid jogging her way over to block the entrance of the ship, her hands on her hips. A single cyan eye had given the red-head a look over, mentally complimenting the woman on her physique before continuing. "Sorry, lass, this ain't the luxury cruise line you're lookin' for," She points down the dock. "Down there, that's where you'd be lookin'." She gives her a smile. "I hope you enjoy your vacation! Now off with ya, they can be real stingy if you're late to board."
Misha laughed out loud at the woman blocking her path. It was not a sarcastic laugh, nor hurtful, or condescending in any way. It was a laugh full of happiness, as if discovering a long lost friend not having been seen for ages. "Many apologies!" The redhead said, setting down her bag and crate. "First time on this world, ya, and new to Water Deep!" she admitted excitedly. "Ees very possible I am on wrong sheep! Have never seen vehicle that moof on water, too! Or...much water at all!" When Misha spoke, she had an accent from a far away place, clearly, showing that Common was definitely not her first language. She reached into her shorts pocket and stuck her tongue out deep in thought as she searched for something inside. Her lean arm muscles danced as she dug deep, and pulled out a piece of what looked like thin parchment and read it - looking at the name of the boat while she did, as if verifying information. "Is thees boat called the Bell of Sea?" she asked delightfully expectant, her green eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "By the way, big star in sky so warm! Always like thees? Could relax all day and make skin brown, feels so good!"
Kali's eyebrow was raised again, intently listening to what this woman was saying and trying to decipher what kind of accent she had. Definitely not of the north, despite her muscles, she was too lean, too thin, people of the north were thicker, carried more meat on their bodies similar to the hybrid herself. Perhaps part of the Moonshae Isles? She was new here after all, wait, no she said first time on this world? What? She tried to not look completely clueless as the redhead dug through her pockets, a cyan eye glancing at the way her muscles had shifted, but was quick to meet her gaze. When she said the name of the ship, Kali's lips thinned. Carrhae and I are going to need to discuss the people she hires. Before she goes about asking questions to the woman, Kali answers hers. "Aye, uh, the sun? Yeah, it's.. It's out most of the time, we get cloudy days here n' there, uh... You sure, you're lookin' for a ship by that name? ****, okay, yeah, we're... This is the sheep-- Ship. Ship you're lookin' for." Feck. "Okay, okay, so, before I show you your quarters, what'd Carrhae hire you for? Carpenter? Rigger?" Stripper? Prostitute? Escort? Where in the Nine Hells did blondie find this one? She's hot. Kali cleared the back of her throat to rid herself of anymore impending thoughts. "Here, let me help me with your things," The pirate says as she leans over to go ahead and pick up the crate for the red-head, pulling it on the ship before moving to allow the woman to board. No matter how heavy the crate may have been, it didn't look like it made the hybrid break a sweat. "Oh, right, where are my manners?" She extends her free hand out to give a handshake to the woman. "Name is Kali, first mate on this ship. What's yours? Also where are ya from? I've never heard an accent like yours before."
"Such beautiful weather!" Misha admitted happily, "Can get used to days like thees, always!" Her face brightened even more at confirmation that she was at the correct ship. "Ah! So, thees ees right ship! Good news." Kali had many questions, rightfully so. Misha was about to answer them, but as Kali leaned down to help her with her things, it struck the Acheronian at how beautiful her skin was, and the color of it, too. She had beautiful brown hair and was in very good shape, and she was a bit larger than Misha. Her loose, low shirt showed an amazing bosom as well. And she had..art(?) on her arms! "Gasp!" she gasped, distracted, "What is that on arm! Ees like, art! On your skin! Never see before. Oh! I am sorry, as well. Manners disappear because distraction with art. I am Misha! Misha Praskovia." She extends her arm and took Kali's hand. A firm grip, and it pleased Misha. To give a strong handshake was a honorable sign. "I am old friend of Carrhae. Ees long story, come, I tell you theengs as you show me to my room- ah ta ta ta ta-!" Misha swatted Kali's hand away gently as she went to help the Paladin with her things. "It's ok, it's ok, I carry! Please, it is my honor. Very heppy to meet you." Misha easily hefted up her crate and bag again, and followed Kali to the Paladin's room. "Your language is new to me, I say sorry now in case no make much sense. I am..soldier from place far away, called Acheron. About 4 years ago, I met Carrhae on special meeshion. Cannot say too many details, please forgive." Misha admitted sadly, "But when I heard that old friend needed crew spot of boat swain, I apply! Very heppy to see old friend and join her on meeshion. I am strong, healthy - I can fix boat, use anchoor, and work with wood. I feex sheep! Can also fight and heal."
Kali's hand that was going for the crate stopped mid way when Misha had pointed out her tattoos and promptly had been retracted when swatted away, the blue-skinned woman blinking in confusion, but shrugged anyways. "Alright, alright, I'll leave ya to it then," Her hand goes back on her hip. "They're, uh, tattoo's by the way, I got a lot of 'em," As if to make a point, Kali goes and shows the red-head her other arm, not as marked at the other but inked nonetheless, and also the tattoo she had on her collar bone. "Much more underneath the clothes, maybe you'll get lucky 'n be able to see 'em one of these days." The hybrid gives a laugh and calms down a bit as she leads Misha below decks to the crews quarters, talking along the way. "At least ya know what generally the boatswain does, just remember to try 'n make friends with the carpenter, they're gonna be your best friend, who ever they may be. Anyways, don't worry 'bout not makin' any sense, you're talkin' pretty good to me. Never heard of the place you're from though, 'side from not talkin' much about this special mission you met our dear cap'n on, what's your place like? Can ya talk 'bout that?"
Misha leaned in a bit as Kali said the word. "Tattoos. Ok! I try and remember. And, yes!" she said innocently, "Would love to see one under clothes! Maybe one day when bathing under sun!" Misha and Kali went down below, the Paladin being careful to not bump her crate against the beams or the hull. "Ever since getting assignment and coming to thees world, did best to try and learn poseetions and others on sheep. I hef much to learn, positive, ya. I make friend with carpenter!" With a mighty heft, Misha squatted down and lifted the cabinet upright, lengthwise, and give it a loving pat before turning to Kali again. "This room is perfect! Much more room than bunk back home. I come from place called Acheron. World not like thees one. In fact, Acheron is not beeg planet, like circle, ees made up of about 4 massive cubeworlds located in plane very far away." She took a moment to stretch and get comfortable on her bunk bed, her lean muscles defined enough to give anyone a proper anatomy lesson. "I come from first, largest cubeworld, called Avalas. My peeple are a culture of warriors and soldiers, honor and glory - my home plane is an eternal battlefield. It is where those who are alive - and dead - go to fight for the rest of their lives. Our ruler, his name is Bane, is Lord General and Supreme Commander. My home is currently locked in age old struggle against forces of Hell. I was created not to fight in war, but to be..different operative to help Homeland, ya?" Misha smiled and tilted her head as she finished, clearly curious and looking her over, and she was not shy about it. "So deefrent. Never seen a woman like you before!"
The more Kali listened to the red-head talk, the more the hybrid felt like she needed a smoke. Talking about different planes with cubes, and war... Girl had a cute accent, though, she had to admit, and it distracts from the fact that she was supposedly created and not born and definitely not a muscular stripper or prostitute like she had originally assumed. In the midst of Misha talking about her home and being of a different plane, Kali made herself comfortable on a crate just a few feet away, patting her waist to see if she had her pipe on her, stopping only when the other pointed out that she was 'deefrent'. "Different in the sense that I'm... I'unno, tad bit crass, pierced, and inked everywhere with one eye or the fact that I'm blue?" She quips with a smirk, her hands resuming their search before successfully locating the item in question and pulling it out on her lap. Gonna need to buy some more before we head out. "So, Acheron is where you come from, huh? Can't say I've ever heard of it, always been part of one plane and you're sittin' in it." Her arms extend wide. "Welcome to Faerun, it's a shithole, aye, but it's my shithole." She laughs, her hands going back to her pipe, reaching into her pack to pull out a match. "I wasn't always blue, you know? Used to be niiice and tan, always out in the sun, liftin' some shit, enjoying the views on the ship..." Kali had focused on lighting her pipe for a second, and after lighting it she burns out the match before taking a long drag. "Gettin' high." She laughs again, turning her head to exhale the smoke and not get it in Misha's face. The scent itself was quite earthy, with just a subtle note of pine. Thankfully, this wasn't one of the more stinkier ones Kali had smoked before. Wouldn't be all too nice to stink up the crew quarters with the smell of spoiled dairy now would it? "Sorry, this stuff keeps me at ease, you want to try it? I won't take any offense if you say no, promise."
While Kali was talking, Misha was staring at her with a very obvious childlike wonder. The Paladin had amazing posture, and sat straight up and gave Kali her undivided attention. Her smile never left her face, it's like she was always smiling in some degree. "Yes!" Misha nodded, "Read reports about thees world, heard it was hole of sheet!" She laughed loudly, but not obnoxiously, it was a boisterous laugh, full of love and energy. "But no worry, will not make joke about thees world. After all, belongs to you, ya. I tell many people about my homeland, get similar reaction: never heard of eet, and how very strange. Ees ok! Will have plenty of time to tell you stories of world and of life. Learn many theengs in travels!" Misha looked very curiously at the smoking object Kali handed her, it gave off an aroma Misha did to recognize, but more or less understood it's purpose. Not wanting to be rude, she took a chance. "Try? Ok! Why not, ah? New planet! A sign of our new friendship!" She carefully took it, and took a deep puff. After about five minutes of coughing, Misha handed it back to Kali. It took her a moment before she could speak again. "Friendship maybe not getting off to good start, ah? *COUGH!!* Will hef to practice, ya?" She laughed again, wheezing, clearly not used to smoking anything at all. "Sorry! Not use to such a device. Never put smoke in body, just lots of water, exercise, and meat." She laughed again. "Diet and exercise very important back home. You are beeg and strong like me! We have something on common, but maybe not..how you say..gettin' high." The last two words she did her best to playfully imitate Kali's accent. She continues to look at Kali, with affection and curiosity. This one is so friendly! She is beautiful, strong, like me, but different. Can understand why Carrhae picked her as number two! Would like to know more about her, eef working close together. Am very excited about being here! And..why am I so warm all of the sudden?
Once the words 'hole of sheet' escaped past Misha's mouth, Kali coughed up a laugh along with hers, waving a hand in the air to disperse of the smoke that had accidentally escapes her lips, but then returned bursting into laughter when the red-head had taken up all of five minutes hacking her lungs out. The hybrid apologizes through fits of laughter, happily taking back the pipe from her and once finds her composure again begins to speak. "Sorry 'bout that, I didn't think your first time would be that bad, ahaha. Hadn't had a laugh like that in ages, thank you, lass." Kali takes a second to clear her throat before continuing, hoping that she wouldn't laugh that loud again. "Anyways, what we got goin' on here is perfectly fine, don't worry your pretty little head about it, we're friends, 'kay?" Stop lookin' at me like that, shit, her eyes are like polished emeralds. Ugh. "Advise for the next time though, try inhaling it directly into your lungs and start slow, there's no rush, like so," Kali brings her lips back onto the pipe, sucking in a breath as slowly as she could manage, before pulling away and exhaling the smoke out. She looks back at Misha with a small smirk. "Smokin' ain't exactly the, uh, healthiest thing to do really... Unless you do it in moderation. Stick with water, meat, and exercise. Hells, I spot for you if ya want me to, and then, if you're ever feelin' extremely stressed or got lots on your mind," She wiggles the pipe between her fingers. "Meet your good ol' first mate Kali in her room late at night and she'll hook ya up. You might even get lucky too." Despite the fact that she had one eye covered by her eyepatch, Kali manages to get it to seem like she was giving Misha a playful wink. "Cute mimicking of my accent there, by the way. You feelin' okay?"
"Yes, am fine!" Misha smiled, clearing the last of the smoke in her lungs with a final cough by turning her head and covering her mouth. She observed carefully as Kali demonstrated again. She looked at her and nodded sagely. "Ach, yes! Now, I see. Weel do better next time. Lots of theengs new to me, since most of life has been training weeth no much..fun, recreation. War consumes much of my people but I was not made to fight in front line, have deefrent job to do, like operative." She took a moment to take a drink of water from a very militaristic looking canteen. "While doing job, like to eat well, keep body in top phyeesical condeetion, and of course making sure hammer, shield, and armor are always polished." She pats the upright crate lovingly. "Maybe sometime we exercise together, show each other teeps!" she offered. "Don't sleep much so if want me to say hello late night, a pleasure! Feel very lucky already!" She said innocently. "You have injury of eye?" She asked, carefully. "No one offer to feex it?"
Kali wasn't too sure if it was the weed the caused her gaze to linger longer than it should have when Misha took a drink, or if it was the fact that she had been so touch starved the last few days that made her swallow hard when the red-head pulled the canteen away from her kissable looking lips-- No, yeah, it was the weed, she had deduced, catching her barely paying attention to the rest of what she said. "Huh, uh, mmm..." Kali took another drag of her pipe, deciding then it would be best to put it out for the time being and using up that time to try to remember what the hells she said. Something about war, right? And her body? She did have a nice body and Kali didn't try to hide the fact that she was gawking at her abs now. Am I staring? Oops. "Sooo, you weren't made for the front line, butcha were built like that? Hm, most operatives I know aren't chiseled like they were carved from stone, but again, they're not from a cube planet I've never heard of til today!" She chuckles and sets aside her burnt out pipe. "Yeah, sure, we can work out together, could even wrestle on the top deck too, if you'd like. Promise I won't throw you overboard." The hybrid sticks out her tongue playfully, giving Misha the opportunity to see, what looked to be, a metal bead pierced in the middle of the muscle. With the question of her eye in the air, Kali pushes herself from the crate she had been sitting on and brings herself close to Misha, leaning forward just enough to get into eye level with her. "Aye, you might get even more lucky, lass, I don't often show what's under my eyepatch, but, I'm high enough and..." Kali drags her long fingers down the paladin's abs slowly with an ever so subtle smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "You're hot enough, I think, just don't get all squeamish on me, okay?" Kali retracts her hand from the other and lifts up the flap of her eyepatch to show Misha that there wasn't anything there, just a gaping hole. "Can't fix what not there, unfortunately."
Misha let out a loud laugh again, even clapped her hands a bit in delight. "Used to wrestle and leeft for many years while training, still do! Worked hard, was always pooshed to limit back home. You are in for fun time. I go easy on you, ya - try not to break your arm, or back." she reassured, confidently. "Special people in Banehold created for specific purpose, now, because of War. Various genetic specifications. Misha created for deefrent purpose to fight in war, not massive in body like Legion Commander Taetanicus, but tight, strong, powerful like strong beautiful woman. I can handle you, ya - we have fun!" She smiled, excited about the opportunity to play and exercise with her new friend. That's when Kali leaned in and told Misha about her missing eye. Kali was larger than Misha, and had a beauty to her that, as she got closer, Misha got to really appreciate. It all happened so fast. Kali locked eyes with Misha, and the Paladin felt Kali's fingers on her stomach, going down. She instinctively tightened the muscles of her midsection at the sensitivity of the touch, twitched just a little - Misha was ticklish. "No, I ahh.." Misha started saying, blissfully lost in the unexpected moment of Kali's fingers on her stomach, and the sudden warmth in her loins. "I..No. I no be squeam." She squeaked out. "Feel very..warm, comfortable..with new friend." She kept smiling, now realizing Kali was being just a tad flirtatious with her. And, Misha liked it. Lifting up her eyepatch, Kali was missing an eye completely. Bane, have mercy. This poor woman. Her new friend. "What happen?" was all she asked, still rushed with the flirtatious gesture, and wishing at that moment Kali would touch her again.
A low, sultry chuckle emitted from the back of Kali's throat hearing the hesitation between Misha's words, as it only caused the hybrid to inch closer to the red-heads face, their mouths just shy of touching. "Aye... I tend to have that affect on people." She would say softly, her eye flickering from Misha's to her lips, licking the bottom of her own. She is so awfully innocent, what if I... Kali stops herself from tilting herself even further onto the paladin when she asks what happened to her eye, the brunette reluctantly pulling back but just a little bit. "I made a deal with... Some people..." She tries choosing her words carefully, distracting herself by placing her hand back on Misha's abdomen, seeing as she quite liked the touch, as did the barbarian herself, feeling the contraction of her muscles move only made her grow more excited. Yet she continued to talk. "I... Broke that deal for a good reason, they didn't like that, so they took my eye. Plannin' on gettin' it back though, eventually... Maybe." A silence fell between them, if only just for a minute or so, Kali's fingers dancing ever so gently on Misha's abs, memorizing every bump and curve of her body before finally asking: "Do you like it when I touch you here?"
Misha looked at Kali, smiled softly. It was a smile like someone was a little shy, somewhat new to flirting, yet interested and intrigued. Misha didn't pull away. She was curious as to where Kali was leading, especially because flirtatious interactions didn't happen often to her. Kali was indeed very pretty, and suddenly Misha became lost in the moment. She leaned back a little bit, enjoying Kali's fingers as they felt the muscles of her stomach. Kali knew how to work her fingers, and the little hairs on Misha's arms stood at complete attention at the erotic touch. The moment seemed to last forever, and it felt good. Thank you Bane, for allowing my first new friend to be beautiful, and actually..attracted to me, it seems! How crazy this world is! She is so nice! "Yes.." she said softly, her face becoming more sultry by the moment, the warmth in her pelvis growing. "You hef..very nice way of..welcoming new crew members." She purred, definitely now picking up that the barbarian had obvious flirtatious intentions. Between the sensation of the pleasant surprise at being hit on so early in the day by a pretty woman, and just barely arriving to Toril, she took a chance, and it wasn't even the afternoon yet! As Kali touched her, Misha slowly tugged at the front knot in her shirt that barely covered her chest playfully. "The way you talk to me, ees cute. Like friend, but..possible, more? Starting to theenk idea een head maybe sometime soon, eef you like, can spend time alone more, ya?" Misha shivered in ticklish delight as she spoke, looking at Kali as politely as she could. After all, Misha was new here. Kali had an amazing body, too - was big. Strong. Powerful curves. And her skin was such a lovely color. Everything about Kali made Misha curious. "We can get to know each other very well. Much to know about one another, maybe you agree?"
"Aye, I do, don't I?" Kali was quick in noticing the little things that changed with her new friend the more the pirate had pressed onto her; the way she looked at her now, the way she spoke, the way she was playfully tugging at the knot of her shirt as if the barbarian didn't want to rip it off her already. She'd use the excuse that it was the drugs taking over for what she was doing, well, what she was going to do for the next hour or three not her lust, but not here. Definitely not here. "We're alone now," She breathed, pressing the palm of her hand on Misha's stomach to slowly inch it upwards, the brunette leaning more into Misha as her fingers just barely touched past where the paladin's shirt had been knotted before she stopped, their lips shy of connecting once again. "Want to take this opportunity to learn more about what good ol' Kali? Come... Let me show you my room."
And, that's how Misha and Kali got..very aquainted.
I dream of the first times, the longest memory
I speak of the first times, the oldest eon
I sing of the first times, and the Dawn of War
I am the The Iron General
Once, the Light of Paradise shone
lit up the night sky and the tears of our parents wet the ground
Each of us, in our own way, set about to live
and defend ourselves against The Primordials
Kord, The First Born, He who loved competition and proving himself
Tuern, Second Born, who loved pain He caused His enemies, and
I, Achra, The Third Born, who loved the domination victory gave
The Dawn War against the Primordials was the earliest war
from an age lost to the greatest memory of time before time
I, Achra, rallied the Gods together while Kord and Tuern
fought among themselves.
I led an army of Gods, Angels and mortals against
The Queen of Bronze
The first Primordial to fall was Tabrach-Ti.
After a terrible fight that shook the heavens, I, Achra, was victorious.
It was that day that all Gods agreed to work together.
It was that day the Primordials called me something else:
Bane
- Fragment of "The Chronicle", one of the earliest recorded written histories of the The Iron General, Bane
PROLOGUE 6: INDIGO
Carrhae had found a first mate for her ship. And she didn't even have to look too far, as her instincts had proven right and the blue-skinned woman at the bar turned out to be an experienced sailor who accepted her offer after a few drinks, a questionnaire, and some light flirting. But she still needed to find everything else, something that was going through her mind as she walked through the docks on the way to The Belle of the Sea. On her way, her nose caught the scent of an absolutely delectable meal being prepared. Odd. I don't see any restaurants in this area and I certainly wouldn't expect to find a restaurant with gourmet food this far from the upper-class parts of the city. The Paladin looked around her before realizing that the source of the smell was coming from under the docks. She climbs down and follows the scent to a makeshift home. She pops her head in the door. "Oh hello. I just caught a whiff of what smelled like some wonderful food being prepared and had to find the source. You don't mind if I come in, do you?"
Indigo's shack looks strange from the outside and can really only barely be called a building. From the outside it looks like a random assortment of driftwood, logs, pieces of ships washed ashore with some canvas and cloth to bind it together. A light humming of a happy little tune can be heard from the inside and a small amount of fragrant smoke can drifts through the air drawing Carrhae toward it. As she enters through the door that's little more than a few beams held together with rope and dried mud, she notices that the inside is much cozier, and everything is impeccably organized. There is a table with four chairs in the middle of the room, a raised bed with no mattress, and shelves along the walls that contain all manner of spices, cooking implements and instruments, jars of pickled goods. Hanging from the rafters are dried and smoked meats and fish of all variety. The air is more humid and pungent inside and there are several fires going on the inland side where a hole has been dug to let oxygen in. More holes in the roof let the smoke out and a 5' tall bipedal turtle hums a happy tune while tending to the contents of a pan over the open flame. "Oh... bon jour madame. But of course, come in come in. Please have a seat, eet iz not yet ready, but... ah how you say... soon, no?"
Carrhae didn't expect the ramshackle home to be so cozy and well-ordered, but she also wasn't expecting to find a talented chef here. She certainly wasn't expecting to be greeted by a human-sized turtle, but she wasn't too startled, since she had met a number of unusual beings during the last few years. She wipes off her boots before entering and removes them once inside. Once invited, she takes one of the seats and gets comfortable at the table. "Sune's Blessings upon you. My name is Carrhae and I was returning to my ship when I smelled your cooking and came here. So what's cooking today, Chef..."
"Ah... my apologies mademoiselle, Indigo mistook vou for another. And ahhh yes, blessings of zee Sun por vou as well." She turns to face Carrhae and gestures toward herself, still holding the pan over the fire with her other hand. "Indigo cooks for zee... how you say... impolvershed?... at times and has little trouble telling fleshy mammals apart, oui?" She turns back to the stove and continues to work on the meal. "For today we have zee pan fried stingray, whisk butter and chives. Et un petit sprinkle of Indigo's personal spices." She reaches her hand into a pouch that hangs from her apron that has "AMOUR" written on it in big letters surrounded by the outline of a heart, and takes a pinch with her clawed fingers, dashing it across the pan causing it to flare up suddenly. She laughs and sets the pan on a piece of cloth at the center of the table. "Simple but delicious, no?" She plucks the stinger from the fish and turns it around so that the dead eyes of the creature stare up at Carrhae, cold and black."Let zee dish rest a moment before tasting it, s'il vous plait." Indigo says as she goes to fetch plates and silverware. The stingray is browned and has a small square of butter still melting over the top of it, the sauce in the pan sizzles and despite Indigo saying that the dish was only stingray, butter and spices, the stingray is surrounded by an assortment of cubed roots and crisped leafy greens. the leafy greens have little blisters and are lightly browned, and you believe the root vegetables to be a mixture of turnips, beets, and potatoes. The aroma fills your senses, and you experience a warmth that you didn't realize you could feel from the sense of smell alone.
"Oh no, not the sun Indigo, Sune. She's the goddess of love and beauty. I didn't know that you cooked meals for the less fortunate, that's very kind of you, Indigo. I'm not stealing a meal from anyone, am I?" Carrhae desperately hoped that Indigo would say no, as she was taking in the aroma of the dish and felt her mouth begin to water in anticipation. It was evident that Indigo was an incredibly talented cook and that this dish was much more than the simple offering of stingray, butter, and spices that she was claiming. Carrhae's inner hedonist was screaming for her to devour the meal right in front of her, but the virtuous Paladin would receive no rest from her conscience if she ate food intended for someone who wasn't as fortunate as she was.
"Oh ho ho, mon petit mademoiselle, do not worry." Indigo says, walking behind and reaching around her to place a plate, an impossibly clean cloth napkin, and utensils in their proper places, "Indigo always prepares enough for tout le monde. You'll tell me if it is... how you say... serviceable, oui?" She takes a seat across from the young Captain, and gestures for her to help herself. Indigo props her head in her hands, elbows on the table, watching Carrhae expectantly, a gentle smile at the edge of her beak.
It took all of Carrhae's restraint to not immediately dig in to the dish before her. Instead, she takes a knife and cuts off a small piece of the stingray and puts it in her mouth. The mix of butter and spices hits her taste buds and the Paladin chews it in her mouth for a long moment, trying to savor it as much as she can before finally swallowing it. "Indigo, this is wonderful! I think that you're not giving yourself enough credit here, you should really be working in a restaurant somewhere with recipes like this!" Carrhae's upbringing as a Sunite had taught her to appreciate the beauty of the physical form and of works of art and her time with the Jingle Belles had got her to appreciate the performing arts; dance, music, poetry. And now she was beginning to think that food might be something beautiful as she cuts off another piece and places it in her mouth. "Oh gods! I missed this so much!" She says with a mouthful of stingray and various roots, so lost in the enjoyment that she forgets her manners. The culinary arts were not highly valued on Acheron and it had been a while since she had eaten a good meal. "I'm sorry! I usually don't talk with my mouth full."
"Oh ho ho!" Indigo claps and picks up her own utensils, "Not to worry mademoiselle, Indigo understands zhat it can be difficile to control oneself in zee presence of delightful zhings. Let us eat and enjoy ourselves, and zhen mais parler, no?" Indigo begins to eat, taking her time to enjoy her meal. She takes dainty bites, careful to take a proportionate amount of ray, root, and crispy greens with each mouthful to ensure the perfect mixture of flavors. Every time she puts the fork to her mouth, she closes her eyes to savor her food, fully present in the experience.
Carrhae goes along with Indigo and focuses on finishing her meal before engaging in any further discussion. She eats as slowly as she can, looking to savor the experience rather than mindlessly devour what's in front of her. Still, she finds that the experience is over sooner than she wanted it to end. She dabs the napkin over her face to clean up what small spots were there from her eating. "Thank you Indigo. It's been a while since I've had a good meal. I'll admit that it was a bit of a challenge for me to eat slow and not just gobble it all up. So, how much will this cost?"
Indigo looks at Carrhae with a shocked expression "Why... nothing at all mademoiselle... Indigo is not a criminal to whom you must give douceur to partake of zee gifts zhat zee Sun, zee Ocean, et zee Earth." Her shocked expression turns into a little smirk, "But of course, Indigo accepts donations for zee acquiring of spices and accouterment for zee benefit of zee communauté locale..." she trails off. "Mais dites-moi, mademoiselle... et, pardonne-moi if Indigo speaks out of turn, but you say you are going to your ship? Zis ship it is yours as in, you work aboard it or are you perhaps... le capitane?"
Yes, I am the captain of a ship. But I'm afraid that I don't have much of a crew at the moment. It's just me and a first mate that I hired not half an hour ago. You wouldn't be interested in coming on and serving as our chef now, would you? You'd get good pay, a place on the ship, and a kitchen that is stocked with the ingredients that you request and is furnished to your specifications.
Indigo stares at the captain blankly for what seems like a long time. "Do you know zhat here in Waterdeep zee kind of discrimination Indigo has had to face? All Indigo wanted since little child was to sail the seas of Abeir-Toril. She had her own ship for a short time, but zee Ocean crushed her on zee shores along zee... how you say... Coast of Swords, no? Indigo come here looking for help et maybe some food, but she is looked at like she is un monstre, et chased away whisk fire. But for zee few commoners who come to partake in Indigo's cooking, everyone is so... how you say... hostile. Mon Capitane, it would be a pleasure most genuine to cook for vou and a crew veritable." At this point she's kneeling deeply before the Captain and holding Carrhae's hand to her own forehead, a sign of her deep felt gratitude. "Mon Capitane, all Indigo kneads to know is where to sign."
"I'm sorry to hear about that, Indigo. As someone who has been given a form that society has deemed conventionally attractive, I can't relate to your experience, but some dear friends of mine were discriminated against for what some called monstrous appearances." Carrhae says, recalling the conversation she had with Strife in Beliard and how Zephyr spent weeks hiding their true form because they thought that they wouldn't be accepted otherwise. She allows Indigo to move her hand onto her own forehead, seeing that her acceptance means a lot to the Tortle. "My ship will be a place no one will be judged on the basis of their race. I would be honored to have a chef of your caliber on The Belle of the Sea. Take as much time as you need to gather your things before you get on the ship. We aren't leaving soon. And one more thing." Carrhae reaches into her pocket and pulls out a copy of the pie recipe that she found in the book from Womford. "Do you think that you could make this for me some time? I've been dying to try it out."
PROLOGUE 7: SANA
Carrhae felt like she was doing well for herself. In a very short amount of time, she had found herself a First Mate, a Boatswain, a Chef, and a Quartermaster. But Kali had reminded her that there was still work yet to be done. "You still need to get guns and someone to fire 'em, Captain. There's a lot of things on the sea that'll be all too pleased to send us all to a watery grave and most of 'em aren't goin' to get close enough for ya' to stab 'em with your sword." And so Carrhae went out posting notices in the public spaces of Waterdeep.
"Looking for someone skilled with cannons or willing to learn. Must be good at taking orders and willing to go on extended sea voyages. Report to Captain Carrhae at The Belle of the Sea. Evil Elemental Cultists need not apply."
Shortly after, a young woman shows up at Carrhae's ship, eyes sparkling with excitement. She looks like she's in her early twenties, with black hair in a pixie cut and dark green eyes set into a light-skinned face. She waves an arm. "Permission to board?"
"You may board. My name is Carrhae, I'm the Captain of this ship." Carrhae reaches out towards the young woman, inviting her onto the ship and keeps her hand extended for the woman to shake. "I assume that you've come in response to the job posting for a Master Gunner?"
"Yes!" Sana grins and shakes Carrhae's hand. "I'm Sana. I love your hair, by the way. Mind if I borrow it? Great!" Her hair transforms into a copy of Carrhae's, the shape slightly altered to fit with Sana's face shape and features.
Carrhae's too shocked by Sana shifting her hair for the moment to say something about her name, or how she's glad that she likes her hair, or ask her how she intends on borrowing it. "Are you a changeling? I knew a changeling, once they took my form when we went to a bathhouse. It was a rather nice experience. A lot like looking in a mirror, except it's a real person. You can borrow my form if you like, although I must warn you that it comes with more admirers than you might be ready for. Oh, I've gotten sidetracked. It's nice to meet you, Sana. Have you ever worked on a ship before?"
Sana laughs. "Yeah, I'm a changeling! Right now I'll just borrow your hair, it's really great. I don't like to take people's entire forms, it tends to make them nervous and stuff. Nice to meet you too! And yeah, I actually grew up on a ship!"
"You did? That's great! What exactly did you do on there?"
Sana shrugs. "Mostly hit stuff. Or direct some smaller attacks, once I got older. Healed a bit, every now and then when our doctor was occupied and somebody needed help."
"Ok, you're a skilled combatant, that's certainly good, can't have too many people who are skilled with a sword. Tell me Sana, do you know how to use a cannon? Or are you willing to learn if you aren't?"
Sana shrugs. "Perfectly willing to learn!" She grins. "How hard can it be?"
"That's the spirit! Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask me before you take this job?"
Sana shrugs. "Is there anyone who's going to have a problem with me being a changeling? Not everyone's as...relaxed about what I can do as you, and that's one of the few things I'd rather not leave up to Tymora."
"My ship accepts all kinds. Our First Mate is a Simic Hybrid, our Quartermaster is a Drow, and our Chef is a Tortle. No one should have an issue with your abilities."
"Wonderful! Then I'm in!" Sana's eyes glitter with excitement and delight.
"Excellent! Feel free to get your things together and do what ever you need to do to get ready, since we're going to be on the seas for a while. But don't feel like you have to rush, it's going to be some time before we leave, I still need to find a few other people to fill positions in the crew."
"Yes ma'am, Captain!" Sana laughs as she salutes, her hair transforming into a feathery white cut that poofs around her head like a cloud. "Can't wait to see where Tymora takes us!"
"Yes, I think that the gods will smile on our ventures!"
"I certainly hope so. Oh, one other question, where are we going first?"
"Saltmarsh. I've heard that there's profitable work there."
"Great! Never been there, sounds fun."
"I hope it is. I could use some fun. One last question, are you a Paladin?"
Sana laughs. "Yes! Of Tymora."
Carrhae smiles at that. "I'm a Paladin too! I worship Sune, but I'm sure that the two of them get along!"
Sana beams delightedly, her eyes turning bright silver like coins. "Fantastic! It's wonderful to meet another paladin. And I'm sure they get along fine as well, luck and beauty of all kinds can tend to go hand in hand, after all!"
PROLOGUE 8: SLOOP DOG
Prudence and Ash d'Sloop were wealthy and successful merchants, managing to grow a tidy little mercantile into a prosperous trading company, annually trading tens of thousands of gold pieces worth of foodstuffs (wheat and rye), cloth, gold and gems all across the Azure Sea. Yearning to start a family to have an heir to bring into (and someday take over) the family business, Ash purchased a stately manor in the thriving city of Gradsul, at the mouth of the Sheldomar River in the Kingdom of Keoland. The manor overlooked the Azure Sea, and the d’Sloops growing fleet of trade vessels docked in the sheltered bay below. Shortly thereafter, little Dog d’Sloop was born, so named for the dog moon that was shining bright that night.
Ash couldn’t wait to teach Dog all the tricks of the trade, so he started to bring him on trade expeditions from the ripe age of 4. He was quite popular amongst the clientele in cities all across the Sea, and especially a favorite amongst Ash’s shipboard crew. Being a Tabaxi, he was quite active and could easily climb up to the crows nest of the boats, and scamper across running and standing rigging lines with ease. This brought a continual smile to Ash’s face, proud of his boy, carrying on the d’Sloop tradition.
Upon reaching puberty, though, at the age of 12, Dog’s personality changed. He no longer was the happy-go-lucky kid, always the charmer of his fathers crew and clients. He started getting the typical teenager holier-than-thou chaotic attitude. On one trip to Keoish, he managed to embarrass a wealthy client, causing the client to cancel their lucrative trade contract. On a subsequent trip to Oeridian, he slept through his watch post duty, causing the ship to turn into a beam wave from a massive storm, and lose the entire shipment of goods (worth thousands of gold) as it spilled into the deep sea.
Ash and Prudence were at wits end with Dog. His unruly attitude was hurting their business, and causing them stress beyond belief. Something had to be done to set Dog back on the right path. In Gradsul, the military accepts applicants as young as 14 years old. So, on the day of Dog’s 14<sup>th</sup> birthday, Ash and Prudence packed up a bag of clothes, his favorite teddy bear, and dropped Dog off at the front gate of the Semfur Military Academy.
3 months later
Dog had breezed through basic training, falling back on his years of sailing experience learned at the feet of his father. He finished at the top of his class, with top scores across the board. Except for decorum. Dog was constantly getting demerits from his superior officers for his cocky attitude. Commandant Lord Redlocks, the commanding officer, a Paladin of Sune, had a brilliant idea. Perhaps deploying the boy, under the tutelage of an operational sea captain, would instill in him honor and decorum that he so desperately lacked.
The following Morndas, the Commandant delivered a letter to Captain Carrhae, offering the services of Ensign Dog to the Captain as her personal assistant and Cabin boy. Free of charge for one year, as the academy would cover all of his expenses. The only payment the military expected in return was in the form of teaching and instilling in Ensign Dog a sense of decorum.
Sloop smartly salutes, and looks quite dapper in his starched white military uniform. But it all goes downhill from there.
"Nice to meet you, Captain Boobs!" he blurts out. "So, when are we doin' this thang?"
He then walks on-board the Belle, stepping around the Captain, and lets out a loud whistle of admiration...."Blimey, nice booty you got here!" as he lovingly caresses the main mast. "What sort of speed you get outta her? 7...mebbe 8 knots?"
Carrhae grows red in the face, marches up to Sloop, and slaps him across the face.
In a raised voice, she lays down the law: "YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS CAPTAIN CARRHAE, SAILOR! IF I EVER HEAR SUCH INDECENT ADDRESSES OUT OF YOU AGAIN, I SHALL HANG YOU BY THE MIZZEN. IS THAT CLEAR?!"
Sloop: "Aye, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. Do you need your cabin cleaned, Cap'n?"
Carrhae: "That's more like it, solider. Not at this time. But you can make yourself useful by going down below, dropping your bag off, and finding the galley. I'm sure Mr. Indigo has need of an assistant."
Once Sloop has left Carrhae's sight, she buries her face in her hands and lets out a deep sigh. After 20 seconds of knowing Sloop, she immediately understood why Lord Redlocks was willing to pay to have her take the young Tabaxi off his hands. Sune grant me patience, I thought that four years in Acheron was a trial. I'm definitely going to partake in smoking with Kali. She smirks a bit at the thought of this cocksure youth trying to be smart with Kali or Misha. I imagine that he'll have a rude awakening, trying to act like a big shot on a ship full of people who have been sailing and fighting longer than he was alive. Although maybe I should warn him about Grishkar. For a second, she moves like she's about to go after Sloop, but stops. He wouldn't listen. I'll just tell Grishkar not to kill or maim him. But perhaps a good fright may prove educational. I mean, Grishkar already sorta looks like one, why not let him play the part?
ACHERON
AVALAS, THE FIRST LAYER
15 YEARS AGO
Acheron is the Plane of War. It is made up of numerous immense iron cubes of various size floating in infinite space, very different than other places I have been. It has four main layers. But, it is my home. When I was 13, by His Command, I was allowed to visit the different cubes of Acheron. Avalas, the first layer, is where I spent most of my training to become a Paladin of Conquest. It is often called "The Battlefield". It contains the highest density of metal cubes and is thus host to the most fighting on the plane. The cubes are dotted with fortresses and covered with battlefields, hence the nickname. Collisions between the cubes causes them to break apart in to smaller cubes, hence the smallest cubes are the oldest on the layer.
Taetanicus, The Great Legion Commander of the Primes, the one responsible for my military training, took me one day on my 13th birthday to see the edge of the Cube. Already stronger and more disciplined than others of my creation, I remember that day like it was yesterday, and when he showed me, it was unlike anything I had seen in my life.
The Infinite Battlefield. My home.
When Taetanicus spoke, his voice rumbled and shook my core. I had deep respect for him. He made me strong. He made me tough. He gave me discipline and forged me into a weapon of Conquest. "Acheron is the bridge between the ultimate order of Nirvana and the regimented evil of the Nine Hells, our Great Enemy. As such, each layer is emphasized order over evil. You were created NOT to be a pawn in this War, but something Greater. A Daughter of Conquest. A Prime Paladin. Your destiny has been written long ago. Soon, you will fulfill it.
"With your great wisdom, I understand, Commander." I said, saluting him. It was the best birthday ever.
Within a cabin of a ship bound for Saltmarsh, a tome rests within a chest, never more than a few feet from its owner. The cover is leather-bound, but the material is very different from even fine leather; it's more supple, softer. Two metal bindings enclosed the book, made of some blue, alien metal, and with no obvious way to release their hold.
That annoying cat was at it again. I had to reeducate her on the folly of being so close-minded. Claiming that life and light are the only things worth living for will lead to a dissapointing end. There is only Death in this world; to pretend otherwise is to be as a child throwing a tantrum when they're told to obey. The righteous are truly annoying...claiming that killing is "evil", but killing for their god is "good". Just like those priests...
Met woman claiming to be touched by this "Strahd" person. Thought she was likely just clamoring for attention until the host of this land so graciously made an appearance. I had expected some devil from the lower planes, but a vampire? It seemed a bit anti-climactic until his display of power. Perhaps he can he persuaded to serve, if not at least assist, in Nerull's designs?
This is interesting: a den of lycanthropes served as a resting place for a book detailing Strahd's ascension. Such knowledge is best reserved for those capable of wielding it, not the fearful hands of ignorant children. This book will be the key to regaining power over this world. The Despiser is not yet know here, but I will be His herald. (A series of prayers follows muddled with foreign, comfortable-looking characters)
Had a run-in with one of Strahd's more formidable creations. I may have overstepped, but now I know that Strahd is a mind to be studied, not a monster to be carelessly destroyed.
Met with a man claiming to be a bishop, wanted to kill him outright. That is, until he showed off his pet. A perfect construct, only obvious due to stitching, but her form was breath-taking! Strahd's major creation was capable of speech, but this man made his creation move with a dancer's grace. (Most of the page is scratched out and ripped through some violent outburst) ...share in such marvels and wisdom....servant of Nerull could....arrogance and hubris!...(a few lines remain after the attempted censoring, offering prayers of strength and vengence, and a promise to raze a particular chapel to the ground and hang someone from a post as a puppet, forced to plea forgiveness for eternity.)
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Carrhae was walking around the city of Waterdeep, purchasing ingredients for Indigo as well as supplies for the ship. She could have very easily delegated this task to one of her crew, but in truth, she was happy for the excuse to take a promenade around the city. She had already begun to put together a crew and at this rate, it wouldn't be too long before she had fully assembled one and could set off for Saltmarsh. She'd be leaving this city soon, so she may as well get a chance to say goodbye to it before then. Carrhae paid a final visit to a number of locations, having a drink of wine at the Yawning Portal, stopping by the temple of Sune to say farewell to her fellow Sunites and promise that she'd figure out how to save the doctor that they sent along with her. But she also stumbled across some sites that were more significant to her than anyone else.
She came across the headquarters of The Order of The Gauntlet, where four years ago she was assigned to that doomed mission. The Order was welcoming to Carrhae when she first returned to the city, but she had no intention of joining back up with them. It was their failure to send reinforcements that ended up getting her and her friends killed. Strife was right. There were too few of us to deal with the Elemental Cults. If the Order had listened, they would still be alive.
Then she came across the Harper Headquarters, the same place where she met the Jingle Belles all those years ago. For the first few days after she got back from Acheron, Carrhae had tried to keep something of a low profile. She wasn't a legend, but she was enough of a celebrity in Waterdeep for her return from the dead to bring more attention than she wanted at the time. Somehow, the Harpers managed to find out. Carrhae was never able to figure out how, but the Harpers wouldn't be too good at their jobs if she could, now wouldn't they? She didn't tell everything, but she did explain that she was the only survivor and asked them if they could retrieve the bones of Mercy, Strife, and Zephyr for proper burial. They obliged out of kindness to the young Paladin and returned Mercy's body to her Dwarven friends, as they would know best what she would want. For Strife, Carrhae personally buried her in the graveyard connected to the temple of Sune. I'm sorry my love. I hope that it brings you some solace in the next life to know that you were buried in grounds that were blessed by Sune.
She passed through the alley that contained the portal to Zephyr's tower. She couldn't find a temple to the Traveler in Waterdeep when she first got back, so she crossed into the plane where Zephyr resided and buried their body in the sea near their tower. Carrhae walked into Zephyr's tower and saw a note lying there for her on top of several large bags.
Carrhae
You and the rest of the Jingle Belles were such sweethearts. You accepted me for who I was and if it wasn't for you, I think that I'd still be alone in this tower instead of saving the world with a bunch of wonderful women that I consider to be sisters. I'm not as wordy as you or Strife were, but I think that I can repay for the way you've been nice to me all the same. For the last few weeks, I've been working hard and BOY have I raised a shit ton of money. I'm not going to go into all the details on how I made it, but I didn't do anything illegal, so don't worry about the po-po coming after me. I don't have any family outside of you guys, so I'm leaving it all to you if I don't make it. You've always been taking care of us, so I trust that you'd know what to do with this money.
P.S. Don't let Strife blow it all on drugs. Even if she ****s you :p
Love, Zephyr.
Carrhae was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears after reading the letter. I'm so sorry. You came with us because we were nice to you, because we accepted you for who you were and welcomed you into our family and it got you killed. It would take Carrhae some time to take Zephyr's money back home with her and when she finally got the last bag, she found that the portal to Zephyr's demi-plane had closed behind her, a signal that Zephyr was truly gone.
All of these things had worked to convince Carrhae that it was time to leave Waterdeep. Where once she walked the streets and saw beauty, she now saw reminders of the loved ones she had lost and it brought her nothing but pain. So she would get out. Get as far as she could and start anew. Which is what led her to the Belle of the Sea and what caused her to place her trust in a beautiful blue-skinned woman in a bar. As she returned to the ship, she was still deep in thought as she walked up the gangplank. "Kali, could you let Indigo know to come up here for a moment? I've got those supplies." As soon as those words are out of her mouth, she spots a red-headed beauty. No. That's impossible. What would she be doing on the Belle? "Oh my gods, Misha! Is that you!?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
ACHERON
THULDANIN, THE SECOND LAYER
Taetanicus, one day, took me to the second layer. He was the most massive man I knew, and his armor was so large and exaggerated it was like it was built for someone four times his size - and he was already a hulking mass of an Acheronite. Standing on the edge of Thuldanin, a massive cube identified as the second layer of Acheron, my training continued. Now 18, I was taller, stronger, and had survived many battles. I spent hours upon hours a day running, fighting, and lifting heavy things until I could lift no more, till my body failed. At times, I had to hold things over my head until the fire in my muscles matched the fire raining down from the sky from The Nine Hells. It was unbearably painful constantly, as if my genetic instructions were pushed to absolute limits, bending the rules of it's code. There were many days I could not move. Every moment I wanted to cry from pain I knew that the next day I would be tougher and stronger than the previous day. I was fed a very specific diet that allowed me to maintain a perfect level of fat and muscle, but still remain a normal size for a female Acheronian. I was designed to be powerful - but fast, precise, and mobile.
Compared to Avalas, Thuldanin is very much like the first layer, consisting of numerous huge cubes. On this layer the cubes are scarred and pitted by battle. Many pits lead down to labyrinths containing the refuse of the endless battles of the plane. The remains of broken war machines and other devices line the interiors of the cubes, even some finely crafted weapons can be found amongst the rubble. Thuldanin has a preservative quality that results in the petrification of objects and creatures that spend too long on the layer. We left almost right away. As we did, Legion Commander Taetanicus spoke to my mind.
"Here me, Praskovia. Your destiny was written long ago. Learn to master yourself and your abilities, for one day you will learn to save others. A day will come when someone will rely on you, someone important, someone you must protect at all costs. Always remember: There is no cowardice in faith. There is no fear in conviction. Brave are they who know everything yet fear nothing."
We left almost right away.
AROUND TODAY
It was years later did I realize that person was Carrhae. The great wheel that was the War Machine of Acheron turned as I aged and reached well into independence and experience. While the main forces fought Hell within on the plane itself, the special forces of the Prime Paladins continued to serve in fighting the war without.
I remember the day I met Carrhae again on the ship.
"Of course ees me, don't be rilickudous!" Misha's smile could not have been brighter as she turned when she heard a familiar voice. She was working with the ship's anchor when Carrhae came on board, and as Misha approached her, the captain could see she was covered with a thin sheen of sweat, and every part of her lean muscular body looked like steel cables ready to snap, but had such a feminine sexiness to her.
She laughed and embraced her friend warmly in a rib crushing hug.
"So good to see you again, leetle one!" She pulled away, looked Carrhae up and down, her hands on her shoulders, as if inspecting merchandise. "You look fantasteek! Could not be happier you are steel ok! Was wondering when I would see you again, and behold Lord General smiled upon me once more. Sent me here to beauteeful Toril to keep eye on you." She raises her finger and pulls down the lower lid of her right eye, then releasing it, winking. "I, obveeously, said yes! So, here I am! Hef orders to protect you, make sure you complete meeshion. Cannot believe luck to be sent here to see you again." She looked around, "And on sheep that floats on water! Eencredible! Hef already met First Ofeecer Kali when I came on board!" she played with the knot of her half shirt at mentioning Kali's name, and quickly looked away, smiling like a naughty child.
After a few moments, she cleared her throat and smiled brightly at Carrhae. She gave her a mighty peck on the cheek and Carrhae was sure that she had never seen Misha so happy since they met years ago.
Carrhae felt overjoyed to be around Misha once again. She didn't feel like she would've gotten through the last four years without her. While Carrhae was certainly grateful to the Acheronians for saving her and restoring her body, but they weren't the best when it came to acknowledging her emotional needs. They were more concerned with making sure that she was strong enough for a mission that she never really understood. Except for Misha. She was always treating Carrhae like a friend, giving her a friendly smile, a kind word, or making her laugh with her adorable mannerisms. Carrhae didn't expect to ever see Misha again after she was allowed to return home and she certainly didn't expect her to be joining the crew of her ship. She was so happy that she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Although possibly, that may have also been because Misha currently had her locked in a bear hug at the moment. Merciful Sune, is this what it was like for poor Strife? I now understand what they mean when they talk about smothering someone with affection. Carrhae taps Misha on the arm. "I yield! I yield!" She says, jokingly. "Well, I can see that you haven't been letting yourself go since I left. I'm glad that Bane gave you this mission. Toril's a beautiful place and I was beginning to miss you." She listened patiently while Misha explained that she was helping her with her mission. Carrhae never fought in Bane's armies, but she was on board with the whole war against the legions of Hell thing. But she didn't really understand the whole mission deal. "I'm still not sure about what they mean by my mission, but I'm happy that you're here as well. I feel safer with you here and I'm sure that with your help, as well as the rest of the crew, we'll succeed in this mission, whatever it is."
She smiles when Misha mentions Kali. "And how did you like her? She's a bit crass, but she's friendly once you get to know her and hot in a rough and tumble kind of way." I imagine that with me and Misha on board, Kali must feel like she's in Heaven. "Well, it sounds like you're pretty situated, so maybe now you should introduce yourself to the rest of the crew. Indigo should be coming up soon to get her supplies, Sana is working with the guns, Sloop is probably with Indigo right now, and Grishkar should be working on that project I assigned him." Talking about the crew got her thinking about Kali again. She told me to make haste with gathering a crew. but I doubt that she was expecting it to go down like this. She'll probably want me to tell her where I found these people, especially Misha.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
"Well, I can see that you haven't been letting yourself go since I left. I'm glad that Bane gave you this mission. Toril's a beautiful place and I was beginning to miss you."
"Letting go? Of course not!" Misha laughed and dismissed the notion right away, releasing Carrhae from her bearhug. "You of all peeple should know to appreciate Acheronian workout schedule, no? Believe you shed a beet of blood AND tears during regrowth, ya? But you worked hard, and very happy to see you again happy, and strong!"
"I'm still not sure about what they mean by my mission, but I'm happy that you're here as well. I feel safer with you here and I'm sure that with your help, as well as the rest of the crew, we'll succeed in this mission, whatever it is."
"Everything will be clear soon." Misha told her captain. "I know that theengs now seem a bit..eh..unknown, or eh, how you say? Up in air? But Lord General have plan, and to question Him is to invite doubt." Misha wiggled a finger as if reciting a rule told to her long ago. "Meesha will not let you make bad decision, ya? Long time ago, you trusted me. Now, trust me again, ya? I made promise to keep you safe. Soon, all will be revealed."
"And how did you like her? She's a bit crass, but she's friendly once you get to know her and hot in a rough and tumble kind of way."
"Ach, she is beautiful, strong woman. Misha much respect person who take care of themselves physically, as you know." Misha said, turning a bit red in the cheeks talking about Kali. "Never met woman like her before, ees a bit different. Have to say, had interesting way of getting to know me! No complaining, for sure." Misha laughed a bit more loudly than usual, as if remembering something lovely, and somewhat, perhaps, private. "Very happy with choice of First Offeecer, must say to you."
"Well, it sounds like you're pretty situated, so maybe now you should introduce yourself to the rest of the crew. Indigo should be coming up soon to get her supplies, Sana is working with the guns, Sloop is probably with Indigo right now, and Grishkar should be working on that project I assigned him."
Misha nodded happily. "Yes! Of course!" she agreed. "I weel do that, gladly. Have a very good feeling our meesion will be fun, and exciting. Truly, you and I have been blessed by The Lord General.." Misha slapped Carrhae on the shoulder, "..and you are not even Acheronian!" She threw her head back in a bellowing laugh and turned to leave to introduce herself to someone she didn't know.
"Great to see you again, leetle one!" Misha called out to her as she walked away, and it didn't take a genius to know she was smiling ear to ear.
Sana spends most of the time before the ship casts off familiarizing herself with the guns and playing various games of chance at the local taverns and looking for new features from interesting people to add to her repertoire. She's delighted to discover that there's a wide array of such features evident in the various crew members on the ship. The first one she decides to tackle is Kali's skin-the unusual color requires a myriad of tiny adjustments to shading and texture that she's less practiced with. On this particular day, she's (likely unwisely) splitting her attention between examining a cannon's securement ropes and adjusting the shades of blue on her right hand.
Sana's form tends to change from day to day, and today she has brown eyes, a petite, curvy form, and long black hair in an elaborate arrangement that resembles a braid twisted up and around her head in a style reminiscent of a headband. About 60% of her skin is Kali's shade of blue, while the rest is still the caramel color it was before she got distracted. Her face is round, and there are smile lines at the corners of her eyes. She looks in her mid-20s at the moment, and most of her forms fall somewhere in the 20s-30s range.
As Sana squints at her light blue finger from her position cross-legged on the deck-ostensibly to check the knots on the securement ropes-she notices the reunion between Carrhae and the redhead. As Misha nears her cannon, she scoots out from behind it and waves, the blue in her skin being rapidly replaced by its original caramel color as she does. "Hi, I don't think we've properly met! I'm Sana, what's your name and what fortune of Tymora's brings you here? Also, do you mind if I borrow your eyes, the color's just lovely!"
Like usual, she doesn't wait for a response before appropriating said feature, her eyes shimmering from dark brown to Misha's distinctive green as she bounces to her feet, abandoning the half-tied knot on the deck.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
ACHERON
TINTIBULUS, THE THIRD LAYER
Zaedriana, The Headmaster Emeritus - my mental teacher- took a liking to me. I have no idea why, for all I wanted to do was to fight and exercise. But I received an education nevertheless weather I wanted to, or not. When I was 20, I was taken to the third layer of Acheron: Tintibulus. Tintibulus contains a large number of four-sided, five-sided, eight-sided, and other solids in preference to the six-sided cubes that predominate the other layers. A layer of thick dust coats the surface of the solids here, which are made of a grey volcanic stone. Magicians' libraries are scattered here, and is one of the best places on the plane for magical research. A few times I was seen reading from these books, in an effort to learn tactics and strategy that would make me a better fighter, and to understand the universe outside of my own. Zaedriana was the first one to explain to me that I was not born, but created with biological engineering.
"In our war with The Nine Hells, the Acheronian War Machine discovered a way to make warriors faster than birthing them from the females of our kind. With knowledge we have acquired in our conquest of the multiverse, we discovered a way to make titanic birthing chambers in Banehold where we could create soldiers faster, better, with tailored specifics to fit our needs. We called them the Genesis Chambers. Therefore, you do not have parents, and you will notice you lack the emotional capacity to wonder where they are, what it is like to have siblings. The matter of family is no concern to you. This was done on purpose, for you HAVE one purpose as a Prime Paladin."
"I understand, Headmaster Emeritus. Bane's Purpose is my purpose. It is His Will. Thus it will be done."
AROUND TODAY
"Oh!" Misha said, not seeing Sana by the cannon. "Hello! I am Misha!" she smiled, extending her hand. "Borrow? My eyes? Oh!" she paused for a moment, noticing Sana changing like a shapeshifter. "How..? What magic ees thees?" she asks you curiously, looking you over. "Thank..you.." she says in childlike wonder as you appropriate her eyes, replying to your compliment. "How do you do thees?"
Sana grins. "Hi Misha! I don't know if I can exactly explain how I change shape...I just do! Kind of like elves see in the dark, I guess, it's just something we changelings can do! I don't know if it's magic, or natural, or something else entirely, nobody really ever explained it to me." She wiggles her eyebrows, sending a cascade of colors through them momentarily before they go back to black. "It's interesting, seeing all the different kinds of people and appearances and seeing the ways they can be combined." A wave of blue rushes through her hair as she remembers the excitement she would feel growing up every time the Devil's Luck docked at a new port, seeing all the new, unique people. "So, you're going to be joining us on the ship? How do you know the Captain, she seemed happy to see you!"
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Misha was clearly amazed at how Sana could change her appearance at will, and it took a few moment for her to snap out of her wonder to answer the question directed at her.
"Yes!" She nodded happily. "I weel be joining everyone on the sheep, very excited to be here!"
She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "I come from a far away place, very deefrent from thees planet. My home is on a plane called Acheron. I was created to serve special purpose. About five years ago, was ordered by my Legion Commander to come to thees planet and rescue Carrhae from very bad fate. My world has an..interest..in certain people. I took her bek to home plane and we feexed her. I was placed een charge of her regrowth. We became good friends, and when she was ready, sent her home. Did not theenk I would see her again! But, once again destiny and honor of The Lord General smiles upon me - wanted me to watch over her and make sure meesion successful! So, here I am, ya?"
"I am very happy to see her again and see that she is well!" Misha said happily. "My society want to make sure we succeed - Carrhae weel bring much glory and honor to us!"