Episode Twenty-eight - Fated Crossing

General Summary

Fate had driven each hero to that moment, a fated crossing on a lonely road surrounded by farmland. The fireflies fluttered about giving off the dimmest of light with a swollen moon aiding for a clearer night. From the peak of a forest and out of its entrance, exited a resident of Middle-Earth. The man's life had been long and his stories great and wondrous. Along the road wandered a rational zealot yet to catch the eye of the soldier and likewise for him for his mind was on things to come. The man had spent many years honing his craft and his beliefs and like the rocks around him, he was unshaken by the haunt of midnight. Just then, two kindhearted folk wandered from a smithy just down the road after a night of peaceful conversation. One was a wainwright, now a traveled man, he carried his family's trade from Káldôr with an aura of the uprooted life of his ancestors. The next, was a young woman of elven-kind who's history was a mystery to even her and who's adopted father rested in a pillory at that very moment. A knight, true to his order and a righteous soul drove his lance forward but there were two more invitees to that fated meeting. With a woosh, a large blue pool formed in mid-air on the western portion of the road and from the pool, the portal, stepped not a man but a titan. As he crossed, a low hum could be heard, even at distance, and it seemed to be originating from his gauntlet. The power of that golden gauntlet was palpable, the air around it shimmered and quivered and that titan wielded the device as if it were a decoration. In the still of the mind a voice could be heard calling all-comers to the power but then, at the titan's feet, a woman crawled for her life away from him. Flanking the titan, two creatures emerged from the portal, beasts in their own right.   A booming voice could be heard all across the road, "all this time and I'm right back here."   The woman replied with an accent much like that of Réthem or a western Khuzdûl , "I swear by all the gods, every damned one of them, if you strike me down someone will come along and avenge me. You're days are numbered. My avengers are at hand."   His voice was as massive as he was and he spoke in an accent only recently cropping up in the Áthul region, "All I wanted was to add the Gem to The Godslayer Gauntlet and you kept it from me, I hope they remember you."   He raised a sword high above his head as she lifted her shield one last time and slammed her sword across it, "I honor my friends, I've not forgotten their names like you: Caroline , Ben, Alexander, Ajull, Lucy, and the entire Freedom Society that were lost. It was you that made them what you hated, it was you that made them a god. You should remember them and honor them for what they were. You mock their names when you sunder me and I swear the last damned thing I'll do is keep the Gem from you."   Arion, the soldier from afar, sprang into action and slid forward to catch Than's blow on his shield but it sliced right though cutting off a corner. The Titan slammed his sword down upon the woman and adrenaline burst through the onlooker's veins. His sword shattered hers into splinters in an explosion of sparks. Her muscles tightened bearing the load of the great beast and she gave off the roar of a mighty warrior as his sword sliced into her shield and cut it like butter. A moment of panic slipped across his face as his eyes portrayed a mournful woe and in the next moment his sword severed the woman's shield arm growing ever closer to her body. As his rage returned in his ballet of death and emotions, he split the woman's head and torso in twain. In a death throw, the warrior woman slung her broken sword well away from her body and each of the heroes saw a shining light from that sword and the cracked case all around the guard. The titan looked on in horror, his mind a victim to the murder of a woman he once considered an ally. The titan, didn't see the sword or the gem he coveted within, he saw blood and death and he was shocked for the first time in thousands of years.   With the sword at the feet of the knight of light, Declaen, Arion felt safe to act and darted and rolled across the road before Declaen before taking the cast-away sword and then declaring he'll retain the sword forever but the Titan surprisingly cared not as he had seen noght.   Collecting himself, the Titan looked to each of the heroes whilst he commanded his minion to, "slaughter the village, find the stone."   One of the demon creatures that had flanked the titan stepped forward as the titan turned and entered the blue portal once more with his other minion.   The heroes worked tirelessly to kill the demon creature and after but a moment had past in the grand cosmos, they were successful. Declaen discovered the poor warrior's identity and found it to be Princess Cliona Ironwood of the Kingdom of Ironwood. The heroes, the party of fate, decided to bury the hell beast and Duryo and Kelaryn wrapped the body. Declaen used his wagon to escort the body to the local priest where the drums of further adventure called.

Rewards Granted

220xp

Missions/Quests Completed

Introduction Fated Crossing Complete.

Character(s) interacted with

Met Than, the Last Titan of Urgrund and watched the death of Iron Maiden.

Created Content

The Soul Sword [Roll20].