A trio of heroes based in
Amphousa, all of whom seem to be chosen worshippers of their respective Gods, receiving greater power than most priests could hope for.
Current Members
The leader and namesake for the group, Zykída is a paladin of
Golden Zia able to destroy her enemies with holy light, fly with angelic wings, and survive deadly wounds. She is always on the front line, protecting her friends while receiving support from them. Recently she has undergone a transformation of sorts, becoming more angelic, yet also less human.
Cassandra Rodea
Cassandra is the youngest of the group, and is an oracle of rare talent. She worships
Eternal Ámmos, receiving from him detailed visions of the future, and can tell at a glance if it is set in stone or might be changed. Amongst all of her mage spells and abilities, she is even able to nudge the tides of fate a tiny amount, ensuring a deadly blow misses its target, or the reverse. She remains on the back line, as her skills are not well suited to close combat.
Amongst all the truly powerful death priests of
Dread Haroch, Alek might be the most "normal." He is calm and affable, able to hold conversations and put up with crowds that the other two would hate, and so often serves as an intermediary, though this is far from his only role in the group. He is able to revitalise his friends with potent healing spells, protection auras, and even resurrective magics, curse his foes to make them easier to kill, and even empower himself with the ashes of the dead to become a front line fighter temporarily.
Group History
Children of Pylona
The founding of the group happened when Zykída was sent to search for missing people in the
City of Oracles. Here she mess Cassandra, and the two worked together to find all of the missing folk successfully! In the days afterwards, Cassandra had many visions indicating that Zykída had a great destiny set out for her, and that Cass would be needed to guide her. The two began travelling together, proving stronger as a pair than they could ever hope to be alone.
The Hermit
Some time after Cassandra and Zykída became companions, they followed a series of dreams Cass had been having to a forest. Filled with undead, smoke, and shadows, they battled their way through and discovered a stranger meditating in the center of a clearing. Around their age, he stood and introduced himself as Alek, stating that he had spent many years in these woods pondering the nature of Death.
With their arrival, he declared that his philosophical thinking was complete, and asked for their help in fully clearing all of the undead around them. The task went well, and Alek asked to accompany the others to their next destination, and perhaps further. A lifelong friend was made then, and the three have been near inseperable since.
The Champions
As a trio the group were able to shore up any individual weaknesses, and develop new strategies to deal with any foe. Zykída on the front line with the others healing and strengthening her from safety ensured that no single monster could pose a threat. Together they travelled the world, righting wrongs, slaying evildoers, and culling monsters wherever they went.
Festival of Change - 673 MA
At some point as they travelled, they agreed to the idea that they, as a group, should make an attempt at reclaiming the crown Kída had left behind almost 10 years before. Interested in practing their coordination against non-monstrous foes, they entered the tournament in Chyreum. It was here that they met The Exotics, and competed against them amongst many others.
During the festival an attempt on Cassandra's life was made, and The Exotics uncovered a plot to assassinate the queens. They helped however she could, and when the time came for battle, all three were ready. Boosted by her friends. Zykída destroyed the undead creature involved in a single blow, and greatly helped The Exotics in driving off an Ashen Rider that had been summoned in its place.
After the scheme was ended, a grand finale led to The Champions securing victory in the festival, leading to the second year that Zykída has earned the crown and the first time for the others.
Demon Siege of Pylona
For a few months after the Festival The Champions travelled around on their usual questing, before Cass began having terrible visions of danger encroaching on her home city. They travelled as quickly as they could, and found the City of Oracles under attack by cultists and demons. They lept to the defence, and soon after fighting broke out the city was bathed in golden light. Zykída alone was not fully blinded, and within the light she saw a figure. Who, or what, it was remains unknown to this day, but they saved Pylona. After the light washed away, every single demon and cultist in the area had been turned to dust while everything else remained unharmed.
Demon Siege of Acidon
Too soon after Pylona was attacked, they learned of a similar danger threatening Acidon. It too had been attacked by cultists who had somehow opened a portal to The Underworld, letting loose countless demons, and by the time The Champions arrived they found The Exotics had already been hard at work protecting the city for days.
Together they fought tooth and nail, saving the city before it could be levelled by an Immortal to prevent the demon scourge spreading further.
The Dragon King
The next major event between the more common monster slaying tasks was a treck into the mountains near Amphousa alongside half of The Exotics. They sought a piece of The Destroyer, an ancient war machine that another group hoped to use as a weapon against the Gods.
Many dangers were faced on the way, and in the end it required all the skills of both Champions and Exotics to survive the battle against the half-dragon monstrosity who guarded the piece. But the piece was retrieved, and in the hours afterwards Zykída went through some form of transformation.
Celestial Duty
Her role as Zia's champion had always been set in stone, but when the time came to accept her place, Zykída struggled with the idea of leaving her friends behind. Many failed visions and demands later, the aasimar was finally able to force The Archonslayer to let her stay with her loved ones with the aid of
Odessa Deo, the skeletal mage from The Exotics.
With ever greater power and responsibility both, the trio continued on their quests, though would find themselves exhausted by the demands of the world.
The Eternal Battle
Zia began transporting the trio across the world to right wrongs in dozens of different places. To begin with it was a rare occasion, once ever few weeks at most to save a town from a might beast. And then it became more regular: cultists in Détras at the start of the week, a rogue tiefling mage in Kanios halfway through, and a rampaging volcano monster in Prótos by the end.
Not only was Zia breaking divine etiquette by personally teleporting her heroes everywhere, but the group grew fatigued in mind and body without time to properly rest. When it seemed like the rules and The Champions both were at breaking point, Zia began transporting only Zykída herself, sending her to defeat terrible odds all alone. It granted the mortals a chance to recuperate, but plunged Zykída into the exact form of lonliness and danger she defied her God to avoid.
Once Cass and Alek had recovered, they rejoined their friend but again found they could not keep pace. A growing worry fell over them, and they began searching for ways to help more, or grant Kída the rest she so desperately needed.
Festival of Change - 674 MA
While they searched, the time came around again to visit Chyreum, and attempt to hold onto their crown. Yet only Cass and Alek attended at first, with Zykída still caught up in dealing with cults and demons.
Competing with their captured monsters and assisting The Exotics with various troubles, the pair of humans remained without their aasimar until the final night. A monster created by Aesk the Ever-changing was unleashed as the climax of the tournament, but was so powerful that it might have escaped and slaughtered thousands. Alek and Cass aided attempts to slay it or at least buy time until Zykída could be teleported in.
And so arrived The Luminary to save the day! The relief was there for only a moment before the monster maimed her, taking her down twice in a row and dealing severe internal damage in the process. Not since the teenaged mission that earned her facial scar had she been so utterly bested. The Exotics managed to slay the creature despite Fearghal's inteference, emerging as victors and leaving The Champions in 2nd. A wound to Kída's pride matching the damage to her body.
Defeated, her laurel crown was handed back, and her friends took her away to repair her many wounds. As they left, Odessa spoke of a way to perhaps defeat Fearghal; talk him down. Zykída thought the effort would be wasted, but agreed to try nonetheless.
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