It was an ill-starred quest.
Companioned by my friends and mentors Sherri and Robert Smith, with the hopes of learning the ways of the mentor myself, we three led a group of Valarians into the lands far to the East, where monsters unknown to the lore of ages had been rampaging through the lands. By the way they appeared from the open air, it was feared that they were precursors of the ancient enemies of this world, the unknowable Pylos Lords. We were charged with halting this incursion.
Eight others accompanied us, strong warriors, mostly; our sorcerous strength was concentrated among Sherri and Robert Smith and myself, although our number did include others with some minor sorceries, including one sister and fellow initiate of the craft of the Silver Lady. This distribution would eventually prove a liability.
The Boatman ferried us through the astral seas until we reached the blessed lands nearest to the site of the incursions. From there we marched overland until we reached the mountains nearest the troubled lands.
As we entered these lands, a thunderstorm grew overhead, sending down a caustic rain burned our flesh and ate away at our supplies. We ran for the shelter of a copse of trees, where we waited out the rain.
When the rain had finished, Robert Smith used his wizardry to return to a traveler we had passed earlier, to obtain more water, as our supply had been used to wash away the caustic rain, and any other water we would find would be polluted. But the thunderstorm overhead proved only the precursor of far more dangerous weather.
As we continued to watch the skies overhead, we watched a dragonstorm appear, accompanied by foul warpspawn of various sizes.
Sherri asked for two others to accompany her, for her intent was to enter into the nexus of the dragonstorm to use her skills to bring an end to it. I argued against the action, saying that we must first stay and confront the warpspawn who were circling above, yet she was resolute in her decision. Using her sorceries, she and the two others vanished to assault the nexus, avoiding the warpspawn overhead.
As we who remained watched, the warpspawn above spiraled down to challenge us.
In the absence of Robert Smith or Sherri, it fell to me to protect the others. I called upon the power of the Lady Vigilant to strike the foremost of the spawn, only to discover that it reflected the pain of my attack back upon me. In response, I called upon the powers of the land to purify those touched by the warp, and I commanded that the foremost spawn be purged of its impurity. I would discover soon enough that I had been at least partially successful.
As the spawn grew closer, and lacking any other of the craft among us, I called upon the power of the Lady Protector in a circle about us, to ward and protect us from such foul creatures, for we were sorely outnumbered. By the grace of the Lady, and the aid of another of her worshippers, we would withstand the attacks of the greater spawn, then repel the lessers.
The three largest spawn were of sufficient power as to enter the charmed area, and with preternatural intelligence they set about to deliberately attack those who sustained the warded circle, myself and the other worshipper.
I was sore pressed to maintain the circle, to prevent the other spawn from overrunning the others, even as I did what little I could manage to heal myself and the other worshipper while maintaining the circle. Despite my limited abilities and the best assistance of the others, it was not enough. Even with the vaunted fighting prowess of Robert Smith, who suddenly appeared in answer to our calls and prayers, it was insufficient to prevent what would happen next.
I had held the circle against the assaults of the spawn until I could withstand no more. I had protected the others when I could have saved myself. I had proven true to my training and oath as a Valarian.
And I had died.
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