Broken Choices

I may go back and add a story so far post, however that has been holding me back from cataloging the game so far because it is such a huge task. So I am just going to start with the last and go from there. There are bound to be holes and misunderstandings as there is a A LOT of back story to all of this.

Galan knew it was over. 3 to 1 odds in a normal war would have guarenteed sucess, but not here. These soliders were up against worse then trained mercenaries or simple orcs it was the Doomguard. She had out thought him watched him and Arkantus finding the oppertune moment to strike -as they crossed the river. Now with Lucian and Arkantus by his side, he stood in front of destruction personified.

She called herself Fu Mei, Mayhem in the Taylun dialect, general of the Doomguard army sent to destroy the Isle--the army he was suppose to stop but couldn't. Behind her stood an ocean of destruction with 500 plus of the most gruesome soliders ever assembled from Minataur to Demon to man and elf and everything in between.

Victory was too late to hope for, the Genevan army broken and pinned down a few hundred yards away, the only fool's hope left was that Fu Mei would extend mercy. Mercy was not what he received, instead he became part of some sick twisted joke. She spoke, "Here you are defeated Harmonium. We now have the oppertunity to prove my point. The multiverse is bound for destruction on a constant path to unravelling and your actions only slow the blissful destruction. " Galan responded, "If the end you speak of is inevitable, then you'll win in the end - let us struggle for now."

"You struggle under a cruel misunderstanding. You see this as good verses evil, there is no good or evil we are all only as good as the world allows us to be. Purity can be corrupt and innocence can be lost, so in fact there is no such thing as Purity or Innocence. You fight for nothing, I'll prove it to you-- I'll show you." She turns to Lucian, paladin to Zues title the Aeges of hope standing tall in his full plate armor and says, "I leave the life of your army to you. You can choose if I kill your army or let them live and in their place I will destroy any city of your chosing." A sadistic small crosses her face. A face that would be pretty if not for the venom of hatred stored just beneath the skin. Lucian is caught in thought for a moment. Ceasing the oppertunity, Fu Mei continues, "Come now son of Zues, what will it be the slaughter of your companions here or the toll of other innocence to haunt your conscience."

Lucian weighs the feelings within himself everything from rage to fear, "I would have you destroy the city you call home." Fu Mei lets loose a cackle that cracks the nervous silence. "After we destroy Trade City and Atlanta I will burn my own home to the ground and the innocent civilians there will have you, the Aeges of Hope, to thank for their destruction."

"I made the mistake of thinking you had some mercy or compasion or goodness at all."

"I am not with out compassion. See here a priest to your great father spared from our purging of the monastary. I would offer his life in exchange for yours Son of Zues." Two Grimlocks drag up a bruised and bound man clad in priest clothing. A young man about 23 or 25 who is in constant prayer clothes stained by both tears and blood. To which Lucian replies, "If my life is required to spare that of this priest then so be it."

"Look at how noble they start Harmonium." redirecting her comments back to Lucian, "Then kneel before me and I will remove your life."

"Kneeling was not what you asked. Lady Mayhem."

"Correct, and kneeling is not required." Her two handed sword slides effortless from her sheath in a direct path for the Paladin's head. At the very last moment Lucian's mace defelcts the would be fatal blow with a dull thud. The air rings with laughter, "Kill the priest" she orders.

No sooner does the priests blood from his slit throat spill upon the ground as the Doom Guard rush the three heroes position. Galan quickly moved to engage Fu Mei. I have to take her down fast its our only hope. Maybe that will slow the rest. Even with that we may all receive our judgement today. Swords move in a flurry deflecting and blocking moving to strike and being cast away. She swings with more power than her size would suggest, as galan barely defelcts another would be fatal blow. Lucian dispatches a charging minataur but leaves himself open to the attack of another. Spinning off the blow from the ax he returns the favor and with two well placed blows from his mace cripples the creature. Taking a blow in the leg from a troll and then a halfling leeching to his back and driving a dagger to his throat. Lucian begins to fade by sheer force of will he stays standing. Arkantas attempts to cover Galan's back but is intercepted by a demon that resembles a Rhino. The charging horn is dodged but the sword of a following dark elf finds its mark on his left arm rendering it unuseable. With in seconds Arkantas is over ran and swarms pieces of his body being ripped from his core like jackels devouring a kill.

Need to get out of here. Oslieth- come to me now. Galan thinks as his everfaithful hippogriff mount cuts throug the air to reach his master. Surrounded and pinned down Lucian kills another or maybe it was two soliders but fades to black. Galan sees his friend being dragged deeper into enemy lines. Fu Mei says to him, "Where is the selfless sacrifice? he will be easier to brake then I thought." Galan leaps as high as he can grabbing the reigns of Oslieth as he flies over. Entering a spin climb the mount and rider escape the range of the enemies swords. From this angle Galan can see the rest of the Genevan army being desimated by the Doomguard its a one sided blood bath hundreds dieing. Before Galan can even decide what to do a band on the left arm of every doomgaurd glows and the invading army is gone. Fu Mei's howling still ringing in his ears he lands.

Aaron reaches Lucian as soon as the army leaves and does his best to stop the bleeding. The shinobi's art in healing is not great- nor really existent. Galan reaches Lucian and calling upon gthe grace and power of Tyr, lord of Justice, heals the wounds with the power of the divine.

Bob sneaks up from the river bed where he had been hiding. Seeing the devestation and mounds of death surrounding him, he nearly looses his stomache. that would be unfitting an adventurer he thinks to himself trying to emulate the great heroes of bards tails and even his master Remus. He approaches Galan and Aaron just as one of the Genevan soliders reaches them saluting. "Sir we have 254 men accounted for, and it would appear with Lord Arkantus down we report to you now. I have never seen such raw destructive power harness before. With 10,000 men the result would have been the same." The weight of the man's word settling on him Galan responds and takes command, "Captain organize the men, see to the wounded help you can we must march shortly. Lucian and Bob, help with the wounded. We march for Trade City." The men go about their orders with purpose trying to rid the images of what just happened from their minds.

Aaron approaches Galan and says, "10,000 country recruites wouldn't have changed the result but some more paladins would have. Atrayu is fool and a coward. Pulling all the Paladins back to the Isle and leaving the rest of the world to die. He hides beyond his invinsible walls while the world burns. A fool, a coward, a traitor. This is his fault." Annoyance and anger fill his voice. Galan stress to his threshhold, back hands Aaron solidly across the face causing hims to reel, "We do not question to commands of our superiors. We have no idea how the war is proceeding on all fronts, your insubordination is not welcome nor safe for the men in this condition. You can like it or leave." With out saying a word Aaron just shrugs and walks south away from the encampment. Have to keep this together Galan thinks.

The army marches north by northwest on its route to trade city for 2 days. Even the mightly soliders and Geneva murmur about the impossible odds. With camp set up Lucian walks from tent to tent to encourage and lift the men's spirits. As he does a creature steps form the shadows, seeming mostly shadow itself it speaks, "The lady mayhem has respected your word and let some of your army live. Son of Zues she now offers you a gift. Will you accept it?" With anger and righteous furry just boiling under the surface he responds, "I will accepting nothing from that butcher. Be gone with you now or I will ensure you never return to your master." The creature simply reenters the shadows and dissapears.

As the army marches the next day after just two miles scouts come back and report there are deadlining the road ahead. Lucian goes forward to investigate and sees a dozen children spiked hanging dead. The sight too gruesome to look at for long he sees a piece of parchment tagged to one of the stakes. It reads,

"Son of Zues,

I offered you a gift which your pride refused. I had aquired these children and had no use for them. I thought sparing their lives a fair gift to one so good. HOwever, when you refused I was left with no option. They die in the name of your pride and thats cold, even for me.

Fu Mei"

The letter crumbles and twists under the rage in his hands. With Bob's help the children are taken down and given burials. Bob fights tears at the sight. These children are no different than mine. What if this would have been them. It will be them if she reaches Trade City. She has to be stopped but how. Oh how I miss my kids. It wasn't too long ago just a week that Bob last lay in his wives arms and told stories of his traveling adventures to his 3 children. They were so proud of what he had done and accomplished. He always knew he was ment for more then just running the family smith, a skill he is profoundly gifted as. Since that week he had seen more experiences and witnessed more evil and encountered sights that most men could only dream or nightmare about. As the last shovel of dirt covered the last grave, he gives himself just one moment, just one tear and prays that it will be the last.



Lucian engrossed in prayer to Zues, "Great Father- forgive our failings and grant the power to stop this evil. Please let the souls of these children find peace they could not find in this life. And give me the power to bring peace to this world that I could not find for these children." His soul pouring to his god Lucian finds himself carried up. Light fills his eyes and he can make out little more then a small gnome with a wing span at least as long as the gnome was tall. Lightning crashes in the background and the gnome speaks, "I am father Ma Ren Wei, fellow servant of the great father. Tarven the spirit guide has communed with me about your quest." Lucian remembers the disembodied spirt that walks the woods of Enron, find a way to single your desires to that of the Great Father, void yourself of all selfishness, become the Holy weapon in the Great Father's hands that you wish to make the Mace in yours. For that charge he had forsaken his haunt for the vampires that killed his family and let their memory reach peace. All to have his Mace be blessed by Zues as a holy avenger. Or at least thats how it started now it had become a quest for purity and single his eye to the glory of the kIng of all Gods. Realizing he had become distracted he refocuses on the angels words.

"You returned to help your companions when faced with certain doom. You were willing to sacrifice yourself but seeing Fu Mei's lie you decided to do what was best for the will of the Father. You must now defeat Fu Mei, either by your strength or your leadership she must be defeated. You have proven yourself a willing weapon now prove yourself a capable one. Blessings of the Zues be with you."

Reality rushes back to Lucian. The sensation of wind crossing his skin reminds him he now stands back on earth. Defeat Fu Mei.

That night, as the army sets up camp, one of the sentries is approached by an outsider. "Halt, who goes there?" A band of 4 travelers, a woman, a reptialain looking man, an 18 year old boy who looks a little worse for wear with heavy wounds, and a sky rider. Perhaps the isle hasn't left us to die. "I am Lady Vadellya Mogath here to speak with Lord Galan." The woman says in a confident, matter-of-fact voice. Lady Mogath. It is the Isle. Travis, like everyone, knew who Lady Mogath was, the widow of the last Keeper of the Seals, theBringer of Hope--Tassadar Mogath. The Mogath family was a great and honorable family and Lady Mogath was all that was left. A powerful mage in her own right but that power dwarved by the influence she had in the realm of politics, something Travis knew little of. He was just a solider. The others he did not know. He knew of the Sky riders of course, he like every boy born in Geneva had dreams of growin gup to be a sky rider paladin, the Isles most elite troops.

Here to guard the Lady Mogath no doubt. "Wait here my lady, I will let the Lord know you have arrived."

A few moments of waiting later Galan the guards let everyone through. Vadellya sees Galan approaching. Good- he's still alive. "We came to help." She says cheerful her traveling companions are all back together again. "I'm glad to see you. Who is this?" Galan will say motioning to the wounded young man. "I wish I knew," Dante, Vadellya's half dragon traveling companion says in a semi defeated tone. He continues, "I guess in the future I'm some hero in a war between organics and golemns, big scary guys trying to kill us he came back to help. I call him X." Galan will nod as if what he was told was not the most fantastic thing every imagined. In his 45 years, he must have seen some pretty crazy things, not the least of which is fighting this front of the two front war, Vadellya thinks. "Well stay close we're marching to Trade City. The enemy could be anywhere at any time, we must stay sharp."

The army travels for another 3 days. No sign of Fu Mei ofrthe Doomguard. Nor is there any sign of the Enron Elves who were suppose to meet up with the Genevans. Best case scenerio they can't find the Human army because they are so far off course, worst case scenerio the Doomguard found them and they are in the same state of the Genevan army. As Galan and Captain Feirier discuss this and other aspects of the march Lucian steps into the tent. "My Lord Galan, may I have a word alone with you." Galan will nod to the Captain to leave. As soon as the tent flap closes Lucian speaks, "An old friend of yours just spoke to me. Lanfur is here just walking through the camp. She told me she wants to talk to you and she'll be waiting 50 yds south of camp and to come alone. It doesn't seem that setting guards does anything to keep the bad guys from walking our camp." Lanfur-- Galan knows that name too well. One of the head followers of a god who claims to be the choas from which the Multiverse sprung -- The Dark One. She is obsessed with Galan, so much so she seems to want to help Galan defeat the Dark Lord of Choas. Vastly complicating their relationship is Galan's recent induction into the Order of the Protectorate-- an secret order of Paladins sworn to protect and hide the Codex from the forces of evil. And it seems that Lanfur knows about his membership and the artifact which he carries. "Thank you" is all he can manage to say. She seems to be an unsolveable puzzle, friend or foe, what does she want? Galan goes 50 yds south of camp and finds nothing. Returning to camp he sees no sentries guarding his tent. Pulling back the flaps to enter he sees her laying in his cot with simply a sheet between her and the world.


"I apologize for the deception, but I wanted to surprise you. It is time we stopped pretending, I love you and I know you love me. For one night, let's forget about the world and do what we should have done a long time ago." Galan will say, "My bond is to a higher power I can not be with you."
"Don't talk like all of them, you're not one of them. You see the end from the beginning, can we not for one night-just one moment-be free of our pasts and forget the world and all the people in it? And just embrace that which makes us truly real. "
"How do we defeat the Dark One, Lanfur?"
"You speak too openly about such things. In the morning, it may be safer."
"You offered to help me once. . ."
"I am offering to help you know. How long has it been? Since the soft touch have been felt on that hard face. How long since you've been loved. Meridith couldn't be with you because she was part of the game just one of the pieces. We can be."
"Merideth's fate is unfortunate." A woman, a good woman, a young woman foolish enough to fall in love with Galan, and Galan foolish enough to fall in love back. She was currently back with her husband Tristan, that bastard, in Dragon. Galan unable to save her if she wasn't dead already.
"It is me or loneliness and defeat. Would my love be so bad?" She stand still holding her sheet and holding Galan's hand.
With his free hand he hold up a small feather, "The Keeper of the Seals gave me this to summon him to destroy you the next time I saw you. You force me to make a hard decision. Renounce your following of the Dark One or I'll bring him here right now."
In a voice layered with charm and sincerity, "No, you don't want bring him here. You'll give us one night together because we deserve it. Because you're broken and open, you don't feel like you're strong enough, you're broken and lonesome, and you don't feel right when I'm gone away. The worst will soon be over and we can breathe free again. Hold me high and steal my pain. Because I'm broken without you. I'm not strong enough, I'm broken and lonesome, and I just don't feel right when your gone. You won't call Atrayu because he's just a player in the game - you and I are above that. We are destined to be together."

Galan grapples with his own thoughts for what must be an eternity. She could hold the key to unraveling the Dark One's plans, she would be a powerful ally, she could turn the tide of the war. "Sorry." As Galan summons Atrayu.

No brilliant flash of light or grandiose enterance, Atrayu arrives instantly and draws the spear that grants him invincibility, the Spear of Destiny, and attacks Lanfur without mercy. She spins trying to avoid his blows and begins to cry. As the tears flow from her eyes as if the dam holding them for month as just been pushed past capacity, "You betrayed me. WHY??? I loved you Galan, please help, I have no armor or weapon I cannot defend myself." Atrayu does not let up landing a blow to her abdomen that bleeds covering the sheet in blood and causing it to fall to the ground. Behind her steps Ismal, another of her forsaken companions. Next to the prince oblivion he stands higher in the ranks of the Dark One's forces than anyone. A beautiful man who seems to wear charm like others wear cologne. Standing about 6'2", wide shoulders donning a two layer cape the inside of the cape lined witha red satin. Two long swords, one in each hand he moves to engange Atrayu. The first strike finds true across Atrayu's chest and shoulder. Though the wound is deep it heals instantly as the sword exits the body. Two swords meet two spears, as the two combatants enter a dance meant for only one of them to survive. Lanfur says, "You think your the only one with traps?" pulling her hand across the air her hands leave a grey streak seamingly torn out of nowhere. Eyeing Atrayu her eyes and face filled with hate powerful enough to slay a thousand armies, she strikes sending the ball of choas. Galan jumps between the ball and Atrayu taking the blow. By the grace of Tyr he survives but he feels slowed, his thoughts and movements laborious. Striving to move his sword that weighs more then a dozen suits of armor, he stands. Ishmal spins the spear from Atrayu's grasp causing it to fall just at Galan's feet.

Lanfur says, "Now you see that the shadow wins the day. We embrace the world in grey and the sun has set on you." Galan drops his sword and focuses all his strength to kicking the spear back to Atrayu. Lanfur quickly moves to intercepts and catch the spear. The Spear effortlessly slides through her hands as it a knife sliding through butter removing her fingers from her palms.
Screaming, I thats all there is. Screams fill the air as the high pitched shreak races through the camp. Thats followed by an explosion. The teny smolders in ash and the pair of forsaken are gone, though not forever. Atrayu reaches down to Galan, "By the grace of Zues, may this curse be lifted and your strength return." Galan feels energy and strength fill his body as soon as Atrayu's hands are laid on him. "You did well Galan, I must be away there are many things unraveling now. Keep the faith." And as quickly as he arrived he was gone leaving Galan to calm a rush of men headed to investigate.

After another 2 days of long hard travel the army rests for the night just as the lights of the massive trade city fight the darkness at the horizon. "Just a couple of days," is heard more than once as Lucian walks among the men. The same shadow creature as before appears just as dusk permits enough darkness for him, "My lady Mayhem wishes to grant you another gift." Lucian quickly and sharply replies, "You tell your lady I want an audience with her no more games." "Very well." As the creature becomes shadow and dissapears.

Moments later Senries report Fu Mei is at the sentry post alone stating she is responding to Lord Lucian's request. Lucian goes to face this foe who finds humor in desturction. Alone and without guards the Paladin carries his Mace in the open as a show of force. "I want no more of your games Mayhem. You make no sense. You are part of an organization that professes to create choas." In short deliberate breaths, "We only exist to prevent your kind from delaying what must and should happen. There is no good in the world, even you the great Aegis of Hope, you're only as good as the world allows you to be. You sit in judgement but if you had the life I had you would be me and I you. With that true, what possible morality do you cling to and why?"

"I stand between you and destruction."

"You do now simply because I haven't destroyed you yet. Their are many ways you can be destroyed though. " eEffortlessly unlatching a buckel and causing her massive two handed sword to fall to the ground she says, "I surrender to you Lucian."

"What?"

"Will you accept my surrender and kill me or will you let me walk free? In one you murder a woman in cold blood, in the other I walk free and my army destroys everything you fight for. Either way I win- you are destroyed." Kneeling, her ankles crossed, she looks up into his eyes and throws her arms open in a motion to either embrace or completely surrender to the Paladin.

Lucian weighs his options and holds his mace close, "What I do now I do in the name of Zues and to stem the Chaos you bring." He swings with all his might. He strikes the rust covered armor failing to penetrate or harm her at all. Of course its magically protected.

Standing, "Well you have the guts to kill me just not the skill." She giggles genuinely amused then breaks into an all out laugh. "Willing to murder but this brave mighty warrior lacks the skill to follow through." Her speech broken between cackles and high pitches laughing, "Now I get them both I have made you a paladin willing to murder and kill even those who surrender, and I will still lead my army to destroy all those close to you." Turning to leaving and with her back turned to Lucian, "Perhaps we'll have another chance after you grow up."

Rage boils to the top like a stew thrown into the fire for too long and exploding as a volcano. She will only kill more. Visions of the monastary the priest and patrons staked to be eaten by the birds. Still alive, they flailed trying to free themselves, the soliders he fought beside all murdered. She just wants to see the world burn. The children as a gift he was given, Oh Zues- the children, how many more? Would she stop, could he stop her if she fought back, I need to defeat her to earn my mace...I mean to keep the glory of Zues. The face of all the children rest in his head he closes his eyes and shakes the image from his mind just for it to be replaced by the monastary burning. Stop her, stop her STOP HER"NO!!!!!!!!!!!" He rushes striking Fu Mei in the back of the head causing her to fall to all fours, "Goood, gooood, HIT ME.... HIT ME" He strikes again and again and again. Some blows landing true others blocked by her magical armor but nothing deters him. Not the gruesome blood or the cackling of joy, or even at the point the laughter is choked off by the blood he continues until...there is nothing. She lay not moving. He had done it. He stopped her.

Grabbing her left foot he drags her back to camp not caring about the trail he left. THough not physically wounded he felt torn and his spirit broken. Even as the men cheered to celebrate praising the Aegis of Hope Lucian didn't feel...anything.

Galan coming out to see what the celbration was for sees something move in the dark distance. Then an explosion...