The Tale of Aurora

[Rhourk]

The Tale of Aurora

The coins clinked into the box, one by one. She shivered as each one slipped from her hands, then cried in pain as the lash came down. Her back burned with every stroke. She looked up and saw them staring, some smirking, others only pretending to watch, the spectacle too much for their pampered sensibilities. The Priest droned on. The coins fell, and the lash was soon to follow.

Aurora Knightly, you have been found guilty of thievery in the high temple. Only your station of acolyte spares you the penalty of crucifixion. You are hereby stripped of all temple privilege and cast out of the Church of Mitra. You will be taken outside the city walls and released to live out you miserable life in exile from the Church of Mitra.

They dragged her bleeding from the temple. Her clothes torn and ruined. A crowd gathered outside the city gates, armed with rotting fruit, stones and sticks. The broke to allow the temple guards through the gate. And just like that her life was over. The daughter of wealthy noble in the court of King Numedides of Aqualonia, who shunned it all for the life of a temple acolyte to avoid a marriage that she knew she wouldn’t endure. The life in the temple had been easy, but too poor for her tastes. All gone.

She hit the ground hard and heard the screams from the crowd. Demented peasants, relishing a chance to hurt someone daring to be fortunate enough to be born above them but no longer protected. Something rotten and soft exploded against the side of her face, foul sticky juice ran down her face. Pain exploded in her back again as the first stone found her. The crowd closed in, clawing past each other, forcing the smaller assailants to the ground. A press of bodies, without control spilled over her, men and women screamed and kicked in all directions. She rolled and squirmed to the only light she could find. Miraculously, she rolled free, and found herself three feet from the mob that somehow failed to see her.

She ran. The crowd quickly found her and surged after her. She mouthed a silent prayer to anyone, anything that would listen. Her heart pounded, stones fell all around her, but still she ran. Her feet flew over the ground. She felt elated, her feet seemed to float over the land, faster than she could dream. The ground smoothed itself before her, bushes and shrubs leaned out of her way. She thought she was dreaming. The air rushed by her face and pushed her from behind. She closed her eyes and ran, faster than the wind. The mighty Khorotas River lay before her, she never saw the cliff.

The freezing water hit her like a club. Her elation faded, replaced by fear she gulped for air as the current thrashed her about and drove her down. Exhausted she breathed again, and her lungs burned as the water filled them. She panicked and struggled futilely against the rushing waters. A whisper filled her mind as the blackness overwhelmed her.

Be still human. Welcome the embrace. All the waters of this world are my domain, and you will come to no harm here.

The cold left her. She sank what seemed an impossible depth. She drifted into a grotto on the bed of what couldn’t possibly still be the same river. She turned and saw them.

The first was a great man with blue skin and a great mane and beard of seaweed and kelp floated around his head, he sat on a great throne of shell and coral.

The second looked more like a tree than a man. He resembled the first with hair and beard of leaves that floated about him. His skin was bark, but it looked carved of stone.

The third was a mass of bubbles swirling in the depths. The refused to rise. The circled in a violent vortex.

The final was a brilliant red skinned man of flame. The water crackled and hissed around him, instantly turned to steam where it touched him. The hissing sound was immense when she looked at him.

I am Straasha, lord of the water elementals, and these are my brothers and sister, Grome, of the Earth, Misha of the Air, and Kakatal Lord of the Living Flame. You are shunned by your Gods now, capricious young things that they are, they will no longer hear your voice. Such a silly thing, as if you could own the metals and stones of the Earth, they are Gromes. They were here long before your kind, and they will be here long after your kind is gone. Such a silly punishment. To cast aside someone so useful, though she doesn’t know it, and when times will be so needful. Well we see your potential little one, and we will have need. In return you can call on us, we will lend our power when you call, heal wounds, deliver augury or aid in other ways. What say you little one, will you serve us?

I will.

[Rhourk]

As a nature cleric of the Elemental lords you have +1 strength +1 wisdom (already reflected in your scores since I adjusted them) and have resistance to one attack per long rest of fire, water(cold), earth and air(lightning), as long as you are aware of the attack.

[Agnati]

(For those who haven't seen the character sheets, Aurora is Bridget's Cleric)