CrownedSun/WWSessionOne

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The First Session (Exaltation)

The story begins in the isolated eastern town of Farhold, as a Guild-run Caravan owned by the Brown Bull Company leaves the city in the earliest hours of the morning. Some time later, as the Sun begins to lift over the horizon, the heroes find themselves either arriving in the city for the first time or awakening from a long and trying night.

For Farsoth, this was a morning of many firsts -- last night had been his first night in the city of Farhold, which he had watched from the treelines for many days. Silver flowed from his pouch liberally, and the consumption of much ale helped to ease the disease that had entered the tavern. In the company of a pretty blonde wench, he whiled away the rest of the night -- only to wake up in the morning with a dull headache, and a missing purse.

Jemas, on the other hand, had come in with the Caravan but stayed behind after he'd stolen a bit of gold from one of the wagon drivers and otherwise worn out his welcome. He was sitting in the tavern, counting his ill-gotten gains, when Fox idly opened the door to the Tavern and got himself something to drink and a little food to ease his empty stomach after a long trek over dry roads on his way to the East. Just as the traveller was enjoying his meal and drink, and Jemas was going through the coins he'd nicked from the wagon driver, Farsoth stormed into the tavern looking for a golden haired woman.

It quickly became apparent that such was not present, but the sound of coins jingling from hand to pile caught the hot-tempered barbarians attention and he stormed over to Jemas. Questions on the whereabouts of a golden haired temptress were replaced with accusations of theft, and just as Fox's eyes wandered over to a posting board where various announcements and notes were hung the massive barbarian hoisted the young thief up into the air.

One of the messages on the board portrayed a tale that Fox had heard more than a few times on his trip up the road, 'bandits attacking the city of Eastend', 'the Princess Lenore', 'Reward'. Already heading in that general direction, and with a glance over toward the Barbarian and his 'friend', Fox decided that it might be a fair idea to check in on this but that he certainly wasn't going to do so by himself. However, these two might be able to help him!

A bit of sweet talking and misdirection later, channeling the Barbarians anger toward finding the Caravan (which had headed on, conveniently enough, to Eastend) and the young Thiefs into claiming a reward, the three managed to make their way out of the town and over near the townships meager docks. There they found passage as 'mercenaries' aboard a ship owned by the Eagle Talon Company, out of Nexus, headed by an Outcaste Dragon-Blooded and a older looking Captain of purely mortal sorts.

The whole of the day passed, nightfall beginning to rise up as the group neared Eastend -- to find smoke slowly billowing up from fires that had long since burned out, the pallisade around the town burned and parted in places, and every sign that the city had taken the bandits most difficulty. Yet, the Fort remained unbroken and thus hope remained. Separating from the Mercenaries for the time, the group made their way in -- ascertaining the damage, even while looking for the Caravan which had quite obviously arrived ahead of them. The Fort, naturally, was their way of passage -- moving through the city, however, it became quite obvious that while peasants and guards and mercenaries had fallen in numbers there were no dead bandits.

Within the Fort, Forsath was confronted with his golden haired mistress once again -- but confronting her, found only a hot-tounged young woman who seemed little interested in dealing with him in any manner besides the carnal. Yet, even so, he didn't press the point. Jemas, however, wasn't about to let such a thing pass -- he'd taken enough hell from the large ugly Barbarian that he wasn't about to forgive and thus cut the womans purse and made plans to give it back to the fellow.

These plans, however, were cut short when -- out of the room they'd found the blonde whore -- calls of "Hobgoblin!" began to rang out and the city began to prepare for battle against Worg- and Gryphon-mounted Fae. In the cacophony of the next few minutes of this renewed assault, when all hoped seemed lost, the three pushed themselves into the battle. Die they might, but they would take as many of these inhuman beasts with them as they could. In that moment, they were Exalted with the very power of the Unconquered Sun -- the words of their new Father filling their ears, and even the sight of him over them. Filled with renewed vigor, they battled with all the unholy strength of the Anathema -- driving back the Fae, causing a Black-armored Rider to sound a retreat and disappear into the Forest.

Then, at last with some moment of reflection, they were left to consider what had befallen them.

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