The Cursed Lands (Story Arc) Complete

The Cursed Lands (Story Arc)

Post script
Cover art
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/bpc7eART9.htm
From me @Lance_Saijin
Other Locations
Word Press
https://lancesaijin.wordpress.com/storys/paladin/
Original
Twitter
https://twitter.com/Lance_Saijin/status/1223260388759871488?s=19

Start
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Pal001
A curse is upon the land.
One you can't see but you can feel it.
Sorrow fills the hearts of the people.
You stare at them as they walk past your alley.

Pal002
The dirty rags and tunic you call clothes and part of a shattered holy symbol around your neck are all that you own. The constant walking from town to town avoiding the front lines has left you destroyed and ragged. Sleep never comes.

Pal003
Your hood covers your ears well and the grime covers the rest of you...
Once a pillar of strength carrying your great maul you are now an emaciated shadow of your former self.
Any fat, and much of your impressive physique gone.

Pal004
You were called
"Champion of the gods."
"Turner of Tides."
"Holy Defender of the realm."

All of that is gone now....

Pal005
"The Sorrow" it infected them, your men, all dead, by their own hands.

The highest of sacrilege, a blasphemy against the Platinum Dragon Bahamut himself.

Pal006
For each death a fracture, a shard, of your holy symbol fell. The purest of metals, enchanted and blessed by a God it decayed.
You saw the impossible happen.
Your foes, invisible and unknown, won with out ever lifting a sword.

Pal007
"The Sorrow"...
Daily it tears at your very soul whispering madness in your ears.

Voice "Its almost complete, only you remain, just finish it and be done.

Pal008
Voice "You needlessly suffer, for what?"

You tell your self to push on as the sorrows effects become physical.

For weeks you walked away from the front lines.
Every town infected. The smell, the taste of this evil in the air.

Pal009
One hope remained, your holy symbol though shattered and corroded Bahamut's eye was still pristine.

Pal010
As you traveled the fighting grew less and less.
Oddly it was completely unheard of in this city.
The last of Bahamut's blessing has stained your senses, you can almost always sense the evil of sorrow clinging to everyone even here.

Pal011
People in this town are going about their daily lives as if nothing is happening.
You can feel sorrow feeding off them, see its effects wearing them down.
You do nothing, wallowing in guilt you hide away in your dirt.

Pal012
On a particularly bad day a hand passes before your vision, a loaf of bread appearing before you.
The smell of sweet flowers and honey, and a calming hymn float on the air.
Looking up you see her.
Though her clothes show her station as lowly she radiates a glow.
Tears....

Pal013
You can't stop the tears as you take the humble offering. She speaks but you hear no words, for a moment your senses are overwhelmed. You stare far to long at the bread and looking back she's gone.

Pal014
As if you've been in darkness for far to long seeking the light, a brief sight of such radiance draws you from your doldrums. You look around trying to spot her.
Make a perception check

Player rolls (perception) a 6 for total of 9

Pal015
You look back and forth from the alley down either side of the street.
No sign remains of her presence.
Your chest tightens and the foul smell and taste of "Sorrow" fills your lungs.