Chronicles of the Last Blissulin
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The weather was just about normal. Dismally normal for Jiyyd. While it was not raining at the moment, it appeared as though the skies could burst open at any moment with torrential downpour. Twas the way of things in the shadows of mountains.
She dressed in her leathers after breakfast, being careful to adjust each strap to the correct tightness. It was learned by her earlier in life that improperly worn leather makes life difficult after a few hours. Gathering her bow and strapping on her sword, she left the renowned establishment "The Regal Whore" and stepped into the filtered light of day looking to the sky. Dissatisfied by the weather, again, she looked back at the warm glow from the still open doorway.
It wasn't much for an Inn. The beds were 'mostly' clean, and she had certainly slept in worse. At least the staff was fun to be around, though sometimes Mistress Chesty was a bit much, even for her. In her travels she had seen many brothels and working girls. It was a trade she did not understand. The trade of pleasure for coin just did not seem to fit her moral code as she would question why someone would pay for an artificial romance.
There were a few people talking. The Ambassador and his fiance were discussing something about a recent attack on the temple with a man in blue armor. It was found that they were looking for some more people to venture with them to seek out the snow goblin tribe that had attacked the temple on the nearby hill. Curious, she thought, how the goblins got past the guards… though did not come up with any imaginative way.
After some more discussion, it was decided that she would join the party headed for the mountain, to face the bitter chill of the snowy hills, and perhaps the goblin tribe themselves. Not knowing what to expect, though believing she was prepared, she set out with the group and followed them through the high plains, only finding one very confused goblin.
It was when they arrived at a village that had been ransacked, and undead attacked their group, when she thought that perhaps she was not quite as prepared as she thought. The first handful of walking corpses fell to blade and bow easily enough, but before they moved onward something rushed from the darkness toward her, catching her by surprise.
The beast lunged at her from the shadows of a nearby structure. It was large and covered with thick black patches of fur, making a horrible growling and snarling noise as it hurled itself at her. She barely had time to fire a wayward shot from her bow as the beast closed the distance so fast. Claws and teeth were all she could see, and her thoughts were confirming that she was not ready to face the likes of these. Luckily, she was able to get away before too much damage was done, as the Ambassador and man in blue armor engaged in a close ranged melee with the beast.
Fingers fumbled with bowstring and arrow as she tried to help her fellow party members... though she was not calm enough to aim true. A thought occurred to her that if she were able to concentrate on something else, other than how she had just nearly died in the jaws of some terrible creature, that she may be able to help her companions.
Practiced words and somatics produced results in a sparkling missile arced it's way toward the beast, striking it with magical force... though not enough to take it down from it's feet. It was perched on it's hind legs, pawing and snapping at the Ambassador and the blue armored fellow.
It took some time before a fatal sword blow took the beast off it's feet with a sound that sent a shiver up her spine. As it hit the ground, it seemed to shrivel and shrink into the form of what appeared to be a large wolf. Something horrid must have happened to the village for such things to be lurking there.
She wiped some blood and saliva away from her arm where she had been slightly injured by the beast and the group pressed on toward the mountains. She began to think about the kind of mess she had signed up for in coming with them... and if she was up to the task.