A man with a spear stalks corridors of rough stone. The lack of light doesn’t impede him in the slightest. Three goblins drop from holes in the ceiling, trapping him within a triangle. With ruthless efficiency, the man dispatches them. The first becomes a pyre, ruining the dark vision of all the fighters. The second explodes as a spear pierces through it, showering the man with gore. The third dangles in midair, clawing at its throat. With a flick of his wrist, the goblin is sent flying down the hall only to jerk so violently to a stop that it is decapitated.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A line of guards in chain mail line the walls to a city, looking down upon the rag tag forces arrayed against them. They crossed the straight on discarded ships, and left a token force to hold the gates. As the invader’s commander looks on, the army breaks apart and disperses to ravage the countryside. Though he maintains a stoic face, inside he is conflicted at the devastation he knows he just unleashed. Messenger birds from the besieged city are shot down immediately.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“May Ariana’s inspiration help us overcome these obstacles.” An older man at the head of a long table intoned.

“Amen.” The rest of the attendants answered, and the old man sat down.

“This is going to be difficult. Ariana has finally managed to send us a message, though I suspect others have tried to interfere. Our ranks have been infiltrated by shadow, and Ariana has charged us with three missions. First, find a way to detect the shadow. Then we need to contain it and purge our ranks. Finally, we need to be able to destroy it, preferably without harming the container. Ideas?”

“Do we know the extent of the infiltration?”

“No.”

“Then I suggest we break into groups.” One of the members ventured. “Before you ask, this is in case one or more of us are compromised. Several working in parallel is much harder to sabotage than one group.”

“A valid point.” The old man agreed. “Then we shall do this. Break into groups of three, and return to your churches. Maintain secrecy in your projects, and as soon as you complete it start testing everyone in your church. Once we have our church cleansed, the king will likely back us in purging those in leadership positions. May Ariana guide us.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The spearman from earlier has now cleaned up. Instead of armor, he has donned a healer’s white robes and joined several others in a lecture hall.

“The god’s need the world to stay in balance, and that is why they can’t let mana heal others. It is far too easy to use and increase.” An old gnome is lectures. “That doesn’t mean that they love us less. Instead, they refuse to let us fall into complacency. Should you know that grievous wounds could be healed with a wave of a mage’s hand, younglings would be far more inclined to engage in dangerous behavior. Instead, the gods leave us to determine which ones truly need intervention, and which injuries will stay as a reminder and a learning experience. In here, you will learn the basics of divine healing, and how to increase your spirit attribute.”

“But don’t fall into the trap that believing spirit is the only thing you will need. All of you have likely heard the saying that a healer gives of themselves in every healing. That is far more true than you realize. In order to truly heal someone, sacrifice must be made to maintain balance. That sacrifice comes in the form of your hitpoints. Most people assume that death simply occurs when your hitpoints reach zero, and that is their only function. They are wrong.”

“HItpoints are a measure of your essence, or life force. By combining this force with the divine in the form of spirit, it can be infused in others to heal them. How much life force you need depends on your own skill with the injury, the extent of the injury, and many other things. Take a broken bone. If you tried to heal it immediately after the injury, it may take upwards of fifty health. However, if you properly set the bone, that cost may drop to five health. Keep this in mind.”

“Are there any situations where divine healing will fail?” The spearman asks.

“Yes. Pure divine healing will not affect the stronger curses. In that case, you will need a mage to assist. While your divine energies attack the foul nature of the curse, the mage will use their mana to disrupt the spell form itself. Only then can a curse be properly dispelled.”

“Are there any injuries that are forbidden to be healed?” Someone else asks.

“Never attempt to heal the dead.” The gnome glared at everyone. “That way lies necromancy, and will corrupt your soul. Should you be caught at it, you will be summarily executed. There will be no second chances. We will not run the risk of another Necromancer Lord.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Hey Shalora, looking good.” Lokir said as he sauntered into her training area.

“Lokir? How? Nevermind.” She panted, wiping herself down. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, nothing at all. I just wanted to see you practice. You could probably give Gramash a run for her money.”

“Ha! Oh please, she would have me disarmed and a weapon at my throat in seconds.” She waved off the compliment, though she did smile a bit. “But you didn’t come here to flatter me, so what do you need Lokir?”

“I came to give you a gift.” He said, pulling a box out of nowhere. “I hope you like them, crafting them was incredibly difficult.”

Shalora opened the box and couldn’t help but inhale at the beautiful swords in front of her. The handles were a pale blond wood, with a slight arch at the back end. One could easily wield it with one hand, but if power were needed a second hand would fit. The guard was a stylized forest scene that seemed to change with the angle you viewed it at. The blades had a slight flare at the end, highly reminiscent of a Messer. Along the blade was divine script.

“Fallen once, but reforged anew. Twin blades to counter the fangs of the black snake.” Lokir said, noticing her looking at the inscription.

“Where did you get these?” Shalora asked.

“I managed to save the spears of Drevor and Gramash, and reforged them. Since you took up the mantle of protector, I figured you would need them when you fight. Sorry it took so long, but I needed to see your style to determine how they needed to be shaped.”

“Thank you, Lokir. I’ll not ask what other tricks are up your sleeve, and simply trust you to reveal them when the time is right. Now you should probably get going, Bruin is looking for you. Something about teaching the mortals to be insolent.”

“Oh? If he’s looking for me, then he isn’t in his room now is he?” Lokir chuckled. “He’s going to hate it when all his things are attached to the ceiling.” Shalora laughed as he disappeared to cause mischief, before turning to the blades in her hand. With renewed energy, she took her stance. Lead sword just below her hip and slightly upward, trailing sword above her head and nearly level.