Role

Chapter 4

The Exile
Added Wed Jan 11 00:48:01 2006 at level 24:

Ulthinius made the short journey west to Evermoon Hollow to seek aid and
counsel from the king and the other wardens. Ulthinius had always been regarded
as a bit of an outcast, and his arrival alone raised immediate suspicions. He was
received coldly by the king, who quickly became his inquisitor and demanded to
know who was responsible for this tragedy. Despite his vehement denial of any
wrongdoing, Ulthinius was blamed and exiled from the Evermoon Hollow, never
to return. He was arrested and escorted to the edge of their realms. But there,
hope was given him, one of his escorts had fought many battles under his
command, and assured him that he would bring others, and they would seek out his
family's murderers.

Two days later, as the sun disappeared over the horizon, thirty of his former men
joined him at a camp on the western eaves of Ar'atouldain. They had found the
trail of the killers. They were still unsure who they were, but they were sure they
had been badly hurt and would be moving slow. The hunters left under cover of
darkness and sped north along the edge of the forest. One the next eve, they
crossed the trail of their quarry. They moved northwest at a steady pace. After a
few hours of rest, the band was on the trail again. They followed the trail for a day
and a half, and it seemed that magic leant their prey unnatural speed. As the sun
approached its apex on the Day of the Bull, in the Month of Battle, a scout spotted
the small band of wizards, stopping for a drink at a stream in a thick grove of oak
trees. Only thirteen of the magi had survived. The wood-elf warriors of Ordasen
were strong indeed! Astinius, the scout and a long time comrade of Ulthinius,
counseled they should exercise caution, wait until they camped and attack by night.
Ulthinius would not hear it.

He charged through the woods, his spear poised for throwing, and as the cry of
alarm went up amongst the magi, the spear of Ergenius hurtled through the air and
drove through the open mouth of a drow invoker. The invoker's head exploded
and the spear slammed into a tree with a resounding thud. The warcry went up
from the inspired warriors who fell upon the unsuspecting wizards with uncanny
violence. Ulthinius narrowly avoided a bolt of lightning shot from the hands of a
black skinned human. Rolling one his shoulder he came up and let his hand-axe
fly. It buried itself in the chest of the mage, splitting his breastbone and spraying
crimson blood onto the green forest floor. Ulthinius took two more as he leapt
forward, first driving his sword through the back of one and in one motion,
withdrawing the sword, spinning and cutting from the right shoulder to the left
hipbone of the next stunned magician. The next thing he knew he was on his face
as a huge, pale-skinned human smashed against him with a round, steel shield.
Ulthinius rolled just in time to hear the crash of a large mace against the ground
where his head had been. He fought to gain his feet, parrying and rolling on the
ground away from his mighty foe. A swift kick to the inside of his attacker's knee
caused him to falter and before Ulthinius could rise, the spear of Astinius showed
its point through the stunned anti-paladin's stomach. The dark knight turned