Session 2: Invasion

The unknown attacker sent his hyena sprinting ahead and caught Jini still not fully prepared. As she retreated and fought, Jini was repeatedly attacked and bitten by the hyena. Finally, just as the handler arrived, Jini blasted the beast into a nearby wall, killing it. The handler fought as savagely as his animal skin coverings would suggest, biting and slashing with his scimitar. Before she could retaliate, he deeply gashed Jini's chest. Jini called upon her necrotic powers to break his mind, but it wasn't enough. The savage man leapt forward, intending to bite into her exposed neck.

Exactly as the man attacked, Gerrart swooped in to Jini's defense, using his holy powers to strike the twisted man down. As he helped her to her feet and led her through the streets, Gerrart told Jini what he knew: thousands of creatures were attacking the city from the south. Never before had he seen goblins and gnolls cooperating like this. Prince Beleret had issued orders for the citizens to either flee or take shelter in the castle while the guards defend the city. Just as they were sprinting across a square, a shadow passed over them. Gerrart whispered one word as the color drained from his face. "Dragon." He then flung Jini to the ground. The last thing she remembered was a huge flash of light, searing heat, and then the nothingness closed in.

While she was unconscious was asleep, she dreamed of a bleak, misty void. She heard the voice of the lich, Daethum the Immortal, mocking her for her weakness. He then said, "Don't worry, I'm not done with you... yet. It seems that you just need a little more power." She gritted her teeth and fought to resist, but his will was too overpowering and she could feel additional power flowing into her. As the searing pain crawled up each nerve, her back arched and a feral scream ripped from her throat. Finally, as the nothing closed in again, she heard the lich one final time. "I will make good on my investment."

When she awoke, Jini found herself in a cot in one of the rooms of the castle. There were several other cots in the small room, each with an injured occupant. On a stool next to her, Gerrart was asleep while leaning against the wall. She woke him up, only to learn that she had been asleep for six days. The city had been completely overrun, the citizens either fled, slaughtered, or trapped in the castle under siege. The invading forces were unlike any monster horde they had seen before. They were better organized, coordinated, and led by a creature unlike any he knew. They needed help, badly. Jini asked about what he had been going to tell her after the tournament, and for a moment he seemed to not understand. Then he realized exactly what Jini meant, and chuckled. He explained that the old Preceptor, Nodis, had passed away, and that he had been elected to be elevated from Knight Banneret to Preceptor. He explained that this meant he would be needed in Aeston on a fairly permanent basis, and that he had intended for them to make the journey together.

Gerrart excused himself, saying he would send some food for her momentarily. He also invited Jini to join him and the Prince at a War Council in a couple of hours, if she was feeling up to it. After he left, Jini lay in the cot and processed everything that had happened. For about ten minutes, she was alone with her thoughts. Then Meriel brought a tray of warm, but simple, food for her. At that moment, Jini realized she was famished, and so she dug into her food while her friend chattered away about how awful the fighting has been. After finishing, Jini started asking Meriel deeper questions about the situation. Meriel really didn't know much about the details, but she did know that they were trapped in the castle for the foreseeable future, and there were more dead and wounded every day. Things were so bad that she was just running errands wherever she could to help out. She looked exhausted, and even a little ragged around the edges. With a twinge of compassion, Jini wrapped her in a hug. With this release of tension, Meriel started sobbing into Jini's shoulder for several minutes. Once she had finally released her pent-up emotions, Meriel chatted for a little while longer and excused herself to go continue her rounds. On her way out, she told Jini that the meeting would be held in her father's study.