Gifts for a Champion

Moringar made his way by stealth through the old ruins. "Ok preistess let's hope your information proves true." The old temple he entered had seen better days. Spider webs encased many areas and a feeling of dread could be felt from within. Moringar pulled out the small journal looked over a few pages and made his way to the ruined statue ahead. The statue looked to be once a beautiful woman but in it's current state had seen much better days. Moringar bowed to the statue and made his way behind searching for something. A click was heard as Moringar smiled and bowed again to the statue "thank you very much my lady." A panel opened in front of the statue showing stairs leading down by torches that lit one after another.

Moringar paused for a moment as he heard a shuffling above him and swore under his breath. A large black spider with fur dropped 5ft behind Mornigar and hissed at him. As Moringar turned to meet his foe he flung a few knives at the spider where one encased itself in it's left eye. The spider hissed with rage and bucked for a moment but seemed determined to capture it's prey. It came at once at Moringar trying to bite with it's fangs and let it's venom do the work. Moringar danced out of the way and produced two long daggers from his back. The daggers looked like smaller swords with runes etched into the blades. One crackled with the essence of lightning while the other looked to be covered in ice. The handles looked to be made of bone but not of any normal creature as it was the bone of a dragon.

Moringar danced in and out of the spiders reach most times stinging it with his dagger's. Each time he hit the spider hissed and was growing angrier and while also getting weaker as the magic pierced through the outer shell. The spider jumped back knowing this foe may be it's death. It spit a web at Moringar but having magic that shielded his body the web blasted apart before it could encase him. The spider hissed yet again and launched itself at the ceiling back to the hole it dropped out of. Moringar cursed at it and waited to see if it would try to attack again.

After a few moments of silence Moringar made his way to the opening and ventured down the stairs. He shook a little and whispered to himself "why out of all things a spider and a big spider at that, why me?" The stairway ended at a long corridor and Moringar made a few steps in before he stopped all of sudden. Looking down before his next step he noticed a tripwire and stepping over it he smiled "Well that was a close one forgot about these old ruins." The corridor continued on with torches lighting ahead as he made his way. As Moringar continued he heard a click under his boot "Oh s..."! A long blade flew across the tunnel and two more in front of the first. The timing he needed would have to be perfect or Moringar would meet his end. He sighed to himself and jumped into the first gap... success! He made the second gap again with out fail, and as he was about to clear the third the blade proved the faster and sliced his armor. "Damn it! I just cleaned that!" He raised his fist to the sky and wiped the sweat from his brow, "well at least that is over."

He found the lever to stop the blades as he searched his surroundings. He was in a oval room lit by torches in the center was a statue of the goddess from above. This time the statue was in immaculate shape she had long flowing hair and was shown as wearing what looked to be a glass or gem like armor. she was in the position of holding a bow back ready to release. No name graced this beautiful warrior but Moringar felt the power residing from the statue of the goddess within. Around the room were four crypts surrounding the statue. As Moringar approached he heard a scraping that quickly went away. As he got closer the lids of the stone crypts erupted and showered the room with pieces of ancient stone. Appearing from within the crypts were undead warriors, there eyes a fire of green and there skin shrivled to the bone. Three carried two handed heavy swords while the fourth had a bow and was knocking an arrow aimed at Moringar.

"Oh wonderful!" Moringar danced past the arrow aimed at his head which hit the warrior behind him who was ready to chop down with a vicious blade. The warrior stumbled back and Moringar shrugged to him as he produced his daggers. Watching Moringar dance around the warriors was like a small light spectacle of white and blues as he hit them with his daggers. Bleeding in a few places the battle was now even as Moringar faced the last warrior. The warrior charged in and Moringar dropped to his knees with a crisscrossed cross slash as the creature fell back and crumpled his sword clanged against the stone. 

Moringar summoned a golden light that bathed over him and healed his wounds."Well done adventurer, well done indeed", standing in front of the statue was a women that looked just like the goddess behind her, with a  natural golden aura surrounding her. Moringar bowed with a smile "Well now the pleasure is all mine lady?" She looked over Moringar and laughed "oh and a gentalman at that or should I say a rogue to the ladies hearts my lord." Moringar laughed and bowed again "guilty I must confess lady?" 

She looked back to the statue and sighed "alas the days of a name are meaningless, but I would ask this of you. Would you be my champion and hunt the undead that my brother stirs to bring chaos over these great lands?" Moringar lost his smile and nodded with a determined look "my lady I would like nothing more then to hunt the undead, it is a passion that the fires of the deepest magics could not quench!" She smiled to Moringar "excellent then I shall fill your dreams on locations of the restless ones when I can and I offer you this." Reaching to her back she pulled off a bow made of a dark crystal engraved in ancient runes that glowed with fire. Holding the bow an arrow appeared out of thin air ready to fire at a chosen target. "With each arrow strike against the undead, these will cut deep into my brother who sits far in his throne." Moringar bowed and took the bow as the goddess stared to fade away with a smile. "Use my gift well while you go with luck and honor my champion." She faded away as Moringar turned smiling and holding his new bow "ok now where the hell did that spider go I got a gift for it!"....

A Battle of Power

Standing near the tree Vareloc looked towards the small fortress. The moon glowed over the forest and highlighted the white tattoo skull over his face like a ghost looking out of the shadows. A figure appeared next to him and bowed his head "Sir the enemy forces appear small in numbers, but there archers may present a resistance, what are your orders?" The figure stepped away with caution as Vareloc looked upon him with his silver eyes that glowed by the moonlight. Those same eyes that sent shivers amongst his fellow soldiers and his enemies in times of battle.

He knew the archers would be an issue, for no soldier wants to be hit by the sharp bite of an enemies arrow. On the other hand there was two vital reasons this keep had to be taken. The first was by holding the fortress it would gain an upper hand on the enemy and they would be closer to wining this war in the North. The second held a secret that only Vareloc knew of by some ancient texts he studied before the battle. It was said that deep under the keep was a sanctuary that was once held by a powerful necromancer and all of his secrets were within.

He looked back to see his soldiers and found they had a look of bloodlust to them, those archers be damned! Raising his fist a roar pierced the sky and the soldiers advanced in a fierce battle cry. Vareloc charged with his men, and by mace and shield he crushed the barricades before them. The moon highlighted the courtyard like a gods ever open eye forever watching. The enemy soldiers advanced and the archers stood on the walkways firing arrows when the chance arrived.

Summoning an inner fire within Vareloc he was suddenly engulfed in magical fire that only harmed those that would attack him. Fearing for there lives most of the soldiers dodged out of the way. This made Vareloc smile under his helm as he made his way up the stone stairs of the walls to the archers. A arrow sank into Varelocs shield as he made his way to the walkway. Knowing the two options were face this fire plated warrior or jump off the side and hope for the best the archer brandished his sword. Steel clang against steel as the fire licked at the archer. This gave Vareloc the advantage and before the archer knew Vareloc's mace smashed into the gut of the archer dropping him to the stone. As the archer fell Vareloc put his shield up in time to just catch a arrow aimed at his face.

This was no ordinary soldier it was a elven archer a cousin to the dark elves of Vareloc's race. It was no matter to Vareloc as he advanced, another arrow then sunk deep into his shield as he hissed at the elf. As they closed the gap the elf showed he knew the art of the sword and would be a worthy opponet to which Varelock grinned for the opportunity. Again steel clanged against steel, but this time the fire did not have the same effect. The elf had the upper hand as he disarmed Vareloc though this did not stop him at the least as now his sheild became a weapon. Thinking the elf had won he was very surprised when the shield smashed right into his face. As relentless as Vareloc was he continued with a upper cut with his shield that knocked the elf off the wall. Looking below to the carnage blood now splattered on the snow like an artist throwing red paint on a naked canvas.

The enemy was routed and stood no chance to the onslaught. Vareloc made his way in to the keep where no resistance awaited him. He made his way into what looked to be a alchemists area and stopped to feel for the magic hidden in the room. The scout from the woods appeared in the behind Vareloc. His leathers were splashed with blood and the sword he held dripped with gore from the battle. "We are victorious sir and I will leave soon to bring word of our victory, it will be very good news on all ends." The scout left and Vareloc removed his helm with a wicked smile on his face he whispered to himself  "yes my friend very good news indeed."

The magic radiated to Vareloc and soon he found a hidden lever set within the wall. Releasing the lever the stone lifted and a thick cloud of dirt engulfed the opening. Grabbing a torch Vareloc made his way in the tunnel burning cobwebs as he went deeper in. A large spider web blocked his path which was put to the torch. A stroke of luck though as no creature made the web it's home. Vareloc soon came upon a door which by his eyes he could see a faint glow of purple magic. Placing his hand against the door and muttering some ancient words the glow disappeared with a pop.

Opening the door Vareloc found a skeleton in robes sitting in an old chair with a few tomes opened on the desk that was covered in dust and webs. Making his way to the desk a sound like lightning erupted in the room and Vareloc found himself caged in a ball of electricity. The skeleton in the robes came alive and slowly looked to Vareloc with dark blue fires that burned in his eyes. "What do you seek here dark elf?" 

Vareloc showing no sign of concern of the electric ball looked back to the skeleton and with a dark voice replied, "Why the power over the dead and the power you yourself hold if you would give it to one who is as worthy as myself." A moment passed with only the sound of the crackling electricity. "Well then by all means sit and you shall have what you seek for a price of course!" The skeleton laughed and the ball vanished. As Vareloc took the chair to sit in front of the skeleton the grinding of stone could be heard from afar and door sealed behind them....