An Entrance to a New World

A figure walked down a sparsely lit street, the passing headlights briefly illuminating the figure as they scribbled on a notepad, a bag of produce hanging from the bend of their arm. Slowly through stifled imagination and procrastination, the figure who put off making his character hurried to make one. Using a basic background, and cobbling together a few builds to look over with the intent to send it off to their GM after they cook themselves a din—

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In a great expanse of Legends and Myths, where after a Great Extinction, Gods have spent their physical selves leaving only their unseen Divine Spirits to guide the newly created Mortals from afar… On a large cliff overlooking the southwest where the vast Exdurn Sea met the Sailurn Strait, the trade city of Soluris had prospered through the night as the moon began to fall over the Indepentant City of Soluris, and the thick pewter clouds held back the sun's rising rays whilst casting a darkened drizzle over the land, in a section of the city commonly known as the Lower District a young girl on the cusp of adulthood ran through the dimly lit streets with sweat crawling down her face and heavy labored breaths dragging the taste of salt through her lips a panic filled her blue eyes, as her gaze darted from wall to wall, from street to street, dark passageway to dark passageway she pushed off the ground desperately sprinting through the streets too terrified to cast a glance over her shoulder in fear that what little hope she held would be squashed by the sight she'd find… Unaware of the ominous white that crept upward from the tips of her dark gray hair, the true weight of the presence which enveloped her frame, the contradictory oldness that slipped into her youthful feature even as a severe weakness invaded her body, and she collapsed in one of the numerous dark passageways of Soluris' Lower District.

Her body shattered into ashes before an unseen shimmer washed through them, a flicker of gentle dim flames and it was ash no more…

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[4 Years Later | 1087 A.G.E]

In the midst of the clustered chatter of a busy tavern rested a young woman in a long white tunic that was split at the sides below the hip, pulled tight to her midsection by an apron–like belt that drapes over her rear akin to a tail, her long raven hair tucked behind one ear and flowing down her back as her blue gaze washed across the tavern, soon to find a familiar face…

"Oi! Mirya, I heard there was a pack of Gnolls that had settled in the–"

The woman lightly shook her head, causing her raven hair to slightly splay, with a deadpan she blandly replied as her fingers played with a small crystalline structure hanging from a length of low hanging leather, "We've spoken about this… Until I receive payment for the extermination of the Giant Rats, I'm not taking another job…"

The man settled in a seat across from Mirya, his fingers interlocking atop the table,"I know, and I'm sorry…"

Mirya's eyes narrowed, before they widened in barely contained rage as her palm laid flat upon the table, her voice cutting through the noise of the tavern just as three heavily armored figures stormed into the establishment, "{Catapult}"

The crystalline structure hanging from Mirya's neck flashed with a dull, nearly imperceivable flash of light, a spark of fear surfaced in the man's eyes just before the table launched itself into his frame, the wood splintering around his form. As Mirya rose to her feet her outstretched hand cut through the air towards the three armored figures as she intoned, "{Ice Knife}"

Everyone watched as the unseen moisture in the air converged in a chilled mist to form a jagged blade that launched toward the three armored figures, as it caught one in the shoulder exploded into a shower of icy shrapnel she pulled her dagger from the sheath strapped to her thigh, one of the armored individuals charged forward tackling Mirya through a chair and onto the ground. Mirya's dagger clattered to the ground, and before she could channel the Magic that saturated her blood, the sharp edge of a sword rested against her neck, and with a long sigh Mirya closed her eyes seemingly surrendering, as the other two armored figures flanked her sides, just barely shifting enough to evade their falling blades meant to pin her to the ground, Mirya mentally intoned, '{Subtle Spell | Shatter}'

Akin to the chime of a bell, a piercing noise exploded from Mirya, an unseen wave of force rapidly expanding from her figure causing the nearby tables, chairs, and even the floorboards to explode into a shower of wooden shrapnel. The explosive force rippled through the figure who had grappled Mirya, and they coughed up a mouthful of blood that leaked through their helm, the two at their side gave out pained groans while Mirya grit her teeth as the explosive unseen force tore through her body. As blood smeared her teeth, Mirya attempted to free herself only for an armored foot to impact the side of her head, doubling her vision for a brief moment, before a sharp intense pain rose from her thigh. As her vision cleared she found a sword imbedded into the meat of her leg, an angry gravely voice filling her ears, "Fucking bitch killed Gerold!"

It seemed the fool, whom Mirya had {Catapult}'d a table into couldn't survive both the impact, and the explosive unseen force, though Mirya's focus washed elsewhere as she cast her gaze past the trio that surrounded her towards the door of the establishment, "{Misty Step}"

As a silvery mist enveloped the young woman, Mirya felt her figure be pulled in the direction her gaze had been cast as she reappeared 30 meters from where she had been tackled, pulling on the Well of Strength that lingered in the depths of her being gaining a {Second Wind}, dulling the pain that wrecked her body and slowed the outward flow of blood, before a heat coursed through her veins; {Action Surge}, and with every ounce of her being burning with vigor Mirya dashed off into subterranean tunnels of the Lower District, bursting through the streets ignoring the dull pain that washed through her body with every step Mirya swiftly cut through the crowds pushing off bodies and objects with not a single thought intent on casting her eyes behind her, as she ducked into a thin passage and slammed her palm against the wall, her voice intoning once more, "{Mold Earth}"

Immediately a 5 foot hole was excavated from the wall, and the dirt that was excavated was evenly spread amongst the entrance of the passage Mirya crawled inside forcibly calming her heavy breaths… After a long, few minutes Mirya heaved a long breath before gently intoning, "{Disguise Self}." With a dull flash of nearly imperceivable light, an illusionary light washed over Mirya's figure as it molded itself into a middle–aged man covered in filth, pulling away from her hurriedly made hiding spot Mirya calmly returned to the streets of the Lower District. Eventually making her way to an abandoned hovel, and settling down for a {Long Rest}.

Mirya awoke with a groan, the echoes of the pain she endured the night before resurfacing in her mind and washing through her body as she sat up and cast a glance around the dust—filled room.

"Dur firok…(Accursed Bastard)" Her voice was deep and gravely as those draconic that growl fell from her lips, rarely did Mirya speak in her blood's tongue but when she did she truly meant the words that slipped from her lips. Rising to her feet, Mirya cursed the loss of her dagger as she came to the realization that she'd need to spend another half–dozen silver just to procure another one of similar quality…

Yet, before Mirya could do that she'd need to return to her accommodations and gather her things in preparation for leaving the Lower District, as she had no doubt that whoever Gerold tried to sell her off to wouldn't give up their search. Slipping out of the abandoned hovel, after a quick cast of {Disguise Self} to take the form of a middle–aged man, Mirya made her way back to the tavern she had been attacked in the night before.

Much like she had expected, the tavern was in terrible disarray but she paid it and the laborers working little mind on her way up the stairs at the back of the establishment, and towards the room she had been staying in for the last few years only to find the door had been broken down. Luckily enough, aside from the coin she had been saving for quite some time, all her personal items were accounted for…

Spending a few minutes to gather all her items, Mirya draped a heavy leather cloak over her shoulders before pulling the hood over her head and slipping back out into the busy, dimly lit streets of Soluris' Lower District…

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[2 Weeks Later | 1087 A.G.E]

"{Twin Spell | Catapult}"

Mirya backpedaled as two fist sized stones launched forward tearing through a goblin, ripping its left arm from its body and bursting its skull sending gore everywhere, pivoting on her heel Mirya; with a heat coursing through her veins; {Action Surge}, lashed out with her dagger its blade sliding through the sinewy flesh before it retaliated digging it's filthy maw into the flesh of her arm bringing a stifled groan from her lips as her palm slammed atop its head, a soft intonation slipping from her lips, "{Gust}"

With a dull flash of her Arcane Focus, a burst of wind erupted between Mirya's palm and the head of the goblin launching it back a few meters, using the brief moment of reprieve to catch her breath and steady herself before the goblin caught itself and pounced forward once more, bounding off the corpses of fallen goblins the monster came at her wildly slashing out with it's claws, the first two slashes were merely glancing blows, but the third caught Mirya's neck and as the blood crawled down her throat Mirya pulled on the Well of Strength in the depths of her being; {Second Wind}, before rapidly closing the distance…

Before Mirya could attack, the goblin swiped with its claws but all three attacks missed as Mirya sent out another {Gust} sending the monster tumbling backward as she pounced atop of it, driving her dagger deep into its chest… Watching as life slowly drained from its eyes, Mirya let out a long breath, her gaze rising to the stone ceiling of the silver mine she had been tasked to clear out…

Her figure, drenched in blood, small bits of flesh and hair, stood riddled with exhaustion Mirya smoothly dropped to a knee and took the crystalline structure into her hand as she began to concentrate on a small ember blooming into a small flame; {Conjure Campfire}, with the dull flash of the Arcane Focus hidden by her hand a few illusionary logs began to take shape before a swaying flame manifested above them, with a magical warmth filling the immediate surroundings Mirya settled down for a {Short Rest} to nurse what wounds she had endured before verifying that the silver mine had been cleared out of whatever monster may hide in its depths.

Taking an hour to bind her wounds, stuffing them with a mixture of cotton and anti—septic salve to curb any possible infections, sat in the midst of the warm glow emanating from the magical campfire. After taking the time to tend to her wounds, Mirya cut the thin strand of mana that flowed from her into the magical campfire causing it to flicker out of existence before she continued deeper into the mines.

With her dagger at the ready, and her thoughts split between her surroundings, and the incoming payment that she would receive should she complete this job, and the prospect of picking up a more hearty weapon. When her attention was pulled towards an elven corpse surrounded by goblin corpses. Suspiciously, Mirya slowly approached the corpse, finding it covered in torn leather armor, a short sword laid out at its side and a worn pack on its back. Taking a few moments to recast; {Conjure Campfire}, with the magical flame at her back Mirya began to search for the corpse of the most probable Mercenary who took the job before her, and quite obviously failed…

Pulling the armor away from the bloated corpse, finding a handful of copper and a few silver coins lining the corpses pockets, alongside a component pouch with a large singular uncut diamond held within an assortment of spell components. Shifting through the pack, Mirya found a few days worth of rations, a bloodstained bundle of clothes, a torn cloak, and a carefully folded length of cloth.

With furrowed brows, Mirya unfolded the cloth, a suspicion growing in her eyes as it continued to unfold, the square of cloth that easily fit into her palm spread out into a large square of cloth about 10ft wide all around… As the cloth settled in the ground, a faint thrum of power startled Mirya causing her to backpedal a few steps only for a hole of darkness to form atop the cloth. With her brows furrowing deeper, she kept a moderate distance from the cloth before a spark of a distant memory surfaced from the depths of her mind and a tinge of excitement filled her body as she immediately understood what she had found…

"A fucking, portable hole…" Mirya eyed the corpse, wondering how the figure had even come across such an item worth hundreds of Gold Coins, and why he was in this grim mine…

With little care, Mirya folded it back up not trusting a goblin to not mess with the enchanted cloth while she was inside, and not wishing to be trapped in a space of what she could only assume was an artificial demi—plane formed through enchantment…

Shaking the distracting thoughts from her mind, Mirya dispelled the campfire and continued deeper into the mine, after packing away the Portable Hole into her backpack and taking the shortsword, slipping it into her belt.

Her steps were light and slow, filled with a careful intent as she slinked deeper into the dark mine, it was a long tunnel with a gradual curve to the right hand side, that never split into separate passageways… Only one long tunnel…

The silence was only broken by the dripping of water as Mirya crept, her nerves slowly touching at the back of her mind; it was far too calm…

Goblin's were detestable beasts with only a minuscule grain of them showing any degree of moral integrity, not to mention they bred quicker than rabbits… Mirya had killed too few to believe that the Goblin's had cleared out, at most she had snuffed out their patrols—

Mirya stilled as a heavy impact echoed through the tunnel, her expression grew tense and solemn as a loud resounding roar shattered the silence before she broke out into a sprint. As the sounds grew louder, and Mirya drew closer she threw out her hand conjuring four orbs of dull yellow flickering light, with a swift twist of her wrist the orbs shattered into dozens of dim fragments that she sent forward casting a low light in front of her only to find that it was pointless as bright warm light began to reveal itself in the passage…

Dispelling the shattered orbs, Mirya gripped her Arcane Focus slowly kneading the energy it had allowed her to more extensively channel from the deeply entwined mana that filled her blood, the image of a shaking pebble filled her mind, as the shaking grew to a tremble that resonated with the impact of her footfalls, that pebble grew until it filled her mind…

Mirya slid past the final bend, finding an opening to a vast cavern illuminated by brightly glowing flora, but the image in her mind had been complete, "{Subtle Spell | Earth Eruption}"

As the floor of the tunnel/cavern exploded into a sea of shrapnel, a force of wind burst from Mirya as her Arcane Focus gave a dull flash, {Gust of Wind}, launched the dust and smaller shrapnel into the cavern clearing Mirya's line of sight to the immediate threats, as a few goblins stumbled through the wind, with one tumbling backward, her gaze locked onto the largest one; a truly grotesque beast its dark fur was matted with blood and rotten flesh, its large beady eyes only contained a violent instinct and poor attempts of domestication, as her Arcane Focus dimly flashed once more and her hands launched forward, "{Twin Spell | Catapult}"

Two spires of broken stone fell as two rocks held within launched forward, tearing flesh from the large obese pale skinned monster as it let out a pained roar which washed through Mirya's body, it took her a moment to shake the subtle inducement of fear from her mind as her wrist gave a twist, flinging her dagger at the large monster as she intoned, "{Catapult}"

The dagger plunged into its leg as she pulled the shortsword from her belt, with a heavy step forward and a smooth pivot Mirya drew an arc which sliced through the neck of a goblin before she planted her following foot into the ground and forced a downward slash in the opposite direction of her pivot just barely missing a second goblin as one pounced on her back, before she could tear it off the sound of weighty footfalls caught her ears, "{Misty Step}"

The silvery mist engulfed Mirya, just as interlocked fists nearly as large as Mirya's torso pounded into the stone floor of the cavern—mine, with a heavy breath and a brush with death the young woman snapped around attempting to dismember a Goblin, only for it to fumble to the side in an attempt to dodge causing the blade to barely slip against its skin. Hardly even drawing a drop of blood… With her jaw tensing, Mirya pulled on that lingering strength that lay dormant in her body, as the heat coursed through her veins; {Action Surge}, Mirya thrusted forward with a long stride piercing the goblin through the stomach before carving through its flesh with a violent flourish. Before the heat coursing through her body could fade, Mirya burst forward her feet pounding a path towards the monstrous behemoth with her shortsword at the ready as it began charging—

The heat faded from Mirya's body, and her speed slowed as she allowed her feet to slip out from under her frame, falling into a smooth sliding motion that brought her between the beast's legs. Just before she was about to pass the beast, Mirya tilted her foot allowing to catch against the coarse ground as she drew a weighty arc with her blade. Despite the force

put behind the swing, it didn't lose its precision as it cleaved through the tendons at the rear of its foot pulling an angered guttural roar from the monster before her focus fell upon the blade that had dug itself deeper into its wound, "{Catapult}"

With a force, far beyond anything the spell had shown before the dagger tore through flesh and bone before bouncing off stone with a resonate ping of steel bringing the beast to its knee as Mirya fell to her knees clasping her Arcane Focus… As the monster began to lumber to its feet with a shaky, weak leg, and a limp foot, Mirya was placing the whole of her focus on the dim ember that she began to nourish in her mind, "{Conjure Campfire}"

A gutteral screeching roar resounded as the magical campfire manifested, shooting wisps of flames towards the large monster and any goblins that drew too close. Taking the moment to retreat, and taking advantage of the magical campfire to keep the monster's at bay while also splitting the camber that opened up to the cavern, Mirya took the chance to weigh her options…

Arcane Exhaustion began to touch up the depths of her mind, despite the sensation Mirya still had a small number of spells she could cast before being completely drained… Luckily, she had recovered the Well of Strength in the depths of her being, but that alone wouldn't be enough…

With a long heavy breath of resignation, Mirya fortified herself for the pain she was about to experience, as she doubted her martial ability to be able to fend off the large monster—

Her mind chilled as its species rang throughout her mind, it was a misshapen Ogre… How she had only realized that now could only be attributed to its malformed figure that is a stark difference from the Ogre's that a number of more well off merchants hire…

A curse slipped from her lips as she prepared herself for a few broken bones, and perhaps even her death, for this was the truth of a life as a Mercenary…

With her scavenged shortsword, Mirya bounded backwards meeting the misshapen Ogre midway through its charge, the first swipe of her blade didn't find purchase as the lack of familiarity with the sword threw off the instinctual alignment of the sharpened edge, though the second cut deep into its loose, muscle bound flesh… As she repositioned her arm for a third swing, the fist of the Ogre clipped her side, sending her sprawling whilst coughing up a mouthful of blood as a resounding series of cracks echoed through her body. Tensing her jaw, Mirya pulled on the Well of Strength in the depths of her being; {Second Wind}, allowing her to catch herself on her feet with a turn only to be pounced on by a Goblin. Its chipped stone weapon tore into her flesh before her free hand managed to find its neck, and with a sickening crack the Goblin fell limp just as the Ogre pounded forward…

A heavy pulse washed through Mirya's body and her legs began to grow weak, the moment of weakness emboldening the surrounding monsters as they cried out with guttural roars, a momentary celebration that served to build a spark of assurance on the Ogre's eye—

"{Catapult}"

A large, hefty stone launched from behind Mirya searing through the air with a definitive whisper of wind, it impacted the Ogre's torn leg with a sickening crunch that took the leg from the thigh down causing it to stumble in its charge and fall forward as it made a poor attempt at regaining its balance, at that moment Mirya shifted her focus intent on using this chance to cull the amount of Goblins in the area knowing that should she let them linger, they'd only spell her doom. Especially now that she was poisoned…