New Eberron Awaits (New Dawns IC)

[OhMyGodImOnFire]

There you stand, poised over his prone body, hands wet with blood, though whether it is yours or his, you know not. The blade slips from your fingers, clattering to the ground. It splashes in the pool of blood that has oozed out around him, and some of it gets on your leg. You are annoyed, but you know you had to. It was for vengeance! It was for power! It was for knowledge! It was part of the job! He forced my hand! It was necessary, I had to escape! It had to be done, I had no choice!

Or did you?

No matter now.

You are worthy, it says. You are in the right, but first you must prove yourself. Take me unto you, and I shall show you the end. The right end. The correct end, where all is as it should be. His blood begins to boil, and a steam rises from it, enveloping you, embracing you, caressing you. No, not steam. Smoke. Black as coal, black as night, it grabs you, seeps into you, invading your nostrils. But it smells good, and you breathe it in. It laughs, but you don’t mind.

You are right. You know you are right. But what if you’re wrong?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You wake up with a gasp, clammy hands clutching at a blanket that seems to stick to your body. As you throw it off, you are greeted by a cool breeze, and through the open window your senses start to pick up on the beginning of a new day. From outside your room in the repurposed inn, the smell of freshly baked bread wafts into your nose, and the yelling and laughter of children outside acts as the soprano in the city symphony, the various sounds of the nearby market rounding out the alto, tenor, and bass. Though it has only been ten years since the War, it feels as though things are back to normal again.

But they aren’t – buried knowledge and untold secrets still pervade the land, and as a Seeker, it’s your job to find it. In fact, your next expedition begins soon, and the Lead Seekers have reassigned you to a new team. You recall that they had asked you to take a little time to get ready, and to meet early in the administrative office downstairs to get acquainted with your new party. However, one look at the clock tells you otherwise. There’s no time to prepare, there isn't even time to grab breakfast.

In fact, you’re late. DON’T