Chapter 0 (for those too lazy to go onto zetaboards)

Chapter 0     The awakening

“Astarael!” the booming voice of High Zealot Mezro thundered across the chamber walls and rang In Astarael’s ears, causing him to slowly look up.

“You have been with us since birth, you have studied the ancient tomes, you have been schooled in the combat techniques of our people, now it is time for you to begin your journey outside the high walls of the monastery. I present to you your father’s sword and robes, we have kept them preserved since he died.”

Astarael graciously accepts the gifts as he stands, signifying his ascension into the ranks of the junior monks. The chamber was designed so that all the other members of the order could stand as they watched, and so that they were a few feet higher than the junior members, reminding them that they were not yet equals in the eyes of mortals. “I accept these gifts from my father, and from the order. I ask you, High Zealot; what task has the raven queen deemed worthy of such an imperfect vessel?” Astarael recants; he has spent hours poring over these words, anticipating the day when he would finally be allowed to use them.

“Astarael Korlac, by the order of the raven queen you are to carry out the instructions written on this scroll, the contents of which you are to share with no sentient being other than your guardian on this mission.”

“And who is this guardian?” Astarael already knew the answer, but it was required of him to continue the dialogue.

“Horace McCallahan, your godfather. He shall be your shield and your compass upon leaving this place. Do you, Horace McCallahan, accept responsibility for this young half-elf?”

Horace instantly replied in his deep bass voice. “Yes, I hereby swear an oath of vigilance to watch over Astarael Korlac, son of Krom Korlac and Autumn Brightstar, junior monk of the order of the heavenly aurora.”

Mezro’s voice thundered louder this time “Do you, Astarael Korlac, agree to allow Horace McCallahan to swear his oath of vigilance? Is he, in your eyes, worthy to guard and protect you?”

Astarael hadn’t even learned the proper way to say no to this question. “Yes High Zealot, I agree to allow Horace McCallahan, son of no man and Tanisa McCallahan, to guide and protect me in my journeys to come, so that I may be blessed with not meeting with the raven queen before my time is due.”

Mezro’s hands began to shine with divine light as he spoke “Then by the power vested in me by the raven queen herself, I hereby seal this oath of vigilance, so that no mortal may ever break it” as he finished the light diminished.”

The congregation chanted spells of good fortune, protection, speed, agility, strength, and intellect as the high zealot stepped down from his pulpit and began striding towards Astarael, muttering an incantation that got louder and louder as he got closer to the now bowing Astarael. He lifts his hands to the sky as he draws within arm’s reach of the young half-elf and, when Astarael’s ears could bear no more, ceased as he placed his hands upon Astarael’s head.

Waves of every feeling imaginable surged through his body, causing Astarael’s body to go rigid. He felt immeasurable pleasure beyond his wildest dreams, he saw all that there is to see in a single instant, he felt the most excruciating pain course through his blood, felt cooked alive and frozen to the core, and heard a sound like flint and steel scraping against one another, and in an instant all of it was over, but the feeling was not completely gone, he felt a shadow of an echo of it deep within him, his divine spark has been awakened. He tries to rise to his shaking feet, as it is said he is supposed to do, but fails, falling over unconscious and twitching.

Chapter 1: the other awakening

Astarael wakes inside the medical ward, his body still numb from the intensity of the awakening ritual, the only thing he feels in an intense hunger. “Mother, are you there? I can barely see.”

Autumn pulls back the curtains of his bed immediately and answers in her sweet honey voice “yes of course I am here Astarael, is there anything you need?”

“So hungry. Can you get me something to eat?”

“Of course my little star. What would you like?”

“A warhorse, hooves and all. And something to make me forget my failure at the awakening”

“Oh Astarael, you didn’t fail. That has happened to almost all of us, why it even happened to your father. Most of us didn’t even make it as far as you, the moment the High Zealot tapped our foreheads we were out like a torch in a blizzard. No honey you did perfectly fine.”

“But I was supposed to demonstrate my divine spark to the congregation after I stood!” Astarael complained.

“That’s for those with the most powerful of wills, like high Zealot Mezro. Those that can stand long enough to use their new divine spark have tough wills, but the surge of power that runs through them gets them every time, even High Zealot Mezro. You have to be knocked out to allow your body to fully experience the strength the raven queen has just bestowed upon you, if not then you wouldn’t be half as powerful.”

“so the whole point is to lay us up in here for a few hours?”

“no, the point is to lay you up in here for a couple DAYS. You’ve been out for 2 days now.”

“WHAT? But what about the mission, I didn’t even get a chance to read it over!”

“All in due time my little star, for now I’ll get you that warhorse, why did you think there was a grand banquet a whole week after the awakening, it’s so they can have time to wake up, you woke up very early, we haven’t got anything ready so go back to sleep for a while okay.”

“okay, but wait. If I’ve been out for two days then where have I been…. Going?”

“where do you think?” she snickers as she sees Astarael’s cheeks turn bright red “don’t worry, only I did anything, beside we all had to go through it. I know I had the same expression when I woke up”

“I……. guess…… uh, can I have my pants back?”

Autumn begins laughing uncontrollably. “Of *snicker* of course, they’re in the bin next to you along with your gear”

“Thank you mom.” “Oh gods!” Astarael thinks “I REALLY hope this happened to everyone else, otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.” He graciously returns to his old gear; a voluminous cloak of black with attached hood designed to keep his face covered, as well as distort his figure so that strikes aimed at him wouldn’t know where his vital organs would be.

“Are you dressed dear, I’ve got some beef stew hot and ready.”

“All set mom, thanks, I hope you brought the whole trencher” He smiles as he notices that she actually did.

“Believe me, you think you won’t eat it all but then you start scraping the bottom looking for more.”

“I don’t doubt that in the slightest, hey where’s Horace?” he asked, scooping some delicious broth into a wooden bowl.

“He’s training and studying the specifics of your mission, no one expected you to wake up until 3 days from now, you’re very strong of will Astarael, you should feel blessed”

He swallows a mouthful of steaming stew and responds “I certainly do, and I think this stew is too”

“It is, when you’re done, Horace will want to see that you’ve waken”

“oh right!” a questioning look entered Astarael’s face “hey mom?”

“yes?”

“Has Horace been awakened?”

Autumn frowns and sighs heavily. “no, he has not. Horace was trained in our combat techniques but he has never shown devotion to the raven queen other than what is required of him, he’s not a true follower and can never be awakened.”

“But why not!?” Astarael surges up when he hears this, knocking his empty soup bowl to the ground “Horace has given all we could ever ask to this monastery, if it weren’t for him my dad would have had no chance and died a lot sooner! Then I’d never be born, technically I owe him my life this monastery can’t even reward him for what he’s done!?”

Autumn stayed calm and cool the entire rant, hardly moving, she thinks to herself; There’s his father coming out in him, I just wish he’d behave like this around other people, he makes them think he’s as soulless as a warforged.” “Astarael,” she finally replied “Horace has given a lot to this monastery, but he can’t be awakened because the raven queen won’t allow it. He’s fine without awakened powers, he’s a fighter not an avenger. You’d do well to remember his martial prowess is beyond anything other members of the order can hope to achieve.

“but… he.. *sigh* I suppose, if the queen wills it. It’s still not fair”

“I know honey” she moves to wrap her little star in her arms “but it’s just the way it is.” She releases him and grabs his shoulders, remarking that he’s still a little shorter than her despite being half-human. “now, why don’t you go see him, like I said he’ll be waiting for you there.

“all right then mom, I’ll go. I love you, I’ll be back soon.”

“bye my shining star!” she smiles as he leaves the medical ward and thinks to herself “It seems like only yesterday the high zealot was presenting him to the queen, and now he’s off to go serve her, as a full avenger. I just hope he’ll be allright.

(yes I know, not one fight scene or bit of action yet, but I wanted this to be a tender chapter between Astarael and  Autumn, to show you how much they care about each other, you'll really see he loves her when Astarael starts talking to other people)

An introductory post

Greetings, chocl8215 here with an idea born from boredom and too much D&D stuff lying around my house.

I have decided to attempt to write my own fanfiction about a Half-elf adventurer named Astarael (kudos to those who know where that name came from). I write this fanfiction from the perspective of a veteran D&D player but i have never written much outside of essays and the first chapter of a rather crappy novel. Not to say I'm a bad writer, I recently got nominated for some award for having the best written essay in my class *cough cough giant ego cough cough* and have had to write many backstories for characters of DND, oblivion, even minecraft at one point. as of now this is just an idea I had 5 minutes ago. I welcome ideas and input of any kind, yes even those shouting at me not to do this, but please, try to give a good reason for your suggestions.

Here are character biographies of the two main characters, Astarael and horace.

Character biography for astarael



Race; half-elf

Name: Astarael Korlac

Birthplace: Heavenly aurora Monastery, in the isolated Zengyu Mountain range

Parents: Krom Korlac, Human male (deceased) and Autumn Korlac, Elven female

Age: 32 years (19 human years)

Back story: Astarael was born into his training; he is the only son of 2nd Zealot Krom Korlac, a master assassin and fateful devotee of the raven queen. His mother Autumn is the surgeon general for the monastery, her poultices and magic have saved the lives of many of the order’s guildsmen. However, she could not save the life of her husband after he was ambushed by a group of gnolls. Their toxic arrows hit him time and time again and it was three days before he stumbled back to camp, Autumn was anxious for him to return, he could tell him the wonderful news of her pregnancy, but when he got to her he was unconscious from poison, his only surviving comrade carrying him back to the monastery and nearly killing himself in the process. Autumn worked furiously to save him, but it was of no use. The poison had reached his brain before she could treat him and he died soon after he was brought back to camp. Astarael grew up without a true father but he did have a father figure, Horace McCallahan, the last surviving member of his father’s party. Horace joined the order late and served as a bodyguard, he clunked around in plate armor and hewed through his foes with a great sword, not the kind of man you wanted sneaking around castle corridors with you, but great in skirmishes. Astarael grew to be a shy, reserved fellow, he had but one friend; Horace, and spent many hours in either the library or the training grounds during his free time. Astarael is a cold person, but vastly less so around his mother and Horace. Astarael has never been on a true mission outside the monastery before, he is very nervous to see what wonders await him away from the temple.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Deity: The Raven Queen

Statistics (note, these are just for reference, they do not play any role in determining the outcome of a fight)
Str. 13
Con. 10
Dex. 19
Int. 15
Wis. 15
Cha. 8



Character Biography for Horace



Race: Elf

Name: Horace McCallahan

Birthplace: Verdantia, Capital city of The Emerald Empire
.
Parents: father unknown, Tanisa of the quays, Elven female.

Age: 118 (26 human years)

Back story: born to a low class prostitute and left in an orphanage taught Horace one thing; survival of the fittest. Horace left the orphanage as soon as he could and began work as a city guard n the rough-and-tumble docks of Verdantia. His skill with a great sword caught the eye of one Krom Korlac, who offered him a way out of the shabby droll life of a city guard, he eagerly accepted. When he reached the monastery he trained hard to become the best bodyguard he could. Horace and Krom grew to be almost brothers; Horace was Krom’s best man at the wedding and the two refused to travel separately, Autumn named him the godfather when she heard Krom might not make it and Horace gladly accepted the role of Astarael’s mentor and protector, though he grew quickly by elven standards. Many would have withdrawn into themselves from these hardships but Horace also learned the value of good friends, he still remembers the times each of his watchmates took their turn on wall patrol with him and what they were like. Horace is a big softy at heart, but only around friends and good company, whe things turn serious, no one has their sword in the air faster that Horace.
Alignment: Chaotic good

Deity: none that he is reverent to, but he gives homage to the raven queen as it is required by members of the monastery.

Statistics

Str. 18
Con. 16
Dex. 11
Int. 9
Wis. 9
Cha. 13

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