Perhaps History will look back fondly on the 143rd day of the 214th year of His Excellency. Today, seven exceptional people from all corners of the world answered Glory's clarion call. Today, they began undertaking the first of many trials that would forge them into the greatest heroes the world has ever known.
....assuming those trials don't kill them all, of course. They almost did today!
Each of the seven arrived in the free city of Tesudon for their own reasons. There was Ballentyne, headstrong and compelling wielder of wild magics; Azrael, avenger of the Raven Queen and devotee of Death; Rhogar, honorable & puissant warrior-priest of Bahamut; Tenebrous, child of the elements and mistress of its power; Armund, canny artificer and cunning leader of men; Zero, master of magic, bravado and blade; and Titus, Kord's competitive and implacable champion. They arrived separately in Tesudon's marketplace, as did the Chancellor of the Iron Empire.
His assassination began our tale.
Thunder heralded his doom; a whipcrack of power that pitched him face-first in the market's dust. Its rumbles were eclipsed by the shrill chorus of drawn steel: the swords of assassins closing in on the Chancellor's entourage. Now, Ballentyne had been making pleasant conversation with an attractive aide to the chancellor….."She must be protected!" he proclaimed as he strode boldly against the charging assassins.
That battlecry and the fervor of battle inspired the champions of Bahamut and Kord, Rhogar and Titus; they drew axe and maul and smashed into the assassins' ranks. Response was swift, however; searing lightning lashed across Rhogar's flesh, sending him to one knee from a stitch-like network of wounds. The assassins had a mage supporting them!
Re-emboldened, the assassins cut down several of the chancellor's aides and drove the marketplace crowd into panic. Amidst this crowd emerged a cloaked figure, moving with certainty of purpose…. and Azrael's purpose was to slay those who threatened innocents. He moved to aid Titus, who stood steadfast amidst a tide of both foes and innocents. Even his mighty endurance was tested, however….. as was his ire when he saw a callous sorcereress conjure a pulsing orb of flame within the crowd! Tenebrous may have directed it at the assassins as well, but this needless loss of life would not be soon forgotten.
Nevertheless, more pressing matters waited, for the battle still raged on…..