Lavia and Trell - Introduction

Lavia and Trell
Today was a good day. Not for most people,
most people were running and screaming and saying they were going to die and
repenting.
But for Lavia and Trall it was the greatest
day of their young lives. It turns out that when people are fleeing evil
undeath gods (really?) they often don’t lock their doors very well, and leave
lots of things lying around. Lavia wasn’t very good at sneaking like Trell, so
being able to bash down doors without worrying she’d actually have to use her
big sword on someone was always nice. She never really wanted to have to use
it, she’d suffered enough aggression back home in Aberdeen, before she fled,
and didn’t want to inflict it anymore. Hopefully looking scarey would be enough
and whatever they found here would keep her and the Halfling fed and sheltered
for the next few months. 
They didn’t really believe this business
about Orcus reaching the material plane. That hole had been in the sky for
months now and nothing had happened, nothing of consequence here in Skorr
anyway, so clearly people were just freaking out over nothing. Stupid people.
She swung the sword at a stubborn door on seeing Trell being too slow with his
fiddly lock picks and the crack was satisfying. Then she stopped dead. Behind
the door was a hideous creature of flaming fur, head shaped like a goat skull
and eyes of piercing blue light. “Trell – run!”
They fled down a narrow alleyway hoping to
evade the creature, before stumbling upon another fearsome sight – a skeleton
covered in purple slime, its arms outstretched and looming towards them. Lavia
slammed into it with her sword and they kept running. Reaching the main street
they saw a third creature, hideous and winged flying over. “They’re everywhere!
We have to hide!” Trell shouted, throwing himself at a nearby cellar door and
flailing until Lavia’s sword opened it. They dived in and buried themselves
under upturned barrels and waited.
The hours passed and the noises outside
grew. Footsteps and wingbeats passed along the street, seeming to come ever
closer each time they passed. Finally the broken door began to creak above them
and they saw a sick red light pass through. “Do you know any prayers Trell?”
Lavia pleaded “Never learned none.” Was his reply. “Then we must fight.” She
stood up, raised her sword and with a blood curdling howl ran towards the
creature ready to strike and hit…nothing. Without any warning the creature had
gone. Outside sounds of cheering seemed to echo from the docks.
***
“Don’t you think we could be doing better
things with ourselves?” Lavia asked glumly as she sat down in the crowded inn
to a plate of mashed potatoes. “People were fighting to save us, taking huge
risks for us, sacrificing themselves for us. And we just used it as a chance to
steal things. What are we?” “Urchins. And now rich ones.” Came Trell’s reply as
he quoffed down a mouthful of wine too fancy for him to appreciate. The months
since the aborted invasion by Orcus had been tense for the pair, they’d left
Skoor together because both felt the need, but for different reasons. Trell
just waned to make sure he didn’t have to hand any of his ill gotten loot into
the thieves guild, Lavia was feeling a more esoteric sense of guilt.
“Some sacrificed more than know.” Came a
voice from somewhere behind her. Lavia spun around. “Who are you?” A pixie
appeared on the ground in front of her, a look on her face that could only be
described as a combination of manic and somber. “I am the profit of the
Engineered Princess. I heard what you said about sacrifice, but you only know a
tiny part of it. The Great Downwards Engineering Company all sacrificed
themselves on that day, though it seems the only ones who get any credit are
Mirrax and her ruffians. Though even downwards didn’t give up the most, they
didn’t know that they were heading for doom, but our Princess did. Let me tell
you about her…”
***
“Trell, remember what that pixie we met in
that inn said?” 
“Lavia how could I forget, that was 6
months ago and you don’t shut up about it. She was cazy, everyone knows pixies
just like to spin lies for their own amusement. And what a dumb name for a God,
The Engineered Princess.”
“Trell, she wasn’t making it up. Everything
we’ve heard since then has validated her story. We know Great Downwards were
real, we’ve heard so many other stories about their god slaying sword, and all
their adventures, and about Lady Kingsley. All from people who wouldn’t have
met each other. They can’t be making it all up.”
“Lavia, that’s just tavern tales, they get
passed around. Orcus got fought off by Mirrax and Rolf’s armies, it doesn’t
have to be a grand tale. Now, I need you to focus on the road cause that wagon
is going to be coming around the bend any minute now and we don’t want all that
loot to run away from us now do we.”
“No Trell, I’m not doing this anymore. We
get to live because Kingsley and Downwards sacrificed themselves. They
sacrificed their souls so we could live. And is this the best we can do with
this life? Steal from merchants just to get a roof over our heads for a while
and some food in our stomachs? No, we have to stop!”
“But Lavia, it’s all we can do. We never
had families, we never had education, all we had was this.  And we’re basically still kids. We’re not bad
people but…”
“No, maybe we’re not, but we’re certainly
not good people. And we owe it to those who have sacrificed so much to be good
people. It may not be easy, trust me, I’ve kept this up over the last year
despite feeling guilty as sin because I don’t know what else to do, but now
it’s time to find something else.”
“But…”
“Sorry Trell, I’m going to Dejune, I’m
going to find whatever is left of the Great Downwards and I’m going to beg them
to let me serve them. I know I don’t have many useful skills but dammit I’m
going to work hard until I do, and I’m going to serve them because I’m grateful
for what they’ve done, and dammit I’m going to serve The Engineered Princess because
nothing deserves more gratitude than her sacrifice.”
“You’re a petty crook Lavia. And you’re
going to go serve some made-up God of valor and duty?”
“I’m not a crook any more. I’m going to
perform my duty. The duty that everyone has. Goodbye Trell.”