Episode 0

## Story

> **DM Molly**Southwest of the capital city of Airpike, the town of Creldin send word out to neighboring settlements of a disturbance close to the abandoned mine on the outskirts of town.  Reports of the risen dead wandering just beyond the entrance have the locals spooked. So far there had been no sightings inside the town. Still this was something to be concerned with and posters were sent out for aid. Within days, a tall, dark Gunslinger rode her way into town.**Talia Grey**Talia was pretty confident that she'd be able to handle a few undead. She came across them once and found that shooting them in the head and removing it from the body was the pretty effective method of dispatching them. After speaking to the local sheriff, she made her way to the Inn and adjoining saloon. Intending to spend the night and set out first thing in the morning. That's when she walked in. Dressed all in white, she moved to the bar is if floating, removing her hood and revealing a cascade of silvery blonde curls. Talia set up straighter, watching the woman as she motioned for a drink. The bartender hesitated, clearly unnerved by the woman's presence but did as asked. It was then that the woman turned and looked in Talia's direction. The Gunslinger could feel her heart stop at the sight of silver eyes and beauty that rivaled the Moon.**Seline Argent**Seline had also seen the posters following the call for Aid to deal with the undead. She intended to face him in the morning after she had time to rest and to seek guidance from The Undertaker through her cards. She didn't seem bothered by the looks that followed her nor the quick glances at her neck where her holy symbol the skull of a crow sat against her throat. She could feel the eyes on her back has she took small sips of her drink and turned the view of the room. At a table sat far away from the other patrons, Seline spotted a person sitting in the shadows. Sepia skin,  dark hair and under the wide-brimmed hat, a pair of gold eyes that seem to glow in the darkness. Seline watched as the stranger stood and walked over to her, taking note of the long scar across her nose enter pointed ears one of which was half mangled. The Stranger walked right up to her and sat down at the bar beside her, giving her a warm, slow smile.**Talia Grey**Well, aren't you a cool drink of water in this wasteland?**Seline Argent**I prefer something with a little more of a... bite.**Talia Grey**She didn't smell human, Talia had been around all sorts of people in her travels and humans had a specific smell to them. This woman, she smelled like the forest in autumn cool and crisp leaves carried on the wind under a full moon. Talia had never in her life encountered this kind of a scent from anyone... What's your name,  darlin'?**Seline Argent**Isn't it rude to ask a lady's name without first offering your own?**Talia Grey**Talia Grey, they call me the Reaper.**Seline Argent**The reaper such an ostentatious title.**Talia Grey**I suppose, but it suits me.**Seline Argent**I'm sure it does**Talia Grey**And you are?**Seline Argent**Seline Argent, they call me the Wanderer in White.**Talia Grey**Well that title most definitely suits you.**Seline Argent**The two spend their evening talking and flirting obviously intrigued by one another. Talia was all too eager to invite Seline into her bed. Seline smiled and giggled dropping her eyelids just so, but she turned her down. Talia grinned, she knew this game and she was happy to play it with this alluring stranger. As they continue talking late into the evening, they discovered they were both in town for the same reason, to dispose of the rumored undead. When they eventually parted ways for the night, each teased the other, they would be the one to reach the Bounty first.**Talia Grey**Talia set out for the abandoned mines as the sun rose. Always an early riser, she intended to get the job over with as soon as possible, collect the money and move on. Unfortunately for the gunslinger, the posters estimation for the number of undead to be dealt with was vastly miscalculated. As she made her way through the mines, she was suddenly overwhelmed with at least 20 rotting Corpses. They surrounded her! She shot off round after round but there were too many, too many! And they were closing in! As panic gripped her chest, a sudden wave of bright white light erupted from behind her! Corpses cowering at the blinding blaze and shrinking back in Terror. Talia turned to see Seline, her arms open, her eyes milk White and her entire form seeming to glow as the crow skull around her throat trembled with power! Talia watched in amazement as Seline drove back the undead. Seeing the opportunity, Talia once again began her assault, firing alongside Seline with surprising ease.**Seline Argent**The two fought as if they had been fighting alongside one another for years! Their steps falling naturally in time with the others. Talia firing with deadly precision as Seline summons the will of The Undertaker to destroy the abominations! When the horde of the undead was finally taken care of, Seline wasted no time in healing the wounds that Talia had sustained. The gunslinger watched in astonishment, as she felt the warm healing energy flow through her. She had heard of people who could use healing magic gifted to them by the gods, but she had never seen or felt it. Seline scolded her for her reckless behavior! Talia simply smiled at her pointing out that it was just part of the job. The two moved further into the mine, expecting to find more undead, but to their surprise they found the man.  Startled that he had been discovered, the man flew into a rage proclaiming that they would all pay for dismissing his intelligence. He raised his arms and fired off a wave of magic at The Intruders! Before Vanishing on the spot! It was then that Seline realized what was really going on. The man, they had come upon was a wizard, a necromancer and he had been the cause of the risen dead. The two made their way back to town , a little worse for the wear. After reporting their findings to the sheriff, the two decided that it would benefit them both to see the job through to the end together.**Talia Grey**If you're going to finish this job, you might as well do it as a team! You're better at dealing with this Undead nonsense, and I can track down the Necromancer.**Seline Argent**As long as you keep your hands to yourself, I don't see a problem.**Talia Grey**My hands will only travel where you want them to, darlin'. They followed the wizard for two weeks straight, as he headed north and then to the east towards Airpike. Along the way, Seline and Talia started to get to know each other better. Just a superficial friendship of course. This is only a job, they would part after it was done. The necromancer stopped in a small community, raising some of their dead and letting them loose into the streets as a distraction. Talia and Seline were able to stop the attack but once again the necromancer got away. That night the two stopped dancing around each other and finally shared a room.**Seline Argent**When their hunt continued, their newfound intimacy allowed their small talk to become personal. They spoke of their pasts and what they wanted for their futures. Emotions started to bloom between them. Neither would admit it though not wishing to complicate things. Still as the days passed and the nights were spent in the same bed things became... very complicated.**Talia Grey**They finally caught up with the wizard in a township between Nexton and Villvale. Where he was preparing to gather more undead for march on Airpike. They managed to destroy the risen dead. Seline pushing them back easily, but the wizard had enough magic to put up one hell of a fight. But even he was no match for the gunslinger and cleric together! Finally in desperation, he sent a bolt of lightning straight for Seline! Talia watched as time seem to slow down playing out before her eyes is a deadly bolt shot straight towards the heart of the woman she was growing to love! She grabbed the cleric's arm and quickly pulled her away, taking the spell directly in the chest! Talia was dead before she hit the ground.**Seline Argent**Seline watched as a spell hit Talia, time slowing down for her in those moments where she watched her companion fall to the ground, her body still and lifeless. Anguish washed over her. Then anguish turned to rage! She stood, screaming as tears ran down her cheeks. She summoned up every last ounce of energy she had, forming it into a guiding bolt of pure light and sent it hurtling toward the Necromancer! The bolt pierced his heart killing him instantly, as the light shattered his body! Seline ran to Talia's side crouching down beside her, and pulling her onto her back. Her hands shaking as she tried to think of something to heal her, anything to bring her back but she had nothing. Talia! No, mon amour! S'il te plait... ne pars pas…!! (My love, please... don’t go...!) She placed her hands on Talia's cheeks and cried out to the Undertaker! Her sobs rang out as she prayed desperately for something, anything to save her! Her crow companion, Cortez landed on her shoulder and began to crow loudly. He was joined by other crows in the area, crying out until their clamor drowned out the world around them. Seline felt something inside her swell, not just the energy of her magic but something new. A power unlike anything she had ever felt before, and yet in that moment she suddenly knew what to do... She placed her hands on Talia's chest and her eyes went white. By the grace of the Undertaker, I call you back, Talia Grey! A warm white light formed in her hands, spreading slowly into Talia's still form. A moment later, the gunslinger's eyes flew open and she gasped as life flowed back into her body. **Talia Grey**Seline!**Seline Argent**Talia! Oh, Talia! Seline had managed to revive her companion, somehow despite being completely exhausted of magic. She had managed to pull Talia's soul back from the beyond.**Talia Grey**They made their way back to Crelden. The wizard's head as proof of the bounty. There was a melancholy about both of them as they traveled back. Despite their victory and doing exactly what they set out to do. Both of them knowing, they must part ways at the end of their journey and neither of them with the courage to tell the other how they felt.**Seline Argent**As they had agreed, they split the reward money 50/50 and reluctantly said their goodbyes. Seline got on her horse and made her way out of town. Refusing to look back, determined as always to not to let the past haunt her. She would move forward and wander on. No matter what sorrow or regret she left behind. However moments after she had left town, she heard galloping hoofbeats behind her and she let out a startled gasp as Talia rode up beside her. **Talia Grey**So I have to apologize...**Seline Argent**Apologize? For what? **Talia Grey**I know we didn't want to complicate things. Since this was just a job and all but see, I think I may have fallen in love with you and I was hoping I might get the chance to prove to you I might be someone worth making things complicated with. Seline let a few moments pass between them in silence when she finally spoke. **Seline Argent**Well, I suppose then I owe you an apology as well, because I feel I have the same problem and I think I might enjoy if things got complicated.**DM Molly**From that moment on tales of the Reaper and The Wanderer in White would be one in the same. The two were inseparable, taking up jobs in bounties as they wander the district together. Nearly one year after the defeat of the necromancer the two found themselves making their way toward the town of Blackwater, reports of people missing and the call for Aid. So our Story begins...

## Location

* Creldin
* Township between Nexton and Villvale

## Characters

### Players

* Seline Argent
* Talia Grey