I joined the holy order of warrior monks to do some good in the land. The Priory of the Flame was a beacon of hope to all those who saw the white flames embroidered on the tabards worn by paladins of their order. They trained young men and women into warriors to protect those who could not protect themselves.

As a farmer's son there was very little chance I would learn much more beyond wheat and potatoes staying at home. I wanted more out of life though, I longed to see what lay just beyond the horizon. I wished to protect the realm, see new worlds and spread the light of goodness to all. So, at the tender age of sixteen, I packed up my few meager belongings and made my way to the monastery.

The training was brutal. We had to strengthen not only are bodies to defend the light, but also our hearts and minds. The holy brothers had to break us, in order to build up new pillars of virtue. Finally, after two grueling years, I was ready to head out on my pilgrimage and save the world!

At first the journey was boring. The cities and villages of the Inner Dominance had little need for paladins, they had lords with knights to guard them with. Then, the journey turned tedious. The Western Dominance was full of lordless warriors and lowly acolytes trying to make a name for themselves. If a chimera so much as poked it's head from a hole there would be twelve warriors waiting to slay it before dusk. Not to mention, the people outside of the Inner Dominance proved to be somewhat... lacking in the culture or intelligence department. And lastly, it became a down right pain. I thought I'd be off on an adventure, saving princesses and protecting farmers from marauding centaurs. Instead, it was a trek through the countryside doing little more than righting tipped over wagons and helping little old ladies find their way home. That all changed, in Ironrock.

The bustling village just on the hinterlands of the Western Dominance was full of new possibilities. A trading town, Ironrock had a vast wealth of minerals brought in from nearby mines and lumber from the nearby forests. Many a master craftsman or expert trapper called the village surrounded by big stone walls their home. It lay on an old trade route by ship back to the cities and manors of the Inner Dominance which brought wealth and people looking for a better life. It also meant that the city often attracted other things looking to prey on the Jewel of the Western Sea.

I hadn't been there a full week before tales of a dangerous monster prowling the countryside between the forest and the sea began to emerge. A terrible creature that killed villagers and raped the mercenaries sent to hunt her down. This was just the job for a young paladin to show his mettle! I quickly gathered my gear, settled up with the inn keeper, and rushed out the city gates wearing my acolyte armor shining in the sun.

Stalking the forest, I hunted my prey with the vigilance of my training. I would find the creature and put it down without mercy. It was getting late as the sun set across the sea turning the water the color of spun gold and bathing the forest in a beautiful light. I stood there for sometime, just watching the beauty of this wild part of the world. Eventually,the light dwindled into an orange and crimson hue. As the last light faded from the sky, a sultry voice called out from the treetops.

"Hello little one. You wander into my forest alone? Coming by yourself? My how brave..."

I girded my loins and prepared for battle.