High in the sky a blood graffitied gas balloon floats through a dark night toward its destination of the Alterspire. The SOG (Saviors of Grimshackle) a.k.a. BOP (Butchers of Pillory) a.k.a. PSU (Party Splitters United) a.k.a. BDMNSA (Bad Decision Makers Not So Anonymous) take this opportunity to rest, recharge, and recoup. All but Dorus who, no matter how hard he tries, can't seem to find a comfortable position - tossing and turning he grows increasingly more tired and frustrated. Mokon makes his way upward once more with the plan of restful sleep, only briefly stopping to inspect his handiwork on his way upward. Nom finds the floor of the balloon's basket a perfect resting place. Alora takes the first watch from her windy perch. And Fay, Fay is acting strange. Fay stands, hands tightly grasping the ropes of the balloon. She stares forward, motionless. Her colleagues seem to have little concern for her state. Only when they approach her, after several hours, do they find that her breath and heart rate have seemed to slow and she is unresponsive to all stimuli. Unconcerned, they move on with their day. Dorus seems especially unconcerned.
As the group passes time. Dorus’ stomach begins to growl. Nom, wanting to help her friend (along with the urge for that euphoric feeling) allows Dorus to feed once more. As he feeds, Nom begins to feel tired as her complexion pales. Dorus stops as he feels her heartbeat slow.
Thick clouds begin the pass by. A layer of light moisture begins to penetrate clothing and lie wet on exposed skin. Then, the taste of iron, ever so slight, on the tongue.
A whisper. "Where did you come from?" A voice apparates from the mist.
"Who is your sire?" A shadowed form approaches Dorus from the opposite side of the balloon. Nom and Alora's ears perk.
Dorus looks upward from his restless rest. An elegantly dressed man stands before him. Dark, perfectly pressed formal attire, light smooth skin, black silky shoulder length hair. The figure appears to be completely monotone if it weren't for a bright red splotch of crimson on the collar of his high-collared white shirt. The stranger bends a knee to lower himself to Dorus' height. Nom instinctually put herself between her friend and potential foe. Lightning quickly the man grabs Nom's hand and bending it uncomfortably he shoves it away. Nom swears she felt her wrist crack -- a potentially worthy opponent. "You would be wise to know your place Gith." His scowling eyes look directly at Nom as a smirk crosses his almost colorless lips.
More questions are posed to Dorus about his condition and how it came to be. Dorus has very few answers, but he and Alora do believe it has to do with Alora's coin of chance. Revealing the coin to their new passenger he instantly snatches the coin from Alora's palm. Alora begs him to give it back. He does not listen and instead drops it intentionally into his chest pocket.
Turning his gaze to Dorus once more he speaks. "It may take some time to determine how you came to be. Nevertheless, until that time, you will do what I ask." Dorus listens. "I need an army. You will help me create that army. You will turn at least one person a day to our cause or your friends will die. Starting with the annoying green one."
Dorus knows not how to "turn" a person so he asks. Slightly annoyed at this lack of knowledge, the stranger explains. "Any humanoid will do. Drain them of their blood, bury them, and wait 24 hours. Our gift will do the rest."
Nom steps in once more sensing ill-intent. This time with sword in hand. With unnatural reflexes the figure grabs the blade of the sword, ripping it from Nom's hand. He slings the sword to the floor. "One more outburst from you and we'll see if you truly know how to fly." He says this without even looking in Nom's direction. Nom effortlessly returns the sword to her hand as if to prove a point. A point that is either not noticed or intentionally disregarded.
Fay continues to stare out into the night. Mokon has heard the commotion and has made his way from the top of the balloon to the basket.
Dorus begins to ask questions of his own, sensing this being was in a similar state to his own. The man explains Dorus would be wise to avoid running water, sunlight, and trying to enter homes uninvited. He continues on emphasizing there are perks to his condition as well. "For instance." Before any more words escape his lips the intruder has grabbed Dorus and plunged over the edge of the balloon. Too fast for any of Dorus' allies to intervene.
Dorus free falls through the air once more, this time exchanging Fay for a pale-skinned stranger. The tight grip holding Dorus loosens and then releases. The man drifts away from Dorus, still falling at an equal speed. Deep in the back of Dorus' mind, he hears a voice. "You do not need to die today. If you are worthy you will survive." Before Dorus' eyes, the assailant's body instantly contorts and shrinks taking the form of a small black bat. The bat flutters and flies around Dorus as he continues to fall.
"Fly!" The words reverberate in Dorus' mind. He tries, but the form does not take hold. The ground grows closer. "Try harder!" Dorus attempts again, but he does not know how. The ground quickly approaches. Dorus can see details in the trees he could not before. "Concentrate!" With a final attempt, Dorus closes his eyes and focuses all his thoughts. He pictures himself flying across hills and forests, through caves, and over mountains. When Dorus' eyes open he is no longer a 400-pound Loxodon. He is a large, gray, slightly over-conditioned bat. Fluttering wildly at first he slowly begins to understand flight. "Good… good… now… do my bidding." Then nothing. The stranger and fellow bat are gone.
Dorus makes his way back to the balloon transforming once more into his Loxodon self. Dorus' head is swirling. He is beginning to get hungry once more. The horizon begins to lighten as morning quickly approaches. The group begins to discuss the very serious demand that was given to Dorus. Alora even brings up the fact that the Eldath would not agree with turning people into monsters. Dorus seems less interested in pleasing Eldath than he has in the past.
Mokon hears a voice behind him. "You group Mokon. Pathetic really. That weird guy though… he was interesting."
As day breaks Alora and Nom do their best to cover Dorus' skin from the burning rays of the sun. The day progresses quietly as the SOG contemplate their fates until evening once again comes.
Fay stands… she is lost in her own mind… or so it would appear… for almost 24 hours she has not moved or spoken. Her group leaves her to her own devices. Dorus tries time and time again to morph into his bat shape but has little success almost instantly reverting to his Loxodon form and crashing back to the floor of the basket.
Hours pass.
The Alterspire grows larger as your balloon approaches. Nom is the first to notice the heat signatures of groups of flying creatures in the distance. They do their best to evade, but a large gas balloon only moves so fast and before long they are in the heat of battle. Dog-sized lava-filled winged bats attack. The crew and balloon are assaulted with bouts of fame and razor-sharp claws. The attack is thwarted in record time with only a small patching job needed to a fire-spewing gash in the side of the balloon.
The crew descends toward their volcanic destination. Nom again notices a heat signature in the distance. This time of two humanoids -- one larger standing upright, the another cowering on the ground in front of a run down shack of a home close to the coast of the volcanic isle. As they approach they can see a large man with fist clenched standing aggressively over a disfigured female. The man belittles the female. "What did I tell you? Get in the house and do what a woman is made for doing? Yur disgusting. And dumb. And a woman." He raises a fist to hit her once more.
Dorus is the first to move, jumping from the balloon while it is still high in the air. He rushes the woman's assailant. Nom follows suit landing with a thud. Dorus pounces, pinning the large man to the ground, and begins to feed. The woman climbs to her feet hitting Dorus on the back -- begging him to stop. He does not. Nom holds the woman back to allow Dorus to continue. The man's heartbeat slows until it beats no more. Dorus stands, mouth red with blood.
Landing the balloon at a safe distance, Alora and Mokon reunite with the team. Fay remains silent and still.
The widow cries loudly. "How could you? He was my everything! My world!." The woman drops to her knees sobbing over her husband's body. "What am I going to do now?"
Alora, specifically, (followed closely by Nom) has no patience for this woman's lack of backbone and self-worth. The whining and self-pity of this woman and the reliance on a clearly abusive husband. Alora, stuffs a few gold coins into the woman's palm and then tells her to get some of her things and head to Therack to start a new life. The woman starts another tantrum throwing the coins against her hut.
Mokon looks over the woman. A large hump arches her back into an awkward and uncomfortable curve. One foot twists inward. Clearly this woman is in as much physical pain as mental. As the woman cries Mokon rests his hand on her shoulder. Her physical pain and deformities passed onto him by the power of Ilmater. Nom isn’t thrilled.
Dorus remembering the words of his new dark acquaintance drags the corpse into the woods to find a nice place for a short undead rest. Mokon and Alora are not thrilled with his plan and voice their concerns. Dorus does not listen and continues on his path. As the widow lies crying in her own filth, Mokon bends down whispering in her ear, and places a wooden stake in her hand. Then Alora ushers her onto a ramshackle boat toward Therack. She wails as her boat vanishes out of sight.
The SOG now refocus their efforts on a red volcanic diamond and follow a faint trail into the woods. All except Nom, who, exhausted by her bloodloss rests in the basket of the balloon for her companions to return.