NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deuce Traveler" data-source="post: 3297775" data-attributes="member: 34958">As Silas and Danica take their places to the sides of Dartis, the companions near Commander Sassarius stiffen and ready their weapons as if anticipating an attack.  The three heroes do the same, and for a moment the sun glints brilliantly over the ancient shield that Dartis holds in his hand.A gasp is heard from the soldier to Sassarius' left.  "Gods... Commander, gaze upon the face on that shield and tell me my eyes don't deceive me.  Is that the one that Nefius wished retrieved?""It must be, Commander.  It is your image on the Shield of Kings.  Do you know what this means?"  The second companion asks, his eyes glazed in imagined glories.But no such lust for glory reaches the eyes of the Imperial leader.  Instead his face remains a visage of stone, though his hands grip the reins of his horse until the knuckles become white.  Finally, he says, "It means that Nefius would have sowed chaos among myself, my family, and my friends.  Bringing this to the emperor, even if I brought it to him sealed in that chest without seeing it first, could have been perceived as an intent to usurp the throne.  I would have been killed, my family banished, and my allies removed from power.  In one easy move, Nefius would have erased my opposition to him at the court.""But though his plot might have been ruined, Nefius still lives, or so these Dorinthians say.  What if he makes it to the emperor before we do?  He'll be able to set whatever plot he had in motion anyway."Commander Sassarius turns his head sharply to his companion in alarm, then looks back to the heroes and says, "We must ride away, and fast.  It is a long way back to the Imperial capital and it would seem we have business there.  Hand us over those two prisoners you have taken that stood by Nefius' side so that we may have them testify in front of the emperor and we will leave you in peace," he offers.You agree to this.  The chance of watching this army leave and have Nefius hang is too good to pass up.  As Sassarius turns to leave and muster his army out he says one last surprising statement.  "My mother was Dorinthian, but was a minor noble on the borderlands.  Her uncle usurped her father's position, had him imprisoned, and sold her to the Imperials across the border.  As you might imagine, she never had good words to say about her fellow Dorinthians.  Still, she was the greatest woman I've ever known, and I must say that there might be Dorinthians with character like hers after all."  After this partial compliment, he leaves with the two prisoners, and shortly afterwards the army does, too.---The celebrations start almost immediately after the last Imperial disappears over a hill.  The portals to the dwarven kingdom are opened wide, and everyone begins to gather on either side of the opening.  The human refugees start crying and hugging with the happiness of being alive, while the dwarves start rolling kegs of ale with the intention that they will soon be enjoyed.Kel and Chalik go to help Rix and Alexander reach the clinic and be helped, while Dartis and Silas take Danica to meet with a Dorinthian who led one of the columns of armed refugees with skill.  The man's name is Barok Hume, and he has a rapier dangling from his side (OOC: Introducing Nephtys' character here).  Before they can begin their mutual congratulations, however, Chalik comes back with a manacled Imperial.  The man's clothes look raggard and he looks like he hasn't slept in a long while.  "I'm sorry to bother you," Chalik says.  "We captured this Imperial weeks ago as he was wandering nearby on his own.  Initially, we thought he was a spy and planned to execute him.  The problem is that we are now almost certain that he was a defector.  The other problem is that there are still plenty of dwarves that still want to see him dead.  I was hoping that he might get a fairer trial with your people since you are mostly humans, after all.  His name is Tessan Ventus."  (OOC: Introducing hafrogman's character)</blockquote>

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