Greetings, my fair patrons. Take a seat and ready your eyes, as we continue my tale of heroes! Last time, our four heroes awoke alone in an empty void. It is there that they learned about their duty and were sent off into an unknown world, no longer as mere citizens, but as Champions! They then found themselves each in a pool of water, which is where we begin our story today, so steady your mind and gain your bearings, as things are just getting started!

Our four brave heroes awake partially submerged in iridescent blue water. The area around them was only lit because of the water; they seemed to be in a cave. As the four sat up from their pools, a cloaked man standing in the center of this large cavern slightly leapt, seemingly startled. Under his cloak, he wore fine robes, the beauty of them only ruined by the grass stains around his knees. Strapped to his side is a leather-bound book with intricate gold designs on the cover. In his hands, a large, presently empty leather pouch was visible. The cloaked man's face was mostly obscured by his hood; only his mouth and medium-length gray beard were visible. His expression was one of complete shock. After a few seconds, he stepped back a few paces, turned completely around, and dashed out the exit tunnel of the cave.

"Hey! Who are you?!" Xavier Rue called to the cloaked man, his target already much too far away to hear him. He let out a small sigh and peered up at the stone figure that towered over him. It was a man who was wearing very extravagant clothing. Hot pink covering him from head to toe. In his hands, he held an object resembling a modern microphone, something Xavier is very familiar with. Strapped to his hip was a gold and pink keytar. He seemed to be an entertainer of sorts. As Xavier stepped out of his small pool, a silver plaque caught his eye. It read: "Bardios, The Divine of Bards."

The Phantom, armored hand on his helmet, head spinning slightly. "Where am I? Is this the start?" The Phantom mutters to himself, shaking off his daze. He looked around the cave, noting the smooth walls, stalagmites, stalactites, and, most intriguing of all, the 13 statues. Above him, a statue of a bearded man drew his attention. Both the man's hair and beard were bright orange. His face and white tank top were covered in soot. In his hands, he held a giant warhammer that crackled and glowed with blue lightning. His belt had various elixers secured to it. After The Phantom strode out of his shallow pool, he read the plaque that was secured to the front. It read: "Artifice, The Divine of Artificers."

Jeremy Lane admired the effigy looming over him. It was of a woman. She seemed youthful but wise, exuding confidence, even though she was entirely made of stone. Her platinum blonde hair was in a long braid. She wore a blue and orange dress with a pattern of moving stars spread across its surface. In her hands, she held a simple wooden staff, the tip of which was coated in intense magical energy. Jermey hopped out of his pool, noticing a plaque on the rim, facing away from the statue. It read: "Sorcerona, The Divine of Sorcerers."

The Fox leaped out of the water and gazed up at the statue that stood behind his pool. It was the tall figure of an aged man with a long white beard and long white hair to match. His face was wrinkled, but seemed timeless. In one hand, he held an intricate staff, fire forming in the center of a crescent moon-shaped piece of metal. In his other hand, he held an open book, his mouth agape as if he was reading the words aloud. As The Fox shook the water out of his fur, his eyes wandered to a silver plaque secured to his pool. He was a tad surprised to find he could read it easily. It read: "Wizarrin, The Divine of Wizards."

After investing their own statues to a level in which they felt satisfied, the four of them turned and finally met eyes with each other. The Fox gives a small nod towards the three and then darts out the door, Jermey right behind him. Seeing that those two are exiting, The Phantom begins to leave as well, having no more use for this cave.

"Wait for me!" Xavier called out as he took one last look around the cave. The Phantom turned and looked back at the young man, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment before turning back to the cave exit, continuing through the opening. Xavier began to follow, only stopping to read the words chiseled above the opening, which read "The Divine's Cave."

The Fox stepped into the light of day, taking a deep breath of the cool, crisp air. He scampered over to the edge of the ledge that the cave exited onto. The four were high up on the face of a mountain. A huge forest stretched out below them. Far off on the horizon, snowy mountain peaks jutted out of ice-coated ground. In the expansive grasslands past the forest, a huge city surrounded by high walls conquers the landscape. Around two miles out from the base of the mountain, in the forest, a tiny town stood, barely visible, in solitude.

"It's like a whole new world." Xavier breathed, shocked at the expansiveness of the scenery. Jeremy walked up to him, looking around curiously.

"E-excuse me, mister. Do you know where we are?" He said in a small, inquisitive voice.

"Well..." Xavier started, not exactly knowing too many details himself. "It seems like this in the world of Xandrea."

"What's that?" Remy pressed.

"It's a whole new terrain for us to explore," Xavier responded.

"What's terrain?" Jermey asked with childish innocence.

"It's another word for land," Xavier replied with surprising amounts of patience in his voice.

"Ah, okay, okay, I get it," Remy said as his eyes and thoughts began to wander. Eventually, his gaze rested upon a large butterfly with wings like stained glass, and slight bits of glitter fell from the bug as it methodically flapped. Jeremy chased after it, beginning down the mountain path. Xavier ran after him, trying not to lose track of this young child.

"What a strange selection for these Divine's Champions. A fox and a child, it seems that the one in red is the only normal one." The Phantom spoke to himself, thinking out loud. "What do you think?" He jokingly asked the fox next to him.

"Well, it's certainly a lot to take in." The Fox replied, looking up at the armored man next to him, who, in response to The Fox's reply, jumped back slightly.

"Things just keep getting weirder." The Phantom uttered under his breath as he adjusted his armor. He then turned to the mountain path and started down, The Fox bounding after him.

The Phantom and The Fox jogged down the mountainside, trying to catch up to Xavier and Jeremy. Eventually, they were able to see their fellow Champions, but they were not alone. A creature jumped out of a small notch in the mountain face and bit into Jeremy's shoulder. The humanoid monster looked completely dead, with its grey skin and deeply sunken eyes. Loose strings of hair clung to its decaying scalp. The creature's teeth came to a razor point, like a shark's, its fingernails long and grotesque. Fresh blood drips from its mouth after taking a chunk out of Remy.

"Remy! No!" Xavier shouted. On their way down the mountain, the two, Xavier and Remy, exchanged names. "Eat lead, you good-for-nothing savage!" He yelled out towards the ghoul, a small pink sound wave emitting from his mouth, as he pulled out his gun. Before Xavier could even fire, the ghoul recoiled as if just Xavier's words had harmed him; perhaps it was the soundwave. At the same time, The Fox's book opened in front of him, turning to a page near the beginning. The Fox could read the words on the page, though he knew not what they meant. As he read them, fire sparked to life at the tip of his tail, blue flames flaring wildly. The Fox flung this fiery orb directly at the ghoul, searing the already rotten flesh. The ghoul drops down to all fours, crawling towards Xavier. It slashes out wildly, grazing Xavier's skin. Remy looks from his shoulder to the ghoul as tears form in his eyes. He points his finger towards the creature, tears flowing. From his finger, an arc of pure magic launches forth, just barely missing the ghoul. The Phantom dashes at the ghoul, hand outstretched, lightning crackling between his fingers. He is able to firmly grab the neck of the undead, discharging a large amount of electricity. The ghoul goes limp as The Phantom drops the creature from his grasp.

Xavier wasted no time and rushed to Remy, "Hey! Are either of you two doctors?!" Addressing The Phantom and The Fox as they rushed over to Remy as well.

"I know First Aid." The Phantom offered, "Not sure what that's going to do in this situation, though. Maybe he knows something." The Phantom said as he gestured over to The Fox.

"The Fox." Xavier breathed with disbelief, "This isn't a time for jokes, Remy needs medical treatment!"

"I'm not joking. Did you see him shoot fire! He even talks. Come on, say something, Fox." The Phantom directed his attention towards The Fox, awaiting a demonstration to prove his point to Xavier, but The Fox only returned a smug smile. "Don't do this to me." The Phantom whispered to The Fox, "You're making me look crazy."

"Well, I don't have the specific requirements needed to heal anyone." The Fox spoke plainly.

Xavier looked from The Phantom to The Fox, "What the fu-" He glances at Remy " -dge cake."

"We're going to have to find a doctor in some town, I think I saw one not too far away." The Phantom said, offering a solution to their healing problem. They all agreed and started into the forest, toward the town that they saw from the mountain ledge.

Their walk through the woods was mostly uneventful until, around halfway to the town, they stumbled upon a clearing. In the center, a sword jutted out of a rock. Its hilt had a teal colored leather wrap and gold metal forming a handguard, a pommel, and a cross guard. Enlaid in the hilt are 13 small colorless gemstones. The blade was concealed by the rock. Jeremy, out of pure curiosity, ran up to the sword and grabbed onto the hilt. A loud buzzer noise emitted from the sword, and Remy flew back into the ground. He slowly gets up, groaning slightly. Xavier approaches the sword, hand outstretched toward the hilt. It seemed as though the blade was calling to him. He grabbed hold and effortlessly slid the sword from the rock. It hummed faintly in his hands. There was something strange about this sword, something magical even. The group then continued forward, unhindered.

"Unfair," Remy muttered quietly as they continued.

The small town came into the fours' view as the path came to an end. A man in a straw hat and overalls jogged past them, his backpack full of various produce. He gave a friendly wave to them and continued into town. As soon as the farmer entered said town, he sped up and ran straight into a house at the end of the main street. It seemed as though he didn't want to be seen walking through town. As the Champions passed the town's welcome sign, which said "Welcome to Mayton! Don't be a stranger!", they noticed that no one was out and about; the town seemed empty. They decided to go to the one house that they knew someone had gone into.

Knock Knock Knock

Xavier rapped the wood a couple of times. "Hello! We're trying to find a doctor. Do you know anything? Hello?"

The door opens slightly, revealing a short 40ish-year-old woman, only a small sliver visible through the small crack between the entryway and the wooden door. "A-a-are you with the bandits?" She asked nervously.

"Bandits? No, no, we're just travelers in need of medical aid." Xavier responded reassuringly

"Oh," She breathes a sigh of relief and opens the door a tad bit wider. "The doctors are out today; he's in the next town over, but the church may be able to offer what y'all need. Being in dire need as you are."

"Thank you for the information, madam."

"Make sure you stay away from bandits." She warns as she closes the door.

The four walked towards the church that they saw on their way into town. It's a tall stone building with a bell hung at the top of the chapel. On their walk over, Xavier notices a few men and all black clothing, masks pulled over their faces. They seemed to be surveying the streets.

Those must be the bandits. Xavier thought to himself.

The group arrived at the church, where they were welcomed inside by an elderly man wearing brown robes.

"My name is Father Archebald. How can the church assist you today?" The man in robes said with a weak voice.

"Our friend here got a chunk taken out of his shoulder by some living dead creature." The Phantom explained.

"We were wondering if you could help?" Xavier added.

"Oh, yes, yes, ghoul bites can become serious, but with proper treatment, your little friend will be fine." Father Archebald placed his hand over the wound, and he began to chant. Remy's wound slowly closed, and he was left with just a scar. "There, that should be fine."

"It's much better, mister," Remy said enthusiastically. The Champions began to exit, but Father Archebald grabbed Xavier's arm.

"Pardon me, but are you people adventurers?" The priest questioned.

"Why, yes, I suppose we are," Xavier answered.

"Do you think you could help the town out with something? If you don't want to, that's fine, it's up to you."

"We'd be happy to help. What can we do for you?"

"Well, three years ago, bandits, the Black Bandits, took over our town. A few weeks ago, they broke into this church and stole our prized medallion." Father Archebald gestured over to an elaborate altar. In the center, there was a round, empty slot. "The Medallion of Merra. Do you think you guys could get it back?"

"Sure." The four all said in unison.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! Here's a drawing of the medallion so you know what to look for." The priest exclaimed as he feriously, as feriously as an old man can, shook each of their hands.

The Champions now had a mission: retrieve the religious artifact. Before they set out on their first quest, though, they decided to stop by the tavern, as they were exhausted.

The doors swung open to reveal a mostly empty bar with a few mostly empty tables. There was a man who looked like he was in his 90s leaning up against the bar, drink in hand. Two men wearing all black sat alone at a table directly across from the door.

Jeremy immediately walked up to the bandits, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"Hey, back up, little buddy, this ain't your edge of town." One of the bandits said with a gruff voice.

Remy let out a small sigh. "Well, I heard that you guys were mean to the townspeople, and I want you to leave... please." The Phantom, knowing criminals, rushed over to Remy.

"Remy, hey, let's not bother them." The Phantom whispered to Jeremy.

The bandit who had spoken before let out a small chuckle, and the other one let out a maniacal laugh. After which, he chirped in a shrill voice, "You hear this? This kid thinks he can stand up to Merrin." Nudging the shoulder of his fellow bandit.

"Who's that?" Remy asked innocently, not caring that he was talking to criminals.

"You're telling me that you've never heard of our boss before? You really are an outsider." The squeaky-voiced bandit chortled. "Captain Merrin is only the strongest human ever; he can even use magic. With just a flick of his wrist, a brat like you would die instantly."

"Where can I find him?" Remy asked, taking the bandits' threat as a challenge.

"He's just up the- Oww!" The gruff-voiced bandit punched the shrill-voiced one.

"Shut up."

"What? It's not like it'll matter; they'll be dead if they go there."

"Go where?" Xavier inquired as he wandered over to the conversation.

"You've got a lot of friends, brat." The shrill-voiced bandit said, slight annoyance creeping into his voice. "I was just telling you, little runt, here, how to get himself killed. Alls he needs to do is go farther north into the forest." The bandit gave a wink to Remy, laughing as he imagined the death that would befall the kid.

"Guys, we really should leave them alone. Amateurs aren't worth our time." The Phantom urged, nudging Remy and Xavier away from the two.

"Amateurs! Who are you calling amateurs!?" The shrill-voiced bandit squeaked, unsheathing his scimitar. He charged at the three, sword brandished. Suddenly, he fell flat on his face, fast asleep. Behind the now sleeping bandit, The Fox sat, open book in front of him.

"There, now I don't have to listen to his annoying voice anymore." The Fox said with satisfaction. The other three looked down in shock at the snoring bandit. The other bandit was also asleep, head resting against the table.

"Hey, psst, you four. Get over here." The bartender gestured over to them, speaking in a hushed voice. "Yeah, you four." They walked over to the bartender. She had long, bright red hair tied into a bun. She wore a black dress, and around her neck she wore a green pendant necklace. Notably, her face had one long scar that spanned from the edge of her forehead, across her eye, and down to her chin.

"I wouldn't mess with them." She whispered to the group. "It doesn't end well, trust me." Sadness crept into her voice as she finished that statement, holding back tears.

"What? Did they kill your son or something?" Jermey asked voice void of sympathy. The others glanced at the bartender, holding their breaths, hoping that Remy hadn't opened any closed wounds and ruined their chance of gaining the town's trust.

"How old do you think I am? No, I haven't lost a son or anything like that. They killed someone close to me, though." She choked out her last sentence, tears of remembrance welling in her eyes. "But that was three years ago. Life keeps moving forward."

"I'm sorry to ask this, and you don't need to answer, but would it be possible for you to tell us what happened three years ago and anything else you know about the Black Bandits?" Xavier asked, unexpected sympathy and care in his voice; he could relate.

"If you must know, I'll tell you. It all started three years ago." The bartender began. "A man wearing a long coat with a dragon tattoo came into this town, with him were at least 20 men wearing all black. The man introduced himself as Merrin, he also said that this town was now his and there's nothing that us townfolk could do about it. Obviously, we were quite annoyed by that proclamation. This town is primarily a peaceful farming town, but we had a few fighters back then, but they didn't stand a chance, not against Merrin's magic. The last one left standing was our mayor, Chance. He was a kind traveller who took a liking to this town." She smiled as she talked about the mayor, clutching her green pendant tightly. "He saved me from a bear when he first came into town all those years ago. Everyone in town loved him, and that's why none of us could bear watching him die. We heard his screams of pain, though, as the bandits slashed at his body." Tears flowed from the bartender's eyes, but she wiped them away and continued. "Since that day, we've had no fighters to stand up to the bandits, so they take what they want when they want it. Like their captain Merrin said, this is their town." The Champions looked at each other; they knew what they had to do. Determination grew in their hearts. The four stood up from their stools, ready to find this Merrin and release this town from captivity.

"W-where are you going?" The bartender asked, whipping the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief.

"We're going to free this town," Xavier said seriously.

"No! You can't! They'll kill you! Don't throw away your life for us!" She pleaded. "Leave this town and don't look back."

"I'm sorry, miss..."

"Stone. Kattaileya Stone."

"Miss Stone, I'm sorry, but we can't do that. We can't just abandon a town in need."

"That's very admirable of you, but it isn't worth it."

"Saving lives is always worth it," Xavier spoke in a low voice, regret of a past mistake bleeding from his words.

"Fine, it doesn't seem like I can stop you, just, please, stay the night here. At least you should leave in the morning with all your strength." Kattaileya reasoned.

"A rest does sound nice." The Fox added

"Agreed." The Phantom said, nodding his head.

Xavier looked around, unsure, but eventually he also nodded. "Okay then, we'll leave in the morning. Remy, time for bed."

"But I'm not tired," Jeremy whined, followed by his mouth opening wide in a huge yawn.

The Champions marched upstairs to the rooms, ready to rest after their eventful day. They all hopped into their beds and promptly fell asleep.

They all awoke to the sounds of muffled cries outside the tavern windows. It was the middle of the night, and the moon was the only form of illumination. Xavier looked out the window of his room and noticed the two bandits that they met in the tavern earlier. They were dragging something. No, not something, someone. The Phantom and The Fox came scurrying into Xavier's room to get a better look at the origin of the muffled noises. Once they assessed the situation, the three shared a look and nodded to each other as they leaped out the window.

When the three hit the ground, the two bandits dropped the man they were dragging in surprise and bolted off into the forest. Xavier would have loved to chase after them, but there are more important things to attend to. The man lying on the ground drew deep, rasping breaths. The three realized the man looked familiar to them; it was the farmer whom they met at the town entrance. Xavier knelt next to him, attempting to give him first aid. The farmer was unconscious, blood seeping out of an open stab wound on his chest. Xavier tried and tried, but there was nothing he could do; the farmer had lost too much blood, and not soon after this realization, the farmer drew his last breath.

Xavier stood up from the ground, spirit shattered; he was completely defeated. It only got worse when he looked up and was face-to-face with her. A ghostly apparition, teaching him a memory of the past. Her face, smooth and white, like porcelain, cracked open, forming a mouth.

Then, she spoke, voice burrowing into Xavier's skull like a drill, "again... fail... you... fail... again..."

Xavier almost fell over from pain, but he stood defiant, "No, no, NO! I don't have time to deal with you. Leave me alone."

The white figure did as he said, disappearing from his view. Xavier breathed in sharply.

"Now, are we ready to beat up some bandits?" Xavier cracked a weak smile as he said this.

"Yeah, let's get 'em." The Phantom spoke with a vengeance.

"They have gone too far." The Fox muttered, distracted by the corpse in the dirt.

The three all locked eyes and said in unison, "What? Where's Remy?"

Hello! Congratulations if you made it to the end, and thank you for reading. I'm sorry that this post is so long. The length is a big reason why this one took a while to write. I'm hoping that all of you are enjoying the series thus far, and there is plenty more left to cover. If anyone has any questions about the campaign or suggestions to make this an even better read, I'd love to hear them. Thanks again for reading!