Isis got married to her Town Guard.  Had an adventure with him and a bunch of other people.  Was very happy.  Was pregnant.

She brought Ann (aka Lillian) back to life.  Then Eric ran off and died somewhere.

So Isis went to live with her best friend Lillian.  Was decieved by her.  Was killed by her.

Not killed.  Turned to stone.

Lillian needs to die.  And methinks Isis is going to have to be the one to do it.  Someday.  When everyone finally gets the information required to bring her back.

And she's in the hands of a group of people consisting of the Knave, Siegfried, a nameless paranoid girl, cleptomaniac named Tetzler, and a drunken woman by the name of Nymaea (Nym for short).

If Isis could see herself now, I think she might just want to die.  But not before Lillian died.

On the other hand, Nym has found her calling--Airship Piracy!

If only there were not quite so much ale to be lost in cannon fire...

Isis' main victory?  Zaerion back from the dead is awesome.  Especially since he bounced.  Crazy Lillian.  Waa, waa, waa, my life sucks, she says.  Why does nobody love me?

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU KILL EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT YOU AND YOU HIDE AWAY BECAUSE YOU THINK EVERYONE IS GOING TO TRY TO KILL YOU!

Freak.

What an interesting situation Isis Zareina has found herself in!

While buying weapons with which to adorn herself, the black-clad reicarnation of Celeste the first, Celeste the second, and Calien ran into a woman who was being bothered immensely by a big man.  Turns out she had met him in a tavern and he had agreed to help her, but he had some interesting expectations of her.

Anyway, Isis heard her scream or growl or whatever, and rushed to her aid.  After assessing the situation, Isis screamed, calling down a bunch of Town Guard, who, coincidentally, are quite useful when you've done nothing to break the law.  Who'd have thunk it...

Now, this woman decided to stick close to Isis, introduced herself as Ann.  She had a funny way of walking... sort of off-balance, as if she had spent her entire life on a boat and was trying to get her land-legs.  Only not.  And she looked like she'd been through a lot, wasn't very talkative.  Wasn't very savvy about how the whole world worked, almost like a little girl who hadn't spent much time among people.  Three guesses as to what Ann's real identity is, people!

Isis worked for months (as an alchemist, making gunpowder, woot!) to buy all of her weapons.  She now owns a bow, two quivers full of arrows, two daggars, two short sword, and a rapier.  Heck yes.  She's also loaded down with adventuring stuff, like a grappling hook, food, basic medical supplies.  But no magical stuff.

They've closed the magic shop.  Which really, really bites.

Anyway, Ann's been reading a lot, staying with Isis. 

And Isis has this romance going on with a Town Guard named Eric... basically the guy's been extremely sweet, helping her learn to wield her weapons, and telling her over and over again not to get killed by kreeuw.  *sigh*  She's a bit sad to be leaving him, really. 

Oddly ironic, that.  Calien hated Town Guard with a passion (they did kill her, after all, and made her life very difficult) and now her newest incarnation thinks the Town Guard are great.  Holds friendly chats with them every so often.  And likes one.  Irony... gotta love it.  Not the only ironic thing going on here, either.

Anyway, Isis buys Ann a spear and a machete-like blade.  And now they're off to head east through the Plains of Shadow to see what lies beyond...

I love adventuring.

The following newspaper clipping was found in the Arlathian Gazette, written, of course, in gorgeous Arlathian script.

The Arlathian Gazette

Obituaries

Celebrity Deaths

Zaerion Fieldrin, Prince of Arlathia, Lightning Mage:  born before the destruction of the Mage City, Zaerion's noble birth entitled him to amnesty after all mages were declared enemies of the Arlathian populus.  He was suspected by some of being one of the few blessed with the gift of rebirth.  A lover of adventure, he was almost executed once for shirking his royal responsibilities.  Although he would prefer to have spent a life of adventure, Zaerion had a great sense of duty and served his country with great prowess.  A military genius, he and his long-time friend (and sometimes enemy) Ziegfried Barabas helped greatly during the Kreeuw Seige.  Because of this, our beloved prince is largely to thank for saving not only those of Arlathia, but the entire population of our known world.  After helping the mages despose of the kreeuw corpses, Zaerion soon fell ill with the plague that seems to be sweeping our city.  After a short, yet valiant, battle against the dreaded disease, Zaerion succumbed to the bane of mortality and passed bravely into the realm of beyond.  He is survived by our beloved Queen, Her Majesty, Lillian Andarene, and the rest of the Royal Council, and preceeded in death by his parents and legendary horse, Flash.  Funeral services shall be held on the main street of Arlathia proceeding forth from the castle at high noon tomorrow.  May our beloved prince rest in peace.

Ziegfried Barabus, Fire Mage, Renowned Adventurer Extraordinaire:  responsible for the great fire of the Mage City, Ziegfried was pardoned by the King and bequeathed a noble name in reward for killing ferocious evil beasts.  He also, coincidentally, is suspected to have been one of the few gifted with rebirth.  His name and Zaerion's are often heard together, whether as enemies or more often, as friends and fellow adventurers.  A legendary ladies' man, Ziegfried was commonly seen with a smirk on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and a woman on his arm.  Many thought him to be shallow, but his bravery and integrity set him apart from many lesser adventurers.  He is well known for saving the lives of his friends and for defending the defenseless against monsters too frightening for most heroes to even face, such as vampires and demons.  Ziegfried's efforts as the chief general of the Arlathian army during the Kreeuw Seige ensured the safety of the world.  Ziegfried also fell victim to the plague soon after Zaerion.  It was a quick death and Healers tell us he did not suffer.  He was preceeded in death by his beautiful elven wife, Aeothene, and many of his dear friends and fellow adventures.  Funeral services will be held in conjunction to Zaerion's.  May our general and hero rest in peace.

Vo'Calien, Winged Vampire, Thief, Murderer, and One-Time Adventurer:  Arlathians can now finally travel the nocturnal streets without fear!  A woman held in high regard once for mapping the southern mountains of Arlathia, Vo'Calien (better known by most just as Calien) is said to have survived the Kreeuw Seige in the third ring by drinking a magical potion that gave her wings.  Thereafter she took to terrorizing the city, robbing the magic shop and other shops surrounding this towering landmark, and committing all manner of vicious vampyric murders (most of which consisted of drinking the blood of sleeping innocents).  No one knows exactly what drove her to this murderous madness, though before her death, she described the symptoms as the result of a disease transmitted to her by another vampire.  She is responsible for the deaths of at least six Town Guard and numerous civilians.  Sentenced to death once, she escaped execution by appealing to Zaerion, who graciously spared her after she agreed to hunt other vampires.  Soon thereafter she betrayed the Prince's trust by joining the very vampire she claimed infected her to begin with, and once again endangered the populus.  Calien was again sentenced to death, but agreed to lead Town Guard and adventurers to the lair of the other vampire in exchange for her own life, proving her lack of integrity and loyalty.  During the excursion, almost every member of the party was killed.  The two Town Guard who survived this fiasco tell us that other vampire, realizing that he had been betrayed, turned against Calien and her captors, killing almost all, before escaping with almost inhuman speed.  Calien was killed, and her body was placed in a local crypt to rot forever.  However, the killings did not stop and soon thereafter, Calien was found, now wingless, but miraculously alive, after killing an innocent infant, proving once again her evil (Calien once claimed, it seems, that she did believe in killing children).  The nearby Town Guard courageously chased her, and before dying, it seems that she took eight crossbow bolts and a sword thrust through the abdomen before at last, yet laughing evilly, perishing.  It was then the still-unhealed wing stumps were discovered on her back.  To ensure the safety of Arlathia, Vo'Calien's remains were dismembered.  Her torse will be burned, and each of her limbs buried separately.  Calien's head will be on display, as a warning to any other vampires, in the center of tne city.  May she forever rest in pieces.

You gotta love those Arlathians.  Drat those dang Town Guard.  I say we get them addicted to donuts.  That'll solve the problem.

Little to they know that there are still two vampires running around.  And one of them will not die. 

Calien lives, but now...

Zaerion. Urgh.  Calien can see his point, but Calien can't go around killing her own people.  Especially when she knows that soon enough she will be killed.  They refuse to cure her.  So she would have been killed.

And Calien knew that one way or another she was going to die, either by being killed by the town guard or by being killed by Paul (the hottie vampire who attacked her originally).  Knowing that Paul would escape, Calien chose to see him one last time, at the same time perhaps ensuring the preservation of her life.  Paul did escape, and killed Calien... Calien let him do this, knowing perfectly well that she deserved it for leading a small army to his lair.  But Paul is awesome.  Calien knew he would escape.  Calien allowed herself to be killed by Paul, though (not like there was much she could do about it anyway).

It was better that way.  Everyone in Arlathia knew that Calien was flying around at large.  Even if she had hidden with Paul, as she wished she had, she would have eventually been caught.  If she had left the lair, she would have been killed... or followed back to the lair, where both she and Paul would likely have been ambushed.  At that point, Calien would have worked as a hindrance to Paul.  They both might have died.

Whereas if Calien did as Paul suspected she would, and led an army to his doorstep, he would have been ready.  And angry at Calien, which would have fueled his determination to escape.  Even if Calien hadn't led them to him, she had given them his description before she knew him.  They would have sought him out.  Calien did it to save the both of them.  Knowing perfectly well that he would kill her.

Yeah.  It's odd.  Calien had somehow fallen in love with Paul in a matter of moments.  Seems fast.  Well, she was under the influence of some... interesting... magic.  He was a vampire.  He fed her, he offered an out from the clutches of Zaerion, he offered her protection.  By all rights, she should have stayed with him.  Calien probably would have stayed with Paul, had Zaerion not been so attractive to Calien's inner Crystal.  But Calien realized...

Paul was the vampire for her.

So Paul killed her.  As he well ought to have.  Calien deserved it for betraying his trust.  She knew he would survive, knew he would escape, but... he could have died.  And what it all boils down to is that Calien was willing to trade Paul's life for her own.  Although, in all honestly, if he had died, and Calien had been set free, she would have killed herself.  Yes, she promised the narrator no more suicide, but she thinks that being responsible for the death of someone you love, for whatever reason, is a good enough reason.

He also killed Silvana, who also deserved it.  For different reasons.

So the two bodies were put into a crypt.

Except there's this creepy old man in there who has fixed them both up.  So they live... both vampires, mortal enemies.

Calien knows what she needs to do now.  Her wings don't work.  Deeply depressed and wanting to live, but knowing she doesn't deserve it, she won't kill herself, but... yeah.  The plan is set.

Must...get...out...of...jail...

Yeah, so... to make a very long story short, Calein grew wings, can fly, got vamped, and needs to feed on the blood of others, and has therefore left a long bloody trail of death behind her.  She has also made a habit of robbing the magic shop whenever the mood strikes her.  And of stealing other things.

So... She got caught after collapsing a building on herself.  By the town guard.  Which sucks.

And then went to court and got the death sentence.

Sooo... If she doesn't escape or weasel her way out by tonight... she's dead again.  Don't worry, she has a plan.  It just might not work.  Which, again, sucks quite terribly.  And the chances of her escape are slim to none, considering one of her guards is an Air mage.  Gah, how Calein hates mages!  Except for the nice Earth mage who healed her wings.  Yay!

And maybe Zaerion.  And Ziegfried.  She doesn't know they're mages, but they might, in fact, be Calein's only hope.  But can she trust them...?

Calein made it through a kreeuw seige, a one-on-one fight with a kreeuw, a burning building, a falling building, epic battles atop towers and within inns, a vampire attack, two stages of the awful vampire sickness, being shot in the spine, having her throat ripped to shreds, crashing through multiple windows, a personal metamorphosis, dangerous potions, and many other adventures, and now she's stuck in a cell and will be simply executed?  What a pathetic state of being... what an anticlimax... what a shame.

And what a waste of a bag of holding full of magical weapons, another full of magical potions, and yet another full of random stuff, like ten gold-and-ruby crowns, six extra bags of holding, eleven water-rabbit-pouches, eleven portable holes, twenty-two healing salves, a flinder antler, seven cans of troll, and several outfits in shades of grey and black.

Calein refuses to go down without a fight.

Where are Lillian, Zaerion, Ziegfried, and Silvana when you need them?

Stupid Air mage.  Calein wishs he would just keel over.  Her life would be so much easier without that guy...