The Forsaken Hero
I closed my eyes and let out a shuddering breath. My fingers were numb and cold, my arm aching where the needle pierced the vein. Something clattered onto the pavement, and I looked down to see the needle. It had slipped out of my hand. Nothingness swirled around me, bringing the first sense of peace I'd felt in my short, miserable life. There was no one to miss me, and no one I would miss. There's always someone else to beat or rape. The regulars would move on quickly. I died. Only...wasn't death supposed to be dark? And since when did 'nothingness' have so many gods? Discord: https://discord.gg/PX3xqJdZMY
Promise
Heartland City was a thriving mass of stonework and people, sitting in a valley between two towering peaks. The ancient Heartland Forest, which swallowed up the surrounding towns and villages, crept right up to the thick walls. Four major roads flowed into the city, one from each of the main cardinal villages, including Westfall.
The city was far out of the way of the regular roads of commerce, sitting on the fringes of civilization. The city was technically within Brithlite territory but hadn't seen a royal representative, military patrol, or even a tax collector in years. They effectively ruled as a city-state, utilizing their own militia for protection against large monster threats. The government held close ties with the adventuring guild, which "volunteered" to take on anything smaller.