Rayna's Reroll

Prologue: Her first memory

Why of all days and times did she have to come back here? The smell of burnt flesh and body fluids assaulted her nose. The prickly straw brushed her skin, cold iron bands hung around her neck and wrists. As she leaned against the bars of her cage, she winced at the pain in her freshly branded shoulder. Her first memory was waking up in this cage in a dim room where others scraped against bonds and cages.

She had no name, no recollection of who she was before today. Yet, she had lived a whole life. This time she wasn't panicked. Instead, she focused on the memory. Her branding day was her birthday. Was she 10 or 11? No one was sure. When the red hulking hobgoblin came for her, she was twice as scarred. Only the memory of her killing him in her first life kept her from screaming.

The leather studded jacket and top hat were a stark contrast to his loin cloth, which was barely visible under his gut. A red hand with black claws grabbed her. He stood her in front of a mirror. Her tiny elfin body juxtaposed to his, a warm pale honey color with tiny freckles. Her hair short was golden. Her eyes were vibrant, one blue the other purple. She was muscular for a girl. But she wasn't a girl, not really. Not with what hung down below.

The Hobgoblin's voice was deep and gravely as he spoke, "You see your body is unique. An elven he/she with those eyes will make me a lot of gold. Your parents sold you to me. This brand," he pressed a finger to her shoulder. The circle of spiky inked chains burned. They snaked out from it to connect to her wrists and ankles. "proves you are mine. My name is Malic Eye. You will call me, Master."

Chapter 1: The Great Sappening

"How is it that you can wield magic?" the vampire stared at her. His ruby eyes flashed, dark hair cascading over pale skin, that crackled and flaked away until the vampire was no more.

"I don't know," Rayna lied.

The rest of the coven backed away. Twelve vampires of different races and sizes, all tattered and blood soaked, backed away. They had all gone in a frenzy since magic disappeared. Like the thing that tethered them to their master's had been cut. It was only in Amn that the vampires ran amok. They had tore through the pleasure district and up into the noble houses of Athkatla. A place where magic was banned yet held the most powerful human guild had been ransacked.

Now, in the back streets of the black market, the few Rayna had not delt with were eating their fill.

"Tell me, what happened to your master?" she asked.

"Haaaa. He was absorbed by a Greater lich," said a female voice to my right. She was struggling to breathe. Rayna's spell lingered like snow flurries in spring. The others were bowed and struggling as well.

"A lich? Where did it go?" Rayna asked.

"He said we could have this city. Leave us and go to Baldur's Gate," the female said.

"I can't," Rayna felt the familiar pull of the divine. She never understood it before. But this second life she was given had allowed her to use her abilities early. The knowledge and the power in this body that wasn't mature yet was enough to deal with these undead. "Heaven's Wrath," she yelled. The power of the sun tore through the twelve like a scythe before they could run away.

Rayna turned and jumped, one ice blue eye and one bright purple eye stared back. Her reflection in the glass window reminded her how young she was, to be a wood elf in her twenties or thirties – she never did find out how old she was when he branded her. Either way she was a baby in the eyes of elfkind. In heart, she was much older.

Gods it had been a long time. Rayna thought and straightened her bard outfit. She smoothed her hair, a blue lucksan plume and scratched the purple flame tattoo that wrapped around her neck.

She'd been waiting for this time, this day. The sky darkened over Amn and spread to the Sword Coast. Rayna had made her way out of the desolate city and over the outskirts of Baldur's Gate. She glared at the city on the horizon. A Lich King had risen up and stole magic from Amn in order to destroy the Sword Coast and ruin Faerun. Such a dumb thing to do, Rayna thought.

It was in Rivington where she had found them the first time. Rayna hoped she had gotten the timing right to find them again. Trudging up the path she heard people laughing. Rayna hid behind a tree and watched. The fair-haired trio she spied made her smile. Dame Aylin the winged Moon Maiden, her lover, Isobel the cleric, and her protégé Shadowheart. All three were drinking and talking loudly around a campfire. Rayna took a deep breath; she found her flute in her pack and began to play.

"A Bard?" Shadowheart exclaimed.

"Oh! Play us a song-" the Dame began but Isobel and Shadowheart had stood and took stances, ready to fight.

"Greetings and salutations, my what a trio of fair-haired beauties we have here? My name is Rayna. May I play for you?"

"Actually, if you could tell us where you came from that would be nice," Shadowheart said.

"Oh, I suppose it is strange for me to be out here by my lonesome. Not to worry, I escaped Athkatla. Shame it is a desolate town now."

"What do you mean?" Shadowheart asked.

"Do you not know what is going on?" Rayna asked.

"Magic is gone. Selune tasked me to find out the cause. These poor souls have fled the city," Aylin gestured to the many refugees that now camped outside the city. "A Greater Lich has taken over Baldur's Gate. He has locked the Gates and turned the people inside into zombies. We will find a way into the city and take down this monster."

"That's if we can find a way in," Isobel looked to Rayna. "The dark weave makes flying in impossible. We've been poking the sides of the city and found nothing."

"Of course we've talked to everyone. But I suspect some of the people here aren't telling the truth," Shadowheart said.

"Don't say such things!" the Dame shouted. "These are followers of Selune and Lathander! They are good honest...."

Rayna tuned her out. She could barely stand the mention of the God of Light. "I'm sure they are lovely people; even good people can be afraid."

"I will soothe them with my wings of justice! And....." The Dame imitated what she would do.

Isobel gestured, "Why don't you join us?" She sat.

Shadow sat and took some bread from her pouch, "So, what do you do Rayna?"

"I'm a bard," Rayna waved her flute.

Shadow rolled her eyes, "I got that. So, you travel from place to place playing for money?" She asked with a bit of bread in her mouth.

"I do preform for money," Rayna said with a smile.

"What instruments do you play?"

"Flute, lute, drums. I'm best at the flute. I could play or sing a song or tell a tale of wonder if you ever want," she said to the group.

"Excellent," Aylin said done with her show. "Do you know the Ode to Selune?"

"Yes. I know that one," Rayna played it for them. She received a round of applause.

They talked and Aylin offered her a place near the fire.

That night Rayna had a nightmare. Elves may not sleep but her past had a habit of haunting her. She sat up. The others were resting, it had to be late. She sought a quiet spot along the river. She took off her shoes, sent energy into the water and stood on the surface. She took a few tentative steps and with confidence began the fluid movements her mentor had showed her when she was young.