The Queen of Wands

Session 1: Reversed Emperor

In the quiet dawn, the solitary shepherdess stirred from a peculiar dream. Yet, as her eyes opened, Paige found herself in the familiar stillness of her humble home.

The day unfolded with a muted melancholy as the young faun woman moved through her routine with a sense of resignation. Her hoofed steps were quite slow, even in comparisson to old Duke's big paws, since each action she performed had just enough effort to get by in perder to conserve her ever dwindling energy.

Paige's weak leadership skills around the farm had left its mark, not just on her spirit, but on her herd as well as their sheep, few in number and frail, grazed listlessly in the sparse fields, for neglect and poor management of the past had stunted their growth and vitality, mirroring her own lack of ambition and drive. She looked over them with a heavy heart, the weight of unfulfilled potential pressing down upon her.

As the sun climbed higher, casting long shadows, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. The dream of the fiery staff seemed to mock the young fey's current reality.  Her gaze falls upon a playful lamb, its soft fleece glowing in the dim light. The sight of this tiny creature brings a tender pang to her heart. She notices something off about the herd... The animals are clustered together, tense and uneasy.

A quick whistle and Duke is up. He yawns and streches his old bones and go check the sheep. But before he can reach them, a longo cold shiver agonizes her wool. The senior guard dog starts barking and bolts toward the treeline, clearly chasing a predator.

"No, God please, DUKE! COME BACK!"

She grabs the youngest lamb and begins to herd the animals back to the barn, but fear makes them scatter. Without their second guard dog, she struggles to keep them together.

A chilling sound slices through the air—Duke's agonized cry as the wolf attacks him.

The void is back. But instead of infinite darkness, there's something so much worse

Paralyzed, she drops the lamb, which dashes toward the herd.

A flood of painful memories washes through her. Fear. Anger. Sorrow.

The wolf's eyes gleamed red as it pivots and charges towards the lamb.

Never again.

Paige rushes at the wolf, swinging her staff with all her might. Flames erupt from the staff, engulfing the wolf in a fiery explosion.

She collapses, breathless and bewildered, staring at her staff, now smoldering and blackened where it struck the wolf. Tentatively, she touches the wood—it's cool to the touch like metal. There's no time to ponder this miracle.

"Duke!!"

She scrambles to her feet and runs to her dog. He's alive but badly injured, whimpering in pain.

"You're gonna be ok, boy..." fighting back tears, she gently lifts him and carries him towards the barn. "Stay with me, puppy"

She carries her injured dog inside the barn, laying him gently on a bed of straw. Theo wound os gnarly. With a heavy heart, she turns her attention back to the scattered herd. She begins to gather the sheep, herding them back toward the barn. Most follow, but a few still cluster around something on the ground.

As she approaches, her breath catches in her throat.

There, amidst the curious sheep, lies a man, his form, much like her's blended human and animal features. His Brown anda white face is pale, contorted with pain, and blood seeps from multiple wounds. Eyes are closed; he is unconscious.

Paige kneeled beside him, her shock deepening as she takes in the rest of his form. Powerful, curved horns protrude from his head, feet are also hooved, and a thick, coarse wool coat covers his shoulders. A faun, an extraordinary being, and he is gravely injured.

Her heart races as she gently reaches out, trying to assess the extent of his injuries. Bleeding is not severe, but she knows she has to act quickly to save him.

Summoning her strength, she carefully helps the unconscious faun to his feet, supporting his weight as they make their way back to the barn. Inside, she lays him down beside her Duke, quickly gathering what supplies she has to tend to his wounds.

Paige's mind races with questions, but she pushes them aside, focusing on the immediate task of stopping the bleeding and easing his pain. The night is far from over, but as she works, that fierce ignition keeps burning within her.

She will not lose them. None them.

Never again.