Asherons Call: New Fiction: A Shadow’s Tear

Winner of the ACRoleplayers.com writing contest, Tynerion of Solclaim has written an extremely moving story about an man and a shadow child. Stray is a gruff old adventurer who lives alone and does not welcome visitors. He has been called upon by the Arcanum many times in the past 20 years to go where no one else wants to and retrieve artifacts for pay, often dying multiple times in the process. This time, the journey ends up changing his life, maybe even saving him.

He was just starting to feel that this quest was going to be too easy when the passage he was walking down took a sharp right. And as he rounded the corner, an Umbris Shadow standing in front of a stone door welcomed him with a fireball. Stray was not prepared for this onslaught and was thrown back against the wall. Umbris Shadows were a bad sort-they were very quick on the attack and their advanced skill in the magic of "Strife" was well known. Stray barely had regained his balance from the first attack when a streak of lighting aimed at his head came from the hands of his floating foe. Fortunately, Stray had enough sense to raise his axe, which took the brunt of the attack; but still, his face had been burnt on one side and he felt weakened from the electricity that managed to make it though his axe and into his body.

Read more of A Shadow's Tear and learn how the love of a child can change your whole outlook on life.