Cressida's placid expression belayed none of the overwhelming feelings currently coursing through her: accomplishment, excitement, and relief all mixing together in one gut-churning mass of<i>emotion</i>that she was hard-pressed to keep down. Still, she managed to keep her face even as she knelt before the church's altar, clad in white robes, her sword belted at her side. From the age of fourteen to now, a day after her twenty-first birthday, she had been in training under the Sunstone Order to serve as a paladin, bound to protect the realm as so many before her had been. For seven years she had honed herself in body and mind, and now, her labors would finally be recognized. She'd exchange her squire's cuirass for the full armor of a knight, and take her place among their ranks.<br/><br/>The priest's droning incantation, a prayer of good fortune for the girl kneeling before him, seemed to drag on for an eternity, but she kept herself still, eyes remaining regally downcast. Several other holy men were in attendance as well, candles cupped in their hands. There were no other paladins or apprentices in the church--the initiation ceremony was a sacred affair, meant to remain between the paladin-to-be and the deities. Afterwards, however, would be a different story. Her friends and mentors were waiting at the inn to celebrate her success with her in a night of feasting and drinking. There were no rules saying that they couldn't have a<i>bit</i>of fun, especially given the circumstances. The addition of a fully-fledged paladin was always a cause for celebration.<br/><br/>The priest's speech was coming to a close, and she suppressed the urge to look up as another man stepped forward, bearing a newly-forged and gilded helmet. The first piece to her new armor. "Rise, Cressida Laeruun," he intoned,<b> "and--"</b><br/><br/>The rumble that ran through the floor caught them all by surprise, causing those in attendance to look down quizzically. An earthquake? This part of the world had not felt a tremor for centuries. "What is that...?"<br/><br/>And then, quite literally, everything went to hell.<br/><br/>The group was thrown like leaves in a windstorm as a gout of flame and flying rock exploded from the stone flooring underfoot. The eruption knocked Cressida backwards, sending her head-over-heels as she tumbled across the cobblestones. The impact dazed her, but she fought through it to scramble back to her feet, eyes wide, hand gripping the sword at her hip.<i>Something </i>enormous and aflame was pulling itself out of the hole that had blasted up from the depths of the earth, and when it parted its jaws, it sent a wave of noxious sulfur rolling through the church. Fiery eyes flicked to take in the assembled humans, its mouth twisting into a fanged grin. With thunderous laughter, it lifted a single massive fist, then slammed it downwards on the monks.<br/><br/>Cressida's scream was lost in theirs. She was running before she realized it, blade slipping from its sheath. With a shout, she charged the demon, swinging her sword to embed itself in the demon's side with every ounce of force she could muster.