The Tolterre Forest, a place not even Rayven with her aptitude for battling the undead would willingly travel to. The very land itself seeped in dark magic. The dead never lie still, many a dark wizard travel here to experiment, creating numerous monstrosities
On this night, Rayven had to hunt a particular abomination. Sewn together from numerous corpses to create a massive, heavy hitting fighter the size of an ogre and strikes with a man sized cleaver.
Rayven was already on edge, this place not only gave her the creeps but the dark magic so thick in the air was playing tricks on her mind, preying on her insecurities.
From the last report it was just up ahead in a ruined town. The paladin was shaking in fear but kept pressing forward. This had to be done. This creature was slaughtering any who came through the area. It had to be stopped.
Gripping the haft of her mighty maul she pressed on. Jumping at every sound around her. There were times she swears she could see eyes in the dark watching her which was deeply unsettling regarding of being real or not. Just get it done and be out of this terrifying place she'd repeat to herself.
She comes up to the edge of the ruined town, the sounds around her suddenly cease. It is now unnatural silent save for the creak of some ruined shutters shifting in the wind.
The stench of death filled the air making the Paladin's stomach turn and knot. She could never understand how necromancers could stand being around the dead so often... not that it matters now. Where in the hells was this thing? Something as big as it is reported to be should be easy to find.
Exploring further Rayven finds numerous bodies strewn about in various states of decay, all mangled and mutilated likely as the creature kept chopping even after the victim's death she surmised.
Closing her eyes and letting her ability to sense undead take hold, a very strong presence... right... behind her.
Rayven stiffens, feeling a chill up her spine. She shakily turns to see the thing glaring at her with a wicked grin. It inhales deeply and raises its weapons as it bellows out:
"WHAT A PRETTY LITTLE PIECE OF MEAT YOU ARE!"
With that Rayven screams at the top of her lungs backpedaling and raising her maul to put something between it and her. She needs to run! Wait... no she needs to fight it!
Panic setting in as her body refuses to cooperate with the plan to fight. She finds that she's been backed into a wall and holds up a trembling hand trying to cast magic but she can't seem to focus.
The creature only laughs and casually walks closer only to simply slap her hand away.
Rayven takes a deep breath and clasps her holy symbol in her hand. It begins to glow followed by a feeling of calm, then followed by righteous fury! What does she have to be afraid of? She is a weapon of righteousness! She has destroyed legions of undead!
If only Rayven could think of a cool line to say... sadly she had nothing. Hands glowing in radiant energy Rayven swings her hammer sending a wave of holy energy forward, striking the creature, the disgusting being snarls and seethes as its flesh sears from the attack. This was no ordinary creature and this was no ordinary woman. They both realize it's time to get serious.
The darkness around them lights with a flash as sparks fly each time their weapons connect, still even filled with power the creature's physical strength outmatched Rayven's if she didn't end this quickly she would lose in a long battle.
Making a feint strike with her maul she puts out her hand, blasting the creature with a bolt of holy energy. From the way it howled she knew that one must have hurt like hell.
What she didn't expect is such a quick recovery. Before she knew it an intense pain shot up through her abdomen and out her back. Vision reduced to a pinhole from the shock and pain.
This was it... wasn't it. She was going to die. This blow by itself wasn't going to be immediately lethal and she doubted she would bleed out as the thing would just keep hacking away at her.
She looks down to see the creature had driven a massive hook through her. The paladin's body slowly losing feeling and becoming less and less responsive. In a final effort, she knew she wasn't going to leave this thing alive. Hand held out she gave everything bit of power she could muster and blew the beast's head clean off with a blast of magic.
Everything went black as Rayven hit the ground. Blood pooling around her as she felt herself drifting out of consciousness.