A Moment From the Carrion Fields:

I lowered my head into the wind and pushed forward through the piling snow. I was leaving the burning village behind me, having slipped through unnoticed, Lords of Light be blessed. Soon I would be among the few stout men and giants still fighting against the Loke's oppressive army. A particularly chilling gust of wind buffeted me and I was again glad I had bartered the majority of my steel armor for the furs and leathers I was wearing now. Not to mention their silent suppleness aided me in slipping past the sentries of the occupying force. Paladins were most certainly not welcome in these parts. Long ago, Udgaard Loke had taken power in the city that now bore his name, and he had slaughtered all of the paladins and burned their guild to the ground. That thought lodged firmly in my mind, I trudged on, up and into the mountains; half a day and I would be there.

"You there, traveler! Halt!" Damned. I knew I would not pass more than a cursory inspection. Most of the untrained men inside the village had been too busy burning and looting to notice a weary, fur-clad traveler. These men were patrollers, searching out rebels and watching for signs of attack. I had precious few moments to prepare. I threw back the largest cloak, which revealed the shining breastplate I still wore and the hammer inlaid upon it in mithril. Light surrounded me as I knelt briefly in the snow and communed with my Lord, asking for his protection. I heard one of them call out at the top of his lungs, "He's one of the rebels! To arms!" Silvery light flashed in my eyes and I focused on my enemies, rising from the snow and striding towards the three men. I could feel the evil pouring off of them, my powers bringing it to life as a visible and palpable aura of redness, the color of fresh blood.

The leader of the three was nearly upon me, sword and dagger drawn, before I managed to unhook my mighty hammer. I gathered it into my gloved hands and delivered the Strike of Faith, a secret teaching of the paladin guild known to those of us who had forsaken the protection of a shield for the raw power of larger weapons. My strike dispatched the leader quickly and I dropped the hammer to the ground with one hand and raised the other into the air as the two remaining patrollers rushed at me. I muttered a few words to my Lord and protector as divine light flashed around me and streaked towards my adversaries. I was confident that Shokai's holy wrath would quickly end this battle, and I was not disappointed.

I shouldered my heavy cloak once again and trudged on, aware that I was not clear of the ever-present danger inherent to the Theran world. The raging snowstorm soon erased all traces of the brief and violent battle behind me; ahead of me I knew lay more danger. My gaze was steady and my mission was clear, however: to protect and serve the Light. In that I would not fail.

Welcome to Carrion Fields. A world where the forces of Light and Darkness wage constant battle, and you can tip the balance of power towards the side of your choosing.