The Death of a Paladin

[Doloh]

The Death of a Paladin
Part ONE

The bartender slid the aged paladin a drink of his strongest ale knowing all to well that this paladin needed to drown the horrors he had seen in some strong drink. The paladin simply known as Doloh flipped the bar keep a silver and nodded to him to keep the change. Doloh had just risen the goblet to his lips to pour the fiery liquid down his throat when the bar door burst open and a broad shouldered dwarf stumbled in with a deep gash across the his chest where blood poured freely.
“Darwok,” screamed the barmaid as she rushed over to try to support the bulky figure of the staggering dwarf. The barmaid helped the dwarf limp to the nearest bar stool where he collapsed in exhaustion.
“Get a healer quickly,” yelled the patron sitting closest to the door. By now most of the patrons in the bar were up and moving closer to the fallen dwarf. The bar tender moved quickly calling for Doloh to stop the dwarfs lifeblood from flowing freely onto the floor. Doloh rose and without a word to anyone roughly shoved aside the drunken patrons of the Tavern of the Dead Orc and placed his hands on the forehead of Darwok. All around the dwarf gasped as the healing power of Doloh took effect and the gash that was once running red with the blood of Darwok slowed to a trickle than disappeared into a ugly purple scar. The dwarf slowly opened his eyes to see ten more staring back at him. Darwok let out a yelp and told the fools to stop staring at him like he had just returned from the grave. “But you have!” exclaimed the barmaid as she helped the dwarf out of his armor. The black suit of plate armor that once protected the stocky dwarf was torn to pieces as he roughly pulled off his helm. Doloh without words strode back over to his stool and sat back down to finish his ale, not caring anymore about the mumbling dwarf.
“What happened to you?” asked the bartender as he poured the dwarf a fiery drink.
“I was down south of Waterdeep with a young mage called Nasen when a pillar of fire rose out of the earth sending us both scrambling for cover. Nasen dove behind a cluster of trees as I took up a defensive position at the foot of the fire. The pillar subsided and left behind an enormous demon that cackled with glee. I charged in knowing damn well that this foe was bigger than any me or my companion could handle. I wanted to give Nasen a chance to escape so I took a giant breath and swung with all my might the huge battle-axe. My hands went numb from the shock of the blow that followed my strike. I looked more closely at this evil foe and noticed the tell tale signs of the spell stone skin. I shuddered as I screamed for Nasen to make haste to Waterdeep. Nasen tried to run, but that bastard focused his hatred on poor Nasen and spoke a few words with his split tongue and froze Nasen to the ground. I yelled in defiance of this act and charged back at the hell spawn. The demon laughed at my pitiful attempts to do him any harm. The demon roared as he rose his clawed hand and brought it down in lighting fast stroke that I swear made the trees sway. The bastard ruined my best suit of armor as his clawed hand drove through my chest and knocked me backward. The demon advanced on me and swung an underhand blow that lifted my now bloody body into the air and I landed with a grunt. I know not what happened next as I lost conciseness. When I awoke I found a gigantic hole where the pillar once stood and no sign of my friend, Nasen. I stumbled to the gates of southern Waterdeep where I bade the guards to open the great gates of the city so that I might report the incident to Lord Pergerion. I made my way through the slums of Waterdeep and staggered into the bar when I knew that I could go no further.”
The look of sheer horror on those surrounding the dwarf spoke volumes. Many around ran wildly towards the exit where they stampeded out the door. A grunt brought the squinted eyes of the dwarf to the tall figure sitting hunched over his goblet. “You do not believe the horror I have told this night, sir knight?” exclaimed Darwok as he strolled up to the figure known as Doloh.
Another grunt followed and Doloh rose to his feet. “Your friend Nasen is far worse than dead.” A cold Doloh told the dwarf. The paladin asked the now sweating bartender if he had a room for him tonight and the bartender nodded his head and motioned for the barmaid to show him the way. The short barmaid strolled past Doloh and beckoned for him to follow her up the steps to his room Doloh had almost reached the steps to follow the barmaid when a rough hand clasped his shoulder and spun the paladin to face the now red faced dwarf. “I say ye not know the horrors I have seen this night, sir knight.” Doloh slowly blinked at the dwarfs statement and sighed. He tried to turn back to follow the now impatient barmaid and was roughly shoved backwards away from the enraged dwarf. “Ye a drunken coward Doloh, you have no right to bare the title of paladin,” yelled Darwok.
Doloh only shook his head and slowly rose to his feet. “I warn you dwarf, and warn you only once never lay a hand on me or call me a coward again or ye shall feel my wrath upon you. With that Doloh turned his grey haired head back towards the steps and slowly with aching knees and a bad back climbed the steps to the demonic nightmares that his restless sleep would bring.

This is the first part to my first RP story, questions, comments, suggestions are welcome, please be gentle it was my first.