The meeting chamber in the Order's lower tower smelled faintly of parchment and lavender oil — a calming agent burned to keep nerves steady during critical discussions. Fitting, considering the weight of what they were about to decide.
The dossier lay open across the round oak table, its pages thick with names, credentials, ranks, and past missions.
Maia sat with her legs crossed, red-gold light from the stained glass painting soft lines across her features. She flipped a final page, nodded once, and passed the selected ten to Koda.
Terron sat nearby, arms behind his head, glancing at the pages as if hoping one of them might literally stand up and punch him in the face — to save them time.
Koda took the profiles, his fingers careful even through the linen gloves. These weren't just names.
They were wagers.
And maybe, if chosen well — salvation.
Selected Candidates:
WALLS / TANKS
Ira Veln
Sex: Female
Age: 29
Level: 23
Affiliation: Church of the Shield, member of the Order
Primary Skills:
Bastion Shell (active barrier projection, physical and magical)
Lockstep Anchor (immobilize self to gain full resistance boost and provoke aggro)
Weightless Guard (passive: no movement penalty in heavy armor)
Notable:
Held a mountain pass during a six-day siege. Lost her right eye but refused evacuation. Known for stoic resolve and protective instinct. Carries a custom-built tower shield that weighs more than most grown men.
Donmar PellSex: Male
Age: 34
Level: 24
Affiliation: Church of the Forge, Order auxiliary
Primary Skills:
Stoneform (partial transformation of skin to rock)
Bulwark Pulse (short-range pulse that staggers enemies and reinforces allies)
Pain Exchange (transfer damage from allies to self)
Notable:
A former blacksmith turned field commander. Known for absolute loyalty. Once pulled an entire squad from a collapsing ruin under siege by tunneling them out — while under fire.
Junen Solt
Sex: Female
Age: 27
Level: 22
Affiliation: Outer Order, Holy Mother—defense division
Primary Skills:
Sanctified Stand (create defensive circle resistant to corruption and dark magic)
Verdant Grip (rooted stance that anchors allies and resists knockback)
Resolve Echo (passive aura: +minor regen to allies under 50% HP within radius)
Notable:
Only survivor of a corrupted village incursion. Held the line until the Holy Mother's retrieval squad arrived. Calm, clear-minded, and deeply grounded in purpose.
CONTROL MAGES
Callix Grell
Sex: Male
Age: 31
Level: 25
Affiliation: Librarian's Church — Tactical Archive
Primary Skills:
Static Field (electric zone: slows movement, disrupts coordination)
Mind Lure (brief confuse effect, powerful against mobs)
Overthink (passive: enemies suffer longer debuff duration when within proximity)
Notable:
Has mapped and escaped four separate dungeons without casualties. Known for precision and extreme caution. Slightly neurotic, but widely respected for field intellect.
Wren Dal
Sex: Female
Age: 24
Level: 21
Affiliation: Outer Order Librarian branch, subterfuge operations
Primary Skills:
Dustbind (earth-based restraint — turns ground to adhesive trap)
Whisper Surge (invisibility and crowd daze combo)
Blind Script (non-lethal visual suppression; targets see illusions)
Notable:
Trained in infiltration and crowd suppression. Played key role in quelling civil panic during a lost city discovery. Known to be quiet but unnervingly observant.
Fenrick Toll
Sex: Male
Age: 36
Level: 26
Affiliation: Librarian Church, Core Analysis Unit
Primary Skills:
Timestep (short burst slow-time field)
Anchor Mind (immune to charm/confusion; can share effect with one ally)
Hex Matrix (cascading AoE debuffs on marked targets)
Notable:
Former head analyst during the Fortress Thirteen evacuation. Selected for mental fortitude above magical talent — widely considered one of the Order's most unshakable minds.
ATTACK MAGES
Ceren Vos
Sex: Female
Age: 28
Level: 24
Affiliation: Forge Church
Primary Skills:
Blazing Rift (long-range linear fire rupture)
Sunforged Blade (conjures blade of molten light)
Combust Pressure (cause overheated targets to explode)
Notable:
A fiery personality to match her spells. Spearheaded a civilian extraction through an enemy-aligned cult riot using flame-based area denial. Strong-willed. Prone to sarcasm. Lethal.
Mara Ines
Sex: Female
Age: 33
Level: 23
Affiliation: Independent — Order-approved auxiliary
Primary Skills:
Ash Rain (sustained fire AoE)
Branding Spark (marks enemies — increases damage taken from all sources)
Blister Wall (fire barrier that burns and pushes back mobs)
Notable:
Chooses not to align formally with a church. Deep trauma background — once the only survivor of a failed dungeon incursion. Rebuilt herself through fire. Empathetic but deeply private.
Deker Holl
Sex: Male
Age: 26
Level: 22
Affiliation: Librarian — field combat alchemist
Primary Skills:
Ignite Brew (fire-based chemical bomb)
Volatile Mist (fog + ignite combo)
Seared Line (flame tripwire + stun effect)
Notable:
Young but clever. Thinks three steps ahead in battle. More inventor than mage, but field-tested and fierce. Struggles with authority figures. Surprisingly moral.
Thessa Rain
Sex: Female
Age: 30
Level: 25
Affiliation: Church of the Holy Mother, punitive flame division
Primary Skills:
Judgement Pyre (sacred fire pillar)
Cleansing Burn (removes corruption from allies, burns enemies)
Burning Faith (damage scales with resolve; stronger when defending others)
Notable:
High-ranking but humble. Known for surviving prolonged exposure to corruption. Leads with empathy and unshakeable inner fire. Terron calls her "too good to be real."
Koda finished reading the last profile and set the folder down slowly.
"These ten," Maia said quietly, "were the best combination of skill and integrity. All of them have seen the abyss. None of them ran."
Terron leaned back. "So. We're going to invite them to go back in."
Koda nodded.
"One by one. We talk. We learn who they are. Then we choose."
———
The room had been cleared, the long meeting table pulled to one side so no barrier stood between them and those they'd be entrusting their lives to. Just three chairs, a pitcher of water, and the weight of the question they'd ask ten times today.
Koda sat forward, posture relaxed but eyes sharp.
Maia sat beside him, arms loosely folded, gaze gentle but penetrating.
Terron leaned back slightly, legs stretched, boots planted, looking each candidate in the eye like they were already sparring.
IRA VELN
She stepped in as if walking onto a battlefield—helmet tucked beneath one arm, her plate mail clicking with every footfall.
Koda nodded a greeting. "Ira Veln."
"Sir."
"We'll make this simple," he said. "Do you want to step into hell again?"
She answered immediately. "Yes."
"Why?"
Her voice dropped into something firmer. "Because I've seen the kind of thing we're facing. The kind that eats walls, not just people. And the only way through it is to hold."
She tapped her chest lightly over her heartplate. "I hold."
Koda studied her for a long second. "No fear?"
"Plenty," she said. "But I already made peace with it."
When she left, Maia said softly, "Rooted. Balanced aura. She won't panic."
Terron added, "You saw that tower shield? She doesn't just hold ground — she owns it."
DONMAR PELL
Donmar walked in like a man fresh off a forge shift — thick arms, soot-lined scars on one temple, and a calm, solid air about him. His armor looked worn from real use, not polished for show.
He nodded to all three before taking the seat with a quiet grunt.
Koda leaned forward. "Do you want to step into hell again?"
Donmar's eyes narrowed.
"I think that's where we live now."
Maia raised an eyebrow.
He continued. "It's not about want. It's about need. I have skills that save people. I can take hits that others can't. I can stand in fire if that means a healer gets two more seconds."
Koda asked, "And why join us?"
Donmar shrugged. "Because you're not wasting time. Because I watched what you did out there. I follow people who bleed with their orders."
When he left, Terron gave a sharp exhale. "Guy talks like he's been holding back mountains."
Maia nodded. "Very physical aura. Surprisingly empathetic. But I'd watch his fatigue — he'll carry more than he should."
Koda murmured, "Willing martyr type."
Maia gave him a knowing sideways glance. "Not sure we need another one of those…"
JUNEN SOLT
Junen arrived silently.
Clad in layered green-gray armor reinforced with natural fibers and metal hooks, they moved with a steady, almost meditative grace. Their eyes were dark and quiet, their expression unreadable.
They bowed slightly before sitting.
Koda's voice was calm. "Do you want to step into hell again?"
Junen didn't answer right away. When they did, their voice was soft.
"No."
Koda blinked. "Then why are you here?"
"Because the fire we leave behind still touches the people we love. I don't want to go into hell. But I will."
"And why join us?"
Junen's eyes lifted. "Because you fight without corruption. And because Maia heals with purpose. And because the shield beside you…" they nodded toward Terron, "fights for people, not just for walls."
Maia's lips parted slightly.
Koda gave a respectful nod. "Thank you."
When Junen left, Terron gave a low whistle. "Okay. That was… honest."
Maia murmured, "Her soul is steady. I didn't feel even a flicker of ambition. Just deep, rooted conviction."
"She's not loud," Terron added, "but she's not moving either. Like a tree with iron roots."
Koda set Junen's profile gently atop the others and leaned back in his chair, expression tight with thought.
"We should decide now," he said quietly. "Our choice of shield is going to shape who we bring in for crowd control. They'll be the other half of that defensive spine."
He looked first to Maia, who was already watching him, arms crossed loosely, thoughtful.
"I agree with Maia," he continued. "I'm reckless enough on my own. Donmar would follow me into a trench with a smile. That makes him valuable, but dangerous. For us. I need someone who'll hold, not charge."
Terron gave a low grunt of amusement. "Takes guts to admit that out loud."
"I've had enough people die for me," Koda said, voice flat. "I'm not eager to add more."
He tapped the table with one finger, eyes drifting between the remaining two profiles.
"Ira will hold under fire — probably better than anyone else we've seen. But Junen… Junen matches my pace. They're a wall that listens. That offers more than just durability. That mental barrier? It might be the only thing that keeps the corruption out of us when the sins start whispering."
Maia nodded slowly. "She's the only one I saw today who already looks like she's walked through Greed and didn't bring anything back with her."
Terron shrugged. "You know me — I'd love a tower shield and a half-ton battering ram at my side. But… Junen fits this team better."
He looked at Koda. "You lead with balance. Not brute force. She'll mirror you."
Koda looked down at the profile again — the faint sigil of the Holy Mother's Church etched along the spine. Quiet strength. Grounded mind.
He exhaled.
"Then it's settled."
He slid Junen's folder to the side.
"She's our shield."