[center]
[hr]
		The sun burns bright against you as you follow the right lane. Occasionally shades of trees and buildings cover your trek as you pass what seems like miles of ongoing street blocks but soon you find yourself in an open area. Up ahead is a great castle aiming towards the sky and to its sides are walls that seem to border the abyss behind it From your left and right are merging streets and to its middle is a circular stone plaza of where a crowd has gathered. In the outer circle you see bystanders watching the gathering and from the inner-circles are weapon-bearing adventurers being guided by soldiers to form a compact block. 

	You join the block of recruits and as you do a voice cuts through the noise of the crowd. A man in black robes with a symbolic cross, stitched to his front is seen in front of the block standing on a wooden stage surrounded by guards clad in iron hastily stationed on its corners. 

	“Welcome! “ His voice echoes through the crowd enveloping the chatter of the crowd. “You have come here one reason and one reason only… to descend. “ From the outer rim of the plaza a collective gasp from nearby citizens can be heard, “We call to you the three hundred of whom have answered the call to arms to aid in Zion’s first descent into the abyss! As King Baldwin has proclaimed he will provide a sanctuary, training, and protection to those who join the first wave! “

	The announcer’s hands move to his side grabbing out a wooden scroll from the pockets of his robe. “Now then… “ He scans the crowd for a moment but then suddenly stops on you, you notice a glint of a glowing blue hue from his eyes before the announcer looks to the other side of the crowd. “I present to you, the ten esteemed sergeants of King Baldwin! “ The announcer turns, his hand out as he gestures towards the opening gates of the castle. 

	Anticipation can be felt within the crowd and as the gates rise it reveals an assortment of guards with a black ribbon tied to their gauntlets. With their ceremonial spears, they move forward and then split into two groups and move to the side revealing the esteemed generals…

[b] “ Ariel! Chamuel! Gabriel! Azrael! Hamon! Michael! Uriel! Yefe! Zarak! Rachiel! “ [/b]

	The announcer calls out. Each sergeant wearing a unique set of armor and bears some sort of weapon that emanates spiritual energy. The sergeants stand a good length away to the front of the stage.

	Questions and whispered conversations can be heard within the block of recruits before the announcer’s booming voice cuts through. 

“I will call out your names! Don’t worry...  I already know them. “ He chuckles, “I will call out your names and each name I answer a sergeant will raise their hand and after a name is called you will fall in line behind the sergeants! After everyone is called the sergeants will lead you to the training halls and there you will be sorted into pairs of two! “ The announcer nods and begins to call out names.
	
	You stand there and every minute that passes the block moves and begins to get shorter and to what seems like hours of names passing by the announcer stops. Only a group of eight are left within the block, to your front are the ten sergeants, a few guards and behind them are thirty recruits behind each sergeant. Confused as to why your name hasn’t been called, the sergeants begin to make their move, the guards following in toe as they slowly enter through the castle gates. 

	You are left confused before the announcer smiles and sits on the edge of the stage “You… are that's left? Interesting… The eight… the eight… We now wait for one more. " The announcer turns his head and from the open gates, a man clothed in white robes walks up to the stage. “Virgil. “ The announcer says, standing as he begins to clap towards Virgil. 

	“Begone, Abaddon. I don’t need your humor. “ The announcer laughs slyly before making his move towards the entrance of the castle. Virgil, the man in white stands before you and the other eight that are left within the block. “Forgive my lateness… Please follow me. “ Without any other words of explanation, the man walks off in the direction towards the castle. 

	You follow him hesitantly to the castle gates and unlike the crowd of recruits who went up the slope towards the courtyard of the castle, Virgil leads you to the right into a small pathway with stone arches, flowers are planted the side and soon he leads you to the front of a small building hidden away from the major parts of the castle. Virgil turns to the group and begins to silently stare and after a moment he speaks, 

	“Forgive my awkwardness, I am Virgil Maro… The 11th Sergeant. My existence is not well known for I have just been recently inducted into the line of sergeants under King Baldwin. You may be wondering why you aren’t in a large group like the others... You are all here because you were chosen-- Abaddon, the announcer, and the sergeants already knew who their team was before the crowd was even assorted and I too knew as well. “

	“The purpose of this group is very simple, to head into the abyss... Within a month. Aside from the major groups, we are the first to enter the abyss in absolute secrecy. Under the personal instruction of King Baldwin, we are to train and head into the abyss scouting its contents and make safe passage for the soldiers soon to come. I stress the secrecy of this topic and that it remains hidden for now. Its urgency is within reason as we must begin as soon as possible but if anyone of you decides not to uphold the call to arms then that is perfectly fine but you must not speak a word of what I have told you. Again forgive my urgency but you must answer now-- ... Will you join me? "

[/center]