A Good Day to Die

Dawn came.

The young cleric rose with the sun. His brown hair tossled about from his long sleep, he got up and prayed to his deity.

"Master, I thank you for another blessed day which you have graced the world with. I pray that you allow me to assist many today in Your Name."

Quickly readying himself, he bathed and ate. Going downstairs to meet with the priests, he saw them busily and heatedly talking amongst themselves. He strode over to them and hailed them cordially.

"A good day to you, Fathers," he said.

"Ah, Thalin. We're glad you're ready so early," one elderly priest responded gravely.

"Yes, we have a very important task for you to complete," the second continued.

"I will complete any task you put before me," the young cleric said assuredly.

"Very well...come with us," the first answered as they ushered Thalin into a private room.

Thalin couldn't remember a time when he had seen the priests so distraught with something. Concerned with what task they had for him, he sat down and gazed at them as casually as he could.

"Thalin, we've received reports of a nearby area being tainted with an evil that only our order can purge. That's why we called upon you last night. You are, by far, are most skilled and pious cleric. We know that whatever is there causing the taint won't be of any difficulty to you," the second priest said.

"We were unable to determine the cause of the taint, but we are sure it's a source of great and immense power. Are you willing to take this task upon yourself in the name of our Lord?" the first asked.

Thalin didn't respond immediately. He had, of course, done his fair share of battling and purifying the land of evil in his time with the temple, but the way the priests were talking...would he be equipped to deal with this new threat?

"What is the situation we're dealing with exactly?" he asked.

"The land has become defiled and barren from an unknown source of evil magic. We suspect necromancy but cannot be sure. It may be an ancient and darker magic that we have no seen in quite a long time," the first answered.