Wilderlands Manual

'W tlbtt lanbs 'Whud the Barbarian and his five companions had been through the ringer. It had taken several months of trial and tribulation, but even the slowest of heroes can make a breakthrough. As they sat in the positions that had become so natural after countless encounters, fighters protecting the more vulnerable of the party, out came the patter of long time companions. "That Dragon sure had a tough hide. Glad I thought of (a-hem) stealing that loose tooth", observed Ferret the thief, who had a habit of blowing her own horn. Morgan the Smith couldn't let that lay. "Maybe, but without my skill, the weapon that distracted the beast might never have been forged. Next time, you might not be so lucky." "Enough of this", grunted Thud, who was weary and very nearly famished. "Now that we've got the thing, what do we do with it?" Being more practical minded, he at least hadn't forgotten about the (now toothless) Dragon that might be turning up at any minute. Joseph (former Shaman turned Healer) brought up the point, "Friends, we are not in very good shape. To confront anything more vicious than an angry gopher might prove disastrous. Our descent of the hidden tower has left us weakened. Perhaps a retreat to the Barracks might afford us some rest ... and refreshment, and make us all the more stout-hearted for our next adventure." Flitz the Wizard stared down the corridor and spoke up. "A commendable sentiment but with two flaws. The first is that we have used our last homing wand when we encountered the Demon on the floor above. The second is that our friend the Dragon has found us and looks mightily displeased. RUN!" It was a suddenly revitalized band of adventurers which turned tail and headed for the far end of the corridor. They slowed as they approached the dead end, but much to their surprise, it slid to one side, affording them entrance into another dark interior. Inward they plunged, only to backpedal suddenly when confronted with a gaunt, black robed figure before them, clothed in black robes and gesturing wildly. Motes and clouds trailed from his glowing fingertips; all about him appeared Demons of every shape and size. Thud realized that though the flood of demons was bad enough, his first priority had to be to plug the source. Wielding his great Sword of Heroes, he prepared to cleave the necromancer from crown to crotch. He caught the first whiffs of demons breath, but swung the ancient sword downward with a mighty stroke. The Dark Sorcerer of Malokor fell to the east and the west (at the same time). Without a moment to savor his triumph, Thud joined in battle with the Demons. By the time they were finished, only Thud and Joseph remained alive and standing. Joseph wanted to breathe life back into his fallen comrades, but his manna was spent. Then he noticed the bright glow in the corridor behind the fallen Sorcerer... ~t last. tl.Jt ~taff of 1tft bas bttt…