Once upon a time, a group of adventurers traveled into the unknown to seek out villainy and bring it to justice: a warlock, a monk, a boss, a druid, an archer, and, of course, The Bard.
One day earlier, the local governor told our heroes, while honoring them with riches and banquets, that his poor beloved was stolen away from him by a dastardly villain. He would be happy to discuss his disapproval with the thief; he merely needed an opportunity for a meeting. The heroes, saddened by his tale of loss, agreed to fetch this man for the Governor and put his mind at ease.
They traveled far and crossed many dangers. They overcame even more zombie creatures, facing them head-on and certainly not running from them, leaving some of the team to fend for themselves.
They were no safer at night, even crossing paths with a mighty black dragon! This might have been the beginning of one of the most legendary battles ever seen by man, but in the end the dragon, likely seeing Milo the Magnificent in the group, decided it would be smarter to pass by without confronting them.
But still the group pressed on, now arriving at a swamp. They passed through the muck as quickly as their legs could carry them, when suddenly the monk received an invitation from a beautiful woman to a nearby hut. Never one to swipe left, the monk accepted the invitation, asking the group to wait for him as he marched further into the swamp.
But, after 10 minutes, the group began to worry. It wasn’t like the monk to be with a woman so long. What if he was in trouble? Quickly they pursued their shelled friend.
Meanwhile, at the hut, the monk was greeted by the young woman’s roommate, an evil-looking witch. She was happy he came and offered him information he would need in exchange for a small token. Most would have left then and there, giving the witch the finger, but not the monk. Instead he accepted the terms… giving the witch his finger! The monk clutched his 4-fingered hand and let out a painful cry. But, faster than you could punch a warhorse, the witch was gone, leaving behind only a whisper that their prize would be found in a cave to the west facing away from the sea.
The rest of the group caught up moments later, but it was too late. They would not be able to find the finger or the witch (or her beautiful roommate). The monk wondered what took his friends so long, but he was not one to point fingers. The archer in particular was disappointed in the loss of the witch, though he never did mention why…
The monk may have lost a finger, but, on the other hand, he was still OK so their journey continued westward!
They walked for hours until they finally arrived at the western coast of the island where there stood a suspicious cave, just where the witch said it would be! Surely this must be it, yet there was no sign of life, only darkness.
Cautiously the adventurers entered the cave. Just when it seemed it was deserted, a mighty umber hulk crashed from above, scattering the heroes. With one massive swing the warlock took a mighty hit! With another, the boss was knocked unconscious! Milo, overcome with the creature’s strength found himself overcome with awe and stumbled into the water! “Is this what it’s like when people see me?” he wondered as he kicked to get to shore.
Just when all hope seemed lost, a stranger entered the cave. He paused for a moment, taking in the chaos before him, but then with a flick of his wrist he produced a flute that when played sent the creature running, leaving the group to tend to their wounds.
Could it be? This man must surely be the adulterer they were tasked to find, but he may have just saved their lives! This would certainly make his arrest more awkward, but there would be time for that later. For now, the stranger had questions and the heroes were content to bide their time. After all, even though the stranger’s crimes were well known, there was still something about him that the group, especially the monk, couldn’t put their finger on.