The Adventures of the Fantasy Fan: Part 1

A rain swept cement balcony comes into view as the earth colored curtains are flung open to the world. The sun's drab attempt to illuminate this cluttered universe battles with the half-closed ocular spaces of our hero. White t-shirts and black socks hang soaking in the remnants of the midnight showers that have been so common of late. Exhausted and whithered, his hand goes to the warmth of his bed, where his mind still sleeps. Steeling his reserve, he pushes onward into the fray.

The day, like most days, starts with a routine unchanged for months. But something was different. Something was terribly different. Outfitted in his usual garments to protect from the elements, tweed jacket, beanie cap, gloves and an unusually heavy umbrella, he set forth to conquer the day. He had no idea just how right that phrase would prove.

He stepped from his home onto the lush green hills of the familiar frontier. His leather armor creaked from the humidity of the day and his heavy long sword swayed in its scabbard on his hip. His hand, sheltered in the commonplace gloves of a retired mercenary, crept toward the hilt of his sword. His rucksack swayed on his back as he reached up with his other hand to shield his eyes from the sun. Something felt different, but he could not place what was awry. He looked around him, always weary of possible attack yet vigilant.

The small wooden cabin was at the base of a vertical outcrop leading up nearly thirty feet to a rocky ridge. The humble house was small, even for halfling standards. The door was scant tall enough to admit an average human, yet our hero was able to easily walk about inside. Cozy would have been an appropriate description of this location if it had not been for recent developments in the countryside. The land was no longer safe to inhabit.

His lands had become unusually hostile. He meant to find the source of his recent security breach. He no longer trusted his routine. The key to surviving in this world was to always do the unexpected when confronted with danger. He meant to travel to the neighboring realm to find means to stave off the threat to his land. East was the heading, toward the stone megalith, the Tower of Unusual Protuberances.