[Ben Lauritson]

5) Story

In search of the Mad Marten, I seek to find his Bluff. Trudging through the swamp, I am attacked by many a bug. Tired out, I seek an inn to rest my dreary self, but come across only a shack owned by some old guy who has a suspicious look about him. Giving up, I fall asleep on his porch.

The next morning, I head south to the Bluff of Marten, with little interruption from the critters of this swamp. Heading through, I encounter a battle with some Deathsting Apuses. Despite my efforts, I am attacked from all around by these critters. At death's door, I am about to give up all hope. I fall down at the mercy of these creatures, awaiting my death. Yet it does not arrive. With just enough strength, I look upwards to find an insectoid creature towering over me with a staff in hand.

"Come with me..." it uttered, "You will be ssssssafe insssssssside."

Barely gathering the strength, I crawl along inside with this creature, who takes me to the leader of its colony.

"Who isssss thissssss?" The leader asked. "I found him outssssside thisssssss fortresssssssss, barely able to handle ssssssssome Deathssssssting Apusssssssssesssssssss. What sssshould I do with him?"

"Barely able to handle ssssssssome Deathssssssting Apusssssssssesssssssss?" the leader asked, "Drazic, thisssss creature is worthlessssssss to ussssss. Dissssspossssse of him at once!"

Despite my futile protests, this insectoid picked me up, and threw me outside the fortress, to the mercy of the crocodiles.

- And so was the tale of Ben's demise, for he was just a simple adventurer, who was just too curious in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was left to the mercy of the mighty T'Rang empire.