Prologue
Our adventure begins with two mercenaries, Caddoc and E'lara, on the hunt for some mana water for a wealthy wizard client. After battling through some of the indigenous monsters and finding the mana water, Caddoc spots a strange stone door—the same door from powerful dreams he's been having—and the heroic pair take those first fateful steps on a path that will forever change their destiny.
Caddoc's Dream
Caddoc scans unfamiliar surroundings. He's trapped in an ancient crypt with only a woman's voice to guide him. Her tones whistle through a cobweb-lined corridor. Caddoc has no choice but to follow the voice, pushing down the corridor with only a torch to light his way. Strands of webbing pop and crackle as Caddoc brushes them aside with the torch. He is desperate to escape the tomb, not only because the bone-filled halls seem ready to welcome another resident, but also because the woman seems to know something about his past that he buried a long time ago. How does she know of the burden he carries? The grief in the shadows behind his eyes? One more stretch of corridor lies between Caddoc and the voice. One more step and he will have his answer....
The warrior flashes awake. He's no longer in the darkness. The light of his torch has been replaced by a campfire. And he's not alone. The reassuring sight of E'lara, sitting watch on the far side of the flames immediately calms Caddoc's nerves. She asks if the dreams are the same but doesn't buy into Caddoc's belief that these visions mean something more than going to sleep on a too-full stomach. Her dismissal doesn't rouse his ire. They've been through much together and pulled each other back from the edge too many times. She may give him a hard time, but there's nobody he'd rather go into battle with in all of creation.
Caddoc accepts her humor. There's no reason to get into a heavy discussion about the meaning of this recurring dream tonight. Not with a job to do in the morning. They've been hired to find the mysterious Fountain of Elisha and bring back a flask of its waters. It's not glorious work—but it's work. And in these hard times, a job is a job.