This is a $1 Legend for  Nethal_37 from our first Free Contest. We hope you enjoy it!

The Legend of Nethal

A quiet day like any other, nobody suspecting any adventures or twists and turns out of the ordinary. Life goes on peacefully around the village: farmers tilling, lords and ladies socializing, merchants haggling, life is bustling uneventfully. All it took was a cloaked stranger and the promise of riches to change that. Called by many names—Teacher, Master, Sorcerer, Witch, Sage—this figure ventures town to town recruiting local adventurers on a quest for epic loot and legendary renown. This time was no different from any other: the one called the Guide Healer made his post in the Square, recruited a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed following, and marched them into the Dungeon.

Slots in the party were filling fast! Magic-wielders, sneak thieves, mighty warriors, and more joined the forming Charred Toad Party, but they still lacked someone tricky for the party. Someone who could get out of trouble as easily as they could get into it… Then snuck in Nethal in roguish attire, ready to snipe from the shadows for the Charred Toad Party! Bringing a knack for sweet loot too, the party eagerly accepted Nethal into their ranks and had faith he would be able to find the best treasures in the depths of the Dungeon.

The first floor honestly wasn’t much to look at… Drab, cold, musty, and in no way at all shiny. Clearly most if not all parties cleared this floor with how barren it was. A silly little moot slime blocked the party’s way, but Nethal knew the fighting types could handle it, plus he didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Instead, he used his nose for treasure to have a sniff about, searching every nook and cranny for goods. Others not involved in the fight helped his efforts, but sadly to no avail… No loot, but the monster is dead, so the next would hopefully hold more promise!

Amazing what a little patience will do for you! Right off the bat, Nethal’s nose caught the scent of gold buried in the charred smells of cinders and ashes. He and some party members made a bee-line for the goods, scooping them up into their satchels quickly to reenter the fight and because the precious metals were very hot from the volcanic landscape. Until the good could be transferred to their Bottomless Bag, they were a burden though… Nethal had to consume some more food and water than normal to keep up with the physical demand of hefting around sacks of hot metal in an already oppressively hot Dungeon! Careful to dodge the monster’s attacks and any other flares or traps set on the floor, Nethal’s energy still drained quickly and eventually he became groggy… Thankfully, the Charred Toad Party had his back and took out the fiendish fiery foe in a flash! Soon after, Nethal transferred the goods to the Guide Healer’s Bottomless Bag.

Reinvigorated by the cool, humid water floor, Nethal found his fighting mettle and put it to the test! Loosing several bolts into the aquatic drake on the floor, Nethal ticked away at its life force taking only a few moments here and there to offer advice to allies or take a sip of water. Then, as if by instinct, Nethal made himself like an iron wall in front of some of his allies, brunting the force of some of the monster’s more lethal attacks! Unfortunately, his defense was not as unshakeable as his will, and he tumbled into his allies like a bowling ball… Still, albeit bruised and dazed, Nethal had rescued his friends and healed some of them too as he helped them recover! Finally, fed up with the monster’s brutality, Nethal took aim at its eye, scarred and furious. The world seemed to fall away as he pulled the trigger. Time slowed as his gaze followed the bolt, willing it to strike true. With a nasty screech, the beast suffered the finishing blow in its weakest point and fell.

Still sporting a knack for loot, Nethal couldn’t help but investigate the cracks and crevices of the next floor’s rocky environment. Maybe they would be lost weapons or valuable crystals? Who knows! But after feeling the rations sack become lighter and lighter, Nethal knew the party needed food and water more than treasures… Invoking his intuition for scavenging, Nethal found several helpful foodstuffs even among the seemingly barren rocks! Sadly though, Nethal was a bit too focused on sniffing about, only seeing the tavern-sized boulder careening down over him before it knocked everything to black with a resounding crash…

Back in town, Nethal woke up a little worse for wear, but alive at least. As it turned out, the Guide Healer had rescued all of them upon their defeat. In the corner, Nethal could see the Charred Toad Party’s valuables being appraised. Nethal felt happy to have helped the party as he did and proud to have contributed to the goods too. Now if only he could get his friends to stop making jokes about flat cakes to him…