"Middle-Aged Adventurers Guild"

Chapter 0: Introduction

The Demon Lord has fallen and the evil Mega-dragon of destruction has been put to rest. Numerous crises looming over this chaotic world of magic have been averted. The victorious heroes had basked in their moment of glory and fame and moved on, as did the World around them.

Then the reality began to kick in. With no immediate threat to peace and stability, the heroes of yesterday quickly became obsolete. Mighty demon-slaying sword was hanged over the guilds' fireplace and started to act as dust-collector. Combat skills honed in the years of youth became rusty and irrelevant, as technology and magic moved forward. Finally, the braves of the new generation stepped up and made their fleeting mark upon the World.

Where did that leave the heroes of old? Conquering dungeons did not exactly come with a pension plan. Loot and bounty were plentiful, but disappeared rapidly. Eventually the bottom of a coffer became menacingly visible. Mighty demon-slaying sword ended up in a mouldy cellar, due to the lack of prospective buyers. Finally, the guild hall was sold to pay off the amassed debt and the time of heroics was truly over...

Years have passed and the mundane daily responsibilities leave little time for reminiscing of the days of former glory. Families, loan repayments and leaking roofs take priority over sword practice and study of magics. Goblins, the most common annoying little monsters, found worthy successors in children. Hand-scribbled map of an ancient dungeon turned into a shopping list, with all the daily discounts scrupulously recorded. Whiny spouse competes with the local bank for the role of the arch-villain of the story.

More than a decade after the heroes triumphed together for the last time, a devious thought ignited a cunning mind. He's quick to think, even quicker to act to make a proposal that, in his opinion, simply cannot be turned down. Swift fingers grab a quill and 5 sheets of paper and the same letter is carefully written to all of his former comrades in arms. The first line of it reads as...

"Re: Reunion"