In the troubled times between the fall of the Imperium and the Great Exodus, an age of chaos and savagery 

unfolded. From this turmoil emerged Korgan, destined to become king.

As his chronicler, I alone hold the honor of sharing his remarkable story. Join me now as I reveal tales of 

courage and epic adventures that shaped his legend.

The swamplands stretched out before me, a vast expanse of murky waters and tangled vegetation. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay and the buzzing of insects.

As I approached the village gate, its sturdy wooden logs loomed before me, standing as a formidable barrier between the harsh, unforgiving wilderness and the relative safety within.

 The rough-hewn timbers were weathered by time and stained with the grime of countless travelers, yet they remained stout and unyielding, a testament to the resilience of those who

 called this place home. Carved into the center of the gate was a crude symbol, a ward against the malevolent forces that lurked beyond the village borders. The air grew thick with tension

 as I neared the entrance, the weight of the unknown pressing down upon me. I could feel the eyes of the guards upon me , their gazes sharp and assessing, ever vigilant for any sign of danger or deceit.

"Well met, sorcerer, You've passed through here before, haven't you?" one of the guards said to me "Indeed, I have. And I've come seeking passage once more." i answerd.

"I'm curious, bugmen sorcerer, where does your people come from?" the village guard asked me, I smiled "my kin? we hail from the Heavens, a faraway star,

part of a galactic federation, our colony ship crash-landed on this world after a navigation malfunction, now I am the only hope of my people to ascend

back where we belong" the guard had a puzzled look his nose and brow wrinkled, humans have the funniest expressions "you..you lie! i heard your 

all mutants created by the skally emperor!" i did not lie, your people lie when they feel weak. "he-tells-the-truth" a robotic voice from behind me spoke, "shut up

Skeleton! you know yous people made dem bug men! they didnt come from no realm of the gods!" the guard barked. the thing who confirmed my story it was one of 

these human form automatons standing behind me waiting to get into the village.

The other guard turned to me "do you know any magic tricks wise guy?" he taunted me, i extended my hand and pulled a coin from his ear "how did that get

there? you boys have doggo coins in your ears,let me check your friend too" i pulled another coin from the first guards ear "well these magic coins don't last long

you better buy some booze with them after your shift ends" i said and gave them each a smiling corgi dog coin.

"Well you aint so bad gramps-bug, you just need to work on your bad jokes...god bugs ba! carry on and welcome to the swamplands" the guard said

"Insolent ignorant children with pointy sticks!" mumbled the metal skeleton far from the guards hearing range.

I had been told that my old adventuring companion, the notorious Korgan, could be found in this wretched village, likely seeking refuge in the local inn. As I pushed 

open the door, my eyes fell upon a hulking figure, his raven-black hair cascading down his broad shoulders.

"Korgan!" I called out, but my greeting was cut short as a group of ruffians shoved me roughly to the floor.

"Korgan, my friend!" the leader of the hooligans sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "Funny meeting you in a place like this. I have a warrant here, claiming you've 

committed all manner of crimes in the holy land - trespassing, attacking nobles, heresy, even a prison break! 30,000 dogo coins, dead or alive. 

But were friends! well take you alive and even hire a lawyer to represent you..."

But Korgan, ever the quick-witted rogue, silenced the gang leader's taunts with a single mighty blow. In a flash, he leapt from his chair, driving his fist into the scoundrel's

 jaw and sending him crashing into his cohorts. With a flick of his wrist, Korgan fliped a table , knocking senseless another ruffian who was trying to flank him .

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Pretending to not notice the Spearman flanking him from the other side. Korgan pulled his horse choper a 2 handed greatsword , called: zan-ma-dao by the ancient chinese. 

A weapon forged by a master blacksmith and wielded by honor guards and nobles ,the sword's dragon-headed pommel gleamed in the flickering light, a terrifying sight in the hands of 

the giant wielding it, a smart men would run to his mama in one piece and not risk checking if the big oaf is skilled in using it. As the old saying goes "a coward's mother dosn't weep".

The spearmen, charged recklessly at Korgan's apparent blind spot. But Korgan had anticipated his move,and with a deft sidestep, he raised his mighty horse chopper blade, high above 

his head. The keen edge sliced through the spearman's collarbone and tore clean through his torso, separating his body in two in a spray of crimson.

As the remaining ruffians struggled to regain their footing, Korgan turned his attention to the three men he had knocked down earlier. With swift, effortless strokes, he sliced through

 their limbs, leaving them writhing in agony on the blood-soaked floor.

A random gang member, seizing the opportunity, leaped upon one of the hooligans shouting "cowards!", stabbing him repeatedly with a knife. 

Trying to collect a bounty in the swamplends is a breach of local "silent laws" ,as the whole place was founded by the gangs and for the gangs as a safe haven. That or it was a rival gang,

in any case a bar fight ensued..

I get up to my feet, those guys were prepared for korgan, on the other side of the bar , a crosbowmen and a javalinmen were preparing to strike korgan with missile fire, one thing they weren't prepared for was me.

"Korgan thunder!" i shouted, korgan looked suprised , but he knew that a flash came before the thunder, I tossed one of my flesh grenade, korgan quickly dropped and closed his eyes as the bar filled with blinding light.

Korgan saw the crossbow bolt stick to a table next to him. Korgan, seizing the opportunity, decapitated the javelinman head in half and sprayed the crossbowman's blood like a ghastly fountain with a great slash.

I closed the distance "hello my old friend!" i shouted above the scuffle "you came to my aid old bugmen" said korgan as he shook my hand smiling 

before we left I saw the hooligan who read Korgans bounty, crawling without feet screaming in pain loudly leaving a trail of blood,disrupting our reunion ,Korgan looked up and shrugged.

"No time for nostalgia, we must get you out of here,before the guards come" i said and pointed to the back door.

In the midst of the chaos, we made our hasty retreat. The tavern door burst open, and the cool night air rushed in, carrying with it the distant sounds of barking dogs and the clamor of approaching guards.

"I know of a smugglers' tunnel that leads out of the village,We can lose them there." I said.

Korgan nodded, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Lead on, old friend. I've missed your company."

We turned down a dark alley, the walls closing in around us like the jaws of a trap. My heart pounded in my chest as I heard the shouts of our pursuers growing louder, echoing off the narrow walls.

At the end of the alley, I have spotted a small, nondescript door, almost hidden in the shadows. I pushed against it, and to my relief, it swung open, revealing a steep set of stone steps descending into darkness.

"Quickly!" I urged, gesturing for Korgan to follow.

We descended into the tunnel, the door slamming shut behind us. The air was damp and musty, and the only light came from the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls.

As I navigated the narrow, winding tunnels, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and decay, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. These tunnels, built by the smugglers who had long ago mastered 

the art of evading the authorities, were a labyrinthine network that stretched far beyond the town's borders. The walls, constructed from a strange, greyish cement that seemed almost... otherworldly. 

"Oh? And how is it that you know these tunnels so well, sorcerer?" Korgan asked, his voice low and even, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

I smiled, a small, enigmatic smile, and continued to lead the way. The tunnels were narrow, forcing Korgan to duck and weave to avoid hitting his head on the low-hanging stones. I, on the other hand, moved with ease, 

my eyes adjusting to the dim light with an unnatural quickness.

As we walked, the tunnels seemed to shift and twist, the walls adorned with strange symbols that glowed with a faint, eerie light. Korgan's eyes flicked towards them, his brow furrowed in confusion, but I merely nodded, my expression unreadable.

As we emerged from the tunnel, the cold night air hit us like a shock. In the distance, the twinkling lights of the village reassured us that we had escaped relatively unscathed. With a sense of urgency, 

we set off on the road leading out of the swamp, tracking through the night.