4Slayers of monsters. Unprincipled mercenaries. Raiders of dungeons. Vandals and thieves. Guardians of civilization. Public menaces. All these and more are terms that have been levied at one of the oldest professions: Adventuring. Throughout the ages as kingdoms rise and fall, there has always been an undercurrent of wandering warriors, fighting against the darkness of the world. While they may not all have the… purest of intentions in mind, it cannot be denied that these individuals and groups have left their mark in legend.
That said, the history and influence of the adventurer role is belied by the inherent extreme risks. Many may set out to be an adventurer, but far too few survive the trials and threats. Those who endure are strengthened and gain renown as champions and heroes. But an even smaller portion attain a level that some adventurers can only dream of in their darkest moments: retirement. This class of adventurers who have survived the trials of their profession to old age represent the most accomplished of their kind, ensuring that even after they have hung up their blades and settled down they hold powers far beyond us average mortals.
As a Journeyman Archivist of Delleb, I have set forth to create my masterwork by seeking out these adventurers and collecting their tales, so that the world may better understand the minds of these exceptional persons. Some of my interviewees have agreed to this out of a sense of duty, to better prepare those who would follow in their footsteps. Other simply wish to tell their own story, to explain how they got to where they are. In any case, I have taken it upon myself to seek them out and bring their stories to the greater world. It is my hope that future generations can use this to improve upon the role, and bring about a true Age of Heroes.
-Journeyman Archivist Carter Wallenberg
A/N: I fully place the blame for this idea on my latest re-reading of World War Z after working on my assorted D&D characters, for making me ask the question "I wonder if there's anything like this for RPG characters?" That has led to this writing experiment, where I'm planning to take some of my PCs and flesh them out with these interviews. But beyond that, what I'm really hoping for is to move beyond my own ideas, and tell the tales of other players. Got a character with a story you'd like to share? Let me know, and I'll see if we can't pull something together. Happy adventuring!