’Sevenpowerfulmageswanttomaketheworldabetterplace.We’regoingtokillthemfirst.’Pictureawizard.Goahead,closeyoureyes.Thereheis,see?Skinnyoldguywithalongstragglybeard.Nodoubthe’swearingiridescentsilkrobesthatcouldn’tprotecthisfrailbodyfromalightbreeze.Thehat’samust,too,right?Big,floppything,coveredinesotericsymbolsthatwouldinstantlyshoweveryothermagewherethisonegetshismagic?Wouldn’twantasimplesteelhelmetorsomethingthatmight,youknow,protectthepartofhimmostneededforconjuringmagicalforcesfrombeingbashedinwithamace(orprettymuchanyhouseholdobject).Nowopenyoureyesandletmeshowyouwhatarealwarmagelookslike...butbewarned:you’reprobablynotgoingtolikeit,becausewe’reviolent,angry,dangerouslybrokenpeoplewhosellourskillstothehighestbidderandbedamnedtoanymoralorethicalconsiderations.Atleast,untilsuchirritatingconceptsasfriendshipandtheendoftheworldgetintheway.MynameisCadeOmbra,andthoughIcurrentlymakemylivingasamercenarywonderist,Iusedtohaveafarmorenoble-soundingjobtitle-untilIdiscoveredthepeopleIworkedforweren’tquiteasnobleasI’dbelieved.NowI’montherunandmyonlyfriend,ahomicidalthundermage,hasinvitedmetojoinhimonasuicidemissionagainstthesevendeadliestmagesonthecontinent.Timetorecruitsomeverybadpeopletohelpusonthisjob...
