"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me."

The wheels of fate began to turn when the young pilot took the letter entrusted to him by Immortal Queen. He did not know what the letter was for, or even to whom it was addressed, but he knew of its grave importance. With a solemn nod and salute, the pilot replied:

"I swear it."

He sealed it in a secure box in his Warp Fighter and flew for Midhaven Tower, where he knew it would be safe. But he did not make it, for the hordes of Voidspawn swept in and shot him down. The pilot crashed in the northern desert, where the hordes devoured him and tore apart his vessel.

There the letter sat for years and years, untouched by human hands, until one day, a scavenger arrived to pick up the metal scraps. He found the box intact, and curious as to its contents, he opened it and saw the letter bearing a royal seal.

[i]Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. On your life, do not let it fall.[/i]

Unable to decide whether to obey, the scavenger decided to procrastinate and pocketed the letter. Then a group of bandits ambushed him and stole all his belongings, including the letter. Infuriated, the scavenger followed them back to their lair and devised a clever plan to destroy them. He created an army of scarecrows and set them up in the dead of night, then set them aflame. The bandit army thought they were being attacked and dissolved into chaos. The scavenger slipped in, retrieved the letter, and slipped out.

Then he read the letter. Its purpose, it seemed, was to prevent another Void invasion in the future. What was the Void, and why was it so important to stop it? Intrigued, he tracked down every book he could find on the subject and read it. He realized that the Void possessed limitless power. The young scavenger then made a mistake that would ruin generations to come: He summoned a Voidspawn and merged with it. Drunk on his newfound power, he swept through the land conquering everything in sight. It soon occurred to him that he could use the letter to gain supporters if he pretended that it supported his rise. No one had to actually read it. Using the royal seal stamped on the letter as "proof" of his legitimacy, he created a nigh-unstoppable army to march on the fledgling post-apocalyptic civilizations.

One day, two parents gave birth to a baby boy with a strange mark on his right hand. The boy grew up to become unusually strong and courageous, and his talents at fighting were matched only by his uncommon kindness. He gave to the poor and needy, rescued those in peril, and put away criminals wherever he could. The mark on his right hand became his symbol, the Mark of the Hero. Word of the "Hero" reached the ears of the scavenger. He set his sights on this "Hero" and marched to confront him. Despite all of his otherworldly power, the Hero defeated him and retrieved the letter. He read the instructions on the envelope:

[i]Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. On your life, do not let it fall.[/i]

He had the "Hero's Mark." He certainly qualified. The Hero opened the letter and read the message directed to him. Then he looked up at the sky.

"I cannot fulfill this mission yet."
He pocketed the letter.
"But I can prepare future generations to fulfill it."

On his deathbed, he passed the letter on to his son, and gave him the same speech the letter's author had once given so long ago.
"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me."

The boy agreed. "I swear, father."

Years later, war broke out between the nations, and the Hero's son was drafted. The boy became best friends with another soldier, and the two survived many battles. But it was not to last. A skilled spearfighter struck down the Hero's son, and in his final moments, he entrusted the letter to his friend with the words:

"Take this letter and deliver it to one with the Hero's Mark. The fate of the world depends on it. On your life, do not let it fall. Swear to me!"

With tears in his eyes, the boy's friend clutched the letter to his heart.

"I swear it."

The friend survived the war and returned home to his family. He remembered the letter for as long as he lived. When age caught up with him and threatened to take his mobility, he embarked on a quest to find the Hero addressed in the letter. He searched far and wide, through desert and snow, seas and forests, mountains and valleys, until at last he came upon someone bearing the unmistakable mark.

With a weary smile, he deposited the letter at your doorstep and walked away.

It's your turn now, Hero.
What will you do?