FOREWORD:

This is a story about a group of adventurers.

It is a collaborative free verse poem written in the "Madlib" style by J and B. The goal is to complete a well-crafted, entertaining, mostly nonsensical narrative about a central group of three characters named Sam, William and Neville.

One of us started the story, which, we can't remember, but it started with one of us leaving a "starter" story for the other. As the second author completes a stanza, he must also leave a starter story for the other to fill in. And on it goes. We do not consult each other on the content in any way, save for agreeing that there will be a beginning (Sam Ascending), a middle (William's Burden), and an end (The End of All Things).

We didn't begin the story with a clear beginning, and we doubt it will end with a clear ending. Our goal is to continue working on the story for at least one year, and if it warrants telling, to continue beyond that.