Blight Survival Guide
Author: Janos Audron
Introduction
In the world there are many dangerous places (as any Warder and Aes Sedai would know), yet few are as dangerous as the Blight. Many unfortunate warriors and travellers have ended as Worm droppings because they didn't know a thing about these deadly environments. Therefore I've decided to write a little essay on Blight survival. I'll shall discuss the Blight first, since the Blight is the deadliest of the two (at least in my opinion).
The Blight
The Blight is a direct result of the Dark One's corrupting influence on the world. Every living thing becomes tainted and is twisted and warped into a mockery of normal creatures and plants. Of course, the best thing would be NOT to enter the Blight at all, but if you're an Aes Sedai, Warder or Borderland soldier, you may find yourself on your way to the Blight whether you want to or not.
The first thing you should be aware of when entering the Blight, is that EVERY living thing there essentially wants to kill you. The flora and especially the fauna can (and will) rip you to pieces if you're not careful. Sometimes, the Blight will look peaceful but do not be deceived. Within seconds the trees, which stood so silent only moments before, will lunge at you and try to grab you, while monstrosities which hid in the shadows will erupt from their murky hideouts to tear flesh from bloodstained bones.
A creature that is especially noteworthy looks like a small twig, that will bite its victim when touched and inject a fluid into its victim, which will digest the poor man or woman from the inside. The only way to save the victim is to amputate the bitten limb.
Another creature worth mentioning is the Worm. Created by the Forsaken in the War of Power these creatures now run wild in the Blight in large packs. These beings are so fearsome that they strike terror in the hearts of the other foul beasts that dwell within the Blight. They communicate with high whistling sounds and know only hunger, sometimes pain. When you hear them you should do several things:
1) Panic!!
2a) Run away. You could try to reach the mountainpasses of the Mountains of Doom. Worms fear the creatures that dwell there.
2b) Fight them. They only way to kill a worm is to cut it into pieces. If you're quick and strong enough you might survive. (Hah, who am I kidding! You'll be ripped to pieces in seconds, just like all the others!)
Of course there are the standard Shadowspawn. The Blight is infested with Trollocbands led by Myrddraal, who spend most of their time looking for entertainment. This usually involves seeking out humans and eating them. Most Trollocs are armed with nasty swords and will try to get close so they can cut you into convenient bite-sized pieces, while other Trollocs are armed with crossbows. They'll fire huge bolts at you and then close in to feast on the resultant spray of brainmatter.
Most Trolloc bands are led by a Myrddraal. Each one of these horrors is an expert swordsman and their gaze can strike fear into the heart of even the bravest warrior. They often paralyze their victims with their stare before closing in to disect their victims with their deadly blades (this is usually accomplished by chopping off various vital bodyparts). Naturally this is an unpleasant and ultimately fatal experience. The standard tactic for dealing with these vicious little bastards is to obliterate them as quickly as possible, with whatever means available. With a little luck you can finish them off. Well, with a lot of luck actually....`
