The value of perseverance...

[Timothy]

These last few weeks in the lands have been trying for me. Once again, the Sensei asked of me a very difficult task: to defeat an evil lich in the Lands and return its life jar to the Sensei. At first it did not appear this would be a challenge, however after my first haphazard attempt, it became clear that this would be a greater challenge than I had ever faced before. On some of my harder tasks , I enlisted the help of a few paladins and clerics, thinking myself unable to complete the tasks myself. Upon completion of these, however, I found myself unsatisfied and left with a sense of inadequacy. I fought these feelings as much as I could, but they stuck with me and I vowed to face the lich alone. I spent many days wandering the lands collecting potions and preparing myself for the inevitable battle ahead. I thought myself to be very prepared and entered the lich's chamber, confident and envigorated.
Sadly, I expended all of my gathered resources and sacrificed my body almost completely, waiting until the last second to quickly quaff a granite potion, narrowly escaping death. I fought feelings of bitterness and anger at my defeat, but after sitting in deep meditation and pondering these feelings, I traced them to my own brashness and assumption of victory before my battle had even been fought. I resolved my feelings withing and vowed to win my next battle with the lich.
More weeks I spent, carefully gathering all that I would need to succeed. And when I felt that I was as prepared as I could be, I returned to face the lich. The battle was long and arduous, and by the time it was over I was thoroughly exhausted. My perseverance had led to my victory, however, and I learned an important lesson from my experience. There is no failure in being defeated. Failure comes when one refuses to try again just because something seems as if it is too difficult. There is always a way, it is a matter of how we find it.