Max chose the final ten members of his challenge team three days before the deadline.
Aderic remained its commander. The human had spent the previous two weeks learning how each of the nineteen other Eternal Souls responded under pressure. He did not select the ten strongest individuals. He selected the combination most likely to survive an unknown dungeon.
The orc bulwark and dwarf shieldthane formed the front line. A human field healer supported them. The elf ward mage and orc shaman handled magical threats from different directions. An elf ranger and Siv, the quickling scout, gave the team two ways to gather information without committing the main force. Dagna, a dwarf runesmith, carried tools capable of repairing equipment and interfering with unfamiliar mechanisms. An elf spellblade filled the final position, able to reinforce either the front line or the magical group.
The other ten members of the elite unit trained beside them until the final day.
