The Birth (Part 3 of 5)


"I can't put it off any longer, can I?" I asked Wiseman.
"No, Cassandra....that would not be wise at all. This must be done. And it must be done tonight" he answered."If we are to save the babe and you, it has to be tonight. I fear we may have tarried too long already."
" I don't want to leave...I don't want to leave you." I said, with tears in my eyes and a tightness in my chest."That is why I've waited to go... I've been so happy here....happier than I've ever been in my life...the life I had before I stepped into Tristram that day three years ago...these last few months with you ....it's all been.... it's who I am now!....I can't go back!"

Wiseman, stepped forward and wrapped me in  his strong and powerful arms, drawing me into the saftey of his mage circle of power, "we don't know if going thru with this will mean that you have to go back, we cannot know for sure until it is finished and he is destroyed...we must cling to the love that we have found here together, you,the babe and me..that gives us more strength and power that any we could have alone..we must have faith Cass. I love you and I will do all within my powers to see that you have what your heart wants you to have."

I was able to draw strength from those words...from his arms and his love..."I love you too, my Wiseman. I couldn't do this without you" Taking a deep breath and holder him tighter to me than ever before I said" I'm ready! Let's get this over with and we can then begin our lives together!"

.............

The Birth (part two)

It has been almost a week since I first found myself transported to this cursed town called Tristram. During this time I have met and talked to a few of the people in this town and no one knows how I came to be here or why I am here. Oh, they have no end of ideas as to how this situation I am in came about and why I am here… but no one really knows. Save perhaps one person. Some one who is also new to this town: Odgen’s just born daughter. I know not why I feel that she knows, I just know that is how I feel. (if that makes and sense at all).

I had been in town only a few moments when I realized that I was not going to wake up (if this was a dream) anytime soon and I had better find a place to stay. And what better place than Odgen’s Tavern? I knew without checking that I had 100 gold in my pack. This was the amount that a new player started the Diablo game with. And as I seemed to be inside the game somehow, I knew how much local currency I had. So, after thanking Griz for his help and begging my leave of the others gathered around me (assuring them that I was OK) I headed for Odgen’s.

The place was just buzzing with the news of the birth of the new baby as I stepped into the tavern. You could hear snips of conversation from all sides as the patrons discussed the new arrival (not me that is). No one noticed me at all as I came through the door and sat down at the nearest table. I looked around and was amazed to see the wide variety of people here… there were the expected warriors, rogues, and mages. No doubt on their way to seek their fortune (but more likely their deaths) in the desecrated church or perhaps the catacombs or caves below the town. But there were also traders, gypsies, and all sorts of peoples here that were not mentioned in the game at all! “This is just soooooo real.” I whispered to myself. “What is happening to me?”

A barmaid came up and asked if I wanted any food or drink. I asked for some water and also asked her if any rooms were available. She said that there was one room left and if I wanted it I should take it now. The cost was two golds a night. I took out two coins and giving it to her she told me the location of my room and handed me a key. After she had walked away I continued to look around me and think about this really strange situation I found myself in.

The barmaid returned soon with my water and as I now knew the cost of my room I ordered some food to eat. “Um… what is there to eat today?” I asked her. She looked at me and I noticed for the first time that she had a slight scar under her left check and that she was quite beautiful. Long blonde hair, winsome figure and no end to those legs… “but I bet she is just an air head” I thought, jealous of her beauty.

I had had people tell me that I was beautiful. But I knew that they were just being polite… I had seen myself for 18 yrs. now, and I knew I was NOT beautiful.

“Well” she said, “We have stew, bread and cheese. We also have some mutton left, I think.”

“I’ll take the stew.” I said handing her a gold coin. She smiled and said that she would be back in just a moment.

After I had finished my meal, I headed for my room. I needed time to be alone and try to figure this all out. What time was it at home? What did mom and dad think when I did not show up at home after school? I had decided that this was indeed a real place that I now found myself in, not a dream. It just felt so real. I had never had a dream like this and I knew that my imagination could not make up something like this to happen to me…

I got to my room and closed the door behind me, thankful for the stout lock on the door. I knew that I would need to be on my guard at all times, this was Tristram after all! My room was sparsely furnished. A clean bed, a small worn table with a basin of water and a rag on it. And a bedside table. I placed my bow and quiver on the hook on the wall and my sword on the floor below them. Laid down on the bed and before my head had landed on the pillow I was asleep!

I awoke some short time later (I thought), amazed that I had fallen asleep so quickly. I felt refreshed and ready to look around. During my sleep I must have decided that all would be ok, because I was not worried in the least about my former life. I already felt at home here and was ready to go back out into Trisrtam. As I stepped out of my room (locking the door behind me) I faintly heard a baby crying. “The Baby.” I thought. “I should go and see her. After all, I may be here for a while and no need for my new townsfolk to think me rude and ill- mannered.”

Maybe I could help the new parents somehow…

I followed the baby’s crying around the corner from my room and down the candle lit hallway. I stopped at the door before me and hesitated a moment before lightly knocking on the door. An elderly woman opened the door and looked at me with an “I have been up all night and you are…?” look in her eyes. I looked over her shoulder and saw a small room, clean and already smelling of a baby.

“Hi. My name’s Cassandra and I thought that maybe I could help wit the new baby. I’ve baby-sat for years and I know what to do.” I smiled at her and just tried to let her know that I was sincere and could be trusted. I really did not know why that I was doing this. This was really not like me at all. Just to go up to strangers, introduce myself and ask if they needed my help.

“Please, come in.” She said. “I don’t believe that I have seen you before, Cassandra.”

“Oh, I’m new in town.” I replied, still smiling.

The moment I walked into the room the baby stopped crying. “Well, I can see that baby here has decided for me. I would love for you to stay and help me. Ogden had to go back to work today. After all it has been three days since the baby was born.”

…Three days? That means that I slept for about two days! I could not believe it….

“And his wife is still not felling well, it was a long and hard labor, you know. By the way my name is Sara. I am Odgen’s mother. And Cassandra I am just ever so glad that you came by today.” She smiled warmly at me and I instantly liked her. I walked over to the baby and turning back around to Sara I said “ Oh I am very glad to meet you too, and what a beautiful baby! What is her name?”

“Oh, Ogden and Clare (that’s his wife’s name, by the way) have not decided on a name for this sweet girlie as yet. I just love the name Vistah, that was my grandmother’s name you know, but they will not hear of it. They said that the right name will come to them soon enough.”

“May I pick her up?’ I asked. “Please do,” Sara said “ I need to run downstairs for a minute and I just hate to leave her with no one to hold her. Oh, I trust you even though I just meet you. I have learned in my years that I should trust my feelings. Never have they done me wrong. And I have such a good feeling about you.”

‘Why, thank you” I said. Feeling a blush rise on my checks. I picked up the baby and looking down at her sweet small face, I instantly fell in love. Such a sweet and wonderful child!

“Now she has just been fed, and needs some lovin’ to help her go to sleep. Clare is asleep in the next room there and I will just be a moment…” she said as she picked up a small package and stepped towards the door. “ Bye now, sweetie. Granny will be back soon.” She said to the baby and waving to me she walked out the door.

I looked about the room for a moment and spying a very inviting rocker, I walked to it and sat down. "My, but I had no idea that I would be sitting here rocking such a sweet baby. You’re Grandmother certainly does decide things in a hurry.” The baby looked at me and I could swear that she understood every word I had said. “Well, aren’t you the bright one.” I laughed at her and smiled. I brought her close to me and humming a song from my own childhood began to slowly rock back and forth.

“WOW. I was asleep for two days.” I still could not believe it. I then began to tell this small and new bundle of joy in my arms all about my life and how I found myself here in Tristram. She looked at me the whole time and when I got to the part where the hand had come out of the picture to drag me into this world, she reached out her hand and touched my arm! A shiver ran through me at the touch and I had such an insane idea that it had been this baby’s hand that had reached out of the picture. But that was REALLY crazy. I mean all of this was weird, but that had been a grown woman’s hand that had grabbed me, not a baby’s.

The baby’s eyes were filled with such an intelligence that I had never seen before. No wonder that they had not named her yet. This was a very special baby and she would need a very special name. The perfect name…

We sat and rocked for a few minutes just looking at each other. That was when I … felt … if that is the word, that she was trying to talk to me. I had such a feeling that this three day old baby was trying to tell me something that I stopped rocking and brought her face up very close to mine. She reached out both hands and lightly touched each side of my face and smiled at me! With her hands still touching my face I got the sure knowledge that she did ideed know why I was here and that there was indeed some grand purpose to my being brought here to Tristram…

To be continued…

The Birth

Hello, my name is… well I am not at all sure what to call myself today.

Perhaps I should give myself a new name? I am in a totally new and wondrous land after all and I should have a name that matches this place.

Let’s see… how about … Cassandra? Yes!!! That is THE name!

Now that I have a name I can continue…

Hello my name is Cassandra. (I just love the sound of that.) I was born 18 years ago in a land called America. In a town called San Diego. I was just your typical teenager. Hated school. Loved boys. Went to the mall whenever possible and played this computer game called Diablo. I had been playing that game for about six months and I loved it. There was so much depth to this game. Each time you played it there was always something new to see and find. You see, this game was all about finding different and more powerful swords, armor, rings, and such and using those items to go through 16 dungeon levels and kill the demon Diablo at the end. And boy was I ever hooked on this game. I could sit and play this game for hours. And when I was not playing it, I thought about playing it. Planning what I wanted to find next, getting together with my friends that I had met in the game and just wanting to immerse myself in this fictional and fantastic land full of demons, zombies, walking skeletons and a town called Tristram…

This morning, after having breakfast with my mom and dad, I had headed off to school never dreaming that my whole world would be changed. I could not wait for school to end. I wanted to hurry over to The Place of Myth &Magic on my way home from school. M&M was a place that had all the latest computer games, fantasy books and just the most beautiful pictures that I had ever seen. There was one picture in particular that I wanted. It was rather small, just an 8 x 10, framed in a weathered wood that was the perfect match for the feel of the picture. I had seen this picture the day before and would have bought it then but I had left my money at home so I had had to wait ‘til the next day to buy it. The picture showed a woman that had to have come straight out of the game Diablo! She was the toughest looking Rogue that I had ever seen, and I wanted to be just like her. Her bow was held in her hands, ready to use should the need arise. She was dressed in a brown leather outfit that showed her well-muscled figure and long tan legs. She had a huge sword slung over her back. Dark auburn hair (just like mine) and you could see in the distance behind her a desolate town that was bathed in a red glow. Her eyes were what had really caught my attention. They were a light gray (just like mine) and they were filled with such a look of intense wonder and joy that I just had to have this picture for my room.

Finally the school day ended and I could now go and get my picture! I knew just where I was going to hang it when I got home, too. Right beside my computer so that I could see it whenever I played Diablo. Which would be a lot. After about five minutes of walking I was standing in front of The Place of Myth and Magic. Now listen close, because now comes the really weird stuff.

I stepped inside M&M and waving to my friend Martha behind the counter and seeing that we two were the only ones in the store, I headed straight for “my” picture. I reached down to pick it up, feeling a slight thrill at the prospect of having this picture in my room where I could look at it all the time, when suddenly my whole world changed. As my hand touched a corner of the frame that was around the picture, a woman’s hand reached out of the picture and grasps my arm! Suddenly I was jerked off my feet and pulled into the picture. All of this happened between one breath and the next. The sharp intake of breath that I had taken to be able to scream in the store as that hand had grabbed me was now expelled as I found myself standing on a grassy knoll! I looked beside me, expecting to see the rest of the woman whose hand had grabbed me, but there was no one there. After I stopped screaming, I looked around me again. I was standing about fifty yards from an old weathered house. It looked to but a single room dwelling with a simple wooden door and one window. As I walked around the left side of it, I realized that I was not dressed as I had been but moments before when standing in M&M. I looked down at my self and with a feeling of excitement that I had never know before saw that I was now dressed as the woman in the picture had been. Dark brown leather outfit…and for the first time I felt the bow in my hand and the sword at my back. “You have either gone completely crazy, or your home in bed asleep.” I said to myself. But somehow I knew that neither of those was correct.

I continued on around the house and found that I was at the edge of a small town. I could see people walking to and fro, although as yet no one had seen me.

There were about eight more buildings close by. And in the center of this town was a fountain filled with sparkling blue water. Beside the fountain stood a man dressed in a simple worn robe and leaning on a staff. A small boy ran up to him and I could faintly hear what he said.

“Master Cain! Please come to the healer Pepin’s house! Odgens wife is about to have the baby!! You must come!” Even before the boy had finished, he and the man he had called Cain rushed away toward one of the other buildings.

I stood there completely dumbfounded. The names he had said… this place…

“Oh My God!” I screamed. Now people were looking at me, and one man was walking towards me. “Those names are from my game. And this town looks so familiar.” Something was very wrong! “This is Tristram.” I said to the man that now stood staring at me with concern on his bearded face. “And your name is Grizwold, isn’t it?” I asked him.

“Yes, to both questions my lady. How do you know my name? I don’t believe that I have ever seen you in town before.”

Suddenly I was sitting down on the ground. Several more people were headed towards us and all I could do was just sit there. “Oh My God.” I whispered to myself. “This is Tristram. I am sitting here on the ground in Tristram. The town that has a desecrated church full of skeletons, zombies, and other evil and vile creatures. The town that has a crack in the earth behind Pepin’’s house that leads straight to HELL!!!!!”

I stood up. Brought my bow close to my chest as if to hug it and let a huge smile cover my face. “This is just way too cool.”

To be continued……

The Dead Tree

The Dead Tree

(part 3 of 3)

"New strength is forged through destruction"....... hidden shrine

Shadowfax, that great horse of a man, was filled with joy at the sight of his two friends on the road before him. Shad had set out the day before to find Palantiri and Agarwaen. And now, scarce a days ride away from Tristram, he had found them. Oh, great indeed was his joy at seeing his fellow guild members!

Palantiri and Agarwaen had left the guild about a month earlier in search of Dragluin of Westmarch, a fellow guild member that had gone on a quest and had not sent word back to the guild at the appointed time. They had searched along Drag’s trail for some sign of what had happened, but the trail had suddenly vanished at a solid rock wall high in the mountains and as they had no other choice they had set course for home and the Guildhall. About three days ago they had been filled with a urgency they had never known to return home, so they had slept little (just enough to rest the horses) and rushed towards Tristram with an ever growing fear with each mile closer they got to home.

“Shad, my friend, ‘tis good to see again.” Pal said as Shad rode up to them. The three guild members were in a densely forested section of the road. Great oak and elm trees were all around them and they could scarce catch a glimpse of the sky. “Yes, I am very glad to see you Shad.” Said Agar. “We have found no trace of Drag and feeling a great need to come home we have hardly slept in our haste to return to Tristram and our Hall.”

“You can not know the joy I have in my heart at seeing you, my friends. I have terrible news of the guild and Dora has sent me in search of you both. I had hoped and prayed that I would find you with friend Dragluin, but perhaps he is better off wherever he is now.” Shad quickly told Pal and Agar of the deaths in the Guild at the hand of Tree the Dark. Both weary men were appalled to hear of such deeds by their fellow guild member and vowed that this madness would end.

As the three men rode along on their journey back to Tristram, Pal suddenly looked up and shouted

“ Look there, a great smoke cloud fills the sky!” The three had just come out of the forest and could see the sky above them again. Agar and Shad looked up, and all three knew without doubt that it was the Hall being burned that caused the smoke they saw. “We must hurry, or there will be nothing left to return home to.” Shad said. And so they spurred their horses ever faster…

Dora, MordorBound, and Sting were still standing there watching the last of the fire that had burned the Guildhall to the ground, when they heard riders coming towards them at breakneck speed. “Praise be given!” Dora shouted as she saw Shad, Pal and Agar riding towards them. “ Our salvation is at hand!”

All six guild members took some few minutes to bring each other up to date and then turned as one and headed straight for the crack that had opened behind the healers home. Standing there, breathing the brimstone that rose from the opening to Hell, they decided that they would find Tree and end this now. The Guild could not survive any more of these attacks. It was decided that they would stay together in their search; for Tree had become so powerful that they feared that even there combined effort might not be enough to end the destruction of the Guild.

Pal and Sting took the lead, Dora and Shad in the middle, with MordorBound and Agar coming last as they went down the crack in the earth that led straight to Hell and Diablo. They were sure that they would find Tree there also. They were also sure that Tree knew they were coming and he had laid a trap for them.

They prayed that they would have the magic and strength to overcome this trap whatever it may be and either somehow save Tree from Diablo’s mastery over him or (and they knew that this was the most likely to happen) have the ability to kill Tree forever.

Without warning huge serpent like monsters surrounded them! Monsters that spit glowing fireballs and lunged at them with huge swords gripped in their clawed hands. Swiftly they all stood back to back and using magic and swords quickly delt with the vile creatures. “Well, now we know we are expected.” Shad said with a small grin on his bearded face. “Yes, and let’s hope that is the worse we face in this evil place.”

MorderBound replied. They all knew that the way would get much harder the deeper they ventured into Hell.

The six guild members suddenly stopped near the edge of the steps that lead down to the next level of Hell. Pal turned to the others and said, “I know how to end this. When we face Tree I am sure that the only magic power we have that will work against him is Holy Bolt. Tree is a pawn of Diablo. I have read in certain tomes of power that Holy Bolt, cast by a powerful enough mage, has the power to destroy Diablo himself. If we all use our powers to cast the Holy Bolt spell at Tree, when we find him, I am sure that this will defeat Tree the Dark.” And without another word they all started down the steps.

Agar agreed with his friend. He too had heard that Holy Bolt had such great power over evil. His only concern was how were they to make sure that Tree stayed in one place long enough for them to hit him with the spell. He knew from what Shad and the others had said that Tree had the magic of teleport. If they were not lucky enough to drop Tree with the first spell cast, would they get a second chance?

The six of them had spread out a little in the walk down the steps. There was now some five to ten feet distance between each of them. Except for that first attack they had not seen or heard any sign that there was anything else alive (or dead, for that matter) down here with them. Pal was still in the lead and had just rounded a corner in this cavern of hell, when Tree struck.

Suddenly walls of flames separated them all! Instead of waiting for his wall of fire to burn away, Agar charged through it and wrapped his great armored arms around Trees chest! Tree, caught completely by surprise, hesitated for just a moment unsure of what to do and that was his undoing. For Sing, Shad, Dora, MB, and Pal cast the Holy Bolt spell in unison straight at Tree. They knew the spell would do no harm to Agar, but hoped that it would either cleanse Tree or destroy him! Tree did not have a chance to move or try to teleport away as the Holy fire tore at his body. For one brief moment all he saw was a blinding white light and then Tree the Dark was gone…

Agar now held only a very small and unconscious young mage! The Holy Bolt had destroyed the hold that Diablo had placed on Tree. They all could feel that Diablo was no longer in control of the unconscious mage that was in Agar’s arms. It would take a great deal of work and prayers to heal the young mage of all that had been done to him in the last few days, but his guild mates were very glad that they would be able to be there to help Tree grow strong in the goodness and honor of The Keepers of The Fellowship.

Dora, tears streaming down her face, reached out and took Tree from Agar and they all returned to Tristram to rebuild the Guild and to grow strong enough to someday destroy the evil of Diablo forever.

They were sure that with the trials that the Guild had undergone in the attack of Tree the Dark, the day of the end of Diablo would not be that far off…

The Fallen Tree

The Fallen Tree

(part 2 of three)

Prologue

Treebeard stepped out of the Inn and into the darkness of night. He had

been sleeping on his cot until just a few moments ago when he was

awakened by a yearning to go … somewhere. He had taken up his staff

of chain lighting and quietly left the Inn. Now he stood silently, head

bowed as if waiting for someone to tell him where he must go. Then he

set off towards the fissure that had recently opened in this cursed town

of Tristram. A fissure that led down to the depths of Hell itself. As he

approached it, smelling the brimstone thick in the air, a red portal

opened before him. Without pausing and with no look of surprise on his

young face he stepped inside the glowing doorway. He emerged to find

himself standing in almost total darkness and facing a huge dark Knight.

"Follow", the Knight said, though Tree heard nothing.

A small part of Tree was terrified by these things that were happening to

him, he tried to understand what would posses him to go into the portal

and now meekly follow this minion of Diablo. For he knew that the

Knight must answer to the Dark Lord himself. And then, suddenly, all

thought left Tree as he looked up and into the face of Diablo…

"You are mine! I will give you a small taste of my power, then send you

to do my bidding."

Diablo said, with no words at all. Just by placing his clawed hands on

Tree's face he imparted this information into what was left of Tree's

mind. For with seeing Diablo grinning before him, Tree's mind had run

away. Going ever deeper into himself in his attempt to flee Diablo.

"My Guild is dying!" Dora said, as she cried softly into her hands that

covered her strong and beautiful face. "This dark Tree is killing us all!"

Three days had passed since I had stood in front of Tree's empty coffin,

after it had thrust itself up from the ground to open before me. Dora, one

of three leaders of our guild, had summoned me to her but moments

before. I wanted to tell her that all would be well. That this evil would be

purged from us and we would need think of it no longer. But I did not

believe this lie, thus I could not speak it.

"My Queen. What would you have me do? I have searched for

Treebeard, but always I am too late. He seems to know that I am

coming even before I receive word of where he has last struck."

Somehow Tree, since his resurrection, had gained great powers indeed.

Where before Olwe and Lumpkin had been able to stop him, now it

seemed as though there was none in the guild with the power to slay

Tree.

Two nights before, the first deaths had taken place. Olwe and Lumpkin

had been on their way back from Odgen's Tavern when a fiery blast that

seemed to come from hell itself had consumed them. All that had been

left was their melted armor smoking on the ground and a small branch of

an olive tree totally untouched by the fire. We were later to learn that this

was a "calling card" of Tree's. For he had sent another such branch to

the Guildhall attached to the head of Bard. Along with a note written in

blood that read "Now you die! Now you will all die!"

He had signed it, Tree the Slayer of Fools. The next night seven more

guild members lay dead. All killed by Tree. If someway was not found

to defeat him, the guild would be no more very soon.

Dora looked up at me, wiped the tears from her face and said, " You

must journey to the north and find Palantiri a powerful mage and

Agarwaen a warrior of great strength. These are the two greatest fighters

of our guild. I hope that they will have the power to defeat Tree. And I

pray that we survive until your return!" With a bow to my Queen, I set

out on my task.

Elfsheen, the most beloved and bravest of all the Sisters that were in the

Guild, looked up and into the face of Treebeard, The Dark. She stood

before Glamdring, a new warrior to the guild and was prepared to give

her life to protect him. She and Glamdring had been in the caves near

Tristram searching for some magic amulets or rings in the hopes that they

would gain the ability to better defend the guild against the attack of

Tree. They had just finished searching the closest level of the caves to

town and were preparing to walk down the steps to the next level, when

Tree had appeared before them. He had said nothing. Then with a small

smile upon his lips, he had sent a wall of fire towards Elf and Glam. They

jumped and ran towards the right side of the cave in hopes of putting

one of the large stalagmites between themselves and Tree. They almost

made it. Suddenly Tree was in front of them again and blasted them both

with chains of white lighting. Elfsheen quickly brought up her bow and

shot arrows into Tree until she died. Glamdring had tried to charge at

Tree, but had been knocked back by the force of the lighting and had

died at almost the same moment as Elfsheen.

Tree walked over to the dead bodies of Elfsheen and Glamdring and

blasted them with fire 'til there was nothing but scorched rock to show

where they had lain. Then he whispered a few words and an olive

branch appeared beside the black spot on the floor of the cave. Turning

around, and casting a red portal before him, Tree walked away humming

a child's lullaby.

Dora, MordorBound, and Sting, the three leaders of the Guild, stood

before what remained of the Guildhall. Cain had summoned them from

their homes at the edge of town just moments before when he had seen

the Hall burning. There had been no noise to alert him to the power of

the blast that had hit the Hall. He had been standing beside the fountain

in the center of town when he had become aware of a great heat coming

from the direction of the Guildhall. He had turned and been shocked to

see that the Guildhall of The Keepers of The Fellowship was burning.

Screaming for help he had raced to the Hall. He could not get close

enough to even see if anyone was left alive, let alone be able to try to

save them. Within a few moments the Hall was gone, all that was left

was the rock fireplace that had stood in the center of the Hall.

"I am sorry, my friends. I wish that there was something I could do to

help you all." Cain said to the three leaders. " I will pray for the safe

passage of Shadowfax and his swift return with Palantiri and Agarwaen."

Almost half of the guild members were now known to be dead. Five

were missing and were surely dead also. The three leaders had searched

everywhere for Tree, hoping to find him and end this madness. But not a

sign of him could they find.

"Thank you, my friend." Dora said and reached out to clasp Cain's hand.

"I will pray that prayer also. It would seem that is all we have left to do."

The Fall Of Tree

The Fall of Tree

(Part one of three)

It is with heavy heart indeed, that I sit here and begin the task of telling the past day’s events. For it is my duty to tell you all of the death of one of our own. Treebeard, the young mage, is dead. Killed by two others of our Guild.

It all began early yesterday morning. Tree, a mage of but 15, was nowhere to be found.

It was an hour past the time that he was supposed to be at his lessons in magic and as he had never been late before we were quite worried. We had searched all of Tristram, but had found no sign of him. No one had seen him since late the day before. It was decided then to expand the search to include the Cathedral.

Olwe (a valiant and strong warrior) and Fatty_Lumpkin (another young mage, but very learned in the art) were dispatched to search for the missing Tree. It was feared that, during the night, the minions of Diablo might have taken Tree to the Cathedral for evil deeds; perhaps to kill him there. Ah, if only that had been so…

“If Tree has indeed been taken to the church, I pray that we are not too late to save him.

Perhaps he is but lost.” Olwe said hopefully, but not really believing it. “Yes, I hope Tree is only lost.” Replied Lumpkin. But he, too, had a feeling that was not the case.

Olwe had not been with the Guild as long as Lumpkin or Tree, but he was nevertheless an older and very experienced warrior. Many are the times that he had helped the town of Tristram and the Guild by killing the horrors from below. Lumpkin was a young and easily excited mage, almost the same age as Tree, in fact. But ever more so experienced in the magic arts.

Tree was a fine lad. I loved him dearly. Ever the dutiful student and always there to help the Guild in any way that he could. I know not why he changed so though. He had always been the perfect mage-in-training; studying and learning the Art. Enjoying the thrill of killing all the servants of Diablo. Until… well, I had best leave that for a time at least.

The two friends began searching the first level of the church. Killing what devils and fiends they found there. The way was easy for them. But always the creatures would return when the church was left, and thus the Guild (The Keepers of the Fellowship) was born to guard and protect the town of Tristram.

It was not long until the first level of the church was cleared of the evil. Old bones, dead and swiftly decomposing monsters, were strewn over floors. And no sign of Tree anywhere. Olwe and Lumpkin had the magic of the Town Portal. That magical, blue tunnel that once in place gives one direct travel from anywhere below to the town above. Olwe cast the spell for the portal, turned toward Lumpkin and said, “Let us go to town, perhaps Tree has returned in our absence.”

The words had scarcely left his mouth, when they heard a slight noise some distance behind them. It sounded like it had come from the room that led up the steps to the front door of the Cathedral. A sound as though someone or something had closed a door and quickly opened it again. Lumpkin said, “I’ll check that. You wait her for me, ‘tis nothing I’m sure. But I will make certain.”

“ I had better go with you, my young friend. Though, I dare say, that there is nothing here that you can’t handle.” Olwe replied.

“Very well.” Lumpkin said with a nod, and headed towards the sound.

Somehow they both knew it was Tree that they had heard. And they felt a certain… uneasiness. As though someone was trying to tell them to beware what lay ahead.

Tree walked down the steps that lead to the first level of the church. No one in town had seen him enter, a mage has that ability to go unseen if he so desires. Tree walked over to an open door, swiftly closed it, and opened it again.

“I’m sure those idiots heard that, was surely loud enough for even their dull ears.” He said to himself. My god, how wonderful he felt today. Truly alive, basking in the glory that was Diablo.

Tree, sometime very late the night before, had felt a … calling… a yearning to go somewhere. He knew not just where. And so, reaching for his staff of chain lighting, he had gotten up from his cot at the Inn. Quietly he had left the building; not a sound was allowed to be made. And that was the last that he remembered ‘til he found himself walking down the steps that led into the church.

He was filled, literally consumed with hatred for his former friends and comrades in the guild.

His only desire now was to kill them all. “Now you die!” He chuckled to himself. “Now you will all die! And these two will be just the first ones to go to serve my new master. With each death I will grow stronger. Killing them all for my Lord and Mater, Diablo.” Tree was consumed with a deep, black darkness. All he could think of was, “KILL! KILL! KILL!”

Olwe stopped walking. He felt … something. He knew not what. Some inner voice telling him indeed it would be best if he waited here. Right here in this room that was very close to where the noise had come from. “Lumpkin, I must wait here. Truly I know not why. Just that I need do this.” Lumpkin looked at his friend with concern. This was unlike Olwe. “Very well.” He said after a moment’s hesitation, and proceeded on down the hallway towards the steps that led back to town.

“Tree is up there ahead of me.” He thought. “But not the Tree that I knew.” Lumpkin knew this with a certainty that he did not understand, but he did not doubt it. Over his few short years with the Guild he had learned to heed these feelings.

He was now in the room that the noise had come from. He quickly looked around, but saw nothing. All was as he and Olwe had left it. Then, with a suddenness that he had not expected, balls of fire were blasting him! He quickly jumped behind a sarcophagus, and seeing Tree standing a little to the left of him, let fly with his own powerful fireballs straight at Tree. For a few seconds Lumpkin could see nothing. When his vision cleared, after quickly chanting a healing spell, he saw that Tree lay dead before him. Lumpkin was filled with a great sadness. He had not wanted to kill his friend. “Olwe.” He screamed “I have found Tree.”

But then, as he began to walk towards Tree’s body, Tree disappeared! Where once his former friend had lay there was nothing. Lumpkin quickly chanted the spell for the Mana Shield and carefully headed back towards Olwe. He was quite, for he knew that Tree would be somewhere close.

Olwe had heard his friend call to him, had heard the blasting sound of the fireballs, and had started to open the door that he waited behind. When, with a certainty that he did not doubt, he knew that Tree was in front of the closed door before him. Setting his sword and shield to the ready, he jerked open the door. Before him stood Tree. Olwe chanted the spell for firewall and with a hot crimson blast of flame, Tree lay dead before him. It had happened so fast, that only then did Olwe realize what he had done. “Oh, Tree. I am sorry that it came to this.”

Lumpkin had come around the corner just as Olwe had dropped Tree with his firewall. Here was Tree dead for the second time. Would he vanish again? Or would this horror be done with?

Wearily both he and Olwe approached the body. Tree did not vanish. And saying nothing to each other, they lifted Tree’s charred body and headed back to the guildhall.

I saw them coming towards the hall carrying what looked to be a body. I knew that they had found Tree. And I was soon to learn the rest of the sad story of what had happened from Olwe and Lumpkin. A great evil had been done to the Guild. And now we must find someway to arm ourselves against it.

Epilogue

Two days later, after we had buried Tree in an unmarked grave in the back of the church graveyard, I stood before it lost in thought. What could I have done to prevent this tragedy?

I knew not, only that we must be ever vigilant and try to guard ourselves against Diablo so that this evil does not happen again.

Suddenly I was knocked to the ground, as Tree’s coffin thrust itself up from the ground! “What new evil is this?” I screamed, as I sprang up from the grass on which I lay, and pulled my King’s Sword from its sheath. The lid to the coffin slid off then and I saw that Tree’s body was not inside! “Oh, Lord. My the Heavens preserve us.” I whispered. “This evil is not over.”

For I knew that with his ancient and unholy power Diablo had resurrected Tree and had shown me the empty coffin so that I would know that the Guild was still in grave danger. I also knew that when next we saw Tree he would be powerful indeed…

The Past, Seen Through the Eyes of Today

                                    I wonder if I would want to change her death,

even if I could somehow travel back to that day and save her?

I miss her. Yes, indeed, I sorely do miss her. I miss her smile, her long slim tan legs. I miss her laughing at all the smart-ass remarks that I used to make. I miss kissing her, feeling her body pressed to mine. But if she had not died, then I would not be here today. Because you see she died to save me…

“Let’s go and just do it!” she said. Laughing and pulling her tunic over her head. God, she was beautiful! I loved to just look at her body. To see her breasts rise and fall with each breath, to see the curve and sway of her hips as she walked.

“Are you sure?” I asked her. I would have much rather just stayed in bed with her all day. There was no need for us to leave the Inn at all.

“Of course I’m sure. I am ready for this. I’ve worked hard. I’ve trained for days to be able to go down into the depths of Hell with you. I know that I am only a level 17 Rogue, and you are a level 30 Warrior. But I also know I’m ready. Especially with you there, ya’ big ‘ol stud!”

How could I say no?

We finished dressing and getting our gear together. She had her Windforce bow,a present from me on our first meeting. I had found it two weeks before on one of the upper levels of Hell. And being a warrior I had had no need of it, but seeing it’s worth I had taken it to town in search of a young rogue who would… appreciate… such a gift. I had not been disappointed. I had noticed her the moment I stepped into Odgen’s Tavern. Beautiful raven hair, jade eyes, and a body to make my arms yearn to hold her close. I walked over to her and said, “Hi there. I was wondering if a gorgeous woman such as yourself would have any use for this old bow I found.”

She had turned me and I could tell that she was about to tell me to leave when she saw the bow.

“Oh my! You have got to be kiddin’. That’s a Windforce!! The best bow there is.”

“Really? Well maybe I should find someone else to give….”

“NO!” she said and pulled me down to sit at her table. “You just sit right there and tell me what I can give you to repay you for such a great bow.” I could tell by her look that I could ask for anything and she would give it. Just my kind of woman.

“My name is Theizadock. But people just call me Doc” I said so as not to appear at all to eager to let her now just what I wanted. “What’s your name?

“Mine’s Raven, of course.” She said and smiled at me and I knew that very soon I would have her in my arms.

“So Doc, wherever did you find such a wonderful bow?”

“Oh, I was doing a hell run and found it when I broke open an old chest. Pretty kewl huh? I don’t know much about bows but figured that maybe someone could use it…”

“Um… I might have some other stuff you could use up in my room if you would care to come and take a look…”

“Sure, let’s go.”

My God, but she was incredible…

From then on when she was not training in the use of her new bow, she was with me. She really seemed to like me for some reason. No other woman had ever liked me before. Oh I had had many women before, don’t get me wrong, but after the first night they would get mad at me over something and then they would be gone. But not Raven. The more time she spent with me the better she seemed to like me. I had no one else in Tristram. It had been just me doing my best to find the one Great Find in the depths below so that I could leave this cursed town. And now I had found her. And I would never let her go. At least not until something better came along, that is.

We walked over to the crack in the ground behind Pepin the Healer’s house. And I asked her one last time. “Are you sure you want to do this? Why don’t we go and work the Caves for awhile and then we can go back to my room. I got something I need to give ya’.” She laughed at that. “Oh I just bet you do. Mr. One Track Mind. Don’t you ever get enough?”

“Never of you, my sweets. Never of you.”

“I need to do this Doc. I can’t explain it, I just need to do this now.”

“Ok, then. Let’s go and kill us some baddies! Maybe today we make The Find, eh?”

‘You always say that Doc. And you never do…” She smiled as she said it and I knew it was just a good-natured jab at me.

“You just never know darlin’. Today could be the day.” And it was…

We had been workin’ Hell for maybe half an hour. Killin’ monsters and demons and not finding anything good at all. Raven was doing great. She did not need me to guard her at all… She really knew how to use that bow. As long as we went slow and took our time, I knew that we would have no problems. But I got way to eager and screwed everything up. We were on level 15 of Hell. Laz’s room was close by and I knew that we needed to be really careful. One mistake could cost us our lives. And I made that mistake.

I had just come around a turn in the tunnel, Raven was right behind me, when suddenly we were set upon by a host of Balrogs and Black Knights! I screamed for Raven to stay behind me, and then waded into the mass of monsters. My sword flashed and stabbed at blinding speeds. Nothing could stop me. I was killin all that was near me when suddenly a huge Knight stood before. I hacked at him with my sword, expecting to see him fall as swiftly as all the rest, but I missed. I guess in my haste to show off for Raven and since the others had been so easy to kill I got cocky. I screamed in pain as his axe slashed down on me and split open my side. And then Raven was beside me and her bow was shooting arrows almost to fast for my eyes to follow. But she got to close to him… His axe came down on her and cut her in half. In a blind rage I flew at this armored demon and with one great swipe of my sword I removed his head from his body!!

With a flash of fire he fell and lay dead before me. And so was Raven. Her wound was just to deep for me to heal with what potions and elixirs that I had brought with us. I looked down at her and noticed that the huge Knight had dropped something when he had died. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

I had no idea what it was. It was a coat of arms that was all covered with gold and jewels. I had no more room in my pack for it. I made the choice then to leave Raven’s body and carry my find back to town.

I picked it up and with nary a look back I headed for the stairs.

“Master Cain! Can you tell me what this is?” I said handing him his one hundred coins.

“I will try. Let me see, Doc. What have you found this time?”

I handed him the armor and by the look on his face the moment he held it I knew that I had finally found my ticket out of this town.

“This is the Heavenly armor of the Gods! It is said that this fell to earth eons ago and then was lost. Whoever wares this armor is unstoppable. No man or demon can stand against him!”

And thus my legend was born. No army or horde of demons can stand against me. I now sell my services to the highest bidder. And all this wealth and fame I now have is due to Raven…

I would not go back and save her. Even if I could.  No way