Diablo, Kashya, the rogues, and all others belong to Blizzard Entertainment. No profit is being made from this publication. Please don't sue.

Prologue: Welcome outlander, to our glorious hovel...

"Sister, what news from the outside world?"

The exhausted rogue took a long drink from her waterskin. Pulling her hair away from her eyes, she looked up at her captain from the fallen log she was using as a seat. "Kashya, our outpost at the bridge is holding, but Flavie has recalled all patrols from the Cold Plains. There are just too many of the monsters out there – too many of our corrupted sisters. So many of us are dying out in the wilderness…"

Kashya knelt beside the young archer, her armored hand clasping the rogue's glove. "Take courage, Amalia. The battle is not over yet. We still hold this side of the river – the Blood Moor still lies between us and the monsters."

"Kashya, that's what I came to tell you! Flavie and her teams are being attacked from both sides now. Somehow, the demons have gotten across the river – the Blood Moor is overrun!"

If Amalia had looked up, she would have seen a flicker of fear in her captain's eyes – by the time she looked Kashya in the face however, the older woman had mastered herself, and merely looked grave. Amalia continued her story breathlessly. "The road between the bridge the outpost… do you know that outcropping of rocks by the old shrine?"

"Yes," Kashya said slowly.

"When Melisse and I passed it, we noticed a tunnel at the base of the rocks, and there were Fallen all about. Melisse thought that perhaps the demons were coming at us from underground, so after we scattered the demons guarding the entrance, she went down to scout it out. I wanted to go with her, but she told me to come straight here in case… in case something happened to her…" The young warrior looked at her leader with terrified eyes, pleading for direction. "I didn't want to leave her, Kashya!"

"Hush now, child," Kashya said gently. "Melisse was right to do what she did, and it was a noble thing to risk herself. Besides, no need to give up hope – she's tough. It will take more than some Fallen to stop her."

I'll have to step up patrols on this side of the river, now. And we're all so exhausted… I don't know how much longer we can keep this up.

Kashya looked down at Amalia, and forced a smile. "Rest, my sister. Melisse should be back tonight. Talk to Charsi, and she'll patch up that armor and restring your bow for you. Tomorrow, you and Melisse can bring a chest of healing potions and a few cases of arrows to the outpost. I'll write the instructions to Flavie myself."

Reassured, Amalia disappeared into the camp. Kashya, however, remained by the gate, staring out into the deepening twilight, and hoping against hope that her words of comfort hadn't been a lie. There are so few of us left, now. Some of our most powerful champions lay slain under the Tristram monastery – and those that remained were too young and inexperienced to properly resist when the demons came at us from below. The fortress had become a deathtrap – I'm amazed that even this many made it out. So many were killed, or worse, captured.

Kashya's hopes dwindled as twilight turned to darkness, and the Blood Road disappeared into the deepening gloom. She adjusted her weapons, and turned to leave, but some stubborn part of her refused to give up on her doomed vigil. Her thoughts turned again to their defeat at the Tamoe Monastery. I don't know what the demons did to our captured sisters, but Flavie's reports speak of women and girls utterly twisted, barely human. All because of my failure to protect us…

Another part of her argued with that thought. All of the defenses had been based around an assault from the outside – how was she to anticipate a demonic gate opening in the catacombs below their very feet? She had done her very best, but the demons swept up out of nowhere, catching the rogues unawares – the majority were slain in the barracks, unarmed and confused.

I refuse to make excuses. There was more I could have done – and while it is too late to fix my mistakes in the past, I will be damned sure that I won't make the same mistakes again. She resolved to put up a notice of this new Den of Evil, so that the small army of mercenaries that passed through this fortress on a daily basis would have a real target.

She had fought back her distaste of the warriors, most of them crude men, because she knew that there simply weren't enough Sisters left to keep the demons at bay. And these warriors and mercenaries had gone out and fought and died on the Cold Plains, in the old Burial Grounds, and even in the Black Marsh itself. Many were killed, many more had grown weary of the never ending battle and returned to their homes, but there seemed to be no end to the stream of adventurers. And some had stayed, sacrificed their lives to keep this fortress standing, and so had earned her grudging respect.

Rumor had it that the Duke of Entsteig, knowing that this place was the final bastion before his own lands were threatened, had sponsored many of these men. Akara held out hope that the Duke, and the King of Westmarch as well, might march their armies east and help retake the citadel, but Kashya knew that they were too busy suppressing demonic activity in their own lands to weaken themselves further.

The moon had risen, shrouded by mists in the ink-black sky, and Kashya finally forced herself to admit that Melisse was dead or captured, and that there was no sense in exhausting herself further by staying up waiting for a return that would never come. A tear threatened to fall, and she blinked it away. There would be time for mourning after the Darkness had been driven away from the land. Until then… but what am I going to tell Amalia?

She was distracted from her grim thoughts by a shout from the sentries by the gates. "Lights, Kashya! On the road! A lot of them!"

Kashya was suddenly back in her element, grabbing a bow and quiver from a nearby rack and shouting orders to the women on watch. "Sound the alarm! Scramble all rogues to their positions! And somebody round up all the men who aren't too drunk to draw sword!" Heavens help us…