Act One
Quest One: The Forgotten School
Vicor had seen carnage before of course--- he had to slay things on his training campaigns--- but nothing had ever been like this. As he jogged to Dry Hills, he saw puddles of blood, probably travelers, along with body parts strewn on the ground. He knelt next to a man who still had his torso and head, and seemed to be breathing.
"Sir? Can you hear me?"
The man spat and looked up at Vicor with frightful, blood filled eyes.
"It's... a trap..." he moaned.
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
Vicor dove to the ground and rolled to the right as an array of arrows fluttered around him, slamming into the body parts on the ground.
Vicor jumped into the air as he took out a falchion and an arrow, and waved his hand over the arrow. It immediately caught on fire. Vicor thew it into the darkness and jumped after it, slashing forward and back. The arrow flew into a skeleton, lighting the area around them.
"Bastard!" he screamed, and sliced it in half.
Thwap! Thwap! He ducked down as two more arrow flew from either side. He stuck his sword out to the right, slaming another skeleton in the rib cage and brought it around to the other side, slamming both skeletons together. They fell apart and dissolved.
Vicor stood and looked both ways before prancing forward, and squinted. He made out a black castle-like shape in the distance, which seemed to be broken and dilapidated.
"The school," he whispered. Vicor, fueld with determination, ran full speed toward the camp.
Baaaaah!
From his right a group of large goat-like monsters, clothed in red leather, ran at him yeilding axe.
Vicor jumped to his right and brought the blade down onto the closest and through his fist into the next. He ducked as one swiped for him and stabbed it in the stomach. It fell down in a pool of guts and blood.
He breathed heavily and squatted in the grass, wiping the contents off of his sword.
"This job's harder than it looks..." ____________________
Thud... Thud.... Crack!
"JAMES!" Lara cried as the shelf flew forward, and standing in the doorway was a creature that barely could duck under. It stood nearly three times the average man and was as wide as a horse was long. It had shimmering claws extending from it stubby fingers, as it did from its elbows, kneecaps, chest and toes. On its scalp two sharp horns shot into the air and were bloodstained.
"I AM HERE FOR THE YOUTH!" he screamed in a deep, bloodcurtling voice.
"Get the children to the tomb!" James whispered as he took out the golden blade from its sheath...
________________________
Vicor's heart thudded harder and harder against his armored chest as he snuck swiftly toward the school. He ducked behind a group of pines that sat a few yards from the door, and knelt down and glared under the last row of branches. A group of large yheti-like monsters stood yelling around the broken door, punching outward. Their fists looked big anough to crush his skull with one blow, and he was sure the claws on their feet could tear a house apart.
Vicor stood up and brought out his hand axe, an arrow and put the falchions into his belt and peered through the two trees; he took the axe and held it in front of him then his wrists--- as fast as lighting--- threw the axe forward into the crowd, sticking through the middle ones forhead, knocking it down.
The Yheti's roared with confusiong as Vicor, with new energy and stamina, pounced forward and through the arrow through another of the towering creatures.
Vicor jumped into the air as an enormous claw foot came forward, and landed with a falchion in hand, into the creature's stomach. It screamed out and fell backwards, crashing through what was left of the weather-ruined door.
ROOOAR!
The last Yheti through a giant cow-sized forearm into Vicor's nose, smashing it against his face and causing him to do a backflip in the air. The warrior rolled to his right as the Yheti slammed a foot down hoping to crush his bleeding head. Vicor stabbed the falchions forward, stabbing up and through the thing's crotch.
He slowly got up, wiping the red pool of already coagulating blood from between his red, irritated eyes.
"The school..." Vicor whispered as he took the axefrom the forehead of the dead Yheti and placed it in his pack. He stepped over the creature and walked into the school, which was deserted and broken.
"HELLO!" he called. "HELLO!?"
"AGG!" he heard to his right, from the basement door... the cry of a man...
Vicor grunted and jumped down the flight of stairs to the basement. He landed in a kneel facing a huge lumbering creature's back. It had a young man in its grasp who swung a giant sword toward the monster.
"YOU SHALL NOT SLAY ME!" the monster screamed and slammed the man onto the ground violently, knocking the golden shimmering blade from his hands, then picked him back up.
"Put 'im down!" Vicor yelled as he leaped into the air and brought a flachion down onto the monsters nape, drawing a large gash. It gave a confuse groan and through its captive down and turned around.
"Who are you to turn a blade against the legendary Lalas of Yheti?! I'll squash you like I will squash the children!"
He jumped as Lalas swung for Vicor's torso, and flipped in midair and landed on the creature's back. Vicor glanced down to where the man had fallen to see him shaking his head as if waking up and grab for his sword.
"I am Vicor," he said and took out both falchions as he climbed atop the monsters shoulders, "and I WILL be slaying you!" Vicor did a front flip and turned in the air, barrying the falchion's in Lalas's black eyes.
"Agggg!" he screamed and gave out a horrific cry. "YOU CAN'T KILL ME MORTAL!"
"Now!" Vicor demanded. The young man pounced onto Vicor's shoulders and jumped up, and through his sword into the forehead of Lalas. He jumepd down just as the Yheti fell backwards, a blank expression on his face.
Vicor pulled his two falchions out of his eye sockets and turned to face the man.
"Hello," Vicor said.
"HELLO? HELLO?" the man bellowed. "You act as if nothing happened!"
Vicor chuckled. "Well... how about 'good job'?"
"Bah... Who are you anyways?"
"I am Vicor Dire of Mai Ghar Village. You fought well; are you a warrior?"
"Can't you tell by my clothing?! I study the arts of the Paladin!" he said.
"Oh!" Vicor exclaimed. "...What is that?"
"THEY were an ancient league of holy warriors who could nullify certain elements and do mega-damage to the undead. The man who last defeated Diablo was a Paladin."
"A Holy Warrior? So you're a warrior."
"NO! A Holy Warrior."
Vicor looked at the man and blinked. "Do you have a name?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. My name is James Lipap. I was a Head Master at this once beautiful school. THE SCHOOL! The children have fled to the catacombs!"
"Oh, no!" Vicor said. "With the recent outbreak in monsters--- there will surely be ones in the catacombs. We must hurry!"
"We? Who said you could come along into my school?"
"I did. Time has called on us both apparently, so let's get this done!" Vicor pushed James aside and grabbed a torch from the side wall, and ran to the entrance of the catacombs. "Either you come or you do not; that's your decision." And walked down the steps.
Vicor's heart seemed to slow as he ascended down the ancient, cracked steps, which led him to me calmer and more alert. He swung backwards as he heard loud taps on the stone.
"So you are coming?" he said as James came into view.
"I cannot allow you to dephile my school."
"The monsters did that for me..." Vicor said as he jumped to the bottom. It was a damp place, mold and mildew growing on the floor and along the edges of the walls. The doors stood around them, one swung open.
"I take it that is where Lara led the children..." James pointed to the open door with his sword. "Shall I go first, or shall you?"
"Lead the way, 'Your Majesty,' Vicor mocked.
James scowled and traipsed through the door, sheathing his large blade to his side. He stopped at the doors edge and knelt next to a puddle of blue blood.
"Oh, my," he whispered. "They were attacked... We need to hurry, Vicor! LARA!" he yelled. His voice echoed several times before becoming a whisper in the distance.
"Shut up!" Vicor demanded. "Do you want every creature in these corridors to hear you? For now let's jog the halls and be aware for anything."
Vicor reached to his shoulder sheath and took out the hand axe and gave it a swing in his palm and trotted forward, then ran at a steady pace, James behind him. He followed the open doors for twenty rooms before they came to a set of stairs.
"LARA!" James called, against Vicor's wishes again.
"JAMES!" they heard from the bottom. "OH, JAMES!" The old woman pranced up the steps, followed by dozen's of children. "We were attacked by these goulish bull-type creatures! My magic was barely enough..."
"Lara... you are safe," James said, sounding relieved. "This man, here, helped me destroy the creature above. I would like you to meet an ally, Vicor Dire."
The old woman shook Vicor's hand shakily. "Thank you so much! We need to get the children home."
"Yes," James agreed. "Then I must speak to both of you. Do either of you have a town portal?"
"I do," Vicor said. He pulled out the blue scroll from his pack and threw it into the air; an aqua portal opened.
"Go, children, one at a time!" Lara said.
After the children had safely gone through the portal, the three adults followed. The portal gave everyone a gateway to their respected villages.
James led Vicor and Lara into his cabin and shut the door behind them. It was a magnificently crafted house, its walls furnished with tarnish and wax, lined with pictures of what Vicor guessed were ancient paladins. His entire entryway was filled with shelves upon shelves up books, some, Vicor noticed, dating back thousands of years before the Sin Wars.
"Welcome to my palace," James said proudly. "I am the only resident of this village, since it lies on the outskirts of the Canyon of the Magi, where hardly anyone wanders anymore..." He pulled up two shares around a small dining table. "Please; sit, sit."
"What's this about James?" Lara inquired.
"It's about the recent outbreaks of monsters, isn't is Jimmy?" Vicor said as he leaned back on his chair.
"It's JAMES, Vicky. Now, grow up and sit upright. Yes, it is about the monsters. Lara... you might think I am insane, but I know that..."
"... that the Lords are back..." Vicor finished.
"Precisely."
"Oh, rubbish," Lara said. "Do not tell me you're rounding up members for a cult, James. We do not need conspiracies!"
"How do you explain that incident at the school?" Vicor said.
"... Wildlife... irritated I suspect. Lack of food!"
"Oh, Lara, you, I, and Vicor all know the truth. The thing we need to decide now is how to sort this out." Lara pursed her lips. "I personally think we should flee to the books and look for something to guide us."
"Well, go ahead," Vicor said as he stood. "I am going to Lut Gholein and I am talking to The Sorcerer. He will council us. Are either of you coming?"
James shook his head. "You should go home to your family and stay out of this."
"Pfft, right. Where's the nearest waypoint to town?" Vicor asked.
"Outside my door." James told him. "Are you going Lara?"
"Yes, I am afraid I must be getting back to Lut Gholein also. James, be careful."
"I will, mi'lady."After a cup of tea, Lara and Vicor walked out of the Paladin's house with renewed vigor. Lara led the way to the waypoint of Canyon of the Magi, and stood on it.
"Let us go," she said and closed her eyes, and they appeared in Lut Gholein.
Lara walked off to her home after thanking Vicor once again, leaving the young warrior to himself in the sunny town.
"Welcome to Lut Gholein, Desert City of Gems," a man said to his right. He handed Vicor a small pamphlet that had different events that were happening in the city listed on the right in black ink, and on the left was land marks and famous people.
"Rocky Waste... Tal Rasha's tomb..." he whispered as he skimmed down through it. "Drognan... Fara... Decard Cain... Ah! Events; Afra the Sorcerer Philosophy Discussion... hmm in the palace common room. Gotta stand in on that."
"Read all about it!" he heard someone yelling. "School house raided by monsters!"
Quest One: The Forgotten School
Vicor had seen carnage before of course--- he had to slay things on his training campaigns--- but nothing had ever been like this. As he jogged to Dry Hills, he saw puddles of blood, probably travelers, along with body parts strewn on the ground. He knelt next to a man who still had his torso and head, and seemed to be breathing.
"Sir? Can you hear me?"
The man spat and looked up at Vicor with frightful, blood filled eyes.
"It's... a trap..." he moaned.
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
Vicor dove to the ground and rolled to the right as an array of arrows fluttered around him, slamming into the body parts on the ground.
Vicor jumped into the air as he took out a falchion and an arrow, and waved his hand over the arrow. It immediately caught on fire. Vicor thew it into the darkness and jumped after it, slashing forward and back. The arrow flew into a skeleton, lighting the area around them.
"Bastard!" he screamed, and sliced it in half.
Thwap! Thwap! He ducked down as two more arrow flew from either side. He stuck his sword out to the right, slaming another skeleton in the rib cage and brought it around to the other side, slamming both skeletons together. They fell apart and dissolved.
Vicor stood and looked both ways before prancing forward, and squinted. He made out a black castle-like shape in the distance, which seemed to be broken and dilapidated.
"The school," he whispered. Vicor, fueld with determination, ran full speed toward the camp.
Baaaaah!
From his right a group of large goat-like monsters, clothed in red leather, ran at him yeilding axe.
Vicor jumped to his right and brought the blade down onto the closest and through his fist into the next. He ducked as one swiped for him and stabbed it in the stomach. It fell down in a pool of guts and blood.
He breathed heavily and squatted in the grass, wiping the contents off of his sword.
"This job's harder than it looks..." ____________________
Thud... Thud.... Crack!
"JAMES!" Lara cried as the shelf flew forward, and standing in the doorway was a creature that barely could duck under. It stood nearly three times the average man and was as wide as a horse was long. It had shimmering claws extending from it stubby fingers, as it did from its elbows, kneecaps, chest and toes. On its scalp two sharp horns shot into the air and were bloodstained.
"I AM HERE FOR THE YOUTH!" he screamed in a deep, bloodcurtling voice.
"Get the children to the tomb!" James whispered as he took out the golden blade from its sheath...
________________________
Vicor's heart thudded harder and harder against his armored chest as he snuck swiftly toward the school. He ducked behind a group of pines that sat a few yards from the door, and knelt down and glared under the last row of branches. A group of large yheti-like monsters stood yelling around the broken door, punching outward. Their fists looked big anough to crush his skull with one blow, and he was sure the claws on their feet could tear a house apart.
Vicor stood up and brought out his hand axe, an arrow and put the falchions into his belt and peered through the two trees; he took the axe and held it in front of him then his wrists--- as fast as lighting--- threw the axe forward into the crowd, sticking through the middle ones forhead, knocking it down.
The Yheti's roared with confusiong as Vicor, with new energy and stamina, pounced forward and through the arrow through another of the towering creatures.
Vicor jumped into the air as an enormous claw foot came forward, and landed with a falchion in hand, into the creature's stomach. It screamed out and fell backwards, crashing through what was left of the weather-ruined door.
ROOOAR!
The last Yheti through a giant cow-sized forearm into Vicor's nose, smashing it against his face and causing him to do a backflip in the air. The warrior rolled to his right as the Yheti slammed a foot down hoping to crush his bleeding head. Vicor stabbed the falchions forward, stabbing up and through the thing's crotch.
He slowly got up, wiping the red pool of already coagulating blood from between his red, irritated eyes.
"The school..." Vicor whispered as he took the axefrom the forehead of the dead Yheti and placed it in his pack. He stepped over the creature and walked into the school, which was deserted and broken.
"HELLO!" he called. "HELLO!?"
"AGG!" he heard to his right, from the basement door... the cry of a man...
Vicor grunted and jumped down the flight of stairs to the basement. He landed in a kneel facing a huge lumbering creature's back. It had a young man in its grasp who swung a giant sword toward the monster.
"YOU SHALL NOT SLAY ME!" the monster screamed and slammed the man onto the ground violently, knocking the golden shimmering blade from his hands, then picked him back up.
"Put 'im down!" Vicor yelled as he leaped into the air and brought a flachion down onto the monsters nape, drawing a large gash. It gave a confuse groan and through its captive down and turned around.
"Who are you to turn a blade against the legendary Lalas of Yheti?! I'll squash you like I will squash the children!"
He jumped as Lalas swung for Vicor's torso, and flipped in midair and landed on the creature's back. Vicor glanced down to where the man had fallen to see him shaking his head as if waking up and grab for his sword.
"I am Vicor," he said and took out both falchions as he climbed atop the monsters shoulders, "and I WILL be slaying you!" Vicor did a front flip and turned in the air, barrying the falchion's in Lalas's black eyes.
"Agggg!" he screamed and gave out a horrific cry. "YOU CAN'T KILL ME MORTAL!"
"Now!" Vicor demanded. The young man pounced onto Vicor's shoulders and jumped up, and through his sword into the forehead of Lalas. He jumepd down just as the Yheti fell backwards, a blank expression on his face.
Vicor pulled his two falchions out of his eye sockets and turned to face the man.
"Hello," Vicor said.
"HELLO? HELLO?" the man bellowed. "You act as if nothing happened!"
Vicor chuckled. "Well... how about 'good job'?"
"Bah... Who are you anyways?"
"I am Vicor Dire of Mai Ghar Village. You fought well; are you a warrior?"
"Can't you tell by my clothing?! I study the arts of the Paladin!" he said.
"Oh!" Vicor exclaimed. "...What is that?"
"THEY were an ancient league of holy warriors who could nullify certain elements and do mega-damage to the undead. The man who last defeated Diablo was a Paladin."
"A Holy Warrior? So you're a warrior."
"NO! A Holy Warrior."
Vicor looked at the man and blinked. "Do you have a name?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. My name is James Lipap. I was a Head Master at this once beautiful school. THE SCHOOL! The children have fled to the catacombs!"
"Oh, no!" Vicor said. "With the recent outbreak in monsters--- there will surely be ones in the catacombs. We must hurry!"
"We? Who said you could come along into my school?"
"I did. Time has called on us both apparently, so let's get this done!" Vicor pushed James aside and grabbed a torch from the side wall, and ran to the entrance of the catacombs. "Either you come or you do not; that's your decision." And walked down the steps.
Vicor's heart seemed to slow as he ascended down the ancient, cracked steps, which led him to me calmer and more alert. He swung backwards as he heard loud taps on the stone.
"So you are coming?" he said as James came into view.
"I cannot allow you to dephile my school."
"The monsters did that for me..." Vicor said as he jumped to the bottom. It was a damp place, mold and mildew growing on the floor and along the edges of the walls. The doors stood around them, one swung open.
"I take it that is where Lara led the children..." James pointed to the open door with his sword. "Shall I go first, or shall you?"
"Lead the way, 'Your Majesty,' Vicor mocked.
James scowled and traipsed through the door, sheathing his large blade to his side. He stopped at the doors edge and knelt next to a puddle of blue blood.
"Oh, my," he whispered. "They were attacked... We need to hurry, Vicor! LARA!" he yelled. His voice echoed several times before becoming a whisper in the distance.
"Shut up!" Vicor demanded. "Do you want every creature in these corridors to hear you? For now let's jog the halls and be aware for anything."
Vicor reached to his shoulder sheath and took out the hand axe and gave it a swing in his palm and trotted forward, then ran at a steady pace, James behind him. He followed the open doors for twenty rooms before they came to a set of stairs.
"LARA!" James called, against Vicor's wishes again.
"JAMES!" they heard from the bottom. "OH, JAMES!" The old woman pranced up the steps, followed by dozen's of children. "We were attacked by these goulish bull-type creatures! My magic was barely enough..."
"Lara... you are safe," James said, sounding relieved. "This man, here, helped me destroy the creature above. I would like you to meet an ally, Vicor Dire."
The old woman shook Vicor's hand shakily. "Thank you so much! We need to get the children home."
"Yes," James agreed. "Then I must speak to both of you. Do either of you have a town portal?"
"I do," Vicor said. He pulled out the blue scroll from his pack and threw it into the air; an aqua portal opened.
"Go, children, one at a time!" Lara said.
After the children had safely gone through the portal, the three adults followed. The portal gave everyone a gateway to their respected villages.
James led Vicor and Lara into his cabin and shut the door behind them. It was a magnificently crafted house, its walls furnished with tarnish and wax, lined with pictures of what Vicor guessed were ancient paladins. His entire entryway was filled with shelves upon shelves up books, some, Vicor noticed, dating back thousands of years before the Sin Wars.
"Welcome to my palace," James said proudly. "I am the only resident of this village, since it lies on the outskirts of the Canyon of the Magi, where hardly anyone wanders anymore..." He pulled up two shares around a small dining table. "Please; sit, sit."
"What's this about James?" Lara inquired.
"It's about the recent outbreaks of monsters, isn't is Jimmy?" Vicor said as he leaned back on his chair.
"It's JAMES, Vicky. Now, grow up and sit upright. Yes, it is about the monsters. Lara... you might think I am insane, but I know that..."
"... that the Lords are back..." Vicor finished.
"Precisely."
"Oh, rubbish," Lara said. "Do not tell me you're rounding up members for a cult, James. We do not need conspiracies!"
"How do you explain that incident at the school?" Vicor said.
"... Wildlife... irritated I suspect. Lack of food!"
"Oh, Lara, you, I, and Vicor all know the truth. The thing we need to decide now is how to sort this out." Lara pursed her lips. "I personally think we should flee to the books and look for something to guide us."
"Well, go ahead," Vicor said as he stood. "I am going to Lut Gholein and I am talking to The Sorcerer. He will council us. Are either of you coming?"
James shook his head. "You should go home to your family and stay out of this."
"Pfft, right. Where's the nearest waypoint to town?" Vicor asked.
"Outside my door." James told him. "Are you going Lara?"
"Yes, I am afraid I must be getting back to Lut Gholein also. James, be careful."
"I will, mi'lady."After a cup of tea, Lara and Vicor walked out of the Paladin's house with renewed vigor. Lara led the way to the waypoint of Canyon of the Magi, and stood on it.
"Let us go," she said and closed her eyes, and they appeared in Lut Gholein.
Lara walked off to her home after thanking Vicor once again, leaving the young warrior to himself in the sunny town.
"Welcome to Lut Gholein, Desert City of Gems," a man said to his right. He handed Vicor a small pamphlet that had different events that were happening in the city listed on the right in black ink, and on the left was land marks and famous people.
"Rocky Waste... Tal Rasha's tomb..." he whispered as he skimmed down through it. "Drognan... Fara... Decard Cain... Ah! Events; Afra the Sorcerer Philosophy Discussion... hmm in the palace common room. Gotta stand in on that."
"Read all about it!" he heard someone yelling. "School house raided by monsters!"