The days had brought a new change in the location of the monsters,so many warriors were taking rest in taverns while discussing where they should move to to hunt as their abilities allowed. In a tavern in Baishi, where the sake' is the best in the land, a young warrior was whining loudly about the many trips to the Lifestone he had undertaken in an attempt to get to the Fenmalain Vestibule. Just before the older and more drunk middle class warriors pounded him for being a wimp, A dark stranger from the far end of the tavern walked over and invited the young warrior to have a drink with him. The young warrior accepted and after one drink asked about the nature of the drink offer. The stranger replied, "I overheard your complaints about visiting the lifestone...and...It reminded me of a day long ago where i too ran into some hard luck. And I thought you might want to hear the tale." The young warrior, tired from his exhausive ordeals, decided that a tale might be good for him. So the stranger ordered him another drink and began:

"On the far side of the mountains, just in Gharu'ndim land, lays the city of Qualb'r, the time was long ago, when the legendary warriors of today were not even middle class yet, I was was but a lad, havign just left that kindergarden of a n00b town called holtburg. I was out for adventure, and i had heard that the southern mountains provided a challenging new hunting ground for intrepid warriors. So there i was, captivated by the great city, with its great fountains, merchants bartering wares, and greatest of all, loot, lots of loot for sale in the shops that had come down from the mountains. I just knew that i had come to the right place. After spending my allowance on a new pack and some other essential goods, I decided to inquire as to the best of places to hunt. I walked into the local tavern,ordered myself a milk, and casually asked a pair of tought looking warriors where i might find some adventure in the mountains. They gave me the once over, laughed, and turned back to their meal. Not disheartened, I asked again. this time the big one stood up and started to come twords me, but his friend stoped him, looked at me for a second or two then slowly told me in a whisper, "I hear the local giants carry a great deal of loot in a giant citidel in the yonder mountains to the North East, not many go there as the local lugians tend to smash all but the toughest of warriors....but I'm sure one like you might be up for it". I thanked him and left the tavern. I guess somebody had told a joke as i was leaving, cause as soon as i was outside the place exploded with laughter. I was on my way to get my hands on some great loot, so I headed towards the north east. After checking myself at the local lifestone, I spent the batter part of the day searching the nearby hills for this "citidel". I moved through the hills with ease, fighting familiar monsters such as baderlings and the occasional group of mosswarts. At last I found my goal on a hill just short of the the high snow capped peaks of the great mountains. I rested from my journey then quickly followed another group of people into the citidel. Once inside i found a most remakable battle taking place. Humans were fighing many lugians down almost every passage. I took out my trusty sword and, after reciting the few spells i knew, I headed off down a lees crowded looking passage to fing myslef some loot. It took less than a minute before i was locked into battle with a small group of the giants,battling, retreating to heal, and back again to finish them off. I made my way down the passage to where a large battle was taking place, then I advanced further, always trying to get to where i could hopfully find the much desired loot. After a while, I joined a group of warriors heading into the interior of the complex, We bashed and sliced our way through wave after wave of constantly tougher giants, Then we came to a dead end, With a chest in it! I was so excited that i droped my iron key that i had retrieved off a lugian a few battles back. I opened the chest and was deligted to find several pieces of magical chain mail, and a great, shiny, golden hueame. I placed the helm on my head vowing that i would wear this helm till the day I ceased to exist. Then i was off again with my friends to kill a new wave of giants that were trying to gain access to the room."

The stranger paused for a second and glanced about at the group of five or so people that were now crowded around him, took another drink of his sake', cleared his throat, and continued his story.

"I remained at that citidel for a while, waging a constant war against the never ending swell of giants. The whole time I wa there though, I wore my golden helm. After a while it became apparent to me that a group of 3 or so warriors was too difficult a fight for an even group of lugians. So I, being the level headed young warrior I was decided to split down a near by tunnel while my friends hurried in another direction. I started forward, knowing that at any moment i could get jumped by a large group of those giants, but none came. I continued cautiously forward, all the while wondering where all the lugians had gone...I soon discovered that i was heading upward, still having found no lugians I walked forward at a quicker pace further up the passage i found a room. The room contained a single warrior, who was busy pulling the last of the loot off of one of the larger giants. I looked around the room, amazed as i realized that i as at the top of the citidel, with nowhere to go but back down. The warrior looked up, smiled at me and waved, then he stoped suddenly, It looked liek he was going to say something, but i never heard it. I never knew what exactly happened, all I know is that I was staring at a reflection of myself, But the reflection was blue, and the reflection of me did not contain my helm that i was so proud of.

With better knowlage of where i was going, I made a beeline to the citidel, up a twisting sandy path that lead right the the entrance of the place. I decided to ask some of the warriors that I hunted with if any of them had a spare helm i could use untill i could recover my own. But something was wrong. Nobody came out of the citidel. I waited longer, still nobody. Finally i decided to go in.

It took me a second to adjust, I thought i was at the wrong place. there were lugians down the hall, but they were just standing there. No sounds of battle echoed from down the halls. But something more erie made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up....there was no loot on the ground, not even trash loot or food. The signs that people had done battle a while ago were gone, which meant that nobody had come through recently.

I gathered all of my courage and started to battle with the nearest group of lugians. They fell quickly befor my blade, but I came out with more wounds than usual because of my missing helm. I surged forward, leaving a trail of giant limbs and torsos in my wake. I made my way slowly up the incline that i had traversed earlier that day. Fighting larger lugians where the first time I had found none. and I made it all the way to my corpse. Grabed the helm off my body, took my sleeve to wipe a smatering of blood off it, And saw some movement in the reflection. I turned around, but i was too late, a sweeping blow caught me off guard, knocking me to the ground, where i am pretty sure the giant hammer made my skull cave in.

I dusted off my clothes, checked to see what armor i was missing and started back up that trail to the citidel. I noticed as i went that i could see a set of footprints in the sand. I thought morbidly how i had put those prints in the sand only hours before.

As I reached the citidel I was dismayed that there was still no other humans around. I went inside as before and started to make my way toward my new corpse. This time I stoped during the breaks in my killing and picked up almost worthless, but better then nothing, pieces of armor to wear on my trip up. I made my way up through the lugians. I got to my corpse again. This time i keept my eyes open as i picked my stuff off my corpse. Then i started back down. I blame what happened next on my weakened state from my past two trips to the lifestone. As i walked through a large room, a boulder crashed into my shield that knocked me over. I then found i did not have the strength to get back up. As i pulled the cork from one of my stamina elixers, A pack of the vicious giants pounced on me, sending me back to the godforsaken lifestone.

I walked, draging my feat, back up the sandy path.

I panicked, I could not stand the thought of losing my precious helm. So this time i madly ran past the lugians to get to my corpse quickly. This worked unusually well, untill i arived at my corpse with an army of lugians in pursuit and no where to go.

So i walked, practically naked, back up the sandy path.

I was in trouble.I had no armor, and was left with chunk of metal that no blacksmith with any self confidence would call a weapon. I decided to fight back and pick up some armor on the way.

Ten minutes later i staggered back into the citidel with only a lin cloth to protect me. I was desperate, I ran madly in circles, then retreated back outside when i was near death to lay down and heal. Then, to my amazement, Someone apeared. I hadn't seen another person in so long that i though the vitea was causing me to halucinate. The warrior stared at me for a second. then almost rooled down the hill clutching his sides as he laughed at me. Then, with large amount of embaressment, I recognized him as the warrior from the tavern in the city. After he got a grip on himself, he handed me a set of plain chainmail armor, and told me to point him towards my corpses.

Embarassed, but relived to have some help, we stared down the hall in the direction of my corpses. We got to the endand into the big room, was a long battle with only the two of us, but we fianlly cleared the room and disposed of the incoming patrols. I reached down and gathered my stuff off my corpses, equiped my stuff, and suggested we go back.

My (dare i say it) "friend" just stood there running into a wall like it was not there. I was scared again. Then i a bright display of purple bubbles, he dissapeared. I stared like a drudge does just before an arrow from an archer's bow sends him from dereth permanently. Then I heard it, that faint hissing sound that comes just befor a pack of monsters apear right where there were previously none. I stared at the lugians in front of me. And it might be my imagination, but i swear the big one smiled at me. I then did what any sensible warrior would do...I soiled myself and ran.

The race was on, I ran back down the passage i had came, dodging this way and that, sometimes bouncing off a lugian that would apear with a hiss as i continued in my flight. I could hear the thunder as their footsteps echoed behind me, I could feel the nicks and scrapes as their axes and maces came within inches of sending me on another quest for my corpse. I ran like i have never ran again to this day, holding my dear helm on my head so it would not fall off. I could the the exit portal in the distance. I could hear and feel the army behing me. I looked behind me as i made a final dash for that purple glow, and saw that big smiling lugian raise his axe, and swing it down toward my head, I felt the pull of portal space, I relaxed as i was enveloped in that rush of purple light. I came out. I kissed the ground because it felt good to be alive, I then raised my head as i sceamed a shout of triumph...And stoped suddenly as I looked at my blue reflection in that [*edit*] blue crystal in from of me. I heard a distant thunder that sounded like a lugian laughing. I felt the back of my head and ran my fingers throught the hair that had once been covered by a great golden helm.

I screamed.

With tears in my eyes, I started back up that sandy trail, putting another set of prints next to five others in the sand."

The tavern regulars went back to their barstools, the bartender went back to searving drinks,the others dispersed to all parts of the tavern. Some said compliments as they left, otheres murmered complaints about the ending. The young warrior watched them leave, then turned to thank the stranger...only to find an empty tavern chair where the stranger had once been.