It all started in the back room brawls and the bar room fights at Buccaneers Den's Inn. Willie Murder was 5 to 1 on all takers, and there was always takers; some young upstart ready to make a name for himself. The walls ran red with the blood of murderers and criminals. It was here where I first met Murder, when I was but a young lad of 17. He would be singing his songs and drinking, few dare sat with him. "I remember the days of blood and singing at the moon, reminisce about times gone past, lost love and that haunting tune" the song went, and he would sing it over and over as the liquor flowed. "The warmth of the kill, the smell of a gal, things treasured to this day! Fought all my life, I'll fight till death, Ol' Dread wont get his pay." Being young and foolish I would buy him a drink and sit at his table and listen to his insane ramblings. He would eventually walk up to the Fight Master and sign his list with a giant X, for he had no use for reading or writing. In my nightmares I would see him twisting, spinning, stabbing and laughing; always laughing while he killed. By morning, the challengers would be gone. Few kept track of people here, the ships would come and go with the shifting of the winds. I soon left to begin my career as a pirate, under the wing of the Dread Lord Magoo. I often thought back to those days of blood and wine with Willie, as we sailed under the Sosarian moon. We prayed on the rich merchants of the Cities of Compassion and Love, commonly known as Britain and Cove and the spell of the sea was upon me. I could hear Willie's song in my head as we sailed and drank at night and thought that maybe we were both looking at the same moon; singing at the same time. Time passed, friends died, as did foes. Magoo succumbed to the plague; Ashkelon was thrown in jail and left to rot. Indika dissappeared and no one knows his fate. Pez and I had joined TNL and now murdered under the watch of Crooks. I had built myself a little Log Cabin by Ice and would often patrol the mountains and passes looking for easy pickings. My guild mates and I would regularly prey on those we found; only the strong dared come to this area, as it was known for its frozen, ancient monsters and many murderers that had hidden themselves in the hills. It was on one such solitary patrol that i heard a scream cut across the mountain air. A scream, that at first, sounded like a man dying but faded into mad laughter. I followed the sound and began whispering the words to an explosion spell. "Could it be?", I thought to myself. Through the green mist and moon-lit haze I came upon a scene; of horror, even to my eyes. The bodies of 5 brigands lay about, cut up and carved with profane markings. Their bodies had been poised into awkward poises of vile acts and blasphemous rituals. Over this scene stood an old withered man, strapped in leather armor that looked dyed red with the blood of long dead souls. His laughing and cackling had turned into chanting and then back into the howls of madness. "Kal Vas Xen Corp," I heard repeating throughout this profane haze. I pray to God that someday I can forget what I saw on that fateful night. The howls of madness had turned into the screams of the dead as half-formed shadows took shape before my eyes. The darkness grew eyes and stared into my soul. All was laid barren in my sight, hope had fled and turned into an ancient evil, even darker than I. Ol' Willie yelled out, "I bring you blood, I bring you death, I pray this pact will bring me strength." The Demon howled in an otherworldly screech that defiled and cursed all the gods. My ears poured forth blood as the Demon descended into the pile of flesh, devouring and shifting shape until slowly he began to take on the form of flesh. Due to the mercy of our Lord Telamon, I passed out at that point. I awoke in a bed that seemed familiar and heard a dark voice whispering to me "Raven, Raven, wake up. Sit up and have a drink.. It's been ages since we've had ourselves a talky-think." The voice descended into a deep laughter and slowly I opened my eyes. Before me stood Willie Murder as I had known him 15 years past... His hair was black and his skull shaved on the sides, his face was gaunt, scarred and bore the familiar brand of an X over his right eye. To my mouth he held a chalice with a dark red liquid inside. I sputtered and spat as the vile liquid was forced down my throat and I passed out choking and gasping for air. That was the last I saw of Willie Murder, I often sit in my log cabin and ponder that fateful night. The implications abound, who was I to murder my fellow man with this ancient evil around? I took on the name of Xi as my patrols lessened and lessened, until soon I was just sitting at my cabin drinking and singing to myself. "I remember the days of blood and singing at the moon, reminisce about times gone past. lost love and that haunting tune." Sometimes the song and drink overtakes me and I awaken; bathed in the blood of the innocent and with the stench of corruption in the air. "The warmth of the kill the smell of a gal, things treasured to this day, Fought all my life I'll fight till death Ol' Dread wont get his pay." I fear I can not control myself and do not know what I do on these long moon lit nights. That is why I write this letter to you, be warned! Stay out of Dungeon Ice for an Ancient Evil has awakened and I have seen its face. Signed, Xi
