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You walk along the streets of Barton, thinking of nothing in particular; how pretty the autumn leaves fly in the cool air.

You walk to the Bar, awaiting meeting up with your friends, when a figure bumps you on it's way out. You look up; it's Edmund.

He nods to you, "You have been chosen," he said, passing something into your hands. "Wear it to let others know you are an ally."

"Chosen for what?" you demand, as he turns away.

"Chosen to save this world," he says, and then he is off into the night, leaving you standing there, stunned.

The doorbell rings. You open it to see no one there. You look down and find this on the doorstep, with a note,

"You have been chosen."

You're sitting at the Barton Bar, enjoying the company of friends, when someone slides in next to you. You look up; it's Edmund.

Edmund pays for a drink and then slides something over to you. "You have been chosen," is all he says, before leaving you speechless.

You're in the Old Aqueduct, farming Tiny Terrors, when someone bumps into you. Annoyed, irritated that someone has interupted, you say "Hey--!" only to stop when you see who it is. It's Edmund.

"You have been chosen," he says, passing you something. "Wear it to show others you support their cause."

"Chosen for what?" you demand, skeptical.

"Chosen to save this world."

You come home one night to find an envelope slipped under your door. You open it; it contains a letter and one other item. The letter says;

'You have been chosen.

- E'

After a long day of farming, you come home to find an envelope slipped under your door. It says;

'You have been chosen. It will soon begin.

- E.'

You're on Isle de Gambino, bidding in the marketplace, when a kid walks up to you. 'I was told to give you this,' he says. It's an envelope.

You open it. A black orchid brooch falls out. A note reads,

'The stage is set. The plans are ready. We need you on our side. It will be soon.

-E'

You're killing garlics at Bill's Ranch, when you overhear two people talking near the gate to Dead Man's Pass. Though you know it's wrong to eavesdrop, you can't help but listen when you hear them speak--

"You're sure, Ian?" asks Edmund. "I thought that the Von Helsons were--"

"It's not the Von Helsons," Ian says, looking worried. "It's something much worse--"They pause; they've noticed you've been listening.

"Sorry,"you say quickly, shuffling away. "I'll go--"

"Wait,"Edmund says, putting his hand on your shoulder. "Take this,"

You take it. "What is it?"

"A badge to show you have been chosen."

You're hanging around Buccaneer Boardwalk, when Landy appears. You scream and call for help, but no one's there to help you. Trying to look braver than you feel, you start fighting, chipping away little by little at a beast that, in one hit, could surely kill you.

You fight and you fight but soon you're tired, exhausted, running out of ghi and not sure you can take much more. Landy comes at you, shrieking, ready to land the final blow--

Except he disappears in a flash of fire. You look behind you--Edmund has come to your rescue!

'Can't have you die now,' he says, healing you and at the same time, giving you a strange pin. 'You have been chosen'.

You're hanging around Dead Man's Pass, looking for Stoocie, when you notice something strange. The lock on the gate under the mountain is open, when it's usually closed. Huh.

You go up to it, gently easing it open, looking into the darkness of the cave--

A shriek. A roar. Everything goes dark and the evil is inside your head mocking you, torturing you and you feel the pain and anguish and recoil and the horror of all the rage of the beast that's been locked up all these years and it hurts oh god it hurts and the screams are inside your head and you just want it to stop let it all stop please god LET IT STOP!

...

You wake in your bed, sweating and wondering if it was a dream. But on your bedside table, you see something, and a note:

'You have been chosen.

- E. '

You're been kicking a** and taking names on the doll shrine, with hundreds of slaughtered kokeshi dolls in your wake. As you leave the shrine, Edmund is standing there, smiling.

'We could use someone like you.'

'Huh?' Edmund hands you a black orchid brooch.

'The Order of the Black orchid needs people strong enough to stand against the evil that is about to be unleashed.'

You ask, skeptically, 'Right. And this evil? Where is it?'

Edmund points to the mountain on the horizon--Dead Man's Pass. 'Perhaps it will be weeks, perhaps days, but soon the curse will be broken. And we need to be ready. Are you with me?'

You're reading the news bulletins on the side of the Barton Bar. One catches your eye--three missing in Dead Man's Pass. And no, it's three Gaians, not three cows like you think at first.

Three missing in the Pass...that's weird. The Pass is full of OMGs but nothing else...You decide to go check it out.

You can't get through the gate. Edmund is there, keeping watch. 'You don't want to go in there', he warns. 'The last person found out why'.

'What's in there?' you ask, worried.

'Something evil,' he takes off his strange, purple pin and hands it to you. 'Take this. It'll identifiy you to the order.'

'The order?'

'The Order of the Black Orchid. Those brave enough to stand against the evil. Wear it, and show you're sympathetic to our cause'.

'Is this evil really worth it?' you ask, skeptically.

Edmund nods. 'If allowed to roam free, she will destroy all of Gaia'.

You're hanging around Durem when Edmund walks up to you. 'Come with me,' he says. You wonder what it could be about.

He takes you into the back of H&R Wesley. Louie is there, looking grave. 'You sure this is the one?' Louie asks.

'I'm sure,' Edmund sits you down in a chair. 'We need what he knows.'

'What do I know?' you ask, suddenly worried. 'I don't know anything!'

'Are you sure?' Edmund reaches for something on a table. 'Perhaps you don't recognize it--maybe you think it's just a nightmare--'

'How do you know about my nightmares?' you demand, irritated that this guy might have been spying on you.

'It's enough that I know,& Edmund pulls a glass and a bottle from behind him. 'And I also know that it's no nightmare.'

'What are you talking about? Of course it's a nightmare--'

He pours the liquid into the glass. It's a silvery color and seems to be slightly smoking. 'Try this.' He hands you the glass.

'Why?' You know this won't end well if you do.

Edmund shrugs. 'If it is just a nightmare, then nothing will happen. If not, then maybe you will remember something. But we won't get anywhere unless you give it a chance.'

You look down at the glass, suspiciously, but then shrug, and take a gulp.

Darkness.

You were standing in front of Dead Man's Pass, looking up at the strange cloud rising on the horizon. You entered the gate under the mountain, oddly unlocked. It's so dark--so dark--Bats! So many bloodbats, screeching and whipping about, and you batted them away but they just kept coming, coming coming--

Smoke. Mist. Eerie silence. You continued on into the cave, wondering what the tense feeling in the air was--that sinister, evil feeling and as you get closer to the source, you wondered if it was playing you--

A terrible scream. Your vision went blood red and you cry out as you see blood--so much blood--and rising from that blood is a shape--the feeling of evil was all around you, inside you, and you couldn't take it and fell to your knees as she rose, smirking, laughing, raised her hands and ready to kill--

'No!' Someone called out. You looked to see someone--someone with long black hair and a raiper held high came to your rescue--that's the last thing you saw before you passed out--

You gasp as you are thrown back into the present, in the room with Edmund and Louie. 'Wha--?' you look back up at Louie, who you now see recognize as your rescuer.

'It was as I say,' Edmund says, sighing. 'You have been there before.' He hands you a black orchid brooch. 'And now, we need your help'

You walk into Barton Boutique, surprised to see Rufus at the counter and not Ian. 'Where's Ian?' you ask the cat.

'He had to go do something today', Rufus answers, looking worried.

'Is he going to be all right?'

'I hope so,' says Rufus, pawing the counter.

You continue looking around at the new wares, but you can't get the nagging thought out of your head. Where is Ian? Is he going to be all right?

'Anything I can do to help?' you ask Rufus.

Rufus thinks a moment, before handing you a black orchid brooch that was on the counter. 'Go talk to Edmund' he says.

You're shopping in H&R Wesley when the phone rings in the back. Edmund goes to answer, while Louie looks worried. 'Something wrong?' you ask.

'Edmund's been under a lot of stress lately', Louie says

' Anything I can do to help?'

Louie smiles for a second, then takes off the black orchid pin he was wearing and hands it to you. 'What's this?'

'Wear it to show you support'

'Support for what?'

'The Order of the Black Orchid'

You're shopping in Barton Boutique when you overhear Ian on the phone in the backroom, "I told you everything I know--yes, my brother confirmed it--her name is Kamila--"

When Ian comes back out, he looks nervous; sweating. He sees you staring, and immediately comes up to you, "Edmund said to give you this," he hands you something small. "And to tell you you were chosen."

You're walking around Bill's Ranch when you notice that the gate to Dead Man's Pass has been boarded up. A sign hangs over it that says 'Warning! Do not enter unless you want an early death!

This message has been brought to you by the Order of the Black Orchid. If you have any questions, concerns, etc, please contact the PR department of the Order.'

Underneath, you spot Edmund's number. You call it up and ask in a sarcastic voice, 'Hello, PR department of the Order of the Black Orchid? I have a question for you--What gives?'

You can hear Edmund sigh over the phone. 'Trust me, you don't want to go into the Pass at the moment. The Order will handle it--'

'Look, if it's dangerous animated, I can handle it.'

'If you're sure, then check your mailbox tomorrow.'

'And why is that?'

'Because, now you have been chosen.'

You're wandering around Barton when you see Edmund and Ian outside Barton Boutique, in deep conversation. 'Yes, it's her all right, Louie confirmed it.'

'At least we know who we're up against. That gives us an advantage.'

'Not really. Louie said the last time she was released, no one who saw her survived.'

At that moment, Edmund turned and saw you walking there. You quickly walk on, hoping he didn't think you were eavesdropping.

That night, someone rings the doorbell. You go to the door and look out; no one. Not a figure appears in the shadows of the misty night. Looking down, you see an envelope on your doorstep.

It contains a brooch and a note. The note says;

'The Order of the Black Orchid needs you. We will strike soon'.

You overheard Edmund and Ian talking in the Barton Bar. 'Yes, I went there yesterday, and the curse is about to break.' Ian said. 'They'll soon be unleashed on us all'.

'We need to act fast,' Edmund said. 'I'll call up the Order of the Black Orchid. In the meantime, you and Louie keep watch. You're the only ones who can go there without being detected.'

'It helps being a vampire and all,' Ian gave a weak laugh.

'And one more thing,' Edmund now looks over at you. You freeze, expecting him to be angry. Instead, he smiles. 'Here,' he tosses you a black orchid brooch. 'Hope you're ready when the time comes'.

You're shopping in H&R Wesley when Louie suddenly barges in, grabbing Edmund by the collar. 'Where's Ian? What did you send him to do?'

'Calm down, Louie,' Edmund says casually, taking Louie's hand off his collar. 'He'll be all right'.

Louie snarls, his fangs showing, 'And if he's not? You know what those things are capable of--'

'He knew the risks when he decided to go. If you're worried, you can join him--but I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been there before.'

'Not after she has been released, he hasn't--'

'Even so--' At this point, you break into the conversation, worried,

'Edmund--where did you send Ian? Are you sure he can handle it?'

Edmund sighs. 'If he follows the plan, he will be back without being spotted, and we will have valuable information. If not...' Edmund then reaches into his pocket and hands you an orchid brooch. 'Take this to Bill. He'll know what to do.'

You're helping Purvis at Bill's Ranch when you overhear Bill and Edmund talking.

'Yep, he came up this way, just the other day,' Bill says, hayseed in his teeth. 'Said he was goin' to the Pass and told me to let you know if something unusual happened'.

'Well, something unusual did happen,' Edmund said. 'He hasn't come back. You sure you saw nothing?'

'Nope', says Bill. 'Well...I saw a strange cloud over th' pass, but stuff like that happens, I guess.'

'Indeed,' Edmund sighs. 'I'll go check what parts of the Pass are still safe for clues. In the meantime...' He turns to you, tossing you something. 'Show that to Louie. Tell him Edmund needs his help. He'll know what to do.'

You're helping out at Bill's Ranch when the ground lurches beneath your feet. Earthquake? The rumble continues, and turns into an all out roar--the chickens cluck in confusion and the cows race around the pasture, mooing in worry.

'Look!' Bill points toward the darkness on the horizon--Dead Man's Pass. A black cloud ominously looms above it. 'What's that?'

As the ground subsides, Edmund strides toward you both. 'That was the signal,' he says, handing you a brooch. 'Get ready. They will be coming'.

You walk into H&R Wesley when you see Edmund and Louie walking frantically about, making preperations.

'Call up the rest of the Order, we need them if things get worse--'

'How can they get any worse?' Louie yelled. 'My brother is--!' he stops when he sees you standing there.

'Sorry,' you say quickly. 'I'll go--'

'Wait,' Edmund stops you. 'The more we have on alert tonight, the better.' He hands you an orchid brooch. 'Wait for the signal'.

You're walking back from the Barton Bar at night when Edmund rushes at you, looking haggard and upset.

'Here,' he hands you a black orchid brooch. 'I'm sorry I didn't get to you before, but we're out of time and we need you with us. Come with me'

'Where are we going?' you ask.

'Under the mountain.'

You see a large crowd rushing past in Barton Town. You step back, allowing them to pass, wondering what could be going on. You recognize several in the crowd, noticing they are all wearing the same purple brooch.

One of them stops and turns to you. 'Come on,' they say, holding their hand out to you. 'The Order has been called. We need all the help we can get.'

'Help? With what?' you ask.

'Rescuing Ian!' they say, looking back at the advancing crowd. 'Come on, we need you at Dead Man's Pass!'

You walk into H&R Wesley late at night, but Edmund is nowhere to be found. Louie is there, looking frantic. Even his usual perfect hair is looking rustled, as if he had ran his fingers through it in worry all through the night.

'We're closed,' Louie says before you can ask. 'Edmund's not here'.

'Where did he go?'

Louie pauses, looking away. 'Undermountain.'

'Undermountain? That place under Dead Man's Pass? Why would he go there?'

'To find Ian'. Louie clenches his fists to the point where his knuckles almost turn white. 'I'm going too.' He marches past you, but you can't let him walk away like this.

'Wait, Louie! You can't just go charging off by yourself!'

He turns back to you, eyes hard. 'Fine. Then you're coming with me.'

Like everyone called up from the order, you meet Edmund at the gate to Dead Man's Pass. Louie is there, as well as several others you recognize. So many heard the call, and came.

Edmund looks at all of you, face grave. 'We'll need all of you on alert tonight--who knows what will happen. Some of you need to stay alert in Bill's Ranch; others, stay in the Pass and fight whatever comes out. The rest of you--' Edmund points out five, including you. 'Come with me. We're going under the mountain'.

You nod, mentally preparing yourself for whatever horrors you will face.

Like many of the Order, you were chosen to stay behind in Dead Man's Pass while Edmund and his crew went inside the mountain. Along with your companions, you wait in silence knowing that it is only the calm before the storm.

Then, a low groan--you all look toward the unlocked gate leading down into the mountain--you hear something down there, and feel a shudder up your spine--it's coming, whatever it is--Your crew prepare themselves, knowing it will be soon--

A screech, and hundreds upon hundreds of bloodbats erupt from the cave. You have no choice but to fight--you barely notice any of your crew in the chaos, lost in the rhythm of the kill--dozens of bloodbats dead, and it shows no sign of letting up.

Finally, after what feels like hours, you are exhausted, and fall to your knees as one of your friends finishes off the last of the bats. Is it over? you wonder. Maybe Edmund will have rescued Ian already and you can get out of here--

That's when you hear a horrible, bloodcurdling scream; you look back towards the gate. A powerful feeling of evil rushes over you, and suddenly more creatures emerge, creates you saw only once before--vampires and werewolves.

Your ghi is low, you are weak, you know you may not survive this, but Edmund was counting on you. If you fall, then Gaia will be threatened.

You raise yourself to your feet and charge, knowing it may be your last battle.

It's darker than you thought it would be down here. You have to squint to make out the shapes in the darkness--stalagmites, stalactite, you don't even know the difference--

A splash. You look down in disgust; you've stepped in a puddle. Edmund gives you a look and you keep silent--silence may be your only savior down here.

You hear a screech overhead; the sounds of hundreds of creatures flapping in the distance. You prepare yourself, but after a few seconds, its clear that the creatures aren't heading toward you. Where are they going?

'This way!' Edmund mouths without a sound, and you follow him down another, darker passage. Is it your imagination or is the area covered in mist? A weird, purple mist...

The only sound now is the faint drip, drip of water and the beating of your own heart. You sense that you are not alone, that they are watching you and just letting you believe you are unseen. You can't help that feeling, as a shiver goes up your spine and you look at every corner expecting to see your doom--

There is a shape in the passage ahead. Edmund runs toward it, whispering, 'Ian!'

It is Ian. He looks up at Edmund and rises to a sitting position, you gasp as you see the blood streaked on his face--his hands--and his leg is all mangled and bloody--

'They'll be coming back,' he whispers. 'I just barely got away...we can make it out as long as she doesn't spot us--'

Edmund puts his arm and Ian and lifts him up, just as he does, you hear an earsplitting shriek from deep inside the cave. Ian turns pale.

'She's coming'.

You're fighting for your life in Dead Man's Pass, destroying wave after wave of vampires. You're tired; exhausted, but they just keep coming and coming--you wonder if they'll ever end. You look to see the rest of your crew struggling--no matter how many you kill, they just keep coming--will it ever end or will you die here? You don't know, you don't know, all you know is to kill every last one you see in hopes that you'll make it out alive--

But there's more, and more. How many are there? You're surrounded. Your friends are close to death. This is it--the final stand. You ready yourself, charging up your most powerful attack. You know you won't make it, but you don't care--as long as you can save your friends--as long as you can save Gaia--

There is a red flash. The crowd of vampires disappear in a sea of blood. Flecks spatter you, and you look around to see who it was that took them out? Edmund? No, it's--

Zhivago?

You stare, stunned as the vampire and known enemy stands on a ledge of the Pass, looking down. He glares at all of you, then says softly, "It is too early."

He turns.

"Wait!" you rush up the pass, calling for him. "What the Hell--?" you demand. He stops and turns back to you.

"It is too early," he repeats. "It was not to begin tonight. Therefore, you have been spared." His golden eyes narrow one final time. "Now get out of here."

You and your crew take his advice, resolving to wait outside the Dead Man's Pass gate for Edmund, hoping that Zhivago got to whatever was inside the mountain.

You hear a loud roar come from inside the mountain, and hope beyond hope that Edmund and Ian are all right...

'Hurry!' Edmund calls, as you all run down the path inside the mountain. 'Whatever's back there isn't good--'

'It's her,' Ian repeats. 'She's awake now--and she wasn't happy to find someone sneaking around her home'.

'How did she wake up?' Edmund asks himself. 'The curse--'

'The curse is broken,' Ian explains. 'If it wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to get--'

You hear a sound. 'Look out!' you cry, and all duck as something whips right over your heads. You look, and see the impossible--a blade made out of blood. Where did it come from--?

A horrible, sinister laugh comes from the passage to your right. Your blood runs cold as you see a shape coming towards you. Edmund steps forward, thrusting his arm out in a protective gesture.

That's when she appears.

'Oh my, what's this?' she smirks as she steps forward from the darkness. She looks like a human, but you know by that terrible feeling that she is anything but. 'Rats, trapped in the darkness?'

She laughs again, and you know there is no way you're making it out of this alive.

You stare at the woman, waiting for her to launch her attack, but she does not. 'Kamila,' Ian snarls. 'My brother thought it might be you'.

'Of course he is,' she smirks. 'The King of the Vampires is well connected'.

'You can bet on that!' A shape emerges from the darkness, light reflecting off a long, thin raiper--Louie? 'Hello, Ian', Louie says, before snarling at the vampiress before you. 'Sorry, I'm late; ran into an old friend.'

Ian catches his drift, 'Zhivago?'

'Yeah,' Louie joins you, pointing his sword at the woman. 'And he told me something interesting--it is too early for this, he said. The curse hasn't completely broken. With the curse still intact, you can't escape from here. Isn't that interesting, Kamila?'

Her eyes seem to glow in rage, 'What does he know? He's only second rate--'

'He knows a lot more than you give him credit for. If you beat it out of him first,' Louie snickers. 'So how we doing, Edmund?'

'Not good,' Edmund replies. 'Unless we're very lucky...she is invincible.'

'Unfortunately for you,' Kamila smirks as her arms change form--like blood. All around her blood swirls and she morphs into a being made from it. 'He is right.'

Kamila attacks; you've never seen anything like it--anything this powerful. And by the way she smirks and laughs as you struggle, you are sure she is holding back her true strength.

You're not sure how long your crew can stand it--your attacks do nothing to her, her hits are too strong--you're trying to heal your friends, hoping you can make it out of here alive, but she is relentless and you know only a miracle can save you know.

Ian breaks free from the group, pulling something out of his pocket and limping towards Kamila. 'Ian!' both Edmund and Louie call, but he doesn't come back.

'I got what I came here for,' Ian grunts, holding it up just as Kamila attacks--her blood knives fall useless. And she screams.

You gasp as you see what he holds toward her--its an amulet, set with a blood red stone. 'This is the source of the curse!' Ian yells back to you. 'It's all that's holding her back now!'

Kamila roars in fury and sends several knives and bats made of blood at you--but then hit an invisible barrier and fall, useless. You see blood red cracks in the barrier around you and realize its coming from the amulet itself. 'Come on!' Ian yells, backing away. 'The curse is already almost broken--we won't be able to hold her back much longer!'

'I'll get you for this!' Kamila shrieks, sending wave after wave of useless knives after you. 'You--traitors to your own kind!'

Both Ian and Louie give her a hard look. 'We're no traitors, Kamila,' Louie snarls. 'You are.'

You follow Edmund as he rushes everyone back into the cave. You turn back one last time, to see Kamila shout back, 'When the curse is broken--when the time is right and we launch our attack, you will be sorry! Especially you two, half-vampire bastards!'

You're waiting outside Dead Man's Pass, nearly biting your nails in worry. Will Edmund be all right? Did they find Ian? You saw Louie rush into the Pass soon after you left--will he be all right?

You look at your crew mates--they look the same. Worried. Anxious. You all hope Ian's all right, because if he isn't--

'Look!' your friend calls. Shapes are coming out of the pass. But are they friends, or...?

You give a gasp of relief as you see them--It's them! Ian is bloody, looking worse for wear, but he's alive, and leaning on Louie as they march toward you. Edmund leads the rest, all looking worse for wear, but alive. Ian clutches something as they limp towards you--some kind of necklace...?

'Edmund?' You ask, but he gives you a stern look. He looks at all of you--the Order, gathered here tonight. He says, 'It's not over. We need to prepare. The curse--' he glances at the amulet in Ian's hand. 'will lift soon, and we need to be ready'.

You nod, promising to do whatever it takes to save Gaia. But for now, you decide to rejoice in the fact that you are all alive, and decide once you get home to take a long, well deserved, nap.

You're picking up your mail from the post office when you notice a letter that has no name or address on it. Weird. It must have been put in your box by mistake.

Once you get home, you leave it on your table, but continue to stare at it; if it isn't supposed to be for you, then how are you to know? The only way to know who it's supposed to be for is to read it...

Sighing, you rip it open anyway.

One glance tells you that it isn't supposed to be for you, but despite knowing that it's wrong, you keep reading,

'Dear friend,

By now, I know you will have hard of the incident at Dead Man's Pass. Luckily, we all got out alive, and we learned something to our advantage. She is awake, and wants to attack. The curse holds her in, but not for long. Zhivago and the Von Helsons are in wait of this, also. Whether it be days or weeks, it will break, and she and her vampire forces will be unleashed on all of Gaia.

This is bigger than the G Team can handle. It's bigger than the Order can handle. We'll need every able bodied Gaian to help us if we wish to defeat her and keep her forces at bay. That is why I wrote to you, dear friend--send out the call. Make sure we are prepared for it when it happens.

Assemble the rest of the G-Team, Logan. I will work from here. With luck--and we need lots of it--we can hold them back for a time. But not forever.

Be seeing you soon,

Edmund'