IN THE TIME BEFORE, IN A LAND OLD AS STONE, THERE WAS A WOMAN, AND SHE WAS EZRA.

EZRA WAS A HEALER OF THE SICK AND PROTECTOR OF THE WEAK.
SUCH WAS HER LOT IN LIFE. SUCH WAS HER ROLE IN THE GRAND SCHEME.

EZRA TOOK PRIDE IN THE ROLE FATE HAD GIVEN HER. HER DUTY WAS HER JOY.

FOR MANY YEARS EZRA HEALED THE LAME AND WATCHED OVER HER PEOPLE.
BUT AS TIME WENT ON, EZRA BEGAN TO SEE THE HOLLOW.

FROM THE MISTS OF DEATH CAME HORRORS OF THE NIGHT.
THEY WERE THE DRINKER OF BLOOD, AND THE STEALER OF BREATH, AND THE BEAST THAT RENDS.

MANY WERE THEIR LEGIONS. MANY WERE THE ROLES PLAYED BY DARKNESS IN THE GRAND SCHEME.

EZRA KNEW THAT THOUGH HER PEOPLE SUFFERED THOSE IN THE HOLLOW SUFFERED MUCH MORE. THUS SHE SET FORTH TO RELEASE THEM FROM THE MISTS OF DEATH.

IN TIME HER QUEST BROUGHT EZRA TO THE END OF ALL THINGS.
BEHIND EZRA STRETCHED ALL THE LANDS OF THE WORLD.
BEFORE EZRA ROSE ONLY THE MISTS OF DEATH.

EZRA SPOKE TO THE MISTS. ASKED SHE, "THE WORLD IS YOURS. YOU SET ITS SHAPE. WHY DO YOU ALLOW ITS PEOPLE TO WANDER, LOST AND AFRAID? WHY DO YOU ALLOW THE LEGIONS OF THE NIGHT TO ROAM UNDETERRED?" BUT THE MISTS DID NOT ANSWER.

ONCE AGAIN DID EZRA SPEAK. "ALL THINGS HAVE THEIR ROLE IN THE GRAND SCHEME. THE LEGIONS OF THE NIGHT HAVE THEIR PLACE. BUT GUARDIANS AND GUIDES HAVE THEIR ROLES IN TURN." STILL THE MISTS OFFERED NO REPLY.

FOR THE LAST TIME DID EZRA SPEAK. "YOU HAVE FAILED THE GRAND SCHEME. YOU HAVE CREATED A HOLLOW THAT MUST BE FILLED. IF YOU WILL NOT WATCH OVER YOUR PEOPLE, THEN MUST I."

UPON THE THIRD ENTREATY DID THE MISTS OF DEATH REPLY. FROM THE MISTS CAME A VOICE, AND THE VOICE SPOKE, SAYING, "TURN BACK. YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE GRAND SCHEME. YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE MISTS. YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF YOUR WORLD. CONTINUE AND YOU SHALL FIND ONLY YOUR DESTRUCTION, NOTHING MORE."

YET EZRA HELD FAST AGAINST THE MISTS, SAYING, "YOU CANNOT BID ME ENTER, YET I CANNOT TURN AWAY. I OFFER MYSELF TO YOU SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE SUFFERING OF MY PEOPLE. IF I MUST BE DESTROYED FOR THEM, THEN THAT IS WHAT MUST BE."

THE MISTS OF DEATH FELL SILENT. THEN THE VOICE SPOKE, ONCE MORE. "ENTER THE MISTS IF YOU MUST, BUT NOT AS YOU ARE. YOUR KIND HAS NO PLACE HERE. TO ENTER THE MISTS, YOU MUST BECOME AS ONE WITH THE MISTS. NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU LEAVE THEM. WILL YOU FOREVER SACRIFICE YOURSELF TO WATCH OVER THESE FEW MORTALS?"

SPOKE EZRA, "SUCH IS MY ROLE IN THE GRAND SCHEME. SO MUST IT BE."