Monthly Feature:
Return of a Hero, Chapter I
July, 2004

Blizzard®Entertainment's World of Warcraft™ is one of the most eagerly-anticipated MMORPGs of all time, and its protracted beta phase tacitly promises an exemplary game experience.  For the players who have been waiting through years of development and teaser information, this stage has been a rigorous test of patience. Since the non-disclosure agreement has been lifted from the beta players, there is a wealth of candid, first-hand experience now available.  In this issue of the Monthly Feature, guild member Shujaa presents the first chapter of an original short story, vividly illustrating the player experience of the World of Warcraft beta.

It seems like an eternity has passed since I last saw the sky...

I don't remember much of what happened before this moment, but the pain in my head strikes like a fierce lightning storm trapped in a bottle.  Images of fierce battles, lost friends, and wondrous lands quickly flash before me in a haze of sound and color.  And then as quickly as they appear they vanish into a sea of blackness.

I can smell the sweet essence of peacebloom and silverleaf in the air around me.  The warmth of the sun beats down on me, as I lay on the soft grass beneath me.  My body is racked with pain as I try to move, yet I cannot even lift a finger.  I slowly open my eyes to meet the bright glare of the afternoon sun and much confusion.  The pain in my head suddenly changes from quick strikes to nausea and dizziness as I try again to rise to my feet.  The world around me seems to move a snail's pace.  It feels as if I am disconnected from this world — neither here nor there.  I guess you could say I am unbound from the world around me.  Rather I was "pushed" out of one world and into another.  Whatever you may call it, I'd rather it was gone then to experience its harsh temper any longer.

As I begin to rise to my feet, I feel a slight chill in the air.  At first I assume it is yet another remnant of the discomfort I am feeling, but then I glance down at my hands and make a startling discovery-my hands are bare!  As are my arms, legs, chest, and all my feet.  Still dazed and even more confused than I was before, I stand to my feet and look around only to find myself naked.  Stripped of all my belongings, save a few gold pieces, I stand in the grassy knolls of a forest as vulnerable as a newborn cub without his mother.  Instinct kicks in almost immediately as I realize that I am in a dangerous position.  Stranded in a forest with no means to defend myself is a situation no Paladin — better yet, no person — should ever be in.  I quickly gather my bearings and see a familiar farmhouse just off the road across from me.  There is a faint smell of burnt oak in the air.  I begin to walk down the road and see a group of men & women near a burnt-out campfire nestled in the trees.  My eyesight still hazy, I begin to walk towards them, when I see the bright red masks covering their faces.  I immediately duck behind a tree and hide from their presence.  A wave of fear comes over me as I soon realize they are bandits — more specifically, Defias bandits.  Their signature red masks a trademark of their affinity for all things ruthless.  I think to myself — peacebloom flowers, farmhouses, and the Defias brotherhood.  There's only one place I could be — Elwynn Forest.  The fear I felt soon turned to hope, as I realized that even though I was in danger, I was only close to safety.  For, if I was in Elwynn Forest, then I must be close to my home of Stormwind City.

Using what strength I have, I quietly sneak around the Defias and make my way through the forest heading northwest.  Recognizing my surrounding I soon behold a sight that brings a sigh of relief to my lips.  In front of me lie the large, ominous gates of Stormwind.  Naked and stripped of all decency, I stand amidst the gates and the awe-inspiring statues of lost heroes from a war long forgotten.  As I enter the city, I come to many familiar faces and feel a sense of relief, yet something is amiss.  The city folk look upon me as if there is something wrong with me.  Granted, I am naked walking through the streets, so the looks shouldn't surprise me, but there is something else...  Something behind the looks.  Ignoring it for the time being I follow my instincts and warrior training and, head towards the nearest weapon shop.

 
I make my way to Weller's Arsenal in the Trade District of Stormwind.  A familiar haven of many warriors and paladins alike, I know that Gunther Weller, the owner of the shop and friend of mine, will welcome me with a hearty laugh and questions as to whether or not I'm "baring" my soul to the world in some sort of holy rite of passage or just completely lost my mind.  As I enter the shop, Gunther stands behind the counter and gives me a look of confusion.  I think to myself, "Here it comes... non-stop quips and jibes on lack of attire."  I laugh on the inside and make my way to the counter.  But strangely, he does not say anything.  He looks me up and down with a bewildered look upon his face as if he doesn't know me and asks, "Can I help you, friend?"  Confused by his statement, I motion towards him and begin talking.

"Friend?  Very funny, Gunther.  I see you're not going to make this easy on me."

Gunther continues to look confused at my presence.

"Okay, I see you're going to make me stand here like this and look like a fool, huh?"

Gunther looks up at me and says, "Friend, you don't have to look like a fool.  You are a fool for coming in here like that.  Now whaddya want?"

Confused by his callous demeanor, I respond, "What's with the attitude, Gunther?"

"Attitude?"  he says.  "I'm not the one who came in the shop naked scaring my customers.  Now I don't know who you are, but I'll ask you again — what do you want?"  As he reaffirms his previous statement, the Night Elf perusing the maces on the table looks at me with a disgusted look on his face.

"Don't know who I am?  What are you talking about?  It's me, Shujaa-Shujaa Ansani."

"Never heard of ya," says Gunther.

"What are you talking about?!  Of course you know me.  I've been a Paladin in the Stormwind guard for years," I say in a reaffirming manner.

Gunther leans over the counter and braces his hands on the countertop.  With a cold scowl on his face he stares intensely in my eyes and speaks with an air of anger and frustration.  "Look pal, I don't know any Shujaa Ansani!  I don't care if you're a paladin, a priest, or the Holy Mother herself.  You come in my shop in with nay a stitch of clothing on, scare my customers, and act as if I'm supposed to give a damn?!  HA!"

I stand in shock at Gunther's reaction, yet do not speak.

"Now you got 2 choices, buddy:  One, you can either buy something or get out.  Or two, you can NOT buy something, and I can throw you out.  And believe me, the 2nd option is not something you wanna go with..."  It is a that point that Gunther motions towards the battle axe on the wall behind him.

And believe him I do.  While Gunther does not seem to remember me; I do, for he is no simple merchant.  Before this shop, he was one of Stormwind's top army captains and a fierce combatant.  Not wishing to anger him any further, I purchase a Spike Star mace and quietly leave his establishment.

Confused by Gunther's reaction, I proceed around the corner to Lionheart Armory.  As I approach the shop, I notice yet again, the curious stares from the city folk.  Now I know I am still without proper clothing, but the strange looks begin to frustrate me.  What makes it so strange is that the stares are coming from people who I have met before, yet they act as if they do not know me.  Now, while many of them are no close friends of mine, these are people I have had dealings with time and time again — shopkeepers, city patrons, and the city guards all look upon me as if I they had never seen me grace this city before.  Even the innkeeper in the Trade District didn't recognize me.  That in itself is funny, because I at one point in time I courted her sister, but that's a story for another time.

As I enter the armor shop, I speak to Aldric Moore, one of the finest armorsmiths in the land of Azeroth.  It was he who got me interested in blacksmithing years ago, which led to my eventual apprenticeship with one of the dwarves in the Dwarven District.  Sensing the same bewilderment as Gunther in his eyes, I instinctively refrain from approaching him as if I knew him.  Walking up to the counter, I explain how I was in the market for a nice set of armor.  Of course he looked at me with amazement, being naked and all, but I brushed it off as if it was joke.

"Late night gambling got you in trouble friend?" says Aldric with a candid smirk.

"Nay sir, paladins do no gamble."

"A paladin, eh?  Well I never saw one without clothing before.  Some sort of holy ritual or something?" asks Aldric.

"No...  Let's just say I was privy to an unfortunate turn of events."

"Unfortunate indeed," he responds.

I nod towards Aldric affirming his statement and peruse his selections of armor.  With only a few gold to my name, I point towards a set of scalemail armor on the back wall.

Aldric smiles and brings the scalemail to the counter.  "Ah, you have a good eye.  You won't find a better piece of scalemail in all of Stormwind."

Now while most merchants will tell you anything to sell their wares, I know Aldric's statement to be true.  He is one of the finest armorsmiths in the land — second only to the dwarves of Ironforge.  I hand him the gold and thank him for the purchase.  With armor in hand, I quickly fit myself, adjusting it carefully.  As I leave his establishment, I was even more perplexed.  "He didn't even recognize me," I thought to myself.  With my newly purchased armor and mace hitched to my side, I make one final stop down the street at the general goods shop, Everyday Merchandise.  Picking up a few bottles of melon juice and some loaves of bread, I prepare myself for a long road ahead.  A Night Elf pats me on the butt and smiles as I walk out the door.  "Not bad...  for a human."  I turn slightly to meet her gaze and flash an innocent smile.  I've heard the elven females can be quite... playful.  Heh... sometimes being a paladin really gets in the way.

 
Fully stocked and ready to challenge what lies ahead, I ready myself to leave Stormwind.  So much has happened that I cannot explain.  And so many questions that have no answers.  How did I end up in Elwynn forest?  What happened to all my belongings?  And more importantly, why is it that no one remembers who I am?  All the questions and more plague my mind like the foul stench of Duskwood, but I will not find the answers here.  For the answers for what happened to me lie out there... somewhere.  With the great city of Stormwind at my back, I gaze into the distance and step forth into the world that doesn't seem to know me.

And so the journey begins...

Shujaa, an Assistant Manager for an undisclosed video game company, has been participating in the Worlds of Warcraft beta since March 2004.