Chapter Text
The Guide thought that things would only get better when the guardian of the underworld, The Wall of Flesh, was slain by the Player. He knew that a sacrifice had to be made in order to summon the beast of meat and eyes, and that it was for the better of Terraria.
He just didn’t think that he would be the one to be sacrificed.
Guide did get over it, though. He and the others have the ability to come back after death under a different name (names that were eventually discarded in favor of their roles to stop having everyone be confused under their new aliases), and being burned alive on the spot wasn’t actually the worst way he died before.
But it kept happening.
Player informed Guide that they needed the Warrior Emblem, an emblem that could only be dropped by the Wall of Flesh. They were a melee fighter and needed that boost as the spirits of light and dark proved to be far more unforgiving than they could take.
The Guide, while not happy with the idea of being burned alive again, gave the Player approval to keep farming the boss. And the Player was kind enough to let the Guide know when they were about to summon the Wall of Flesh, so the Guide could mentally prepare himself for the inevitable death.
But the Player was unlucky, only getting Ranger, Sorcerer and Summoner Emblems. As more voodoo dolls were tossed into lava, the Guide grew accustomed to being reduced to ashes. But everytime it did happen, the pain of having your flesh collapse on the spot from molten lava only grew larger.
But it was one particular time where the Guide had a recollection during his death before he respawned to another bright morning. After he succumbed to the flames once more, he suddenly saw himself staring sideways directly at the Player, towering over them. He was surrounded by obsidian towers and molten lava below, but couldn’t have the chance to observe his surroundings for long until the Player started attacking him with their blade.
Guide was furious at first. Why were they attacking him?! It was rude to equip the voodoo doll and strike him like that! Do they not know that it’s not a lighthearted prank?! He went to scold them.
But all he could let out was a horrific roar instead of anything resembling speech. That was when Guide realized that he couldn’t actually control how he moved, or felt his limbs. He was chasing the player, who was running from him at the bridge. Then he noticed that sickening, fleshy mouths were coming out of his body, trying to bite the player until they were stung to death by the throwing of beenades.
And the Guide felt all of that pain. He felt an uncontrollable drive for blood, and was rushing at the Player. Guide wanted to stop, but he still couldn’t control himself. What kind of hell was he subject to? What did he do to deserve this? Was it because he accidentally shot a bunny, or upset the Dryad over an argument related to the corruption?
He could only see red as he grew desperate to both stop and devour the Player. But this would eventually come to an end when the Player dashed forward with the Shield of Cthulhu and struck the Guide right in his eye, causing everything to go black.
And without warning, the Guide found himself awoken, facing his designated house. As if it were all a bad dream. “What in the blazes was that…?” Guide asked himself as he rubbed his head, walking back to his home.
But then he noticed something wrong with the arm he used to rub it: it was becoming pinkish, its veins were larger, and his nails were black.
Panicking, the Guide decided that he’d go check on the Nurse instead to inspect his arm. He thought that he somehow became infected as he was asleep, maybe by some invasive Eater of Souls or a bunny with rabies.
But it felt like too much of a coincidence to have this sudden change right after that dream…