Robert B. Marks (Diablo: Demonsbane author) informed us he posted on his blog the first script he pitched at Blizzard Entertainment and Pocket Books eight years ago, which got him the e-book contract to publish Diablo: Demonsbane digitally. The script was titled: A Kingdom for a Sword.
It is a privilege and it is not common to get to read an original script, so I hope you guys take the opportunity and special gift to read through the three parts linked below.
Robert posted them in three parts at his blog, so click all the links below for the full story:
Robert B. Marks said: A Kingdom for a Sword was the story that impressed an editor at Pocket Books so much that he handed me an e-book contract. It is a story from my transitional period – it began as Diablo fanfiction, and then, as I decided to go professional writer, was revamped to take place in my Road of Legends universe (a wonderful place that, if all goes well with the current book submission, everybody will be able to explore and enjoy in the next few years). However, you can certainly see Diablo in it. And, if you take this story and Demonsbane and put them side by side, there are more than a few similarities.
The big problem with this story, however, is the ending. I’m not sure if it was just written when I was in the rationalization phase of a massive rebound (if there is such a phase of a rebound), but when I look back at it now, eight years later, I find the last paragraph absolutely asinine. It certainly lacks the emotional maturity I have today. I have kept it intact, though, because of its historical significance (well, I changed one capitalization, but otherwise it is intact).
But, otherwise, it is quite a good story, and after close to a decade, people should be able to enjoy it, particularly since everybody is now able to enjoy the e-book it made possible.
By the way, for those fanfiction writers who like this story, I’m afraid I have bad news. I don’t want any fanfiction coming out of the Road of Legends, aka “The Great Road.” Please respect my wishes on this – I am sharing this story so that those who are curious about where Demonsbane came from can read this for themselves. I am not opening up my pet universe to other writers. There are two full-length novels set in that world already written, and fanfiction for this showing up could cause complications in getting them published at last, particularly since they are already under consideration by a publisher.
