This story came from the Junkie Nation Community. A story of triumph, love and ultimately disaster. These are not our words, but the words of a talented artist:

Back in November of 2010, an old colleague of mine emailed me, asking if I still sculpted. The company he works for, Trion Worlds, was looking to create a one-of-a-kind sculpture for a promotional giveaway. He asked if I was interested. He didn’t have to ask twice.

I jumped at the chance, and thus began a two-month journey that was great, but ended up in disaster (more on that later). It was my first paying sculpting commission and I was stoked.

Trion Worlds is a game developer in Redwood City. Their game Rift is a fairly new MMORPG that has been met with rave reviews from the industry. I highly encourage everyone to check it out. The “Rifts” are actual portals that open up in the game, spawning hordes of monsters to slay, and there are six of them, including “Fire”, which I ended up sculpting.

During the discussion of which Rift to actually sculpt, the first rift we discussed was the “Death Rift”:

Drakith Hatchery is very difficult Raid Rift that requires, either zerging, or careful gameplay. It has gone through many different iterations for balance, even then, it causes a lot of deaths and takes quite a bit of time to complete; even with a full raid. This Rift Raid requires at least two tanks for one stage and plenty of healers and dps bringing their A-Game.

You can catch a Drakith Hatchery in Shimmersnad with a lure purchase via your faction’s vendor with the appropriate notoriety and planarite. Failing that, you can create a lure with a husk and ten Corrupted Souls.

MMORPG.com’s latest article tells us all about the lore and the feel of Fire Rifts. We’ve gotten previews of the Life and Death Rifts in Rift: Planes of Telara, Now it’s time to take a look at the plane of fire and the wanton destruction it brings when a tear is opened.

Beasts rest in a glade, sipping sweet water from a trickling stream, soothed by birdsong from boughs high above. And then a glowing, orange slit opens in thin air, waves of searing heat pulsing from it in all directions.

Small volcanoes rise from the ground as grass and soil burn away, leaving cracked, ashen bedrock. Underground gases poison the tress, the smell of sulfur seeping between withered roots. Where once brooks flowed, trees bloomed, and life abounded, this Fire Rift brings streams of lava, charred stumps, and the smoldering corpses of every living thing caught in the inferno.

Every rift carries the threat of death and planar invasion, but the incendiary magic released by a Fire Rift consumes everything. Monsters rush from the rift, roaring like a flame, eager to waste the land and roast the innocent in their homes.

Ciovala of Rift Nexus and Telarapedia fame visited GamesCom last week and she has put together her observations and a bunch of videos detailing character creation and part of the newbie experience.

The best part: a fire rift.

What does captaincursor, a/k/a/ the lead lore developer for the Guardians, have to say about this screenshot?

What am I allowed to say about this screenshot? INVASIONS! DYNAMIC CONTENT!

Looks like a Fire Rift…

Check out the Guardian Trailer from GamesCom. We get our first glimpse of a Fire Rift!

I’ll be the first to admit I have absolutely zero artistic talent. But let it be said that I at least I tried. In honor of my excitement for the upcoming GamesCom where we get to see the latest and greatest rift revealed, I present you with the first ever, and perhaps last, Rift Junkies webcomic.

Bring your marshmallows.