Notes to the Story Episodes of "'The Beginning"

[Lara for ever]

Oh, I always like to remember. How it all began. The days, when I discovered the wonderful level series "Twin Crystals" the first time, the days, when I still was not an expert player for TR levels. I had played much levels yet at this time, more or less difficult, more or less exciting. But as I found and started "Twin Crystals", I really was so astonished and impressed. The first level yet was so exciting, the environment, the music - a sign for an epic project, as my feeling told me. And I was right, a lot of hours had to pass till I finally could reach the end of this series.

And what can I say, it was not an easy series at all. Normally I would not have been able to solve a series like this on my own at this time. But somehow, after some frustration in the beginning, the ambition really spurred me totally. The longer I played, the more I was fascinated, and the worlds to discover in this series - only fantastic. I loved it all so much that I even wrote to the level builder, Seifer Zero. And from this moment we got in contact and became friends, he was my first Italian contact in the Customlevel Community at all...

Well, I also had this great luck, to help with inpiration and ideas for part 2 of the series, though it never was finished then. Seifer cancelled the project, to work at others, one of my biggest losses in all my TR playing time. Until today...

Yes, "Twin Crystals" became one of my favourite level series at all in the end, and it was also the beginning of my own Adventure Diary later. It inpired me, more then I can tell. And so I owe so much to Seifer Zero. He and his project caused my ambition to get a better TR player than before. And he caused my inspriration for the Adventure Diary, which probably would never had been created without those levels. Abd one thing is sure, this will never be forgotten...

[Lara for ever]

Episode 3, still a closed one, not starting my own main storyline yet. This was the time where I chose levels while playing, if I liked them, I decided to put it in my adventure diary. And so I did here, with this interesting level series. As you can see, this episode still has more of a level report, telling the original story with more details, but not including own elements so far. So I still had no idead about what would really grow soon then...

[Lara for ever]

Episodes 4 & 5, they tell a two parted story about a beginning alien invasion on Earth, but still follow the origianl story, not starting my own storyline. I was fascinated by those two levels of Hokolo, a master of classic level building, in the older days, where there was no TREP or NGLE. At this time he was one of my favourite creator, and it was sad as he left the community. But with his best two levels I wanted to honour him, and so I included them into my adventure diary. But it was not only about this.
With those two levels the ideas grew in my mind. This was the time when I thought about my own continuing storyline the first time, and so the idea was born, Lara Croft wouldn't be a human being from Earth herself. I wanted an explanation for her great abilities, and this was the starting point. Now my own story began in my head, and since then I developed it.
And so, episode 6 should be a new beginning, the actual start of my own big story of Lara Croft...

[Lara for ever]

Episode 6 then, and times changes now. This is the real beginning of the main storyline of my adventure diary, the beginning of my alternate Tomb Raider universe and a new backgound for Lara Croft, as I made my own deliberations about why Lara could be a heroine like that. Like we know her, and about all her abilities. And most of all the fact she doesn't age.
This black and white classic level was the perfect one to start this storyline. It is one of my favourite movie adadption ever, and I used it to show how Lara started on Earth, and how she met the Croft family there, to finally get a member of this aristocratic family.
From this point the main storyline continued, and with my ideas the story developed. This is how my own Tomb Raider universe started, and further grew until today. And one thing is for sure, it will grow further...

[Lara for ever]

Episodes 7 - 10, back to the single stories, not following a red line again. Those parts are all standing for themselves, as the big storyline first started with the second block, the "Christmas Special". Here we have "normal" adventures again, after we first heard about Lara's "real" background in episode 6. A little exception is episode 9. It also contains a separate story, but in addition some more information for the main story. The part about the death of Lara's parents on Earth. The first time at all to see a very sad Lara.
However, in this period of writing the main story still was in development. I had a lot of thought and ideas, which I wanted to realize, and so, with the end of episode 10, things finally changed. The new block then started with a storyline, continuing the so far facts and creating a whole new universe for our heroine, which continued until today.
Well, meanwhile my German version of the adventure diary has grown very far. Just some days ago I finished the 5. block, the time travel special, with more than 50 episodes meanwhile. This is a good break now, to translate the missing parts also into English, and to complete my work also here. and then the next block is already waiting, the underworld special. Lara will travel into hell itself, to fight the evil forces there, threatening the whole universe. But still much work to be done until then...