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The Heart of the Maelstrom - 1988
Ages have passed in
the kingdom of Llylgamyn. The descendents of the legendary heroes have
disappeared, but the Orb they brought to the city held a great deal of
knowledge. The magicks hidden within the sacred Orb of Earithin were beyond what
anyone had ever imagined. It revealed many secrets of life and magic.
In fact, since its discovery the entire school of magic was reorganized. Spells
were improved upon and even new spells were concocted to replace their inferior
cousins. Once balance was restored to the kingdom, the Orb was placed in
the hands of The Brotherhood of Llylgamyn for safe keeping. Peace once
again fell over the land.
Slowly things grew dark again. The strange weather
returned, and the people began falling ill. What was happening? Did
the orb lose it's power? An emergency meeting of the High Council was
called. They spent weeks deliberating behind closed doors. Together,
through powerful magic and the grace of both the ancient and the new gods, they
found an answer...
For some unknown reason, the very fabric in which reality is
comprised was unraveling. The source of all this chaos was an unnatural,
magical vortex that seems to be located in a series of maze-like caverns beneath
the Brotherhood's Temple. The maze below the city is known as the
Maelstrom. The Maelstrom is home to many foul beasts as well as the
outcasts from the land above. It seems that the vortex is located in the
very heart of the Maelstrom. The rift grows daily, and if something isn't
done, it will soon engulf the city, then the kingdom, and eventually the entire
world. In time, even reality as we know it will cease to exist.
The Sages knew of only one answer: to seek help from
the demi-god known as Gatekeeper.
Once a mortal, his power grew to a point where he soon evolved to a divine
status. It had become his responsibility to watch and preserve the balance of
magic and the natural world. He might be the only hope, assuming he would even
be willing to listen to mortals at all.
The Sages were confident their call would be answered, so
grave was the danger. However, to their utter horror, they learned that
the Gatekeeper himself was held
prisoner in the heart of the very vortex they wished him to destroy! Terrified,
the Sages turned to the Brotherhood, whose knowledge of the mystical and magical
exceeded their own. Here, a tale of evil and treachery was scryed by
Brother Drew, High Prophet of the Brotherhood.
They learned of a renegade Brother, a woman named The
S*O*R*N, whose wish it is to end all order in the universe. She had
discovered a means to create an ever-growing rift in reality: the vortex
that now threatens our land. From this will come a new universe where
chaos will reign and the world will no longer exist. It was she who
trapped the Gatekeeper and made
him prisoner. She must be stopped, lest everyone perish.
It's been 3 years since this discovery, and the vortex
continues to expand. Time is growing short. Two of the most powerful sages
in the kingdom, Fontizan and the High Sage Yeldarb have begun seeking warriors
brave enough to enter the caverns beneath the Temple of the Brotherhood, find
the Gatekeeper and free him from the vortex. However, first they must
defeat the evil S*O*R*N; a quest in itself.
In order to even have a chance, the adventurers must first
seek out G'bli Gedook, the High Priest of the Brotherhood. He is the
guardian of the Orb of Llylgamyn. He resides in the first layer of the
caverns just under the temple. From there they must descend into the depths of
the maze and battle whatever The S*O*R*N
can conjure up to stop them.
Who will step up to take this challenge? Will the old
heroes return or will new heroes be made?
That is unknown, but to whoever takes this challenge: may
La-La and Kadorto be with you.
-Story originally from TK421.net