BACK TO INDEX
...NEXT
Send a spelling or
grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
From long ago and far away comes the legend of Melnkin, an adventurous dwarf who knew success while travelling with a group of excitement seekers. Not much is known of those who went with him but it is clear that Melnkin was one of the seven who ventured in to the vale of Wyrms, and, after the demise of Khlaboum, a rustic blue dragon, only Melnkin was left with an immense fortune including a pale white gem of spectacular dimensions (most sides measured more than 30 cm). Melnkin set up residence in a number of fair and prosperous cities in succession. Usually his departure from one was preceded by his being involved in political or mercantile turmoil and the sudden (and complete) disappearance of his opponents. Some were said to survive conflicts with Melnkin but their whole persons were forever a blanch white, regardless of their original race, along with most of their possessions, and, they were all struck with various forms of incurable dementia, as if parts of their brains had been ripped from them.
Having grown distrustful of (and distrusted by) civilization Melnkin the Brain Eater sought reclusion in exotic locales, which is where concrete information stops and much speculation begins. Word of Melnkin stops after mention that he established a number of small keeps and castles, apparently with demonic aide, around the periphery of the Bright Desert. Of the magnificent gem little is known for certain, and less believed, as the sources for information were demented. The claims generally fall into two camps; the first suggest that Melnkin could channel energy from the gem to create something akin to a phantasmal killer spell (the affects upon those who survived would leave them white with terror) but this does little to explain the complete disappearance of those who opposed Melnkin. The second, and more credible, camp maintain the gem was used to trap souls, but scrying attempts did not reveal this nor does it cover those who escaped (though demented). Likely, the truth is more inclusive with other powers remaining undocumented.
All of this would have escaped the notice of even the most ardent chroniclers were it not for the activities of Gleg Truvein, later known simply as The Seer, the once disgraced dwarf clan leader of Dumadan. It was he who had earned a broad reputation with omens, was exiled by his clan, and forced to find well minded benefactors while continuing his research into Melnkin and what was now referred to as the Soul Gem. While under the employ of Duke Justinian Lorinar of Urnst, The Seer began speculation (in earnest) that the Soul Gem lay somewhere this side of the Bright Desert where the mountainous region of Abbor Alz reaches the Wooley Bay. The Seer managed to bend Justinian's will into hiring a group of highly skilled adventurers for the gem's recovery. Little is known of this group and their success; some returned but they were put to death as part of The Seer's first act of open revolt against Justinian and the fall of the Lorinar family was only avoided by . . . .
