Whispering Prelude to the Looming Storm

Throughout the tortuous narrative of Nagharian's story, golden threads of heroic deeds and thick mists of shameful falls are woven, milestones that defy the very transcendence of time and abysses that would swallow up even the most intrepid souls. Among this tapestry of events, however, one stands out that, transcending the boundaries of racial memory, was indelibly recorded in the mind of each inhabitant.

 Ancient Third Era, year 3612 – Nagharian

In the annals of the Third Age, when time was still young and the memory of the ancestors hung in the air like morning mist, the Nagharian peoples, Men, Elves, Dwarves, and Grafols, boasted the unshakable belief that they were the only inhabitants of this vast world. They ignored, in their arrogance, the existence of other beings besides themselves, living in a bubble of self-complacency.

In the year 3612, under the icy blanket of the coldest night in living memory, when the snow fell in thick, relentless flakes, as if the sky itself wept icy tears, the mountains of Garfrendor stood imposingly, their peaks covered in a blanket of white and thick. Deep within the Kurilam Mines, carved from the depths of the earth by the tireless hands of Dwarves, an extraordinary event was about to unfold.

[Garfrendor view]

Hammers and pickaxes, common instruments of those brave miners, echoed in a frenetic rhythm, interspersed with ancestral songs that defied the glacial cold. The freezing wind, which once reigned alone in the depths of the mines, was suddenly silenced by a cry of astonishment. A discovery, destined to forever alter the course of history, had been made.

[Minas Kurilam view]

In the depths of darkness, something unimaginable was found. An object, shrouded in mystery and emanating an aura of unparalleled power, that would challenge the most deeply held beliefs and open the doors to a world of unfathomable possibilities. This find, which would come to be known by different names throughout the ages, would represent an indelible milestone in Nagharian history, breaking the veil of ignorance and opening the way for a new era of discoveries and challenges.

In the darkness of the cave, Barbren, with firm and rhythmic blows of his mallet, addressed his companion who was a few meters away. His voice echoed off the rocky walls, filled with perplexity and intrigue:

"Torenn! Something abnormal is present in this rock! Its solidity and rigidity are unquestionable, but my blows... my blows feel light, as if I were hammering a feather pillow."

Torenn, rising from his modest wooden bench, placed his mug on an old barrel there. He then approached his former companion, wielding his work tools as if he were about to subdue the unusual stone:

"What nonsense is this, Barbren?" - asked Torenn, frowning in discontent.

He cautiously approached the rock in question, but instead of testing it with his mining tools, he touched it with his calloused, weathered hand. An expression of apprehension took over his face as he said:

"Yes, indeed, there is something peculiar about this stone. When I touched it, I felt a lightness... as if I were being transported to another place, do you understand?" - commented Torenn, his small eyes fixed on the rock uneasily.

Barbren, with a yellowish smile and showing gaps where solid gold teeth once adorned his mouth, asked:

"Do you know what that means?"

Torenn, stroking his long beard covered in rocky dust, confessed his perplexity:

"Tell me, for I have no idea what kind of stone that would be. I have never heard of anything like it."

Barbren, responding quickly and gently patting his friend on the shoulders, continued in his rough and calm voice:

"We are facing something that transcends our knowledge, my dear Torenn. Since I've known you, you've been venturing into the most unusual caves I've ever had the honor of hearing about. Your experience in mining far surpasses my age, which, let's face it, , no more than thirty years - an insignificant period, don't you think?" - the boy joked, followed by a brief laugh.

"But despite everything I read in books about rocks and excavations, we never found mention of anything similar."

Torenn, bluntly, asked:

"So what do we do?"

With an eager gleam in his eyes, Barbren replied:

"I believe, my dear friend, that the dawn will present us with immense wealth. This stone probably hides within it a treasure never seen by mortal eyes. Imagine the glory that awaits us!"

A triumphant smile lit up Torenn's face, and together, equipped with tools and hope, they dedicated themselves for long hours to the arduous task of unraveling the secrets of the enigmatic stone. Finally, with a well-aimed blow from Barbren, the rock gave way, splitting into two parts. At the same moment, a faint but visible sky blue light emanated from the fissure, fascinating the two adventurers. With persistence and determination, they managed to free the stone from its rocky prison.

In his hands, Barbren held an object the size of his own hands, adorned with a celestial blue of indescribable nuances, dotted with reddish spots that, at first glance, referred to a fragment of the universe imprisoned in rock. A jewel of immeasurable value, the result of your luck and audacity.

[Gem View]

In Minas Kurilam, rising from just eighteen springs, the brave dwarves, summoned by the Kingdom of Humans, toiled in search of hidden treasures. And behold, after hard work, they came across a gem of unique brilliance, which, with hearts overflowing with joy, they presented to their leader, Boltoy Gragamut. The latter, examining the jewel with unusual insight, intuited its immeasurable value and, driven by commercial astuteness, acquired it without delay. The precious stone then made its way to the capital, where, like a shining star, it paved the way for Boltoy's rise to the pantheon of tycoons.

In the opulent human metropolis known as Lorimpius, a fragment of unusual nature aroused the fascination and tireless commitment of the most renowned sages. For twelve long years, these scholars dedicated their keen minds to deciphering the secrets that the enigmatic object hid in its depths.

[Lorimpius view]

The obstinate perseverance of the wise men, driven by an insatiable curiosity, led them to a discovery that they would never have dared to hope for if the true nature of the stone had been revealed to them from the beginning. To his dismay, the rock, although boasting undeniable beauty, did not possess the desired physical qualities: its resistance was negligible and its hardness, regrettably, insufficient for making armor or swords.

However, the perseverance of the wise men did not weaken in the face of this disappointing revelation. With minds eager for knowledge, they persisted in their investigations, scrutinizing the fragment with meticulous attention. It was then that a new enigma was revealed: the spectrum of light emanating from the stone did not reveal the prismatic decomposition of colors, but rather enigmatic and distorted images, shrouded in a fog of mystery and obscurity.

With tireless tests it was revealed that the stone, in addition to its peculiar physical properties, possessed an extraordinary power: the ability to open portals to unexplored dimensional planes. With proper knowledge and magical manipulation, the stone could be shaped to act as an interdimensional portal, allowing crossing into realities beyond mortal comprehension.

The discovery set fire to the hearts of the wise men of Lorimpius, paving the way for an era of unprecedented exploration and knowledge. The enigmatic stone, once a mere object of curiosity, has transformed into a portal to the unexplored, an irresistible invitation to unlock the secrets of the cosmos and the depths of the universe.

Thus, with the stone as a guide and the adventurous spirit as a compass, the wise men of Lorimpius embarked on a journey in search of knowledge and truth, ready to explore the mysteries that awaited them beyond the limits of the known world.

[Portal view]