The Mages Guild of Moorgate has a long and illustrious history, built upon
dreams, skills and the very nature of its members. As Mages, by nature,
are usually possessed of a questioning mind and near insatiable curiosity
for knowledge, so it had changed and grown with those who walked its
halls. Those who treasured nature and healing would go on to become
members and wards of Serenity. Those whose essence was darker sought out
the power held within the walls of the Coven. Of course, there
soon came those who did not feel that either of these choices were their
true calling, and so they chose to decline both the Coven's lure of power
and the ever present calm of Serenity.
Eventually one of these Mages, the Wizard, Jorel, began seeking a way in
earnest to find a true home for those who walked in neither darkness nor
light. His investigations led him to seek out the knowledge of the Coven's
creator, Merdread - a Warlock of great power, whose essence had been
trapped in a jewel by the lich Vistilantus and buried with him. After he located and retrieved the jewel, Jorel tried to speak to Merdread to gain
insight. This proved fruitless, however, and the Warlock's soul grew in
strength daily, attempting to escape its bonds. As concern grew over the
safety of this enterprise, a group of mages convened a meeting to lay further holding enchantments upon the stone. A pentagram was created, its points
represented stalwartly by five Mages: Balli and Cybele of the Coven,
Turnadel and Orchid of Serenity, and finally, Castin, one who, like Jorel,
had not taken a Subguild. Not even the magicks placed upon the jewel could
hold Merdread however, and instead, he drew greater strength from the
pentagram, hastening the point of his soul's escape. It finally did so, the
vessel cracking irreparably, setting Merdread loose, whereupon he declared
his intention to set his undead armies against Moorgate and its citizens.
The dead were dragged from the ground by his foul arts, and beset the
town. Merdread appeared to have the upper hand, until the arrival of
Garath, Paladin of Indus. This Paladin had been one of the few survivors of the Battle of Gara, brought about by Merdread decades before following the creation of the Coven. Merdread and Garath fought ferociously, until Merdread summoned a Death Dragon which felled Garath. With Merdread stood triumphant, a hush descended, as Indus himself appeared to return Garath to life. Garath was then given the chance to fight hand to hand, as he had fallen in dishonourable combat. Revitalised, Garath struck Merdread a devastating blow, forcing him to retreat from the field of battle and flee. The Paladin turned to those present, and gave instructions that the key to victory lay in the hands of Kyrana, one of the tutors of the Mages Guild. The mages must find a crystal tome, and Kyrana must decipher it.
A few days on, Kyrana returned, and following much investigation and
searching, the Crystal Tome spoken of was discovered. Through the power
contained within its covers, and with every Mage present working together,
Kyrana was able to create the Spire of Knowledge, attached to the Higher
Library of Moorgate. It was to this place that Kyrana retired, to study
further, and formulate a plan with which to defeat Merdread.
Long days passed, as Kyrana researched, until finally, she emerged from the
tower. She first told of a wondrous garden maze, hidden alongside the
Greater Library, and revealed by the creation of the Spire. It transpired
that it had been designed by Eris, one of the previous Guildmistresses.
Soon afterwards, Kyrana assembled all of the Mages in the main Guild Hall
for a final reckoning with Merdread.
The Mages present formed a ring, and following a chant led by Kyrana,
attempted to summon Merdread before them. Although still weakened from his
battle with Garath, he resisted, sending his own forces against the Guild. Wave upon wave of tortured souls assailed the Wizards, Shamans and
Sorcerors there. He sent forth hordes of undead dragons, but each time they
attacked, they were repelled by the combined will and efforts of the Guild.
Finally, Merdread weakened to the point where Kyrana was able to summon him
physically into the ring. Whilst held trapped there, Merdread cursed and
pleaded with all of his will, trying to tempt someone, anyone, to break the
circle and free him - but he could not prevail against the combined might
set against him. Suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere, Kyrana unleashed
the spell learned from the Crystal Tome against Merdread. The resulting
explosion scattered his very essence to the four winds, sealing his
fate.
The battle-weary Mages turned to offer their thanks to Kyrana for all she
had done, when she announced that she had one final revelation to share.
The Spire of Knowledge and the Garden Maze of Eris were to remain, as
testament to the efforts of the Mages Guild, and as a legacy, to allow
future generations to dedicate themselves to study, understanding and
knowledge. And so the Labyrinth Subguild was born.
As scribed by Jorel's studious hands, year 191.
Alley back to the library foyer.
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