Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

The History of KarameikosTHE EYES OF TRALDAR AND OTHER STORIESTHE HANTU VALLEY ANDTHE GREY MOUNTAINB7 – Rahasia! adventure module introducedthe elven village of Kota-Hutan, located in aforest at the feet of the Gray Mountain.There stood a temple devoted to the elves’philosophy, called the Quiet Way, foundedby the elves’ ancient spiritual leader, ahuman sage called Elyas. The followers ofthe Quiet Way are called the Siswa. While theoriginal module’s setting was generic, laterB1-9 – In Search of Adventure supplementplaced Kota-Hutan in an area of enchantedforest in the wooded hills east of the Duke’sRoad tract which continues north ofPenhaligon. The area is known as the HantuValley.TOO MANY EYES,OPALS, AND ORBS!According to B7’s background, Elyas waslater killed in a fight against three witcheswho coveted one of the sage’s magical items,the Black Opal Eye, but managed to defeatthem, imprisoning their souls under a largemountain (the Gray Mountain), on whichthe elves later built their temple to honorElyas’ memory.Magic items similar to the Black Opal Eyewere also introduced in other supplements.The first was the adventure The Treasure ofthe Hideous One, included within AC2 –Combat Shield and Mini-Adventuresupplement, where the Essence-Orb ofTrikla the Black Seer, a powerful and evilmagician of ages past, was described. Thesecond was the Eye of Traldar, a powerfuldivination magical device introduced in theadventure DDA3 – Eye of Traldar.While these items are unrelated in officialsources, as they all have divination powers,it seemed interesting to develop a story thatlinked all of them together. Somecontributions by Mystara fans during thecourse of the years developed the storywhich identifies the Black Opal Eye withthe Essence-Orb of Trinkla the Black Seer,and which is summed up below.THE EYES OF TRALDARBefore the Traldar hero Zirchev becameImmortal around BC 870, he trained amortal apprentice and entrusted him withthe protection of the Traldar lands. He gavehim two most-powerful magic items withdivination powers, two orbs known as theEyes of Traldar: the Fire Opal Eye and theBlack Opal Eye. Zirchev’s apprentice tookresidence in a secluded place near the Lakeof Lost Dreams, and became known as apowerful sage and a benevolent magicuser.He was called by the locals the Seer ofthe Lake of Lost Dreams, the Seer of theLake of Lost Souls, or the Seer of Traldar.Various magic-users succeeded as Seers inthe course of the centuries, each onetrained by the previous Seer.TRINKLA THE BLACK SEERAs the Seer’s role became more evident,dark and evil forces began harassing him toeliminate the threat he represented to thefulfillment of their plans, or to steal fromhim the magic items which made him sopowerful. In BC 308, a young Traladaran67THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1