On the Island of Sakylana, deep in the Jungles of Angytara stands a solitary mountain peak, the legendary home of Xan-Ti, Castrum Hortus, the Central Gardens. Floating among the clouds, the elders of the Village tell of a glorious silver tower perched on the mountainside, resplendent with the rising sun, turned golden with the setting sun.
Even the flashes of splendor from the jungle floors promise hidden secrets not meant for the eyes of mere mortals. Only the people of the Kenoly speak of Castrum Hortus, the verdant central gardens rumored to exist within Xan-Ti’s glorious towers of gold and silver.
Few have traveled to this Western-most Island of Legendaria and those who have, are rumored to have suffered the dangers that lurk in the lush and verdant jungles of this small, overgrown island.
Those few explorers who have returned, though, speak of rare and marvelous creatures, unseen elsewhere in the lands of Legendaria. With names like Camoro, Kurthala and Humbold, the birds of the jungle are reputed not only to talk but to possess great magical powers.
It is those magical powers that your party will seek as darkness encroaches on Legendaria from the lands to the east.
The King of Theramour believes that gods more powerful than the dragon Phaya Nak itself threaten the entire land—destroying the careful balance of life and threatening the kingdom with a time of darkness, devoid of wonder and of magic.
Perhaps the golden years of Legendaria have long passed. And perhaps your party’s most glorious adventures lie in the past as well, destined to fade into a future of despair.
Perhaps.
With little to lose, your party chooses to set off for the Isle of Sakylana far to the West.
The King no longer pretends. This, he expects, is your farewell into the sunset from which you will never return. Tired, old, he tells your party that he wishes you well, and good fortune. And with nothing but despair and loss in his voice, he says that he hopes again one day, another time, to see you in a brighter and a better place.
As the party prepares to leave, the King’s trusted advisor, pulls you aside and tells you that the King’s library holds a few forgotten scrolls—by most at least—that may help you prepare for your journey. One last action before you leave, you allow his advisor to direct you to the Library of Theramour.