By Iscikella

Is a well-known fact that, during the war between the Ur-Daemon and the Drakes, Kai alone of all the Arkati -- who were those Drakes' servants -- fought hand-to-hand in the battle. Kai, with the inherent physical knowledge of a true warrior, came across a particular way to kill Ur-Daemons. He could not do it always, of course, nor in great numbers, but he could manage one-on-one to kill an Ur-Daemon, though such involved a monstrous and bloody struggle always. But through this method as well did Kai find that he could always defeat the servant demons of the Ur-Daemon.

When the war between the Ur-Daemon and Drakes ended in neither side "winning" and in the virtual destruction of the Drakes as a race while the Ur-Daemon returned to their own netherworld, Kai decided the knowledge he had of the Ur-Daemon might be needed at some future time, if the Ur-Daemon came again out of their own sphere. He therefore asked Lumnis for the power to imbue this knowledge into a vessel, and Lumnis reminded him that the power to do so had always been his. Armed with this revelation, Kai came upon a way to fill a vessel, an orb of mithril was his choice, with the knowledge of how an Ur-Daemon might be successfully battled and how simple demons could be destroyed.

This orb, therefore, held great significance to many of the Arkati. And Fash'on'lae wished to gain access to it as a scholar, to study its abilities. But, as we all know, Fash is none too picky about how he gains such knowledge, so the orb in his hands could prove a very dangerous thing. And Eorgina sought the orb to claim true power amongst the Arkati. But, as we all know, Eorgina is none too picky about how she uses power, so the orb in her hands could also prove a dangerous thing. So Kai, therefore, decided to hide the relic where none could find it.

He happened upon a glacier, which seemed to him a good place to hide the orb as the area was very remote. But what he hadn't reckoned upon was one day a town being built on that glacier, the old town of IceMule Trace. Now, who built the old town is in question. Halflings built new IceMule Trace, but not the old. Some say was only the makeshift town of a group of nomadic giantkin. Some say was where the dwarves housed themselves for a time after the Red Plague destroyed Kalaza. But the truth has never been known. All we do know is that was built by some mortal Elanthian race.

With the building of the town, much of the glacier was changed through the work of the builders. And one day under the ice, as it was being reshaped and flattened in a certain area, one of workers espied something round and shiny. He called his fellows to take a look. The orb under the ice emitted a warm golden glow which was wondrous to behold. So the workers did not disturb the object, rightfully thinking it magical, and many of the town thought it a blessing upon them by the gods themselves. So the tale of what they had seen spread far and wide and reached the ears of the Arkati.

Fash went to find the orb, found it, but also found he could not touch it. Eorgina found the same. It seems Kai had wisely imbued the orb with magic which made it accessible to only warriors. So Marlu, who many thought to be himself at least part Ur-Daemon, came to take possession of the orb as he had a warrior's mien. Ah, but he too could not touch the orb! Kai had imbued the magic so that only a warrior "true of heart" could access the orb!

When he realized this, Marlu went insane with rage and leveled the old town of IceMule Trace. All the citizens-- whatever was their unknown race -- died horrible deaths, and the town was left but the ruins we see today. But the orb remained and remains still, so legends goes, hidden in the ice of the glacier, waiting for that "warrior true of heart" to uncover it and access its store of knowledge about the Ur-Daemon and their servant demons.

And that's the tale.
Iscikella's puppeteer