PRISON OF GLYMARACH (3282)
Glymarach, a massive undersea volcano, emerged suddenly from the depths of the Southern Aryth. Preceded only by an ominous undersea rumbling endemic to the area, the sirines thought little of what had been a daily occurrence. That day, they had no chance. The voices which once hauntingly lured men to their doom rose in a cacophonous shriek, but were hopelessly drowned out by the rising mountain. Shipwrecks and thatched huts were rent asunder and consumed by elemental fire. After many weeks, the rumblings ceased, and a new mount changed the profile of the bleak Aryth skyline. Their civilization in ruins, the few remaining sirines who survived gathered what meager belongings they could and began to rebuild. Such a raw source of elemental power did not go unnoticed, and soon dark eyes looked westward at the potential for a new lair. The wizard, unknown to many even in his own homeland, came from far to the east. Not one for brute strength, the cunning implementation of remorseless sadism was his daily bread. Glymarach and its winding network of extinct lava tubes and caves filled with mineral wealth was the perfect choice. Again, the sirines were taken completely by surprise. Immune to their charms, it took little effort for the wizard to enslave the entire population. A mining complex was set up within months and the wizard sat back to enjoy the fruits of new enterprise. With his financial needs taken care of, the wizard spent much of his time studying the gathering of elemental powers. After a time, the wizard began to grow tired of his isolation and looked toward other pursuits to occupy himself. The all-but-deserted island offered the ideal opportunity for the exploration of torment and torture. He kept his first prisoners in conventional cages, but the ordinary methods of breaking them were no challenge. The wizard found that the most fascinating captives were those continually confronted by their own miseries. He engineered three prisons and set them within the tunnels of Glymarach. There his playthings endured years of anguish. Yet this too became boring to the wizard. How to draw fresh toys to this forgotten and forsaken corner of the world? After some thought, he hit upon an interesting idea. One night, three highly-valued items simultaneously disappeared from the hands of their owners. The same brief note was left in their places. Knowing his victims to be occupied with pressing concerns, their responses would all be the same: to send glory-seeking adventurers in the hopes of returning their stolen property. Time would not be wasted on those of little renown, and the wizard would soon have his pick of new bodies for his sadistic pleasure.