Surrounded by an empty, unforgiving desert lies an unusual mountain, which The Gwil race named “che get ele bakos hura”, the Mountain Upon Fiery Sands. Later human settlers adopted the shortened name of Elehura. Upon a plateau part way up the rock, a small but thriving community has existed for countless generations. It has the reputation amongst many races to be a sacred place. A great span of time has worn away its true significance from the people’s memories. The holy leaders of Elehura are among the select few who still know this secret history that only lies in scattered fragments amongst the legends of the world at large.

Three humans once found their way into the heart of the mountain and discovered a gateway into a separate world. There they met the Dragon Tatyakori, a powerful unliving being that tends to this other place. Each received a holy gift from the Dragon, which also granted them immortality. The three then returned to civilization and founded the Mudrahal Empire, which eventually spanned all lands and people of the world. Later, the Emperor became so dangerously corrupt from his near absolute power that the other two returned the holy gifts to Tatyakori in exchange for the Emperor’s removal from power.

The empire collapsed, leaving behind the ubiquity of its four-pointed star symbol and the specialized organizations called the Great Houses as its legacy. The secret of Elehura and its hidden paradise within remained the exclusive knowledge of a select few throughout the rise and fall of Mudrahal and on to the present day.

A Human named Muhar Nerefane, a soldier of the House of the Sword, is plagued by strange dreams that haunt his nights and cloud his days. His spiritual leaders agree that they are no mere nightmares, but are unable to help him. They suggest he seek a place where those more knowledgeable in such affairs might reside: Elehura. He leaves his home and travels far, through forests, over mountains, and descending into a desert. In the overbearing midday heat, he finds himself in Kechal Springs at the edge of the sands, and from there he catches his first glimpse of that strange rock. It shines brightly, but he can’t shake the feeling there is a veil of darkness hanging over it.