The Shrine of Hamaskis. The Origin of the Brain Slayers. Contact the High Priest.

The following article reveals our current state of knowledge concerning the origins of that most feared race, the Brain Slayers.
The high priest thanks Jared Milnes for his tireless efforts to reveal this information.

By my own hand, of Darkwood Forest in this year of the Ox, 293 AC:

After extensive researching, casting of divination magic and consulting of my friends, I have finally pinpointed the cause of that woeful disaster which plagued our world so long ago - the War of the Wizards. This conflict led to the creation of the Wastes of Chaos, the falling of Goldoran and Carsepolis, and the rise of the Brain Slayers as a race. This tragic tale leads back many centuries, almost two millennia to the dark times of 218 OT, in the Fall of the Savage Innocents.

Long, long ago, in the southeast of what is now Khul, there existed a fair and prosperous nation. This kingdom rivalled Zagoula and Carsepolis of long ago in its prosperity, wisdom and beauty. Dwarfs, Elves and men lived together in harmony, and all seemed well. This nation also did a great deal of mining in the mountains on their western borders. Much wealth was mined from here - however, one particular gem was discovered that proved to be the downfall of the nation.

It was called the Finger of Elim, though the one who named it did not understand how he came up with the name - it merely came from his lips as if it was forced out. This long, thin stone was dark as midnight and ice - cold to the touch, and powerful magic was detected upon it. Soon, scholars began to express a desire to study it. More and more people came - some to look at the Finger, others to study it, others to serve their needs - eventually, a whole town grew out of it, and thence a city.

In the capital of the nation, a young man named Biriel was known as a troublemaker in his family - jealous of his elder brother, who had become the new king while he, only a year younger, was forced to "merely" become a prince. Jealousy and hatred festered in his heart - who knows what he thought of when he heard of the Finger of Elim.

Quite often, Biriel went to the city of scholars to study the Finger of Elim himself - he almost seemed to talk to the stone, and it reacted strangely when he came near. He was once found caressing it like a mother would a child. He gave no explanation for this, and the scholars grew increasingly reluctant to show him in to see it.

A year to that day later, the king was found murdered in his bed, cut to ribbons by a sword while he slept. Biriel was at first suspected - his jealousy of his older brother was well-known - but no one could ever prove his guilt. With a supposedly heavy heart, he took the throne, and soon demanded that the Finger of Elim be given to him. The scholars at first refused, but Biriel immediately marshaled the forces of the realm and put the city to siege, demanding that they give him the Finger, or die. The darkness began to crawl across the kingdom once Biriel got his hands on it - Biriel grew into a cruel, wicked tyrant, horribly oppressing his people. He also seemed to grow less human, his skin growing soft and mauve. His eyes became pools of sinister darkness, his voice deeper and crueler.

Soon, the citizens had had enough. Rebellion swept across the kingdom, but Biriel ordered a full-scale slaughter of the citizens. His soldiers were reluctant to comply, but then Biriel made a command. The Finger of Elim glowed evilly, and the soldiers were stripped of their will, slaughtering the citizens wholesale. Many of them fled, however, and began to settle around to the north and east of the nation. The trauma made them greedy and corrupt, and they were forced to turn to raiding and pirating each other for survival.

However, Biriel then gave another command, and the Finger responded. Waves of chaos and evil magic shot from the item, and the citizens, their belongings, even the city itself began to mutate - the people became tentacled, octopus-headed creatures that in later days were called the Brain Slayers. Over three meters tall, they favored pyramids and diamonds in their architecture, and disgusting murals of ghoulish, sickening and horrible things on their walls.

The flooding of the world and the destruction of Atlantis was disastrous for the nation of the Brain Slayers. Many of them fled the city for other homes, and thus spread across modern-day Allansia, Khul and the Old World. The few that remained slowly died out over time, with Biriel, also known as Biriel Brotherslayer now, entombed with his equally evil wife in a mausoleum in his palace, with the Finger of Elim in the casket with them. However, Biriel was released when five adventurers from the city of Zagoula far to the west discovered the Dead City in 1998 OT, and with the power of the Finger of Elim, he began the War of the Wizards.

Let this tragic tale be a warning to those who lust after absolute power - it will corrupt you absolutely. I myself possess great power, but I must also wield great responsibility along with it.

Gereth Yaztromo.

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