Ashta'daramai Library

The Kha'labal Chronicles I - The Creation of the Kha'labal
Every child knows the sad fate of the Kha'labal. Once it was brimming with life, a verdant paradise filled with lush forests and countless freshwater springs. The gods created this paradise and gave it to their newly-made race, the humans, as a present. Protected on all sides by the sea or by insurpassable mountains, the Kha'labal was the perfect environment for the young, vulnerable race to flourish. And flourish and thrive it did. Guided by their leader Banor and endowed with amazing technical skills and knowledge by their creators, the humans managed to settle the whole Kha'labal within few generations, and beautiful buildings rose to the sky, the mightiest of which were to be found in the majestic city of Ankrahmun. These early humans, who today are called the Founders, were a friendly race who lived in peace and harmony with each other, ignorant of the horrors lurking in the outside world. And the gods, who watched them from their thrones in the Kha'zeel, smiled on them.

The Kha'labal Chronicles II - Shadows from the North
Sadly, the bliss that marked the humans' early hours was not bound to last. The shadows which in those days held the rest of the world in their cold grip became aware of the humans and of their riches, and soon enough they began to plot the young race's destruction. Ferocious orcs built fleets and started raiding the south-western coastline, while the north was threatened by eerie undead who began to spread their insidious poison among the terrified humans. Worse, the corruption slowly found its way into many of the humans's hearts, and strife and armed conflict erupted within the community. Some humans even fell for the morbid attraction of undeath. They formed an evil cult of necromancers and went to the north to found a city of their own. This city was called Drefia, and it soon became a source of the foulest corruption. The humans, who were not used to such challenges, were full of sadness and despair, and many cursed the gods who apparently watched their plight in apathy. Little did they understand that all this was part of the gods' plan. It would take the humans a long time to understand that the very purpose of their race was to fight evil, and that their fate was not eternal bliss but endless struggle.

The Kha'labal Chronicles III - Banor
When no prayer was answered anymore and no sacrifice rewarded it became evident that the gods had indeed left the human race so that it would find a destiny of its own. But they did not leave the humans without guidance. There was Daraman, the gods' chosen prophet, who carefully prepared them for the spiritual and ethical challenges that awaited them in a world full of treachery and evil. And there was Banor, the very first human, a champion of superhuman might and life span, who taught his people how to fight on the battlefield. On his advice the pharaoh of Ankrahmun built a strong army, and it was Banor who designed the plans for Ankrahmun's famous fortifications. And soon enough the new human armies proved themselves in fierce battles against their undead and orcish enemies. Their kind paid heavy prices in these costly battles, but they learnt to accept sacrifices, and it soon become apparent that the human race was here to stay. Eventually only the fearsome djinns posed a real threat to the human race. They defeated the humans in several important battles using their fearsome magic and their skill with the scimitar. However, just when the situation appeared to be most dire Daraman, the revered human prophet, entered the scene and helped to neutralise the djinn threat in a way nobody had foreseen.

The Kha'labal Chronicles IV - The Exodus
Through the force of his convictions Daraman managed to lead Gabel, the djinn's famous king, onto the path of truth and redemption. It has been insinuated that he acted purposefully to sow the seeds of disunity among the djinn race, but considering his personal integrity this seems unlikely. Whatever his motives, though, Daraman's teachings caused a bitter controversy among the djinns, and eventually a fierce civil war broke out. This did a lot to ease the situation for the humans, but Banor was clear-sighted enough to know that his race would sooner or later get involved into the conflict. It was not hard to work out for him which side to support. Under the influence of Daraman's teachings Gabel, his former enemy, openly propagated peaceful coexistence between humans and djinns. Banor accepted this offer in the name of all humans and formed an alliance with the Marid. It was only logical then that the Alliance fought side by side in the battle of Ankrahmun against the Efreet who had secretly allied with the Drefian necromancers. The victory of the Alliance was overwhelming, but it came with a heavy price. A cataclysmic firestorm unleashed by the Efreet set the whole Kha'labal ablaze, forever turning what used to be a paradise into a barren wasteland. Countless human lives were lost in the magic inferno, and the survivors found that their homes had been destroyed. Faced with a choice of slowly starving to death or leaving their native land forever, a large group of survivors followed Banor on his quest for a new home. Their exodus triggered a chain of events that eventually resulted in the cataclysmic wars of the unliving, but it was also the fateful moment when the humans' slow, but steady conquest of the whole of Tibia started. But that is a different story.

Legends of the Kha'labal I - The Hyena King
Deep in the heart of the Kha'labal the dreaded hyena king has its lair. This legendary beast is much larger than any other specimen of its race, surpassing lions and even elephants in size, and it can tear a man apart in seconds with its enormous, razor-sharp teeth. What's more, the hyena king is said to be truly immortal, for it has been sighted time and again by numerous travellers and merchants. Many a caravan is said to have fallen prey to this ferocious beast, and it is widely believed to have amassed untold treasures over the centuries. The legend goes that this beast was once a common hyena that was born in the time when the djinn war was at its peak. Somehow it had managed to escape the cataclysmic firestorm unleashed by the Efreet during the battle of Ankrahmun, and when the slaughter had finally ended it fed from the bodies of the fallen djinns, consuming large amounts of magical energy in the process. Perhaps these magical energies were responsible for the fateful mutation that turned a common hyena into this frightful beast.

Legends of the Kha'labal II - The Wailing Bride
Princess Theripat was the beautiful daughter of pharaoh Karkhaneses II. She grew up in the pharaoh's palace, living a seemingly careless life amidst the proverbial luxury and splendour of the Ankrahmunian court, and when her father arranged for her to marry a well-proven northern nobleman her happiness seemed complete. But things were not quite the way they seemed. Theripat, who was a headstrong and idealistic girl, had always despised life at the court, and with the help of her nurse she had made many forays into the city, concealing her true identity. On one of these excursions she had fallen in love with a handsome officer from the pharaoh's guard. The young man requited the love of what he thought was a simple woman, and eventually the two lovers had even married. When the pharaoh finally decided it was time for his daughter to marry she was already 6 months pregnant, and she knew that soon the truth could no longer be hidden. Frightened and confused, Theripat went through the wedding preparations without saying a word, but when the day had finally come she fled the court. The whole extent of the scandal soon became obvious. Karkhaneses, a ruler who believed that his absolute power depended on the fact that no treachery should ever go unpunished, decided to show no mercy. Both Theripat's nurse and her true husband were arrested and publicly drawn and quartered. Theripat herself had escaped into the desert with her new-born child, but her unforgiving father sent half his army after her. She was found soon enough, but just when the troops were about to arrest her, the unexpected happened. Clinging her baby to her breast, the desperate mother fell into a piercing, bloodcurling wail that quickly expanded into an unearthly sound to which nature itself seemed to respond. All of a sudden a sandstorm erupted, fiercer and stronger than anybody could remember, and within minutes destruction rained down upon the pharaoh's terrified troops. When the storm cleared the so

Legends of the Kha'labal III - Gha'Zuul the Necromancer
Gha'Zuul grew up a simple boy among one of the northern nomad tribes. A frail and meagre child, he was frequently the target of the other childrens' jeers as well as of his despotic father's scorn. Hurt and angered by the constant humiliations, Gha'Zuul developed a bitter, unforgiving personality. He took notes of all the indignities he suffered, and he was determined to take revenge for every single one of them. One day, when his camp was attacked by an undead raiding party he decided it was time to get his revenge. Taking advantage of the general hullabaloo, Gha'Zuul sneaked up on his worst tormentor and quickly cut his throat. However, he had made a mistake when he thought that his crime would go unnoticed. One of the necromancers who was part of the raiding party sensed the evil of this deed, and since he was impressed by the young boy's obvious ruthlessness he ordered his undead troops to kidnap him. And so Gha'Zuul was brought to Drefia.

Legends of the Kha'labal IV - Drefia's Downfall
Many are the legends concerning Gha'Zuul’s cometlike career in the necromancer city. Working with superhuman resolve and ruthlessly exterminating all real or imaginary competition, Gha'Zuul managed to rise to the top of the Drefian hierarchy within a few decades, and when a bizarre accident happened to the president of the High Council, Gha'Zuul took his place. He was the first necromancer to take this position while still being alive. However, being the foremost necromancer was still not enough to satisfy Gha'Zuul’s thirst for power. He had great plans for Drefia. Und his rule the necromancer city would expand and conquer, taking over control of the north and perhaps of the whole of Darama! It was his idea to propose an alliance to the Efreet, and when the decisive battle drew near he personally raised the necromancers' troops to march against the Marid. The rest is well-known. Drefia's troops suffered a decisive defeat in the battle of Ankrahmun. Those undead who were not destroyed during the futile siege of Ankrahmun were pulverised in the searing heat his own allies had summoned. Gha'Zuul realised soon enough that his career in Drefia was rapidly drawing to an end, for if the Marid did not kill him his fellow necromancers surely would. And so he disappeared... Today, there are nothing but rumours as to what happened to Gha'Zuul after the failed campaign. However, many believe that Gha'Zuul is still out there, waiting for an opportunity to take revenged just like he used to do when he was still a little nomad boy.

Daraman's Chronicles VI
And finally he spoke to Gabel: "Alas! Truly thy race hath suffered! But there is hope, mylord, hope even for your race that has been deserted by its reckless creator!" And he went on to teach him the ways of abjuration and of enlightenment. And Gabel listened and learned, and when he saw the wisdom in Daraman's words he decided to renounce the old ways. And soon many others of his race embraced the holy words and became proselytes of Daraman's creed.

The Chronicles of Daraman I
That was the time when Daraman was captured by the djinns while he was fasting and meditating in the desert. They put him in heavy chains and brought him before Gabel's throne. There the old man stood, all haggard and torn, amidst the splendour of the djnns' court. And the djinns started teasing and tormenting the human with a thousand malicious tricks, trying to strike terror in his heart. But frail and crippled though he was, Daraman never so much as flinched under the pain, and his will could not be broken. Finally Malor, who was the most vicious and godless of the djinn, lost his patience and raised his hand to strike the final blow. But lo!, just when his deadly scimitar was about to strike the prisoner down Gabel's voice thundered through the hall, ordering Malor to stop. And though mighty Malor trembled with anger and spite, he did not dare challenge his king's authority.

The Chronicles of Daraman II
Gabel was curious about the strange human who did not seem to know pain or fear. He approached him and asked him if he did not feel any pain. Daraman answered that the pain of the body was nothing compared to the pain of the soul. So Gabel asked Daraman if he was not afraid. And the prophet said the famous words: "The fear of death is but a trifle compared to the fear of life." So Gabel, who was more and more intrigued by the human, asked him whether he did not care at all about his life? Daraman just looked into the mighty djinn king's eyes, and a brief smile shone on his lips. And after a long pause he spoke thus: "I am an old man and I have but little to lose, mylord. But your race has much to gain, for it lives in darkness." When he said those words many djinns were outraged by the human's apparent lack of respect. And if Gabel had not stopped them the prophet would have been killed on spot.

The Chronicles of Daraman III
And so it came to pass that Gabel, the mighty king of the djinns, took interest in Daraman. Here was something that he, who had seen so many things, could simply not understand, and he was determined to find out more about it. In the beginning he was still convinced that the prophet, like all other humans, was driven by a secret weakness, and he tried to use many other temptations to test the prophet. He clad the old man in silk and offered him a thousand gifts. But Daraman was as unimpressed by the djinns' fabulous wealth as he had been unimpressed by their tortures, and he politely rejected all gifts. And when Gabel finally asked him if he did not appreciate his gifts Daraman answered "Mylord, I am an old man who has little use for pretty baubles. And truly I have never valued a thing that could be bought for gold." It was then that Gabel realised that Daraman was indeed a holy man.

The Chronicles of Daraman IV
So it came to pass that Daraman, who had come to the djinns' court, became the king's guest and confidant. And even though many djinns disdained their king's new favourite Gabel increasingly sought Daraman's company. Every day they went to the Gabel's personal garden and talked for many hours. It turned out that Gabel, the mighty djinn king who had been the terror of the world for such a long time, was plagued by a terrible feeling inner void, and Daraman's infinite spiritual strength became a source of joy and of redemption for him. And so, day by day and week by week, their relationship slowly changed from one between prisoner and a king to one between a master and his disciple.

The Chronicles of Daraman V
Gabel told Daraman of the visions and dreams that haunted him and asked Daraman for advice. So Daraman asked him to open up his soul for him to see. And Gabel opened his heart and soul to him. When Daraman had seen deep into Gabel's soul he understood the pain and the confusion that lay hidden deep inside it, and he wept bitter tears of pity for Gabel and for the whole of his race, for he saw that the djinn were a forlorn race that had been cast away by its creator. So full of divine compassion were his tears that they froze into immaculate gemstones of pure blue crystal as soon as they left his eyes. It is said that that springs of clear freshwater sprang forth from the earth wherever one of them hit the ground.

The Djinn Wars I - The Insurrection
For a long time Malor had plotted and schemed in secrecy, using promises and threats to recruit followers and to form alliances. Many djinn refused to betray Gabel, but the majority of the strongest djinn warriors rallied to his cause, and since Malor had been plotting his insurrection for a long time the rebels were well-prepared. When Malor finally gave the signal his minions attacked the palace in full force, planning to kill Gabel swiftly. Their attack was deadly effective, and the palace guards were quickly overwhelmed. However, Gabel, who had received warning about the conspiracy was saved in time by his trusted aide and friend Fa'hradin. He managed to flee in the darkness, and that very night he started to gather his troops in order to take revenge on the usurper. Malor, on the other hand, had to acknowledge that his plan to get rid of Gabel quickly had failed. And he ordered his followers to prepare for a long-term military engagement. Neither he nor Gabel realised then that this was the starting point for a war that would last for eons.

The Djnn Wars II - The First Years
The war took a long time to unfold. Both Malor and Gabel tried to win over as many followers as they could, and the need to take a choice war weighed heavily on many a djinn's conscience. Still, few of them managed to remain neutral in this terrible war, and so a deep rift opened within the djnn race. Families were torn apart as children turned against their parents and brother fought brother. Worst of all, it soon turned out that both sides were roughly equal in strength, so that even though a number of vicious battles ensued it become more and more apparent that victory could not be won easily in this war. In fact, it appeared more and more likely that even if one of the sides could win it, it would so be crippled by the endeavour that the very existence of the djinn race would be threatened. Still the war raged on relentlessly. And the mutual hatred between the two fractions, who began to call themselves by the distinct names of Marid and Efreet, increased with every battle that was fought.

The Djnn Wars III - The Great Battle, Pt. 1
At last, Malor prepared for a decisive strike. He sent a messenger to Gabel and challenged him to a personal duel. Gabel, who was prepared to do anything to stop the fratricidal war, accepted the challenge. The enemies agreed to meet in the fertile plains of Kha'labal. There they stood, face to face, the old king and the usurper, and so did their armies, because neither of two was gullible or foolish enough to come on his own. It was the greatest gathering of djinns in recorded history. Eventually Gabel stepped forwarded to meet his opponent. This was the moment Malor, who had never intended to fight honourably, had been waiting for. All of a sudden the earth opened in a thousand places, and hordes of vicious undead attacked the Gabel and his army. For Malor had secretly formed an alliance with the dreaded necromancers of Drefia and it was them who controlled the undead hordes that fought for him. Faced with an overwhelming enemy, Gabel and his army turned to flee.

The Djinn Wars III - The Great Battle, Pt. 2
A number of Marid was caught and slaughtered on the spot, but much to Malor's disappointment the majority of Gabel's troops managed to escape southwards in what appeared to be a well-planned strategic withdrawal. And how much greater was his surprise to find that the Marid fled to the city of Ankrahmun where they appeared were expected! It was then that he realised that Gabel had suspected a ruse all along, and that he had prepared a counterstrategy. Malor immediately ordered his troops to abandon pursuit, but it was too late. The undead marched against Ankrahmun with all the determination of a mindless killing machine, and the Efreet, blinded by rage, did not lag behind, only to be met by ceaseless barrages of arrows and catapult stones. A cataclysmic battle ensued. Wave after wave of undead and Efreet stormed against Ankrahmun, and wave after wave broke at the huge fortifications of the ancient city. Both the Marid and the humans were well-prepared for this battle, and even though Malor's army wreaked havoc they never yielded.

The Djinn Wars III - The Great Battle, Pt. 3
At last even Baa'leal, who led the Efreet in battle, had to admit that the Marid and their despised human allies fought valiantly. However, despite the heavy losses he was determined to decide the war there and now. He summoned the most powerful Efreet wizards and ordered them to unleash a huge column of magic fire onto Ankrahmun in order to render the city and all those in it to cinders. The Efreet wizards' followed his orders and soon a wall of devastating fire rose up to the sky. However, when they tried to move it onto Ankrahmun they soon realised that it did not move into the desired direction. The Marid had soon seen through Baa'leals plan, and Fa'hradin and his fellow Marid mages used their own magic to turn the devastating flames against their creators. A fierce battle of wills ensued between the mages from both sides, and the whole battle came to a halt when the two armies watched in horrified fascination as the terrible pile of flames wandered seemingly undecided to and fro. But then, all of a sudden, the pile made a sudden leap to the north, and within seconds those who had summoned it from the sky were reduced to smouldering ashes. That was the turning point of the great battle.

The Djinn Wars III - The Great Battle, Pt. 4
The fire, now entirely out of control, turned northwards, driven by a gently breeze coming from the south. Its devastating flames fed on plants and animals alike, and as the inferno slowly spread to the north the Kha'labal was scorched and marred forever by the magical flame. Thus, the great battle was won by the allied armies of the Marid and the humans. However, for the winners there was little left to feel triumphant about. The losses had been great on both sides, and the Kha'labal, that beautiful garden given to the humans by the gods, had been turned into a barren, hostile desert. Also, the destruction cause the fire had allowed many Efreet to escape, so it seemed unlikely that the war would end now. However, for the time being Malor and his troops were much too weak to pose a serious military threat, so Gabel decided to abandon pursue. Instead he ordered that his army should move northwards towards Drefia. It seemed time to settle old scores.

The Djnn Wars IV - Drefia's Fall
After the disastrous battle of Ankrahmun Drefia's necromancers knew the end was near. The Marid would never forgive them their treachery, and this would be a battle the necromancers could not win - after all, many of them had already perished in the battle of Ankrahmun, and their Efreet allies could provide no assistance. So the necromancers prepared for the inevitable with the defiant cynicism of those who have been familiar with death all their lives, performing evil rituals and indulging in morbid orgies. Finally, the end came swifter than they expected. Unwilling to take any risks in the unpredictable halls and passageways of Drefia's dungeons, the Marid performed a fearsome ritual. The tortured earth underneath Drefia started moving like a giant whirlpool, and slowly the unholy city was pulled inside the maelstrom. Within half an hour it was gone completely, and all but the highest buildings were completely covered by sand and by rubble. None of its inhabitants have ever been seen again, but rumour has it that deep beneath the surface the unholy city is still intact, brooding like a vengeful animal in its prison.

The Djinn Wars V - Fa'hradin's Trick
Even though many djinns had lost their lives during the fateful battle of Ankrahmun, the war was still undecided. Malor had lost many of his bravest warriors, but so had Gabel, and they both knew that another epic battle like that would bring the whole djinn race to the brink of destruction. In his desperation, Gabel turned to his trusted friend Fa'Hradin for advice. The old djinn suggested using a trick to eliminate Malor. Without their leader, he reasoned, the Efreet would end the rebellion. Gabel, who wanted to avoid further bloodshed, agreed. And so it came to pass that the magic lamp was created and, by means that are unknown to this very day, secretly placed in Malor's private chamber. The mighty Efreet never had a chance. When he went to sleep in what he thought was his private lamp he was trapped inside the lamp, which was soon enough smuggled out of Mal'Ouquah, the Efreets' fortress, and brought back to the Marid. Fa'hradin's trick had worked - Malor was Gabel's prisoner.

The Djinn Wars VI - A War in Suspension
With Malor imprisoned, many Marid hoped that peace would finally come. Gabel immediately contacted the Efreet to let them know their leader was his prisoner, but his hopes that the rebellion would collapse without Malor were disappointed. The Efreet hated their Marid cousins too much to yield, and so the war continued. Nonetheless, both sides tried to avoid open conflicts, so there was next to no combat action for a long, long time. In fact, both the Marid and the Efreet planned to wait until their ranks would be replenished. But the losses they had suffered were great, and the djinns are not a fertile race. Century upon century passed and still their numbers had increased little. And while elsewhere the human race rose to power, building beautiful cities and establishing powerful empires, the djnn lived quiet in their remote fortresses. Malor, however, remained imprisoned in Fa'hradin's lamp, oblivious to the strange land his guardians had taken him.

The Djinn Wars VII - Malor's Liberation
Gabel had decided to hide Fa'hradin's lamp and its powerful prisoner in a forlorn place far to the north because he thought it would be safer there than in Ashta'daramai, his own fortress. Little did he know that these were very the lands where many centuries later a race of goblinoid barbarians called the orcs chose to erect a mighty fortress. One fateful day the lamp was found and brought to the orc king. It did not take the king's shamans long to work out that a mighty spirit was caught in the lamp, and soon enough the reckless king released the mighty djinn that had lain dormant for so many centuries. Little is known about what happened next, but even though to this day the orcs claim their king is still alive there are no credible witnesses who confirm that they have seen the orc king ever since. Malor, however, freely roams the world again, and many scholars agree that he will try every trick in the book to rekindle the fire of the djinn war.