The magic of Gladstone has always attracted visitors. Over the centuries, Dracoids, Thomgogs, Elves, Humans and countless other peoples have found their way to the mystical kingdom on the banks of Lake Dread. All have taken advantage of the Gladstonian atmosphere, in which the flux of magic flows more smoothly than any other mortal place ever known.
Mad men as well as good have been attracted, and their conflicts provide much of the drama in Gladstone's history. The struggles between Wizards and Sorcerers, the perpetual clash between the Dark Army and the soldiers of Gladstone, and the constant pushing and shoving of outside forces have made Gladstone a battlefield for the great debate between good and evil. When we were first privileged to get a glimpse of Gladstone, valiant King Richard had been poisoned by his arch rival Scotia, sorceress of the Dark Army.
In this game it is your job to find a cure for the King before it's too late, and this proves to be no easy task. In this game you will explore the Gladstone Keep, the city of Yvel, the White Tower, and other places of the Northern Continent.
| Characters | Places | Things |
The History of Gladstone
While in Yvel City you may encounter a few locals in Bruno's Lodge. Here you can meet a man who is eager to talk. He talks on and on about the history of Gladstone. Here, you can read his ramblings:
"Hey there! You're from, uh, Gladstone, aren't you? You know your ancient Gladstonians, there, discovered a method of controlling magic forces quite by accident. You see Warren, 13th heir to the throne of Gladstone, stumbled across the Shard of Truth while spelunking with his, uh, forth wife, Jalen the wise.
Jalen was the eldest daughter of the Third Viscount of Grisbl. The marriage brought the people of Grisbl into the realm of Gladstone, thus increasing the military power of the, uh, Gladstonian Legion. The Legion was the primary source of power for Warren.
They say the Shard spoke to Warren as he was poking around in the Urbish Mountains. This was before that opportunistic miner, William Gadfly, began mining in the mountains. Those Urbish mines have unearthed more magical artifacts than anywhere else.
It was Gadfly that invented the bellow pump that allows air to be pumped into the depths of the mines. His great-grandson, Ian the cruel, converted the pump design when the miners hit water.
Ian founded the original city of Yvel, which, uh, burned in a fiery inferno, when the Dark One was destroyed by the White Circle. Our present city has, you know, never fallen to an attacker.
Michel Lordsport discovered the Ruby of Truth as he began digging the Catwalk Caverns as an alternate route out of the city. Not realizing its real power, Michel sold the Ruby to Ludwig ver Grundle, seventy-third heir to the throne of Gladstone.
Ludwig added the stone to Gladstone's growing fortune and left it un-touched for decades. It's a little known fact that Gladstone owes its entire existence to Yvel. The Talamar would have you believe that they are responsible for Gladstone's success. Horse droppings, says I.
That, uh, Scotia person actually failed the examination to join the ranks of the Talamar. She hated Richard with a passion, and his little Dawn, too. So you see the Talamar are actually to blame for this mess here. Hey there! You're not getting tired are you? I haven't had such a good listener for a long time.
~*~
Extra Note: Patrick Stewart, who plays Captain Picard on Star Trek: Next Generation, plays the voice of King Richard.