Although neither myself nor any persons directly known to me have ever seen, let alone set foot upon the Fragment known as Suliden, there has been enough written over the years to lend credence to its existence. Hence, I have compiled the most consistent of writings about this herein, primarily relying on the works of the sage Ust-Mir - who claims to have visited the fragment on at least three occasions.
Suliden, also known as the Fragment of the Dead, is said to be a relatively
small fragment, less than thirty miles long and six miles wide. In the
works of Ust-Mir is a sketch of the fragment, apparently obtained on his
first trip to the fragment.
Physical Geography
Cliffs surround a good portion of this fragment. The cliffs give way to
substantial hills, which could almost be classified as mountains. A small
conifer forest occupies one end of the fragment while a lake is it
counterpart at the other end. There appears to be an abundance of fresh
water on the fragment, although indigenous wildlife is scarce.
Political Aspects
Ust-Mir unequivocally states that there is only one living human on the
fragment, the Mage Xeno. It is Ust-Mir's assertion that he actually had a
number of conversations with this great Mage who explained the purpose of
his residency on the fragment. It is said that Xeno has created a mausoleum
for the "great" mages. Apparently, Xeno, as keeper of the mausoleum,
ensures that his charges tombs remain undisturbed throughout time. Ust-Mir
claims that Xeno watches over the tombs of more than forty of the most
powerful wizards of history. Tombs which are filled with the works of the
mages which they felt were either too personal or too powerful to be left
behind.
Much of what Ust-Mir has documented appears to be confirmed in the confessions of Master Thief Hjuck (as recorded by the High Scribe of Quy during Hjuck's imprisonment, immediately prior to his execution). Hjuck claimed to have visited the fragment after hearing of the Wizard Mausoleum and speculating on the enormous wealth that must be held within. Hjuck suggested that docking of a dragonship was impossible, but that a method onto the island was available.
Once on the island, Hjuck claims to have encountered what he called a dark fighter (but which I presume was truly a Shadow Knight (for details on the Shadow Knight, please see my work "Fauna of the Fragments"). He states that he managed to evade the dark fighter and actually penetrate the Tombs outer defenses. He describes the inside of the tomb:
"I wasn't expecting much - given the outside appearance. After I got down the stairs I was in a long hallway, made of marble of something similar. The ceiling seemed impossibly high - well over thirty feet, even though I couldn't have been more than twenty feet below the surface. The hallway ran for as far as I could see, with bright light coming from everywhere, giving an almost ethereal quality to the place. About every fifty feet or so, on both sides of the hallway, were doors. No two doors were alike. Some were made of metal, other stone, and still others from odd materials that I didn't recognize. After the fight getting in, I was expecting some sort of creature to be guarding the hall - however, I saw none. I walked at least four of five hundred yards down the hall without seeing an end. I stopped in front of one of the doors. It was made of a dull grey metal, with inscriptions covering the majority of the door. While I can't read much, I did make out what appeared to be a name in the common tongue. It was "Juirin". I spent quite a while studying the door and didn't notice any traps or problems. I tried to open the door when a terrible pain exploded inside my head. I passed out. When I awoke, my arms and legs were bound by chains and I was sitting on the floor in front of a raised dias, upon which sat the most hideous sight my eyes have ever seen. It was a man - or at least what was left of a man, most bone, with small areas of tightly pulled skin. Hair, in patches hung from its head, and tattered robes adorned its body. My heart jumped to my throat as it spoke. He said he was Xeno, Guardian of the Tomb of Time and that I had trespassed. To keep others away he was going to let me go, but with a reminder. He removed three fingers on each of my hands and took my left eye. I also had to swear that I would relate these experiences as often as possible to keep others away."
While it would be easy to discount the words of Hjuck, records to support at least part of his tale. Over seven hundred years ago there was a powerful mage named "Jurreen". No one knows his burial site, nor do any records of his research exist.
I believe that if Suliden does exist, then Xeno probably was at one time a mage, but is now some hideous form of lich - intent of keeping his charges safe. This also supports Hjuck's mentioning of the Shadow Knight - a creature which can only be spawned by the darkest of magics.