This Intro Pack contains the First Cycle rulebook and the Out Of The Dark adventure as a bonus.

The First Cycle The First Cycle began with the formation of the world. This was a time of barbarism and savagery. Magic and its civilizing influences were as yet unknown. The world's inhabitants dressed in uncured skins and lived in caves, hiding from more powerful animals.

The Second Cycle In the Second Cycle, the first mages appeared. The fears of ignorant people forced them to research their magic in secret. Because of that magic, however, civilization rose to heights unimagined by the savages of the First Cycle. In time, the mages grew powerful enough to assert themselves, seizing power from the lawful rulers of the world.

The Third Cycle Thus began the Third Cycle. Never before or since have the wonders of this age been seen. All the nations of the world were ruled by the iron fists of the Tyrant Mages. They considered all that were not mages were beneath them, and had little respect for any users of magic not in their own cabal.

The End Near the end of the Third Cycle, in the lost city of Elaximein, the ruling cabal turned themselves and their magic to serve the evil god Skathros, beginning a reign of terror that is still felt today. Skathros demanded bloody soul-shattering sacrifice from his worshippers, and the Tyrant Mages, desiring to expand their power, began preaching holy wars against their neighbours to gain sacrificial victims. The cult spread worldwide. The holy wars blossomed in to total warfare, designed to completely obliterate other mages' power. After recreating the world according to their own desires, the Tyrant Mages destroyed themselves by unleashing powers even they could not control.

The Fourth Cycle The Fourth Cycle was a dark age. Anyone practicing any sort of magic was ruthlessly destroyed. It is said it was possible to count on the fingers of both hands the number of mages that lived during this Cycle. All realms of magic save Physical were completely lost. The worship of Skathros became a crime punishable by death - some say rightly so. Two hundred years ago, King Ildebrand the Great of Jenmaryn, realizing that magic could not be destroyed, decided to bring it under his power. Thus began The Fifth Cycle...