Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant

Story

With the disappearance of the Cosmic Forge, a pen with the power to alter destiny, the masters of the cosmos had temporarily lost their ability to fully control the fate of the universe. In an unexpected event far out in space, a miner's ship, lost due to a navigational malfunction after an attack by space pirates, stumbled upon a small world that was not on any map of the known galaxy. Coincidentally, the cosmic masters knew of the existence of this small planet and had protected it with the Forge to prevent it from being discovered by other worlds. When the Forge was stolen by the Bane King and Xorphitus the Sorcerer (the story of Bane of the Cosmic Forge), the planet's obscure location in space could no longer be protected from discovery. When the miner's ship returned to his homeworld, news of the discovery spread. It was rumored to be the planet Phoonzang, which according to legend is called "Lost Guardia" and where the famous "Astral Dominae" rests, Phoonzang's only known record of its last and greatest discovery. The legend of the Astral Dominae dates back to an earlier millennium. It tells of a great artist and scientific genius, Phoonzang, and his discovery of a deep secret said to concern the power of the universe and life itself. Phoonzang decided that this secret was too powerful to reveal to anyone, for if it could create a universe, it could also destroy one. So he was faced with a choice: either destroy his discovery, his life's work, or hide it so that it would not fall into unscrupulous hands. He chose the latter, because he knew that one day the day might come when the secret would be safely revealed and the universe could be given a new purpose. Legend has it that he created a starry globe, the Astral Dominae, and encoded his secret in it. With the power of his secret, he created a new world, Guardia, to protect his work. He had become a god himself, for he possessed the power of life, and when he created the planet, he also created creatures to live there and protect his secret. When he buried the Astral Dominae somewhere on this world, he made a map consisting of many parts and then distributed the parts across the lands of his world. Convinced that his secret was safe, Phoonzang disappeared forever. With the discovery of the lost planet Lost Guardia, word quickly spread that the legendary tomb of Phoonzang's final work, the Astral Dominae, was a reality. But while there are many who covet the great secret, only a few have the power and the means to recover it. One of them is an enigmatic star traveler known only as the Dark Savant. In his legendary black ship, he traverses all the frontiers of space. Not much is known about the Dark Savant, except that he is considered by most worlds to be one of the most powerful beings in the world, allied with no one but himself. At the top of all known galactic worlds, two rival species dominate world trade. Firstly, the militaristic Umpani - a law-abiding ethnicity of burly pachyderms who, while considered the greatest military war force in the galaxy, are also known as fair and reliable traders. Secondly, there are the feared and ruthless T'Rang - a repulsive spider-like ethnicity who will do anything if the buyer is willing to pay the price. Although the T'Rang can never be fully trusted, they control the largest trade network in the galaxy, surpassing even that of the Umpani. The T'Rang will stop at nothing to get what they seek, and they have always honored their contracts, no matter how dirty the deed. Of course, the Umpani and the T'Rang are fierce competitors and loathe each other. However, some suspect that there are certain alliances between the two that prevent third parties from entering the space trade, strengthening the suspected cartel, which in turn keeps the prices of their goods profitably high. Rumor has it that the T'Rang are actually in the service of the Dark Inventor, who has a long-standing contract with them to find the missing world of Phoonzang. Of course, if the T'Rang are involved, the Umpani are not far behind. Needless to say, should the T'Rang obtain the Astral Dominae, the affair would bring them no luck... no luck at all. There is another, Vi Domina, a young girl who has a reputation for being a rather fierce and deadly warrior, and is rumored to be a distant descendant of Phoonzang herself. Her lineage was tracked down by the T'Rang in return for a favor to the Dark Savior, and she was taken into his care shortly thereafter. It is unknown whether her connection to the Dark Savior is willed or forced, but it seems that the Dark Savior believes she holds a previously unsuspected key to the secret of the Astral Dominae. The lands are also populated by a variety of native sons, and