When Anwyk Arisses emerged from his seclusion, haggard and gray from his labor, he presented the King with the great and terrible power that would mean Stiltshire's doom. King Lehowy had, at long last, achieved what he needed to end the war in victory.

In the face of imminent destruction, King Brewlry of Stiltshire had no recourse but to place the fate of his kingdom upon the success or failure of one last, desperate act. He charged his own First Mage, Murkon, and four of his most skilled agents with the task of infiltrating the stronghold at Peregham and absconding with the Diadem before it could be wielded in battle.

The mission proved bloody but ultimately successful. Murkon and his crew slipped into the castle stronghold unseen, took the Diadem, but were caught making their escape. In the skirmish that followed, the First Mage Anwyk Arisses, a handful of guards, and three of Stiltshire's agents were killed. Only Murkon and an agent named Ceratil escaped with their lives and the Diadem.

The thrill of victory was short-lived. That night, in the wilderness between Stiltshire and Peregham, the power of the Diadem revealed to Murkon a glimpse of the future: he saw both Peregham and Stiltshire razed to a smouldering blanket of ashes. In the midst of it all was the image of King Brewlry, twisted by evil, the Diadem upon his head.

So this was the fate of the land, should the Diadem fall into the hands of King Brewlry! Distressed by the vision, Murkon deliberated through the night, and in the morning he told Ceratil of the vision and the terrible conclusion he had come to: that, to protect their own beloved king and kingdom, Murkon must take the Diadem for himself. For the lands and the people to survive, Murkon himself must be the keeper of the Diadem. Any who obstructed him must be stopped by any means necessary, lest the lands and its peoples be destroyed. Ceratil pledged his allegiance to Murkon and his terrible duty.

Wielding the Diadem's power, the First Mage burrowed a complex labyrinth in the earth and secluded himself in its depths. For added protection, he summoned mythical beasts from the netherworld to populate and guard it. He appointed Ceratil the leader of a band of mercenaries in charge of keeping all intruders locked out of the deeper regions of the labyrinth. Thereafter, Ceratil was known only as the Gatekeeper.

All was well for but a brief time. King Lehowy, incensed by the treachery that had taken the Diadem from him, assembled a small band of warriors and sent them into Murkon's lair, where they conquered the beasts of the labyrinth and confronted Murkon. They waged a terrible battle of fire and steel. In the end, Murkon was defeated and left for dead, and the Diadem was taken and returned to King Lehowy.

But Murkon was not dead. The formidable magics of the Diadem had, in time, infused his life force with a great resilience. In time, Murkon awoke from his deep slumber at the bottom of the labyrinth. His defeat had severely weakened him, but he would grow stronger again. He would build his strength, and with the magical beasts of the labyrinth at his command, he would wreak his vengeance!