The ‘Discovery’ of Kearackinin
Ah, little egglings, gather close. The mists tonight carry the tale of a bold intruder—a human wizard named Mordenkainen, who dared to breach the sacred seals of Kearackinin. His story is one of arrogance and folly, a warning to all who would challenge the will of Sess’innek.
It is said that Mordenkainen was a wizard of great power from a distant world, who sought knowledge that no mortal should possess. He had heard whispers of Kearackinin—although he called it the Phantom Plane—and its secrets hidden behind Sess’innek’s impenetrable seals. Driven by his insatiable curiosity, he devised a spell of immense complexity to unravel the wards binding the gates.
The seals did not break easily. The swamp itself screamed as Mordenkainen forced his way through, the air thick with the stench of burning ichor and the sound of cracking reality. For but a moment, the gates yawned open, and the wizard stepped into our sacred swamp—a trespasser in a realm that devours outsiders.
Mordenkainen’s first steps into Kearackinin were met with silence. The swamp seemed to hold its breath, watching him with unseen eyes. Is said to have later described the land as a “living nightmare”—the trees twisted into clawed shapes, the waters reflecting not his face but visions of his darkest fears. Yet he pressed on, his arrogance blinding him to the obvious danger.
He encountered one of the Lizard Kings—a hulking tyrant with scales that gleamed like obsidian and eyes that burned with abyssal fire. They did not attack immediately; they circled him like a predator testing their prey. Mordenkainen claimed he came in peace, seeking only knowledge, but in Kearackinin, peace is a lie.
When word reached Sess’innek that an intruder had breached his realm, his fury shook the swamp. The mists thickened until they choked the light from Mordenkainen’s spells, and the waters rose up to drag him down. Sess’innek appeared before him in all his terrible glory: six arms wielding swords that dripped venom, great wings spread wide like a shadow over the land.
“You dare trespass in my domain?” Sess’innek roared, his voice a storm that shattered mangrove and sent ripples through reality itself. Mordenkainen stood defiant, wielding his magic against the god-king. Their battle was said to shake Kearackinin to its roots—lightning clashing against abyssal darkness, fire scorching poisonous air.
But of course no mortal could stand against Sess’innek for long. The swamp itself turned against Mordenkainen; roots lashed at his feet, and shadows clawed at his mind. In desperation, the wizard cast a spell to escape—tearing himself back through the gate just as Sess’innek slammed shut behind him.
Mordenkainen survived his incursion into Kearackinin but at great cost. He returned to his world scarred in body and mind, haunted by visions of Sess’innek’s wrath and the horrors of the swamp. Some say he learned nothing from his folly; others claim he carried back secrets from Kearackinin that no mortal should possess.
For Sess’innek and Kearackinin, however, the breach was not without consequence. Though Mordenkainen’s intrusion was brief, it left cracks in the seals—tiny fractures through which whispers of Kearackinin escaped into other realms. These whispers have drawn new eyes to our sacred swamp: other sorcerers seeking forbidden power, and fiends hungering for khaasta souls.
Sess’innek has grown more paranoid since that day. His grip on Kearackinin has tightened; his wrath upon intruders has become swifter and more brutal. Yet even he cannot undo what has been done—the Phantom Plane is no longer forgotten.
Let this tale be a lesson to you all: even great power cannot shield you from folly. Mordenkainen’s arrogance nearly cost him everything—and it has left scars upon our realm that may never heal.
Tread carefully in this multiverse and beyond… for some doors are meant to remain closed.
Editor’s Note: This account is clearly biased and reflects only the perspective of a fervent worshipper. While it is true that the wizard Mordenkainen was the first mortal to penetrate Kearackinin since the layer was sealed hundreds of cycles before, the claims that he fled in fear are exaggerated; records suggest he escaped after studying the layer for some time rather than engaging directly with the demipower.
Canonical Reference: Planes of Chaos Abyss Poster [2e] (brief layer description)
Source: Jon Winter-Holt
