Though GateKeeper mountain stretches some twenty dragon leagues from Heaven's Spire, the mountains of the Wyreth's Teeth are higher and stretch wider. And though GateKeeper mountain rises high into the cold night sky like the jagged teeth of some great, slumbering titan, the Darken Range to the north is surely steeper and more treacherous. But in all the lands of Kal Torlin, from the Great Barren Desert of the east to the ruins of Moras Draax in the far west, it is the mountain of GateKeeper which is most feared. For here lies the epicenter of magic and sorcery in all of Kal Torlin, the handiwork of the Circle of Twelve, the living castle known as Shadowgate.
And who am I to know such things? I am Lakmir, first and last of the Circle of Twelve, a great council of sorcerers. It is my honor and my curse to be the guardian of the castle. For when Talimar the Black rose in power, uniting all the Races unholy and undead, even the combined armies of the Elves, the dwarves, and the humans were on the run. Talimar seemed unstoppable. Until the Circle finally united to banish the Warlock Lord on that terrible day, imprisoning the Evil One in a deep cavern below Castle Shadowgate.
A terrible day indeed. For not only was he one of us, one of the Circle of Twelve... He was also my brother. Centuries passed and the land enjoyed peace and prosperity as the Warlock Lord bided his time deep below. And this tale would end here if a band of Mountain Dwarves had not stumbled upon the Warlock Lord's chamber of binding. That was all my evil brother needed to enact his escape. Seizing control of Castle Shadowgate, Talimar turned his control towards summoning a mighty titan, the Behemoth. With this powerful creature at his side the Warlock Lord would be unstoppable!
Only someone from the ancient Line of Kings, which the prophecies speak of, can stand against this evil. Only a hero descended from the lost Royal Family can bring ruin to the Warlock Lord's dark schemes. Only one… and that one is you! Will you accept the task of freeing Castle Shadowgate from the clutches of the evil Warlock Lord and prevent his plans for revenge? [1]
The Castle Shadowgate stands guard, waiting and watching for your arrival. Only you, descended from the ancient Line of Kings, can fulfill the prophecies. Only you can find the ancient Staff of Ages, the one weapon with the power to combat the evil schemes of the hated Warlock Lord. Only you can solve the mysteries and traps laid for you within the ancient halls of Shadowgate.[2]