Al Kardin-Hesurrat

*"Why are you doing this Lucius? You cannot walk away with power like that. It could help us rule the world.*

*Because of people like you, Plotticus."*

-The last words of Lucius Cordus, before walking through Al Kardin-Hesurrat.

The common translation of the name is "The door always open", but a popular alternative is "The door never needing to be shut". It refers to a seemingly empty doorframe in the Saracel palace's decommissioned throne room. On the other side of the door there is an unpenetrable darkness. Crossing the door will inevitably, instantly and in a highly gruesome manner kill any mortal being. Trying to penetrate into the room through any other means will result in a similar fate. Based on the noises occasionally emerging from the room and the fact that all bodies quickly disappear from inside, it is also likely that something sentient dwells within.

The door, and supplemental enchantements were constructed by Archmage Lucius Cordus. During the First Keritian War the Alastris Empire was solidly losing and needed an edge. When Alastris fell and was subsequently destroyed by the Amarn, the remaining mages of the Empire retreated to what is today the Plateau Region. After conjuring the walls and first buildings of Saracel, the remaining mages set about searching for a solution. They spent 8 days in deliberation, before the doors of the war room swung open. Only Lucius emerged whole and unharmed and the rest of the great mages were never seen again. Those who knew him, described Cordus as changed after the event. He started radiating a presence unlike any other and seemed to have a gravity about his person. Regardless, he declared the war was won and immediately left for the front lines.

It is unknown what Cordus did exactly, but the war turned after this point. Allastrian troops started performing miracolously on the battlefield, Keritian armies were devastated by sudden storms and earthquakes, while their living population was riddled with disease and famine. Cordus could often be found on the front lines conjuring spells never seen before or since, and astonishing in their power. Eventually, these advantages decided the war, as the tide turned in favour of the Allastrians. They started marching into Keritian territory which soon stood occupied. The Keritian nobility and most of the living population was exiled, before the tragedies chased them across the world. When pressed on the nature of the magic used to win the war, Cordus only said: *"I blackmailed the heavens"*.

Once the war was done Cordus went back to Saracel. In the Royal Palace he constructed Al Kardin-Hesurrat and walked through it, never to be seen again. Only Consul Plotticus and Aurelius Elpidius were present at this event and they returned with the message that noone, ever was to enter.

Thousands of years passed since and only a handful of people walked through the doorframe and returned. Many have died trying. Below is a list of known survivors:

* Germor Harten, founder of the Golden Sphere
* Ludon the Infinite

It is theoretically possible that there are others we do not know about. But, perhaps there is a more unsettling possibility, that one day something will come out.