Elim Crain is a legendary Chaos Sorcerer who was believed to possess a great treasure hoard and produce potent magical artefacts at his fortified home of Blackstone Castle, the location of which is unknown.[1a]
For nearly a century the legend of the infamous sorcerer Elim Crain has been whispered throughout the Old World. Through decades of storytelling, the myths of Elim Crain have varied in variety, but the one fact that remains certain is that Crain was bent on creating the most potent magical artefacts in the mortal world. Much to the delight of the Dwarfs, it is even rumoured that a Dwarf Runesmith found one of the black journals of Crain, stealing Crain's secrets of forging magical runes.[1a]
The legend of Crain, his castle Blackstone and the untold monstrosities and artefacts he created for his own evil purposes has become a tradition of storytelling in the cities of the Empire and the dukedoms of Bretonnia. One of the most intriguing of the Crain legends tells how Crain and his citadel were completely destroyed by one of Crain's most ambitious projects. Many have ventured to find the remains of Blackstone Castle, but all who have set out on such a quest have most certainly failed. A horrible Gorgon is said to protect the ruins of Blackstone Castle.[1a]
In more recent times, merchants in Tilea have been selling maps which they claim lead to the hidden ruins of Blackstone Castle. This sudden interest in a location that potentially contains unimaginable power and wealth has caused quite a stir in Miragliano and Trantio in particular. No doubt the question of whether the maps are genuine or not is a major topic of Tilean gossip, but most mercenary bands are not concerned with such petty discussion as they have all convinced themselves that the map they bought is, of course, the authentic one. Only Thansortor's Charioteers, an arrogant band of chariot-riding High Elves, mockingly ignored the overpriced maps, believing the entire legend to be nothing more than a clever ruse conceived by the Merchant Prince Borgio the Besieger of Miragliano.[1a]
In any case, mercenary bands from around the globe have set other business aside as they search for the ruins of the mythical Blackstone Castle, where they plan to find a treasure trove of gold and powerful magical artefacts.[1a]