Long ago, in an age whose first years have vanished from every calendar, much of the known world was ruled by King Domis. His reign was remembered as an age of peace and plenty, and his royal bloodline was said to be older than recorded history.

That peace ended when Mylac, a powerful magician, rediscovered the lost art of summoning. In a hidden lair, he called forth demons of ever-greater strength and bound each one to his will. Mylac did not lose control of his servants, as later tales often claim. Instead, one of those servants secretly summoned a demon of its own - a creature beyond Mylac's command.

That creature was Balor. It slew Mylac, broke the bonds upon the other demons, and led them against the cities of the world. The war grew more terrible with the arrival of Suchen, King of the Demons, whose cunning transformed the invading hordes into an organized army. Even the greatest warriors and magicians of King Domis could do little more than slow their advance.

Hope returned through a young warrior named Besnic Tuddle. Sent in search of the legendary Underworld, Besnic found powers and allies lost to the surface world. He returned transformed and eventually led the struggle that drove Suchen from the world. Because the Demon King could not truly be destroyed, Besnic imprisoned him behind enchanted gates.

While Besnic's Key kept the gates of Suchen's cell closed, the Keeper Gem, resting upon its altar, prevented Suchen's influence from reaching the world. When the gem was first placed upon the altar, a great light crossed the sky and a wind swept over the land for two fortnights. Lesser demons vanished first, followed by the greater. This deliverance became known as the Great Breeze.

Yet the oldest legends end with a warning: imprisonment is not destruction. Now it is suspected that the Keeper Gem has been removed from its altar. Suchen's influence can once again be felt in the world. His followers - demons, creatures, and mortals alike - are growing in number, and they search for Besnic's Key so that they may open the gates of their master.