As one delves deeper into the world of Mahjoob, a few important things become clear. Mahjoob is a world of grand adventure, deadly peril, and fantastic malice. Dangers lurk around every corner, but often, things are not what they seem. The omnipresent threat of the Outer Things creates a consistent sense of dread and mystery, but not everything needs to be so grim and dire. After all, the world is filled with heroes and benefactors, patrons and advocates, champions, and other gallant folk.
Among the first things newcomers to Mahjoob ask is, “how is this place even possible?” The history of Mahjoob is complicated. In the time Before, people lived on the surface. They built great cities, they oversaw vast lands, and for millennia they lived normal lives.
Then came the Outer Things. Then came the Outer Things. The Elder Beasts, the ones we know as Utukkum.
Not even the wisest of sages knows from what hell-dimension sprang the Utukkum. What is certain is that once they were upon us, there was no turning back. They scoured the lands, leaving nothing but destruction and madness in their wake. In vain, our ancestors called upon the Anunnaki for aid, called upon their gods and champions. But no gods came. The heavens mocked them with their silence.
So the Ancients took matters into their own hands. They learned the secrets of sorcery, turning the powers of the Utukkum against them. And for a while, it seemed there was hope.
But the Utukkum are nothing if not deceitful, and the sorcerers’ relief was short-lived. The Utukkum’s retribution was swift and intense, and after only a short time the Ancients’ defenses had shattered. Beset on all sides, the Ancients fled the only direction they could: down.
No one alive now remembers the nature of the flight, but somewhere along the path the Ancients discovered or derived a ritual, the most powerful enchantment any had ever seen. In their most desperate hour, the Ancients banded together, joined their power, and it was done.
What they created was the Caul. What they created was our Sun, as well as the Sun Stone that gathers our energy to sustain it and keep the Caul intact. What they created was our world. What they created was Mahjoob.
Now, centuries later, we stand at a crossroads. The Sun City is intact, and the Temple of the Sun which houses the Sunstone, stands both unassailed and largely forgotten. But mysteries still persist. There are things in our world the Ancients did not create. From whence did they come? Are they benevolent? Benign? Baleful?
– from the letters of Yahz-idd Qerbum