When adventurers seek out the lands of Velious, they'll soon discover that Lodizal, a great and ancient turtle, will transport them to the lost continent.

Lodizal is an unusually large turtle, frequently seen near the ice floes of Iceclad Ocean. Rumor states that he's more than 600 years old, and indeed, he was known to adventurers long before the Age of Cataclysms began, even in the Age of Turmoil.

Hunted by many throughout the years, he is able to slip away from the blades and arrows of his pursuers, for the Ocean Lord, Prexus, imbued Lodizal with divine power. Lodizal is a chosen champion of Prexus, awaiting the day when the Ocean Lord would call upon him for service. His duty would be nothing less than to help adventurers reach the shores of Velious.

But let's begin our story with the tale of Nipik...

Many years ago, a young, orphaned Othmir named Nipik began seeing horrible visions of his home, the Cobalt Scar. The sky was broken, the land shifted and cracked, and the blood of his people soaked the snow and made it crimson.

Nipik was fearful and begged his elders to flee, but the elders would hear nothing of it. Determined not to let this stop him, he tried telling the Othmir to flee with him, but his pleas and doom-saying fell on deaf ears. In the end, only three agreed to flee with him. They set sail on the ocean, on what some would consider an odyssey. Soon after they left, the Rending occurred, which split the land and enraged the sea.

For months and months, Nipik and his fellow Othmir struggled on the raging ocean waves. After the seas calmed, he began to receive new visions of a sandy beach where he could make his home. They landed on the eastern beaches of Velious, and quickly began to build a new life. Soon after, Othmir survivors from Cobalt Scar began to arrive, many battered and near death. They all remembered Nipik's warning and begged his forgiveness. With the handful of survivors, the new village would be able to sustain itself, and was named Nipik's Haven.

Many years later, Nipik discovered that his visions of destruction had come from the great turtle, Lodizal. Lodizal wanted the Othmir to accompany him to the Shattered Lands, helping to bring mighty adventurers who would combat a great evil in Velious.

What Nipik hadn't known was that Lodizal was chosen by Prexus to be his messenger to the Othmir and his physical representative on Norrath. The Othmir were one of Prexus' favorite creations because of their brave hearts and fierce loyalty. When Prexus caught wind of danger on Norrath, he took measures to try to save them. He chose Lodizal because he was the biggest and most powerful of the turtles, and he was proud that one of his creations became so mighty. So he blessed Lodizal with mystical powers, including an extremely long life, and telepathic communication by visions to a person of his choosing, since he could not speak.

Nipik was chosen by Lodizal to receive his visions because Nipik had a strong spirit and aura, despite his tiny size. Nipik's smaller size meant that what he lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for with wits. This made him more ideal to Lodizal than a physically strong Othmir. He was also a better choice than a shaman, because a shaman would be likely to misinterpret the visions and seek out spirits instead.

Because of the spiritual connection with Lodizal, Nipik was granted an unnaturally long life, and is, at almost 200 years old, the oldest Othmir ever to have lived. (Othmir only live to be 60 on average.) After their divine connection was made known, the Othmir came to recognize that it was Lodizal who lead Nipik, and began to worship Lodizal as a demigod alongside Prexus. Nipik became a new political and spiritual leader amongst his people.

Nipik has spent his days watching over the turtle, protecting him and communicating his thoughts and needs to those that followed him to Iceclad ocean. All of the Othmir consider Lodizal a creature of great power and importance, and have cared for the massive turtle for generations.

Will Prexus' plan to bring powerful adventurers to Velious in a desperate attempt to stop Kerafyrm succeed? Only you can shape the end of this tale.