Lemuria has been hidden in the depths of the Indian Ocean for millennia. That is to say ... until now. Join us as we dive into the Champions Online beta to explore Lemuria with Bill Roper.

Our friends at Cryptic have given us a special look at one of the newer zones available in the Champions Online beta. What's more, Bill Roper wrote us some commentary which we've published with our screenshots, after the jump! If you haven't already signed up for beta, you can do so here.

One of the things we're really excited about with Champions Online is the incredible variety of zones available in the world. Truly epic stories often span entire continents or planets. With Champions Online, we're taking you to the frozen north, the burning desert, the urban jungle of the city, and to a lost kingdom hidden on the ocean floor.

Lemuria has been hidden in the depths of the Indian Ocean for millennia. It's a beautiful place, but you'll soon find that it's being torn asunder by civil war. Ancient soul-eating gods are attempting to reclaim Lemuria for themselves, while the current King tries to defend his people. Both sides are attempting to obliterate the other, and at the heart of the kingdom is the Mandragalore, an ancient doomsday machine capable of destroying the world. It will be your job as a Champion to save the day!

However, your job won't be that easy. You'll contend with pirate ghosts, Empyrean Constructs, Bleak minions, robotic sharks, and magic wielding lizard men among many other underwater threats.

Lemuria awaits. Are you ready to take the plunge?

Want to see more? Check out our exclusive screenshots from Lemuria by clicking here.