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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2614
(12/19/03 8:40 am)
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Legends, Plots and History
This is not a complete catalog of all the important plot points, legends and bits of Moagaran history related by NPCs, but it should help keep this information from being forgotten in the depths of the old forums.
Edited by: Jubilex at: 12/19/03 10:23 am
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2615
(12/19/03 8:53 am)
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Ravensgate
Again the sky is clear and morning slides peacefully into a crisp autumn afternoon. An occasional keelboat or barge, rowing swiftly with the current, passes by going north, Wulpa and the other pilot exchanging greetings. With Raven's Gate only a few hours ahead, the inquisitive Vala stirs up a conversation with Ruig about the place and the folk who will be her hosts, the Ghurugil.
The dwarf explains that Raven's Gate is a fortress, being the former home of the Imperial Raven Legion before the Lunar withdrawl eighteen years ago. It was built not only as a strategic fortification on the Rhevas, but also as a staging area for expeditions into the Wild Lands. Numerous mining and lumber camps sprang up all along the mountains, with the ubiquitous scattering of Legion hill forts. At its peak, the Lunar presence in Moagara attracted Imperial civilians as well, eager to carve out new settlements, monestaries, temples and trading posts in this vibrant new land.
Yet, as everyone knows, the Legions were called back to the Empire after a sixty two year occupation. The Raven Legion turned over the massive citadel to the Moagaran chieftains and sailed away. Immediately, broo warbands began to emerge from the deep forest. They consumed many of the labor camps, and those Lunar civilians too foolish or stubborn to depart with the Legions were lost as well.
In time the Moagarans became organized and the cult of Urox grew strong in Raven's Gate. It became so strong in fact that it splintered into several smaller sects, each with its own organization and agenda. The Ghurugil are one such sect.
The dwarves of the Ghurugil (and they are all dwarves) are the children and grandchildren of the first Lunar engineers that built Raven's Gate. Led by the ancient Boahur, it is clear from Ruig's description that he is in awe of this legendary dwarf. The Ghurugil have long since abandoned the ways of their Lunar ancestors, fully embracing the fierce Lightbringer Urox. They are methodical, patient and excel at fighting the forces of Chaos where they dwell most often - underground. They are, however, a very small sect, being only thirty dwarves in all. They are wealthy and skillful, but their influence in the town is eclipsed by that of the Red Citadel.
The massive gatehouse that protects the only entrance into the town is called the Red Citadel. It is not only a defensive structure, but has also become the temple for the largest Urox cult in Raven's Gate. The fortification and the sect have become synonymous over the years, merging into a single, powerful, and well respected entity. The high priest of the Red Citadel is a man called Hothreidal, and he is regarded as the most experienced and deadly warrior in Raven's Gate, if not all Moagara. Ruig admits this grudgingly.
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2616
(12/19/03 8:55 am)
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Ulfmandir and Orda the Hammerer
By mid-afternoon, thanks to their early start that morning, Wulpa's little boat draws near Raven's Gate. Ruig scrambles to the bow of the boat and peers out toward the southern horizon.
"Here's a test for your eyesight, my elvish friends. There is a tower there, beside the Citadel of Raven's Gate. It is said to be the tallest structure in all the land, its peaked roof scraping the clouds themselves, and older than the town... far older. They call it Lanternkeep, they do, for its denizens light great fires on the upper ramparts and the orange glow can be seen from miles away. And who are its denizens?" Ruig smiles as he looks back over the companions lounging among the cargo.
"A creature lives there, they say, of vast and ancient mystery." Ruig uses his hands and eyes to empasize the tale. It is not hard to imagine him being told of Lanternkeep by someone long ago, using the same gesticulations and gusto. Now Ruig has leapt on the opportunity to relate the local legend to this group of newcomers.
"His name is Ulfmandir, a half-giant they say. There are those that believe he is the last of some ancient race, or the priest of a god long dead. He keeps a garrison of his own, you see, in the base of his tower. No one troubles him and he cares little for what happens in the town."
"But one day, when I was but a child, Orda came to Raven's Gate, Orda the Hammerer. A great bull headed broo he was, leading a mighty army. They came down from the mountains. It was a great battle, and when at last the garrison was driven back from the walls, and the Citadel gates were burst asunder, Ulfmandir came to the ramparts. He alone stood before the horde and breathed forth a choking mist. The strongest broo had led the charge and the half-giant's power struck them down like scythed wheat. Ah, I wish I could have seen it. That was as close as the broo ever got to Raven's Gate, and probably ever will."
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2617
(12/19/03 8:57 am)
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Hothreidal at Pulyoke
Llovas simply leans back in his chair and listens to Savud speak. At one point he reminds his colleague of some recent event, and Savud agrees to tell the tale.
The wizened dwarf informs the group of a skirmish that took place just a few days ago near the village of Pulyoke. The men of the Red Citadel were active near the village, even accompanied by Hothreidal himself, and were apparently searching for an old Lunar monestary that was hidden among the cliffs there. The Turgut mountains, Savud explains, rise gradually from the west, but to the east stand in terraced walls of high cliffs from Old Kurlew all the way down to Pulyoke where they tumble into iron and copper rich hills.
Word reached Raven's Gate only this morning, Savud continues, of the battle. Hothreidal and his lieutenants met a large broo warband coming south toward Pulyoke along the tops of the cliffs and fought them there. It was a great battle, so they say, and Hothreidal returned to the village with the head of the broo leader. What happened next no one knows, at least not yet. The observant among the group surmise that this battle took place about the same time as the ambush at the farmhouse.
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2618
(12/19/03 9:00 am)
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Hralma and the Paindrinkers
Draxim turns on Meneloss, clearly not ready to lay aside his purpose so easily. With the threat of discord looming in the hall (a bad omen anywhere in Moagara) Savud stands, his old body creaking with the slow decay of age. He lightly raps on the floor with his iron cane. Without preamble, he begins to speak.
"In the time before the Lunars came to this land, when the tribes of Moagara were but children in the world and walked side by side with the Lightbringers, there lived Hralma the Ringproud, son of Vras Tenherds. Hralma was the strongest of the Nralvadlings, those that lived beside the western river and hunted the tall elk there. Vras Tenherds was the son of Ogdalaan and the feathered queen Yalai, who was the immortal daughter of the Storm Bull, and so it fell to Hralma at the passing of Tenherds to take his father's spear and stalk the tangled forest paths.
From the west, when the Olmani plains were thick with horses but few men, came the Aldranai, those that the Nralvadlings called the Paindrinkers, for they drew sustanence from pain and death, and war was their nourishment. The folk of the Nral were beset by the Paindrinkers and were driven from the tumbling waters.
Hralma the Ringproud summoned his shieldmen, the brothers Saerek and Gontir, and the mighty Longvaad Breaknose, who stood to the right of Hralma in the shield wall and held his banner. They met in council and prayed to the Thunderer. In the rumble of the clouds and crash of lightning Urox told them to lead the Nralvadlings into the mountains away from the mad and merciless Aldranai. This they did, and the tribe passed through the dark forest and above the frost covered timbers to the slopes of the old mountain. Even then it was called Old Kurlew, for it was the giant Kurlandoras that strode from the northern sea at the dawn of the world and cut the Nral and Rhevas valleys, stacking the stones between them to form his mountain.
Hralma stood at the summit, skyclad and etched with elk blood writings taught to him by the feathered queen Yalai. There he roared out his anguish to the Storm Bull. The Nralvadlings cowered in fear at the visage of Urox that formed in the thunder clouds and the horns of the blood god curled around the tall mountain. For three days Hralma bellowed out his anger on the mountain top, lashed by the ice bladed storm, cursing the Paindrinkers that defiled his hall and slaughtered his herds. He was beset by the hearth shadow Uraskald, a deadly beast drawn to the chieftains rage from the Spirit World, but Hralma was stronger and sent the creature screaming back beyond the walls of the world.
At last Hralma learned that it was not Urox that brought the thunder, but it was his rage that summoned it. With this, the gift of the Storm Bull, Hralma led the Nralvadlings down the mountain to face the Paindrinkers. There, hard against the river, the Aldranai chieftain Irigaal stood wielding a mace of raw fire. Hralma hurled his spear and impaled Irigaal's shieldmen, leaving the flame gifted Irigaal without aid. The Ringproud's axe met that fiery mace, cutting it in two. His arms were full of rage and the storm rolled down from mountain and drove the Paindrinkers into the river. Irigaal made a raft of corpses and drifted away into the sea. The Aldranai came for war and knew no fear, but Urox is the master of war and knows no equal."
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2619
(12/19/03 9:42 am)
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Lyssa's story of Irigaal, Slaeg Gnara and the Gorgon
"The Shadows forever seek the destruction of Yelm and his children, spreading despair, madness and devastation wherever they cast their hollow, lifeless eyes. They are cunning beasts, and Chaos crept across the land of the Moagari like a secret plague in a time when the tribes struggled against each other for dominance. Worship of the Shadow Cults spread quietly among the simple folk, and many did not understand the poison they were ingesting until far too late to save themselves or their families."
"The tribes continued to fight; clan warfare was all they knew. Then, out of the west, came Irigaal. Yes... I can see that you have heard that name. Irigaal, Lord of the Paindrinkers, and the hero Hralma Ten-herds that defeated him in the autumn mists of the Nral valley... the story is true, or at least most of it. Urox was the first among the Lightbringers to reach down among the Moagari and raise up a champion, what we now call the Rune Lords. The Storm Bull's hatred for Chaos and lust for war broke upon the land like a tidal wave. Irigaal was defeated and the terror of his coming shook the Moagari free of their internal struggles. Worship of the Lightbringers was revived, and new Rune Lords arose among the faithful."
"Irigaal was the first form taken by the great Shadow that haunts us now. It was a creature unwillingly possessed by the corrupting influence of Chaos and infused with incredible, unholy power. Generations passed and the tribes grew restless and forgetful. Again they descended into the turmoil of clan warfare, sons and sons of sons seeking to settle old scores. Again the Shadow Cults returned, and so too did the Shadow itself. This time it took the form of a giant wyrm, the chillserpent Slaeg Gnara, a beast of such size and power that it plunged down into the solid rock of the mountain to make its lair. Old Kurlew became its home and the Shadow Cults worshiped it as a god."
"The wyrm knew no equal among the Moagari, and the land was devastated by its passage. Gaining strength from the vast, bloody sacrifices of its worshipers, Slaeg Gnara was poised to destroy everything from Dobrug to the Isselwaith. Yet, at that moment Yelm chose to seek aid beyond the shores of Moagara, and hither came Darqai, Lord Marshall of the Empire with two legions and little patience for local strife."
"I've always wondered what Moagara looked like back then, through the eyes of an Imperial noble. I believe the Lord Marshall simply saw two warring tribes and, given a mandate to conquer the land, declared war on both. The tribes quickly capitulated, being badly weakened by their battles against Slaeg Gnara and its accursed followers. The Shadow Cults were quickly subdued, their ranks devastated by the pitiless legions, their lairs sealed by Lunar priests. The temple beneath Old Kurlew was besieged, and Slaeg Gnara eventually driven back into its pit and slain. Though the Shadow fled the dying body of the chillserpent, many other lesser Shadows remained in the depths of the mountain. Thus, the Pit of Slaeg Gnara was also sealed."
"But, as you know, the Legions did not stay to maintain the peace they had forged. Their departure was foretold, and it was then that the Ulur tribe of giants, bitter enemies of the Shadows, came forth from the Wild Lands and made a blood oath to protect the Pit of Slaeg Gnara. Old Kurlew became the home of the elder Koraeus, and he crafted the fortress with his own hands. Soon he came upon a previously unknown tunnel where a darkleech of incredible size was burrowing its way to the surface. The wise Koraeus intercepted the creature's tunnelling at the lip of the Great Chasm and, with the aid of Edrigan and myself, destroyed the darkleech, fought back the tide of Shadows, and sealed the tunnel with potent enchantments and a simple but adequate lock."
"From that moment, Edrigan, Koraeus and I became allies. We called it the Long Watch, for there was no power from Dobrug to Raven's Gate that would come to our aid if we failed to keep the broo from coming north from the Wild Lands. With Koraeus vigilantly guarding over Old Kurlew, Edrigan and I kept a watchful eye on the surrounding forests. Edrigan made his home in the Cullwood, I came here to the Grove, deep in the Braithvale. I often crept into the Wild Lands, taking the form of the beasts of the forest, or sometimes even as a broo. The movements of the Jangui tribe were well known to me and when they came north to raid we rode to meet them. We were grateful when the Merek Lek learned to cooperate with us, to heed our warnings. For a time the settled lands were safe."
"Then came the Gorgon, a wizard from somewhere beyond the sea. We did not know his purpose at first, and he showed no signs of being hostile, but it did not last. The Gorgon had been corrupted, just as Irigaal had been, and as the great wyrm Slaeg Gnara, too. Perhaps his studies brought him too close to the dark sorcery of the Outer Worlds, or the vile blasphemy of necromancy. I was patrolling the Wild Lands when he struck and before I returned Edrigan had disappeared."
"Since that day my followers and I have struggled to stem the tide of Jangui broo that has boiled up from the Wild Lands. We call ourselves the Grovewardens, and just as the Merek Lek kept watch over the Nral river valley, so have we maintained watch over the Rhevas. Koraeus reinforced his great hall, and prepared for the assault that was sure to come."
"Word came that you had escaped the Gorgon's minions, Madragar, so I tracked their movements. It didn't take them long to find you in Dobrug, and it appeared I came just in time. Druuga surely would have dragged you back to his master had I not intervened... in the form of an elven horseman. It is a disguise I prefer to use when outside the protection of the Grove. I was glad to see you took my advice, and that Meneloss travelled with you."
"My strength has been surely tested since that day. I have roamed all over this land, trying to find the Gorgon and uncover his scheme. My eyes were pleased to see you defend the home of the lady Grugni, and my ears were filled with joy at tales of your exploits in Werthyn. I yearned to guide you away from Old Kurlew when it became clear you intended to go there, but Koraeus had already fallen."
"The Gorgon must have studied the mountain fortress in great detail, for his army marched north with wooden ramps designed specifically to scale the outer defenses. With Koraeus I battled the Jangui host, supported as they were by the Gorgon and his minions. The unexpected arrival of the Merek Lek brought us hope, but the Gorgon was too strong. I was forced to flee north, to warn the council in Dobrug and all the villages between the rivers. Koraeus fought the broo all the way back the the door of Old Kurlew, taking with him whatever Merek Lek remained. Their defense was valiant, but doomed. The Lord of the Mountain was overcome, and his corpse dragged south into the Wild Lands. The Ulur tribe sensed his death and immediately sent another of their kin, the young Daemagu, to take the place of Koraeus as the new guardian of the Pit."
"I pursued the Gorgon, harassed his column, and tried to discern what he intended with Koraeus' body, though I had my fears. When I felt someone trying to open the Chasm Door I had no choice but to return. I gathered the Grovewardens and made for Old Kurlew, and reached it only a short time before Daemagu's arrival. There I found the aftermath of your valiant battle, and... here we are."
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2620
(12/19/03 9:57 am)
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The Ghurugil under Potters Row
Seeing that the group has risen and is ready to move, Vhraalam turns on his heel and leads the Ghurugil back out into the street. Vagn lags behind to make sure everyone is accounted for, takes a moment to thank Caed for his hospitality, and educates the companions of the events of the last few days as they march. Kildeer turns east, however, commenting that he needed to see the temple of the Swordelders for himself and would return to the lodge shortly.
The battle in the street was fierce. Despite the incredible strength and resilience of the spirit-possessed humans, the Ghurugil skill at arms (not to mention superb armor and divine protections) delivered victory in the name of Urox. Vagn was kept quite busy countering the lethal spells directed at them from the hidden sorcerer on the rooftop, which he assumes was the notorious Gudr. That is, until some other sorcerer joined the fray from yet another rooftop. Vagn becomes quite animated as he relates the tale of bolts of energy streaking back and forth between the two structures, but no one is certain what became of either combatant. The duel did, however, buy the Ghurugil enough time to dispatch their adversaries.
With the Coffin Nail ablaze and quickly setting fires all over Potters Row, the Ghurugil sought out the mouth of the underground passage from which Atan had emerged a few hours earlier. Exploring the labyrinth they found a warren of dark chambers beneath Potters Row, and even a stairway that led up to the burning pyre of the Coffin Nail. Going deeper they found cells and implements of torture, including the stone basins of frigid water described by Atan. The labyrinth, it seemed, was once a maze of catacombs from when the Raven Legion inhabited the town, though its extent was unknown.
The Ghurugil searched for some time for a way back out of the tunnels, each of the known exits having been engulfed in flame, or covered in ruined timbers. Forced to go deeper into the catacombs they found another hive of the possessed creatures, these so far removed from the world of the living that they were twisted and corrupted into horrid, unspeakable shapes. These creatures were quickly destroyed. Among them they found a number of strange barrels secured by thick chains. Many of the barrels were filled with the liquified remains of unfortunate humans.
Finally, Kildeer managed to find a passage that happened to be just a few narrow bricks away from where someone dug one of the many wells inside the town walls. Knocking out a hole in the passage allowed them access to the well. Kildeer scaled to the top of the well, acquired a few lengths of strong rope, and hired some townsfolk to help him haul the Ghurugil to the surface.
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2621
(12/19/03 9:59 am)
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Atan's Flight
Atan passes one of the massive stone towers that protrude out from the town wall, and continues his way south. The moon is high in the sky, its near fullness giving his keen elven eyes more than enough light to move through the cluttered back alleys safely.
Slowly, yard by yard, he limps his way south. In the shadow of a large, silent warehouse Atan has an unusual experience. Leaning up against an old fencepost he takes a few deep breaths and looks up toward the pale waxing moon. "Swimming" through the air above his head, some as close as fifty feet away, others hundreds of feet higher, are scores of long, narrow fish.
Atan stares up at the spectacle of the many fish swimming through the air, and assumes he must be hallucinating. He rubs his eyes, looks around to make sure the town hasn't disappeared, and looks up again. Fish... no... sharks... hundreds of sharks swimming through the air, slowly circling above the town.
Before he has had a chance to even consider the insanity of a sky full of fish, Atan nearly jumps out of his boots (if he had boots) as a black shape hurtles down from somewhere above him, followed by a tremendous crunching sound as the thing hits the ground. There, at the bottom of a shallow depression in the now cracked cobblestone alley, is a strange black shape. It looks to be a person, though human, elf, and dwarf Atan can't tell. A moment later the thing, apparently having been in a crouched position after its fall, slowly stands up, water streaming from its long black cloak.
Atan gets out something that sounds like "bluh" before the thing slowly turns in his direction. It is tall and slender, almost elf-like, within its pitch black cloak. It looks to be a woman from the modest curves of her torso, but her entire body is wrapped tightly in shining black leather. Even her face is entirely covered by a black leather mask - a mask with no openings for her eyes or mouth.
The only things on her body that are not covered in leather are her hands, and they are as pale as the moon itself. She seems to look into Atan, though he cannot see her eyes, then slowly raises one of her slender arms, reaching out to touch him with fingers as white as bone.
Edited by: Jubilex at: 12/19/03 10:04 am
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2622
(12/19/03 10:06 am)
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The Scrolls of Irian Aros
Kaleb needs little convincing. As one of the Brother of the Dawn, Sangraal seems naturally to command some degree of trust with the woodsman, who was the companion of another Dawnbrother until just yesterday.
Kaleb moves to a table near the fire, drawing a wooden scroll case from beneath his tunic. It is a travel-worn but durable case reinforced by copper bands. Carefully, the woodsman pulls two wide pieces of parchment from the case and lays them out on the table.
"There was more," Kaleb explains as the group converges on the table, their curiosity piqued. Vagn, the bookish Ghurugil with a penchant for matters arcane, is particularly attracted to the tiny script and odd symbols that cover the two scrolls, though is careful not to touch it with his soot stained fingers.
"Irian had written on some smaller bits of paper as recently as a week ago, but they were with him when he came into the town. When he returned to camp they were gone."
The First Scroll
The Second Scroll
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2623
(12/19/03 10:10 am)
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Settlements along the Nral River
On a clean piece of parchment, Atan scribbles out a general map of the Nral river valley, pointing out the general locations of several mining and lumber settlements he is aware of.
Thaedrun is the largest of the settlements and the only one substantial enough to be considered a village. When the Nral river was alive with the steady flow of iron ore, copper and lumber towards the sea, Thaedrun acted as a center of trade. Miners would sell their goods in the village, and merchants seeking a deal would make the rough journey along the river to deal directly with the hard-working folk of the Nral. The river itself is very rocky and is strewn with deadly rapids all the way downstream until a few miles south of Dobrug. Traffic between Thaedrun and the sea is thus generally by land.
Thaedrun was abandoned more than thirty years ago as the legions began their withdrawal from Moagara with the Nral river valley. Rampaging broo warbands swept into the valley and quickly destroyed the southern settlements. Thaedrun held out for a time but was eventually evacuated. Atan has seen the place and knows that the thick stone walls built by Imperial engineers still stand though what lurks within those walls is a mystery.
The other major settlements along the river are Shael, Hryl and Yuthweid, though even in their prime were little more than fortified camps. To Atan's knowledge no one has been to those settlements in decades, though Atan once ventured into the vicinity of Shael. He remembers the terrain as being very rocky and overgrown.
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2624
(12/19/03 10:16 am)
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Ro'kura
Heaving into view from behind the dense forest canopy, floating perhaps sixty feet in the air above their heads, is an enormous wasp. The thing's grotesque, jet-black abdomen alone is the size on an oxcart, and is criss-crossed with narrow yellow bands. The immense, triangular head flicks side to side as it surveys the group, and the massive beast sways this way and that in the stiff mountain breeze.
As the thing rises against the wind, and then pitches forward to compensate, its rider comes into view. Clad in an ornate chainmail hauberk and flowing red silk garments, a jackal-headed Yorul broo sits confidently on the wasp's back in a high-backed Olmani style saddle. The harness crosses under the thorax of the insect in a complicated array of straps and buckles, and from it hangs the broo's weapons: a gleaming scimitar in its sheath and a small round shield made entirely of steel. With one hand the broo holds the reins as well as a fine recurve bow.
Waterskins and trail mix go flying as the group hurries to get cover from the sudden attack. Ruglan gets up so fast he tumbles over his shield and hits the ground face first. Atan rolls backward over the boulder he was using as a chair and reaches frantically for an arrow.
With a single fluid motion the broo draws an arrow across his bow and fires. Before the missile strikes the ground the rider heaves on the reins and both it and the wasp dive back behind the cover of the trees.
The arrow falls to earth, burying itself harmlessly in the ground. A small roll of thin leather is wrapped around it near the head.
Atan and Kaleb are quick to take cover, and then to take aim on the sky. No target presents itself, however, and after a minute of tense waiting it becomes clear that the broo has beat a hasty retreat.
The ever curious Draxim picks up the arrow, but is cautioned by Madragar not to be so hasty. Some innocent scraps of paper have been known to explode with deadly force, or even trap the unfortunate reader in time. The wizard is able to put such concerns to rest, however, with a minor act of divination. The roll of leather does indeed contain a long, narrow strip of parchment bearing a note, written with bluish ink.
Champions of the Moagari,
On swift legs and broad wings has news of your arrival come to me
here in the vastness of my domain.
All creatures uncivilized and inferior have been driven from the valley
with fire and sword, and such pains I would bring to you as well.
What other response would be just in the face of your cruel murder of
young Urusch?
Yet there is still time for a different fate,
and your arrival is fortunate for both our tribes.
There remain children of the Moagari in this valley besides yourselves,
though they shall not live to see the first snows.
I offer you a chance to parley, rather than rush to war.
Consider this, and by nightfall I will send to you an emissary.
Follow his instructions and reap the benefits of wisdom.
Harm him and the harvest will be your deaths.
Master of the West Wind
Long Arrow
Twilight Watcher
Ro'kura, Warchief of the Ruaur
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 2625
(12/19/03 10:21 am)
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Mulgi and the Cairnhollow
Mulgi asks that the group assemble with the party seated together in one half of the chamber, and he sitting alone in the other half. [I'll assume someone is keeping watch through the arrowslits at all times during the conversation, though it's not all that important who it is.]
"I am Mulgi, of the House yL'krul, and I have come to this place to seek refuge from a strong warrior that desires my death. He is called Helskeig, and slew my master, my brothers, and burned my master's home. I can never return to my place among the Uz, so I intend to go among the horse tribes of the Seaward Reach and hope they will accept a stranger."
"This place is called the Cairnhollow and has a long history. This is the tale as I know it."
"In the Year of Chal, which was 138 years ago, the first of the horse tribes, the humans that called themselves the Nralvadlings, came to the Seaward Reaches and entered that part of my kingdom called the Cairnhollow. The humans were of a small tribe and did not venture far from the light of the surface world, which they loved. The deep caverns of the mountains did not interest them, and caused them much fear and worry. The humans fashioned primitive wards against the Chaos things that roamed the Cairnhollow and set to mining the poor veins of iron and lead near the surface. Arashtun the Fourth, then King of Uzharam, kept watch on the distant humans and their strange ways, but soon forgot about them.
It was then in the time of King Bega Fal, the Year of Sorrow that was 86 years ago, that word reached the Uzharam through an emissary from the Shieldings that the Lunars had conquered the Nralvadlings and all the peoples of the Seaward Reach. Begal Fal sent an expedition into the Cairnhollow to learn the fate of the humans and found them still working the iron veins. Falcurz, 3rd son of Master Zaern, was leader of the expedition and met with one of the Nralvadlings only to find that they now called themselves the Hladra. They traded tools and weapons in the harmony of First Friendship, though Falcurz was at first alarmed at the admission by the Hladra that they were ruled by a being called Wolf. Falcurz knew well the legends of the dark spirit that lairs beneath the Mountain of Worms and has as its minions many wolves of great size. Yet he soon found that Wolf was in fact just another human, and one that had allied himself and his clan with the Lunars. Falcurz wisely did not violate the time of First Friendship when he was told that Wolf was a blasphemous wizard, and decided not to hold it against the Hladra.
Soon thereafter Falcurz was contacted by a cabal of Lunar priests who journeyed deeper into the Cairnhollow than any of the Hladra. The black skinned men and their disciplined followers sought knowledge of certain forms of architecture well known to the Uz. Particularly they had heard of the great cavern-seated fortresses that are bastions for the Uzharam, and wished to emulate them. Not disdaining the value of the treasures presented him, Bega Fal lent them the labor and knowledge they sought, though he was curious to note how secret the construction was kept from the Hladra – laboring not far away at the Sunlight Edge of the Cairnhollow. But, the ways of foreigners are always strange and the King did not quibble after extracting a promise from the Lunars that the new fortress would mark the edge of their domain, leaving the vast majority of the Cairnhollow to the Uz.
In two years the fortress was built among the caves of the Cairnhollow, seated atop a great spire of lead, its resilience made all the more potent through the cunning of the Imperial masons. The Lunars occupied the place and bid Flacurz farewell. From the Cairnhollow nothing was heard for some time.
During the reign of Arashtun the Sixth, the Year of Ydril, 44 years ago, was a time of great conflict and fear. The mighty Dagori In’karth, Runelord of Zorak Zoran and Captain of the Ironeaters, sought the destruction of the Cabal of Torus that kept their lair on the islands of the Sunless Sea. Yet months passed and naught was heard of Dagori. Then it was learned that the Cabal succeeded in summoning a potent spirit from the depths of the Outer Worlds. Clearly Dagori had failed.
It was not until the spring thaw of the next year that Arashtun learned that this beast, calling itself Urukavas, had raised an army of broo in the Wild Lands and swept into the Seaward Reach. Scouts were sent into the Cairnhollow to learn what had become of the Hladra, but it was too late. The broo and their vile allies had overwhelmed the humans and filled the Cairnhollow with their murderous, Chaos worshiping kin. Many humans, it appeared, were enslaved by the broo and set to work in the mines.
Yet hope came in the Year of Shackles, 31 years ago, and was most unexpected. Runelords of the Hladra struck a blow against the Beast Lich of the Torus, Urukavas. The Shadow was badly wounded and fled into the depths of the Cairnhollow. What became of the human champions is not known, but the broo were left without a leader and fought against each other for dominion of their savage tribes.
It was not long thereafter that a strange phenomenon was witnessed by patrols ranging out from Naraskul, the nearest Uzharam settlement to the Seaward Reach. Two lights shone through the darkness of the underworld, seeming to emanate from the Cairnhollow. One was cold and penetrated the very rock itself with a lifeless grey illumination. The other was warm and flickered like fire, and it too shone through the solid stone of the Cairnhollow. None could riddle out the source of these lights, each seeming to struggle against the other. While one waxed, the other waned, like two evil suns fighting for supremacy. This was seen as an ill omen, but the rugged frontier folk of Naraskul were not afraid of the strange lights and simply kept watch on the surrounding caverns as they had always done. As years passed no monsters came lurching out of the Cairnhollow to trouble the Uzharam, as many suspected might happen. Yet the Uz of Naraskul noticed more than a few beasts of the deep caverns making their way slowly towards the Cairnhollow. Whatever was happening in that old, ghost haunted part of the kingdom, it was clear that it was not good."
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Jubilex
Posts: 3047
(3/24/04 2:09 pm)
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Chandra, Urukavas and the Fortress of Lead
"The situation... yes, I suppose it is time to trace the path that led us to this place where our fates have come together, for good or ill. I have given much thought to what forces might have been at work here and am not encouraged by the answers I have found. If I can trust your reckoning, Atan, it all began more than sixty years ago when I was just a girl and my father was visited by a stranger with eyes like fire."
"I was raised to believe that my family had a responsibility to the people of the Nral valley, that their fate could not be separated from our own. We are the descendents of that first tribe, the Nralvadlings, and have in our veins the blood of Hralma Tenherds. He is my kin as much as Theony here beside me, as are Ogdalan, and Yalai the Feathered Queen, and all those heroes who have faded from our memory in all but name."
"Thus did my father seek to unite the clans against the Lunars when they came to our valley, and with his strength and skill succeeded where all others had failed. I never learned who, or what, first came to my father and taught him the secrets of arcana. But the potency of his blood and his thirst for knowledge made him a terrible adversary of the Empire. For a time he was known as the Butcher Wulfwaru, or the Tyrant of Nral. Just names, but my father would not yield and struck a bargain with the cunning legate Kasos to join their cause against Chaos. He accepted, but it was not the last bargain he was to strike with the Emperor."
"Thus I came into this war with Slaeg Gnara knowing nothing but hatred for Chaos. I was born a warrior as a hawk is born a hunter. Yet the Serpent was defeated before I could lift a blade, and peace settled on the land."
"Then the stranger came. He looked human, but there was a fire in his eyes that betrayed his true nature. My father's keep was lit late into the night for many months, and I cannot say what passed between the stranger and he, but soon thereafter Wulfwaru disappeared. Left with the leadership of the Hladra I did my best, married, brought Theony into the world, and saw my husband slain fighting the accursed duergar beneath the Valegalen Peaks."
"Years passed and the peace forged by the Empire allowed the Hladra to thrive. Soon, however, I was visited by emissaries from the Emperor himself. He said that my father had gone to the court of Zulquerzarhen and made an agreement with the aging Emperor. In exchange for the cooperation of myself, and my daughter, the Lunars would help us save many of our people, and give us something of immeasurable value as well."
"Skeptical, but trusting in the foresight of my father, I agreed. The valley, the emissaries said, would fall very soon. The Legions were leaving Moagara and in their wake the broo would ravage the land. With this knowledge I would be able to warn the Hladra and get them moving north to safety. Those who would not evacuate in time might still be saved as well. The village of Hryl would be surrounded in a matter of days. If I went to them, and watched for a sign from the Lunars, I could lead the stragglers through the mines to a fortress built for exactly this purpose. Furthermore, in this fortress the Lunars had secreted something I scarcely believed existed - the last mote of power that remained of the ancient enemy of my ancestor, the mace of Irigaal."
"Surely they were lying about something, and gave no explanation for how they knew what they knew. The Lunars are far from altruistic, and would surely be gaining something from my cooperation. Yet they assured me that in the fortress all I need do is cooperate with a minor 'experiment' they were conducting, one that they claimed would present no danger to me or my daughter."
"There was no time to lose, so Theony and I made haste to warn the Hladra of the coming invasion. Few believed me at first, but the cohorts soon picked up their tents and began to march north. The exodus began, and we raced to Hryl just days before the broo arrived."
"The Jangui had no skill in siege craft so on the ramparts of the village we fought them tooth and nail, killing scores of the beasts. Soon they moved away from the village and began a siege. In a dream my father's face beckoned me into the mines, so at the break of dawn we fled beneath the mountain."
"Like a tidal wave the Jangui pursued us through the upper chambers, and through a garrison the Lunars had built to protect the miners from creatures wandering up from the Cairnhollow. Beyond this redoubt we ran, and not all were swift enough I'm sorry to say, but soon we came to this fortress. While the Emperor had called the legions home, the 9th cohort of the Raven legion he left here to guard the subterranean keep. Safe within the citadel they called the Fortress of Lead we watched as the legionnaires repulsed the broo assault. Leaving their dead to rot on the bridge, the Jangui settled in for yet another siege."
"We waited, and with what materials we could scrounge built ourselves a home in the lower chambers of this citadel, and the placid lake that lies far below it. A few weeks passed and we grew accustomed to our condition, if not satisfied with our predicament. Then the time came to fulfill our side of the bargain. This we did, Theony and I, though we were more than a little disturbed by the nature of the 'experiment.' But, I will return to that later."
"Then, quite suddenly, the Shadow came to the Cairnhollow in all his raw hate and potent menace. Urukavas swept into the cavern while we fled into the depths of the fortress. The lead sheathing of the place repelled him, though I cannot say why. The Lunars knew this somehow, and knew also that the Shadow would try to threaten the fortress before it happened. A great plan was unfolding but I had no time to consider it. Urukavas could not harm the citadel directly, but it wasn't long before it found a way to reach those inside. A powerful ritual was performed, sacrifices in plenty soaked the rocky cavern with blood, and in an instant we were all put into a deep and magical slumber."
"In this slumber we remained for years on end. When we awoke we found, incredibly, the 9th cohort still at their posts, yet each had reached or exceeded middle age. The Shadow's spell had not effected them, but their loyalty to their Emperor would not allow them to abandon the defense of the citadel. They said that the broo had long since gone, but had been replaced by the duergar. The Shadowborn had been besieging the fortress for years now without success."
"With ten years to practice their marksmanship, the legionnaires had forced the duergar to dig trenches in the solid rock of the cavern, and erect palisades to defend themselves. It was an impasse as each side could not dislodge the other without risking ultimate failure of their enterprise."
"A month or two passed without a way through the duergar lines. They were much more numerous then, and well led, so a direct assault would have been foolish. Besides this, Urukavas was still out there somewhere. The Shadow made its presence known a short time later when again we were thrown into a deep slumber. I can't imagine what Urukavas intended to achieve with this, but it is clear he wanted to reach Irigaal, though whether to control or destroy the ancient beast I cannot say."
"We awoke again. The legionnaires were very old then, and many had already died at their posts. The duergar remained as well, though the urgency of their siege was gone. The original besiegers had turned the war over to their children. The legionnaires had observed that Urukavas had been weakened somehow and the light emanating from that fiery Irigaal, trapped within its mace, constantly fought against Urukavas. The two beings were clearly at odds with each other but could not cause any direct harm. When the light of Irigaal faded, I guessed, the will of Urukavas would penetrate the fortress and we would all be put to sleep again."
"Yet, with the legionnaires out of the way I could try and find a way to destroy the mace of Irigaal, finally ending a battle that began when the Paindrinkers drove Hralma out of the Nral valley onto the slopes of Old Kurlew. With Irigaal gone, and the threat of the mace falling into the hands of the duergar gone with it, I could concentrate on Urukavas."
"Time was not on my side, however, and Irigaal's power waned, allowing Urukavas to reach into the fortress and put us all to sleep again. When we awoke the legionnaires were dead and the duergar remained. It wasn't long, however, before Kurigalos made his presence known. He and his companions had wounded Urukavas terribly and the Shadow had fled back to the Cairnhollow, hiding within the body of the Runelord and struggling with Kurigalos for control of it."
"So that, Sangraal, is our situation. Two Shadows of great power lie here at our feet, as vulnerable as you will ever see such creatures. Irigaal, here in this fortress, remains trapped in the mace he wielded in the battle against my ancestor. Urukavas is somewhere out in the Cairnhollow trapped within the aging body of Kurigalos, struggling to wrest control of it and gain the powers of a Runelord of Humakt. Urukavas must be destroyed before it can succeed, and Irigaal must be destroyed before it can fall into the hands of the duergar, or worse, Urukavas itself."
"Yet I am not certain how either of these tasks are to be achieved," Chandra concludes and takes a deep breath.
"There is a solution," Kurigalos hums from out of thin air. "A sword plunged into my heart will put an end to Urukavas forever. I will pursue him into the House of Death where Humakt will swallow his blasphemous existence as a hound devours a gnat. It is the only way."
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