It all started at Grugni's house beside the sea. A plot had been hatched by the Dragonewt Ruler Zhoskelgar to foster a group of adventurous Moagari the act as a kind of replacement for the Dagger, who had gone missing. These Moagari would be guided into preventing the disks from being recaptured, stopping the Drowning Dawn, and doing whatever else needed doing in order to confound the Xorn and their Chaos allies.

In this endeavor Zhoskelgar had the aid of the only living Moagaran Runelord, who was a devoted worshiper of Irespike, the Trickster. This Runelord was able to change his form at will, and had done so many times - to the point that he didn't know his true form, or his true name anymore. Still, he was game to try and give Zhoskelgar what he wanted for the sake of his own people.

First, in the form of a simple dwarven innkeeper [Grugni] the Runelord used stolen Chaos magic for a band of broo to be drawn to the traveler's house on the same night Zhoskelgar arranged for the PCs to meet there.

[Recall that in Ravensgate, the elder dwarf called Boahur had a vision that the companions had been chosen, but not by the Lightbringers. Zhoskelgar was no Lightbringer.]

At this time the principle agent of the Cabal of Torus in Moagara was the Gorgon. Tasked to reclaim the master Forge disk, the Gorgon befriended Edrigan the Golden only to betray him later.

[The Gorgon was, in fact, a bull-headed Rakshasa. Immune to magic, able to change form at will, and possessed of wizard-like magic, the Gorgon was more than Edrigan could handle. Edrigan was turned to stone and sold to the Cabal of Torus.]

After eliminating Edrigan, the Gorgon led an army of broo to Old Kurlew and fought a big battle with the giant Koraeus, the Merek Lek, and Lyssa. He was victorious, but didn't have enough broo left to easily remove the tons of stone Koraeus had piled on top of the master disk. Intent on dragging Koraeus' body back to the Cabal of Torus - who had big plans for it - the Gorgon left a band of broo in the giant's home to work on breaking the seal on the Chaos Shrine.

Later, when the companions entered the Cairnhollow, they encountered Joru. This again was the Runelord of Irespike, after having infiltrated the Cabal of Torus as a minion of the Chaos Earth God Gruun. Joru was really there to see that Irigaal and Urukavas were destroyed, and that one of Zhoskelgar's lost servants, the Noble Utama, could be freed.

Zhoskelgar could see into the future, which allowed the Ruler to outmaneuver the Xorn on many occasions. [When Joru said that he could not see the future, but his master could, he was speaking of Zhoskelgar, not Gruun.] Joru was thus prepared with a great deal of useful information about how the situation in the Cairnhollow would be resolved. As such, the Runelord prepared for his own death by placing his soul in an innocuous looking book.

When the companions killed Joru, Madragar found this book on the grinning ogre [the book that allowed him to cast an extra spell. Joru knew that there was no way that a wizard would be able to resist using such a useful item]. After using the book three times, Madragar would have caused Joru to be reborn.

[More later.]

Verisimilitude means internal consistancy, and a world that rolls along regardless of what the players do. I offer things for the players to do. I avoid railroading them.

All I hear you asking is "why didn't you railroad us into your adventure?" I could have, but the campaign would have been the worse for it. Honestly I think it's kinda weird that you're even bringing this up.

Edited by: Jubilex at: 12/15/05 12:13 pm