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Tonight, Vanusk sat in silence until I asked him to continue.
He wanted to know what we had learned. When we started to recite the tales back
to him, he silenced us and asked again what we had learned. The Bane’s leader
ventured a guess and told him that the only constants seem to be struggle,
death, war and deceit. He pulled back the edges of his mouth in what must have
been an Iksar smile and said, “As goes Norrath, so goes Kunark. Now, you are
ready to learn of my land.”
He sat back, leaning his strong tail against the railing of
our ship and looked south. “Since the beginning,” he said, “Kunark has suffered
under the shadow of the wurm.” His fantastic tale continued over the last days
of our sea journey.
While the dragons took centuries to grow and organize, a race
of intelligent snake men — the Shissir — assumed the forefront. The Shissir were
a brutal race who enslaved the Iksar, using Vanusk’s ancestors for workers and
food. From their capital of Chelsith in what is now The Overthere, they explored
dark rites and forgotten evils which would lay the foundation for much of Iksar
knowledge and philosophy.
As learned from the rest of Norrath, nothing is permanent. Eventually, the
Shissir angered even their own gods. A horrible plague destroyed every Shissir;
however, the Iksar survived unscathed.
Over the next several centuries, the Iksar grew to greatness
on the buried ashes of their former masters. They migrated outward across the
continent of Kunark and formed five principal tribestates: Kylong, Nathsar,
Obulus, Jarsath and Kunzar. This last tribestate was led by Venril Sathir, a
young and powerful warrior-mage, who raised an unyielding army of undead with
the assistance of dark magic.
Sathir and his Kunzar armies conquered and annexed the
remaining tribe-states under his rule as the first King of Sebilis, the renamed
Iksar nation. In order to build his Sebilisan Empire, Sathir brutally captured
and enslaved the Hill Giants, Forest Giants and Froglok of Kunark. Throughout
Sathir’s life, the Sebilisan Empire quickly grew in might, power and grandeur.
King Sathir aged, but, of course, he did not want to die. To
cheat death, he made an unholy pact with Innoruuk to rise, undead and immortal.
Rile, Sathir’s heir, had other plans and thwarted the ritual. Sathir’s soul was
trapped inside an amulet that was hidden away as Rile cremated his father’s
body. Rile assumed the throne; however, little changed in the kingdom. The son
of Sathir seized more valuable land and his ruthless reputation increased under
the terrors of his warlords: Kurn Machta and Karatukus and the vampire,
Chosooth. By the time these warlords finished, most of the continent definitely
belonged to Sebilis … all but a few pockets of Giants and Dragons.
The Iksar had left the Dragon lands alone, but their threat
was easy to see. The Dragon lords convened the Ring of Scale and argued about
how to proceed. Trakanon, the large blue, advocated swift intervention on behalf
of all races against the Iksar. However, Trakanon was voted down and the Ring of
Scale decided to intervene only indirectly.
Trakanon and a number of the younger dragons decided more
direct action was required. They conjured a squall at sea that destroyed Rile’s
warship while the King was on board. This action triggered a spectacular war
among the Dragons that lasted for almost a half century. Since this Ring of
Scale was, in all likelihood, responsible for the capture of our companion, we
were understandably curious to learn as much as we could. Vanusk answered only
one question with, “There are lesser dragons that fly across Norrath and pluck
candidates for slavery to the Ring of Scale.”
Atrebe, Rile’s first-hatched son, then became King. This
young Iksar was different from his father. He was reclusive and enamored of the
dark arts. All feared his use of the evil magic of the Shissir and his
grandfather, Sathir. His foul experiments joined a dragon with an Iksar,
creating the Sarnak, a race of intelligent Dragon-men. He also joined a Dragon
with a Froglok, creating flying mounts for his armies, the Sokokar. On these
flying beasts, the Iksar were deadly. Soon, only the hardiest Dragonkind stood
unconquered by the Sebilisan Empire.
Over the next half century, Dragonkind struggled against the
Iksar’ airborne army. Atrebe was succeeded by his son, Ganak, a most capable
warrior. The war ended inconclusively over the Field of Bone with aerial duel
between Ganak on his Sokokar mount and Jaled-Dar, then leader of the Ring of
Scale. Both were incinerated by magic and fire. The Dragons retreated, but not
before destroying the imperial palace and all Ganak’s hatchlings in a daring
final blaze of revenge.
Instead of a new king, the Iksar nobles created the Emerald
Circle, a body of five nobles who wisely worked to enhance the Iksar cities and
trade, rebuild the navy, and return prosperity to the empire. Unfortunately,
whenever the ambitions of rulers are involved, strife soon follows and the
empire was ultimately divided into the original five tribal-states. Even that
treaty was soon forgotten, as the tribes began to wrestle for supremacy over
each other. Unbeknownst to the Iksar, the Ring of Scale had also rebuilt and was
meddling in every alliance and affair, pitting the tribal-states one against
another.
The slaves revolted in Sebilis. Goblin lords from Faydwer
invaded Kunark. The Giants mustered an army and destroyed the warlord outposts
before they attacked the cities. The final destructive attack on the Iksar came
when Trakanon and his Dragon allies descended on what was left of the Iksar
cities and reduced them to ashes and ruins. The grand Sebilisan Empire was no
more. Free from Iksar restraints and rule, all the other races established
themselves and began warring amongst themselves in their lust for domination.
Two last warnings came from Vanusk as we bedded down for the evening. Our new
friend told us that the undead King Venril Sathir had indeed been brought back
into existence and ruled in Karnor, in The Dreadlands, a place he recommended we
avoid. The second warning was to avoid the Frontier Mountains. That foul bastard
race, the Sarnak, had set up outposts there to breed Goblin and Froglok slaves.
And now, the hour grows late. My notes are complete and I have prepared a new
parchment to record upcoming events in our journey. I pray that Rallos Zek guide
our will and that Vanusk will agree to guide our way to these mountains of
Veeshan’s children.
Velious Opportunities
YOUR EYES ONLY
Neriak Ministry Of Information
My lord,
In keeping with your request to find out more about Velious and the
recent journeys being made there, I dispatched our spies to gather what
information they could. We have had some success, and enclosed are
transcripts of letters sent by a recent group of travelers to Velious.
While fragmentary and possibly filled with exaggerations, they do shed
more light upon this mysterious land. Our spies are to be commended on
the excellent performance of their tasks as that getting copies of these
letters was by no means easy.
Letter Transcript Recovered from Freeport:
Mentor,
I hope this reaches you before too much time has passed. In my last
letter, I told you about securing passage on the gnomish vessel
IceBreaker, which had recently begun making voyages from the Northern
Desert of Ro to the frozen continent of Velious. Little did I know what
was in store for me.
The IceBreaker is not your typical vessel. Built like all things
gnomish, it is more about function than form or comfort. I will not bore
you with the details of my wretched journey across the Iceclad Ocean. I
will also refrain from commenting on the nature of the gnomes who crewed
the vessel. Gnomish pirates, indeed!
Having already made several voyages from Antonica, the gnomes
established a beach camp and constructed a rudimentary dock. Beyond
that, they lacked for almost any real creature comfort. They made a few
short forays inland, but mostly, they stuck close to the landing area,
trading with a relatively peaceful tribe of gnolls that inhabited the
area.
Since my companions and I embarked on this journey for the sake of
discovery and adventure, we immediately set forth to explore this frozen
land. Venturing west from the landing, we came across a tremendous
bridge spanning a huge chasm in the ice. Nothing built by the fabled
Combine Empire can compare to this massive construction, seemingly
fashioned from the bones of a great dragon!
Across this bridge, and away from the ocean proper, we ran into our
first trouble. Giants! And not the giants you may be familiar with.
These giants were different. We all know the story about how the giants
and other creations of Rallos Zek were cursed by The Rathe for making
war upon the gods themselves. That curse does not seem to apply to these
creatures, though how they managed to escape divine wrath is still a
mystery to me. In any event, they are much more intelligent and
organized than their lesser brethren, while every bit as fierce.
We lost two of our party to a small band of these creatures when first
we set foot upon the eastern wastes of Velious, and those of us who
survived were scattered. Finding myself alone, I was determined to
continue my journey westward. Moving most carefully, and using all that
I learned in my many years of adventuring, I managed to avoid several
more bands of giants as well as war bands of orcs. Eventually, I came in
sight of a large keep, obviously built for giants. Not wanting to
venture into what I felt would be a very dangerous place; I struck off
in the opposite direction.
After several days of travel, I left the realm of the giants and orcs.
Though, to my puzzlement, there seemed to be signs of some other
inhabitants. Old campfires at first, then cleverly disguised structures
built into hillsides, showing signs of recent habitation. Imagine my
surprise when while investigating one of these structures, I was
confronted by a group of odd pale dwarves! While wary around me, they
were not hostile, and were able to converse with me in a colorful
dialect of Common. They called themselves the Coldain and agreed to take
me to their fortress city of Thurgadin.
Words can not describe this city built under an icy mountain, so I shall
not attempt it. Suffice to say that these dwarves are every bit as
industrious and hardy as their cousins in Kaladim. I was brought before
their king, Dain Frostreaver IV. This mighty warrior welcomed me to his
realm, and proceeded to query me for information about the world beyond
Velious. In the process, I learned much about Velious itself. The
Coldain take a very serious view of their heritage and from very early
childhood learn a great deal about their history. It is their firm
belief that they were chosen by Brell to inhabit Velious.
During the ancient days when the first city of the dwarves was under
construction, dwarves were sent across the lands and sea to find
precious reserves of stone, crystal, and ore for the project. Ships
sailed in and out by the dozens bringing supplies for the great city.
One fleet of such ships sailed across the South of Antonica to reach the
island we know as Odus, where a quartz mine was to be set up in the name
of the dwarves. Led by the miner and explorer Colin Dain, the fleet
carrying several hundred dwarves ran into one of the worst storms Prexus
had ever unleashed. The storm raged on for days as most of the dwarves
huddled together in the ships’ holds waiting for the seas to calm. When
at last the storm passed, they found themselves utterly lost. Even the
best of the captains and navigators had no clue as to where they were.
The stars in the sky could not be relied upon for navigation, as none of
them were recognizable to the dwarves.
Using typical dwarven logic, Colin Dain picked a direction to sail and
decided that their only hope was to keep sailing in that direction until
they spotted land. As the days and then weeks went by the only
noticeable change was that the weather began to get cold. Some nights
were so cold that dwarves froze to death on the deck, turned into a
statue of ice by the cruel weather.
Only the determination of Colin Dain kept the dwarves’ hopes alive as he
moved from ship to ship, assuring the dwarves that they would, "Hit land
soon. if not tomorrow then the day after." Eventually Colin’s words rang
true as the dwarves did indeed spot a gigantic white landmass in the
distance.
The landing proved to be as deadly as the voyage when icebergs both
small and large tore the small fleet apart. Not a single ship made it to
shore. Most were torn apart far from the land, and many dwarves met
Death at the hands of the ocean. Less than a hundred made it onto an icy
beach.
With no serviceable ships, Colin Dain wasted little time leading his
people from the shoreline. He knew they would have to find shelter to
keep from dying in the cold. He also knew they would need to find wood
and other supplies so they could repair their ships and set off for
fairer lands. So the quartz miners from the north settled in caves a few
miles inland from where they landed. These caves were set into a giant
mountain of ice and snow in the northern section of the Eastern Wastes.
There is an old saying that goes, "Dwarves are like time itself, neither
can remain idle." This certainly proved true for the new settlement. The
miners quickly discovered that the hard packed ice lying beneath the
snow of Velious was as durable and malleable as stone, and ideally
suited for construction in this frozen land. They would later discover
that the ice, known as Velium, had magical properties as well.
Through time the cave settlement became a town, and then a strong
dwarven keep began to take shape within the mountain. Named Froststone
for the ice out of which it was built, the dwarves knew that with the
completion of this keep their stay on this strange new land was
permanent. Unfortunately the peace of the dwarves was shattered when
they encountered another race upon Velious, the frost giants.
It was with great surprise that the dwarves woke up one day to find
their home under siege by an army of giants. The frost giants inhabited
the Eastern Wastes and considered those lands their home. They did not
take kindly to the puny children of Brell building a fortress along
their border. After much battle, the dwarves realized they could not
possibly hold out against their large foes.
In desperation, Colin Dain led them from their new home in the Great
Divide to the only place they could go—deeper into the mountains. The
frost giants pursued, so a small group of dwarves volunteered to stay
behind to allow the others to escape. Colin Dain himself led the suicide
ambush, buying his people enough time to escape the giants. From this
time onward the dwarves would refer to themselves as the Coldain in
honor of their beloved leader. Furthermore, the leader of their people
would carry the title "Dain."
While hiding out in the frigid caverns a Coldain miner by the name of
Glight Snowchipper received a vision from Brell. The vision was of a
labyrinth of ice where the dwarves could hide from the frost giants. In
the narrow passageways, it was hoped that the giants would become lost
and fall into the many traps the dwarves would construct. Glight
presented his idea to Dain Frostreaver, the son of Colin Dain, who began
construction of the labyrinth. The Crystal Caverns were completed in a
little under half a century. The speed of the project alone was proof to
the Coldain that Glight had indeed been inspired by Brell. These caverns
of Crystal would be the salvation of the Coldain race.
The true test of the caverns worth came nearly thirty years later, when
by following a party of Coldain, the frost giants discovered the
location of the Crystal Caverns. Slagd Frozentoe of the frost giants led
the invasion force of warriors to the cavern, hoping to wipe the hated
Coldain from Velious once and for all. Glight Snowchipper, in the
fashion of Colin Dain, led the defense, drawing the frost giants deep
into the confusing caverns. His magical pickaxe, aptly named
Snowchipper, felled many a giant’s as the dwarves struck repeatedly from
hidden passages and around shadowy corridors.
Despite losing most of his force, Slagd and the remaining giants almost
made it to the Coldain city in the center of the caverns when Glight
pulled off his greatest and final trick. Thousands of tons of ice and
stone crashed into Slagd and his remaining giants after Glight and a few
of his brave miners led them down a false passage. Unfortunately it was
an act of self-sacrifice as Glight and his fellows were also buried in
the avalanche. The miners of Thurgadin still call themselves
Snowchippers, in honor of Glight.
Over the next few centuries strange creatures began migrating into the
Crystal Caverns. It was these foes and more which eventually caused the
dwarves to abandon the caverns and set out to build a new fortress more
akin to Frostkeep. I was cautioned to avoid the old caverns, as they
still hold many dangers.
The Coldain retreated even deeper into the Great Divide. Led by Dain
Frostreaver II, they founded the city of Thurgadin, or New Froststone.
Constructed on the northern edge of the Great Divide, Thurgadin lies
within a glacial mountain rich with untouched supplies of velium and
other ores. The outer region of the city is carved into the ancient
glacial ice, while the inner region pierces the mountain rock where the
precious ores are mined.
The Coldain are determined not to lose this home. Thurgadin is built in
a very defensive manner, with passage through long tunnels lined with
murder holes being necessary to get to the inner city. At the heart of
the city lies Icewell Keep, where the Dain and his council of advisors
reside and where he granted audience to me.
Surrounding the castle are the forges and shops that make up the
mainstay of Coldain commerce. Mines burrow deeper into the mountains,
some ending in cleverly hidden and easily collapsible escape hatches for
easy access into the Great Divide. I have used my meager cartography
skills to fashion a map of Thurgadin, which I am sending you with this
letter. I have decided to reside in Thurgadin for a time, to better get
to know my hosts, and to assist them in rejoining the community of
beings of Antonica and Faydwer. I feel very secure here in this mountain
stronghold, and I think there is much to accomplish.
As always,
Solist Kinslan
Letter Transcript Recovered from Halas:
McTarnigal,
Took the gnome ship, the trip was bad. Ship was too cramped, not built
for a Halasman. What is, outside of Halas? Made it to Velious with a
strong group of Southrons. Weather was fine, looks like a nice place,
plenty to eat, and plenty to fight. Not enough to drink, stupid gnomes
lost all the rum.
Went inland, saw a strange tower, steered clear of it, it reeked of sick
magic. Found a large bridge. Would not want to defend it, too big.
Crossed the bridge, good country there. Looks like an excellent place to
live. Found Kromrif here too. Thought frost giants were all dead. They
are not.
Party was ambushed by Kromrif war band, some died, and others ran. I
fought. Clubbed till I went black. Woke up being carried into giant
fortress. Saw banners of Lord Rallos, gave homage. Kromrif saw this,
nodded.
Taken to true leaders of city. Kromzek. Storm giants are still alive,
and still strong. Someone should hit Margyn McCann over the head, her
lore is wrong.
The King of Kromzek, Tormax, asked me many questions. Found out Kromzek
and Kromrif escaped the curse. Kromrif are warring with ice dwarves to
the north. Kromzek are trying to expand west, fighting a savage forest
claimed by Tunare.
They also fight Dragons. Very bad blood between the Velious dragons and
Kromzek. Tormax sits on the bones of a dragon queen his sire killed.
Tomorrow I go out with a war band of Kromzek and Kromrif, heading west
through forest to a dragon shrine, to do battle there. May Zek give me
strength.
I am giving this letter to a Kromrif who is going east, to hand to the
gnomes. Tell the warriors of Halas that Rallos Zek is strong here. Many
chances for battle and conquest. Bring your own beer.
Breen Everblood.
Letter Transcript Recovered from Qeynos:
Hanns,
When I get back to Qeynos, I’m going to knock a few of your teeth out.
I’m still not sure how you convinced me to make this trip, though I’m
thinking Crow’s Special Brew had something to do with it.
Leaving the new dock in North Ro, I took a launch that carried me out to
the Iceclad Ocean. There I boarded IceBreaker, a so-called ship
constructed by the gnomes. Several other people had booked passage for
this voyage and were awaiting my arrival, including my comrades Tolan,
Breen, and Solist. It wasn’t a fun trip. The ship’s hammers were
constantly clanking and banging, those blasted gnomes were making silly
pirate noises, and it was cold. It nearly drove me crazy.
We finally made landing at a beachhead the gnomes constructed, but found
little in the way of luxuries. The gnomes even managed to misplace the
horrible rum that kept us warm during the voyage. And before you ask, I
had nothing to do with that misplacement.
After looking around the landing, the group of us decided to head west,
beyond the area the gnomes had explored. We passed quite a few
interesting sights, and a tower I really wanted to inspect, but Solist
and Breen both said to avoid it, so we continued on. After crossing a
bridge that was so high it made even me dizzy, our luck ran out.
A group of well-organized giants took us by surprise. Deciding
discretion was called for, I managed to duck out of the battle when it
was obvious we were losing. Several people, including Solist, managed to
escape, while Breen went down fighting, buried under a pile of giants.
After the dust settled, I saw the giants carrying Breen off to the
southwest and decided to follow them.
After a few hours of sneaking along, I was startled by a voice behind
me. Tolan! The clever ranger had escaped the giant ambush the same way I
had, and was tracking the giants and me across the wastes. We continued
to follow the giants, and eventually came to a great fortress city.
With luck and skill, the two of us managed to sneak inside the city. We
tried to find Breen, but there was no way to know for sure where he had
been taken. The chance of getting caught was high, since the place was
crawling with giants. We eventually passed through the city itself, and
found ourselves on the edge of a huge forest.
The giants were working hard to push the forest back, but according to
Tolan, they weren’t doing well. He said he felt great power in the
woods, stronger even than the heart of Faydark. I didn’t question his
statement; I could feel the life here myself.
At Tolan’s urging we left the giant city behind and traveled on through
the forest. Tolan grew more and more excited, saying he felt we were
nearing something amazing.
Tolan’s woods lore gave us no warning when a group of strange flying
creatures suddenly appeared. Finding ourselves quickly captured, we were
trussed, blindfolded, and gagged. We were carried to the heart of the
forest where a gathering of beings awaited us. They would not speak to
me. But they jabbered with Tolan for a long while in a strange language.
Again I was blindfolded and carried through the forest. After some time
I was put down and my bonds cut. I was at the edge of a clearing, facing
the giant city. Tolan was there, unbound and smiling. He told me I
should make my way back to the Iceclad Ocean. I wasn’t welcome in this
land, and to go any further west would be a bad idea. Dragons would kill
me if I entered the shrine they had built on the other side of the
forest. That is if I made it that far, since there was always the chance
that the forest creatures would decide to have me for lunch.
When I asked Tolan what he was going to do, he said he would be staying
there for a time as a guest. He was a grown man; I assume he knew his
own business. Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I took Tolan’s advice
and said goodbye. I went back through the giant city (still no sign of
Breen), across the wastes, and eventually, back to the shores of the
Iceclad Ocean, where I sit now.
I’m going to head back out again soon to look for Breen, Solist, and the
others. I wouldn’t feel right abandoning them at this point, and
besides, it could turn out to be profitable.
Regards,
Mrylokar
As you can tell by reading the transcripts, there is much more to
Velious than we first imagined. The war among the dwarves, giants and
dragons, suggests great opportunity for us, if we choose our allies
carefully. If you have any further questions, you need only ask, and I
shall endeavor to find answers for you.
Your humble vassal,
Ryoz K'Tarn
Master Coercer |
On the Ashes of the Empire:
As compiled by Loremaster Traboh,
Fordel Historian and Keeper of the Sacred Scrolls
Tsaph Katta, Imperator of the troubled Combine, was holding a
grand state banquet. Almost all nations and tribes were in attendance. The
dwarven, gnomish and elven allies had ambassadors on hand as did the belligerent
Tier'dal. Even the ogres and trolls were represented. All who received an
invitation felt compelled to attend, such was the power and might of the
Combine.
As the guests entered the banquet hall, Katta was there to
receive them. One guest came with a smile on his lips and poison in his hand. He
had dusted his glove with empolomine, a slow-killing, hallucination-inducing
drug. This guest extended his hand as Tsaph welcomed him to the banquet. With
this handshake, the fate of the Combine was changed.
Katta's reaction was more rapid and violent than most and he
collapsed during the dinner, appearing as one possessed. Possessed by evil, some
muttered.
The banquet hall was cleared, and only a trusted few were
allowed to remain. As Katta lay on the floor, dying, he spoke his last breath
into the ear of his closest advisor, a fellow bard named Lcea. The druids then
came and wove stasis spells to keep him alive, and put a sleep charm on him so
that he would not have to endure pain or suffering. Then the elves of the forest
came and took Tsaph away, to hide him within their realm so that no further
attempts on his life would be possible.
As soon as word spread around the world that Katta was
"dead", the Combine broke into a thousand tainted pieces. The petty
disagreements that had shattered the world before his coming resumed with even
more passion. The elves continued to keep watch over the resting place of Tsaph
Katta while a few loyal officials, led precariously by Lcea, fortified the
Loyalists last remnants.
Lcea brought the brightest minds of the Loyalists together to
decide on their grim future. Their situation on Norrath was precarious and any
hopes of rebuilding here were dashed while all the infighting was still
occurring. Gathered in a room together, exhausted by debate, they glanced, as
one, upward through the darkness.
There, high in the evening sky, was the familiar sight of
Luclin. But something was different about the moon this evening. It shone more
brightly and with more detail than ever before. The rings wrapped the moon in
fire as the waning sunlight pierced them. Beyond the rings, Lcea and others
could see blurry cloud formations and sparkling reflections that hinted at
bodies of water.
Lcea stood up and raised her hand to the moon, "That is where
we will rebuild."
And so it was decreed that Luclin would be the new home of
the Loyalists. The Combine already possessed vast knowledge of teleportation.
Using this knowledge on a grander scale would be the solution to their problem.
All they had to do was wait. In a few months Luclin would
pass directly over the largest Combine spire located in Kunark, providing both
the focus and the timing needed to complete this mystical feat.
If they failed, the Loyalists would fall and any hope of
building their version of the Combine would be lost. It was essentially a
costly, all-or-nothing attempt to save their way of life.
The night had come, and thousands had gathered to participate
in perhaps one of the greatest magical events in mortal history.
Slowly Luclin approached its perigee. The mages began to
chant and motion in the air. Glowing strands of mana poured from them, twined
together, and circled the magnificent spires. A magical wind slowly picked up
and swirled upward around the spires, taking the mana with it. With one last
burst of magical energy, a great ball of light enveloped the spires and then
exploded outward in a flash. A moment later, the light and everything it
illuminated were gone.
The bright light had winked out, leaving nothing but a black
void in its wake. Moments later, flickering lights began to appear all around as
torches were lit. Above the refugees, where the fiery rings of Luclin should
have been, was cold dark stone. They were not on the surface of Luclin, but deep
in the center of the moon itself. The air grew heavy with tension and fear as
thoughts of being trapped underground filled everyone's head.
As fires were lit and magical light sources were set around
the group, it became clear that they had been deposited in a vast cavern system
located near the center of the moon.
Off to one side of the encampment on a stone island was a
large black sphere of swirling mist.
The sphere emanated a strong magical field that seemed to
pull everything towards it. This sphere, they felt, was most likely responsible
for the failed teleport to the surface.
But what was it? And what was its purpose?
Over the following weeks an encampment grew in the cave while
scouts ventured into the surrounding caverns. They gathered as much information
as possible about the cave system in hopes of learning more about their
predicament. During this time they located several caves that extended upward
towards the surface, though further exploration ruled most of them out as
possible exits. Some were just too dangerous and lacked the resources needed to
sustain life. Two, however, showed a lot of potential for supporting a
civilization.
With the choice of which path to take narrowed down, another
problem was encountered. A good number of those who had come to Luclin were now
having second thoughts about leaving Norrath. Even if they managed to build an
empire here, how would they return to Norrath to sow those seeds?
It was time for a decision to be made. Those who wished to
develop a means of transport back to Norrath would stay in the caverns and those
wishing to rebuild the Combine Empire on Luclin determined to go to the surface
and do just that. Those remaining would be in considerable danger, as they
feared the opposing elements of the fractured empire would surely have the
ability to bring an army to Luclin. It was just a matter of time.
And so it happened. The majority gathered their belongings
and joined the caravan to the surface. The remaining few set to the task of
building a city and developing the necessary tools to create a working portal to
Norrath.
Those who remained below were few in number, less than a
thousand, but in those few were some of the most skilled craftsman and brightest
mages. They carved stone and minerals from the caverns to construct their homes
and workshops. The mages researched and studied the black sphere in hopes of
learning of its origin and inner workings. The area that held the sphere soon
became known as The Nexus.
It happened sooner than expected. The air within the Nexus
became electrically charged and mist began to swirl around the black sphere.
Something was coming through. Within moments, an army began to arrive. Those who
were researching the Nexus were on hand to meet the arriving army. Tensions were
high between the two parties. Although the residents here no longer sided with
the Loyalists, the new arrivals were unaware of that.
However, it seemed they were just as surprised to find
someone on the other side of the portal. In addition, the people remaining at
the Nexus had not been idle. Fortifications and guards prevented the newcomer
army from simply seizing control of the area.
After a period of time, the officers of the invading army met
with the officials of the Nexus. The people of the Nexus protested that they
simply wanted to go back to Norrath and not get involved with the Combine
dispute, and made this very clear. The new arrivals wished to chase down the
remaining Loyalists and then to return to Norrath. They were shocked to learn
that there was no way to return to Norrath as yet.
Not comfortable remaining in what was possibly enemy
territory, the dedicated and committed members of the army set off to build a
strong-hold of their own. They went opposite the way the Loyalists had gone.
Building a new fortress, they would have time to organize and prepare to engage
the Loyalists. Many were ordered to stay with those who were researching the
Nexus, for the leader of the army refused to give up hope on returning to
Norrath. And so the town numbers nearly doubled with the added researchers.
The newest residents of the underground city segregated
themselves and created their own little settlement right next to the one already
there. An invisible boundary was the only thing that separated them.
The construction of the cavern settlement continued along
with the research. As time passed, the differences between the two factions of
researchers dissipated and they worked more closely together each day. Perhaps,
they thought, only with a combined effort would they have a chance to reopen the
portal to Norrath and return home. At this time, a number of families who had
played important roles in either the construction of the city or in the research
of the black sphere became very prominent in the city workings.
It was time to make their little settlement a city. A general
council meeting was held with the heads of families and owners of shops
attending. They elected a group of council members who would decide on a
political structure for the city. Because of the diversity of those who came to
the city and the different times at which they arrived, it was decided that a
general council would run the city. A name was also chosen from a list of those
proposed.
The word Fordel was a name taken from a family survived by
only a widow. The entire family was lost in a scouting party during the first
couple of months on Luclin. Previous to the loss, their family had been one
known for great craftsmanship; they had played a vital role in the city's
original construction. For that, the community honored them by immortalizing
their name in the city they helped construct.
The word Midst was taken from a long line of mages who
researched the great portal on Norrath to bring them to Luclin and continued to
this day on the research for a way to return. Many a mage carrying this family
name had spent long hours probing and writing by candlelight in service to the
community. For that, the community honored them in their city's name.
The name was to be "Fordel Midst", and it would ever be their
haven from the shadows.
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