Combined
“In the beginning, there was a perfect void. Empty of all; even time, and space. A vast and endless nothingness cloaked in a deep and all consuming silence. Within this void existed "The Nameless". A power so incredible and incomprehensible that in all the universe, it knew only itself to exist. Knew only itself capable of existing in the great expanse that was its realm. It knew not why it was there. Only that it was.”
It created a universe. It created Gods – the Gods of Light, Darkness and Neutrality. “Finally, among these neutrals, he placed his great equalizer. The only @#%$ that had no specific sphere of influence but would be his tool in cases where he had none. Veeshan, the great @#%$ of Dragons. The dragon would be his key to unanswered problems. Veeshan would ensure that where might was required among his children, it would be handed out and where wisdom was required, Veeshan's patience would find it.
While the Gods light and darkness began to flex their new found will and bicker among themselves and the neutrals attempted to keep the balance among them, Veeshan soared among the great new planets. There was much to be discovered and the keeper of wisdom must know it all that she would have the power of knowledge to server her purpose. There was much to see, and many different worlds swirled within the space and passed each other seemingly oblivious to each others existence. There was nothing of particular size upon them as all life was plant-like or that of simple animals...
Veeshan soared to what she felt was the planet closest to the center of all that was. Here she would place her progeny to grow and watch over her Lords creation. Here would be born the seeds of her watchful dominion. She named this world "Norrath", meaning foundation in the tongue of the Gods. Upon this foundation she raked her claws as a farmer would plow a field. Here she would sew her seed. She lay upon the world for many days and nights and laid her eggs within it's scars.”
(theory) This would be a good time to mention Trakanon. I’ll let Kridgerkanthar take over: “Trakanon is ancient, and represents far more than just a dragon. He is the age of the universe, and older than any other known creature or @#%$. The other gods long to destroy him, for he is so powerful. I believe Trakanon is quite seriously the Avatar of the Nameless. In this form he maintains the ability to prophesize, yet has finite powers. Possibly in the creation of the universe he sapped so much strength out of himself he confined himself to a finite body. This is just my guess, but until sources are found, guesswork is the best a historian can do.” Also of note, is that Trakanon was originally (ie at this time) a blue sky dragon.
“Somewhere during this time, two dragons of different colors decided to mate. The resulting child dragon was Kerafyrm. Some believe that this dragon may have been more powerful then all of the First Brood and may have been almost equal to Veeshan, herself. It is also believed that Kerafyrm may have been insane and wanted to destroy world of Norrath and all life on it.
Whatever the results of the mating were, a war broke out among the dragons, which became known as the War of the Scale. This war was devastating to the dragons. It horrified them. [Kendrick: What transpired after Kerafyrm being born was the first war between dragon-kind, and the cost of that war was higher than any could imagine&ldots;] To end the war, the First Brood and all of dragon-kind were forced to imprison Kerafyrm in deep sleep and place him in a tomb. Kerafyrm's sleep has to be maintained and guarded by four warders in order for him to stay asleep&ldots;
After the war, [two] new laws were formed to prevent this thing from every happening again&ldots; 1. Dragons of different colors are forbidden to ever mate. 2. Dragons are forbidden from killing each other.”
Fast forward to the start of the war between giants and dragons and Jaled Dar’s departure. “The Kromzek fit into the CoV faction because one day they invaded Skyshrine, and an epic battle ensued. I cannot remember if this battle occurred after Jaled Dar had left with the young dragons or not. If it was prior to his departure then that would explain why Jaled felt the CoV were becoming weak. If it was after he left, it would explain why the dragons nearly lost. The giants were indeed turned back, but the dragon losses were devastating, including Yelinak's wife who was mortally wounded. Most of the 1st brood and elder dragons moved sometime after the battle to the Temple of Veeshan, which they felt was safer and would prevent future invasions. Proud Yelinak however, decided to stay in Skyshrine as a solemn vigil to his wife, vowing to protect it forever with the Kin (lesser drakes, golems, gargs etc) and Laoch. This is how the opposing factions for dragons and giants developed.” (Wendolyn)
Meanwhile, on Kunark the Shissar Kingdom came to be.. From here on, I’ll be quoting a lot of dates/info from Wildas’ thread “history of Kunark”. The Shissar were a race of intelligent snake-men, who colonized and ruled what is now the Overthere. Their dark capital was Chelsith, overlooking the cliffs on the sea. The Shissar nation grew slowly and to prominence as they explored dark rites and forgotten evils, and would lay the foundation for much of Iksar knowledge and philosophy. They enslaved the Iksar and used them as workers and food. The Shissar’s brutal disloyalty and blasphemous pride angered even their own gods. A great plague arose in the empire called the Green Death and washed over the kingdom in just a year. So fierce was the plague that no Shissar is known to have survived it. The Iksar were immune, and rose from the ashes to migrate outward across the continent, forming five principal tribe-states over the next several centuries. A new city was slowly erected over the first ruins of Chelsith, ruins that today still exist below the earth hiding forbidden evils and dark magic powerful from an age before time. The year was 0 A.G. (After Green).
199 A.G. -- A shaman Iksar necromancer named Kotiz converses with the lesser @#%$ Zebuxoruk, and in exchange for 100 intelligent sacrifices, reveals to him battle knowledge which is inscribed in the unholy book of Zebuxoruk. The book disappears upon Kotiz’s death.
313 A.G. -- A young and powerful warrior-mage of the Kunzar tribe rises to train the Kunzar to unbelievable levels of combat prowess. Coded in the ancient book of Zebuxoruk, and deciphered by Venril, advanced war techniques are implemented, and armies of dead are animated and bent to his will. His Kunzar armies march North and West with unyielding fury.
313 – 323 A.G. -- The War of Joining. Sathir’s troops conquer and annex the remaining four Iksar tribe-states, Kylong, Nathsar, Obulus, and Jarsath. Sathir becomes the first king of the new Iksar empire -- Sebilis and heralds in an era of magnificent empire building. The old Kunzar city of Sebilis becomes the new imperial capitol and Innoruuk is the deity of the state.
324 – 327 A.G. -- First Slaves War. Sathir’s troops crush and enslave the hill giants, forest giants and froglok in a sweeping campaign of carnage. He orders the construction of naval shipyards at Viesar and Danak. Newly acquired giant and froglok slaves are put to work, erecting powerful monuments and cites in the name of the Sebilsian Empire.
328 A.G. -- Trade begins with other continents. Sathir’s navy is immune to piracy because of its potency. He also uses the same to plunder the hapless vessels of other nations when he pleases. The cities of Charasis, Torsis, and Sebilis grow in might, power, and grandeur. (note: Torsis is now known as the City of Mist)
362 A.G. -- An aging Sathir seeks to cheat death, and makes an unholy pact with Innoruuk. The weak and sick of the Empire are routinely sacrificed to swell Innoruuk’s Cauldron of Souls. Sathir is given the knowledge of lichdom, and prepares an amulet into which he siphons his soul. It is to be placed in his corpse upon his own suicide, and after dark rites performed by loyal initiates, Sathir hopes to rise again as an immortal undead king. However, his first son Rile, heir apparent to the throne, learns of his father’s plans and interrupts the ritual, rendering it a failure. The priests rescue the amulet and speed it away. Rile destroys Sathir’s body and assumes the throne. The amulet is hidden in the crypts of Charasis, where a new dark cult forms dedicated to reviving Venril’s soul once again. The cult is named the Arisen.
370 A.G.-- Vlzk, student of the 5th rung, becomes the youngest Iksar monk to attain the title of Tynn Master. He takes his place among the masters of the Court of Pain.
***Genesis of Fist and Tail -- ”It was in dawning of the Sebilisian Empire that the art of fist and tail was forged. In the beginning, the pugilists of the great tribes were nothing more than warriors without weapons. Soon we would be forged into weapons.
Grandmaster Tynn was the father of our disciplines. He came to the empire from an unknown tribe. Some say he was a ronin who wandered the worlds of Norrath where he formed the basis of the city of Sebilis with no rebirth. He entered to form a caste which did not exist. He was quickly challenged by the warlords. He spoke his words and they did not listen. He knew the only way to make them understand was to challenge their finest in The Gauntlet. He called for four of the finest warlords and allowed them arms. The warlords agreed, thinking his challenge as easy task.
Grandmaster Tynn quickly dispatched of the warlords with nothing more than fist and tail. He fought in a way never displayed. His victory earned him much respect and Emperor Sathir soon commanded him to form the Court of Pain and raise an army of monks. Tynn formed the Swifttail Caste&ldots;
They would don shackles as testament to the Age of Snake when the Iksar were a race enslaved. Inner strength and harmony were taught. The Swifttail were born.
The Swifttail were disbanded during the End Days. It was not till the rise of the new empire under Emperor Vekin did the caste reform. Grandmaster Glox, a former disciple of Tynn, came to New Sebilis to rebuild the Court of Pain. In honor of Tynn, all masters now drape themselves in a robe like he wore.”
371 A.G. -- Master Vlzk becomes the only Iksar monk to be promoted to the rank of Captain within the Iksar Navy. He is promoted by the great Emperor, Rile. This act solidifies the alliance between the monks and the Legion and ushers in a new age of disciplines.
371 A.G. -- Rile continues the same egomaniacal empire-building strategy that his father began. He leads a vast army against the mountain giants at Konikor, seizing the most productive mine on the continent in the Battle of Konikor. The mountain giants are enslaved and forced East to erect monuments of power for the Sebilisian Empire.
376 A.G. -- Rile orders the construction of a tower stronghold in the North Wood (now Warslik’s Wood). He assigns his trusted general Kurn Machta to oversee its construction and to be its lord. Kurn settles into his duty with fervor, slaughtering and torturing all who would oppose the Empire. This hated warlord swells the ranks of slaves in the East with fresh bodies monthly as he butchers and enslaves giant after giant.
382 A.G. -- The Council of the Hammer is formed by Karatukus (ancestor of Warslik), a great and wise forest giant. The Council brings the formally warring giant races together to form a united front against the Iksar with limited success.
387 A.G. -- Rile orders the construction of a southern stronghold similar to Korn’s Tower. The tower is named The Kurn, and is overseen by the vampire Iksar named Chosooth. Chosooth assails the giants from his nearly invincible fortress, and after they fall before his Iksar and undead hordes, he animates the giants to form an undead giant battalion of immense power. Rile is pleased. Most of the continent definitely belongs to Sebilis. Only the dragons and pockets of mountain and forest giant resistance remain unconquered.
***note: this is the first mention of the dragons. So it would be a good place to bring back Jaled Dar. He took many dragons with him and formed the Ring of Scale (RoS) faction. Among those, Trakanon, Phara Dar (Jaled Dar is her father), Vox and Nagafen are of note. Vox and Nagafen were later kicked out of RoS and placed in exile for trying to break one of the dragon sacred rules – mating.
394 A.G. -- The Ring of Scale meets in secret, and the dragon lords argue about the impending Iksar threat. Trakanon advocates powerful direct and immediate intervention on behalf of all the races against the Iksar. He is denounced by Jaled Dar, leader of the Ring. Trakanon does not give up, and slowly gains support among the younger dragon-kind. The Ring of Scale rules to intervene against the Iksar only indirectly.
397 A.G. -- Rile sets out to attack kingdoms on Faydwer, taking great naval vessels to the north. His campaigns are successful and he is able to plunder at will.
406 A.G.: During a Deep Range Patrol, a group of Legionnaires is greeted by Captain Vlsk. He has survived in the Outlands with no aid. His once proud tail has been ripped from his body by a Trakanasaurus. He becomes a hero. The blacksmiths are ordered to create a tail make of iron. He is now Captain Irontail.
406 A.G. -- A great squall arises at sea and shatters the Sebilisian navy. The king’s own warship, Fetid Plank, is lost with all hands. News of Rile’s demise brings great mourning in the Empire by the Iksar. His first son Atrebe assumes the imperial throne. The dragon Trakanon is rumored to have been behind this alleged ‘squall’ at sea, and it was indeed he and his dragon allies who sank the armada. The Ring of Scale is outraged and Jaled Dar orders the punishment of the dragons involved.
406 A.G. -- During the Infamous Battle of Timorous Deep, Captain Vlsk Irontail is defeated as well as most of the Sebilisian Navy. A horde of dragons descended upon them. The navy was vastly outnumbered. So was the end of the great Captain Irontail. Long live his spirit.
406 – 455 A.G. -- The Insurrection of the Younger begins, a civil war of the dragon-kind. The younger dragons face the elder in a contest of wills, magic, and might. Every so often a great clash can be seen from the sky, from which flaming shredded massive corpses rain down upon the mountains with the crash of thunder. It is a dark time for the children of Veeshan.
423 A.G. -- Atrebe delves heavily into the elder magic of the Shissar and of his grandfather. He is reclusive and mysterious, and all fear him. He uses his dark powers to conduct foul experiments in his mountain workshop of Kor-sha.
430 A.G. -- Atrebe successfully magically melds a captured dragon with an Iksar, creating a new and horrid race of intelligent dragon-men whom he names the Sarnak. He breeds them quickly and secretly, bending and training them to his maniacal will.
446 A.G. -- Atrebe successfully magically melds a dragon with a Froglok, creating a new avian mount for his armies. Fiercely loyal and deadly in the attack, Atrebe breeds them in earnest. He names this new monstrosity the Sokokar.
452 A.G. – Atrebe’s newly trained air force descends upon the remaining giant strongholds in a massive campaign of conquest lasting just a year. In the end, the Iksar are victorious, conquering mines and cities and enslaving the last of the mighty giants. Now only the dragon-kind stand unconquered by the mighty Sibilisan Empire.
455 A.G. -- The Insurrection of the Younger ends with the older dragons winning the war. Trakanon and his followers are placed in stasis and banished to a magical prison in which they are doomed to oblivion for 600 years. The Ring of Scale then works to subvert the Iksar indirectly through agents, magic, and division.
456 A.G. -- Atrebe perishes in one of his own foul rituals gone bad. His workshop and most of the mountain that contained it is destroyed in a blast of black-green fire. His third son and lead general, Ganak, acts quickly to assassinate his brothers and rises undisputed to the throne of Sebilis.
456 A.G. and onward -- Climatic changes begin to reshape parts of the continent. Earthquakes occur more often than ever. Winds increase in the lands north of the Great Swamp, and the land becomes more and more barren and desert-like. Land rises on the south side of the Bay of the Moon, and the south entrance to the sea is narrowed. Viesar and Danak suffer great earthquake damage as well.
462 – 516 A.G. -- A fifty-four year war erupts between the dragon-kind and the Iksar, when Atrebe attacks the Ring of Scale with all the might of his air force. His first victories are decisive, but he awakens a sleeping fury in the dragon-kind, and many an Iksar town and city are laid waste by powerful dragon fire and elder magic. In the end, Ganak clashes in the sky above the Field of Bone with Jaled Dar, leader of the Ring of Scale. In a mighty clash, they are both incinerated by magic and fire and explode into flaming chunks which rain down upon the land. The war is inconclusive, but the Ring of Scale is smashed and broken, and the dragons retreat from their relentless hunters. The Iksar are quick to rebuild from the devastation using all the might of their slave labor. Ganak is hailed as a great hero, and his death is mourned for years to come. His only son and successor, Chottal, rises to take his father’s place on the imperial throne.
***note: Atrebe died after an experiment gone bad 6 years prior to this event. Probably meant Ganak..
517 A.G. -- In a final blaze of revenge, a horde of dragons attacks the imperial palace by night, destroying it and the king. Only a handful of dragons escape with their lives, however, and they vow to return one day when the empire is weak. With no heir to the throne the Iksar nobles create the Emerald Circle, which will rule in the stead of a king.
***”Jaled Dar hates Trakanon, blaming him for his death, rather than Ganak. Ganak was merely doing what he had to do to preserve his empire and people. Trakanon started the war that led to that. This hatred is what keeps his spirit attached to this world.” (Kendrick)
517 – 787 A.G. -- The Emerald Circle of nobles rules the Empire with total authority. Cities are enhanced and trade is expanded. The navy is rebuilt and prosperity returns to the empire.
788 A.G. -- Arguments over land and influence escalate to a fervorish pitch within the Emerald Circle. With no enemies left to vanquish, the Iksar nobles turn on each other, and the Empire is split asunder into five great states, each based upon the ancient tribal divisions of the Iksar themselves.
789 – 1016 A.G. -- Over two hundred years of civil war wrack the continent, as noble families and merchant houses wage war after war against their neighbors, each seeking to gain the upper hand and claim the title of emperor. The Ring of Scale has its agents meddle in every alliance and affair, always pitting the lords against one another.
1016 A.G. -- Great earthquakes once again rock the continent. Viesar drops into the Lake of the Moon and is lost utterly. Danak is slit asunder and half of it slides into the sea. The naval forces and merchant vessels of the states are destroyed in one day as massive tidal waves wash over ports and vessels alike. Cities are rocked by the quakes and commerce is disrupted. Starvation and want begin to spread across the empire. The End Days begin.
***FYI: The Swifttail were disbanded during the End Days. It was not until the rise of the new empire under Emperor Vekin did the caste reform. Grandmaster Glox, a former disciple of Tynn, came to New Sebilis to rebuild the Court of Pain. In honor of Tynn, all masters now drape themselves in a robe like he wore.
1017 A.G. -- The Iksar try desperately to rebuild, but starving Froglok and giant slaves begin to revolt. The Iksar are unorganized and desperately struggle to keep their minions in line. A Sledge merchant brings a wealthy haul of items to the Arisen. They discover one of the items is the pendant of Rile found in the north sea. The Arisen believe if they can find the bones of Rile, they may be able to resurrect Sathir using the amulet. Their plans never come to fruition, however.
1018 A.G. -- All the slave races of the Iksar are in full revolt. Even the Sarnak turn against their masters. Cities burn and war is waged across the continent.
1018 – 1055 A.G. -- Goblin lords in Faydwer hear of the calamities and begin shipping invading troops to Kunark to pillage the land. Kurn’s Tower is smashed and broken by an army of giants led by the massive mountain giant Warslik. The Karnor is smashed to ruins by forest and hill giant forces. The cities of the Iksar are assaulted and burned. The Iksar flee in terror to the forests and jungles where they are hunted down like dogs.
1056 A.G. -- Trakanon and his dragon allies burst free from their 600 year imprisonment. Trakanon and his forces descend upon the weeping cities of the Iksar and reduce them to ash and ruins. Clouds of poison float through the streets of city after city, slaying any remaining Iksar. They breath fire upon the West Wood (now the Burning Wood) and set it ablaze, covering most of the continent with the haze of smoke which dims the sun for the better part of the year. Crops fail across the land and starvation kills more than the wars ever did. After a year of dragon devastation, it is clear that the Sibilisian Empire is no more.
1056 A.G. -- The bones of the Iksar and other slain creatures are gathered and spread across the Field of Bone by Trakanon and his followers as a permanent warning to any who would seek to fill the shoes of the Iksar. The Ring of Scale reforms about Jaled Dar’s daughter Phara Dar. They demand an end to the destruction lest the continent itself be ripped apart. Trakanon refuses to rest until death and vows to stand watch over the Iksar that if ever they should rise again, he would be there to smash them down. He takes of residence in the council chambers of Sebilis and remains there still to this day. His young followers rejoin their brethren in the Ring of Scale lest they be banished again or slain outright.
***Another theory on this: Trakanon wanted to become the ruler of Veeshan’s Peak, and that played a large role in his decision to attack the Iksar. Phara Dar found out about that, however, since that caused the death of her father. Trakanon had to SETTLE for Sebilis.
1056 – 1560 A.G. -- Over the next 500 years, the other races begin to build new cities and cultures and intercontinental trade begins once again. The goblins dig in the northwest, multiplying and raiding the giants and remaining Iksar. They establish mines and armies, claiming the land for themselves. The giants return to bickering among themselves, with alliances constantly shifting so as to keep the balance of power between them. The Froglok return to their home in the Great Swamp, to their city of Krup. The Sokokar forget their training and domestication, and become the foremost hunters of the Iksar in the Emerald Jungle. The dragons retreat to secrecy and seclusion, to once again pull the invisible strings of fate from afar. The Sarnak hide in Trakanon’s Teeth, and begin to slowly and secretly build cities and mines, and to train for the day when they would take the place of the Iksar as masters of the continent. Smashed and broken, the remaining Iksar fall back into a tribal existence, scraping out a life of hardship and torment in the Emerald Jungle and the forests.
***Something here doesn’t add up. The pre-beta Book about The Troll Migration mentions Trakanon as being the @#%$ to different Troll tribes. Where did they all come from?? I’m guessing that Iksar here are named as Trolls. From “The Troll Migration” book:
“Of the ancient trolls and the dragon Trakanon:
The present day kingdom of Grobb has always been fairly secretive about it's heritage, but common trollish lore tells us that the kingdom has it's roots in the blasted continent of Kunark, a land of venomous rivers, gray wastes, and seething deadwood forests. It is written that here, nestled on the banks of the Murkdweller river, Innoruk chose to taint the bodies of man with cruel magics in his attempt at further having a hold on the prophecied surge of human power in the third age. But with the advent of the war of the broken crown, sages tell that Innoruk eventually forgot about his trollish abominations and left them to die on Kunark. What followed for the trolls was decades of brutal combat as they struggled for the scarce natural resources of their dead continent.
It was at this time that the ancient dragon Trakanon took notice of the slowly dying race. To call the ancient one a dragon is purely speculative, as no one has ever seen the terrible beast many think is reponsible for the present condition of Kunark, but the garbled texts of the trolls describe him as one. The dragon is said to have gathered the entire population of Kunark onto one island in the broken teeth chain and there offer the trolls a pact: Trakanon would supply the forgotten children of Innoruk with food and water from his personal jungle lands if they would become his servants. The trolls agreed, regarding Trakanon as a powerful savior, king, and @#%$. Trakanon organized the trolls into separate tribes each to occupy a certain part of eastern Kunark so he could control them better. It was at this time his servants adopted the name "troll" which is a shortened form of the phrase "troll quel'dom gik Trakanon" which meant "the green children of Trakanon" in dragonish.
Of Trakanon's seclusion and the wars of the seven tribes:
It has never been in the power of either man or troll to determine the great dragon's reason for his abandonement, but we can't hope to understand the ways of the immortals. Every text simply states that Trakanon may have just changed his mind. Nevertheless, after centuries of relative peace and harsh rule under their godlike king, the twenty-five tribes of Trakanon entered the second age with their food supply dwindling and shipments coming in less and less frequently. At first there was no panic, the tribal leaders sent messengers to their king to ask forgiveness for whatever they had done wrong, but the messengers started to come back with word that they had been denied an audience with the great dragon. Trollish caravans by the hundreds started to crowd the dark hills of disdain, waiting for the gates to open into Trakanon's hidden kingdom, but that day never came. When word of Trakanon's seclusion started spreading throughout Kunark, each tribe began to move closer and closer to the east where food had once come through. They arrived next to Trakanon's kingdom only to learn that the great dragon king had not been seen for more then 50 years and just recently had closed his gates to all messengers and caravans. The trolls were confused, distraught, and starving, and so they waited in the Kunark east for some word to come from their @#%$.
When that word never came, the tribes of Trakanon started to grow restless. Battles started to erupt haphazardly and tribal villages were attacked and plundered. In the shadows of the mountain range "Trakanon's teeth" a new trollish war erupted. The 25 tribes of Trakanon attacked eachother viciously for food and water, and for ten years they battled nonstop until only 7 tribes were left. These 7 tribes retreated to every corner around what is now called the field of bone, named for the countless trollish skeletons which cover the ground. For centuries more the surviving trolls would fight what has been called the war of the seven tribes in their attempts at stealing whatever they could for food and drink, even the flesh and blood of other tribal members. Trollish shamans say that every day while the war raged beneath him, Trakanon sat perched high above his jungle throne, watching his trolls die with a grin on his face. The war would almost cause the complete destruction of the troll race&ldots;.
&ldots;For decades troll shamans had prophecied that the tribe to win the wars would be given unimaginable riches and power by their dragon lord, but Trakanon never revealed himself to the last tribe even after the war was over. Kunark was now completely a blasted land and a graveyard. All the creatures were dead and the undrinkable rivers were red with blood. The tribe of Nalikor thought themselves the sole rulers of their continent, but their continent was left with nothing they could use to survive. When tensions started to rise again among members of the same tribe, Nalikor realized that his followers were ready once more to destroy themselves. Powerless and desperate, the old chief then decided to commit an act of trollish blasphemy: he would cross Trakanon's Teeth, steal his way into the jungle kingdom of the great dragon, and speak to the king of the trolls personally.
Many different stories are written about the month-long journey of Nalikor into the forbidden territory of his once-@#%$ Trakanon, but all have these few things in common: It is said that the old chief did actually meet the great dragon and that he told Trakanon all but one of the tribes had been killed. The ancient beast obviously admired the chief, as he awarded Nalikor with a magic blade and a key into his eternal kingdom, but the dragon also told Nalikor bluntly that he would give no aid to the trolls. It was then that Trakanon told Nalikor of the other continents and the other races, and that the chief could either lead his people away from Kunark or watch the last tribe die. Nalikor was especially outraged at the mention of more fruitful continents and the elder races, and it is speculated that the hostility trolls have towards all other Norrathians is spawned from this scorned jealousy, like a grown man emerging from a troubled childhood. When Nalikor returned to his tribe he found it in chaos, split among five different leaders each with different plans for Kunark. The old chief killed each would-be-leader quickly, his flaming sword easily cutting them down, and when word of Nalikor's new-found power spread the trolls once more united behind him and gave him the title "Trakanon's chosen."
The old chief told all four hundred of his remaining followers what Trakanon had told him, and quickly began to lay out the plan for an escape off their island-continent. With a very limited supply of natural resources, Nalikor and his men built a fleet of five massive ships entirely out of wood, steel, and the bones of dead trolls. With nothing left on Kunark, the trolls gladly boarded the fleet of bone, leaving behind them their entire culture of war and death, and sailed aimlessly for many weeks until coming to the broken skull rock off Antonica, in the middle of the gulf of Gunthak.”
***At some point during this time, an Elven hero, Edril, set out on a quest to slay the evil troll dragon-@#%$ Trakanon. “The Story of Edril” tells of what happened:
“&ldots;Leaving his wife sobbing behind him on the docksides of Freeport, Edril set sail for several weeks before arriving at what he hoped was the lost continent of Kunark. Frightened by the horrible site of the field of bone before them, the crew of Edril's ship told the warrior they would remain on the coastline until his safe return. Packing what he needed for a long and arduous journey, Edril made his way alone across the dead fields of the ancient trollish homeland until he arrived.at the jagged cliffs of Trakanon's Teeth. What happened next no one knows for sure, as Edril was careful not even to divulge it to his wife before his death, but it is rumored Edril had to escape many clever traps and fight through several horrendous challenges before reaching the throne of the great beast. Even then, he did not kill Trakanon because what the dragon had to tell him was of far greater importance then any quest. Herein lies the complete text of Trakanon's prophecy, as Edril himself never forgot the words of the great beast and later told his wife in order that the whole of Norrath may read the message:
Of Trakanon's prophecy, excerpt from "The Book of Edril" by Edril's late wife Almaril:
The great dragon looked on Edril as a father on his son and smiled widely. "So," Trakanon spoke in a voice that shook the very ground, "at last you have come." Edril, great among the elves, felt himself begin to tremble as he stared deep into the dragon's fiery eyes. "You have no reason to fear me, warrior, even though you have come here to kill me. But I doubt that even you could perform such a task. You see, child, I was born before the stars were made, before the foundation of this world was ripped by Veeshan's claw, and before the gods gave birth to the elder races. I have been and always will be the eternal mystery between life and death and gods and man." With that said, Edril bowed his head in awe and somehow knew the great beast spoke the truth. "And yet," the dragon continued, "I am but a watcher. For while I claim this world as my own I am forbidden by laws forged millenia ago to change it's course. It is the curse of all my kind: to love a world so much and to have to watch it die. Take heed, warrior, because Norrath's death is fast approaching." Edril lifted his head, his eyes wide in a look of shock and fear. The dragon simply nodded. "Yes, Edril, Norrath's fate was decided long ago, or so the gods think. But the visions of your gods are often warped by their own vanity and selfishness, the future is never set, and the elder races may yet prove them wrong. The gods made you all as a means to an end in their struggle and as the wars of the elder races escalate, so shall the gods descend from their planes of existence and make the whole of Norrath suffer. But there are those among the races untouched by the taint of immortals whom I have chosen as the saviors of man." Trakanon then stabbed deep into the ground with his left claw and ripped the bottom of his cave dwelling asunder with one powerful stroke of his arm. Edril looked over the sides of the newly formed chasms and noticed the walls glowing a bright red. A face began to form from the blackness deep within the cracks, and Edril could clearly make out the aging face of an old man. The face had sad eyes, gaunt cheeks, and long silvery hair. "His name is Miragul," said the dragon, "a human mage, gifted in all talents of magic and able to bend the laws of life and death to his will. He exists now as an empty shell, wandering his tombs filled with powerful magics." The next face that formed was that of a troll, but surprisingly it was a noble and proud visage. Scars ran from both eyes down to the troll's mouth, and the troll's eyes were strong and unwavering. "He was called Nalikor. He was the troll first to enter my kingdom and find me. He ended centuries of brutal war, was greatest among his soldiers, and was able to lead his people from death and starvation to a powerful kingdom." The dragon then turned his eyes to Edril. "You, elf, are my third chosen. You are Edril the warrior, a brilliant soldier and great hero. Death haunts you at every turn but you are always able to overcome your obstacles. You are a deadly fighter, a wanderer of Norrath, and a lord among elves. And now I award you with a much bigger destiny." Trakanon spoke deep in a language Edril couldn't understand, and suddenly a small pendant flashed into existence around Edril's neck. "To Miragul I revealed the existence of artifacts that would enhance his powers in the arcane arts. To Nalikor I awarded a flaming sword to enhance his warrior prowess. To you I give this: a small pendant that will allow you to talk with me always. But it does much more. My strength is finite, Edril, and already my powers begin to weaken. Soon either the gods or the elder races will find the means to my destruction, and when that happens then the final war for Norrath shall be waged. But when I die, before I leave for the afterlife, I will impart my power to the bearer of this pendant, and he shall have all the wisdom and the strength of the most ancient of creatures." Trakanon then laid his serpent-like head on the floor of his cave. "That time is fast approaching. Here is my prophecy, young one. Everything I say now shall soon come to pass. When the wars of the elder races begin to come to fruition, the gods shall take notice and plan for their coming into the world. Then, on the third day of the third season, in the dark of the night on all the continents of the elder races, shall be reborn my chosen in the bodies of other men, representing all of the three virtues: good, evil, and the gray neutral between them both. They will arise to the call of a fourth chosen, great among them, who will collect my gifts unto himself: the magic enhancements of Miragul, the flaming sword of Nalikor, and your dragon pendant. The peoples of Norrath will revere this one as Trakanon's chosen, and he will watch the whole world burn."
Of Edril's last days:
When he returned home he was changed forever. With his greatest achievment completed, Edril the warrior, feared of the orcan clans, slayer of the plague dragon of Akanon, first soldier of the empire, and desert wanderer of Norrath, hung his sword to rest forever. He lived many happy years in the arms of Almaril, his wife, and they even gave birth to a son, something no one thought possible between a erudite and elf. But whether it was fate's choice to test Edril one last time or because erudites were enough "non-human" so procreation was near impossible, Edril's son was taken by disease at an early age. The event crushed the indomitable elf and at the age of 405 the warrior passed away. "No spear or sword or arrow, fang, claw, or spell could ever hope of killing the elf known as Edril," recounted Biddyn at the funeral of his friend, "but for a father, the death of an only child is the worst poison the world can give." The lord of Qeynos thought it best to send his body back to the elven empire and there gathered a very ecclectic funeral procession: Merchant friends from Freeport and Qeynos, human lords of Antonica, almost the entire gnomish population, and even troll shamans from Grobb to bear witness to the last warrior to ever lay eyes on Trakanon. Some said the dark elves were also present, spying on the funeral from the shadows just to make sure Edril had actually lost the battle with death. Dozens of elven trumpets sounded his passing and his casket was floated over the top of the Elizerain Lake to sink into it's depths forever, an honor normally reserved only for the emperors. It is written that even now, at the bottom of the lake in that same casket, the dragon pendant of Trakanon waits, grasped tightly in Edril's cold, dead fingers.”
1312 A.G. – The Crusades. “This is the time of the scattered and defeated Iksar empire. The great dragon, Trakanon and his allies of scale have left the empire in rubble and our people are divided yet again. The once grand city of Sebilis is claimed by the one who descimated it.
The remaining Iksar are scattered among the outlands of Kunark. Their places of refuge are now the dwellings of dark denizens. In the wilds, a few castes come to unite. One of these are the remnants of the Crusaders of Greenmist. They are lead by a powerful shadowknight named Nok Nilok.
The army of shadowknights number in the hundreds. Within their ranks are a few mystics and legionnaires. The tribe names itself after their leader, they are to be named, The Crusaders of Rok Nilok and they shall purge the lands of Kunark.
The Crusaders burn across the Dreadlands and death comes quickly to those who dare stand in their way. They slay many giants and many goblins. There shall be no prisoners of slaves. The empire shall be rebuilt by the hands of the Iksar. All other shall perish.
Kamors Castle is the first major objective of the Crusaders. It has now been taken over by goblin clans. The Goblins soon find themselves under siege. For twenty days they hold ground until the Crusaders choose to assault as a band of goblin deserters flee. A swift battle ensues and the castle is reclaimed.
The Crusaders now set their sights on the city of Cabilis. While the march is designed, Rok Nilok discovers something very evil. Nothing is known of his discoveries. No record exists of it's evil. All that is known is that Rok Nilok made a pact and soon shall suffer for it.
During the battle for Cabilis, a strange rain falls which shrinks them to the size of dolls and their heads are set aflame. Nilok's head burns red. And the goblins squash the would be emperor and his minions.”
1560 A.G. -- A sledge explorer searches the ancient wreckage of the fleet, which sank at sea under the leadership of Rile long ago. He discovers the corpse of Rile draped in jewelry and takes it whole as a trophy.
1611 A.G. -- The corpse of Rile is sold to a goblin king, Kaboktok, who places it in his throne room for all to see. He claims it was his goblin ancestor who slew Emperor Rile at sea.
1690 A.G. -- The mountain giant king, Farslik, descendant of Warslik, descends upon a rich goblin city. The mountain giants, with the aid of frost giants, capture the city-mine. Farslik takes the bones of Rile as a souvenir.
1766 A.G. -- For the first time, the Sarnak venture out into the ruins of the Iksar cities. Few return, but those who do possess priceless scrolls dealing in dark rituals and forbidden magic. The Sarnak begin to explore dark magic themselves, finding they have an uncanny knack for its use.
1821 A.G. -- The goblins mount an all out offensive on Konikor, sacking it for all its worth. Part of the bounty are the bones of Rile, which are sold to an Iksar merchant who then travels east. The mountain giants retake Konikor that same year.
1829 A.G. -- The merchant (whose name is Vlistis) sells the bones of Rile to the descendents of the Cult of the Arisen. They take the bones to Charasis and begin to search for the Amulet of Sathir in the wreckage, hoping that by bringing the soul of the father into the body of the son that they may perhaps bring back the first king of Sebilis.
1879 A.G. -- Fifty years of searching finally reveals the Amulet and dark rites are performed upon it and the bones of Rile. Nothing happens and the cult members believe they have failed utterly. They leave the bones of Rile on an altar beneath the ruins of Charasis.
1923 A.G. -- The Sarnak, hungry for more dark knowledge, journey into Charasis to loot its ancient tombs. A priest in the group finds the scrolls the cult was using and in the presence of the bones of Rile unwittingly completes the ritual. Venril Sathir is sucked from his place of torment and after 1600 years is joined to the body of his backstabbing son. He rises from his bed-like altar and slays all the Sarnak. One of the Sarnak he transforms into a vampire, one that will loyally do his every bidding.
1924 – 2024 A.G. -- For one hundred years, Venril Sathir travels among the ruined cities of the Iksar, collecting what remnants of power he can, and building about him an army of the dead. He travels west and seduces goblin and giants lords alike with promises of immortality and untold power.
2090 A.G. -- Venril establishes himself in the Dreadlands and begins to rebuild the shattered ruins of the Karnor. His minions raid caravans for weapons and supplies, and he begins to build expeditionary forces. He magically perverts some of the mortals to make a legion of lycanthropes, led by Thuuga, a wizard Iksar serpent changer.
2137 A.G. -- The giants meet in the council and decide to unite against an unknown enemy in Karnor, whose horrid legions are pillaging their cities and caravans. The goblins are asked to join to stomp out this new presence in the Dreadlands, and agree to do so for a price. They would receive Konikor, the richest mine in the world as their own. The giants agree and an assault is planned. The dragons are the ones to leak information to both sides that this threat in the Dreadlands must be stopped, fearing themselves that this unseen force may be an Iksar wizard of reborn power. The dragons also convince Thuuga that Sathir believes the lycanthropes are expendable and untrustworthy, and that he will eliminate them soon. Thuuga secretly joins the Alliance of the Stone against the undead.
2140 A.G. -- The Alliance of Stone (giants and goblins) descend unwittingly upon the Karnor. Venril is alerted to the attack before it occurs, however, by an agent of the Ring of Scale. The battle lasts for an entire year, and in the end, Sathir’s forces are crushed and driven back, most decisively by the betrayal of his lycanthrope troops. He takes refuge in the Bile, at an outpost he names Varis.
2141 A.G. -- Agents of the dragon council convince the goblins that the giants have no intention of giving up Konikor (which was untrue). They council the goblins to sneak attack and take it by force while it is weak. At the same time, agents of the council advise the giants that the goblins intent to take Konikor in battle and other mines as well. The dragons’ plans work, and war ensues.
2141 – 2170 A.G. -- A thirty year war is fought between the giants and the goblins, called the War of Lies (in that each side believes the other to be liars). It ends in a stalemate, with very heavy casualties on all sides. The giants retain control of Konikor.
2180 A.G. -- The Sarnak establish outposts in the Frontier Mountains and being to capture Sokokar young and train them as battle attack dogs.
2182 A.G. -- One of the members of the Ring of Scale disappears over Trakanon’s Teeth. Trakanon is implicated, however no evidence can be found. In fact, it was the Sarnak testing their prowess in combat against their dragon ancestors.
2211 A.G. -- The Sarnak invade and conquer two small goblin mines in the Frontier Mountains. The giants take once again to squabbling amongst themselves. The Sarnak begin to breed Goblin and Froglok slaves.
2262 A.G. -- The first landing by elves is made at what is now Firiona Vie. The elves are slain within the year by Froglok raids. Venril Sathir relocates back to the Karnor and begins to rebuild once more, only more quietly. He rousts the lycanthropes from Karnor into the wilds of the Dreadlands. He begins to animate an army of the dead once again.
2287 A.G. -- Again, elves land in Firiona Vie. This time they are able to resist the Frogloks. However, the swamp and hill giants see them as a threat and descend upon Firiona Vie in force. All the elves are slain save for a few who escape back to the sea. Sathir re-establishes his outpost at Varis as a lookout to the East. He sends his best lieutenant to the lost city of Kaesora in the Field of Bone.
2310 A.G. -- The elves land once again in Firiona Vie in force. A fort is erected and the giants are too busy squabbling amongst themselves to notice. The Froglok raid continually, but are unable to breach the elves’ defenses.
2311 A.G. -- Adventurers, mercenaries and frontiersmen arrive at Firiona Vie. They are elven, human, and dwarven. The growing town is fortified further and begins trade with a more peaceful hill giant tribe in the Dreadlands. They lyncathropes form an uneasy alliance with the hill giants of the region to suppress the rapidly growing power of Venril Sathir at Karnor. Sathir sends an agent that appears to the Sarnak as one of their own and within one year is elected to the king’s council. There he begins to subvert the Sarnak to his own designs, convincing them to eliminate the Ring of Scale altogether. The dragons’ agent in the council mysteriously vanishes one night, never to be seen again (assassinated by Sathir’s agent Korucust).
2312 A.G. – present
Now that we kind of know what happens, we can fill in more blanks. It’s not obvious that Jaled Dar was tricking all adventurers (PC’s) into waking the Sleeper aka Kerafyrm. In a way, it’s his revenge on Trakanon and the rest of the dragons.
Zlandicar and Jaled Dar, both residing in Dragon Necropolis, are at odds with each other, and if you speak with Zlandicar, he’ll ask you to kill Jaled Dar. Also, “Zlandicar is also protected by the injunction that prevents dragon from killing dragon, something he twists to his advantage, as his diet consists entirely of the flesh of his kind, usually dead, but not always&ldots;” (Kendrick).
In another theory, Jaled Dar dislikes Zlandicar because he feasted on his remains – possibly causing Jaled Dar to remain as a shadow of its former self instead of dying peacefully. “It also seems that Jaled Dar's spirit did not go to the afterlife but was stuck in the dragon's graveyard. This may have been the result of his flesh being consumed by Zlandicar. However it happened, it seems that the spirit may have gone insane or at least desire to be released from the world of Norrath. Jaled Dar see that the only way that he can accomplish this goal is to have the Sleeper released. If Kerafyrm is released from his prison, the destruction of all the dragons and the world of Norath would give Jaled Dar his final release. But he is still bound, even in death, but the laws of the dragons and not being able to directly kill another dragon. So he is unable to removed the warders that protect the prison of the Sleeper. To achieve his goal, he tricks mortal advantures into doing it for him by giving them the key necessary to gain access to Kerafyrm's tomb. To prevent the First Brood from stopping Kerafyrm again, should he be freed, Jaled Dar desires proof that all First Brood have been defeated prior to giving the key to some unlucky adventurer”
Not sure what else to add here. I have a feeling like I’m missing some things.. Hopefully you guys will be able to fill in the blanks.
Can anyone add in the story of Torsis (aka City of Mist) into this storyline?
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