Category Archives: Avatar of War

Antonica, Ashen Order, Avatar of Tranquility, Avatar of War, Book, Freeport, Mara, mobile, Quellious, Tower of the Four Winds, Whistling Fists, Zan Fi

The Words of the Avatar

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by Brother Nusad, Clan Historian
In the days after the Sleeper had been awakened and departed from realms unknown, mortals strode within the planes of the gods themselves. Seeking some way to halt this unwanted meddling, the gods withdrew their influence from Norrath and would speak no more. Because the druid rings and wizard spires ceased to function, mortals were cut off from one another. A dark time fell upon the lands as the treat of another Rallosian Empire stirred within the depths of the Feerrott.

Yet there was still hope. The goddess Quellious called forth an Avatar of Tranquility, granting a mortal monk some vestige of her power to ensure that Norrath survived the anguish that was to come. The Avatar appeared to some of the mortals and prepared them to defend the human city of Freeport against the Rallosian menace.

Word of these events reached Sensei Bodiki, honored master of the Whistling Fists Clan. He told his monks to prepare for battle, for they would join in the great war that was to come. Not since the days of Zan Fi had the entire order left their monastery to engage in such a conflict. The monks obeyed their honored leader and prepared to set sail for Antonica.

But just as the monks were about to depart, the Avatar of Tranquility arrived upon the shores of Mara. He asked to speak to Sensei Bodiki in private, so the two honored monks retreated to the top floor of the Tower of the Four Winds. They talked for hours, while all the other monks waited to learn what message the Avatar had brought for them.

Finally Sensei Bodiki emerged from the tower, though he walked alone. He said that the Avatar wished fro their order to remain at the monastery. The sensei could not share the reason why the Whistling Fist Clan was not to engage in the battle; Sensei Bodiki would only say that is was vital that they safeguard the island of Mara. Their island, he said, had some other part to play in Norrath’s future. The monks knew their honorable master would not mislead them, so they obeyed.

Only Sensei Bodiki himself departed the island to fight alongside the Ashen Order in the Battle of Defiance. The Avatar blessed the sensei’s decision, although he warned him that this conflict would be fraught with danger. The brave sensei felt that his place was to join others monks in their defense of Norrath.

The battle was won but the price was terrible: Sensei Bodiki was struck down by the Avatar of War. In a gesture of great honor, the Avatar of Tranquility himself bore the body of this fallen hero back to the isle of Mara, where it was laid to rest within the Sepulcher of Zan Fi.

The Whistling Fist Clan next elected Brother Zadekil to the position of sensei. The honorable Sensei Zadekil governed the order though many prosperous years in which great songs were sung of the brave Sensei Bodiki.

Avatar of War, Blackburrow, Book, Crushbone, Deathfist, Desert of Ro, Everfrost, Freeport, Freeport Militia, Gnoll, Halas, Innothule, mobile, Qeynos, Ro

Rise of the Orcs – The Rejoining

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“Rise of the Orcs – The Rejoining”
Second Edition

This book details how the orcs would organize into armies the likes of which had not been seen on Norrath for millennia.

The following historical account details what stories would describe as the main turning point in the rise of the orcs. No longer primal savages, the orcs would organize into armies the like that hadn’t been seen on Norrath for millenia. Several accounts of thus time period still exist in varying forms, which have been condensed together within this volume.

The Deathfist: Having defeated the Freeport Militia on several occassions, the Deathfist orcs would cause the city’s armies to rethink their strategies. During this time, the Emperor of the Deathfist orcs would be visited by a being of immense power. This visitor would cause the Deathfist to send out a call to all of the minor tribes that made up the entire empire.

The Snow Orcs: Efficiently using many ancient artifacts acquired from the Dragon Vox, the Snow Orcs would begin to push back against the barbarians. Eventually laying siege to Halas, they would signal the death-knell for the rugged barbarians. The Snow Orcs would immediately change direction, however, after meeting with a strange visitor. Leaving Halas behind, they began marching to the south with a determined pace.

The Crushbone: Not much is known about the Crushbone orcs during this time period. Having taken part in a great war that ravaged the continent of Faydwyr, these orcs would fade into obscurity. All that is known is that a small group of Crushbones would sail across the ocean on great ships they built, intent on joining up with the Deathfist on the main continent. They claim their motivation for doing so would be due to a directive given to them by a mysterious visitor.

Snow Orcs: Marching through the frozen tundra of Everfrost Peaks, the Snow Orcs would gather every tribe along their way, eventually forming into a great army. They would continue this march, annihilating everything in their path. Rather than raiding and capturing small villages along their way, they would simply kill everyone and raze the buildings to the ground. This march would eventually end when they reached the homeland of the gnolls, Blackburrow.

Having evidenced the wanton slaughter they had caused on their way to the gnolls home, one would expect the orcs to have done the same to the dog-men. Instead, however, the gnolls were waiting for them and invited the orcs inside their den. No battle took place that day, and the orcs passed into the winding caves without harm. Making camp at sites prepared for them, it become evident the orcs and the gnolls were working together.

The residents of the nearby Qeynos received word of the plight of Halas and would send forces to help the barbarians. None of their forces could reach the frozen tundra due to pact between the gnolls and the orcs, however. All that would be learned during this time was the orcs now residing within Blackburrow were no longer guests, but instead dominators. By now, the Snow Orcs of Blackburrow had enslaved every last gnoll and were using them to mine or for their war efforts.

Deathfist Orcs: Not long after their visit by the mysterious stranger, Emperor Gash would begin to mobilize every member of his tribe into a great army. Spanning from the southern Rujarkian orcs to the western Kithicorian orcs of the Deathfist Empire, they all were given orders to arm themselves and collapse their nomadic camps. The stranger’s message was then delivered to every orcish soldier – War.

Amassing their mighty armies within the Desert of Ro, their ancestral homeland, the orcs began to march south. Just like the Snow Orcs, they would decimate anyone and everything within their path. From gypsies to desert madmen, there was nothing left alive in the Desert of Ro after they had crossed it’s endless dunes. They would continue their march until they finally reached the southernmost Innothule swamp. This was where their forces were joined to an even larger army.

The Second Rallosian Empire, comprised of ogres who regained their long-lost intelligence, welcomed the orcs into their ranks. Joining together into one great army, the Deathfist orcs watched as their Emperor bowed one knee and swore fealty to the leader of this titanic army – The Avatar of War. When the Avatar stated that the Deathfist armies were larger than he had expected, Emperor Gash smiled enigmatically and told him, “If this is the case, then we have already won, your Divineness.”

Ashen Order, Avatar of War, Book, Deathfist, Freeport, Freeport Militia, Green Mist, Knights of Thunder, Knights of Truth, mobile, Orc, The Commonlands, The Rending

Rise of the Orcs – The Fall

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“Rise of the Orcs – The Fall”
Second Edition

This book details how the orcs would nearly succeed at toppling the two most powerful cities on Norrath.

The following historical account details the orc’s involvement during the short, yet devastating, War of Defiance. Simultaneously laying siege to the two largest cities on Norrath, the orcs would come close to achieving greatness, only to be crushed in the final moments. Several accounts of this time period still exist in varying forms, which have been condensed together within this volume.

Snow Orcs: Numbering only in the hundreds, the Snow Orcs would have their numbers reinforced by the Avatar of Flame’s hidden army. Coming from the Plains of Karana, hundreds of goblins and giants would join their ranks to do battle with combined forces of the humans. The resulting clash between forces would echo halfway across the world.

For eight days, the battle would rage. Giants would smash the Qeynosian Guard, druids would kill orcs, but neither side was winning. Ultimately, the Qeynosians would make a valiant charge that would end the war. The Knights of Thunder would land a killing blow against the Orcish horde by severing the head from the Avatar of Flame’s shoulders.

Losing the guidance from their divine leader, the giants, goblins, and orcs would finally to fall to the Qeynosians. Not having enough troops to hunt down the stragglers, the fallen army would scatter to the four winds. The few remaining Snow Orcs would be routed back through Blackburrow, and that is where history would last see these people. It is not known how many Snow Orcs survived the journey through their former slaves’ den, but it is known that orc bones would be seen in the gnoll’s rubbish pits for months to come.

Deathfist Orcs: The siege of Freeport would not bode well for the Militia. Not expecting the combined might of the orcs and the ogres, the Militia did all they could just to keep the walls standing. Soon enough, the humans would realize that the orcish and orgrish armies were doing nothing more than taunting them. When it was noticeable in the faces of every one of the guards that all hope was lost, something unexpected happened. A greenish mist began covering the land for as far as the eye could see. Filling the lungs of everyone, it seemed nothing more than an odd weather phenomenon. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The orcs would look in horror as they watched as all of the ogres began to cough up clouds of green colored mist from their lungs. These spasms would become more and more violent until the ogres would collapse dead from asphyxiation. Looking all around them, the Deathfist army would see every last one of their Rallosian brethren lying dead on the battlefield, with nary a scratch on them. To make matters worse for the orcs, the battle would be joined by two other armies, intent on finishing what the green mist had started.

Though their numbers were unimaginable, the Deathfists were not able to withstand an army on three fronts – The Freeport Militia on one side, the Ashen Order on another, and the Knights of Truth on the last. The orcs would not go down without a fight, however. It would take the death of the Avatar of War before the Deathfist would be routed. With their numbers reduced to the mere hundreds, the Deathfist orcs fled past the Ashen Order monks towards the Desert of Ro, where they were never seen again.

The orcs would neither be heard nor seen for the next several decades. Aside from isolated clans that remained out of the War of Defiance, Norrath believed the threat was forever gone. With the coming of the Rending and later the Shattering, the endless hordes of the orcs would begin to become nothing more than stories again. This would prove to be folly once again.

The re-emergence of the orcs would first be seen in the Commonlands. A clan calling themselves the Bloodskulls would begin to become a new threat to Freeport. Using siege engines, Freeport has managed to keep these orcs at bay, but they must remain ever vigilant. Coupled with this clan that emerged overnight, those foolish enough to ply their trade on the sea lanes claim to have seen great armadas of ships roaming the water. Those that have survived these encounters claim that the people crewing these ships are not just people, but rather, orcs.

Some unfounded reports claim that that the Deathfist Empire had managed to survive their defeat during the War of Defiance. These stories claim that the phantom armadas exist and it’s nothing more than the naval branch of the Deathfist Empire. Even wilder stories claim there is a land filled with these orcs, and not only have they rebuilt their Empire, they’re preparing for another attack on Norrath. Fortunately, these stories have no proof to validate these foolish claims.

Avatar of Flame, Avatar of War, Blackburrow, Book, Deathfist, Freeport, Gnoll, Innothule, Knights of Thunder, mobile, Orc, Qeynos, Rallosian Army, Rallosians, Surefall Glade

Rise of the Orcs – The Ascension

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“Rise of the Orcs – The Ascension”
Second Edition

This book details how the orcs would organize into armies the likes of which had not been seen on Norrath for millennia.

The following historical account details what stories would describe as the main turning point in the rise of the orcs. No longer primal savages, the orcs would organize into armies the like that hadn’t been seen on Norrath for millennia. Several accounts of thus time period still exist in varying forms, which have been condensed together within this volume.

Snow Orcs: Launching a surprise attack on both Surefall Glade and Qeynos at the same time, the Snow Orcs would attempt to divide the two cities. Sending wave after wave of gnoll suicide squads against the two people, the orcs directed the attack against the humans. Employing frighteningly effective tactics, the destruction caused by the orcs would seem to be amplified by the man leading them – a being engulfed in fire.

As the invasion would wear on, the gnoll’s numbers would be decimated – leaving behind only women and children in Blackburrow. The Avatar of Flame would ultimately send the signal that would spell the doom for Qeynos. Having suffered major losses to the gnolls, the human city would stand no chance against the orcish hordes marching straight for them. Were it not for a miracle that happened that day, Qeynos would not be standing.

As the Snow Orc horde began their charge, a great rumbling was felt in the earth. It intensified to the point of toppling many of the nearby towers. When the dust settled, the armies of Qeynos gazed upon a huge hole in the land where the hordes once stood. Slowly they realized that the very earth had swallowed the entire orc army. They watched in amazement as the ground began to reform, leaving no trace that there was ever a rift in the earth. Even with this turn of events, the war was far from over.

The Avatar of Flame, somehow avoiding the great sinkhole, still stood with only a few remaining orcish troops. The Qeynosians, having suffered severe losses from the invasion, would then see their second miracle that day. Approaching from the north, the combined forces of the Knights of Thunder and the Druids of Surefall were riding to join the ranks of Qeynos – being led by the Avatar of Storms. Unbeknownst to the human forces, however, was that the Avatar of Flame had reinforcements of his own. And they, too, had just arrived.

Deathfist Orcs: Though they had just traveled many leagues to join with their Rallosian brethren, the Deathfist orcs would find that the war in the south had changed since they were called. Already controlling the Innothule swamp, the Rallosian Army had now set their sights on new targets. Splitting the forces into two armies, one would sweep to the west being led by the Rallosian Warlord. The other, being led by Emperor Gash and the Avatar of War, would return to the north. Rather than being upset by the change in direction, the orcs were looking forward to what was to come.

Traveling back through the desert wasteland the orcs had just devastated, the Rallosians would remark upon the efficiency of the orcs’ work. Sometime during the march, Emperor Gash would send several platoons towards the hills, but not offering to explain why. When questioned, he would reply that the ogres needn’t worry about having enough troops when they reached their destination.

Though working together as allies, the orcs and the ogres would maintain wide berths during the march. This would prove a stroke of luck for the Rallosians, but not for the Deathfists. As they the armies passed into an open stretch of desert, the Rallosians would watch as tens of thousands of orcs would instantly be swallowed by the sand in one fell swoop. Though a devastating loss to the Deathfist Empire, Emperor Gash informed the Rallosians and the Avatar of War that all was not lost. For, he claimed, the orcs he brought with him were only one half of the Empire. The other half were already waiting at their destination.

Finally reaching their destination, the remaining orcs and the Rallosians joined with the other half of the Deathfist Empire. Employing the tactics of the orcs and the unstoppable might of the Rallosians, the Avatar of War began preparing for battle against their target – the great city of Freeport. When the assault was set to begin, the Avatar of War gazed upon Freeport and watched as thousands of Militia gathered to defend the walls. The battle was about to begin.

The orcs, once viewed as a petty annoyance, would rise from primitive savagery to tactical genius. Ancient tales that told of their former greatness were oft overlooked as being nothing more than fairy tales. Norrath would come to know that the stories were actually true, and were more attention paid to them, they would have known that the orcs had “returned” to Norrath. And their “return” would be forever burned into the memory by the part they played in the War of Defiance.

Avatar of War, Book, mobile, Runnyeye

History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. II

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This book is titled “History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. II”. It chronicles the history of the goblins from when they settled in Norrath to the horrible curse that befell them.
40 PC – The One Clan would spend the next several years scouting the newfound land for a place to settle. The surrounding land was filled with a bounty of food, but they wanted something to remind them of their old home.

1 MC – Carving out an intricate cave system within a mountainside, the One Clan would change their name to the Mountain Clan in honor of their new home. All would be fine for the next several decades until their continued tunneling would cause them to meet their unknown neighbors.

37 MC – The goblins would eventually be introduced to a race of short people who lived within the same mountain. For no reason other than lack of being able to communicate, the two races would wind up going to war with each other. Territorial battles would be waged for the next several years.

43 MC – Using the gifts given to them by their creators, the goblins would craft a magical device that allowed them to actually speak the high pitched tongue of their enemies. Once they realized what these little men were saying, the war stopped at once. Both of these two people shared a love for the same thing… invention!

100 MC – The partnership between the two races would continue for many years to come. As the years went by, however, the two races would come to disagreements on the methods of creation. These disagreements would escalate to full arguments. The King of the little people and the Great Chief would meet to discuss how to prevent another war.

100 MC – Both races came to the decision that the only way to prevent a new war was for both peoples to leave for new lands. Agreeing to do so, they left every last one of their marvelous devices within their homes, sealed the mountain and left.

1 RE – Seeking a new home once again, the Mountain Clan would be visited by the Avatar of War and told that the oath of their forefathers had come due. They were told to travel to a land where they were to meet other children of Rallos. With that, the Mountain Clan would find themselves soon enlisted in army of the Rallosian Empire.

1 – ? RE – The goblins would serve the Rallosian Empire for many years to come. Not fully enslaved by their gigantic counterparts, they were not as free as they had been in the past. Their role would be the part of supplier. Creating their magical devices for use by the soldiers on the front lines of the Empire, the goblins would finally come to know their true role in the world.

? RE – During the course of the campaigns across the world of Norrath, the goblins would begin to invent devices of untold beauty and destruction. The blend of technology and magic would reach its height on the day the Rallosian Empire would defeat the gods of the earth themselves.

? RE – The mighty gods of the earth would ultimately take their vengeance upon all of those that joined the Rallosian Empire. Soon after the final battle, the goblins would find they were no longer able to construct the most simple of devices. Several generations would pass as more of that knowledge began slipping away until, finally, the goblins could only survive if they stole the tools and weapons from other lesser races.

Avatar of War, Book, Goblin, mobile, Runnyeye

History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. I

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This book is titled “History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. I”. It chronicles the history of the goblins from their creation to the exodus from their homelands.
1 GE – The creations of Rallos and The-Brell-That-Is-Not, the goblins were brought into the world. Gathering together as the One Clan, the goblins would create a society that would flourish within their cavernous world.

200 GE – The form of an enormous goblin would appear before the Enlightened Council and present itself as the Avatar of War. The Avatar would demand of the goblins an oath that would bind every following generation. In return for the oath, the goblins would be allowed continued existence.

900 GE – The first schism among goblin society would happen at the death of the Great Chief. His twin sons would fight for succession over the throne, dividing the goblins into two separate camps. Many glorious battles would be fought during what would be called the The Two Chiefs.

930 GE- The Two Chiefs would end during a duel to the death between the twins. The victor emerged from the duel and proclaimed himself as both himself and his twin. The warring camps, not being able to tell the difference between the two, followed the new Great Chief as if he were their victorious leader.

215 RGE- The Crumbling would cause the goblins to leave their home behind. Many goblins would perish during the Crumbling and those that survived would begin the Long Journey. Many years of hardship would pass as the Mass Exodus would search for a new home.

30 PC -The One Clan would see its first separation caused by the Long Journey. While passing through a system of lava channels, a group of goblins would express that they wished to settle down where it was warm. The remaining clan did not agree, leaving this group to live among the fire.

32 PC – The next group of goblins to leave the clan would come several years later. Finding an archipelago of islands, a group insisted on living upon those rock outcroppings. Again, the remainder of the clan did not agree, leaving behind that group to their aquatic existence.

34 PC – Having found a land that was never visited by the warmth of day, a group of goblins would insist that the Long Journey must stop, for they had reached the end of the world. The remainder, still resolute on finding a home, refused. As before, they left the group behind, traveling beyond that cold and icy environment.

35 PC – With more than half their numbers lost during the Long Journey, the goblins began to feel despair that they would never find a suitable home. Many arguments would arise, debating whether or not to return to their original home. With much regret, the remaining members of the One Clan would split one last time. One half would continue looking for a home, and the other half would return to their ancestral home.

36 PC – The One Clan, reduced down to nothing more than a small tribe, continued the Long Journey. After an endless travel, they would step foot upon the soil of a strange new land. Little did they know they would soon find a new home.

Avatar of Fear, Avatar of War, Book, Cazic-Thule, Feerott, Freeport, Green Mist, Guk, Karana, Lizardmen, mobile, Ogre, Rallosians, Urduuk

3rd Lieutenant Gerrog – Logbook

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3rd Lieutenant Gerrog – Logbook
Second Edition

This is the journal of a very important Lieutenant in the Second Rallosian Empire.

Entry 14: We march through the Feerott. It is a good march. It is a quiet march. Nothing lives within the Feerrott since we have last passed through. The General personally leads us. The Arm of Vallon marches behind us. The Rathetear Mountains is our destination. We will stomp on the bones of the gods we once defeated. This time they cannot stop us.

Entry 17: We have changed course in the march. The forgotten temple of Cazic-Thule is within sight. The General tells us in command that the Amygdalans will join our ranks or they will be destroyed. I pray to Rallos that they refuse to join us.

Entry 32: We have entered the foothills of the Mountains of the fallen Rathe. The Amygdalans have refused to add their numbers to our ranks. Let them hide in the temple for as long as they wish. It will be their tomb. For now, we will take the land of our forefather’s defeat and turn it into victory.

Entry 40: The General has detached us from the Arm of Vallon. The Arm, hundreds of scores in number, will continue marching north. They are to cross the Lake of Tears. Then they are to annihilate the gnolls. The Arm of Vallon will conquer the Karana plains. There is no question this will be done.

Entry 57: My command, led by the General himself, have easily taken the Rathetear Mountains. The Hill Giants recognized our superiority and bowed to our will. The lizardmen have been eradicated. If I listen closely, I can still hear the sound of the dead gods of the earth weeping. The Rallosians are conquering Norrath. Their curse has failed.

Entry 61: Taking the Hill Giants with us, the General will no longer tolerate the insolence of the Amygdalans. Their claims of counsel received from the Avatar of Fear are worthless lies. Their Avatar would never have allowed us to capture the Gate leading to their dead god’s plane. The only true Avatar is the one that inspires us – the Avatar of War.

Entry 67: When I was a runtling, my mother’s mother told me of the temple of Fear. She claimed it was filled with unimaginable nightmares waiting to destroy the world. She was wrong. NOW it is filled with nightmares. Us. The Rallosians.

Entry 79: The final Amygdalan has fallen to the black blade of the General. The ones we have captured have been forced to watch as we begin to tear down their precious temple. They incessantly chant prayers to the god of green mist. If their god cannot stop us from tearing down their place of worship, what makes them believe their god will save their worthless hides?

Entry 83: This great temple lies in ruins. All that stands is the sacred tomb the Amydalans pray to at the center of this temple. We received word that Guk is being scourged as we speak. The split-pawed gnolls have been exterminated. The Plains are ours. Freeport is about to fall. The General is about to enter the heart of the temple and personally defile the tentacled one’s most holy of all relics – the Forbidden Sarcophagus. When he has done so, the Rallosian Empire will know that we have conquered one half of the world. The other half will follow.

Entry 84: Bring this journal to your commanding officer, Rallosian. They must know of the fate of General Urduuk. When the box was opened, a green mist oozed out, crawling into the General’s nostrils. He barely had time to grasp his throat before falling over dead. One by one, thousands of Rallosians suffered the same fate. I sealed myself away inside a nearby stone coffin before the vapors reached me. It will not be long before I run out of air, for neither air or Green Mist can enter this casket. I will die as a Rallosian inside this tomb. I will not die as a forever-cured ogre outside to the Green Mist.

Avatar of War, Book, mobile, Oggok, Rallosians, Troll, Zek

1st Lieutenant Dergud, 279 AS

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1st Lieutenant Dergud, 279 AS
Second Edition

This is the journal of a very important Lieutenant in the Second Rallosian Empire.

Day 100, 279 AS: The people are soft. I spent too much time training soldiers. I did not see the rest of the people need to be made into Rallosians, too. We will not live like beasts as our forefathers had. I will see to this, for I am the General’s Lieutenant.

Day 160, 279 AS: Oggok will no longer suffer incompetence. We will have a grand city as we deserve. This will require the hard work from everyone – man, woman, child. Those who will not shoulder the burden will suffer.

Day 24, 283 AS: Those that cannot fight will craft. Those that cannot craft will supply food. Those that cannot supply food will be fed to the trolls. Those the trolls will not eat will, I will gut open and remove from the city. I have moved many today. I will continue. Oggok has no room for the useless.

Day 298, 284 AS: The city is being built under the eye of the General and myself. He wants it done faster. I can make the people move faster. We will leave Oggok behind as a testament to our home. Soon enough we will destroy the lesser races and take Norrath. For now, we will build. Then we will destroy.

Day 473, 284 AS: The Avatar does not want the temple to Zek rebuilt. He says we must battle. I say we must show our greatness to the nothing races. The General agrees with the Avatar and he his stricken me across the face, taking my eye. He is my General, so he may take my eye if he wishes.

Day 41, 287 AS: The new houses have been built. The people have been moved into the homes according to station and rank. The Troll cages have been built as well. The lesser Lieutenants have not trained the Trolls well. They enjoy pain too much. It is a distraction for them. They will be put on leashes, for they are nothing but our dogs.

Day 375, 287 AS: The General has said it is time for the troops to be split among legions. I am to organize the thousand score troops and give them their mark. The General says they are to be marked in the name of Tallon and in the name of Vallon. I will see to their branding.

Day 440, 287 AS: They have been trained well. I killed only but seven of the thousand score for flinching in pain. A Rallosion will not flinch when branded with searing metal. The lesser races would call this cruelty. The Rallosian calls this their birthright.

Day 77, 289 AS: Battle plans have been laid. The Avatar of War demands to the General that we acquire more armies. I say to the General that the Second Rallosian Empire is enough. The Avatar of War speaks of another Avatar who commands the orcs. He says the orcs possess something the Rallosians do not. They possess tactics. I agree. We will take their tactics and use them.

Day 104, 289 AS: The General has rallied all five thousand score of the Rallosians. He says it is time to destroy the world. I agree.

Age of War, Ashen Order, Avatar of War, Book, Kunark, Master Wu, mobile, Plane of Tranquility, Planes of Power, Quellious, T'Narev

History of the Hand

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History of the Hand
A chronicled record of the Hand of Serenity

The History of the Hand – A Gift from the Heavens

During the Age of Turmoil, Quellious, the Goddess of Tranquility, imparted a portion of the Plane of Tranquility to create the demi-plane of Serenity. Where Tranquility goverened the overall state of peace and calm of Norrath, Serenity was created to focus on the personal, inner peace of one’s mind and soul.

At this time, Quellious came to Master Wu the Enlightened, the only mortal at the time to achieve true enlightenment through a lifelong dedication to tranquility. She raised Master Wu to demi-god status and charged him with the stewardship of the Plane of Serenity and to serve as her emissary of Peace.

Then the invaders to the Planes of Power came. The lesser planes began to blink out of existence as their energy was needed by the greater planes to withstand the assault of the power-hungry mortals. With heavy heart, Quellious came to Master Wu and told him the energy of the Plane of Serenity was needed by the Plane of Tranquility in order to survive and that she would have to reclaim it. Wu knew that this had to be, but asked Quellious for just a small portion of the energy that he may create a planar artifact to further the case of Serenity among the mortals. Quellious agreed to this and Wu set to work.

Master Wu created the Hand of Serenity, a special katar made of five blades. Although it functioned as a weapon, its purpose was much more as a teaching device than an instrument of destruction. Each of the five blades represented an aspect of Serenity and had its planar symbol etched onto it: Peace, Order, Balance, Harmony, and the central, great blade Tranquility. With just an expert’s touch, the five blades could fly open like a fan to demonstrate each individual concept, or swing together to form one harmonious and stronger blade.

Master Wu took the Hand of Serenity and descended to Norrath in order to bestow it upon mortals. He entrusted the blade to the monks of the Ashen Order at their refuge in T’Narev and instructed them that they were to champion the cause of Serenity. They must be the teachers of the world.

The Hand of Serenity was protected by the Ashen Order from generation to generation, used in teaching and instructing in the matters of peace and serenity. It wasn’t until the Battle of Defiance at the closing of the Age of War when the Hand would be carried into battle to fight alongside the forces of good. During the raging battle, the Hand of Serenity struck the Avatar of War with such cosmic force, the katar shattered into its five blades.

Following the great clash, the elders of the Order realized that Serenity was truly missing from the world. They decided that to best spread the word of Peace, Tranquility, and Serenity that they would each take one of the five shattered blades and go out into the world to spread the word of Quellious. They designated a time when they would all come together once again just as the blades would when they were whole. However, when that time came only one of the elders would return to the humble walls of T’Narev. That elder would set out again to the lands of Kunark to find the others. He was never seen again…

Avatar of War, Book, Desert of Ro, Freeport, Froglok, Grobb, Gukta, Karana, Mithaniel Marr, mobile, Ogre, Plains of Karana, Qeynos, Ro, The Commonlands, Urduuk

Deep Marshes

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“Deep Marshes.” After the sudden invasion of Gukta by the new Rallosian Army, a band of frogloks heads north to seek help.

Without the aid of the Avatar of War, the ogres could never have planned such an attack. Gukta had been the site of many battles over the years, but the force arrayed by General Urduuk proved strongest of all. Now, though they were loathe to do so, the frogloks were on the run. The ogres had never before had such a force, despite their brute strength. No, it was not a newly intelligent ogre that bested the froglok, but the Avatar of War itself.

Down into the tunnels they ran, many clutching the eggs which would be a new generation of froglok. They had had time to clear the hatchery before flight. Though retreat is not the froglok way, the elders knew that living to fight another day and bearing away the eggs would be the better thing for them to do. A small garrison was left to distract the ogres and defend Gukta. The rest hurried into the dark.

“The ogre army will not be content with taking a swamp,” said Agakk, one of the elders. “We must send word to the outsiders, to warn them of the danger these ogres cause.” “I will go,” said Guruup, bowing deeply. “My unit and I will make our way out to Freeport. The Overlord must hear of this villainous turn of events.” Agakk nodded. “Yes, I agree. Go at once, Guruup and may Mithaniel Marr protect you.”

There are many ways through the woods and so it is with the swamps. Guruup’s unit was small, for speed would be their best defense. At Innothule’s northernmost point, the froglok unit conferred quickly. If they traveled up through the river valley, they would then need to cut east across the Commonlands to reach Freeport. Or, they could turn west to Qeynos instead. The direct route through the Desert of Ro was not favored, but it had the advantage of being the most direct route to Freeport.

“We must make haste, Guruup,” whispered Barab, one of his lieutenants. “Though the Desert is dangerously dry, it would be the way anyone would least likely expect us to take.” Guruup nodded and said, “You speak the truth, Barab. Through the Desert of Ro!” They caked their skin with mud to protect it from the hot desert air, then pushed onward. To increase their chances of survival, they subdivided into smaller units that one by one crossed into the unforgiving desert.

Traveling by night to keep out of the sun, the frogloks struggled through the swirling sands. Their skin was soft and supple by nature. Even with a layer of dried mud upon it, the frogloks felt the oppressive dryness in the air that seemed to suck every last ounce of energy from them. Gusts of wind drove the sand into their faces, rubbing them raw. As their skin cracked from lack of moisture, some of the frogloks picked at the scabs that formed almost instantly in the heat, licking their wounds to moisten their tongues with their own blood.

They were a tired, footsore and bedraggled group when they reached Freeport at last. Though many had not survived the harsh crossing, between the heat and the sand giants, more than three-quarters of Guruup’s was still unit intact. The frogloks paused briefly to take rooms at a local inn and to cleanse themselves, then they hurried to gain an audience with the Overlord.

An audience with the Overlord is not always granted, and certainly never at the first request. Guruup and his lieutenants waited three days before the Overlord would see them. Even then, it was clear that he was doing so for his own hidden purpose. He met with Guruup in the long hallway and Guruup had to complete his petition before the Overlord reached the opposite end of the hall.

Guruup was unable to convince the Overlord of the seriousness of the ogre forces. “Come now, little one,” the Overlord said upon reaching the hall’s end. “You have been fighting everyone for control of Grobb — that is, Gukta — for many generations. This is another petty squabble; I’m afraid Freeport’s military cannot be spared on something like this. You’ll have better luck elsewhere.” Guruup bowed, concealing his anger as the Overlord exited the hall.

“The Overlord will not get involved,” Guruup told the frogloks. “We have rested here long enough; let us proceed now to Qeynos. May the hand of Marr guide us.” “May the hand of Marr guide us,” Guruup’s unit repeated reverently. And so, the frogloks prepared for their next journey: across the Commonlands and through the plains of Karana to reach the city of Qeynos.