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#1 donbaloo Jan 24, 2005 9:59:00

This is of course primarily non-canon... Deglordin’s Betrayal Deglordin’s Betrayal is a magical device of ancient origin. Actually a combination of five separate magical items the completed staff provides its wielder with overpowering influence over creatures, especially humanoids. The history of the staff stretches back nearly 800 years to a period when the western areas of the Sheldomar valley were settled and ruled by a loose conglomeration of bickering humans. The Oeridians had migrated into these areas a hundred years before followed shortly thereafter by Suloise who were either fleeing in fear of what was to come or those who in tattered bands crossed the mountains after the Twin Cataclysms. In the lands that are now Sterich and the Yeomanry, Oeridian warrior tribes had settled and maintained a constant state of aggression against the native humanoids of the flatlands, the Crystalmists and the Jotens. The early Suloise were for the most part driven away as well by the Oeridians who considered their arrogant demeanors and elitist attitudes out of place in this new world. The shattered Suloise that came after the Cataclysms were more amiable and willing to make peace with the Oerids so mingled amongst the warlike people. Within a hundred years a small civilization was beginning to manage a foothold under the constant threat of humanoid incursions. Oerid magic experienced a burst of growth at this time. Suloise magicians were rediscovering their mastery of the old ways as well. During this period of magical growth humanoid invasions began to increase in frequency as dwarven clans within the Crystalmists formed alliances with their brothers, alliances that are still spoken of today, and mounted heavy campaigns against the humanoid races. Driving them from their caverns and twisting underground labyrinths the dwarves forced the humanoids into the foothills of the mountains and out along the lower peaks of the Jotens. With the humanoids being pressed into the growing civilization of the flatlands, conflicts became frenzied all along the foothills and well into the open plains of man. The Oerids struggled through these invasions for a half century before any true alliances were made amongst the city states. By this time the situation was becoming grave as troops of orcs attacked by night and goblin hordes by day. Daylight assaults by orcs even began to increase. It was around this time, approximately 5275 SD (-240 CY) that a Suel wizard by the name of Deglordin Emonstail sent out the call to his Oerid neighbors to aid him in the forging of a magical device that would push the humanoids back to the hills and bury them. A charismatic man with his own small holding amongst the Oerids, he convinced four of the most prominent mages of his time to use their skills for this cause (against one of the four's better judgement of building such a device with a Suel). A staff, a scepter, a stone, and a blade were crafted and great powers were poured into them. Individually they were potent items of leadership and power but when joined with a fifth item, a slender metallic rod crafted by Deglordin, they would become a device of such power and influence that the humanoids would be driven back in hordes, trampling one another in their retreat. The five worked tirelessly in collaboration so as to create a flawless fusion of these devices. Every intricacy within the fibers of those magics was carefully planned and coordinated. Near the end the blade and scepter were finished early and so were taken by their crafters to Drogaya, a heavily fortified city within the region and governed by an Oeridian leader, Rinweld the Just. It is unclear exactly what happened during the finishing stages of the remaining three items but some things are certain. Before their completion the two mages still working alongside Deglordin disappeared, and Deglordin seized his opportunity to corrupt the remaining three devices, turning the purpose of their magic towards darker intentions. Having planned ahead for this opportunity he activated the twisted magic within the three items, utilizing it to summon to him the two being held in Drogaya! With the completed Chrysanth Deglordin vanished, only to be seen again a fortnight later at the head of a massive humanoid army. More terrifying still were his chosen generals, humanoids that had not been seen upon the face of the Flanaess since the Cataclysms. The Maer Euroz, or Orc Fathers, had been an elite race of humanoids more powerful than any other in perhaps all of Oerth. Wielders of a magic more ancient than history and fearsome warriors these mighty Euroz struck fear in the hearts of all who faced them. Maer Euroz generals led thousands of euroz, high jebli, jebli, celbits, eigers, and buchveer. With the power of the Chrysanth and the Maer Euroz, Deglordin marched out of the Crystalmists and halfway through present day Sterich. The humans to the south of the Jotens joined together and marched north through the passes, joining mountain dwarves from within and fell upon the southern flank of Deglordin’s army pushing them into the foothills of the northern spur. A small tactical team of wizards, joined by one of the previously disappeared wizards, Gishgan (legends tell that he had been banished to another plane by a devil summoned by Deglordin), struck at the heart of the evil force and momentarily claimed the Chrysanth. For a brief while the wizards managed to disjoin the Chrysanth and escape with the rod crafted by Deglordin and the stone that was Gishgan’s. Within a day however the two items had vanished and Deglordin was once again on the march with the Chrysanth and a bolstered army of Maer Euroz and their forces. Not until the Flannish tribes to the north, with their nature magic, pressed across the spur and into the rear of Deglordin’s army did it appear that the human’s had any hope. In the end, the humanoids were disbanded into the mountains and the foothills to battle the dwarves for holes in which to hide. The Maer Euroz were dealt heavy casualties by combined forces of Flannish magicians of the Old Faith and Oeridian wizards. The few that survived vanished as they retreated across the flatlands. Gishgan fell in the last stand off with Deglordin. Deglordin the Deceiver was destroyed. Before he died Deglordin prophesied with eyes bleeding that the Maer Euroz would return in days when humanoids would be considered by man to be vanquished from the region. The Chrysanth, henceforth referred to as Deglordin’s Betrayal, was disjoined. After long debate the pieces however were not destroyed. The notion that the item could serve well against any severe humanoid uprising in the future convinced those that mattered, though some begrudgingly, that keeping the Chrysanth in existence but separated until needed was the best course. Research revealed that three pieces of the Chrysanth could be used to summon the other two, provided one of the three pieces was one that had been corrupted by Deglordin. A disturbing fact but one that the judging mages felt could be adequately guarded against. The stone was granted to the Joten dwarves of Mastidial Hall as gift for their aid. The scepter to Rinweld the Just who lost many of his finest soldiers in courageous loose formation assaults on humanoid skirmishers when all seemed lost. The blade was gifted to the Oeridians from the south that braved the Joten passes and flanked the rolling army. The rod went to the Flan of the North and the staff was planted within a secret location high in the Crystalmists, a black tower that later history calls Ghealor Pael, dwarven for Deep Magic. The Rise of the Azure Prince Common Knowledge: A powerful being known only as the Azure Prince appeared in 590 CY within the mountains of the Crystalmist/Joten cradle near the headwaters of the Davish River. Little is known of this enigmatic being but humanoid movement has increased in the foothills and mountains with little aggression as of yet. After the Humanoid Defeat few were believed to still exist in the area and those that were left certainly held no desire to throw themselves back against the civilized soldiery still remaining in Sterich. Adventurers in the area claim to have seen orcish troop movement towards the headwater's area, from both the North and the Joten east. Griffon riders from the Yeomanry have confirmed this and also report very recent movement by small bands towards the Southern foothills of the Jotens. Some speculate that the arrival of spring has instigated movement to new unforaged areas of the mountains. Veterans of the Sterich Reclamation War say otherwise. Known by Few: The Azure Prince, a half-fiend ogre mage, has through charisma and power begun to attract followers from the Crystalmists and the Jotens. Tregdol, in his traveling recruiting campaign has thrown down countless humanoid chieftans that would oppose him and in doing so gathered a considerable following. In his initial stages of The Gathering he happened upon a metallic rod near the headwaters of the Davish River lost by a long dead adventurer. In his research Tregdol found information that led him to believe he had discovered one of the long lost pieces of the Chrysanth Bound. Through magical ritual and exhaustive use of his powers Tregdol used the rod to conjure unto him five of the Maer Euroz of old. Realizing the ramifications of his find he immediately sent the undyingly loyal Maer Euroz amongst his growing forces and was soon looked upon as god amongst his followers. The humanoids that had already joined him have grown anxious in their growing power. The Maer Euroz aided Tregdol the Azure Prince in finding orc forces that had been long thriving deep under the Crystalmists. Seemingly from nowhere his forces were growing. Tregdol has now become determined to reunite the Chrysanth Bound and his forces have already retrieved another piece, the Scepter of Rulership, from the burial cairn of Corrin the Tyrant Mage. He awaits its arrival. He currently is plotting a means of infiltrating Mastidial Hall, the resting place of Gishgan’s Stone. Word travels fast, even amongst the cavern dwelling humanoids and more have come from the southern Crystalmists, some a great distance indeed. Tregdol does not know the location of the Screeching Blade and has as of yet not managed to locate Ghealor Pael.