Lore

Texts
For rumors sold at bars to ancient Empyrean texts and everything in between, please see the List of Texts.

Isparians on Dereth - Prior to P.Y. 10.
The history of Isparians on Dereth, from the earliest arrivals up to Portal Year 10 (the launch of the game).

The Fourth Sending of Darkness
A Lost exploration party on a failed expedition would lead to the release of the dreaded hopeslayer Bael'Zharon.

The Fourth Sending of Darkness - Monthly Summary

The Rise of New Singularity
The order of the Virindi is about to be threatened by a new enemy - Individuality.

The Rise of the New Singularity - Monthly Summary

Elements of Revenge
Martine's lust for revenge against Asheron was nothing compared to that of Gaerlan.

Elements of Revenge - Monthly Summary

A Time of Chaos
They say an Olthoi Queen never forgets...

A Time of Chaos - Monthly Summary

The Shattered Coil
The magicks began to flow through ancient Falatacot temples again, and the curious nature of Isparians would open the path for the Burun to assault the homeworld of the Blood Witches.

The Shattered Coil - Monthly Summary

The War of Blood and Shadow
In an attempt to gain the upper hand and crush the lands of New Aluvia, the power hungry Viamontians woud end up releasing a Child of the Shadow with more rage than even the Hopeslayer.

The War of Blood and Shadow - Monthly Summary

Current Story Arc - Name Unknown
Trouble with the Sho assassins of the Tanada Clan and evil Falatacot plots were just the beginning. Aerbax would make his return, creating his Prodigal Children.

Monthly Summary delayed until story arc name is known.

Aluvian
Aluvians are a fiercely individualistic and warlike people, quick to anger but with a strong love of justice and fairness. Though often suspicious of things new and strange, they are friendly and always prepared with a little help if they can spare it. They are loyal to their feudal lords, but expect to be well-treated in return.

The first people to arrive on Dereth Island, the Aluvians, have settled in the fields and hills around Lake Blessed.

History
In olden days, the land now known as the High Kingdom of Aluvia was home to feuding clans of warriors. Seeking conquest, the neighboring nation of Viamont invaded and instated a king, Alfric I, to rule over the clan chiefs. The native Aluvians rebelled, but with little success; subject to often brutal Aluvian House (game rendering)reprisals, they remained thralls of a foreign monarch. That changed, however, with the coronation of High King Osric. Though a Viamonter by birth, Osric dedicated his reign to mending his divided country. He made peace with the rebellious nobles, lowered backbreaking taxes, and even named his son after an Aluvian saint, Pwyll. To this day, folk sing the praises of Osric the Wise.

By the time of the rule of Pwyll III, the peoples of Aluvia had united as one, prospering under the High King’s kind and just reign. Pwyll III banded together the kingdom’s knights, forming an order of honor and chivalry, and so began a golden age. When he was slain by a treacherous ambassador from Viamont on the eve of war between the two nations, Aluvia’s knights and commoners alike fell upon their enemies and destroyed them. With Pwyll’s death, Aluvia’s glory began to wane, but it is said that, when the kingdom is at its greatest need,Aluvian Blacksmith (game rendering) he and his knights will walk the land once more.

Aluvia remains a strong nation, though it shines less brightly than before. Good king Cedraic has Aluvian Town (game rendering)opened up trade with nations across the sea including the Gharu’ndim and the Sho and with that trade has come prosperity. To the west, however, Viamont bides: it will only be a matter of time, some say, before war returns to the land.

When the first Aluvians came to Dereth Island, they were enslaved by the vicious Olthoi. Two of their number, the warrior Thorsten Cragstone and the lady Elysa Strathelar, fought to liberate their people with the help of the mysterious sorcerer Asheron. Though Thorsten did not live to see the end of the campaign, the Aluvians are now free once more. Though this new land is strange to them, they have made it their home. In time, it is said, a new High King will rise to rule them like wise Osric and noble Pwyll.

Factions
Here are some of the historic organizations known to have existed in the homelands of the Aluvians. How will these groups - and other groups not written of here - fare in the new land of Dereth? Your actions will doom some to the dull dust of obscurity, and raise others to the fiery glow of fame.


 * The King’s Men

Motto: "King above all."

Background: This is an alliance of some nobles and commoners who believe the king, as a descendent of High King Pwyll, should do away with the Aluvian feudal system of government (the Laws of Rulership) and seize direct control. They believe the king’s wisdom should prevail in all matters.

Current: Though none of the immediate Aluvian royal family has appeared in the world, believers in the reign of High King Pwyll are staunch supporters of Queen Elysa Strathelar. Should the King’s Men be re-formed in Dereth, they would surely fight to bring her reign over the entire island.


 * Knights of the Golden Flame

Motto: "Let Justice reign."

Background: This is the old knighthood of Aluvia. They are trained from an early age to be the judges and caretakers of the kingdom. Members of this group travel the land and offer their services as impartial judges in disputes. They also try to help those in need and right what they consider wrong. Membership is by invitation only.

Current: Queen Elysa Strathelar has made it known that she wishes the Knights of the Golden Flame to be official knights of her realm. However, because so few original Knights have arrived in Dereth, how this might become reality is still in question.


 * Knights of the Shield

Motto: Unknown

Background: Among the knighthood of Aluvia, there is a growing faction of those who are dissatisfied with the king’s justice, and feel that the knights should be given more power, above and beyond the current laws. A few secretly formed the Knights of the Shield, in order to better render their own justice upon the land. The Knights of the Golden Flame are officially at war against these secretive, renegade knights. However, rumors say that some Knights of the Golden Flame are actually double agents.

Current: What happens with the Knights of the Shield in Dereth is unknown.


 * Order of the Gauntlet

Motto: "Justice is bought with blood."

Background: On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Knights of the Shield is the Order of the Gauntlet. These knights believe that no one should be exempt from the king’s justice; the rule of law must be absolute if order is to be maintained. The justice of the Gauntlet is untempered by mercy or circumstance, and they spend a great deal of their time hunting down and slaying those who have committed crimes and escaped what the Order considers sufficient penalty. As such, the Order is highly secretive.

Current: It is thought the Order – or something like it - may be resurrected in Dereth, due to the need for harsh and strict justice. The love of a stern and unyielding justice is not an uncommon trait, after all.


 * League of Merchants

Motto: "Free and fair trade for all."

Background: This group was formed to help protect the merchant class from the nobility. Its primary concern is with the protection of its members and the making of profit. Members are required to pay a due, and only people who meet approval can join. The League of Merchants formed a formidable network of trading partners throughout Aluvia.

Current: Here in Dereth, merchants in general have been seriously hampered by a lack of customers, dangerous conditions, and low resources. Still, the new world is a great opportunity for commerce. Should the League become established in Dereth, surely establishment of safe pathways to other Heritage Groups’ lands, whether by road or by portal, will become a top priority.


 * Scholars of Pwyll

Motto: "Knowledge is that which brings wisdom."

Background: This group of sages and artists are dedicated to continuing the traditions of scholarly research and artistic exploration begun by High King Pwyll. They seek to share information among themselves and protect valuable texts and knowledge. Their exclusive library of mystical knowledge is famous throughout Aluvia. Prospective members must have a sponsor within the Guild to join.

Current: Now, old magics no longer work, and few of their old Aluvian texts have made the passage through Portalspace. Perhaps a new group of Scholars will form and re-create the traditions of their predecessors.

Source: http://www.zogblaster.com/tweb/asherons-call/heritagegroups/index.htm

Gharu'ndim
Desert-dwellers who favor knowledge and trade over war and bloodshed, the Gharu'ndim are an eminently honorable, formal culture, but they also have a reputation for being somewhat distant and proud. Preferring to talk before fighting whenever possible, they speak with great politeness and formality, peppering their speech with honorifics and references to their national hero, the poet Yasif ibn Salayyar.

History
The Gharu’ndim came as warriors.

Driving north out of the trackless Naqut desert, they laid waste to the ancient empire of Roulea, overwhelming half its lands under their Malik, the fearsomeDesert (game rendering) Rakhil al-Khur, and the warrior-poet Yasif ibn Salayyar. When the raiders laid siege to Tirethas, the City of Lore, however, Rakhil made the mistake of threatening to burn the books within her walls. Yasif struck down his king in rage, and the conquest came to a sudden end. The nation of Gharu’n was born.

Rather than succeeding the dead Malik, Yasif became adviser to Rakhil’s son, Amul. Amul was a gentler man than his father, and with Yasif at his side he shaped a realm where learning was more prized than war. Trade flourished, and Yasif Gharu'ndim Villa (game rendering)became revered for the wisdom of his writings. When the poet was captured and blinded by the king of Milantos, a hostile country to the east of Gharu’n, Amul avenged Yasif by forming the Zharalim, a secret order of assassins. The body of the Milantan king was never found. In his final years, Yasif dwelt within the Malik’s fabled Palace of One Hundred Gardens, the al-Nafalt. There he composed his greatest work, the Alamakhaida. When Yasif died, the people of Gharu’n mourned his death for a full year.

Amul died heirless soon after, poisoned at his own birthday celebration, and Gharu’n fell into chaos. No fewer than twenty-five Maliks ruled over the next hundred years. The al-Nafalt was razed, and dark times fell over the land. From across the sea, the conquest-hungry kingdom of Viamont sent armies to invade. They set up a petty lord, Zahir ibn Ma’mun, as a puppet while they ruled Gharu’n from afar. One by one, Zahir murdered his rivals – all save a young lord, Jawhar al-Shamshir.

Gharu’ndim House (game rendering)Seeing what had become of his homeland, Jawhar traveled the desert in secret, banding together the people. In the end, Jawhar defeated the puppet king and drove the Viamonters from the shores of Gharu’n. He became the new Malik, returning his kingdom to the glory it had known in Yasif’s time.

Now, led by their queen, the Malika Qadira bint Balj, the Gharu’ndim are a proud and prosperous people. There is always the threat of war, from both Viamont and Milantos, but the desert kingdom is once again a place where the sharpness of a man’s mind is far more valuable than that of his sword.

When they first came to Dereth Island, the Gharu’ndim found it already occupied by the Aluvians, another people from their world. There was little conflict, however, for the Gharu’ndim were glad to live in the island’s badlands and deserts. They have maintained peaceful relations with the Aluvians, as well as island’s newest occupants, the Sho. As they try to find their place in this strange new land, the Gharu’ndim look to the proverbs of Yasif ibn Salayyar for guidance.

Factions
Here are some of the historic organizations known to have existed in the homelands of the Gharu'ndim. How will these groups - and other groups not written of here - fare in the new land of Dereth? Your actions will doom some to the dull dust of obscurity, and raise others to the fiery glow of fame.


 * Jaladhaqa Qalathina, the Jaladh

The Warriors’ Brotherhood

Motto: "Truth always before the sword."

Background: Called "Jaladh" in all but the most formal cases, this is the Warriors’ Brotherhood. All fighting men and women of honor are permitted to join. The Jaladh are disciplined and dedicated to vanquishing evil in all its forms. They sometimes ally with the al-Khuraqa, but have been known to oppose them when the Eagle-Children embark on crusades the Jaladh consider dishonorable. They are sworn enemies of the Zharalim.

Current: Some have lamented the lack of the Jaladh in Dereth. Perhaps some worthy and courageous new arrivals will re-form this much-respected organization.


 * Khuraqa Tha’ratali, the al-Khuraqa

Children of the Eagle

Motto: "Glory comes from battle alone."

Background: The al-Khuraqa believe Rakhil al-Khur, the warlike Malik who first conquered Gharu’n, to have been the greatest fighter who ever lived, and have taken it upon themselves to do all they can to live up to his example. Formed within the last fifty years as a splinter faction of the much older Jaladh, the al-Khuraqa believe battle to be the greatest of all pursuits. Most of the time, they keep on the path of the Dozen Roads, but the al-Khuraqa are not squeamish about doing deeds the more rigid Jaladh would frown upon. They have little use for the more intellectual factions, and look down on the al-Sadharamad. Though they do not admit it openly, the al-Khuraqa have occasionally worked with the Zharalim in the past.

Current: Dereth’s challenges would be met with delight by any al-Khuraqa to arrive in this world. New monsters and lawless humans would be excellent targets.


 * Ighazaqa Talina, the al-Ighaz

Academy of Sorcery

Motto: "Power shared is thus made greater."

Background: The Academy of Sorcery, or al-Ighaz ("the academy"), is an exclusive sect devoted to furthering the study of the arcane arts. It possesses tremendous power within Gharu’ndim society, but seldom deigns to wield it. All wizards of moderate power are invited to join the al-Ighaz; those who do not are looked upon with disfavor for keeping their secrets to themselves. The al-Ighaz rarely operate in the field in numbers, as do the warrior factions, although many individual members adventure on their own. The al-Ighaz and the Walim sometimes overlap in interests and duties, but the Academy cares little for any of the other factions – least of all the al-Khuraqa.

Current: As of yet, no sign of the Academy’s resurrection have been seen. However, there are plenty of opportunities to form a powerful society devoted to Dereth’s magic, so perhaps, as knowledge grows….


 * Walim

The Searchers

Motto: "The words of men bear Truth aloft."

Background: The Searchers, or Walim consider themselves distinct from and superior to the rest of Gharu’ndim society. They appeared a few years after the death of the poet Yasif ibn Salayyar, vowing to continue his explorations of the nature of truth. They believe the way to truth comes through conversation. Hence, their main activity is talking … and talking … and talking. Walim will discuss everything, from whether there are more grains of sand in the Naqut desert than there are stars in the sky, to the color of the slippers they’re wearing today. There is a saying: "If you want to kill a foe swiftly, send a Zharalim. If you wish him to die slowly and in agony, shut him in a room full of Walim." To keep conversation interesting, many Walim travel and seek out new experiences. In their minds, only the al-Ighaz approach their level, though many wizards are too focused on magic for their tastes. Still, the Walim will allow anyone who enjoys philosophizing into their ranks.

Current: Though no formal return of the Walim has been noted, some newcomers, even those of other Heritage Groups, have been mistaken for members of that august faction.


 * al-Sadharamad

The Way of Stealth

Motto: "Do no harm, but take what you will."

Background: The al-Sadharamad, or Way of Stealth, is actually a very loose but extensive alliance of individual thieves’ factions. Their members seldom follow all of the Dozen Roads, but neither are they thugs. Instead, the al-Sadharamad prefer to steal from the immoral, or to go adventuring for their riches. They are thus surprisingly well-liked by the common people (though not the wealthy classes). They are indifferent to other groups save the Zharalim, who have historically besmirched the honor of thieves. Rather than openly fighting the assassins, however, the al-Sadharamad prefer trickery, exposing their enemies for the killers they are and letting others dirty their hands with the punishment.

Current: There is so much treasure for the taking that, as some people joke, "Everyone here is al-Sadharamad, whether they know it or not."


 * Shagar Zharala, the Zharalim

The Order of Assassins

Motto: "To fight darkness, first become a shadow."

Background: Founded by Malik Amul ibn Rakhil as a covert weapon to avenge the torture of Yasif ibn Salayyar, the Shagar Zharala, or Zharalim, are the most feared and misunderstood group in Gharu’n. They exist outside the strictures of the Dozen Roads, based on the belief that evil is best fought with evil. They are professional killers, who will use any method at their disposal to see a job done. They kill out of a profound sense of duty, and not out of pleasure. They are, in fact, effectively under a constant contract to hunt down and eliminate those who do commit murder wantonly (as it gives them a bad name). They do not even return other groups’ hatred, since they see other Factions as tools for carrying out contracts. As such, they have agents everywhere; there is even a rumour that Malik Sunadin the Unlucky met his untimely end at the hands of his own sister, who was secretly Zharalim. As other tales of the Order, the truth will likely never be known.

Current: Many hope that too few of the Zharalim will ever arrive to form a cohesive, unified force in Dereth, but others are not so sure. Perhaps now is the time for the Zharalim to re-form, as a new shadow against this world’s darkness.

Source: http://www.zogblaster.com/tweb/asherons-call/heritagegroups/index.htm