Fall of the Combine Empire/Founding of Qeynos

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?start=45&topic_id=49851

Hello everyone,

Qeynos was built after the Combine Empire fell which really wasn’t that long ago in Norrath’s history, about 5000 to 5100.

Vahlar

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?start=45&topic_id=49851

Sorry if I added any confusion.

The reference to year 5000 is based upon the advent of the The Nameless which you can consider as year 0, though time wasn’t recorded until much later.

So, about three hundred years ago is correct for the fall of the Combine Empire and then the founding of Qeynos by Antonius Bayle the First.

Stick with the current recorded time references you have been using for reference, but now you have the context for the full length of time that the Norrath universe has been in existence as far as Norrathians are concerned.

Didn’t mean to throw a wrench into the time machine.  Just trying to provide you with some clarification.

Best wishes,

Vahlar

 

About Zebuxoruk

Zebuxoruk

‘Hail, Elder Aytael’
[Mon Jun 28 21:02:34 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘Greetings Beimeith, you look tired.  I know your efforts have been exhausting, but your journey has been quite remarkable.  I am not sure that we would be this far along, had it not been for your courage.   I know that this has been an arduous experience and you must still have many questions.  Do you still seek answers about our [purpose] here?  I am sure that we can trust you now.’
[Mon Jun 28 21:03:10 2010] You say, ‘What is your purpose here?’
[Mon Jun 28 21:03:11 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘If you have not gathered as much from your work thus far, we seek to find Zebuxoruk.  As the followers of balance, we seek his insight.  He was the first to give mortals a true sense of our real power.  The unfathomable concept that a mortal could gain an understanding of the immortal realms was wholly new and beyond the grasp of most.  Those that did gain an understanding of Zebuxoruk’s teachings rose in power.  Though, [others] defied the core principles of balance and drove themselves insane in the process.’
[Mon Jun 28 21:03:42 2010] You say, ‘What others?’
[Mon Jun 28 21:03:43 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘The shissar are an example of what can happen when you stray from the path of balance.  Their power-crazed nature led to the misuse of Zebuxoruk’s gift of insight and it drove them mad as a race.  Their egotistical nature was a their curse and it attracted the attention of the elder gods.  The Sebilisian history is full of stories of such power, both positive and negative.  There are many key examples in Kunark’s history that can assist in the understanding of the balance.  The knowledge that mortals wield can build [empires] or reduce them to ruins.’

[Mon Jun 28 21:04:36 2010] You say, ‘What empires?’
[Mon Jun 28 21:04:36 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘Mortals have followed Zebuxoruk’s path for some time.  His teachings helped to alter the path of several empires.  The Sebilisians, the Combine, even groups that felt they were working under the divine influence of others gods were following teachings set into the mortal realm by Zebuxoruk.  Those that understood his teachings and began to follow him eventually learned of his [fate].’
[Mon Jun 28 21:04:52 2010] You say, ‘What was his fate?’
[Mon Jun 28 21:04:53 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘The enlightenment of mortals was not something that pleased many of the deities within the greater pantheon.  Zebuxoruk’s heretical teachings set the power of the pantheon upon him.  There are many stories that describe his capture by the elder gods and their punishment.  Until recently, we have not been able to completely decipher the truth.  That is what we have been working on.  Our people have been opening [portals] for ages, in the hopes of finding more information about Zebuxoruk’s fate.’

[Mon Jun 28 21:05:15 2010] You say, ‘What portals?’
[Mon Jun 28 21:05:15 2010] Elder Aytael says ‘The first portals into the realms of the gods were opened by our kind.  The knowledge of these portals eventually made its way to other mortals.  Naturally, curiosity and lust for power drove other mortals in to the Planes.  The defilement of these sacred territories led the pantheon to feel even more justified in their persecution of Zebuxoruk and his followers.  It set the momentum that brought us to this place and time.  Now, you have found his location for us.  We wait only on your final incursions into the elemental Planes, the true Planes of Power.  Then we will move through time to finally find the answers that have been waiting for us for so long.’

Report to Shade

‘Report to Shade—

– All sigils with anchors, especially those with anchors and shields

– All rods

– Anything that appears to be of Combine or elven manufacture.

– Anything bearing the name Aataltaal

– Anything else must be taken to Karnik, to be brought to the eyes for further examination’

Renux's Translations

“Renux’s Translations I finished translating most of the first of the combine scrolls discovered by one of Carson McCabe’s citizens. As I suspected, the scrolls contain recipes for several poisons from the age of the Combine Empire. I have provided a brief translation of those recipes. Poisons That Blind A blend of one part COYOTE TAIL and one ASP POISON SACK with a LINED POISON VIAL and SUSPENSION will make an enemy’s eyes grow swollen and sore causing temporary blindness. A more painful and longer lasting blinding poison is created with a blend of two parts COYOTE TAIL and a bit of MUDDITE MUD with a LINED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION. Poisons That Cripple The saps of the THORNY ERGOT and the DELPHINIUM plants when blended with a LINED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION will cause great pain in a person’s back making movement difficult. By blending two parts DELPHINIUM and a BASILISK EYE STALK with a LINED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION a victim will be temporarily paralyzed as if their legs had turned to stone. The pulp of two ALOCASIA ROOT with a LINED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION will absorb moisture from muscle tissue causing temporary atrophy. The extract of two WOLVES BANES with a SEALED POISON VIAL and LARENT SUSPENSION will cause a much more drastic atrophy of the muscles. A blend of one part each of THORNY ERGOT, GELSEMIUM ROOT, and WOLVES BANE with a SEALED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION will attack the nervous system of the victim making them slow to react to stimuli around them. Poisons That Can Kill The sap of two parts LACTERA with a LINED POISON VIAL and CONSTRICT SUSPENSION will thin the blood of the victim causing a painful burning in the bloodstream and often results in death. Two parts WHITE HELLEBORE with a SEALED POISON VIAL and LARENT SUSPENSION will create a poison that will attack the blood and brain of the victim. Although the brain is numb to most of the pain this one is quite deadly.”

History of the Ocean of Tears

The oldest known mention of the Ocean of Tears appears in the ancient log of a Captain Eweniel, a high elf paladin who piloted her ship from Wielle to Faydwer during the elven exodus. She talks of attacks by aqua goblins and a seafury cyclops, lives lost to storms and starvation, and of enemies from “the old world” following and attacking the ragged elven fleet. She also speaks of passing by an island on which a terrible gigantic beast could be seen and its inhuman howls heard, which some believe may in fact be the first known sighting of the Allizewsaur. Eweniel’s log also includes a curious error. As the captain gives readings of the journey and describes the locales of various islands passed, it becomes clear she is writing as if her ship was traveling westward. However, since she leaves the city of Wielle on the eastern coast of Antonica, and arrives on the western shore of Faydwer, it is clearly not possible for her ship to have traveled any direction other than east. Some speculate that the captain intentionally entered errors into her logs to ensure no enemy could ever use them to find the elven refugees. Its also possible that the elves of Takish-Hiz used some strange form of navigation not known to the captains of today. Whatever the cause, many early maps were drawn from the directions given in Eweniel’s log, causing much confusion for the sailors or travelers who attempted to use them. Accurate maps of any part of the Ocean of Tears are rare even today, and can command great prices among traders and ship captains.

Dating from the few centuries immediately following the high elves’ exodus to Faydwer, little is known of the Ocean of Tears. There are some vague records of regular trips made to the Isle of Erollisi, corroborating the fact that the order of the Sisters of Erollisi indeed date back to this time and beyond. At some point just before or after the fall of the Combine Empire, the dwarves of Kaladim established a port in the Butcherblock Mountains and began exploration of the northern Fairsea Isles. Both elven and dwarven ships began to make regular trips from the Butcherblock Port using a strong eastward current to reduce the time of return trips. The Faydwer captains soon began establishing small colonies among the Fairsea Isles in the Ocean of Tears. The Sisters’ Sanctuary on the Isle of Erollisi became the center of much of this activity. Records from this era regularly mention the strong eastward current north of the Fairsea Isles, but make little or no mention of its companion westward current to the south. It seems likely that the captains of Faydwer were not yet aware of the westward current, and explored very little of the Ocean of Tears.

After the people following Aataltaal established the city of Landing, they too began making regular voyages across the Ocean of Tears. Not wishing to challenge the Faydwer colonies in the Fairsea Isles, the ships of Landing traveled over a much larger section of the Ocean of Tears, finding and charting such locations as the aviak-inhabited Isle of the Sky and the Isle of Allize, home of the legendary Allizewsaur. Despite their best efforts, the ships of Landing could not find a suitable place to establish an outpost, and were forced to take on supplies on the Isle of Erollisi under the watchful gaze of the forces of Faydwer.

After the city of Landing became known as Freeport, then under the protection of the Order of Marr’s Fist, relations between Faydwer and Antonican captains began to improve. The Sisters of Erollisi and Order of Marr’s Fist in particular developed strong ties, which made the reception most Freeport ships received at the Sisters’ town (often called Sanctuary) much warmer. Elven, dwarven, and human captains alike shared navigational charts with one another (though not with non-sailors), new islands were discovered, and trade between Antonica and Faydwer expanded.

When the Order of Marr’s Fist was destroyed, many brigands and criminals saw it as a sign that law and order would be less enforceable throughout the areas Freeport had previously influence. This idea, mixed with the resentment many other races had over the near monopoly dwarven, elven, and human captains had over shipping in the Ocean of Tears, led many bands of pirates of various races to begin preying on ships headed both to and from Freeport. Much of this piracy was racially motivated, or at least racially determined – everyone else raided the dwarves, elves, and humans, but human pirates generally raided dwarven or elven ships, elves raided only humans or dwarves, and so on. When the Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr reasserted control over Freeport (and reestablished diplomatic relations with the Sisters of Erollisi), the majority of these pirates were forced to operate from bases further away, including the largely unexplored Timorous Deep. Although the piracy was greatly reduced, however, a good deal of racial animosity or at least mistrust had been constructed – the damage was already done – and the captains of different races rarely shared information after that.

During the efforts to hunt down and end piracy, a Freeport ship under the command of Sir Halec Hightower discovered a strong westward current from Faydwer to Antonica. Though the current was further south than the one that ran near the Isle of Erollisi and had fewer possible ports along its route, it was strong enough to reduce travel time from Faydwer to Antonica significantly. Freeport merchants leapt at the opportunity to have a port to rival the Isle of Erollisi, and established the community of Highdock. Thus, the Ocean of Tears settled into a comfortable pattern that has lasted with few interruptions to this day. Dwarven, elven, and human captains use their detailed maps of the central routes through the Ocean of Tears to control most shipping between Antonica and Faydwer. The only challenges to this shipping are (1) a collection of smugglers and pirates that range outward from ramshackle ports along the coast of the Desert of Ro or from secret havens throughout the Ocean of Tears and the Timorous Deep, and (2) attacks by native creatures, such as aqua-goblins and cyclopes. Law is fast and loose, with only the Sisters of Erollisi maintaining a strong area of peace and security amid the turbulent seas.

Captains are mostly on their own when facing thieves, raiders, giants, and storms, and most nations accept that they are a law unto themselves while at sea. The major disruption to this pattern in recent memory was the Crusade of Tears, during which the Priests of Marr and Knights of Truth sailed from Freeport to Faydwer. The Crusade took many years to complete, during which time no pirate dared attack any ship in the Ocean of Tears for fear it would be abrim, with clerics and paladins. The fighting of the Crusade itself occurred mostly on Faydwer, however, and once it ended life on (or in) the Ocean of Tears largely returned to normal. The Freeport Militia has discovered, however, that it cannot patrol the lanes of shipping as easily as the Knights of Truth once did, for the Sisters of Erollisi stand against them. Piracy has begun to expand throughout the Ocean of Tears once more, with some pirates so bold as to establish bases within the Fairsea Isles themselves. The Sisters of Erollisi lack the naval strength to patrol the waters beyond their own island, and the dwarven and elven captains of Faydwer have much of their forces tied up battling pirates in the Timorous Deep.

It seems likely that piracy will become more common within the Ocean of Tears before some navy can find the men and ships to reestablish regular patrols.

The Crusade of Tears

The joint rule of the Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr lasted for several centuries. Freeport continued to have problems with underworld factions, as any port city, but was for the most part a safe and respected place to do business and to raise a family. The influence of Freeport’s forces reached ever further afield, with the communities of Farfield and eventually Brighthaven being settled and thus flourishing in the relative safety the Knights of Truth provided.

The Deathfist orcs were driven closer to extinction than any other orc tribe, and even the forces of Neriak were limited to occasional raids in the Commonlands. In the year 3150, the leaders of both the Priests of Marr and the Knights of Truth received divine inspiration from their gods. They were commanded, by divine decree, to undertake a crusade eastward, across the Ocean of Tears
and into the continent of Faydwer. The gods of these two groups had become concerned with the vast armies of undead gathering in hidden locations in the Isles of Tears and Faydwer, and commanded their followers to seek out and destroy them. As obedient servants of their gods, the
priests and knights began to make preparations immediately.

The first concern was finding enough ships to carry the majority of the clerics and paladins, which was left to the Priests of Marr. Building so many warships quickly required a great deal of money and contracts with numerous shipwrights and merchant houses. As careful as the priests attempted to be when making these arrangements, not all of the groups they dealt with were totally ethical. Money flowed into the coffers of several rogues and scoundrels, expanding the influence of the shadowy Coalition of Tradefolk Underground. In the end, however, the ships
were built on time.

The second major concern was how to protect Freeport and its allied communities while the majority of the clerics and paladins were gone; it was left to the Knights of Truth to solve this difficulty. After much debate, it was decided that a handful of knights and priests would remain behind. To augment their forces, they would be given the authority to hire mercenaries and even arm a temporary militia if needed. It was also expected that the remaining knights would lean heavily on the Steel Warriors, a fighter’s guild with strong ties to the Knights of Truth. Though only a dozen knights and half that number of priests were to be left behind, it was expected that this number would be enough to oversee the efforts of hired help and current allies to keep Freeport safe for the duration of the crusade.

The task of leading the remaining forces was left to Sir Lucan D`lere. Once a street rat and common thief, D`lere had been taken in by the Priests of Marr as a youth. As he grew, the priests desired to see him trained as either a priest or a Knight of Truth, and in the end Sir Valaron Dushire undertook his training. Sir Lucan became a powerful warrior and respected leader, and gained the hearts of the people of Freeport. Desiring to leave the common folk with a leader they could trust, Sir Valaron himself chose Sir Lucan for the critical position. It was a decision he would come to regret more than any other in his life aside, perhaps, from having taken D’lere on as a student in the first place.

The Crusade was one of the most massive military expeditions undertaken since the fall of the Combine Empire. The Priests of Marr and Knights of Truth sailed across the Ocean of Tears, clearing several islands infected with hordes of undead along the way, then landed in Faydwer to seek the source of the undead on that continent. It seems odd that none of the local governments objected to such a mass invasion, but the elven Sisters of Erollisi vouched for the intentions of the army, quieting objections from Kelethin and Felwithe, and the crusaders spent little time near either Kaladim or Ak‘Anon. The crusaders have never spoken of what it was they faced, fearing that whatever created armies of the undead could be summoned again should its true nature be known. Certainly they fought battles around Dagnor’s Cauldron and in the Estate of Unrest, but some claim they also sought engagements in Castle Mistmoore and the Hills of Shade.

Many scholars believe that the same malignancy which destroyed the stronghold of the Order of Marr’s Fist to create Befallen had begun to spread its influence into Faydwer. Others suspect that Lord Mistmoore it was the mastermind behind the problem. Whatever the case, the crusaders themselves do not talk of their journey, except to say that their gods are satisfied with the results. The Crusade of Tears took more than a year to complete, and cost the Priests of Marr and Knights of Truth almost half their number. As their forces gathered once more in the port near Kaladim, the crusaders returned by the shipful to Freeport, only to see what had become of their city during their absence.

Aataltaal II : Silent Vigil

For Aataltaal’s plan to work, the human majority of Landing had to be left leaderless as soon as the dark elf and orc threat was weakened. Lady Delailith was well known as his second, however, and thus was a natural choice as his successor. After the attack of the Long Night and Aataltaal’s disappearance, Lady Delailith fled as well, to prevent this very thing. She took with her several close friends and allies, mostly gnomes and elves who had served the Combine Empire, but told them nothing of their destination.

Not wishing to be found by those who felt loyal to her and Aataltaal, she hid far away from Landing, in the Hills of Shade. From there she kept watch from afar over her old city, now called Freeport, through agents and potent magics. But Aataltaal’s plan worked, and the city never had need of her. After many decades more she succumbed to old age, and her agents buried her in secret. The location of her tomb and the Rod of Command was to be kept, in secret of course, by her agents, but in time they too died without heirs, and thus took her secret with them. Having voided any record of her name or fate, Lady Delailith was lost and forgotten.

Aataltaal I : The Long Night

Before it became Freeport, the human city on the eastern shore of Antonica was known as Landing. Formed by survivors of the Combine Empire, Landing was ruled by the high elf Aataltaal, though most of its inhabitants were human. Aataltaal did not wish to be a king, but was a military commander unwilling to leave those who had followed him while they were under constant attack from dark elves of Neriak and the Deathfist orcs.

Seeking help with this problem, Aataltaal allied himself with several powerful arcane spellcasters (who would eventually go on to form the Academy of Arcane science). One of these was Lady Delailith, an enchanter and sage of considerable power. Lady Delailith predicted correctly the
dark elves’ attempt to assassinate Aataltaal on the same night an orc warband tried to storm the city. Armed with this foreknowledge, Aataltaal prepared a trap, setting in motion a complex plan.
The trap itself was simple — Aataltaal kept his spellcaster allies and several clerics and paladins of the twin Marr gods with him, most of them dressed as pages and commoners.

When the dark elf assassins struck, they found themselves suddenly outnumbered and outmagicked. Aataltaal then sent the survivors of that fight to bolster Landing’s military forces, crushing the Deathfist orcs.

The plan that grew out of the trap was far more difficult. Aataltaal knew this night would weaken the dark elf and orc forces enough for Landing to establish itself permanently. If he stayed, the people would turn to him for leadership, and he’d be bound to the humanocentric city forever. If, however, he somehow disappeared without a trace, they would be forced to choose new leaders from amongst their own kind. Aataltaal told only Lady Delailith of his plans, and left with her the Rod of Command, telling her to return to the city only if it were about to fall; for himself, he confided to her alone that he had other plans, and would not return until they had been addressed, and perhaps not even then.

Thus without warning, Aataltaal left Landing on the very night he secured its future.

Grave Mounds of the Hills of Shade

The region known as the Grave Mounds contains the densest collection of barrows within the Hills of Shade. Located in the northeastern corner of the hills, the grave mounds include tombs dating back to the Combine Empire and the mysterious civilization that built the Black Tombs, and also features crypts crafted by the ancient forebears of the Crushbone orcs, as well as the first elves who traveled to Faydwer from Antonica; finally, the most recent additions are those tombs placed here by the Knights of Truth from Freeport during the Crusade of Tears. In addition, there are numerous burial mounds that have been completed by one group or another but which for whatever reason were never used, which is likely why so many different groups have placed some of their dead here.

As a result, the barrows themselves are far from uniform.They vary in size from a single room to complexes that spread across (or rather underneath) nearly a full acre of surface area. Many of the barrows are linked by tunnels or cracks in the earth, creating subterranean labyrinths of great danger. Great numbers of barrow wolves make their dens within these mounds, and other creatures often inhabit them as well. Many have complex traps set to protect the treasures buried within, and some of these traps are tied into steam vents to allow them to reset after each use.

Unlike the Black Tombs, the burial mounds are easily spotted from the outside. Each is a large earthen mound with a huge stone slab placed over the top and shale built up around the sides. This area is somewhat more geologically stable than other parts of the Hills, so, although quakes do occasionally bury or reveal new mounds, many of the same mounds can be found on any visit to the region. As the mounds have no distinctive markings on the outside, however, it’s impossible to determine who (or what) is in each without either moving the enormous rock atop it (certainly a difficult task, as each weighs at least several tons) or digging into it from the side.

Because of these difficulties, scavengers and corpse miners tend to ignore the Grave Mounds in favor of easier pickings elsewhere. Only individuals seeking a specific barrow spend time hunting here. The sole exception to this rule is agents of Mayong Mistmoore. Dark offerers, deathly ushers, pledge familiars, recluses, webstranders, and even will sappers are fairly common sights around the Mounds, digging into old barrows and setting up ropes and pulleys to remove the huge capstones. It has been suggested that these creatures are seeking a particular tomb for their master, but, if so, no one knows which one, or why.

According to legend, the high elf Aataltaal, founder of Freeport, is buried within the largest of these mounds. This is not true (and many whisper that the elf is not dead at all), but the mistake is understandable: One of the few elves who aided Aataltaal in establishing the primarily human city of Freeport, Lady Delailith, did return to Felwithe upon his disappearance, and eventually her remains were buried here in the hills. Her burial mound, long hidden and lost to posterity, was only recently rediscovered.

The Monastery of the Lost Circle

Tsaph Katta, Imperator of the Combine, knew of Zan Fi’s reputation and skill. After hearing how mighty the Whistling Fists Clan was becoming, the Imperator sought to compel Zan Fi to become a part of his army. Our wise master could see the corruption that flowed through the troubled empire, however, and declined to offer his support. Though Katta was infuriated by this refusal, he was beset on too many fronts to attempt to force Zan Fi into his service.

As the Combine Empire crumbled and some of its members left for the distant moon of Luclin, the wise Zan Fi knew that Norrath was facing a time of turmoil. He and his followers traveled the lands, setting an example of order and discipline that was sorely needed in the wake of the Combine Empire’s collapse. Wherever he went, Zan Fi seemed to inspire new followers.

Some merely sought to apply the master’s lessons to their daily lives, overcoming chaos in an uncertain world. Others attempted to emulate his ways by establishing new monk orders, linked in spirit to the Whistling Fists Clan. One such group was the Ashen Order, which was devoted to the path of Tranquility and the goddess Quellious. The Silent Fist Clan, which followed no specific deity, established itself within the walls of Qeynos. Even the iksar, who normally hated “softskin” outsiders, were in awe of Zan Fi’s talents and were inspired to found the Swifttail Caste. Though he was willing to act as a teacher for all these monks, he shared his Whistling Fists style only with his most trusted students.

Many of the nation states that arose after the fall of the Combine offered to make a home for the Whistling Fists Clan, but Zan Fi was wary of pledging his allegiance to any single kingdom. Knowledge and wisdom, he said, were not meant to be confined to a single nation or people. Instead, he set sail for a distant land where his followers could concentrate on their studies and practice their disciplines. It is said that Zan Fi was granted a vision of a serene island where he was to build a grand tower. He followed no map, but rather listened to a mysterious song that seemed to be guiding his journey.

When his ship caught sight of the tranquil shores of Mara, Zan Fi knew he had found the island in his vision. The monks established their monastery, centered around the Tower of the Four Winds.

Though centered on a remote island, the members of the Whistling Fists Clan were not isolationists. Zan Fi believed strongly that his order should keep a watchful eye on Norrath, though he insisted on subtlety and discretion. Whistling Fists monks traveled the world, safeguarding the people of Norrath and occasionally finding worthy students to join their ranks. Because the monks were careful to not draw attention to themselves, many Norrathians believed that the Whistling Fists Clan had disappeared entirely, which led to the order being referred to by many as “the Lost Circle.”