Khalee’Sri

You say, “Hail, Keenora Fadan”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “An outsider within our midst. It is not unheard of, but it is remarkable. And with it, brings an opportunity I welcome.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “What opportunity would that be?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “To converse! When one sees the same faces day in and day out, it does not provide the necessary sustenance for diversity of conversation.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “Oh! I do have some questions for you then.”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “By all means, ask them.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “Your appearance is unlike any other elves I have known. Why is that?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “Interesting. I was unaware that our appearance had grown noticeably different from other elves, but I guess it could have been related to our long seclusion from others, within an arid land.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “The land changed you?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “It is more accurate to say we adapted to the land. What had been a forested land of tremendous growth became arid. The trees that had provided shade found little water within the parched land. They thinned and eventually died, leaving few, scraggly copses across the land.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “That’s what made the Desert of Ro.”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “You speak of the ancient Elddar forest, the cradle of elven-kind. Something similar occurred there within the Age of Blood, but that is not the forest I speak of. Our ancestors were elves of the Elddar forest who migrated when they had taken note of the slowly dying woodlands. They took to ships and landed on the shores of a faraway forested land. There, they established the colony of Khalee’Sri.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “Your people experienced two different dying forests?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “Such was the will of the Mother of All. She was presenting us with yet another aspect of nature. The desert may not look like it, but it is teeming with life! Though we remembered the forests of old, and many of us honor them to this day in our shroud patterns, we began to embrace the desert, and no longer ran from a life in the sun.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “You found Growth in the desert?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “Our ancestors were not believers at first, either. They had to have their eyes opened by another, just as I can open your eyes.”

You say to Keenora Fadan, “What do you mean?”

Keenora Fadan says to you in Cae’Dal, “There is a desolate region south of here. They call it Grunt’s Pass. If you are determined, you will find at least three different examples of tenacious growth within the inhospitable landscape.”
You say to Keenora Fadan, “I’ll take your challenge.”

1001 Tales of Maj’Dul – The Tale of Mal’Ahkt

1001 Tales of Maj’Dul – by Odyllus, the Oracle of Lifire.
The pages look blank. There is a line with an ‘x’ beside it.

Once upon a time there was a trotter named PlayerName the great. The trotter came across a book, a mysterious book empty of tales, but filled with potential wonders. There was no title to the book, but it pleaded for one. Now the book was not good, not good at all. The dark black flesh bound cover reeked of this. The book also reeked of magic, a magic waiting for a title… waiting… waiting…

Curiosity plagued the mind of this trotter. “Could I name the tale to be told” the trotter wondered. “Would the tale be a foreboding one regardless of good intentions?” pondered the trotter. They say “curiosity killed the kerran” and this was a fact well known. But “those who risk reap the rewards” as well can be heard. Slowly, ever so slowly, Soandso took the pen from the quill and began to scribe the title of the tale…

It began long ago in the days when the Dal roamed the land and the sand was a lustrous green. This was the Elddar the great forest from which all sprang. It was within the majesty of this green that the Dal came to exist.

Within the towering Elddar pines the Dal constructed a great city and in this great city they paid tribute to the gods that graced Norrath with the Elddar and all that is green and good. This great society was one of benevolence and together the Dal and the Elddar did prosper from such goodness.

There was a day when a Dal named Mal’Ahkt questioned the power of benevolence and grew curious of darker arts. Mal’Ahkt wished to delve into the Dal’s hidden vault of such things, a place where they hide such things for the good of all that breath. Such a place was the Pagoda of Tal’Thex.

The Pagoda of Tal’Thex was known to few. It was constructed far to the Southwest beyond the jungles, beyond the hills and bordering the Buried Sea. In the land barren of life the great citadel was built. Only here could the Dal hide evil from evil.

Mal’Ahkt had learned of the Pagoda of Tal’Thex from a dying old man, dying from the clutches of Mal’Ahkt that were wrapped around his wrinkled neck. This elder had constructed the great guardians of stone that crept across the dead lands. These were the Guardians of Tal’Thex.

The Guardians of Tal’Thex were behemoths of handmade stone. Great magical blocks stacked in a towering obelisk. For many suns and many moons great mages would bombard the obelisk with great powers, forming it into the most powerful constructs to ever lumber.

As the obelisk’s power shined bright within the obelisk was transported to the land it would be bound to. The Guardians of Tal’Thex would find their place in the barren land between the pagoda and all else. Here in this land devoid of life the greatest sculptors of Dal carved the obelisks into towering warriors. And there the sculptors would give their life.

The land that was barren drained all creatures of life and the sculptors knew of this, but did their art for the protection of Norrath. As they completed the sculpting of the titanic Guardians of Tal’Thex, life ebbed from their bodies. A few of the sculptors attempted to escape the death of the hills, but only one escaped the grasp of the hills. The sculptor was Haldinous of Rynthele and he lived to sculpt again.

Haldinous of Rynthele lived a great grand life, sculpting for many empires and telling tales of dead hills. He lived a long and prosperous life after escaping the hills, but his work there would lead the evil Mal’Ahkt’s hands around the frail neck of the sculptor. In final gasps the location of the Pagoda of Tal’Thex was given, as was the secret to Haldinous’ escape from the barren hills.

Haldinous of Rynthele knew his trip to the dead hills would see the end of his life, unless his power of sculpture could provide him with a means to save him from the deadly clutches of the hills. Haldinous had learned of the Clay of Cosgrove, magical clay taken from the planes themselves. This could make a new life.

In great stealth Haldinous acquired a portion of the Clay of Cosgrove that rested in the Workshop of Alidon, home to the greatest of sculptors. With but a simple pinch of the clay Haldinous was able to fashion and identical match to himself. All that was missing was a mind.

Haldinous began to carve magic words into the golem of his self. These magic words would temporarily transfer a portion of his self into the golem. In a great fury of pain the golem came to life and there Haldinous stood staring at himself from himself. With this new body of clay he shall march in and out of the dead hills.

Haldinous marched across the barren hills in a body of magic clay. He found the transported obelisk of the Guardian of Tal’Thex he was to sculpt, one of many. Other sculptors worked feverishly to complete the sculpture before their bodies would die. Haldinous would lose his life, a life of clay.

Back in a secret place the real Haldinous sprang to full life! He had managed to survive, but could not tell the empire who would frown on the use of the sacred Clay of Cosgrove. He gathered his notes and hid them away. He emerged days later to tell a fable of his journey in the land of dead hills.

Haldinous grew old and became a friend to all mages. His love of mead and good song often brought about whispers of his past exploits. It was his whisper of the Pagoda of Tal’Thex that reached the ear of Mal’Ahkt. The evil mage forced the secret from the now old and enfeebled man. Now he had the location of the vault of evil artifacts the Pagoda of Tal’Thex and a way past the dead hills.

The evil mage Mal’Ahkt would see the end of a few more Dal’s before he began his journey in a body of clay. In the secret lab of the dead Haldinous Mal’Ahkt found a smidgen of the Clay of Cosgrove to form his clay self. After his sculpting was complete he began to scribe the magic words and transfer his soul and the clay Mal’Ahkt opened his eyes.

In amazement the new Mal’Ahkt stared before himself with a smile and smirk of the plunder to come. As he smiled he began to hear a laugh not his own. He stared at his other self and saw two hands reach about it with a dagger at his other throat.

“You are a fool” said the being behind his real self. In a shock he saw Haldinous’ face emerge from the shadows. “I cannot die, I am clay forever as are you.” With a bloody swipe the real Mal’Ahkt fell to the floor. The clay Mal’Ahkt could not move! He had used a false clay stored as the true thing. The evil mage had been fooled.

Haldinous never was two. Haldinous was always clay, given life from a sculptor to live a secret life amidst the living. He aged himself appropriately and even would accept deconstruction at an appropriate age to mimic his new fellow residents.

Haldinous was as much a Dal as any, swearing allegiance to their causes such as the keeping of the secret of the Pagoda of Tal’Thex. Mal’Ahkt was fooled into a near immobile body of inferior clay. Haldinous then began work on his final work with the now helpless soul of Mal’Ahkt.

Haldinous formed a final Guardian construct for the Elddar Empire, one to wage war against undead empires, one that needed a dab of dark arts. And so the sentience of Mal’Ahkt was painfully removed and all his great power used to form the construct defender called the Guardian of Nief.

Mal’Ahkt was foolish to betray his people and paid his full price. His soul is now in a void of oblivion and his powers within the guardian. Mal’Ahkt is no more. – The End

Meaning of the Sigil

You say, “Hail, Al’Kabor”
Al’Kabor says to you, “Ah, you have returned. Was your search successful?”
You say to Al’Kabor, “I was. I have much to tell you.”
Al’Kabor says to you, “Excellent. What were you able to find?”
You say to Al’Kabor, “Unfortunately, I found very little. I was able to discover some notes from Varsoon, who did a little study on the rune itself. It’s known as the Rune of Severing. It has been known to show up with the followers of Cazic-Thule, and as you said, has been in erudite architecture as well. Varsoon believed there was much more to it, however.”
Al’Kabor says to you, “Of course there was, which is why he was researching it. Was this all he had?”
You say to Al’Kabor, “The notes I have of Varsoon’s was only a partial collection. If he found more, then he was careful to hide or destroy what he found. However, if it is indeed like the Dal Crown rune you deciphered before, could it also be a person? Could it mean someone from Odus? Perhaps even you?”
Al’Kabor says to you, “Not impossible. I think it would be someone more likely to be intrinsically tied with the prophecy itself, however. Perhaps El Arad, or even Eurd himself. However, this is an important piece of the puzzle, so I’ll continue to research with the information you’ve brought me.”
You say to Al’Kabor, “What more can I do to help?”
Al’Kabor says to you, “There’s two runes I would like you to look into now. These two, I have not been able to find much information on, but I think you might have more luck researching these here. Like before, I have a couple of markers for you to use. I have heard that one known as Lord Everling was looking into these two, and might have information we can use.”
You say to Al’Kabor, “Ah, I will need to visit Nektropos Castle. I’ll return soon.“

The Chelsith Stone Rings

Conversation 1 with The Duality

You say, “Hail, Al’Kabor”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “Greetings, adventurer.  I am pleased you have come.  We, as Norrathians, are close to a crucial point in our history, and perhaps in fact, our existence.  Only by understanding can we hope to avert what is to come.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “You speak of the Age’s End prophecy, is that right?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor\/a says to you, “Indeed.  I believe, based on my studies, that the “prophecy”, as it were, does very well point to events that will come to pass, and that may be unavoidable.  But perhaps with proper study, we can discern what is to come and even a way to avert it.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “How is it that you know so much about the prophecy?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “During the Age of Turmoil, I came across information during my travels in Kunark about the stone found by the shissar in ages past.  It was apparent to me that I had stumbled across something of significant importance when it was no less that the agents of Mayong Mistmoore himself that I found the information with.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “What happened then?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “At first, my interest was primarily driven by the idea of countering Mayong’s plans, whatever they may be.  As I looked into the information further, it was evident that what he had found was more than some nefarious plot or insidious scheme.  I knew that I needed to learn all that I could about it.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “I see.  What were you able to find out?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “Information was difficult to come by, as I wasn’t certain what it was I was looking for.  I found, though, that it was much like the proverbial iceberg – the more I learned, the more I discovered that there was to learn.  Questions led to answers, which led to more questions.  It was quite some time before I could even put a name to what I was researching.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “That sounds frustrating.”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “You might think so, but I found the feeling of discovery exhilarating.   Every step forward I took in the research was a triumph, and every step back was a new challenge.  I never felt like my endeavor was pointless.  Although I had many more adventures I went on with my companions, I worked on my research until my own death.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “So for all of your research, what did you manage to find?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “Admittedly, in spite of all of the time I invested into this, I discovered very little, as there simply wasn’t much information on the Age’s End prophecy available to me.  Mayong had hoarded the vast majority of it, and I was forced to decipher shreds of evidence hidden the tomes of Norrath’s libraries.  I did, however, make some interesting discoveries.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “What were those?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “I believe I have found the meaning of a couple of the symbols represented on the object known as the Chelsith Stone, but not necessarily their significance.  I believe the orientation of the symbols on the stone to be an important piece of the puzzle, but until recently, I had little idea what the face of the stone looked like.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “You have seen it, then?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “No, I have not.  But then, it’s not necessary that I do.  I’ve found that some notes have been made about the inscriptions on the stone, and I’ve been able to piece together my own picture of the face itself.  This will help my research immensely.  To be honest, I believe my role here will be to simply compile and piece together what has been discovered by others here, and see how they are all interconnected.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “You said you had deciphered some of the runes.  Which ones were they?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “Well, to be brief, the one I found first was the rune of the Dal Crown, which I found in the notes I discovered on the agents of Mistmoore.  I originally believed this to somehow represent Brell or the Underfoot, as it appeared to resemble the crown worn by the Duke of Below.  However, this appeared no where in any information connected to Brell Serilis, and in fact, no where in the Underfoot which Dartain was imprisoned in.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “Interesting.  What might it mean?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “I believe it more specifically points to someone who has a role to play one way or another in the Age’s End prophecy – my long time companion, Firona Vie.  It was for this reason I sought her out, and implored her to reveal herself.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “And so she did.  But how do you know that her part in this prophecy isn’t for ill?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “I don’t, until I know more about the placement of the runes themselves.  However, in order to discover that, I need to know the meaning of the runes.  This is where you can be of service.  I have a marker here with a rune symbol etched on it.  I want you to search for information, and see if we can unlock the mysteries surrounding it.”

You say to Al’Kabor, “Very well.  Where should I start searching for information?”

Al’Kabor:Al’Kabor says to you, “Given that this symbol shows up in many erudite structures of the past, I might research their tomes on Norrath, in the libraries where they live.  I studied in the libraries of Odus extensively, and was never able to find a satisfactory answer.  Bring any information you find back to me, and I will try to piece the puzzle together.  Good luck to you.”
You say to Al’Kabor, “And to you.  Farewell.”

1001 Tales of Maj’Dul – City of the Everlasting

Once in days long passed, days before the green turned to sand, there was a city of secrets. Within this city were promises of life everlasting for those of blind faith. Here the bloom would never wither, here is where the followers of the forgotten prayers came to reside, eternally.

This city was born from the words of an ancient dal, a prophet of the chants of oblivion. How he came to know the shadow of nonexistent powers is unknown, but know he did. He became a prophet in the shadows concealing his pursuit to a faith unknown.

To claim the shadowed faith the prophet abandoned the powers of dal. With his path aimed toward oblivion he was promised life evermore. A true follower of the nonexistent would surely enter evermore, but he would not enter alone.

In whispers of the dark the prophet spoke of the forgotten and her promise of evermore. The silent church was formed under the very gaze of dal. Risking exile the silent church would meet and seek new disciples. But even this was not enough.

The silent church would no longer fear exile, but welcome a life beyond the laws of dal. As silently as they were formed the church crept from the great empire and trekked to the nest of the forgotten. There they built a grand and hidden city, the city of evermore.

Many decades passed and the city of evermore grew. Deep in the great green prospered the prophet’s society rarely accepting outsiders and always silencing those unworthy souls that gazed upon the city of evermore. With great faith and swift brutality the city prospered. Death was soon to come.

The city of the forgotten and everlasting sat in secrecy within the lost lands of the great green of ancient dal. There it would have been evermore if it were not for the conflicts of powers and the demise of the great green.

The powers played their games upon Norrath and mortals perished. It would be one of these conflicts of the powers that brought death to the great green. Trees as tall as mountains, fields as wide as oceans… they all died as did the life within. The everlasting secret city also fell.

The faithful of the city everlasting prayed to the forgotten and cried to their prophet to save them. The prophet told them to drink from the great ewer, the very vessel that sprang life to the Fyr’Un, the River of Life that ran through the celestial worlds. And so they drank from the Ewer of Sul’Dae.

The citizens of the forever city faced the cataclysms that raged over the great green, never doubting they would survive. Together they sat in the streets and chanted the songs of the forgotten. Their high priests raised the 10 great Phoenix Staves onto the streets in hopes of protecting the city. Then they waited for death to approach.

What events took place after quenching their thirst and chanting of the forgotten is unknown. Does it hide in the shadows, swallowed by the upheaval? Did the chants and the staves save this city of the forgotten one? Is the city evermore or is it forever silent? Only the prophet of oblivion and his people know. – The End

Note

“I will not break my vow of silence, so I give you this note that you might read it. I will give you that which you seek, the Book of Turmoil, but first you must slay my brother, for he has revealed who I truly am. I will never follow Innoruuk, and am forever a Scribe of D’al. Bring me the head of my brother and return to me this note. In return, I shall give you the book of Turmoil, one of the books in the Tome of Ages. If you need any other of these books restored, I will do so for 1000 platinum.”

Note

“Rysva, I urge you to break your vow of silence and renounce the dead D’al! Join those who follow Innoruuk, and do his will! Innoruuk shall crush those who do not follow him, but if you aid this person and give him that which he seeks, I am sure you will be forgiven and might then join me! – your brother, Lokar.”