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HISTORY
From the Dawn of Time to the Present Day: The History of Norrath
It is said that outside of space and time an entity known only as the Nameless exists, and
that
this being created all that there is and was and will be. It is also written in ancient
texts that
from His mind sprang not only the universe and its countless suns and worlds, but also a
myriad
of sentient, powerful, yet finite creatures whom one such as a man, or elf, or dwarf,
would call a
god.
In aeons past came one of these gods upon the world Norrath. Veeshan, Crystalline Dragon
and
ruler of the Plane of Sky, found this world pleasing and deposited her
brood onto the frozen
continent of Velious. With one swipe of her mighty claws, Veeshan opened several great
wounds upon the surface of Norrath, staking her claim to this promising new world. Dragons
then walked the land and flew the skies, powerful beings of great intellect, wisdom, and
strength. Thus began the Age of Scale.
In time the other gods noticed Veeshan's work, and being often petty and jealous beings,
they
too came upon Norrath, intent upon leaving their mark. Brell Serilis was first, and from
his Plane
of Underfoot, a dark realm of vast caves and endless tunnels, he quietly created a magical
portal
to a cavern deep in the belly of Norrath. Through this portal the Duke of Underfoot seeded
the
depths of Norrath with all manner of creatures. Brell then returned home, sealing his
portal within
a labyrinthine chamber of mystical Living Stone.
And when the other gods came to Norrath, Brell Serilis approached each of them, and after
some time convinced them to meet as one to discuss the fate of the world. The Great Mother
Tunare, and Prexus, The Oceanlord were in attendance, and Rallos Zek, the warlord, was
also
there, yet in mistrust kept his distance. Brell, carefully avoiding all queries as to the
origins of
his information, told of Veeshan's discovery of the new and potentially powerful world in
which
she had deposited her brood. Words befit of the King of Thieves poured forth from Brell's
lips and
he proposed that they accept an alliance of sorts, to which all save Rallos Zek agreed,
ignorant
of the fact that Brell had already released some of his creations into the Underfoot of
this new
world. The planet that would be called Norrath was divvied up between these beings of
power for
the purpose of keeping the Wurmqueen in check. Each would create a race of beings to watch
over Norrath and keep a vigilant eye on the schemes of Dragonkind. Brell claimed the
bowels of
the planet and created the Dwarves, stout and strong, deep beneath the mountains of
Norrath. In
the abysmal depths of the oceans Prexus left his children, the Kedge, hearty aquatic
beings of
great mental power and stamina. And on the surface of Norrath did Tunare create the Elves,
creatures of limitless grace and beauty, and Rallos Zek the Giants, fierce and formidable
beings,
intent upon the defense of their lands. Thus began the Elder Age.
It was inevitable that such energies involved in seeding planets with life would attract
even more
of the gods, and it was the Elves who drew the unwanted attention of Innoruuk, Prince of
Hate.
In a decrepit tower overlooking the dark decaying alleys of the Plane over which he ruled,
Innoruuk waited, stoking the fire of his Hate until it was a raging inferno. He cursed his
fellow
gods for not including him in their pact and vowed to make them regret such disrespect.
From
the halls of the Elves' fair city, Takish-Hiz, the Prince of Hate snatched away the first
Elven King
and Queen. In his realm of pain and anger he slowly tore them apart, physically and
mentally,
over the course of three hundred years. He then gathered the quivering remnants of these
beings
of light and rebuilt them into his own dark sadistic image, a twisted mockery of Tunare's
noble
children. In depositing the Teir'Dal, as Innoruuk's Dark Elven creations would come to be
called,
back into the Underfoot of Norrath, the seeds for The Prince of Hate's final revenge were
sown.
Fizzlethorpe Bristlebane and Cazic-Thule came next to Norrath, and Brell met them,
concocting
a second pact with these latter gods, wishing another excuse to create more peoples into
the
world. Rallos Zek again watched from afar, determined to add to his creation as well, and
this
time Brell convinced the Warlord to join the pact, assuring him that it was indeed an
appropriate
time to fulfill his desires. Deep in the earth did Brell return to create the gnomes,
resembling
dwarves to some extent, yet more wiry and gnarled, consumed with tinkering with devices
more
so than their cousins. On the surface, away from Elves and Giants, Bristlebane made the
Halflings, short and stubby folk, agile and with a propensity to meddle and even pilfer at
times.
Cazic-Thule, Lord of Fear, was drawn to the swamps and jungles of Norrath and there
created
the green skinned Trolls and reptilian Lizard Men. And Rallos Zek returned to the surface,
pleased with his sanction to create even more peoples for his army. He made then the
Ogres,
massive, unmovable beings of questionable intelligence, and the Orcs, bred for battle and
singled-minded in their desire for conquest.
By this time, those who are now known as the elder races of Norrath had begun to expand
and
mature. Villages became cities, and cities became kingdoms. Several of the races became
bent
on expansion and warfare became part of their developing cultures. And of all the races,
it was
the Ogres who quickly proved the most interested in battle and plunder, and their empire
grew
outward from their mountain home until it eventually encompassed a large portion of
Tunaria,
largest of the known continents. Their knowledge of magic grew as did their greed, until
they
became weary of only Norrath, and when they learned of other planes and dimensions,
invaded
the Plane of Earth itself. Rallos Zek watched with pride as his creations challenged the
gods of
that realm, and when they eventually knew defeat, the Warlord himself led a second
invasion.
The war that ensued shook the heavens and angered the greater gods. Through their combined
might, Rallos Zek was finally thwarted and forced back to his domain, after which a great
barrier
to the Planes of Power was erected, denying entry to both the lesser gods and mortals as
well.
And then, in what some view as spite and others justice, the gods cursed the Warlord's
creations. Thousands of Ogres were slain and their empire collapsed around them. The
Giants
were spread from one end of the earth to the other, forced to flee their homes as the gods
brought snow and ice to their previously lush lands. And the goblins were also cursed, but
no
writings remain of their punishment as they no longer keep records of their history (which
is
perhaps some indication as to the severity of their curse). Thus began the Age of
Monuments.
As the dust settled, the last of the gods came to Norrath. Mithaniel Marr, god of Valor,
and
Erollisi Marr, goddess of Love, created the Barbarians, a hardy race who settled the cold
and
rugged northlands, near the ruins of the Giant empire. Being the youngest race, they were
generally unwashed and rugged, possessing very few social graces. And while they too had a
warlike culture, there were those amongst them who began to believe in something more. By
this time the other civilizations of Norrath had either long since declined, or were well
on their
way, and this small minority of Barbarians saw an opportunity to triumph where the others
had
failed. Perhaps this was a seed of wisdom planted by the Marr Twins, or perhaps it was
only by
chance, but as the Barbarians spread out across the lands, warring with both each other
and
any other race encountered, this tiny movement continued to grow. And so even amidst
desolation and war, there was hope. Thus began the Age of Blood.
The last of the old races to decline was the empire of the Elves. The Elddar Forest spread
across the entire southeastern quarter of Tunaria. Cities and villages built high into the
trees
housed thousands of Wood Elves, and the marble cities of the High Elves were built in the
forest's clearings and meadows, their white towers and spires climbing out of the forest,
higher
than the tallest tree. But then came the last curse of the gods, as Solusek Ro, Lord of
Flame,
arched the spine of the serpent mountains, bringing heat from the burning sun to the
ancient
forest. The rivers ran dry, it rained less each year, and while the great elven druids
fought long
and hard, using their powerful magics to combat the change, they could only delay the
inevitable. Slowly the forest gave way to desert, and eventually even great Takish-Hiz
crumbled
and the elves were forced to flee Tunaria, leaving much of their greatness behind. Thus
began
the Lost Age.
This next period of Norrathean history as it relates to many of the races is the least
known. It is
surmised by the more knowledgeable historians that while the elder races regrouped and
reestablished themselves, a small group of Barbarians were suddenly transformed both
physically and intellectually. Most believe this to be the last major and direct act of
divine
intervention, and perhaps the reason so little is known about this period is that the gods
wish it
to be so, deciding afterwards that they would have less to do with their creations. In any
case,
this small and enlightened group were the fathers of the Human race, and they rapidly
gained a
foothold throughout the lands, studying the lost art of geomancy. The Combine Empire, as
this
lost race of Humans is called, spread throughout the known world, but then died even more
quickly than it grew, and for reasons still unknown. And while they are the ancestors of
every
Human on Norrath and their relics and ruins still litter the lands from Odus to Faydwer,
little
history of this period remains.
After the fall of the Combine Empire, the remnants of mankind dwelled mostly in the center
of
Tunaria, inhabiting primarily the vast and fertile plains of Karana. Villages appeared and
prospered, several reaching the size of towns, and two even became cities. To the west a
strong
and noble band of Humans, lead by Antonius Bayle the First, founded Qeynos under the lofty
principles of law. Freeport, to the east, became an active and dangerous port of call for
all who
dared to venture into the Ocean of Tears. Humanity, much to the disdain of the elder races
who
watched from afar, remained strong, even daring to rename their home after one of their
own
instead of one of the gods. The great continent of Tunaria would forever more be known as
Antonica. This is not to imply, however, that humanity was at peace. Competition was
fierce,
and when resources grew scarce for one reason or another many groups abandoned the
promises and alliances of their past and fought. A few leaders spoke out against the
violence,
urging the masses to remember why they had fled the cold north. Others reminded them of
their
former glory and the might of the Combine Empire. These leaders insisted that humanity
adhere
once again to those principals to which all had agreed. Explorers and adventurers returned
from
afar with tales of elves, dwarves, and other strange creatures, as well as descriptions of
ancient
abandoned cities. A few even came back with limited knowledge of sorcery and the mystic
arts.
And when that discontent minority of leaders heard all of this, they became both jealous
and
determined.
A small, frail man of great intellect called Erud led this group, and he formed them into
a
council. They quickly became irritated, even disgusted, by their fellow man. Leaving a
small
network of spies behind, the remainder of Erud's followers fled the city of Qeynos and
boarded a
small fleet of ships. They sailed to the west and landed upon the barren coast of the
island of
Odus. The land was sparse and uninhabited and quite appealing to the council and their
people.
They quickly built a city of their own, dissimilar in almost every way to both Qeynos and
Freeport, for it was almost entirely a towering castle. Erudin it was called, and within
it the
scribes and scholars, who called themselves High Men, gathered and analyzed reports,
captured books and scrolls, and other artifacts brought to them by their spies. The first
human
mages since the Combine Empire were born – wizards, sorcerers, and enchanters
occupied the
great halls of Erudin and grew immensely in both power and knowledge. Thus began the Age
of
Enlightenment.
It came to pass some years later that a small group of Erudites discovered the lost art of
Necromancy. They were branded heretics and great conflict arose. For the first time in
several
hundred years, the Erudites fought. They engaged in a civil war not entirely dissimilar to
that
which they had loathed and fled from back on the mainland. But there was one very
significant
difference – they did not use swords and bows, but rather magic, and the result was
terrible.
Lives by the hundreds were lost, great buildings and structures destroyed, and eventually
the
heretics were forced to flee Erudin, to hide and regroup in the southern regions of Odus.
In one
final battle, great mystic energies were released and an immense hole leading to unknown
depths beneath the earth was created. Into the sides of this chasm the heretics built
their own
city which they called Paineel. And while both sides still seethed with anger and hatred
towards
one another, their fear of what the last battle had wrought has kept any further conflict
at bay.
Thus began the Age of Turmoil.
It is in this age you find yourself, an age filled with wonder. The elder races have begun
to
reclaim their former glory. The younger races have matured, and an active economy
stretches
across Odus, Antonica, and Faydwer. And while conflict and battle is hardly rare, it has
also
been centuries since open war has plagued the lands. A myriad of alliances and factions
exist,
friend and foe plot and scheme, and the world of Norrath is ripe for action. Equip
yourself for
adventure, seek allies and knowledge, and head out into a rich world of dungeons, towers,
crypts, even planes and realities beyond your imagination. Learn skills, earn experience,
acquire
treasure and equipment, meet friends and encounter enemies. And whether you assume the
role of a noble human knight, a vicious dark elf thief, a greedy dwarven merchant, or
whatever
suits your desire, remember one thing:
You're in Our World Now!
The Erudites, Necromancy, and the rise and fall of Miragul
as told by Aradune Mithara, sometimes historian, more often Ranger Lord, Outrider of
Karana
Over three thousand years in the past humanity was in its infancy. Mankind dwelled in the
center of Antonica, spreading out slowly to inhabit the vast and fertile plains of Karana.
Villages
appeared and prospered, several reaching the size of towns, and two even became cities --
Qeynos to the west, and Freeport to the east. Humanity, much to the disdain of the elder
races
who watched from afar, was strong -- it rapidly gained a solid foothold in the world of
Norrath and
was there to stay.
This is not to imply, however, that humanity was at peace. Early on small groups formed,
some
linked by similar appearances, others by common goals. Competition was fierce, and when
resources grew scarce for one reason or another many groups abandoned the promises and
alliances of their past and fought. A few leaders spoke out against the violence, urging
the
masses to remember why they had fled the cold north. They had broken away from the lands
of
Halas and their barbarian brothers in the name of peace, and these leaders insisted that
humanity adhere once again to those principals to which all had agreed.
Their cry was not totally ignored, and the fighting subsided. Villages were encouraged to
trade
with one another and to respond to competition nonviolently. An economy based largely on
agriculture appeared and the villages and small towns were surrounded by large farms. Most
of
humanity’s leaders were pleased with this, wanting nothing more than peace and food
on every
man’s table after a hard day of work. A few, however, wanted more. Even though their
people
had risen well beyond the standard of living endured by their barbarian brothers to the
north, they
were not content. Explorers and adventurers returned from afar with tales of elves,
dwarves, and
other strange creatures, as well as descriptions of ancient abandoned cities. A few even
came
back with limited knowledge of sorcery and the mystic arts. And when that discontent
minority
of leaders heard all of this, they became both jealous and determined.
A small, fragile man of great intellect called Erud led this group, and he formed them
into a
council. They quickly became irritated, even disgusted, by their fellow man. Leaving a
small
network of spies behind, the remainder of Erud’s followers fled the city of Qeynos
and boarded a
small fleet of ships. They sailed to the west and landed upon the barren coast of the
island of
Odus. The land was sparse and uninhabited and quite appealing to the council and their
people.
They quickly built a city of their own, dissimilar in almost every way to both Qeynos and
Freeport, for it was almost entirely a towering castle. Erudin it was called, and within
it the
scribes and scholars, who called themselves High Men, gathered and analyzed reports,
captured books and scrolls, and other artifacts brought to them by their spies. The first
human
mages were then born – wizards, sorcerers, and enchanters occupied the great halls of
Erudin
and grew immensely in both power and knowledge.
One of the more adept practitioners of the arts was named Miragul. Unlike and more extreme
than the others, he not only abhorred his human brothers on the mainland to the east, but
he
also grew to hate his fellow Erudites. To him they were both short sighted and narrow.
They
created schools of thought, categorizing magic into three groups and assigning themselves
to
three classes: Wizards, Sorcerers, and Enchanters. Miragul found this limiting and
thoroughly
resented the thought of being restricted to one school of thought or another.
He soon found others who felt similarly. They were a small but growing group of outcasts
who
often studied forbidden texts and other knowledge generally kept secret from the majority
of
students. The council was morally and ethically opposed to much of the information
gathered
afar by their spies. Miragul found that these outcasts not only studied the three schools
of
magic, but also a fourth. It was called Necromancy and a few lucky spies had returned from
a
distant underground city (Neriak, it was called, home of the dark elves) with both their
lives and
also ancient texts describing this art. Miragul was intrigued, and, by using powerful
magic,
created for himself four identities, four separate countenances and names, and joined all
four
schools without the knowledge of the council, nor anyone else for that matter.
It came to pass some years later that the council, in its ever growing desire to know all
there
was to know, both in distant lands and also in its own city, discovered the group of
Necromancers. They were branded heretics and great conflict arose. For the first time in
several
hundred years, the Erudites fought. They engaged in a civil war not entirely dissimilar to
that
which they had loathed and fled from back on the mainland. But there was one very
significant
difference – they did not use swords and bows, but rather magic, and the result was
terrible.
Lives by the hundreds were lost, great buildings and structures destroyed, and eventually
the
heretics were forced to flee Erudin, to hide and regroup in the southern regions of Odus.
Miragul, being a member of all four schools, was not blind to the implications when the
conflict
began. He left the heretics before they fled the city, abandoning his fourth identity and
siding
apparently with the council. But this was only a ruse in order to buy time. He soon
gathered
every artifact and tome he could discreetly steal and then left Odus entirely, taking a
ship back
to Antonica and to the city of Qeynos. The lands of men, however, were not only to his
dislike,
but also filled with Erudite spies. Miragul grew afraid, even paranoid, and soon fled
again. He
headed far to the north and then to the east, wishing to avoid the barbarians of Halas.
After
many weeks he found himself near the great lake called Winter’s Deep and he hid there
for
some time.
While Miragul waited in secret his mind was not idle. He schemed and planned, and looked
over
every letter of every scroll and tome he had taken from Erudin. Time passed and his
understanding and power grew. But he was unsatisfied and a deep hunger for even more
arcane
knowledge ate away at him. He soon left his hiding place and began to travel long
distances in
search of more ancient texts and artifacts. His power had grown and confidence overcame
his
fear of Erudite spies. Once again he cloaked himself in false identity and countenance and
traveled the lands of men.
Not far to the south of where his cache of artifacts lay, Miragul soon found another of
the new
races, the Halflings, and their town Rivervale. The mage feared these small people and
their
propensity to sneak and to steal, and as his treasures grew in both size and value, he
eventually
made the decision to move even farther north, and away from all intelligent life. He
traveled
leagues and leagues, far beyond the range of both Erudite spy and curious Halfling, and
eventually came to a vast tundra. This land had no name, and was not until centuries later
referred to as merely the Frigid Plain. This frosty and remote environment appealed to
Miragul’s
heart, for it had grown cold, obsessed with only knowledge and the abstract, and filled
with only
hatred for others. Creatures with intelligence forced him to be discreet and slowed his
acquisition of knowledge and items. He had as little to do with them as he could, only
hiding
amongst them when absolutely necessary.
Under the icy ground of the Frigid Plains, Miragul created a large network of tunnels and
rooms
in which to hide and study his collection. He used no labor, but rather deep magic to
remove the
earth from his way. Room after room, passage after passage, he did create to house his
store of
artifacts. He split his years, spending one score out in the world, exploring and amassing
knowledge and items, returning them to his cache, and then the next dabbling with them,
experimenting in one of several laboratories he had created.
Many years passed, even centuries. Miragul grew old, even though he did his best to extend
his
life using magical means. There was a limit to his enlightenment when it came to aging,
and he
soon acknowledged that one day even he would die. Only one aspect of death did he fear,
and
being no longer able to learn and collect wrought him with terror. As his skin grew
wrinkled, and
his breath short, Miragul’s time was spent less exploring the world of Norrath and
more studying
the existential. He soon discovered the various hidden dimensions that neighbored his own,
the
Planes of Power and Discord. He discovered means by which he could traverse these planes,
making portals that led between them. But his strength was leaving him, and his journeys
into
these realities were short and often unprofitable. More and more, his own mortality
limited his
reason for living, and the specter of death haunted him daily.
The mage’s research into life and death was built upon a foundation he had learned
from his
fellow outcasts centuries before in Erudin. Necromancy, more than any other art, became
Miragul’s obsession. Eventually he discovered a means by which to create portals
within his
own plane and made them to travel great distances in mere seconds. He traveled back to
Odus,
to its southern regions, in search of the other Necromancers. Perhaps, he mused, they had
unearthed by now a way to cheat death.
The mage soon found that the heretics of Erudin had built a city into a great hole that
led to
unknown depths beneath the earth. This chasm was apparently the result of that huge civil
war
from which Miragul had fled centuries earlier. The city, called Paineel, though somewhat
suspicious, allowed Miragul to enter and after a time he earned its inhabitant’s
trust. Many
humored the old man and his claims, while a select few respected him and were willing to
trade
knowledge for knowledge, power for power. They revealed to him the true power of
necromancy,
the ability to raise the dead, creating zombies and wraiths obedient in every way to their
master.
Many of the heretics planned to assault Erudin with vast armies of undead, to wreak
revenge
upon the council that had exiled and made war upon them in centuries past.
One important aspect of their necromancy interested Miragul, the fact that the undead
ceased
to age. Their lives appeared endless and the elderly mage knew that he must discover a way
to
be like them. He feigned interest in the heretic’s goals, learning spells to raise
the dead, helping
them raise their undead army. All the while, however, he was experimenting himself, hiding
much of his research in the small home he was given in Paineel. After some time he
discovered
that which he had sought, a way to transform a living being, as opposed to a corpse, into
the
undead. Unfortunately, time was scarce, for he was tired and almost dead himself, his body
deteriorating with age, and the heretics were almost ready to make war once again.
Miragul then left Paineel, using a small portion of his dwindling life energies to make a
portal
back to his cache hundreds of leagues to the north. Upon arrival, he withdrew silently to
his
most secret laboratory and prepared his final spell. Dreaming all the while of endless
exploration
and discovery, he slowly made ready his ultimate experiment. The enchantment laced with
necromancy was finally made, and Miragul hid his remaining and fragile life within the
phylactery, a small device he had pilfered from the other necromancers. Clouds of mystical
energy gathered and then dispersed, revealing a shell of the man Miragul once was, an
undead
mage, what ancient scripts and legends called a lich.
In his haste, however, Miragul had made a miscalculation. The lich, while retaining all
the
mystical power of his formal self, lacked a spirit. Only the mage’s soul, now locked
within the
phylactery hidden deep in the cache, retained the ambition and desire to amass knowledge
and
power. The spiritless lich possessed none of these human traits, and Miragul’s soul
screamed
in silence as the undead creature began to aimlessly wander his menagerie of wisdom and
enlightenment, his rooms filled with artifacts of power.
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