656 - The Fifth Vampire War, the Zorlim Thralls (updated 2004/01/21)

  Heroes of the 5th Vampire War 

Zorlim

In the Year 656 the Shieldlands were again in dire jeopardy. The mountain Goblyns of Forandol were attacking Dwur clan strongholds with Dwur-like skill and organization. The lords of Alglondor had been secretly slain and impersonated by Drow assassins, withholding support from the besieged Dwur. The dark armies of the Goblyns marched freely through the lands of Alglondor, crushing the Dwur, clan by clan.

Worse, the defeated Dwur were somehow being forced to join the Goblyn armies as thralls of some mysterious power. If not stopped their armies threatened to enslave all of the Dwur peoples. In a legendary quest, heroes infiltrated the Underhalls and discovered the root of their magic. The "Altar Forge" of the Dwurdelf of Zirakzigil had been corrupted by the Zuhl priests called Zorlims, creating battle standards that enthralled their foes.

The heroes dealt a severe blow to the Zorlims by shattering one of these battle standards--the "Staff of the Serpentmother--on the "Altar Forge". This broke the Zorlim hold over the Dwur thralls, who were then able to fight back against the Goblyns and end the war. The Dwur armies were also able to reclaim the upper halls of the "Dwurdelf of Zirakzigil" and holy city of Aegis, but the Abyss of Zirakzigil is still Zuhl territory.

Heroes of the 5th Vampire War

  Zirakzigil Peak and the Endless Stair 

Heroes rose to defend the Dwur: the Dwur Thorvig Redbead and Roscoe Lewellyn Westwater-Underhill, Arnath Valeg the Inquisitor of Pyrose, Gohanan of Pyrose, the Alu black wizard Lokizo, and Throm of the Red Wolf Kithoc. This is their tale.

The dark goddess Hypsiglena had taught the Zuhl magics to enslave the Dwur, and embodied it in a number of foul relics called the Staves of the Serpent Mother. By chance, heroes stumbled upon a Hypsiglenan cult, freeing a few Dwur prisoners and capturing one of the staves. They sought out the hag Thingizzard in the Great Salt Marsh, and the witch told them of the staves' weakness. Their magic was interwoven, and if but one could be destroyed the others would fail, and the Dwur thralls would be released from their control. Thingizzard told them of several ways to destroy the staff, and the one they chose was to venture into the uruk and troll filled halls of the Dwurdelf, and smash the evil Staff of the Serpent Mother on the Runeforge of the Allfather.

Using stealth, [ more... ]