A guide event from November 2017. A guide sits down a group of players in PoK and tells a story.
'Well let us begin my friends!'
'After Veeshan had brought life to Norrath, she settled into the Plane of Sky and
drew a Veil across the chasm separating the dragon plane from us.'
'Then she fell into a long and peaceful slumber. So too, did the dragons still left
on Norrath, as their strength was derived from the Plane, and the Veil kept them from
exercising their magical powers.'
'Ya see, lads, the Ring of Scale dinna take kindly to mortals meddling in their affairs,
and the Veil did well to prevent that.'
'Aye, but the dragons slept, and the Veil fell into neglect, until mortals began to find
cracks and once more made inroads into the Plane of Sky.'
'On Norrath, the dragon Zavo`Zatanov and her accomplices were determined to remove the
Veil and restore the power of the Ring of Scale.'
'Not your normal group of travelers were these. Though they called themselves brother
and sister, they were clearly not so: Zavo, a High Elven woman of exquisite beauty;
Rals`Zezonis, strongly human; Sarethsin`Kaz, a typically snobbish Erud'
'and rounding out this already peculiar group, a troll named Soreg`Sslisn.'
'Great reward and dangerous adventure they promised, fortune and glory to all that
would hear, and not an ear in the land missed their call.'
Staarrx ponders whether some enchantment might have lain behind the irresistable call
to arms..
'And what could possibly be the goal of such a motley group, forcing them to enlist the
aid of total strangers? Like a knife, the next two words sliced through the cold night
air, silencing all within hearing.'
'Lady Vox.'
'Lady Vox holds that which we seek.'
Staarrx draws a quick breath as if he him self had been present..
'Through Blackburrow did they venture, the gnolls rejoicing that they did not stay their
journey. Thence through Everfrost, which some say melted a little under the presence of
such a horde.'
'On to Permafrost they went, to the lair of the Lady Vox.'
'They paused, casters with their noses buried deep within their books, murmuring arcane
phrases, warriors unsheathing their blades, donning helms, while some of the smaller
folk faded in and out of view.'
'That's when they first heard:'
'"Vile children of Scale, your efforts are wasted this day! You were fools to think that
you could stand against the fury of Mistmoore!"'
'The sound echoed off the canyon walls. Out of the shadows sprung the horror,
three Teir`Dal soldiers, agents of the dreaded Vampire Lord.'
'Lord Galendor, nightmare of Castle Mistmoore and chief enforcer of Mayong Mistmoore himself,
led the charge, leveling a furious attack at the High Elven woman, Zavo, before any had time
to react.'
'Khasra Vei`Ras was not far behind, and a Teir`Dal priestess lent support from the shadows . .
D`shar was her name.'
Staarrx slows, seeming to drift away to another time and place as it speaks..
'Now, fighting a Teir`Dal agent of the Vampire Lord might not seem to be such a difficult task,
until you turn to your comrade and see his very life draining away, dripping down his tunic
and staining the ground.'
'This unholy union of rage and wit, chaos and order . . . it sticks with you.'
Staarrx seems to be speaking as someone with more than a passing acquaintance with the issue.
'Zavo and her companions defended themselves well, but they never could have lasted on their own.'
'Luckily, they had prepared themselves, enlisting the aid of some of the greatest that Norrath
offered.'
'The battle was bloody, and before they even had time to organize themselves into some
semblance of order, forty had become twenty.'
'The tide finally began to turn for the heroes when one of the young half-elf warriors
discovered the Teir`dal cleric D`shar hiding in a corner and quickly dispatched her.'
'Without a healing force, the Teir`dal had no hope for victory. Galendor fell almost
immediately, and Khasra, badly wounded, stumbled backwards, uttering a few cryptic words.'
'What followed sent a chill through the bones of all who were there to witness,
and these were battle-hardened veterans of the worst that Norrath had to offer.'
'Ya see, the shadows crept out from the very stones beneath her feet, reaching up
from the ground to envelop the Teir`dal woman, swallowing her into darkness.
Little did they know that while this was taking place,'
'a dwarf rogue by the name of Kivgor Illbria had snuck into Vox`s lair and purloined
the Shard. Loud and foul were the cries of anguish rumbling through the bowels of
Permafrost when Vox discovered the Shard missing.'
'Just as loud were the cries of glee from Kivgor, taunting Vox for letting down her
guard. His luck failed him, though. As he was about to make good his escape through
the gates of the cavern, Kivgor ran headlong into Zavo`s group.'
'Proud of his accomplishment, Kivgor waved the Shard before them, but his pride
quickly turned to anguish when he discovered that this was the very Shard that they
were hunting.'
'He attempted to flee, but they caught him and challenged him for rightful ownership
of the Shard. Badly outnumbered, Kivgor stood nay chance at all, but he still fought
for the Shard. His dying words echoed through the chamber.'
''Fie on you, accursed Mistmoore! I fall in your favor, but now you be without your
precious trinket!''
Staarrx looks puzzled.
'Mistmoore, mentioned twice now? What role could Mistmoore possibly play in this drama?'
Staarrx knows that the party was soon to discover the answer to that question..
'Ya see, Mayong Mistmoore was the bitter enemy of the Ring of Scale, and he wanted
nothing more than to possess the Shard and thereby control access to the Plane
of Sky.'
'With all due haste, Zavo`s group journeyed to the Rathe Moutains, where the final
partitioning of the Veil was to take place. Surrounded by their mortal supporters,
Zavo and her friends shed their illusions,'
'and stepped forward to reveal their true dragon nature. However, before Zavo could
reveal herself, the sky was suddenly filled wi` shadows, while faint laughter swirled
through the rising wind.'
'A harsh voice, filled wi` hatred and disgust, echoed through the mountainsides,
`Children of Scale! You shall not succeed this night, I shall make sure of it.'
'`For centuries, you have evaded me. Now this shall end. Everything you possess
. . . is but a waste.''
'challenging them for possession of the Shard.'
'Quickly the mortals sprang to the defense of the Scale, but it was too late for
the doomed party. One by one, Mistmoore's cold touch enveloped them in misty
vapor, draining their life and strengthening his.'
'Fighting valiantly, the humans appeared to be on the verge of sure victory,
when suddenly Mayong faded from view, eluding their attacks.'
'The shadows quickly retreated back to the corners and stones from which they
had issued, their tendrils rising in the air and the sound of a thousand
shrieks echoing across the Mountains of Rathe.'
'As the shadows slithered from view, a voice was heard, faintly hissing
these words of defeat, `You have won this day, Children of Scale, but
it shall not be the last battle that you will face.'
'`Rend your veil and harness your power, it shall do nothing for you, as in
the end, you all shall perish, dragon and mortal alike. Your corpses
shall rot at my feet; this I can assure you.'
'Until that night comes, I bid thee a good morrow, and sleep well.
The voice trailed off into sadistic laughter that hung within the
air for what seemed like an eternity before fading into the wind.'
'Alas, Zavo mourned the loss of her beloved companions, cursing the name of Mistmoore.'
Staarrx lowers his head to conceal the tears in his eyes..
'Determined to complete the quest which she had started,
Zavo called for the human who had most distinguished himself
in the battle to step forward.'
the final task, to die by the Shard, spilling his blood on
the earth of Norrath so that the Veil would be sundered forever.
He paused not a moment before nodding in agreement.'
'After performing the sacrifice and resurrecting the hero, Zavo
presented him wi` the Shard, which became known thereafter as
the Crystalline Claw of Veeshan, a mighty and powerful weapon.'
'Forevermore in the realms of the Scale was his act of bravery sung.
Thus did the Veil of Veeshan become torn, and the realms of mortals
and Scale did mingle.'
'And so the dragons of Norrath were once more restored to power and
glory, a fitting position for the Ring of Scale.'
Staarrx wonders what Mistmoore did next..
'Of the outcome of the battle between Mistmoore and the Ring of Scale,
we can only guess, for I am certain that the final pages of that
Act have not yet been written.'
'Thank you all for listening to my tale. I do hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.'
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