Event Story:
After a harrowing month of travel, the City-State Research Expedition has finally returned back to friendly territory. Dead were burned along the way and the wounded began to build up but the well-stocked supplies of the expedition and the supporting scouts and security forces kept the caravan relatively safe on its journey home. Although exhausted, the research expedition was able to return without too much trouble other than the harassing Mordok group from time to time. The in-depth scrying rituals and research performed, as well as physically scouting such a strange and unique place at the center of the Dirge Swamp, has left the scholars with more questions than answers. However, at least they are alive today in order to decipher such things tomorrow.

The journey of the expedition has seemed to stir the Mordok in the area. While any kind of larger scale response was, thankfully, absent it does seem that in the wake of the expedition a group of Mordok has followed them until they have reached the defensive line of The Shield. Several outposts have reported heightened Mordok attacks on the defenses and a considerable uptick in Mordok activity, forcing combat patrols to pull extra duty to try to head off any sizeable Mordok group heading south. Several considerable fights have broken out but at least for now, the defenses of The Shield are holding.

Larger outposts or those with larger clans committing warriors and supplies have weathered this storm fairly well, but one outpost in particular is struggling. The outpost that Clan Axehound and Clan Whiteoak frequently garrison has sent a call for aid. It appears that a sizeable group containing a Mordok Shaman, a powerful spell-casting leader figure, followed the expedition until it reached the defensive line of The Shield and began to create corruption idols in the surrounding area. While these idols have yet to spread far enough to physically endanger the garrison, the corrupting magic of the idols is concerning to the outpost leaders. Scouts and warpack patrols have tried to avoid that area in case the magics could afflict them and cause illness or a drain of resources. The Shaman has apparently moved on from the area but a moderate Mordok presence remains.

Some of the outpost leadership have sent word south looking for aid, knowing that adventurers and smaller groups could potentially respond faster than the other Ulven Clans who have their own garrisons to manage. While it is expected that the outpost leaders will want these corruption idols destroyed, there is rumor that some scholars of Celestial Arragones’ research team may be trying to gather support to research and study the idols instead. Either way, these idols are a concern for the defenders on The Shield and must be handled and the Mordok driven from the area.

UPDATE:
A great deal of support spilled into the joint outpost to help beat back the increased Mordok presence and help to deal with the corruption idols that appeared in the area, though the aid to the warpacks and patrols in the area was not nearly as strong. All things considered though, not only did a great deal of adventurers heed the call for aid, but multiple support and martial units from organizations throughout Mardrun arrived to the outpost under their various banners. It was a long day and at times grueling, but the allied forces garrisoned in the Whiteoak-Axehound outpost prevailed in their task.

The Mordok were held back from the outpost and not only were all three corruption idols in the area destroyed, but one of them was researched at great lengths. Arragones’ researcher as well as a team of volunteers threw themselves into the maw of corruption to gather as much information as they possibly could regarding the form and function of the mysterious corruption idols. Though they collected a great deal of interesting data, it will have to be taken back to Arragones’ labs to be parsed through before any true insights can be revealed.

Unfortunately the day was not all peaches-and-cream. The traitor, James Arbor, made an appearance. James Arbor was convicted of attacking an unarmed Truthseeker many months ago and on the eve of his conviction gave himself willingly to The Mother and vanished from his cell. His appearance at the outpost was a surprise. He was seen through the day working alongside the Mordok and at one point participated in an outright attack against the allied forces as they attempted to destroy a corruption idol, one that had been empowered through some unknown magical methods. In the end James Arbor was nearly struck down, but as the killing blow fell towards his body he again vanished into the stream of mana leaving only pools of his own blood behind. Where he is now, if he even arrived there in one piece is anyone’s guess.

The day also saw a proclamation from Celestial Arragones regarding the recent expedition into the heart of The Dirge as well as a response being circulated via flyers that claimed her proclamation as being full of lies and half-truths. They are included below.

ARRAGONES’ PROCLAIMATION:

This One would also like to upon the rumors that have been in circulation regarding the visions and scrying ritual findings from the heart of The Dirge last month. These rumors carry some truth, but they avoid important nuance.

What we have learned is that the location we reached last month is without a doubt both the physical and metaphysical center of The Dirge Swamp. It was the location where The Dirge first appeared. What we know now is that at that location once upon a time the Ancient Syndar captured the dark and malevolent entity that has since come to be known as The Mother. They held her in stasis there so as to protect the people of not just Mardrun, but the world as a whole. This valiant action ingratiated the Syndar with the Ulven people and soon they became one, giving birth to children that housed the greatest characteristics of the both of them; physically strong, unmatchable intellect and magical aptitude, the ability to cast Witch Magic. 

Unfortunately good things do not last long. Some years later the latent magic of The Mother in the area made things far too dangerous to keep her housed where she was. The Ancient Syndar made a decision to move her in stasis to their Northern Research Station. At this time however the containment failed and she was able to burst free. The Mother unleashed wholesale corruption on the area and poisoned the new children of The Syndar and The Ulven and we now believe these to be The Mordok. Beyond this The Mother took her anger out on the Syndar as well and did something to them that was described in the logs as “worse than a hollowing.” We do not know what this was, but we did find evidence that the areas where the Ancient Syndar stood when The Mother broke free were the only areas that showed absolutely no magical readings.

This information has only furthered This One’s desire to find a way to combat The Corruption and turn back the clock. Our ancestors were heroes and likely died trying to make the world a safer place. We all owe it to them and their descendants to fix what has broken

• In her hand, Celestial Arragones

RESPONSE FLYER TO ARRAGONES’ PROCLAIMATION:

ARRAGONES LIES!

By now all have heard the proclamation of Her Disgrace, Arragones. Suffice it to say that her proclamation is nothing but honeyed words to smooth over the crimes of our ancestors. My identity will have to remain hidden for now, but know that I was a member of the expedition into the heart of The Dirge Swamp. I had the visions while meditating and I heard firsthand accounts of the scrying rituals. What I offer is not a pretty truth, but it is the whole truth based on the information that we uncovered, not the sugar-coated ramblings of an out-of-touch noble. Our ancestors, the Ancient Syndar did not save the world from The Mother. They brought her to this world. They did not capture her out of the goodness of their hearts. They sought to harness her power for their own selfish ends.I do not know how they did what they did, but the facts of the matter are these. The Mother was once a deity not unlike any other. She resided beyond our plane of existence. The Ancient Syndar on Mardrun found a way to tear her from her plane and force her onto ours and when they did they encased her in a crystalline prison. They used her for years as a power source to empower their various experiments. Chief among these experiments was a desire to give rise to a perfect race of children, for all the great power the Syndar commanded, they were unable to learn witch magic. They had failed at least once to create their intended offspring, but found that with the divine power of The Mother they were able to give birth to their perfect children who encompassed only the greatest traits of the Ulven and the Syndar.

A time came where The Ancient Syndar chose to move The Mother to their Northern Research Station, no doubt with the intention on continuing to siphon her power. Their containment however proved to be fragile and upon movement the structure began to break down. The greatest of the Syndar Ritualists, led by their Celestine Galwashar, encircled the containment and tried to repair the cracks, but they failed. The Mother erupted from her prison, twisted and corrupted by her rage. The initial wave of corruption spread from this point, eventually creating The Dirge Swamp. She called the Syndar on their hubris for thinking they could contain a goddess and she told them that they would undergo a punishment worse than hollowing and that neither they nor their “favored children” would ever forget that day. We do not know what she did to the Ancient Syndar, only that the places where they stood around her were the only areas of the swamp that were completely void of all types of mana.

The Mother then did as she promised and went to the favored children. Myself and others had visions from their point of view as their vision went dark and they were wracked with unbearable pain, but then a point of light pieced the darkness and with it came a voice that soothed all the pain away. I will never forget this voice as it spoke, “Don’t worry child, mother is here. She will take all the pain away.”I have no doubt in my mind that these favored children did become The Mordok and as they were created with her magic, she is in fact their mother.

What we know is that The Mother, The Mordok, The Dirge Swamp, Corruption? It was all created by the meddling of the Ancient Syndar and Arragones does not want you to know this. Do what you want with this information. I will spend my days spreading the word and trying to atone for the crimes of my forefathers.

After the combined efforts of many different researchers, scholars, and adventurers last year at the research luncheon, things look promising for Celestial Arragones and her team. With a focus initially on divination methods that shifted towards deciphering research logs and revealing their mysteries, the focus shifts yet again towards a larger application. The research team worked together with others to try to decide which direction to go in their grand ritual. It was decided that creating and focusing the ritual efforts on corruption magic and its unique properties would be the goal. After a very large and tense ritual, its successful completion allowed the research team to learn even more about corruption.

An opportunity presented to the researchers came from the March of Starkhaven, or more specifically, the Order of Arnath. Within the Church’s possession is a small Hellenstone; a precious and rare gem that reacts in unique ways to different types of mana. These fabled items were sought after on Faedrun by Vandregonian and Grand Alliance Generals because of their ability to fight against or cleanse the properties of dark magic powering the undead. Order Scholars have studied the properties of the Hellenstone for quite some time and exhausted some of their abilities. What they have learned, however, is that through unique scrying methods they have determined that there is another Hellenstone on Mardrun. The location they are confident they have divined is in the center of the Dirge Swamp.

Celestial Arragones and her research team have decided to work together with the Order of Arnath and send an expedition into the heart of the Dirge. This expedition has two main goals; find this Hellenstone and recover it and search for clues as to why there is one in the center of the swamp. This could be a unique opportunity to uncover even more mysteries and potentially gain a potent anti-corruption weapon in the future. However, time is of the essence… the longer an expedition stays in the swamp, the greater the chance of discovery by a large mordok group. With luck, the expedition will slip past larger mordok groups or repel smaller roaming mordok that discover them during the journey. Finding this location and conducting research in the limited window of time before needing to return to a safe pathway out of the swamp will be crucial to the success of the expedition.

Last month, a successful food contract between the City-State of Newhope and Clan Goldenfield has prepared the expedition with considerable food supplies which are sure to benefit their chances of success. After a long delay, the research team leaders are finally moving forward with the expedition and begin gathering volunteers for this dangerous mission.

UPDATE:

When the party arrived at the forward camp they were made aware of some strange corruptive forces in the area that were making people sick. Luckily a ritual had been developed to sanctify a space against the corruption, though it had to be recharged every hour and only covered the small area of the camp. Once the camp was secure the research teams set out to run scrying rituals on the area to gather as much information as they could about the assumed origin of the corruption as well as pin down the location of the suspected Hellenstone.

Unfortunately for the party, corruption was not the only thing lurking in the heart of the Dirge; small bands of Mordok were found to be patrolling the area. A few made their way toward the camp and seemed to gesture at the expeditionary forces to turn back, but by and large they did not attack the camp itself. The research teams and their guards that ventured out of the camp were not so lucky. As the day progressed and the teams pushed further into the swamp the fighting became more brutal. Whereas earlier in the day the Mordok seemed willing to pull back as the fights turned against them, by the end they showed no such desire to retreat. Several members of the expeditionary team met their fate at the end of sword and arcane magic and those that survived largely did not escape unscathed. To make matters worse a new type of Mordok Shaman made an appearance wielding magic before unseen. As people lay dying on the ground this Mordok could be seen weaving the threads of corruption into their body. In the end however the allied forces were able to eke out a pyrrhic victory. With the Mordok soundly beaten back the researchers were able to complete the last of their scrying and locate the Hellenstone, one larger than anyone could have imagined. Unfortunately the strange Shaman escaped the battle and there is no doubt the likes of them will be seen again.

Back in the camp many people reported having frightening and emotional visions while deep in meditation. Rumors have started to swirl about these visions as well as the information gathered by the scrying rituals. Only time will tell if they come forward with any new and valuable information.

When victory was achieved the camp quickly began to break down and move back out of the swamp. As the reserve camp broke down, unbeknownst to anyone, an Order researcher started to get additional anomalous Hellenstone readings. At the time he wrote them off as being artefacts in the readings from the proximity to the larger stone, but as the party moved south he became more and more certain that there must be even more Hellenstones buried in the center of the swamp whose existence had been masked by the larger stone itself.

In the end the expedition was able to safely exit The Dirge Swamp without being further harassed by Mordok thanks to the concerted efforts by many individuals and organizations and to top it off the presence of many dedicated clerics meant that the ambient corruption was able to be purged from the expeditionary forces bodies during the return trip. There should be no doubt that the dedicated level of support given to this expedition played a crucial role in it’s ability to return home with the Hellenstone and the new arcane readings.

LORE DROP UPDATE:

Ever since the recent expedition returned from the swamp rumors have been starting to circulate throughout the continent regarding what was uncovered. Unfortunately there have been no official statements from Arragones, but that has just served to further the spread of the rumors. Some people are even saying that Arragones’ people are trying to cover up the findings.

All collected together the rumors tell of people having visions in the swamp while meditating as well as ancient recording devices sharing information through various scrying rituals. Stories run rampant about echoes of incredible magical power and of visions of being encased in a crystalline structure while being taunted by Syndar in strange clothes. People trade rumors of seeing visions of beings that displayed the most idealized traits of both Syndar and Ulven, appearing as well-built Syndar at first, but seen casting Witch Magic and smiling with fanged teeth.

More rumors spread of visions of the being encased in crystal breaking containment and the frantic work of the surrounding Syndar to seal the cracks before she broke free, but they were unable to do so. The being broke free from the containment with such incredible power that the trees in the area were nearly blown over. Multiple rumors tell of people hearing her voice during the scrying ritual speak. The exact wording changes depending on who tells the story, but they all share a few details. She called out the Syndar for their hubris in thinking they could contain her and told them that she would do something to them worse than hollowing and then she would make sure that neither she, they, nor their ‘favoured children’ would ever forget what happened there that day and the lesson she would teach.

The last of the visions seemed to come from the point of view of one of these strange fanged Syndar as they watched one by one as their friends around them fell to their knees screaming before the same fate befell them. The rumors speak of being in incredible pain and surrounded by nothing but darkness until a pinhole of light broke through and carried with it a soothing voice that told them, “Don’t worry child. Mother is here and she’ll take the pain away.”

Beyond all the talk of visions and scrying rituals many different people talk about how the area itself seemed to have been the site of a great deal of industry. Trees were cut and removed and all signs pointed to them having been dragged north. Keen eyes found broken ropes and Mordok clothing along these northward tracks.

After these rumors and stories spread for a while a proclamation is released from the offices of Celestial Arragones.

“To the people of Mardrun,

It has come to the attention of This One that some rumors have been spreading regarding strange visions and scrying readings in The Swamp. These rumors should be considered unfounded and untrue as no official information has yet been released to the public. The researchers are unaware of who began to spread these erroneous rumors, but worry not as This One has begun a concerted effort the source of these falsities. 

Official information releases will come in the following weeks. Patience is a virtue, but comes with greater rewards than the spread of incorrect information.

-From The Desk of Her Grace, Celestial Arragones, Duchess of Newhope; dictated not read.”

April – June 2020

Calls spread across Mardrun to request aid from any willing warriors and supporters to come to the string of outposts that make up the famous Shield of Mardrun. People of all stripes flocked to the north to lend their weapons and expertise to the call, but none were truly ready for what was in store. The Mordok came south with surprising and unusual levels of organization and unit tactics. Though they still fought with reckless bloodlust, they also moved almost as rehearsed units. There was a strong feeling that there was a tactical mind behind their attacks.

Fortunately the warriors and supporters on the shield were well equipped to handle the onslaught. Parties were sent out to guard the spaces between the outposts and for the most part the Mordok were held at bay, but there were a few weak points in the line that were exposed and capitalized upon. A few bands of Mordok were able to spill past the lines and make their way into the inhabited lands south of the shield. Some villages were razed, but before long a retinue of warriors caught up to the interlopers and cut them down in their path. Most of The Mordok died, but a great deal of them escaped and slipped away, remaining south of The Shield. In the end the Mordok forces were soundly beaten back or defeated.

The next month saw the Mordok threat wane. They did not return for any additional large scale assaults. In this time of relative peace the wounded and battered warriors were welcomed to a Whiteoak Village that had been saved from the onslaught and wished to repay the fighters. The small village of Ti’Volar opened it’s town center to all. Warriors saw to their wounds and equipment while merchants and tradespeople had plenty of opportunity to practice their crafts and earn coin. Throughout the town one could hear the loud boasting of warriors telling tales of their daring fight against the Mordok.

In June calls went out from The Shield for skilled craftspeople to aid in reconstruction and fortification of some of the outposts that were damaged in the April attacks. A great deal of support spilled north from the other parts of the continent and a great deal of work was able to be done. In the meantime a number of hunting parties were put together to hunt down any Mordok that still remained south of the shield. Through cunning tracking and determination the warriors were able to track down all of the interloping Mordok, though they did so at great cost to themselves. Some warriors fell in these frantic skirmishes and many more came back bearing wounds that would scar them for life.

July 2020

As the colonial lands of Mardrun mulled the prospects of hosting the annual market faire they were undercut by an announcement from the heralds of Aylin’s Reach. Prince Aylin himself had declared that the annual faire would be held in his city. People poured in from all over Mardrun to hock wares and spend their coin. A large gambling house was set front and center at the faire and a great deal of coin found itself changing hands under the whims of fortune.

All things considered it seemed as though it would be a wonderful, if not wholly average, Market Faire, but anyone who thought as much had clearly never interacted with The Prince. People flocked to the temporary seating and bleachers around the combat arena to watch the warriors of Mardrun battled for glory. Before the fights could commence though a surprise appearance shook the audience. Two men on large, armored horses burst into the arena. The colonists in the audience immediately burst in to cheers while the Ulven sat back in confused apprehension. What followed was a spectacle that only Aylin with his unique stable of horses would be able to furnish; a true and proper Faedrun joust. By the end most of the Ulven had come around. Though they still questioned the mentality that would put a person atop a horse in the first place, no one could question the skill and mastery with which the riders controlled their steeds. Talk of Aylin’s joust overtook all other conversations for the rest of the fair.

August – October 2020

Back in January a deadly earthquake shook the lands of Clan Ironmound and though some allies, most notably The Broken Blade Company, had come to their aid to help reconstruct the damaged villages and reopen the collapsed mines, it wasn’t until August that the continent at large took notice. This new interest may have also been spurred by the discovery of a what was assumed to be another Lorespeaker Cache. Regardless a great deal of support spilled into the Clan’s lands to help rebuild their damaged homes. A group of people attempted to secure the rights to see the cache, but were rebuked as the area’s leaders cared more about rebuilding their homes.

The support continued through the next two months in a manner that far exceeded any expectations. In an outpouring of altruism the people of Mardrun came together and helped to rebuild the homes and mines of Clan Ironmound. Throughout the month of September a large bandit presence started to pick at supply lines moving into Ironmound through the Great Wolf’s Hackles and a team of warriors came together. The divvied up their roles and one group stayed behind to defend against additional bandit attacks while another took the fight into the heart of the wild lands to try to crush the bandits at their camps. In the end the defenders were hit hard by an ambush, but the assault team managed to cut down or rout a great deal of bandits. The rest of the time spend on the reconstruction efforts were quiet.

In the end the work was completed far faster than anyone had expected and the Chieftains of the area called for a respite and a time of great feasting and thanks. The battered warriors took time to recover from the assaults and people spent their time around fires exchanging stories and rumors. In thanks for the work done the chieftains agreed to lead the interested parties to the location of the Lorespeaker Cache. The travel was largely uneventful, though there were occasional scuffles with unknown assailants who wished to see the contents of the cache remain buried, but they proved to be no true hurdle. In the end the cache was uncovered and it’s contents translated and copied. An Ulven from Clan Nightriver returned to his clan’s territory and met with Clan Leader Branthur Nightriver to share the findings and request that they be copied and spread across the continent. They can be read here: Lore Cache Contents; October 269

December – February 2020/21
As winter gripped Mardrun a few interesting calls to action began to roll over the landscape. Reports came from The Shield that the Mordok may be prepping for another assault and in return many warriors and supporters again traveled north to bolster the defending outposts. In the more central Ulven clans rumors began to spread of a traveling preacher of some sorts, an Ulven who claims to have briefly died before being saved by surgeons and now gives sermons on the true nature of the Ulven afterlife. In the South Newhope put forth a call to any and all skilled laborers who were willing to give their time to help in some building and updating economic infrastructure.

The Shield – The first month saw nothing more than small scale skirmishes. The warriors were easily able to keep the Mordok at bay and their spirits high. Overall the month was quiet. The second month, however; brought much more action. The skirmishes became more common and beyond that the Mordok seemed to be employing some type of a terror campaign on the defenders. There were multiple instances where dead warriors were found, near outposts, with signs of poisoning. It started to become more dangerous to patrol the areas around the outposts as devious and deadly Mordok traps started to pop up more and more often. Though the outright assaults remained rare, there was an ever present threat of death from an unseen foe.

In February an Alpha Mordok began to make visits to the outposts along the shield. Eventually people began to understand that he was demanding a duel to decide the fate of the outpost. If a champion was sent to fight him then the outpost would be spared an onslaught regardless of the outcome. At one outpost rumors hold that they drew straws to see who would be granted the honor of facing the Alpha in single combat. A colonist won the draw and ended up toe-to-toe with the menacing monster. The reports of the fight all seem to be pretty sensationalized, but they all tell of how this scrappy colonist was able to deftly out-maneuver his opponent and in the end defeated the Alpha with nearly no damage to himself. Unfortunately without their Alpha to keep them in a few of the other Mordok jumped the colonist. Luckily the outpost defenders were able to drive them off and return their champion to the relative safety of the outpost.

The Great Wolf’s Priest – The Priest traveled through the Ulven lands preaching a story of seeing inside of The Great Wolf’s Maw and realizing that it is not the punishment that the Ulven people had been told it would be. Unfortunately not more than a few people chose to follow this strange man to hear more of his story and so he remains somewhat of a mystery to the continent as a whole. He remains on his journey’s around the lands and will happily tell his tales and his philosophy to any who seek him.

Newhope Economic Support – A great deal of people helped out over the months as Newhope made great efforts to bolster their economic infrastructure. Trails were cut and roads were paved. Trading posts were erected. In the end the people of Newhope and the supporters were able to relax and enjoy the festivities surrounding the annual Political Dinner. Nobles of various rank rubbed elbows and met with commoners and a great deal of coin and contracts changed hands.