The Humbling of Angadar

Original Forum Post

Professionally scribed notices are distributed around the lands.

People of the world,

You learn now of the ascension of Ethraeli de Aurum, the Glorious Lady, daughter and heir of Valok. You learn also of the humbling of Angadar and the theft of his power by those who schemed against the arch-schemer. I now reveal some of how this was achieved.

I learned of Ethraeli's conspiracy some months ago. A secret meeting was called in the basement of the Temple of Valok. There, the Lady Herself, and her Drangonari accomplice Viv, laid out in blunt terms the scope of her ambitions. She aimed at nothing less than the usurpation of her father, Valok. And to do this, she would steal from Angadar. Bobil, the attendant, would be annihilated. Angadar's power would be seized. We learned that Stephanus, the other attendant of Angadar, had already turned on his erstwhile master, and would assist Ethraeli in her scheme. I surmised that Viv represented this silent partner in the work.

I will confess I had no notion of what to expect when I descended the stairs to that annex - some scheme, yes. But the enormity of the plan was thrilling, intoxicating almost. Faced with a Will of such strength, how could I not join the endeavour?

Ethraeli's design had two parts. To give herself a chance against Valok, she sought to reduce his own status by throwing the Church of Valok's heartland in Brekon into turmoil. She told us of her frustration at the Church, its sclerotic nature, its irresolvable contradiction between the holy purpose of the Dominators and the mandate granted to the Gold Order of the Sand. And to enhance her own power and ascend - a series of thefts, from the thief-god Angadar.

And so the plan went into action. A party of mortals assembled, and divided into two. Half of us went to Brekon, there to undermine the Church. I know few details of this adventure, and I call on those who were part to reveal the hand they played and the things that were done. The other half of us ranged across the world.

We sought things long-hidden, of great importance to the god Angadar. To find them, we ventured first to a secret library, once presided over by a great dragon - a diviner of sorts. There, a ritual artifact in the form of a spear was claimed. This spear was then used at our second location, an island deserted for centuries. Taking ship from Mikona, we were ambushed and assailed by a band of Shaahesk pirates before reaching our destination. I need not go into too much detail what became of the Shaahesk - know who writes this and use your imagination. At the island, we saw an ancient but finely detailed map of Negaria, chiseled into the hard stone of a chamber floor. A statue of the dragon loomed over the map. One of our party, Than'ru, recalled an old fable about a dragonslayer who struck such a drake with a spear just so - and in replicating this act with the relic spear we had found, we awakened the map.

We were pointed to three locations: far beneath Le'Or T'Nanshi; the capital of Dubunat, Cronthetus; the wilds of Jechran. In turn, we visited these locations, seeking our prizes.

Delving far beneath Le'Or, we used the rebreather devices of Lilliana Be'letane to find our way through a sunken and flooded cavern. Past this peril we found ourselves in an abandoned and disused laboratory. We were assailed by the effluent of failed and abandoned magical experiments as we explored. We found many relics of old labors - although the detailed notes had rotted or been stolen, we felt we had found the place where plagues and curses were concocted by Angadar and his servants. At the highest point of this library, we found what we were after. Long ago, the mortal Angadar was attacked by an Avariel assassin. The assassination attempt was unsuccessful, and Angadar did not take the attempt well. The blades, with Angadar's blood still encrusted upon them, attacked us, empowered by a hatred that persisted beyond death. Our party quelled the blades and stole them. They were placed into Ethraeli's hands upon our turn to the surface.

In the smog-choked streets of Cronthetus, we were told to seek a hidden and mobile entrance to Angadar's secret repository of knowledge. Stephanus' catspaw, privy presumably to Angadar's secrets, informed us where we could find it on that occasion. The library was filled with books and knowledge of all kinds - and golem guardians of murderously fiendish design. We fought our way through these guardians, braving their blades and evading their alarms. At length, we discovered some mortal servants, too, guardians of the library and of the great treasure concealed within. This, we found, was the Archive of Angadar, his master tome of Arcane Knowledge. The pages appeared blank to mortal eyes, but the power of the artefact was plain. As with the blades, this relic attacked us, flinging spells and sending many of our party into the afterlife. Even a tome of such puissance could not stop a party such as we. The thing was subdued and seized. Our fallen were collected and dusted off. This, too, was placed into Ethraeli's hands.

Our final sojourn took us into the gloomy depths of Jechran. We were guided by a stalwart comrade of Moonlit Paw's by the name of Warstoat. The place we sought had unusual guardians - corrupted and twisted Ents, and mindbroken Lammassu attempted to bar our progress through winding canyons. These creatures were cast down. Our prize lay at the end of this labyrinth of canyons and perilous pathways - within the ruins of an ancient manor house. But we did not need to delve within this ruin to find what we sought. No. The guardian of the treasure had taken it for its lair in ages long past. A great dragon swooped down and attacked us. Following a desperate battle, this beast was exterminated. I sawed our prize, the Tiara of Tianna, from the creature's claw, where it had been worn as one wears a ring or another bauble upon one's finger. After our return, we passed this final relic into Ethraeli's hands.

Our work was still not quite done. The things we had found and stolen needed to be wielded in a great ritual against Angadar, if his power was to be stolen. We headed to the City of Visimontium, where a third and final conspirator was added to the godly band of schemers. This was the Goddess, Andria, newly risen to her missing father's power and station. Andria's assistance was requested in the construction of a great ritual to summon, bind, and disempower Bobil. Through Bobil's death, we would strike at Angadar. Andria had her misgivings, but she was presented with a prize to be claimed from her involvement in the matter - Angadar's mantle of Arcane Knowledge. Whatever the true mind of the Goddess, she accepted this bargain and offered her expertise in designing and accomplishing the ritual.

Items were gathered. Plans were made. Candles were manufactured. We gathered our strength and summoned our allies.

How can the ritual and the battles among and against the gods be described? I feel my words are a poor substitute for witnessing and participating. But indulge my attempt. First, in a great display of arcane might, the god Bobil was summoned to our ritual circle. Appearing as a titanic minotaur, the god angrily engaged us in battle, summoning Drangonari warriors to his aid. With spell and sword, we killed these, some of Grantir's sturdiest guardians. And the god himself was slammed into the dust, there to die.

We witnessed as Ethraeli's nails turned to great talons; as she tore her way through stricken godflesh, coring Bobil like a piece of fruit; as her jaw distended to swallow and consume Bobil's divine essence.

Then - a blare of warning. A voice , rich with purest hatred and wrath, echoing in our heads. A false vision of Great Maleki appeared to assail us, with fire and ice giants in tow. Those of us strong in Will and firm in our convictions did not flinch for a second. We engaged in battle with these forces most terrible. This was not Maleki Himself - it was a deceitful glamour, an image of the Slaughterlord, intended to cow and unsettle us. At this point it became clear that to take Angadar's mantles, we would have to confront and overcome the very power they granted. In destroying this vision of Maleki and his servants, we confronted and overcame Angadar's Deceit.

The false avatar was laid low. Ethraeli herself landed the killing blow, plunging the assassin's daggers deep into the neck of the vision. And so did she claim Deceit, hungrily consuming this power from the weakened Angadar.

Then - a flash of white. We found ourselves in a vision of Mikona ablaze, its buildings crumbled to ruin. Angadar's voice informed us that this future awaited us if we did not turn back. A fool's jest. The course was set - when one makes such threats, what is there to say but "just try it?" We were attacked by shambling zombies, supposedly the dead of Mikon's city. But it was all just a trick. Angadar's avatar and chosen Drangonari warriors assaulted us. Many fell, for the power of the Gods is beyond mortal grasp, and these most favoured servants fought desperately to preserve their patron's power.

They did not succeed. This avatar, too, was overpowered and cast down. With a touch of the Tiara of Tianna to the forehead of Angadar's avatar, the god of Finesse, Stephanus, worked through Viv his servant to seize the mantle of Trickery.

Black. A final confrontation, back at our ritual site. Angadar in all his pomp as the master of Arcane Knowledge now came for us. At his side, a most favoured servant - Tuul'angadar, purportedly the first traitor to forsake his Avariel birth and embrace Angadar. A spiritual and political leader of Angadar's people. And then - as with so many of these elite Drangonari - a headless corpse.

We had come so far, fought so much. We did not fail at this last hurdle. Even all Angadar's cunning and might could not prevent his fall. In the dust, the avatar was greeted by Andria. Using the Archive, she claimed her prize, the mantle of Arcane Knowledge. And she chose to grant the stricken Angadar mercy.

Compared to these great deeds and challenges, the ascent of Ethraeli was almost tranquil. I know not the minds of these gods, but Valok's avatar seemed pleased at the things Ethraeli had done. He admitted, or allowed himself to be seen admitting, that he had been a poor steward of those things under his power. And he seemed delighted at his daughter's accomplishments. She had proved her ambition, seized power of her own, swept clean rot from her father's Church. She had outwitted, overpowered, and defeated Valok's old rival Angadar and his servants. In short, Valok seemed utterly untroubled as he pronounced that Ethraeli could take his place and stand in his stead as one of the Nine. He granted her a boon - the elevation of Ethraeli's mother, Hurine. And also, he presented a warning: that if ever the goddess slips or falters, he will be there, to take back what is his.

So ends this tale, at least those parts of it known to me. Others can add their own thoughts and recollections as they wish.

Silver Fox Knight of the Slaughterlord Chosen of Maleki