PCs:Damar Ogdem

Basic Information

Portrait of Damar Ogdem by Ayren Tochi'larian

Current Age: Old
Appearance: Middle-Aged
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Class: Wizard
Residence: Mikona, Visimontium

Affiliations and Titles:

• Member Magus, Gold Order of the Sand
• Lecturer: Post-Andrinor's Ascension History, Academy of Mortal Magic
  
  

Former Affiliations and Titles

• Great Magus of Internal Affairs, Ebony Order of the Moon
• Great Magus of Relations, Ebony Order of the Moon
• Archmagus, Ebony Order of the Moon
• Four of Seven, Coven of Seven
• Archmagus, Gold Order of the Sand
• Moderator of the High Mage Council, High Mage Council Representative on the Visimontium City Council
  
  

Research Interests

• Necromancy & Enchantment, Negative Energy Manipulation In Golem Creation
• Conjuration, Teleportation
• Evocation, Contingency Development
• Archeology, Arcane Relics
  
  

Select History

Early Life

Childhood

Damar was born during the fall of 2044, the second child of the M'Chekian Daram Ogdem and his wife Cynia, the first being his older brother Baran five years Damar's senior. For the first years of his life, Damar lived on his Father's farm, not far from the city of Mikona. In his small communal school, Damar proved to be a precocious student, showing a quick wit and a keen intellect, but above all a thirst for knowledge. Unfortunetly for him, there was only so much to be learned in a small farm community.

The highlight of his childhood were the trips taken with his brother, and sometimes father, to sell goods in Mikona. The Rush of activity, the new sights and smells, so much different than his home gave him a glimpse of a larger world, a world with countless secrets to discover.

Introduction to the Art

On one such trip during the summer of Damar's 10th year he and his brother came across a group of other children crowded around an ancient man robed in grey. As Damar approached, the man shot his arms up, a multicolored light bursting into the sky. Damar leapt back in fright, only to soon notice the other children had not done the same, but were hopping up and down, cheering the man. Damar slipped in closer to the group, the childrens' ease granting him courage. The robed man, whose name was said to be Lydon, continued with his illusions. As the other children looked on in amusement, Damar looked at what would become his future, magic. For the remainder of that summer any time he visited Mikona, Damar would break off from his father or brother to look for Lydon's show, which more often than not was in progress. The answer "magic" was a satisfying enough answer to most of the children's questions, but not for Damar. He insisted on knowing how and why. He spent hours watching Lydon, at home it was all he spoke of. Some days he was even able to convince his brother Baran to take him to Mikona at the break of dawn, returning at nightfall to a furious father. The first week of fall, Damar was in Mikona with his brother, but found no Lydon. For the next eight months trip after trip, he was not to be found. Damar even prefered now to stay at home rather than venture south. It was not until the next summer that he once again found Lydon, with another group of children. Lydon explained that for most of the year, he was in Andarr of the seven cities. This summer the young boy even took it upon himself to invite Lydon to his home.

When Damar was 14 the Ogdem farm began suffering from the withering of crops and dryland sickness that most of the nation was now subject to. In effort to help the family's economic situation, Baran decided to join the M'chek army in their fight against the elves of T'Nanshi. Damar's own solution was to leave M'Chek for Andarr, where he Lydon had agreed to apprentice him.

Apprenticeship in Andarr

What Damar felt when first arriving in Mikona was multiplied tenfold when first entering the city of Andarr. This time however, he had a focus, his apprenticeship to Lydon. Immediately Lydon brought his apprentice to his humble home. Books covered much of the floor, covered with the thickest layers of dust. A pet raven caughed from the corner at their arrival.

Damar's first task was to clean up his new home. Lydon would only permit Damar to leave on errands for him. The transformation from jovial magician in Mikona to strict old wizard in Andarr was jarring, and Damar could not be sure which was the true Lydon. Damar however took everything in stride, now so close to learning the secrets behind Lydon's magic.

During the first months of tedious chores, he often thought of his home, his parents. It was only in the last month before summer that Damar was given his first elementary lesson in true magic. In the summer, Lydon and Damar returned to M'Chek. Lydon never answered Damar's question as to what Lydon's business was in Mikona every year. Damar returned to his family and to his amazement saw the farm was more productive than it had ever been. Damar's father could not explain how their luck had changed. His father wanted to know if he would come back to them. Damar refused, and giving his family what gold Lydon had paid him, he left. Damar returned to Lydon, requesting they return to Andarr so that he could immediately continue his studies. To Damar's surprise, Lydon accepted.

Damar studied under Lydon for the next few years: languages, geography, and finally the art. Damar's mind became solely focused on the magic. He no longer thought about his past or his family this time, he had but one goal, comprehension of the arcane.

Stranger in the Night

Finally the day came when Damar cast his first cantrip, a simple spell of light, cast on Lydon's raven who did not appreciate it. It was no grand magic, but for that moment Damar felt like a grand wizard. That same night as Damar was reading about ganooms by the fire, a loud knock sounded from the door. Lydon answered the door himself. A hooded man in dark robes entered the house. Lydon and his guest moved upstairs. What was strange was that in all his time in Andarr, Lydon never had any type of guest. Damar attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation to no avail. Damar returned to his reading spot. A few minutes later, he heard their voices rise, shouting at eachother. The ceiling began to shake, as Damar ran to the stairs he identified the chants of spellcasting. Lydon's body tumbled down the stairs rolling into his apprentice. Recovering from the fall, Damar looked down at a broken body, smokes rising from it's chest. Damar looked up the stairs frozen, and the hooded man came down, offering him a slight nod as he walked out the door.

While Lydon had meant much to Damar, investigations by the law would only hinder Damar's quest for knowledge and so the body was disposed of. With what gold Lydon kept in the house, Damar was able to live on his own for a time. Now there were no limits to what he could and could not read, what knowledge could be absorbed. For one brief moment it occurred to Damar that it may be proper for him to return to his parents. This notion was dismissed as Damar found Lydon's private collection.

Return Home

Even with such knowledge at his fingertips, no matter the dedication, there is only so much time a young man can endure cooped up in a house reading. Damar returned to M'Chek, now in his early twenties. In the end he had decided to visit his family. Arriving at the farm late in the evening, he entered his former home to find the corpses of his parents and two young children. It was then Damar realized how long he had been gone, he had two more siblings without even knowing it. In his search for answers, neighbors revealed that recently there was much more bandit activity, with raiders behaving more brave than usual. He also learned that his brother was missing in action, his body not found after a skirmish with elven soldiers at the village of [The_Village_of_Blandenberg|Blandenberg].

The evident question, at least regarding his parents and sisters, was had he been there could he have stopped it? Most likely not he concluded. Settling affairs on the farm, Damar traveled south back to Mikona, a familiar raven flying over him.

Magus

Adventuring Career

Arriving in Mikona, Damar made his way to the City Gate Inn. Here as fortune would have it, he encountered a group of three older men. Joining the conversation, Damar learned all three were wizards. Peregryne Twostep who for the next few years Damar would look to as omnipotent, Melonius Mennallin, and Talman Grumb. Watching and listening to these three men only confirmed to Damar that his quest for arcane knowledge was a valid one.

Damar began his career of adventure, first exploring the Mikona crypts alongside Talman and Talman's bear Octavius. He met many others who would move on to accomplish great deeds, and was dragged off to many dangerous places where it was a miracle he survived. Throughout these days he had three close companions, each very different from the other. One was the monk Tren Ster, it was with him Damar shared the most of his early adventures. The Second was the cleric of Gorethar Jorio Alerian, who would one day become a High Priest. Third was the elven sorceress Elrandra Glyndorr.

Fenius & The Bandit Queen

Facing all of these trials, Damar found many opportunities to apply his studies. His skill with the art began to grow as the difficulty of his challenges became greater. One afternoon Damar stood by the entrance to one such challenge, The Hills of Tumult. Here he awaited the arrival of Tren as together they had planned to pick a fight with some giants. Waiting there alone he heard the sounds of battle and rushed into the hills for a closer look. It was there he heard the crackle of evoked lightning and smelt sizzling flesh as he came to a lone man surrounded by a pile of burnt giant corpses. The sorcerer, who would reveal his name as Fenius, told Damar he had destroyed the giants out of revenge for having previously been embarrassed by them. This show of arcane power was the most impressive Damar had seen up to this point in his life. The two spoke for a time until Fenius left as Tren arrived.

Not long after his encounter with Fenius, Damar was shopping for supplies in the Marketplace of Mikona when an excited Tren came to him, going on about an expedition to defeat a "witch". Soon many were gathered in the Rompin Romini Inn as a dwarf told them of the Bandit Queen Hugar and her approximate location. Of most interest to Damar, was the dwarf's mentioned Fenius as a companion to this Hugar. Narin Grans, a kindly priest, was on a quest to cure lycanthropy, and was in need of a tome in Hugar's possession. Against the protests of some of the gathered adventurers who included Mari Briggs and Anspach, Narin wished to meet with Hugar and bargain for the tome peacefully. Nonetheless many joined Narin on his trip, including Damar who wanted to learn if there was truth behind the talk of Fenius being involved.

Traveling north at great speed, the large group found Hugar quickly. Narin wished to meet Hugar alone, but most objected, and so Narin was to take a few bodyguards. Among them were Tren and Talman. As many suspected, Hugar had no desire for negotiating for the tome, and attacked Narin and his guards. Soon the battle was joined with the party of adventurers in it's entirety fighting Hugar, Fenius, and a coal dragon. During the fight Damar did his best not to target Fenius, and in the end Hugar and the dragon lie slain. Fenius had managed to escape, and later Damar joined a smaller force who wished to hunt him down. Fenius was able to dispatch most of the group, but left Damar unharmed. Damar could not find any moral compulsion to force him into a fight with the sorcerer.

The Vortex of Chaos

Fateful Encounters

Some months later, word spread of powerful mages momentarily losing their power. Melonius was one example, while another was a great dragon whose lair was in the Lost River Cavern. This marked the beginning of what would lead into the Vortex of Chaos Saga. It was one day, not long after these oddities began to occur, that Damar was once again near the Hills of Tumult when a magical gate opened and a dark robed mage appeared. The mage, Cyprian, spoke of events to come and of an order which was being founded, an Ebony Order. As the man spoke of his Order Damar became intrigued. Perhaps he would find others to work with, those who valued knowledge as much as he. Damar left the outskirts of the Hills thoughtful.

Taking the path from the east to Mikona, Damar was almost at the city gates when before him in the middle of the road another magical gate manifested. Before him stood a dark skinned man in simple black clothes, with horns protruding from his head. A fiendish trait. Damar asked the stranger who he was and the stranger responded that Damar knew exactly who he was. It was Andrinor, the God of Mortal Magic. Damar simply knew. Andrinor told him that he wanted Damar to become the leader of this new Ebony Order and should he, that he would gain Andrinor's favor. However, should he reveal this conversation to anyone...and as the God trailed off he summoned flaming debris, a meteor storm which left the surrounding area aflame. Andrinor's avatar disappeared as quickly as it had arrived (Note: it is only with this writing that the mention of this meeting has now been permitted).

The Ebony Order

Only a few days after those encounters the first meeting of the Ebony Order took place. Here Damar and Fenius were two of the founding members and were joined by three other younger mages along with older mages who had been accompanying Cyprian for years.

Aside from Cyprian, Damar was the only one who wore his robes in public, allowing others to know of his allegiance to the Ebony Order. He was also the Order's only mouthpiece. In time he was joined by Vanyankaya Del'Trion, his first recruit for the Order and the first after its founding. Damar continued to work for the Order, staying active in developments regarding the Vortex of Chaos, and also recruitment. For his dedication, Cyprian made him the Order's first Great Mage of Internal Affairs. Not long after that, he switched positions with the first Great Mage of Relations, Seven, who preferred not to speak in public, nor reveal her identity as an Ebony mage.

Sereg'wethrin en Edan

Not all of Damar's dealings during this period revolved around the Vortex. He defended Equaloria keep and other locations from sereg'wethrin. Standing high on the ledge surrounding Equaloria, Damar was firing off his magic into groups of sereg'wethrin, while the warriors below engaged the dark elves in melee. Upon the ledge also stood Melonius Mennallin, then Archmage of the Ivory Order, alongside Mari Briggs, and another member mage of the Ivory. This other mage, introduced himself as Aramil Fynn and joined Damar in his spell flinging. As the two rained death upon the small sereg'wethrin army, Melonius kept remarking with a sneer, as so many old men who know better do, about waiting for the right time and how they must conserve their magic. Aramil and Damar continued, in the end sharing a grin as both noticed Melonius had never flung a single spell. Aramil and Damar would one day clash, in the closing events of the chase for the Vortex of Chaos.

Eventually the campaign of the sereg'wethrin ended with a massive assault on Mikona. Damar was among those who defended the city, then moving north to aid another army of defenders fending off a secondary force. For their actions, Cyprian rewarded both Damar and Vanyankaya with amulets of Ebony Obedience.

The Coven

As an Ebony mage, Damar also became involved with another organization. One day while passing through the Mikona Crypt, he was assaulted by a powerful vampiric creature. Upon defeating it, a mysterious woman appeared and called the fight a test to see if he was worthy. The woman told of a powerful group being formed, to which Damar replied that he had enough masters already. Days later he encountered the woman Lanessa again and she announced that the leadership of this organization had accepted him as another co-leader. Damar found that two people he had fought beside on many occasions were this group's leadership, joined by Lanessa.

As time passed Damar saw that their group was possessed great strength, but it lacked a true focus, a goal. Power must be used for something. Lanessa presented a goal. She spoke of an old relic, a tome containing great summoning magics. From that point on that book, the Necronomicon, was their focus. Lanessa, a "vampyre", (powerful vampires seemingly immune to daylight) revealed the one who held the tome, an enemy from her past known as Nastassiou, a supposedly hybrid Demon-Vampyre. In the end, many contributed to the demon's defeat. But it was this group Damar was part of which left with the tome. Or more specifically, Lanessa left with it. From Nastassiou's remains, Lanessa crafted several magical rings, known as Nastassiou's knuckles. Damar received one.

Mortality

Between the business involved with his and his allies' "Legion", his Ebony duties, and tracking the Vortex, Damar had become an accomplished wizard. But as his power had grown, and more secrets were unraveled, Damar was confronted by the realization many magi and persons of power eventually come to. He was mortal, he could not practice the art forever. Earlier in his career he had become interested in the concept of immortality, the opportunity to practice the art for eternity. His first knowledge of one possible method had come with the talk of the lich Sorvanok, residing deep below the city of Mikona. Damar had previously been involved on several small quests to learn of a method do defeat the lich alongside heroes such as Timo Karr, Kima Karr, and Hargas Steelhead, and so was aware of certain details concerning the lich, such as the exact location of its home. He entered the domain of the lich with the hope that he would learn more of lichdom. This was a mistake. Damar barely escaped the ill humored Sorvanok with his life. Nevertheless, Damar continued focusing in the necromantic arts, to discover the secrets of lichdom on his own. While he would continue the study of necromancy for many years to come, his reasons would change as he learned of another method leading to immortality.

While studying in the Great Library of Mikona, Damar met a plump old half-elf named Jestan, whose eyes seemed to betray an age even older than his face revealed. The two spoke of several subjects, and being suspicious of the half-elf, eventually the conversation came to extended life, immortality. He explained to Damar that there are those who serve their God so well that they are granted a true immortality, not the farce that is lichhood. He told Damar that he himself was one such immortal. This route interested Damar greatly. Of course such a feat was no simple undertaking, but in theory time spent serving a higher being would be acceptable, providing over an endless amount of years ample time to continue one's own personal studies.

It was also during this period of time that Damar took on his first apprentice, a mage called Vladmir Hurst, in an effort to pass down what he had learned.

The End of the Vortex of Chaos

Two more events of importance involving Jestan and Sorvanok would occur before the Saga of the Vortex came to its end. The first came when Damar was certain the Vortex would soon fall into his hands. Not wishing to take any chances however, he struck a deal with the Immortal's Deity. In exchange for the power of the Vortex of Chaos, Damar swore loyalty to this Deity.

The second came when Damar was exploring the Mikona Underdark for a rumored second entrance. Sorvanok apparently was aware of the intrusion, which triggered one of many undead attacks on the city, headed by the lich's powerful balor. The balor announced Damar as the intruder, and shortly after Damar was banished from the city despite his many previous services to it.

The next day Damar was found in the city by the great demon. They fought but the fiend seemed invulnerable. The pain inflicted on Damar that day was something he would never forget. Shortly after the experience, Damar again defended the city from another threat and was acquitted of the charges and welcomed back into the city.

The Vortex did end up in Damar's hands for a time, before he was advised to pass it to Cyprian. As is recounted in the Academy of Mortal Magic's History of Mortal Magic volumes, Damar unleashed the power of the Vortex of Chaos, killing Cyprian. Andrinor than appeared before all those gathered above the Lost River Cavern and announced the creation of Andrinor's Trust and set the members of his first three Orders of magic to creating a council and an academy of the art. Damar asked Andrinor why he had created the Vortex of Chaos. The god famously replied that gods do things for only two reasons, to gain power and for amusement, and in this case it was both.

With Cyprian dead and the Vortex of Chaos no more, Damar had his Order's support in becoming its second Archmage. Meeting with Jestan, Damar was not pleased with the turn of events which had required Cyprian's death, and the fact that when the dust had settled, he did not have exactly what was promised, his deal having been very specific. Jestan pointed out that he may not have received everything he wanted, but he was Archmage. Damar agreed on that point and continued to "serve" the Deity, preferring to deal with the immortal rather than fellow followers. Damar knew however that the contract had not been lived up to, and he was not held to this union. In the meantime he figured there may be something to gain from it. In the aspects of religion after all, Damar was most mercenary. He saw Deities as potential employers, and this one seemed to have made the highest offer at the time.

Archmage of Ebony

Andrinor's Trust

The Ebony was not the only Order to have a change of leadership. In the weeks after Damar became the Archmage of the Ebony, Elrandra was named the second Archmage of the Ashen Order of the Stars, replacing the missing Belaluldor, and Talman became the second Archmage of the Ivory Order of the Sun, successor to Melonius who left the Order. During this time the High Mage Council of Avlis was created, with Damar among its founding members.

Departure from the Coven

As Damar adjusted to his new leadership role, the Legion he was a part of was not doing well. Again with no goal, all the strength in the world meant nothing. Lanessa shortly thereafter betrayed the Legion she had founded. She turned to a Deity from her own world with no power here, the one known as Vecna. Lanessa left Avlis with the necronomicon in her posession, leaving her associates without their prize. After this a god expressed his will that those who worshipped him were to leave this Legion. It is possible more than one Deity made this demand, but the one of importance here is the same god Damar at the time was serving. Damar, never seeing himself as a true "worshipper", and believing the Legion may still hold potential, for the first time in his life sought spiritual guidance. He prayed. Later that night he had a dream.

He stood in a temple, surrounded by hundreds of people wearing the colors of his God. They danced around what he saw to be the body of Lanessa, impaled on a wooden pike, celebrating the death. Then the dream changed from a usual dream of images into a fast moving stream of consciousness and concept transfer. Damar realized this was how Gods communicated among themselves. He sensed an object of a certain shape and size, an object he knew represented the Legion. He then sensed another object, one he felt was fueled by the loyalists of his Deity. When comparing the two, it was clear the second was larger, continuing to grow. Meanwhile the first went on to exist, totally independent of the second, no connection between the two apparent. Damar left the Legion, as did others among its leadership. It lingered on for a short while after.

Sinister Deeds

At this time, the Ebony Order began to expand under Damar's command. It was also during this period that a great many of the rumours involving Damar Ogdem and various sinister dealings and deeds take place. While many still remain only known to him and others involved, one of particular note is the massacre of Le'Or T'Nanshi.

Several Ebony Order mages had recently been attacked without provocation by members of the T'Nanshi army. In response to this, Damar and two other powerful Ebony mages entered the garrison of Le'Or T'Nanshi and slayed dozens of soldiers. As they made their escape some brave (or foolish) citizens attempted to strike back at the mages. They died. From this attack many rumours spread, incredulous numbers were repeated. Some said thousands died, others that the city was under siege, districts destroyed. False accounts, but such events do have effect on a man's reputation. Soon the Council of Nine declared that the entirety of the Ebony Order of the Moon was banished from T'Nanshi.

Damar and other Ebony magi continued to enter T'Nanshi when business deemed it necessary. Damar went so far as to occasionally join M'Chek soldiers in the borderlands, shifting loss to victory. While officially they were to treat such combatants as bandits, no soldier ever refused his aid. These stints in the warzone however did not come often, and Damar usually had his hands full in M'Chek.

For some time before this and for some years after, Damar would occasionally make his way to the island of Hala in the plane of Ysgard. There he became allies with a lich known as Shagarath. He aided the lich in certain endeavors and in one of his later visits helped transform Shagarath into a more powerful demilich. Years later, it is said Shagarath ascended to godhood, though he is not known to have influence on Avlis.

With the appearance in Negaria of the Ravager, also known as the "Gentleman", Damar saw a possible opportunity. Their first meeting however did not go well, with the tainted spirit assaulting him. There is little one could do with a powerful being bent on world destruction he reasoned. Damar in the end was among those who joined together to reseal the Ravager, Damar getting his revenge. He would soon have another more satisfying revenge. One against two beings who had wronged him years ago.

Fall of Sorvanok

In Mikona, Sorvanok's growing cult began conducting attacks on the city. It was discovered Sorvanok had become a demilich, and was on the verge of becoming a God of Undeath. The night before his fall, he sent his minions up to assault the city. Damar alongside many adventurers moved through the Mikona, dispatching the demilich's forces. Eventually they came to the North road and Sorvanok's mighty balor. The fight began, with more than a dozen warriors and priests surrounding the demon. But as time passed on, it continued to hold its own, even against Damar's onslaught of spells. Soon he had exhausted all of his offensive magicks, and the Balor still appeared to be in perfect condition while was tilting the melee into his favor. Damar searched through his bags for anything that may turn the tide. He found a single scroll. As the battle continued in front of him, he recited the parchment's inscriptions. The scroll disintegrating, Damar stretched out his arm, pointing his index finger at the demon. This last effort proved to be enough, the spell destroying the demon.

After the battle, Damar was approached by the Equalizer of Mikon Agatha Dane. Agatha wanted Damar to join her for a special meeting. The next day Agatha, Damar, and Jorio Alerian of the Order of Gorethar entered the Great Library to speak with the wizard sage Meliorn. It was Meliorn who revealed the secret door in Sorvanok's throne room leading to the small temple housing his soul jar. Later, Damar joined the assembled heroes for the final operation against Sorvanok, which lead to the demilich's destruction. For his part in the campaign against the demilich, Damar was awarded an Amulet of Balance, marking him as a hero of Mikona.

Artifacts of Najera

It would not be long until Damar learned of the powerful Artifacts of Najera. While the other Orders learned of the artifacts on their own, Damar and the Ebony would not come into conflict with them as it was the returned Reyes, former partner and rival to Cyprian, who would be their main competition. Damar was able to stay ahead of Reyes, having planted a spy among his ranks named Peron, who then passed reports to the Ebony. Damar learned of the Demiliches Lobera, a former Archmage of the old Gold Order during the period when it was no longer among the Fold (small and mostly insignificant), and Ibrasis, also from that period having been one of Lobera's officers.

In their time, they had planned to bolster the Gold Order with undead, restoring the power it lost when the orc magi were destroyed, and once again joining the Fold. It was not to be however, as once Lobera obtained the Artifacts of Najera, Ibrasis turned on him after Lobera refused to honor their agreement of sharing both the Staff and Amulet. Ibrasis took half of the undead they had gathered and fled Lobera, who now sought his destruction.

One note sent to Damar from his spy detailed a planned expedition by Reyes and his people into the Mikona Underdark to search for Ibrasis. the Ebony Order was able to defeat Reyes' group, and in return for his life Reyes gave Damar a key to Ibrasis's lair which was said to be deep in the Underdark.

Days after this, Damar was on the road to Mikona when he saw a zombie wandering out of the crypt. Upon closer inspection he determined this zombie was differant than the usual variety. He dealt with it and entered the crypt. On the lowest level with a swirl of blood, a floating skull appeared before Damar, an amulet hanging from a non existant neck, a staff held by invisible arms. This was Lobera. The two spoke, and Lobera said that he could take the key to Ibrasis's lair now if he desired, but that he would wait for Damar to come to him, after meeting Ibrasis. Before Lobera left, the demilich stated that he resided someplace Damar had been, but could no longer go.

Weeks later, the Ebony held an expedition to the greater Underdark in search of Ibrasis. Finally after scouring the Underdark for days, the key triggered a secret door. Damar and the others met with Ibrasis, who was in posession of a magical mirror capable of watching the artifacts' bearer. This was how he had managed to keep away from Lobera these three hundred years. Their host told them that the Ashen had already been to see Ibrasis, and confirmed Damar's suspicion that Lobera was in Le'Or T'Nanshi.

It was between these events that Damar completed his contribution to the Academy of Mortal Magic's History of Mortal Magic, and concluded his mentorship of a half-elven sorcerer Heiran Va'Mairne, who he trained alongside his former apprentice Vladmir Hurst.

Later in the year, Peron interrupted a meeting of the Ebony to announce that Reyes and some of his magi were in the Underdark below the city. He passed to Damar something he had just stolen, a peice of Sorvanok's flesh. Damar and the Ebony rushed below and confronted Reyes's group. The two factions began to negotiate. Damar was going to give Reyes the flesh in return for more information on Lobera and the Artifacts of Najera. As they were finalizing their agreement, Reyes vanished. Suspicious now, Damar quietly passed the flesh to Vanyanakya, as he questioned Reyes' mages. They did not know what happend to their leader either. It was then that what seemed to be a modified gate manifested, pulling Damar through it.

Avernus

Prisoner

The Archmage found himself in a large room of gold. Two stories of bookshelves lined its walls. Reyes stood to his side. First, they accused each other of being behind this "kidnapping". During their accusations, it was a familiar voice to them both that ended their bickering. Turning in unison, they both witnessed a figure dressed in holy robes of Valok. With supreme shock, Damar recognized the figure. It was Cyprian. Damar had been responsible for Cyprian's death, he had watched as the force of the Vortex of Chaos tore him to pieces, but there he stood. They spoke and Cyprian then sent a message to the Ebony, that Damar had placed Vanyankaya in charge until further notice, and that he would be busy for an undetermined amount of time.

Cyprian was calm, and seemed to bear no grudge. He soon vanished, leaving Reyes and Damar alone. Neither mage could find a way to escape this place.

Cyprian would appear from time to time as the days passed, offering nothing but idle conversation. Damar looked through the many tomes within the room. He found many of them revolved around Valok, His orc creations, His philosophy, or a combination of them all to some degree. With little to do, Damar read.

After what the Archmage of the Ebony assumed to be two months into his "prison sentence", Cyprian shared a meal with his so called guests. When Damar brought up the day of Cyprian's death, claiming innocence, Cyprian broke out of his good humored character and stated flatly that he knew exactly what had happened that day.

The weeks became months and when the tension between Damar and Reyes finally came to a boiling point, Cyprian appeared and put an end to it. He announced that today they would be taking a walk.

A New Path

Cyprian brought the two to a large courtyard. Here he answered many of the questions plaguing his guests. Cyprian explained that on the day of his death, His Lord Valok had rescued him from oblivion, that Valok had made him an Immortal. They were standing in Valok's domain on Avernus. It was at this point Reyes snapped. It was Reyes that had led a broken Gold Order, while Cyprian was safely in the Fold as Archmage of the Old Ebony Order. And yet it was Cyprian blessed with immortality. Reyes continued to explode at Cyprian until the immortal had him removed. Reyes was not seen again.

Damar continued to listen to Cyprian, not being in a position to do otherwise. Cyprian revealed the purpose for which he had abducted both the Archmage and Reyes. He explained to Damar that Valok had appointed him the task of seeing that a new Gold Order was created, that the time had come for Valok to gain a foothold in the world of the arcane once more. This was not such an amazing quest in itself, except that Cyprian also revealed that Valok wished for his creations, orcs, to be among this new order's ranks. A requirement if the Gold was to succeed as more than a puppet of the church.

Damar and Reyes were Cyprian's choices to carry out this mission on the prime, and with Reyes' tantrum, that left only the Archmage of the Ebony. Damar was left in his room to think matters over.

Why would he accept Cyprian's offer? The Ebony grew stronger by the day. Did he have a choice? It would be a challenge. Cyprian seemed well off after accepting Valok as his master. If Damar accepted, what would he receive as payment? Was the Ebony strong enough to continue without him? If this Order would be created no matter what, as the new Green Order had been, would he not be the best choice to avoid wasted effort on the part of Ebony in attempting to destroy it?

For several long days Damar thought over those very questions. Ultimately, he accepted Cyprian's quest of creating a new Gold Order. In return, Cyprian shared with Damar some of the secrets that had kept him youthful in his many years before becoming an immortal. It would not last forever, but it would be a start. Damar left that meeting appearing no older than 30 years old, and with another gift, a staff Cyprian had created not long after his ascension into immortality.

The now youthful Archmage spent the remaining portion of his time on Avernus training with Cyprian. The time came when Damar was ready to return to Avlis. He stepped through a gate and back into the Prime.

Foundations of Gold

Return to the Prime

Pursued through the gate by wandering devils, Damar's return was something of a show to those gathered outside the City of Mikona. It was not long until Damar met with several Ebony mages, Vanyankaya included. As they caught up, Damar learned that Vanya had assumed the title of Archmage as expected. She offered him his old station, but he declined, stating that it was not time yet to become an Archmagus again. Damar kept secret the details of his trip.

By choosing to create this Gold Order, Damar did not forget about the Ebony, the Order he had shaped. He had taught them all to hunt down competition, and while he guessed that he could achieve his goals with Vanya having this secret knowledge, there was no reason to take such a risk. As he would work to build his new Order, he would also watch over the old, as an Ebony magus, to be certain it was in proper hands. There were several promising magi who could take over even should Vanya leave, such as the then Great Mage of Arms, Sand.

As Damar began to recruit suitable Ebony veterans during his first days back on the prime, Cyprian appeared to him, saying that he should seek out the Artifacts of Najera. Damar had forgotten about them during his trip, and was surprised they were still in Lobera's possession. Around this time Damar also became a teacher at the Academy of Mortal Magic.

News to him also, was that the Ravager had returned, broken from his prison. Damar took this opportunity to work with the Order of Valok, who would be the ones to destroy the Ravager. He accompanied them on their quest to secure the Sword of Severing, studying who he knew would be future enemies. When the time for the final fight came, Damar allowed the Order of Valok, including several magi who would eventually join the Gold, to face the creature themselves. With their victory he noted their competence.

Securing Ebony

Damar encountered a young dabbler of the art in Mikona. Her name was Micah, and her thirst for knowledge of the Art led to her being accepted as what would become his most accomplished apprentice.

As he continued his recruitment for Gold, he looked to what business must be completed in the Ebony first. The Order was still banished from the nation of T'Nanshi, he wanted to rectify this. Fortunately, opportunity soon presented itself with Zevarion's escape from his prison within Zelvan Dur.

Many groups and orders had joined in an effort to reseal the master of the pale arts. But it was the Ebony Order that acquired a scroll containing the same curse that the seal warden Zal recently broken. With the threat of being cursed again, Zal was blackmailed into aiding the Trust restore the seal. As the ritual finished, word came of two undead armies. One tearing through the warzone to the south, and one coming straight to Le'Or. All present separated into two groups to meet each army. The Ebony went towards the war zone. That night Zevarion was defeated in Le'Or, and Damar's group put a dent in the warzone army, which had been led by Lobera. Apparently Lobera had been using Zevarion to strengthen his own legion of undead. In the aftermath, the banishment of the Ebony was lifted by the Council of Nine.

Eventually, Vanya was to leave her position as Archmage to pursue personal affairs. She left the decision of who would be the next to lead the Order to Damar and the three Great Magi. Votes were cast between the four. It was a tie, and Sand was willing to concede to Damar. Damar however told him it was still not time yet, and thus the elf Sand became the fourth Archmage of the Ebony Order of the Moon.

As far as Damar's own business, there were still the Artifacts of Najera to take care of. As Lobera grew impatient in his hunt for Ibrasis, he began to attack the cities of Le'Or T'Nanshi and Mikona. Several times they came face to face, Lobera now wearing the perverted body of the former Ivory Archmage D'Anjal. Not much came of these meetings, Lobera solely interested in Ibrasis.

Lobera & Ibrasis

By this time, Damar had returned to the High Council. It was through here and the Academy that he first heard of vampires within Lobera's Le'Or roots tower wearing gold robes and carrying Andrinor's mark. It seemed others were claiming to be of the Gold Order. Damar decided it was time to confront Lobera in his home.

Damar traveled beneath Le'Or, passing invisibly by its denizens. When he came to the magical door leading to Lobera's throne room, Cyprian appeared offering him passage through before disappearing again. The room was empty of life (and un-life). As Damar began to make himself comfortable, Lobera appeared. Their discussion was long with Lobera explaining his previous attempts at reviving the Gold Order during the days of the Fold of Eight, and then Damar telling his story. Lobera laughed at him, not believing Damar's story and accusing him of being an Angadarian, but as Damar continued the lich ultimately saw truth in his words. Lobera left momentarily and returned with three artifacts.

Two were matching bracers known as Valok's chosen. These were forged by Valok and given to the first Archmage of the Fold's Gold Order, and passed down to each until the Evocation tragedy. The other was a greatsword, surrounded by the aura that was clearly of Valok. Lobera explained that the blade had been created by Valok for the time when a sign would be needed to show his will. Specifically, that his anger had subsided. The weapon was heavily enchanted against orc blood, but the runes of the blade also only permitted its wielder to be a user of the art. Damar had never seen a weapon with power of this magnitude. Unfortunately, few if any mortals across the planes possess the power to wield it effectively, to do so would require divine intervention. The Equalizer of Valok as it was called, remained more a symbol than a weapon. He handed these to Damar.

Cyprian appeared again, and the three began to discuss their plans for the future. This was when the demilich Ibrasis appeared. Ibrasis, in posession of a mirror through which he could watch the bearer of the Artifacts of Najera, had been watching these conversations. Only with Cyprian's appearance did he finally begin to believe. The four spoke of how to proceed. Ibrasis and Lobera argued of course, but Damar brought them to reason, that this was their chance succeed where they had failed in the past. Working together a new Gold would rise. A problem quickly presented itself: The Trust wanted blood (or bone). Lobera had gone to the extreme in his massacres, furthermore he was still wearing the former Ivory Archmage.

Lobera expressed his pain, the pain of wielding the Artifacts of Najera for so long. He revealed his willingness to sacrifice himself and appease Andrinor's Trust and all those who had a score to settle. He warned Damar against taking the artifacts, that the price was too high. Damar noted the advice, but it was not necessary. He had already sought out the Artifacts as Cyprian had told him to, and found something greater.

Lobera made his final orders. His undead, including the marked ones, would follow Ibrasis but only on the condition that Ibrasis aid Damar in his restoration of the Gold. Lobera would allow the Trust their shot, but he would go down fighting.

The next day Damar joined a large assortment of Trust mages in their assault on Lobera's tower. During the battles, he and many of the other senior Trust members were split from the main group and left in Lobera's throne room. Lobera confronted the main group, and was finally destroyed by Fergus Goodman and the Hammer of Lithandiel. Meanwhile Ibrasis appeared to the group Damar was in, claiming to be the leader of the Gold Order. It suited Damar's purpose as he concentrated on assembling the flesh of the Order.

Moderator

As things settled after Lobera's fall, Melonius Mennallin announced the construction of the city of Visimontium, what many believe to be the one Andrinor prophesized many years earlier. He would be stepping down as Moderator of the High Council, and a new one would be elected in his place. It was Damar who eventually took the position of Moderator uncontested. Damar also aided in defending the Visimontium immigrant caravans as they traveled trough M'Chek.

The Fist

The Dwarven Quarters of M'Chek had for many years been infested with the ghosts of its former inhabitants. As the Order of Gorethar worked to free their dwarven brothers, an ancient artifact was discovered. The ring most commonly known as The Fist. This ring, once being part of a greater artifact, in its current form was said to possess magics for use against undeath. Several attempted to learn its secrets. The Noble House of M'chek was to have the ring sent north to Galdos, believing it to have once belonged to the Galdosians, when Damar appeared and presented evidence contrary to this, that the artifact had history from before its first finding in Galdos. The Noble House allowed Damar to take the ring, for the purpose of unlocking its power with the intention of using it to rid their sewers of the ghostly dwarves. Damar proved succesful where others had failed, but at the same time the Order of Gorethar cleansed the Quarters on their own through another method. With the Quarters cleansed, all lost interest in the Fist and it now remains safe inside Damar's robe pocket.

Returning to his work of completing the Gold Order, He had Ibrasis work on making contact with the mage cults of Brekon. Ibrasis would prove unsuccessful however.

Bold Claims

Damar continued to teach at the Academy. One student of his post-ascension class was the half-elf Cyprius. Cyprius took an interest in Damar and eventually claimed that he was his son, that he had grown up under the care of his mother, a sorceress from Damar's past. Uncharacteristically Damar seemed to accept or at least tolerate Cyprius's claim. He continued to guide Cyprius for a short time. Cyprius would eventually join the Ivory Order. He found Damar was not willing to be more than a strict teacher and so Cyprius continued on his own path.

Glaring Gaze

Having his hands in so many matters did not stop Damar from continuing his personal studies and further growth in the art. In Visimontium, Damar completed the invention of a powerful spell, Damar's Glaring Gaze. During his life, Damar had become what some would call an intimidating individual. Damar found that this was often useful. This spell was created for the occasions when his personal aura was not enough to achieve the desired effect.

Archmage of Gold

In The Open

By this time Micah had completed her apprenticeship and was well on her way to becoming a master of the art. As Damar was ready to make the split in the Order and have his magi reveal themselves, Micah became the Ebony Order's Archmage, making the split painless on both sides. The Gold Order of the Sand presented its living members to the world, and Damar publicly took the position he had held in secret for so long, that of Archmage of the Gold Order of the Sand.

The Cults of Brekon & War in Visimontium

Damar was regularly traveling between M'Chek and his new home of Visimontium where he sat in the City Council. Ibrasis had not made the contact he was supposed to and a faction of the Grantir army had also begun assaulting the City of Andrinor. The contact Damar wanted was eventually made by Marcus Deth. Marcus had learned of Kasaan, an orc mage who acted as a diplomat for several of Brekon's orc mage cults. Kasaan arrived in Visimontium after he and many other orc mages had received a dream they believed to have been from Valok, which sent them to Visimontium to defend it. As assaults on Visimontium continued, Damar solidified the Brekon magi joining the Gold Order.

During this Andrinorian-Angadarian "war", Damar spent time acting as interrogator and often visited the High Temple of Visimontium for long talks with the High Priestess Rayna Na'Tanlynn. He was one of the few to receive a divine dream from Andrinor showing how the god wished for the war to end. When the final day of the war came, Damar and all Orders joined together in defending Visimontium alongside the Sentinels of Visimontium. The splinter Grantir army was crushed, and Damar presided over the peace talks which followed.

The next several years would prove less eventful, as he continued on with his administrative duties as Archmage and Moderator. Damar had completed the task Cyprian had given him: The Gold Order of the Sand stood strong. Damar however, wanted to take it further. Many of his magi, orcs, were still not as safe as they should be. Since its existence, the Order had been threatened by the Church of Valok. While there were obvious casualties in this continuing feud, it led to some important events such as the discovery of the island academy "Sliver of Gold" and Gold magi entering the forbidden Fortress of Qaditha among them.