The Iron Wind - Revision history

INIQUITY: clean up, add banner

2020-05-22T23:34:12Z

clean up, add banner

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:34, 22 May 2020
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			{{ICE}}
	'''The Iron Wind''' is some unknown manifestation of [[Unlife]] in the [[Shadow World]] history. It is known "only as a power", and "only through its minions." Among these include the [[Dragonlord]] Oran Jatar of Mur Fostisyr, who cooperates with it willingly for his own purposes, as well as the [[Ordainers]] from this same island. It would have to be immensely powerful to have Ordainers serving it. Mur Fostisyr would have been located northwest of Claedesbrim Bay ([[Darkstone Bay]]), roughly where [[Ruin Creek]] is in modern [[Elanthia]]. These forces are rarely seen or felt, remaining hidden in the shadows.

			'''The Iron Wind''' is some unknown manifestation of [[Unlife]] in the [[Shadow World]] history. It is known "only as a power", and "only through its minions." Among these include the [[Dragonlord]] Oran Jatar, [[Ordainers]], and the Priests Arnak. The evil priests will pretend to be lovers of knowledge, or even [[Loremasters]], to gain the trust of local populations in order to destroy them. There are six orders of Priests Arnak, each adopting its own thematic region. They each have a branch of dark assassins called Messengers. Language about servants of the Unlife infiltrating and destroying civilizations refers to them or [[Lorgalis]].
	Most famously, it is known through the least of its minions: the Priests Arnak. These are the "evil high priests" who infiltrate societies to subvert them. Very little is established about their false religion. They commune with the Iron Wind to learn their calling, and thus become assigned to kingdoms marked for destruction. There are six orders of Priests Arnak, split along geographical orientations. They are all thematic with associated symbols, and so distinguished by their signet rings. These are very powerful artifacts which bind them together. The pain of one is the pain of all.

			The Iron Wind is an unusual situation because "The Iron Wind" source book, published in 1980 and 1984, is older than the first edition of the Shadow World Master Atlas (1989). The text from these older books is sometimes carried forward with new context into later books. In the Shadow World setting it is almost a synonym for the Priests Arnak, who are the force of Unlife on the continent of [[Jaiman]].
	The Priests Arnak often impersonate lovers of knowledge, or even [[Loremasters]], to gain the trust of local populations. Their ranking members are usually [[Iylari]], but they have been known to use mortal races when more effective. In contrast to the evil priests who were extremely subtle, however nihilistic and sinister, each order has a branch of dark assassins called Messengers. These are used as agents of force when the situation calls for something less than an Ordainer. The true servants of the Unlife, the Priests Arnak are absolutists, interested only in utter annihilation.

	===Six Orders===		===Six Orders===
			The Priests Arnak wear powerful signet rings that bind them to each other. The [[Quellbourne]] region was destroyed by [[Zenon]] under the influence of the High Priest of Athimurl, and the Orders of Gaath and Athimurl control the adjacent forest of Lu'nak and the Black Forest of Dir. This is the Ugus Fost story with the [[Shards]] which was retconned from the earlier "The Iron Wind" source book. The founders of [[Quellburn]] were from Zor, implicitly fleeing the forces of Dansart. This is the source book context, and [[Ditmar's Tale]] refers to their Dragonlord, but it is dubious if this actually mattered in GemStone III.
	The six orders are the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert dog, greathorse, and hawk. They are oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape is associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion (the Orders of Gaath and Athimurl) always work together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Kelfour's Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon is controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale\|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol\|Kral]]. He has great power over the Order of Athimurl as well. Most of what is known about these cults comes from the studies of Elor Once Dark, a half crazy Loremaster who survived the [[Wars of Dominion]].

	Very few people in Shadow World know they exist as any kind of organized power. They would only be remembered as a historical curiosity from the [[Wars of Dominion]] when they were not hidden. Some highly learned individuals might see through them in any local instance, or perhaps know of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these are somehow a coordinated whole. It would have been inappropriate for an [[Player character\|adventurer]] to know their identity, though Elor Once Dark is supposed to live in the foothills near what is now called [[Zeltoph]]. This ends up as an odd coincidence, because Elor stays in the area to monitor the evil cults and what they do in the black forest, and there is now a very similar black forest (including oily leaves) in this spot called the Deadfall.

	{\| {{Prettytable}}		{\| {{Prettytable}}
	\|-		\|-
Line 54:		Line 51:
	\|Tanara, Urulan		\|Tanara, Urulan
	\|}		\|}
			''(Note: Aeryk is defined in 1989 in the Jaiman book, but the other high priests are named later. The stats for the high priests Gaath and Athimurl are in The Iron Wind books.)''

	The Cult of the Sea Drake has obeyed [[Lorgalis]] for most of its existence. [[Kestrel Etrevion]] may have served within its fleet during the [[Wars of Dominion]]. ~~However~~, Gaath is undermining Lorgalis in his holdings to the west of the Kelfour's Landing region (Xa'ar), and Athimurl is undermining the Dragonlord Sulthon Ni'shaang to the east (Lu'nak). This is a considerable source of friction between the two dragon lords, who are actually brothers, but who go about conquest in very different ways. These factions all want to claim the region immediately south of the Landing (Saralis). These were the surrounding conditions of 6050 Third Era when GemStone III was initially set. The Shadow World timeline diverges from this trend. Within a few years later Sulthon Ni'shaang, for instance, instead invades south into Zor.		The Cult of the Sea Drake has obeyed [[Lorgalis]] for most of its existence. [[Kestrel Etrevion]] may have served within its fleet during the [[Wars of Dominion]], but only if "[[The Legend of the Necropolis of Etrevion]]" was leaning enough into the Shadow World internal logic for this to matter, since Lorgalis is the one who controlled access to this region in the [[Wars of Dominion]]. In the [[Third Era]] at present the Order of Gaath is undermining Lorgalis in his holdings to the west of the [[Kelfour's Landing]] region (Xa'ar), and Athimurl is undermining the Dragonlord Sulthon Ni'shaang to the east (Lu'nak). This is a considerable source of friction between the two dragon lords, who are actually brothers, but who go about conquest in very different ways. These factions all want to claim the region immediately south of the Landing (Saralis).

			These were the surrounding conditions of 6050 Third Era when GemStone III was initially set. Some of this is mentioned in the Kelfour Edition newsletters in pieces written by players, but there is nothing to indicate that this was functionally relevant. The Shadow World timeline diverges from this trend in later books. Within a few years later Sulthon Ni'shaang, for instance, instead invades south into Zor.
	===The Iron Wind===
	The Priests Arnak first formed and forged their rings around 4000 [[Second Era]]. What happened to form their secret orders has been lost to time, but it was most likely the result of a self-aware manifestation of the Unlife. These would sometimes happen in strange forms, and cults would end up forming around them. "The Silver Dawn" cult of [[Empaths\|lay healers]], for example, would feed souls to a mist. The Iron Wind can be channeled by the priests in the form of a crushing icy wind that they blasted out from themselves. They can also transform targets into iron, and have anti-magical as well as soul destroying powers. The cults are identified by the name of the priestly order, even though the messengers have their own identity. The assassins are utterly subservient to the priests.

	While a few of the high priests are over 8,000 years old, most of the founders are dead, perhaps all of them. It was not unusual for proteges to eventually murder the high priests, and replace them, provided they were able to survive putting on the high priest ring. Most of their history is in the form of the things they destroyed. One of the more famous cases was the [[Shards]] being awakened to destroy what we call [[Danjirland]], which were once huntable creatures in the forest leading up to the [[Spider Temple]]. The Order of Athimurl would eventually destroy [[High Plateau\|Quellburn]] as well.

	==Behind the Scenes==		==Behind the Scenes==
			The [[Council of Light]] has a superficial resemblance to the Iron Wind, with its two branches of dark assassins and secret infiltrators impersonating knowledge lovers. Beyond this there is nothing to suggest the Shadow World materials actually matter to the design of the Council of Light. The Grand Poohbah's rhetoric about his adversary could refer to the Lord High Cleric of the temple or even later stuff that never happened. The Iron Wind is present in this region in the source books. The Order of Gaath is the one that handles northern coastal realms, and they always work with the Order of Athimurl regardless.
	The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the regional history of [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] [[GemStone]] III.

	In the pure context of who the Grand Poohbah's "adversary" should be, the clearest choice would be [[Lorgalis]] with the Poohbah interpreted as the high priest of Gaath. However, the Council of Light is only very loosely based on the established lore for the Priests Arnak, so this parody of secret societies (though their ridiculousness is itself a trick) may not lend itself to serious interpretation. The name ''and'' spelling "Grand Poohbah" originates in a self-important windbag from Gilbert & Sullivan, who holds a long list of highly esteemed titles including "Lord High Admiral" and "Lord High Everything Else." This is potentially relevant because his counterpart in the local temple would be the Lord High Cleric, hence "beyond the reach" of him, which is making the same soul corrupting anti-parallel as [[Bandur Etrevion]] as Lord High Sorceror (necromancer) of the Graveyard. In the same vein this might have still been inspired by the lore for Lorgalis, who had a Lord High Executioner, another title from the same [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado comic opera].

	==See Also==
	*[[Dagothra]]
	*[[Council of Light]]

	[[Category:ICE Age]]		[[Category:ICE Age]]

INIQUITY: add two plausible theories for Poohbah's "adversary"

2018-01-01T13:41:41Z

add two plausible theories for Poohbah's "adversary"

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:41, 1 January 2018
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	The six orders are the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert dog, greathorse, and hawk. They are oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape is associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion (the Orders of Gaath and Athimurl) always work together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Kelfour's Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon is controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale\|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol\|Kral]]. He has great power over the Order of Athimurl as well. Most of what is known about these cults comes from the studies of Elor Once Dark, a half crazy Loremaster who survived the [[Wars of Dominion]].		The six orders are the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert dog, greathorse, and hawk. They are oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape is associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion (the Orders of Gaath and Athimurl) always work together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Kelfour's Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon is controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale\|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol\|Kral]]. He has great power over the Order of Athimurl as well. Most of what is known about these cults comes from the studies of Elor Once Dark, a half crazy Loremaster who survived the [[Wars of Dominion]].

	Very few people in Shadow World know they exist as any kind of organized power. They would only be remembered as a historical curiosity from the [[Wars of Dominion]] when they were not hidden. Some highly learned individuals might see through them in any local instance, or perhaps know of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these are somehow a coordinated whole. It would have been inappropriate for an [[Player character\|adventurer]] to know their identity, though Elor Once Dark is supposed to live in the foothills near what is now called [[Zeltoph]].		Very few people in Shadow World know they exist as any kind of organized power. They would only be remembered as a historical curiosity from the [[Wars of Dominion]] when they were not hidden. Some highly learned individuals might see through them in any local instance, or perhaps know of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these are somehow a coordinated whole. It would have been inappropriate for an [[Player character\|adventurer]] to know their identity, though Elor Once Dark is supposed to live in the foothills near what is now called [[Zeltoph]]. This ends up as an odd coincidence, because Elor stays in the area to monitor the evil cults and what they do in the black forest, and there is now a very similar black forest (including oily leaves) in this spot called the Deadfall.

	{\| {{Prettytable}}		{\| {{Prettytable}}
Line 55:		Line 55:
	\|}		\|}

	The Cult of the Sea Drake has obeyed [[Lorgalis]] for most of its existence. [[Kestrel Etrevion]] may have served within its fleet during the [[Wars of Dominion]]. However, Gaath is undermining Lorgalis in his holdings to the west of the Kelfour's Landing region (Xa'ar), and Athimurl is undermining the Dragonlord Sulthon Ni'shaang to the east (Lu'nak). This is a considerable source of friction between the two dragon lords, who are actually brothers, but who go about conquest in very different ways. These factions all want to claim the region immediately south of the Landing (Saralis).		The Cult of the Sea Drake has obeyed [[Lorgalis]] for most of its existence. [[Kestrel Etrevion]] may have served within its fleet during the [[Wars of Dominion]]. However, Gaath is undermining Lorgalis in his holdings to the west of the Kelfour's Landing region (Xa'ar), and Athimurl is undermining the Dragonlord Sulthon Ni'shaang to the east (Lu'nak). This is a considerable source of friction between the two dragon lords, who are actually brothers, but who go about conquest in very different ways. These factions all want to claim the region immediately south of the Landing (Saralis). These were the surrounding conditions of 6050 Third Era when GemStone III was initially set. The Shadow World timeline diverges from this trend. Within a few years later Sulthon Ni'shaang, for instance, instead invades south into Zor.

	===The Iron Wind===		===The Iron Wind===
Line 63:		Line 63:

	==Behind the Scenes==		==Behind the Scenes==
	The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] ~~history of~~ [[GemStone]] III.		The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the regional history of [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] [[GemStone]] III.

			In the pure context of who the Grand Poohbah's "adversary" should be, the clearest choice would be [[Lorgalis]] with the Poohbah interpreted as the high priest of Gaath. However, the Council of Light is only very loosely based on the established lore for the Priests Arnak, so this parody of secret societies (though their ridiculousness is itself a trick) may not lend itself to serious interpretation. The name ''and'' spelling "Grand Poohbah" originates in a self-important windbag from Gilbert & Sullivan, who holds a long list of highly esteemed titles including "Lord High Admiral" and "Lord High Everything Else." This is potentially relevant because his counterpart in the local temple would be the Lord High Cleric, hence "beyond the reach" of him, which is making the same soul corrupting anti-parallel as [[Bandur Etrevion]] as Lord High Sorceror (necromancer) of the Graveyard. In the same vein this might have still been inspired by the lore for Lorgalis, who had a Lord High Executioner, another title from the same [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado comic opera].

	==See Also==		==See Also==

VANKRASN39: bts fix

2017-10-30T16:45:00Z

bts fix

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:45, 30 October 2017
Line 62:		Line 62:
	While a few of the high priests are over 8,000 years old, most of the founders are dead, perhaps all of them. It was not unusual for proteges to eventually murder the high priests, and replace them, provided they were able to survive putting on the high priest ring. Most of their history is in the form of the things they destroyed. One of the more famous cases was the [[Shards]] being awakened to destroy what we call [[Danjirland]], which were once huntable creatures in the forest leading up to the [[Spider Temple]]. The Order of Athimurl would eventually destroy [[High Plateau\|Quellburn]] as well.		While a few of the high priests are over 8,000 years old, most of the founders are dead, perhaps all of them. It was not unusual for proteges to eventually murder the high priests, and replace them, provided they were able to survive putting on the high priest ring. Most of their history is in the form of the things they destroyed. One of the more famous cases was the [[Shards]] being awakened to destroy what we call [[Danjirland]], which were once huntable creatures in the forest leading up to the [[Spider Temple]]. The Order of Athimurl would eventually destroy [[High Plateau\|Quellburn]] as well.

	==Behind ~~The~~ Scenes==		==Behind the Scenes==
	The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] history of [[GemStone]] III.		The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] history of [[GemStone]] III.

INIQUITY: /* Behind The Scenes */

2016-05-06T08:28:04Z

Behind The Scenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:28, 6 May 2016
Line 63:		Line 63:

	==Behind The Scenes==		==Behind The Scenes==
	The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] history of [[GemStone]] III.		The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the ''full'' [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name "Priests Arnak" never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon (Gaath) is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion. The Orders of Gaath, Athimurl, Yarthraak, and Dansart were background factors in the [[ICE age\|I.C.E. Age]] history of [[GemStone]] III.

	==See Also==		==See Also==

INIQUITY: add orders of priests arnak

2016-04-05T07:43:33Z

add orders of priests arnak

Show changes

INIQUITY: /* Behind The Scenes */

2016-01-10T10:54:31Z

Behind The Scenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:54, 10 January 2016
Line 49:		Line 49:

	==Behind The Scenes==		==Behind The Scenes==
	The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name that is used to refer to the priests alone has been omitted here, since it never appeared once in the Kelfour Editions, ~~possibly~~ being treated as a game secret.		The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara\|Jaiman]]. The specific name that is used to refer to the priests alone has been omitted here, since it never appeared once in the [[List of newsletters\|Kelfour Editions]], apparently being treated as a game secret. The Cult of the Dragon is the specific order that would be behind the [[Council of Light]]. It may explain (apocryphally) the puzzle in the [[Teras Isle]] mansion.

	==See Also==		==See Also==

INIQUITY: insert historical lines

2015-02-10T07:09:00Z

insert historical lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:09, 10 February 2015
Line 6:		Line 6:

	===Six Orders===		===Six Orders===
	The six orders were the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert wolf, greathorse, and hawk. They were oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape was associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion always worked together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Wehnimer's Landing\|Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon is controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale\|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol]].		The six orders were the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert wolf, greathorse, and hawk. They were oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape was associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion always worked together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Wehnimer's Landing\|Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon was controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale\|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol]]. Most of what was known about these cults came from the studies of Elor Once Dark, a half crazy Loremaster who survived the [[Wars of Dominion]].

	Very few people in Shadow World knew they existed as any kind of organized power. Some highly learned individuals might have seen through them in any local instance, or perhaps knew of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these were somehow a coordinated whole.		Very few people in Shadow World knew they existed as any kind of organized power. Some highly learned individuals might have seen through them in any local instance, or perhaps knew of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these were somehow a coordinated whole. It would have been inappropriate for an [[Player character\|adventurer]] to know their identity, though Elor Once Dark was supposed to live in the foothills near [[Zeltoph]].

	{\| {{Prettytable}}		{\| {{Prettytable}}
Line 18:		Line 18:
	\|Cult of the Dragon		\|Cult of the Dragon
	\|Northern isles and coasts		\|Northern isles and coasts
	\|Xa'ar, Saralis		\|Xa'ar, [[Kharuugh\|Saralis]], Mur Fostisyr
	\|-		\|-
	\|Cult of the Snow Lion		\|Cult of the Snow Lion
	\|Northern forest realms		\|Northern forest realms
	\|Lu'nak, Wuliris		\|[[Shards\|Lu'nak]], Wuliris, [[Elanith\|Quellbourne]]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Cult of the Sea Drake		\|Cult of the Sea Drake
Line 32:		Line 32:
	\|Zor, N. [[Rhakhaan]]		\|Zor, N. [[Rhakhaan]]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Cult of the ~~Greathorse~~		\|Cult of the Great Horse
	\|Plains		\|Plains
	\|S. Rhakhaan		\|S. Rhakhaan, Meluria
	\|-		\|-
	\|Cult of the Hawk		\|Cult of the Hawk
	\|Riverine cultures		\|Riverine cultures
	\|Tanara		\|Tanara, Urulan
	\|}		\|}

INIQUITY: new

2015-02-09T02:01:39Z

new

New page

'''The Iron Wind''' was some unknown manifestation of [[Unlife]] in the [[Shadow World]] history. It was known "only as a power", and "only through its minions." Among these included the Dragonlord Oran Jatar of Mur Fostisyr, who cooperated with it willingly, as well as the [[Ordainers]] from this same island. It would have been immensely powerful to have had Ordainers serving it. Mur Fostisyr would have been located northwest of [[Darkstone Bay]], roughly where [[Ruin Creek]] is in modern [[Elanthia]]. These forces were rarely seen or felt, remaining hidden in the shadows.

Most famously, it was known through the least of its minions, the "evil high priests" who infiltrated societies to subvert them. Very little was established about their false religion. They would commune with the Iron Wind to learn their calling, and would thus be assigned to kingdoms marked for destruction. There were six orders of evil priests, split along geographical orientations. They were all thematic with associated symbols, and so distinguished by their signet rings. These were very powerful artifacts which bound them together. The pain of one was the pain of all.

These priests would often impersonate lovers of knowledge, or even [[Loremasters]], to gain the trust of local populations. Their ranking members were usually [[Iylari]], but they were also known to use mortal races when appropriate. In contrast to the priests who were extremely subtle, however nihilistic and sinister, each order had a branch of dark assassins called Messengers. These were used as agents of force, provided it called for something less than an Ordainer. The true servants of the Unlife, they were absolutists, interested only in utter annihilation.

===Six Orders===
The six orders were the cults of the dragon, snow lion, sea drake, desert wolf, greathorse, and hawk. They were oriented strategically in kingdoms whose landscape was associated with their theme. The Cults of the Dragon and the Snow Lion always worked together, assigned to northern coastal regions and forest realms respectively. They were responsible for the destruction of the [[Wehnimer's Landing|Landing]] region in recent millennia. The Cult of the Dragon is controlled outright by the Dragonlord Oran Jatar, who had recently made a [[Ditmar's Tale|truce]] and potential alliance with the [[Krol]].

Very few people in Shadow World knew they existed as any kind of organized power. Some highly learned individuals might have seen through them in any local instance, or perhaps knew of more than one, but only an organization such as the Loremasters would have any insight that these were somehow a coordinated whole.

{| {{Prettytable}}
|-
|'''Thematic Symbol'''
|'''Orientation'''
|'''Focus'''
|-
|Cult of the Dragon
|Northern isles and coasts
|Xa'ar, Saralis
|-
|Cult of the Snow Lion
|Northern forest realms
|Lu'nak, Wuliris
|-
|Cult of the Sea Drake
|Coastal regions
|U-Lyshak
|-
|Cult of the Desert Wolf
|Deserts
|Zor, N. [[Rhakhaan]]
|-
|Cult of the Greathorse
|Plains
|S. Rhakhaan
|-
|Cult of the Hawk
|Riverine cultures
|Tanara
|}

The Cult of the Sea Drake has obeyed [[Lorgalis]] for most of its existence. [[Kestrel Etrevion]] may have served within its fleet during the [[Wars of Dominion]]. However, the Cult of the Dragon was undermining Lorgalis in his holdings to the west of the Landing region (Xa'ar), and the Cult of the Snow Lion was undermining the Dragonlord Sulthon Ni'shaang to the east (Lu'nak). This was a considerable source of friction between the two dragon lords, who were actually brothers, but who went about conquest in very different way. These factions all wanted to claim the region immediately south of the Landing.

===The Iron Wind===
The evil priests first formed and forged their rings around 4000 [[Second Era]]. What happened to form their secret orders has been lost to time, but it was most likely the result of a self-aware manifestation of the Unlife. These would sometimes happen in strange forms, and cults would end up forming around them. "The Silver Dawn" cult of [[Empaths|lay healers]], for example, would feed souls to a mist. The Iron Wind could be channeled by the priests in the form of a crushing icy wind that they blasted out from themselves. They could also transform targets into iron.

While a few of the high priests are over 8,000 years old, most of the founders are dead, perhaps all of them. It was not unusual for proteges to eventually murder the high priests, and replace them, provided they were able to survive putting on the high priest ring. Most of their history is in the form of the things they destroyed. One of the more famous cases was the [[Shards]] being awakened to destroy what we call [[Danjirland]], which were once huntable creatures in the forest leading up to the [[Spider Temple]]. They would eventually destroy [[High Plateau|Quellburn]] as well.

==Behind The Scenes==
The Iron Wind is actually almost ten years older than the [[Shadow World]] setting. Some of its backstory is a little weird for this reason, because parts do not seem to have anything to do with everything else. When the phrase is used in its later context, it mostly refers to the evil priests and their dark assassins. These were the most iconic agents of Unlife on the continent of [[Jontara|Jaiman]]. The specific name that is used to refer to the priests alone has been omitted here, since it never appeared once in the Kelfour Editions, possibly being treated as a game secret.

==See Also==
*[[Dagothra]]
*[[Council of Light]]

[[Category:ICE Age]]