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{{ICE}} |
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'''Uthex Kathiasas''' (? - 6521 Second Era) was a highly regarded [[Sages|Loremaster]] during the [[Wars of Dominion]] in the [[ICE age|ICE Age]] history. As a Loremaster of [[Karilon]], he was most likely [[Iylari|High Elven]]. Uthex was one of the greatest researchers of his time, focused on finding ways of fighting the Dark Gods and the most powerful forces of [[Unlife]]. Seduced by [[The Dark Path]], Uthex fell to ever darker magics, eventually working with forging extra-planar entities. These were all named in [[Iruaric]], but were also known by other names, implying their origin in [[Lord of Essaence]] experiments. While this concept is esoteric, it still exists in modern demonology, as [[verlok]] demons are speculated to have begun the same way. There have been modern storylines with humanoids being transformed into extra-planar entities. |
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'''Uthex Kathiasas''' (? - 6521 [[Second Era]]) was a highly regarded [[Sages|Loremaster]] during the [[Wars of Dominion]] in the [[Shadow World]] history. As a Loremaster of [[Karilon]], he was most likely [[Iylari]]. Uthex was one of the greatest researchers of his time, focused on finding ways of fighting the Dark Gods and the most powerful forces of the [[Unlife]]. He discovered what he interpreted to be a "new source of power", which he wished to give "physical form." His work was twisted into more perilous forms under the subtle influence of the forces of the Unlife. These were highly likely to have been members of [[The Dark Path]], a contemporary neighboring theocracy of [[Kadaena]]. When Uthex had eventually gone mad, have succumbed to the dark power of the Unlife, his fellow Loremasters investigated fearing the worst. |
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Uthex was killed by his fellows in 6521 [[Second Era]], the same year the kingdom immediately to the south was crushed by the [[Ordainer]] [[Kharuugh]], serving the dark conqueror [[Lorgalis]] who was a former servant of [[Kadaena]]. While these events never happened in modern [[Elanthia|Elanthian]] history, much of [[The Broken Lands]] would be considered non-canonical in [[Shadow World]]. A monastery of Cay ([[Kai]]) was founded to guard the portal, so servants of the Unlife would not be able to return. Eventually, these monks were corrupted by the evil texts, transforming themselves into [[monastic lich|liches]]. The [[hooded figure|hooded figures]] regained control of the gateway, and a [[Sheru|Sheruvian]] Monastery was constructed a few years later. They were not reunited with the nightmare god himself, as he was on the moon of our world. |
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Uthex had used his powerful influence to acquire control of what was thought to be a natural gateway to another plane of existence. This may have been through [[Bandur Etrevion]], who had been recognized by the College of Karilon in the early years of the Wars of Dominion. When the Loremasters arrived Uthex had perverted [[hooded figure]]s and fell beasts as minions. The Loremasters fought him and his minions, slaying him in a meteor swarm in what is now called the [[Broken Lands]]. The barren plain was laid waste with rocks. They removed what records they could, but were unable to destroy all of his experiments. |
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==Research== |
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His work was focused on giving "physical form" to a "[[The Dark Path#Behind the Scenes|new source of power]]", which amounts to making conscious entities out of pure energy. These were implicitly extra-planar beings who he apparently morphed into unnatural hybrids with each other. They were all trans-planar in some sense in their origins, coexisting or traveling between multiple realities, which may be intended to suggest "the broken land" itself is a convergence of worlds. He had acquired access to a power draining dome in [[The Broken Lands]] that was left over from the rule of the [[Empress Kadaena]], with ruins [[Lesser vruul#Behind the Scenes|implying]] her role in the origins of the Dark Gods. This was presumably discovered by [[Bandur Etrevion]] as a result of his dream visions, or possibly from studying the journals of [[Selias Jodame]] when he lived at [[Library of Nomikos|Nomikos]]. |
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His surviving works were "other standard" extra-planar entities from [[Rolemaster]], which were not demonic or necessarily malevolent but typically violent from being so alien. These were given Iruaric names based on their characteristics, with Uthex making copies or perhaps modifying existing templates. However, the implication is that these beings had their origins in Lord of Essaence experiments, providing an easy path for perverting his work toward the demonic. The vruul were awakened by the dark priests using necromancy, and the confiscated texts must have included the [[Monastic lich#Behind the Scenes|Ritual of Black Eternity]]. |
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===Crystal Dome=== |
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The mechanism for the fashioning and telepathic control of synthetic life is the crystal dome on the jagged plain. It is implicitly a Lord of Essaence artifact left over from the [[First Era]] of the [[Shadow World]] history. More subtly, it might partially be an esoteric allusion to the [http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Shining_Trapezohedron Shining Trapezohedron] from [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hd.aspx "The Haunter of the Dark"], an ancient artifact that was "a window on [[The Temple of Darkness|all time]] and space." Gazing into its dark abyss summoned the [[Marlu|black tentacled bat-winged]] [[avatar]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunter_of_the_Dark#Inspiration Nyarlathotep], who provided visions of other worlds and their horrific entities in exchange for [[Purgatory#Archaeology|horrendous sacrifices]]. It faintly glowed through its paneled angles and was found in an abandoned lair of evil lore. (This was a shadowy cult in his homage in exchange for limitless knowledge of the greater cosmos, whose collection of occult knowledge was later removed from their church.) It was brought by the [[Magru#Behind the Scenes|Old Ones]] who had fashioned life synthetically, reflecting Kadaena as the [[The Temple of Darkness Poem|mother]] of many dark races from her tortured experiments. |
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The implication is that the dome is able to summon extra-planar entities as a kind of template, but uses the power it absorbs to incarnate their physical being from pure energy (thus allowing control over otherwise uncontrollable beings.) The [[hooded figure|hooded figures]] are probably being endlessly reincarnated by it. The [[crystyl]] forest surrounding it is a special kind of trans-planar entity that would provide the means of simultaneously viewing and drawing upon an almost limitless amount of such information. Similarly, the boiling mud sea is a vast colony of the [[hoard]], which are mutually self-aware across all realities. |
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<pre{{log2}}> |
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[The Broken Lands, Jagged Plain] |
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A large crystal dome rises above the jumble of huge boulders and jagged rocks, breaking the monotony of the terrain. There is no question in your mind that the dome is man-made and not a natural feature of the area. A dense fog swirls around the base of the dome, and generally obscures your vision. |
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Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest |
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[http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/tgsk.aspx The crystal dome pulses with a dim, multicolored light.] |
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R>look dome |
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The crystal dome is about 12 feet tall, and some 15 to 20 feet across. The multi-faceted surface is highly polished, and the reflective planes make it impossible to see into the crystal. |
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R>prep [most spells] |
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>cast dome |
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You gesture at a large crystal dome. |
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The energies of your spell seem to get sucked into the dome in a great rush. A bright flash lights up the area and as your eyes adjust you notice that the dome absorbs all the energy without a sound. |
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R>prep 416 |
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You gesture and invoke the powers of the elements for the Piercing Gaze spell... |
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Your spell is ready. |
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>cast dome |
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You gesture at a large crystal dome. |
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The surface of the crystal dome shimmers in your vision, its reflective planes become insubstantial, and you can now see inside. Peering closer you see flashes of swirling elemental energy. Surely this dome must hold an immense amount of mana. |
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</pre> |
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The dome is a concentrator of great deals of magical power, which would otherwise spill out in violent bursts. Teleportation spells and devices fail in its vicinity, and it suppresses the ability to "reach out with your senses" in communicating telepathically. This is relevant because a number of his entities were actually mentalist in nature, and were named in the partially telepathic language [[Iruaric]]. The Shining Trapezohedron was a "seeming sphere" that turned out to be a polyhedron that was artificial, and covered with strange hieroglyphs which for us correspond to the ancient form of Iruaric. |
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<pre{{log2}}> |
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>prep 704 |
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You begin drawing a faint, twisting symbol while softly intoning the words for Phase... |
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Your spell is ready. |
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>cast dome |
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You gesture at a large crystal dome. |
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Suddenly you notice the crystal dome's form dim slightly as it becomes insubstantial. |
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The interior of the dome begins to flash and spark as whatever was contained inside now has an easier way out. As you begin to pass into the dome, a wave of pure energy gushes forth, burning you with its intense heat! |
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... 45 points of damage! |
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Left arm incinerated. Unfortunate. |
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You are stunned for 10 rounds! |
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The surface of the dome returns to normal as if nothing happened. |
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>think Hello world |
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You concentrate on projecting your thoughts but something seems to be blocking them. |
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R>esp who local |
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You strain your senses outward, but something seems to be blocking them. |
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>turn ring |
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You turn the ring on your finger, but the pulse you feel is extremely weak...as if the magic is being inhibited by someone or something in the room. |
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>incant 130 ''(sometimes) ***'' |
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Nothing happens. |
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''*** - This may be erroneous. Spells are not auto-released when casting at the dome, causing Incant to self-cast the wrong spell. |
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</pre> |
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While the Sorcerer spell [[Phase (704)]] will cause a violent release of energy, the dome can only naturally hold so much power at a single time without backlashing on its own. It is not based on the actual quantity of mana absorbed, only the number of spell casts in a given interval of time. Casting phase does not release energy from the dome in terms of game mechanics, but the backlash from excess power absorption immediately resets it. The inside of the dome does not appear differently with [[Piercing Gaze (416)]] under changes of energy concentration, with no other apparent consequences. |
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The crystal dome will drain a random amount of mana (up to one off-node pulse) every three to ten minutes. The effect was originally strongest at the dome, weakening with distance. |
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<pre{{log2}}> |
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>cast dome |
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''(energy absorption message; after approximately 30 times)'' |
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The crystal dome shimmers brightly. |
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>cast dome |
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''(energy absorption message; after approximately 50 times)'' |
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The crystal dome flares hotly. |
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>cast dome |
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''(energy absorption message; after several hot flares)'' |
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Suddenly a hot wave of pure energy rushes out of the crystal dome, rolling forth like an [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/crc.aspx apocalyptic] [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/lt.aspx juggernaut]. |
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The heat of the wave burns your flesh! |
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... 35 points of damage! |
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Flame sets your head alight like a torch. Burned beyond recognition. |
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''(The dome cools off at a rate of two casts per whole mana pulse.)'' |
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</pre> |
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The dim pulsing of light is more pointedly about another "almost sphere" from [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/tgsk.aspx "Through the Gates of the Silver Key"], where the quest seeker from the [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath] '''''vanishes''''' into a higher dimension to encounter Yog-Sothoth. This artifact would take dreams imparted to it and coalesce them into material realities. With the hieroglyphed silver key, for us implying the forbidden [[The Dark Path#Behind the Scenes|Key of the Void]], the traveler transcends space and time to coexist with their past and future selves in the dissolution of identity elsewhere called [[Demonic#Behind the Scenes|Oblivion]]. These would be the "spirits of all those who could not choose" in [[Purgatory]]. Briefly, the idea is that conscious beings can be transformed into other corporeal forms, including past selves or ancestors and future incarnations of the same archetype. The "First Gateway" leading to the "Last Void" outside time involves the body disappearing entirely into a higher dimensional extension of earth with the "Ultimate Gateway" being the glowing sphere. It is why those who enter the gateway to The Broken Lands must make a [[Spectral miner#Behind the Scenes|strange chant]] of the runes, implicitly hieroglyphs, utterly vanishing while experiencing a dizzying disorientation as the room spins. |
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===The Dark Gods=== |
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The Loremasters had conflicting theories on the origins of the Dark Gods, who were not known to exist until early in the [[Second Era]] as a result of the comet [[Sa'kain]] disrupting portals on Charon (Lornon). Some believed they had a similar origin as the Lords of Orhan (Liabo) or had somehow escaped from some interdimensional prison. There was no clear documentation of the role the gods may have had in the First Era cataclysm, and some believed the moon deities may actually be Lords of Essaence portraying themselves as gods. However, others believed the Dark Lords were the result of "failed" Lord of Essaence experiments with creating non-corporeal life, fashioned of more chaotic essence associated with the corruptive power of [[The Unlife]]. Similarly, the surviving former followers of the Empress Kadaena (specifically [[Lorgalis]] and the [[The Temple of Darkness|Master of Malice]]) were wielding demonic armies with [[Ordainers]], which were essentially fallen demi-gods with some thought to have been fashioned artificially. |
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In the [[Wars of Dominion]] it was impossible to directly fight beings of such innate might, forming the need for countervailing powers of similar scale and inexhaustibility. In this context Uthex Kathiasas was attempting to provide the means for forming armies of beings with various immunities out of thin air, possibly up to the scale of godlike power while nevertheless being controlled by an artifact. However, the fundamentally alien nature of dark essence from ordinary magic would have misled Uthex into corrupting himself, and his hosts were able to seduce him into pursuing more malevolent and ultimately demonic manifestations of his work. His fellows realized something was horribly wrong when the region was under siege by Lorgalis, and discovered his secret work was too dangerous to exist. |
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The inscription on the Dark Shrine would have implied to Uthex that Morgu ([[Marlu]]) was made by the Empress Kadaena, and that by extension of the wording and nature of the Dark Spirits she must be Orgiana ([[Eorgina]]). In other words, the Dark Gods were the ascended immortalized forms of the high servants of the Unlife, and that this dome was the means of ascending to godhood. It would involve transferring mind into a non-corporeal [[avatar]] of pure energy. This is consistent with The Dark Path theology where Bandur Etrevion [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|represented]] himself symbolically in death as an Ordainer. It is possible that the plane of existence and "the broken land" itself was artificial, having been formed by the Empress Kadaena as a parallel reality of the dark side of the moon to conduct secret experiments. |
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===Known Works=== |
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These creatures have had multiple names due to the [[ICE age|I.C.E. Age]] ending, as well as having been dual references to [[Rolemaster]] and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. |
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Absolutely ''everything'' in The Broken Lands is artificial. It was supposed to be impossible for much of it to exist. |
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{| {{Prettytable}} |
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|- |
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|'''Creature''' |
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|'''Iruaric''' |
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|'''Rolemaster''' |
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|'''Lovecraft Mythos Analog (*)''' |
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|'''Other Information''' |
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|- |
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|[[Hooded figure]]s |
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|None |
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|None |
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|"High Priest Not to be Described"; Hooded figures from Shining Trapezohedron vision; "Almost humans" Men of Leng |
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|Surviving members of [[The Dark Path]]. "Spirits born of death" may imply the creatures were ''all'' sacrificed souls. The entities would all be a form of high necromancy. |
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|- |
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|[[Giant fog beetle]]s |
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|None |
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|Dictics |
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|Beetles following the end of the race of man; stand-ins for purple [[Giant albino tomb spider|spiders]] of Leng who fought the "almost humans"; Cthulhu (venom green gas) |
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|Variants on [[Teras Isle]], [[Foggy Valley]], [[Shadow Valley]]. [[Dust beetle]]s. Spirit or mind transference theme. Too unintelligent for communication. Only summoned accidentally with something else. Wander through open portals wherever they find them. |
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|- |
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|[[Magru]] |
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|Lug'shuk traglaakh |
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|Absorbers, Hoard |
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|Shoggoths; "The Colour"; Yuggoth black rivers of pitch; the Xin. Coincidentally, these Xin analogs are placed in the dark cavern, which corresponds to the Vaults of Zin. |
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|[[Night mare#Behind the Scenes|Other forms]] in multiple colors sleeping as ponds, streams, puddles in Shadow Valley. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Too alien for communication. Shoggoths were renegade pseudo-consciousnesses, formerly telepathic controlled. Worship Old Ones. |
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|- |
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|[[Myklian]] |
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|Kiskaa raax |
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|None |
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|Toad-things / Moon-beasts; Reptile Tsathoggua worshippers of the Vaults of Zin (almost destroyed by shoggoths and synthetically modified as slaves by an immortalized telepathic Old One race); [[Ki-lin#Behind the Scenes|Yian]] reptiles of the Xin and "Maker of Moons" |
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|Anagram of "many ilk". Spectrum ordered power with purple color greatest. No apparent Rolemaster entity basis. May be the only unique creation. Based on Old One worshippers. |
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|- |
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|[[Dark vortece]] |
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|Dyar rakul |
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|Nycorac, Blacar |
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|Cold wind vortices on the massive stairs of Kadath; purple fog being S'gnac; Shining Trapezohedron's "vortices of space where wisps of black mist floated before thin shimmerings of cold purple haze" |
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|Hazy tenebrous orbs probably a "spirit born of death" situation. Probably a hybrid of Nycorac and Blacar. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Too alien for communication. Mentalist in nature. Correspond to things related to Great Old One Nyarlathotep. |
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|- |
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|None |
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|None |
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|[[Crystyl]] |
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|[[Demonic|Oblivion]]; Crystallized memories; Shining Trapezohedron. Possibly the polyhedrons in [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dwh.aspx "The Dreams in the Witch House"]. |
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|Crystal forest on the Jagged Plain. Possibly part of the crystal dome scrying mechanism across worlds. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Mentalist in nature. Trans-planar in presence. With Hoard the omniscience/omnipresence imply Yog-Sothoth and Kadaena as [[The Dark Path#Behind the Scenes|forbidden guardian]]. |
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|- |
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|None |
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|None |
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|[[Hoard]] |
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|"Mud of the nether earth"; mud ooze of the colour out of space. Possibly the mud in "The Dreams in the Witch House". |
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|Boiling sea of mud on the Jagged Plain. Possibly a shoggoth-like hybrid with Absorbers to form magru. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Trans-planar awareness. With Crystyl the omniscience and omnipresence imply Yog-Sothoth and Kadaena. |
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|- |
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|None |
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|Trag |
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|[[Traag]] |
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|Cats of Ulthar; Large Cats of Saturn |
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|Huge thigh bones in the bone pit of the Dark Grotto. Summoned demons. Eaten by the magru. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Venomous. Based on Old One worship. |
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|- |
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|None |
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|None |
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|[[Blacar]] |
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|Shantak eggs; Shining Trapezohedron's "alien orbs" of other worlds; Dream-Quest's other world orbs and tenebrous Kadath |
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|Hazy tenebrous orbs, sphere piles in the Dark Grotto. Possibly hybridized with Nycorac to form Dark Vorteces. Cannot be summoned or controlled. Mentalist in nature. |
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|- |
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|None |
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|None |
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|[[Xaastyl]] |
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|Cthulhu; "The Haunter" avatar of Nyarlathotep (tentacles); Yithians |
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|Would not have been one of Uthex's works. The Xaastyl may be the mortal race Kesh'ta'kai ([[Fash'lo'nae#Behind the Scenes|Fash'lo'nae]]) ascended from using the magical methods of the dome. |
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|- |
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|[[Lesser vruul|Vruul]] |
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|Gogor, Vruul |
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|Gogor |
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|Night-gaunts; "The Haunter" avatar of Nyarlathotep; Urns may insinuate in context mind cylinders of Yuggoth, Akeley as Nyarlathotep; Cthulhu |
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|The "fell beasts" from [[A Popular History of the Broken Lands|the story]], if following the Tolkien convention. Uthex did not create them. Sacrifices. They are summoned in monastery, but are artificial constructs. |
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|} |
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''(* - Note: These entities and places are not simply Lovecraft Old One allusions, they are '''all''' linked specifically to [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Nyarlathotep]] in some way.)'' |
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The Loremasters guarded the portal with Runes of Warding so only the powerful would be able to return to what was called the Man'Ta Pn'Tairken. This translates as the "Home of Broken Lore" in [[Iruaric]], the ancient language of the [[Lords of Essaence]], which was used to name some of the monsters and is found on the inscription at the entrance to the Dark Shrine. There was a hidden monastery founded to guard the portal, so that the forces of the Unlife would not be able to invade through it. Over the centuries these monks became increasingly isolated and lonely, and eventually succumbed to the very dark powers they had been dedicated to fight against. These monks were twisted and corrupted toward evil, and transformed themselves into [[monastic lich]]es. Some haunt the monastery instead as [[spectral monk]]s. |
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==Behind the Scenes== |
==Behind the Scenes== |
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The Uthex Kathiasas story is necessary to solve the puzzle to access the Jagged Plain from his workshop past the Misty Chamber. His creatures were most likely based on a class of non-demonic extraplanar entities from Rolemaster, which suggests the possibility of the forces of the Unlife making demons artificially out of the essence using the crystal dome. (The puzzle for turning it off no longer exists.) There is precedent for this in some of the older Shadow World source books. This may also relate to [[Purgatory]] in the old death mechanics. The Broken Lands is studied in depth in [[Research:The Broken Lands]]. |
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There is a subtle [[The Temple of Darkness|trans-temporal]] theme to The Broken Lands that does not translate outside of its [[ICE age|I.C.E. Age]] background. The inscription on the [[Marlu#The Broken Lands|Dark Shrine]] is an anomaly in that it refers to a multiplicity of times in an impossible combination. It was implicitly written at a time when Iruaric should have been hieroglyphic, speaking of an ancient relationship in a modern phonetic form of the language, which unbeknownst to Uthex was a couplet from a poem addressing conditions that would not exist until centuries after his death. This "hieroglyphic" nature of ancient Iruaric was invented for this story. |
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The Shadow Valley story is most likely a spin-off of the Broken Lands story, involving some of the same themes and underlying subtexts, and to some extent using the same entities at a different time in history while set in very nearly the same location. The Broken Lands story is unambiguously a spin-off of the Graveyard story, with its various Nyarlathotep allusions corresponding to [[Bandur Etrevion]]. The Hoard and Crystyl forest are omniscient and omnipresent respectively, which combined with the implicit coexistences of the plane, symbolize [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yog-Sothoth Yog-Sothoth] who corresponds to Kadaena [[The Dark Path#Behind the Scenes|"Throk Farok."]] |
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===(A) Lornon=== |
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Sage Uthex was [http://www.play.net/gs4/news.asp?id=615 retconned] to be a member of the [[Order of Lorekeepers]] for the release of [[350|Miracle (Spell 350)]] in 5107 Modern Era. The Broken Lands was treated as the surface of [[Lornon]] for the story, but it was [[A Popular History of the Broken Lands|originally]] written to be another plane of existence, possibly one of the parallel material planes which were almost impossible to access. These are not necessarily self-contradictory possibilities, as there was a source book (though published in 1995) that said the Lord of Essaence war began when Kadaena was performing extreme planar and [[Magru#Behind the Scenes|transmogrification]] experiments on Charon (Lornon), forming a coexistent dual of it on an artificial prison plane of existence that was much more habitable than the actual moon. It was infested with various extra-planar entities over the millennia, which is consistent with The Broken Lands. There was supposed to only be one surviving portal to that forgotten place, though on the moon of Charon itself, which was sealed by the Lords of Orhan ([[Liabo]]). |
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This interpretation of the Broken Lands originates in the non-canonical "Curse of Kabis" source book of [[Shadow World]]. Kabis was an immensely powerful [[Pales|Void]] demon of shadows, who the light and dark gods imprisoned inside this artificial demi-plane at the end of the [[Wars of Dominion]]. While this thread would be a convenient basis for modernizing the story, possibly replacing Kabis with [[Althedeus]], the Broken Lands is much more likely based on the Loremaster theory that the Dark Gods escaped from some unknown inter-dimensional prison upon arriving in our world. The portal to the Broken Lands was a Lord of Essaence style gate, like those on Charon (Lornon), which were "naturally" unsealed by [[Second Era|the comet]] releasing the Dark Lords. This would explain why the story refers to the portal as a "natural" gateway in spite of clearly being Lord of Essaence in origin. This portal is set in a round stone of "strange dark rock that you have not seen before", engraved with "odd runes", which is a typical Lovecraft motif where something falsely seems natural but was made by great ancients. It is unclear if Morgu ([[Marlu]]) used his [[lesser vruul#Behind the Scenes|Dark Shrine]] in the [[Second Era]], but The Dark Path may have [[Black Hel|served]] Orgiana. |
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The [[Lysierian Hills|surrounding hills]] were intended by GM Kygar as an idyllic contrast to the dark struggle being waged in the mountain, which was due to the impossibility of destroying his foul experiments. The monks would have been fighting the hooded figures for centuries, who implicitly were probably being reincarnated by the crystal dome. Incarnating spirit to corporeal being is the distinguishing power of Eissa ([[Lorminstra]]), which is the most immediate meaning of "spirit born of death." That Uthex was incarnating extra-planar beings from pure energy implies his work could have been twisted toward fashioning demons and dark gods. The Shar story line would later refer to the Broken Lands as "The [[Arkati]] Workshop", part of her quest to ascend herself to godhood. (Shar herself was a dark goddess of [[Purgatory#Archaeology|the underworld]] in Dungeons & Dragons.) [[The Monastery]] makes only very opaque [[Andraax#Behind the Scenes|allusions]] if any at all, but the [[The Broken Lands and ki-lin|ki-lin]] of eastern mythology appeared with the birth and death of immortal sages. |
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===(B) Lovecraft=== |
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There are numerous allusions to [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"] in The Broken Lands. This novella was also alluded to [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|below]] [[The Graveyard]] and [[Purgatory#Purgatory|Purgatory]], which is based on the prose poem [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/eo.aspx "Ex Oblivione"] as well, with Uthex Kathiasas likely being a portmanteau of "[[Andraax|Utha]] [[Kadaena]]" with "Ex" and "Kadath." The end of the novella might also be referenced by [[Muylari#Behind the Scenes|the exit]] of [[Shadow Valley]]. The plateau of Leng was similarly a place whose location could not be identified from the [[Isles of transfer|convergence of realities]], and was next to the [[hooded figure|monastery]] of the wicked [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|pharaoh demon]] [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/n.aspx Nyarlathotep]. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yog-Sothoth#Mythos globe lamps], Dark Shrine windows, [[Crystyl|telepathy suppression]], and [[The Temple of Darkness#Behind the Scenes|temporal anomalies]] come instead from [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sot.aspx "The Shadow out of Time"], which explains Empress Kadaena being served ''now'' long after her death. The implication is that the Lords of Essaence were fashioning the Dark Gods or Ordainers as avatars to continue their own ascended existence following their deaths for which they had [[Makiri#Behind the Scenes|foresight]]. |
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The crystal dome is partially a reference to the Shining Trapezohedron with its evil cult and hooded figures from [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hd.aspx "The Haunter of the Dark"], which ends with possession by Nyarlathotep and refers to the Poe character [[Myklian#Behind the Scenes|Roderick Usher]]. When using the artifact Nyarlathotep would be felt as a conscious "formless alien presence", which is reflected by room messaging of feeling watched by something. It may also refer to the "hemispherical buildings" on the plateau of Leng that even the night-gaunts fear for their association with Nyarlathotep, who the night-gaunts nominally opposed and were dreaded by the [[Muylari#(B) The Exit of Shadow Valley|shantaks]] and old gods of earth. The Dark Grotto with its narrow cracks is [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/mm.aspx "At the Mountains of Madness"], which refers to Kadath and the destroyers from "Shadow", with the [[magru]] as shoggoths and the [[Traag#Behind the Scenes|bone pit]] as the excavation. In the context of the Dream-Quest the Dark Grotto refers to the dreamlands manifestation of the [[Myklian#Behind the Scenes|Vaults of Zin]] and the [[Phantom Gatekeeper#The Gate|Enchanted Wood]], with the bone pit as the [[Traag#Behind the Scenes|Vale of Pnoth]] and the pond as the [[Magru#Behind the Scenes|shoggoth lake]] below the [[Lesser vruul#Behind the Scenes|peaks of Throk]]. It might also refer to the Great Abyss of Nodens along with Ngranek, the Tower of Koth, and the Gate of Deeper Slumber. |
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Kadath was a cold waste of mountains with a desolate castle at its peak where the "Great Ones" lived, who were the ancient gods of earth, where climbing the mountains would lead to [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/mm.aspx madness] and [[Wall of Darkness|none knew]] what lay beyond. These gods would correspond to the Lords of Essaence in the Shadow World history. However, the "feeble" gods of earth were actually guarded by the hidden [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/og.aspx Other Ones], who resided beyond this world in incomprehensible horror. The mountains that are seen from the windows of the Dark Shrine correspond to the "jagged peaks" of the fungous "blasphemous plateau" of the almost humans and toad-things of the dark side of the moon, and possibly the mountain of [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/og.aspx Hatheg-Kla] where reality warps at night under the unnatural eclipse, which would be impossible to exist on Charon in the Shadow World source material. This is keeping with the numerous [[Purgatory#Archaeology|allusions]] to Lovecraft stories in [[The Graveyard]]. The emphasis is the great demonic "gods of the outer hells." |
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The Dark Shrine's eye shaped windows refer to the "dread seer" quality of the vruul, along with the mountain sized heads in the night-gaunt flight to unknown Kadath. Of special interest is that when the quest seeker reaches unknown Kadath, the gods are replaced with a [[Marlu#The Broken Lands|malevolent presence]], having gone to the physical world as the Dark Gods did in the [[Wars of Dominion]]. In particular the material world of Charon was only the size of an asteroid, whereas the Dark Lords were extra-planar entities, and so The Broken Lands may reflect the moon of the dreamlands. In this way it is possible for the cold wasteland to be both the moon of the dark gods as well as another plane of existence, which justifies through subtext the presence of the Sheruvian monastery that was built later by GM Sayzor. The dreamlands are a parallel universe to our own. There were also trans-temporal extensions of our world in higher dimensions that were reached by physically vanishing into a kind of astral projection resembling [[Purgatory#Purgatory|Oblivion]]. |
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Lastly, the crystal dome is most directly an allusion to the "almost sphere" of [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/tgsk.aspx "Through the Gates of the Silver Key"], where the Dream-Quest protagonist transfers his mind into a future and utterly foreign body in much the same way as the Yithians from the "Shadow out of Time". His forbidden key was derived from the secrets of Hyperborea with its Tsathoggua worship, which helps motivate the toad idols in the Dark Shrine, but his method is useless for transforming back out of the other corporeal form without a parchment of R'lyeh. This form is a Yaddithian from before the [[roa'ter]]-like bholes destroyed their world, whose dreamworld ancestors reside in the Vale of Pnoth corresponding to the bone pit in the Dark Grotto. This sphere is spoken of amidst reference to the city of Yian-Ho on the plateau of Leng, which refers to Yian from [http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0605441h.html#ch01 "The Maker of Moons"], where an oriental sorcerer warps the bodies of a submerged race who control dragon-like lizards as appendages. This would explain why the [[magru]] have left only the lizards and devoured everything else. As a masked Yaddithian on earth he pretends to be a Hindu swami, possibly linking the [[Muylari#Behind the Scenes|Vedic myth]] behind Shadow Valley. |
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===(C) Coexistences=== |
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While the Shadow Valley story was more explicit about the land shifting in space and time, probably rooted in the [[isles of transfer]] phenomenon, The Broken Lands symbolizes various Lovecraft mythos locations which coexisted in more than one plane of existence simultaneously. The myklian as moon-beast analogs relate to the Sarnath allusions [[Purgatory#Archaeology|below]] The Graveyard and the Coastal Cliffs. The title "the broken land" may refer to being a pastiche of convergent realities rather than the meteors, whether or not the Kabis premise of a hollow sphere made out of the inner-rock of Charon is relevant. |
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There are only a few locations being referenced that happen to exist in both the material world and the dreamlands: the Plateau of Leng, Vaults of Zin, Vale of Pnath (Pnoth), Throk (Thok), and Kadath. In spite of the name it is possible to enter the [http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/Dreamlands Dreamlands] physically in some places, where time runs at a different rate and dreamers may become permanent residents after their physical deaths. |
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{| {{Prettytable}} |
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|- |
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|'''The Broken Lands''' |
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|'''Lovecraft Mythos Analog''' |
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|'''Coexistences''' |
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|'''Other Information''' ''(*)'' |
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|- |
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|''Uthex' Abode'' |
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|The Nameless Monastery |
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|Adjacent to Plateau of Leng, Vaults of Zin |
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|Northern Dreamlands. Nyarlathotep residence. The Vaults of Zin are in the underworld beneath it. |
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|- |
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|''Jagged Plain'' |
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|Plateau of Leng |
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|Dreamlands earth; Central Asia; Antarctica near material world Kadath |
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|Adjacent to Nameless Monastery, connected to dreamlands Vaults of Zin. Ominous hemispheres. Shantaks. Yian-Ho. Crystal dome as Ultimate Gateway to Yog-Sothoth, in parallel with Kadaena as Guardian of the Forbidden. Silver Key / Key to the Void. |
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|- |
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|''Dark Grotto'' |
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|Material world Throk (Yuggoth) |
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|Dreamlands Throk; ''(Other: Antarctica near material world Kadath)'' |
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|Shoggoths of the Elder Things; Shoggoths below dreamland Peaks of Throk. Night-gaunts. |
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|- |
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|''Bone Pit'' |
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|Vale of Pnoth |
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|Yaddith; ''(Other: Fossil quarry in Antarctica near material world Kadath)'' |
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|Dreamlands underworld, Adjacent to dreamland Peaks of Throk. Night-gaunts. Bholes/dholes would have been roa'ter-like creatures, or possibly the Clostoph of Rolemaster, a transplanar worm-like entity thought to be a plane unto itself which punches holes like rift crawlers. |
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|- |
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|''Huge Cavern'' |
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|Vaults of Zin |
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|Dreamland/material Vaults of Zin; ''(Other: dreamland Enchanted Wood; Dreamland Dark Abyss)'' |
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|Enchanted Wood on wrong end of stairwell (you descend a big stairway to the fungi woods when ''entering'' the dreamlands); Forest outside The Graveyard; Material vaults tied to Tsathoggua shoggoths / Shadow Valley. Night-gaunts. Connect to Leng, Nameless Monastery. |
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|- |
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|''Massive Stairs'' |
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|Stairs of Kadath |
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|Dreamland Kadath; Dreamland Tower of Koth; Dreamland Seven Hundred Steps of Deeper Slumber; Dreamland spiral stairs to Ngranek |
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|Nyarlathotep residence. Night-gaunts. These "coexistences" refer only to the Broken Lands version of the stairs being cross-references. These stairs are not coexistent in the Lovecraft dream-cycle, but they are all in the dreamlands. |
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|- |
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|''Dark Shrine'' |
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|Dreamland Kadath |
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|Material world Kadath; ''(Other: Material Vaults of Zin, Ngranek)'' |
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|Eye-shaped windows, brass gong from House of Usher; Tsathoggua / Hyperborea. Nyarlathotep residence. Night-gaunts. Former residence of the gods of earth. Ngranek related to Black Sands of Coastal Cliffs. The huge eye windows correspond to the huge heads with mountain sized bodies witnessed in the night-gaunt and ghoul army flight toward unknown Kadath (whose independence is simply vanished by Nyarlathotep.) Far northern Dreamland. The material Kadath is by the South Pole, as was Kadaena's headless body. |
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|} |
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''(* - It is not as messy as it seems on the surface. The bottom line is that Uthex's abode, the crystal dome, and the Dark Shrine correspond to the places Nyarlathotep physically appeared.)'' |
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While this is complicated on the surface from multi-referencing, the landscape itself is actually a simple one-to-one correspondence to the Underworld of the Dreamlands, which is signified by the Charon (Lornon) puzzle to make it onto the jagged plain. Shadow Valley and [[Castle Anwyn]] are also subtextually underworld themed and associated with the [[Lysierian Hills]]. Anwyn is the Welsh word for the Celtic Otherworld, which is related to fairy mythology. Lovecraft's Dreamlands was based on the same folklore. The night-gaunts were said to serve the god Nodens, who was the father of the King of Anwyn. |
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The Sheruvian Monastery was added to the Broken Lands several years later by a different GameMaster. There is seemingly no relation with the original story, except that the hooded figures work with the [[Sheruvian monk]]s, who have learned how to summon the [[ki-lin]] and somehow conjure [[greater vruul]]. Uthex was retconned to be a Sage of the [[Order of Lorekeepers]] in the release event for [[Miracle (350)]]. |
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===See Also=== |
===See Also=== |
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* [[The Temple of Darkness Poem]] |
* [[The Temple of Darkness Poem]] (1994) |
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* [[A Popular History of the Broken Lands|"The Broken Land"]] (1993) |
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* [[Maleskari]] |
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* [[ |
* [[Iruaric]] |
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* [[List of newsletters#The Kulthea Chronicle|"Kulthea Chronicle: Volume I, Issue V"]] - "Face to Face with Kygar", page 4 (1994) |
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* [[Jaron Galarn]] |
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* [[Muylari]] |
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* [[Utha]] |
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* [[Makiri#Behind the Scenes|Makiri]] |
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* [[List of newsletters#The Kulthea Chronicle|"Kulthea Chronicle: Volume I, Issue V"]] - "Face to Face with Kygar", page 4 |
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[[Category:ICE Age]] |
[[Category:ICE Age]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:27, 11 April 2020
Warning: This page concerns archaic world setting information from the I.C.E. Age of GemStone III. It is not canon in contemporary GemStone IV, nor is it canonical for Shadow World as the details may be specific to GemStone III. It is only historical context for certain very old parts of the game and these things should not be mixed.
Uthex Kathiasas (? - 6521 Second Era) was a highly regarded Loremaster during the Wars of Dominion in the Shadow World history. As a Loremaster of Karilon, he was most likely Iylari. Uthex was one of the greatest researchers of his time, focused on finding ways of fighting the Dark Gods and the most powerful forces of the Unlife. He discovered what he interpreted to be a "new source of power", which he wished to give "physical form." His work was twisted into more perilous forms under the subtle influence of the forces of the Unlife. These were highly likely to have been members of The Dark Path, a contemporary neighboring theocracy of Kadaena. When Uthex had eventually gone mad, have succumbed to the dark power of the Unlife, his fellow Loremasters investigated fearing the worst.
Uthex had used his powerful influence to acquire control of what was thought to be a natural gateway to another plane of existence. This may have been through Bandur Etrevion, who had been recognized by the College of Karilon in the early years of the Wars of Dominion. When the Loremasters arrived Uthex had perverted hooded figures and fell beasts as minions. The Loremasters fought him and his minions, slaying him in a meteor swarm in what is now called the Broken Lands. The barren plain was laid waste with rocks. They removed what records they could, but were unable to destroy all of his experiments.
The Loremasters guarded the portal with Runes of Warding so only the powerful would be able to return to what was called the Man'Ta Pn'Tairken. This translates as the "Home of Broken Lore" in Iruaric, the ancient language of the Lords of Essaence, which was used to name some of the monsters and is found on the inscription at the entrance to the Dark Shrine. There was a hidden monastery founded to guard the portal, so that the forces of the Unlife would not be able to invade through it. Over the centuries these monks became increasingly isolated and lonely, and eventually succumbed to the very dark powers they had been dedicated to fight against. These monks were twisted and corrupted toward evil, and transformed themselves into monastic liches. Some haunt the monastery instead as spectral monks.
Behind the Scenes
The Uthex Kathiasas story is necessary to solve the puzzle to access the Jagged Plain from his workshop past the Misty Chamber. His creatures were most likely based on a class of non-demonic extraplanar entities from Rolemaster, which suggests the possibility of the forces of the Unlife making demons artificially out of the essence using the crystal dome. (The puzzle for turning it off no longer exists.) There is precedent for this in some of the older Shadow World source books. This may also relate to Purgatory in the old death mechanics. The Broken Lands is studied in depth in Research:The Broken Lands.
The Sheruvian Monastery was added to the Broken Lands several years later by a different GameMaster. There is seemingly no relation with the original story, except that the hooded figures work with the Sheruvian monks, who have learned how to summon the ki-lin and somehow conjure greater vruul. Uthex was retconned to be a Sage of the Order of Lorekeepers in the release event for Miracle (350).
See Also
- The Temple of Darkness Poem (1994)
- "The Broken Land" (1993)
- Iruaric
- "Kulthea Chronicle: Volume I, Issue V" - "Face to Face with Kygar", page 4 (1994)