The Battles of Moytura Pass and Maakengorge were the last battles of the War of the Great Muster between the Darklords (led by Archlord Vashna) and the Lastlands. Fought at Moytura Pass and Maakengorge, King Ulnar I and Archlord Vashna fought one-on-one in combat, with Ulnar staking the future of Sommerlund and Durenor. Both killed each other in battle, with Vashna and the majority of his forces being driven into the Maakengorge, where their spirits were trapped.
The physical death of Vashna marked the end of the Darklands' aggression for over a thousand years, of which nearly 400 were spent in a civil war until Darklord Zagarna was established as the next Archlord. This marked the end of the Age of the Black Moon and ushered in a new age — the Age of the Sun-Star — a period of relative (but far from complete) peace. The Darklands returned to aggression in MS 5050, with the invasion of Sommerlund and the Massacre of the Kai.
Although Vashna's physical body was destroyed, his spirit was preserved in his Dagger, and he could be revived from the depths of the Maakengorge. Multiple attempts were performed by the Acolytes of Vashna, and in MS 5102, they were finally successful.
Chrononymy[]
The defeat of Vashna is, broadly-speaking, two specific battles. The first is the Battle of Moytura Pass, where the bulk of Vashna's forces were defeated at Moytura Pass, and the Lastlands pursued them to the Maakengorge. This led to the second battle, the Battle of Maakengorge, where Vashna was slain, and his body, along with the majority of his forces, were cast into the Maakengorge.
The battle, or battles, also have alternate names:
The term "Maakengorge" is sometimes prefixed with the subject "the", and its battle is also sometimes prefixed as well.
Background[]
In MS 3004, Ishir ordered the Shianti to leave mankind, which they did, leaving Magnamund ripe for conquest by the forces of Darkness. In MS 3072, the dark god Naar sent twenty Darklords to Magnamund, to conquer it for evil. The Darklords proved to be far more terrible than the Ancients of the North had been, and far more ruthless. Initial conquests during the War of Desecration forced the Drakkarim to swear an oath of fealty to the Darklords in MS 3150, and the power of the Nengud-kor-Adez, from where the Darklords were born, began to spread throughout the land, turning what is now the Darklands into a hellish wasteland of ash and poison. Darklord Vashna managed to consolidate power and become the first Archlord in MS 3192, making the Darklands focus more coordinated in their conquests.[3]
In MS 3434, with the Darklands looking supreme, they suffered an unexpected setback with the arrival of the Sommlending from beyond the Northern Void, sent by the god Kai. Blessed by both Kai and Ishir, and backed by the Sommerswerd, a legendary sword, King Kian and the Sommlending landed in modern-day Anskaven, established a foothold against the Darklands, and soundly defeated the dark forces there. The news of the defeat enraged the Drakkarim, who sent an elite force, led by Warlord Zangar to fight the Sommlending, in the Lagan Marshes, but were decisively defeated. Archlord Vashna intervened, sending Crypt Spawn to cover their retreat, but the Sommlending defeated these horrors too, with magic that would later form the basis of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. A last stand at Dejgazad proved to be futile, with King Kian easily slaying Zangar in single combat, Vashna's Nadziranim defeated despite their lack of experience, and the Sommlending razing the fortress to the ground. Bitter, Vashna and the Drakkarim swore to avenge their defeat, and marked a new fierce rivalry between the two sides.[3]
In MS 3520, Vashna unleashed a group of Helghasts into the Freelands, causing untold havoc with their ability to imitate anyone, and being immune to normal weaponry. This began a new conflict, known as the Helghast Wars. An undead army created by a group of Helghasts bearing a necromantic plague was defeated, ending the Helghast Wars, but inflaming Vashna's sense of vengeance further.[3]
In MS 3550, Archlord Vashna began planning a new assault, known as the Black Muster, a period of over 200 years of preparation. In MS 3785, he invaded Sommerlund, aiming to destroy Sommerlund and the land once and for all. Known as the War of the Black Muster, lasting fourteen years, several smaller armies infiltrated Sommerlund, with Holmgard and Toran besieged for a long period of time, and Sommerlund suffered grievously. These sieges were broken by Baron Shaen Ruanor of Toran, who possessed exceptional latent Kai powers.[3]
Battle of Moytura Pass[]
The bulk of Vashna's army lay beyond Moytura Pass, which served as a bottleneck waiting to be opened: If Vashna's army could break through Moytura Pass, Sommerlund would be unable to stop them from swarming the land. Sommerlund would not be the end of it, either: Without Sommerlund, Durenor would be next, followed by the remainder of the Lastlands. Sommerlund, with the help of their Durenese and Cloeasian allies, mustered a force of their own, to meet Vashna's main force at Moytura Pass.[4]
On the eve of what was to be the final battle there, Vashna received a prophecy from a Ligan forewarning of his defeat. Vashna had the Ligan vaporised in response, and attempted to bury all the information about it, but its contents were leaked a small number of Darklords, although some only after Vashna's defeat.[5]
A fierce battle ensued, where Vashna's army was broken at Moytura Pass.[3] The Lastlands pursued Vashna's scattered army all the way south, beyond Ruanon, to the Maakengorge, where they fought one final battle.[4]
Battle of Maakengorge[]
At the Maakengorge, Vashna was joined by reinforcements from the Darklands.[6] The battle raged for hours until Archlord Vashna challenged King Ulnar I to one-on-one combat. Ulnar agreed, staking the thrones and thus the futures of Sommerlund and Durenor on the line. Vashna's battle axe, Gajikago, was cleaved in two by the Sommerswerd, but Vashna drew upon his Dagger, and with his mighty powers of dark sorcery, mortally-wounded Ulnar. However, Ulnar fought fiercely despite death approaching, and Vashna could not avoid Ulnar's blows. With his dying breaths, Ulnar managed to drive the Sommerswerd into Vashna's chest, slaying him instantly.[4]
Vashna's body fell into the Maakengorge, along with many of his scattered forces, some of which died as they were bound to Vashna's life essence. Approximately five thousand of Vashna's forces fell into the Maakengorge with him.[6] The body of King Ulnar I was recovered by Sommerlund, and he was hailed as a hero of his people.[4]
The Sacrifice of Ruanon, a novelisation within the Legends of Lone Wolf series, offers another account of the duel between Vashna and Ulnar, albeit with some significant differences. Vashna's invading army had just been defeated, causing the Archlord, in his madness, to bellow a challenge to the victors, demanding single combat. Ulnar accepted, wielding the Sommerswerd. The divine weapon — which had caused Vashna so much grief in the past — instilled fear in the Darklord, but it was too late to back down. The two traded blows. Ulnar first cut Vashna's axe in two, then cut off Vashna's hands, albeit not before taking a serious wound in the process. With Vashna defenseless, Ulnar commanded Baron Shaen Ruanor to take the Sommerswerd away, saying he would not stain the weapon with Vashna's life. Vashna then cursed Naar as a false master, causing the dark God to retaliate by creating the Maakengorge, devouring both combatants.[7]
Aftermath[]
Effect on Magnamund[]
The defeat set the Darklords back significantly. It took 400 years of civil war within the Darklands for Darklord Zagarna to establish himself as Archlord, during which time the Lastlands experienced relative (albeit far from complete) peace, and limited aggression from the Darklands. Zagarna prepared a Second Black Muster, far greater than the first, over a period lasting over 800 years. This long period of time, longer than the first Black Muster, was out of caution of the prophecy given to Vashna, which Zagarna and later Gnaag became aware of. It also led to him targeting the Order of the Kai, with the idea being that if the Kai did not exist, the prophecy would not come true.[4]
In MS 5050, Vonotar betrayed Sommerlund and told Zagarna about the Feast of Fehmarn, where all the Kai Lords would gather in one place. This led to the Massacre of the Kai, shortly followed by a full invasion of Sommerlund, under the assumption that the Kai were destroyed. Ironically, this led to the prophecy coming true, as one Kai Lord, Silent Wolf, survived the massacre, and retrieved the Sommerswerd, leading to Zagarna's defeat and destruction. Silent Wolf, later renamed Lone Wolf, later rebuilt the Order of the Kai, and became the Darklands' greatest opponent for decades to come.[4]
Attempts to revive Vashna[]
Although Vashna's body was broken, part of his spirit lay in his Dagger. This Dagger was recovered by remnants of his cult, known as the Acolytes of Vashna, who laboured to revive their lord, said to be trapped within the Maakengorge. The Dagger was first wielded as a weapon of terror by the likes of Teakkro, before it was discovered that a ritual could be performed, where a descendant of King Ulnar I could be sacrificed using the Dagger of Vashna at the Maakengorge, to revive him.
The Acolytes of Vashna first tried in MS 5054, during the events of The Chasm of Doom, where the cult captured Madelon of Ruanon, a distant descendant of Ulnar I. At the full moon, which was a requirement in this particular case,[note 1] as Madelon was to be sacrificed, the ritual was foiled by Lone Wolf, who took the Dagger of Vashna for safekeeping. It is said that as long as Lone Wolf possessed the Dagger of Vashna, Vashna could not be revived.[8]
In MS 5077, during the events of The Legacy of Vashna, the Acolytes mustered again near the Maakengorge, this time to summon Demoness Shamath, who would bring the Deathstaff, a weapon of immense power and enough to summon Vashna from the Maakengorge.[9] This plot too was foiled by Lone Wolf, who managed to close the Shadow Gate before Shamath could enter Magnamund.[10] However, during Lone Wolf's quest, the Dagger of Vashna was lost[11] in the Plane of Darkness.[12]
In MS 5102, during the events of Dead in the Deep, the Acolytes mustered once again, this time near Emolyria. The Nengud-kor-Adez extinguished itself in Helgedad and migrated underground to the Maakengorge.[13] Using this unholy power, the Acolytes constructed an underground fortress, Zekgazad, using the Nengud-kor-Adez as a power source, powering forges and spawning pools to create a new army of darkness. However, they also intended to revive Archlord Vashna using its power. Lone Wolf sent Kai Grand Master Steel Hand to investigate and thwart the plans of the Acolytes of Vashna. Steel Hand discovered their plans, but also discovered that a backup plan to bring the Chaos-master to Magnamund would be put in place if Vashna could not be revived. Steel Hand found a sarcophagus intended as an experiment for the rebirth of the Darklords, primarily Vashna, and destroyed it, but in the process, was captured.[14] Lone Wolf, sensing Steel Hand was still alive, then sent Grand Master to complete Steel Hand's quest, and rescue Steel Hand. Grand Master discovered that the Chaos-master could recover the Dagger of Vashna for the forces of Darkness, but by cruel coincidence, that Steel Hand was a distant descendant of King Ulnar I, meaning that the same ritual nearly sixty years ago could be repeated. As Steel Hand was prepared to be sacrificed by Luthos Vorgada, the Dagger of Vashna was checked by a suit of Nyxator Mail, donated by Grand Master to Steel Hand, and a power far older than the Darklords; and in Vorgada's surprise, Steel Hand used the opportunity to throw Vorgada and the Dagger into the Nengud-kor-Adez. However, although this destroyed the Dagger, this only served to release Vashna's spirit, merged with the terrible power of the Nengud-kor-Adez, where he and his fellow Darklords were first born.[15]
Notes[]
- ↑ In The Chasm of Doom, it is specifically stated that the full moon was a requirement. However, as later paragraphs will describe, this is not a strict requirement, although in its stead, some form of "evil empowerment" is required. For example, in The Legacy of Vashna, a powerful weapon constructed by Naar, the Deathstaff, was sufficient to revive him. In Dead in the Deep, Vashna was reborn from the Nengud-kor-Adez, the birthplace of the Darklords, and contains the essence of Naar himself.
References[]
- ↑ Dever, Joe [2017]. Terror of the Darklords. Cubicle 7, p. 6.
- ↑ Dever, Joe [1986] (2015-10-31). The Magnamund Companion, Internet Edition, Project Aon, p. 6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Dever, Joe [2017]. The Realm of Sommerlund. Cubicle 7, pp. 7–17.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Hahn, August [2004]. Lone Wolf: The Roleplaying Game, Dever, Joe, Mongoose Publishing, p. 190.
- ↑ Hahn, August [2004] (2011). "Helgedad — The Eye of Evil: Helgedad and the Kai", The Darklands, Dever, Joe, Second Edition, Mongoose Publishing.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Dusk of Eternal Night: Prologue
- ↑ The Sacrifice of Ruanon
- ↑ The Chasm of Doom: §350
- ↑ The Legacy of Vashna: §286
- ↑ The Legacy of Vashna: §350
- ↑ The Legacy of Vashna: §273
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §300
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §250
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §175 > §219
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §350