The Daziarn plane surrounds the universe of Aon
Daziarn (IPA: /dazaɪyarn/[1]), also known as the Dazhiarn, is a connective plane that touches the confluence of all the other Planes of Existence. Getting to the Daziarn can only be accomplished through a Shadow Gate. The Shianti roamed the Daziarn before they settled on Magnamund. It is the source of the Shianti power of Sorcery.
Physical properties[]
The Daziarn is a finite, massive disc, whose boundaries are the confluence.[2] It is filled with powerful beings and differs in a number of ways from Magnamund. There is no north, south, east, or west nor is there time as it is perceived on Magnamund. Powerful beings can shape the Daziarn, including time and space, as their power allows.[3]
History[]
Creation[]
Before Aon and time itself was created, the Daziarn was a part of the existence unclaimed by the gods of Good and Evil in their war. Initially, it was made up of the Neverness, a place where nothing resided, and ungoverned by time, space and fundamental laws. The Neverness was a limitless sea of clouds, bleak and featureless, in a grey sky.[4] Its nickname "Twilight World" arose from this. These clouds eventually became the raw material of the Daziarn, and was transformed by refugees from the Planes of Darkness and Light to create reality from their very thoughts, allowing them to settle in the Neverness.[5]
Each denizen created their own domain, unique and unconnected to countless others, in haphazard fashion. Inevitably, however, these lands grew and began to encroach upon one another, causing conflict.[6] When Ishir and Naar formed their truce, Aon was created in the middle of the Daziarn, and the realms of the Daziarn began to shape themselves around it. The physical laws of the Material Plane also appeared in the Daziarn, creating the Elemental Planes of Fire, Earth, Water and Air, which radiated from Aon like spokes on a wheel.[7]
Invasion of the Chaos-master[]
- This section is incomplete.
Long ago, Vhozada and the forces of Light triumphed over evil, but their victory was incomplete. The Chaos-master invaded their lands in revenge, corrupting everything his forces touched. The first realm he conquered were the Great Plains and home of the Sandai, whose capital, Haagadar, became his first abode. However, the Chaos-master grew bored of Haagadar, and abandoned it for other conquests.[8] He eventually conquered all the realms between the planes of Earth and Water, and absorbed them into his Realm of Paradox, with only Vhozada and Meledor continuing to resist.[9]
At some point after this, Vonotar was banished to the Daziarn (at the conclusion of The Caverns of Kalte). Guided by Naar, he survived the journey, and set up a power base in Haagadar.[10]
During the events of The Prisoners of Time, the Chaos-master advanced on Tolakos, where the forces of Meledor, led by Lorkon Ironheart, prepared to defend.[11] Lone Wolf, who had arrived in the Daziarn and was seeking the Lorestones and a way back to Magnamund, entered Tolakos before the battle began. In the Temple of Tolakos, however, Lone Wolf was only able to recover one of hte Lorestones before a black bird carried the rest away.[12][13][14] Outside, a battle began between the forces of Meledor and the Chaos-master, in which Meledor originally gained the upper hand.[15] However, the Chaos-master himself arrived on the battlefield,[16] striking fear into the Meledorians. As the Chaos-master fought Lorkon, Lone Wolf defended him, forcing the Chaos-master to turn his attention to Lone Wolf. In a titanic battle, Lone Wolf slew the Chaos-master.[17][18]
The Daziarn heals[]
The death of the Chaos-master caused his curses to be lifted, and the Daziarn began to heal, with the Realm of Paradox and Neverness beginning to recede. However, the rate of recovery was too fast to be natural. In Magnamund, the Acolytes of Vashna had begun to summon the Chaos-master to Magnamund via a Shadow Gate, and were planning on reconstituting him in full as a backup plan, causing the material of the Realm of Paradox to enter Aon.[19] In MS 5102, during the events of Dead in the Deep, Grand Master either slew[20] or caused the Nengud-kor-Adez to destroy[21] the Chaos-master (depending on the actions of the player).
In the gamebooks[]
Beyond the Nightmare Gate[]
In Beyond the Nightmare Gate, Grey Star enters the Daziarn, visiting the Crystal Tower, the Singing City and finally the Realm of Paradox, to recover the Moonstone. Grey Star eventually does so, although he is followed by a Jahksa of himself — a bargain made with the Chaos-master in exchange for being able to leave his realm — and eventually returns to Magnamund.
The Prisoners of Time[]
In The Dungeons of Torgar, Lone Wolf and the remaining Lorestones are cast into a Shadow Gate by Archlord Gnaag, leading to the Daziarn. In The Prisoners of Time, Lone Wolf attempts to recover the Lorestones and return to Magnamund. He meets with the Beholder, who transports him to Vhodaza, to meet Serocca. She in turn provides him with an escort to the Field of Meledor, where Lone Wolf retrieves one of the Lorestones, but is forced to fight the Chaos-master. After a titanic battle, Lone Wolf persevered, and travelled to Haagadar to find the remaining Lorestones. Here, he was confronted by Vonotar the Traitor, whom Lone Wolf had captured during the events of The Caverns of Kalte, and was banished through the Shadow Gate of Toran. Lone Wolf then slew Vonotar and his henchmen, the Villains of Sommerlund, before retrieving the final Lorestones, and returning to Magnamund via the Shadow Gate of the Sandai.
Dead in the Deep[]
Although it is not physically visited in this book, in Dead in the Deep, Grand Master may converse with Serocca and the Beholder in the Chaos Prison, in a place where the Nadziranim had broken the boundaries between the Planes of Existence. Serocca offers Grand Master the help of the Beholder and his Yoacor to Lone Wolf in the battles ahead — he only needs to open the Shadow Gate of the Sandai.[19]
Design[]
The Daziarn can be seen as the Dungeons and Dragons equivalent of the Astral Plane.[1]
Joe Dever specifically designed the ending of The Caverns of Kalte to be a "lie" (i.e. "the door of an eternal prison from which there can be no escape"[22]) to surprise the reader when Lone Wolf enters the Daziarn in The Prisoners of Time.[23]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 8:08
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 13:50
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §188
- ↑ Beyond the Nightmare Gate: §278
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 16:01
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 17:14
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 17:52
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §262
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §250
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 51:51
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §80
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §101
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §123
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §306
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §27
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §40
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §47
- ↑ The Prisoners of Time: §302
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Dead in the Deep: §17
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §331
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §115
- ↑ The Caverns of Kalte: §350
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2024-02-01). Episode 15: Prisoners of Time (Book 6 of Magnakai). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 10:40