The Doomstones were fictional artifacts created by Agarash the Damned in the fantasy book series Lone Wolf by Joe Dever. They were created to be a mockery of the Lorestones of Nyxator and to contain the powers that Agarash was given by the dark god Naar.
Lore[]
After Agarash's defeat, the stones were hidden, only to be rediscovered by Darklord Zagarna who used their power to become archlord of the Darklands. Since then, they have appeared in the hands of various followers of evil.
One was found in the frozen city of Ikaya in the northern land of Kalte, another used by Zahda in Castle Death, and the greatest of them all, the Doomstone of Darke, dominated The Darke Crusade against the Drakkarim of Nyras. Lone Wolf destroyed the Doomstones of Zahda and in combat with Warlord Magnaarn destroyed him and the Doomstone of Darke. The locations of the other stones since the fall of the Darklords is unknown.
In mockery of Nyxator's Lorestones, Agarash the Damned created the Doomstones to encapsulate the great power the dark god Naar had given him. Each crystal "glows darkly with black fire" and has the power to attack with fire and energy, though they are physically fragile objects.[1] Using these powers, he created vast hordes of monsters called Agarashi. Before his final defeat by the Elder Magi, he hid the doomstones and for an age they were lost.[2]
After the death of Darklord Vashna, there was a struggle for control of the Darklands, with each darklord questing to find the lost Doomstones.[3] Darklord Zagarna discovered the doomstones in the body of a dying man, and with his enhanced powers become archlord of the Darklands.[2] Since that time their whereabouts is unknown, though a few of them have been discovered on Lone Wolf's journeys.
The Doomstone of Ikaya[]
One of the lesser Darklords known as the Xaghash stole one of Zagarna's doomstones and traveled to the arctic realm of Kalte, where he hoped to free the ice demons imprisoned there and then conquer Sommerlund's ally Durenor and become its ruler. The Xaghash was killed by the freed Ice Demons and the Doomstone remained hidden in the Temple of the Ancients by the Ice Demons.[4] In the game book The Caverns of Kalte, Lone Wolf can find it and if he takes it with him, it can kill him with its evil power, or if he dies it can be given to Vonotar who is then killed by it.[5]
The Doomstone of Kazan-Oud[]
Drawing on the power of the Doomstone of Kazan-Oud, also known as Shugzanlajak,[6] also known as the Green Eye of Agarash, an evil man named Zahda turned the Isle of Khor into Kazan-Oud (Castle Death) filled with monsters and evil men. He had also coupled it with the Lorestone of Herdos above his throne to draw even more power to himself. When Lone Wolf recovered the Lorestone, he also destroyed the Doomstone of Kazan-Oud and caused the death of Zahda and the destruction of Kazan-Oud.[7]
The Doomstone of Darke[]
The Doomstone of Darke was the most powerful of all the doomstones created by Agarash the Damned during the Age of Eternal Night. It is a large black gem, with scarlet veins that glow deep in the stone that swirl and undulate.[8] It somehow was given to Darklord Dakushna of Kagorst and was wielded in a silver scepter called the Nyras Scepter. In the wake of the Darklords' fall, rumors circulated that the scepter had fallen into the hands of the Nadziranim, and months later it appeared without the doomstone in the hands of Warlord Magnaarn who was leading a campaign against the human kingdom of Lencia. Magnaarn quested to find the doomstone to help defeat Lencia's Darke Crusade to reclaim the realm of Nyras for the country. Despite Lone Wolf's attempts to find the Doomstone first, Magnaarn reached the ancient Temple of Antah before Lone Wolf did, trapped Lone Wolf, and used the power of the stone and scepter to subjugate the Darklord cities Akagazad and Kagorst. Magnaarn was leading this new army against the Lencians in a battle around Darke when Lone Wolf, who had escaped incarceration at Antah, confronted him. Lone Wolf discovered that Magnaarn was nearing undeath, having almost been overcome by the power of Doomstone. Lone Wolf destroyed not only the warlord but also the scepter and the Doomstone, winning the war for the Lencians.[8]
References[]
- ↑ Dever, Joe (1986). Lone Wolf: Castle Death. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-10014-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dever, Joe (1989). Legends of Lone Wolf: Eclipse of the Kai. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-12314-6.
- ↑ Dever, Joe (1988). The Magnamund Companion. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-10759-0.
- ↑ Dever, Joe [1985–1995] (2015-11-16). "Newsletter #5", Lone Wolf Club Newsletters, Internet Edition, Project Aon, p. 75. “What is a Doomstone doing in Ikaya (see The Caverns of Kalte, §334?”
- ↑ Dever, Joe (1985). Lone Wolf: The Caverns of Kalte. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-09357-3.
- ↑ The Dusk of Eternal Night: §318
- ↑ Dever, Joe (1986). Lone Wolf: Castle Death. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-10014-6.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Dever, Joe (1991). Lone Wolf: The Darke Crusade. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 0-425-13798-8.