Isle of Lorn

Isle of Lorn
Capital	Temple of Amida
Ruler	Lorn Commander (de facto)
Population	400
Resources	Agriculture, fish
Relations	Freelands Alliance (ally)

The Isle of Lorn, sometimes simply-called Lorn, is an island in Southern Magnamund that lies in the Sea of Dreams. It was once the home of the Shianti, who exiled themselves here after their vow to Ishir, thus ending the Golden Age of the Shianti. The Shianti later left the Isle of Lorn as well, and as their final gift, it was given to the Order of the Kai, who constructed a Kai monastery upon it, allowing the Order to grow, as well as allowing the Kai to operate against the forces of Darkness in Southern Magnamund.

History

The Shianti

Ever since the Shianti arrived in Magnamund, they were looked-up to by humankind. The Shianti spread throughout Northern and Southern Magnamund, also creating the Moonstone. The Northern Shianti, later known as the Ancients of the North, was corrupted by Naar, and during the War of the Ancients (MS 2821–2901), they fought their southern brethren, the Suukon. The Ancients of North were defeated, but despite the devastation of the war, having cost many mortal lives, humans continued to worship the Shianti. Ishir decided that the natural balance of Magnamund had been broken, and ordered the Shianti to return to the Plane of Light. The Shianti begged to stay, and Ishir relented, telling them that they must isolate themselves from humankind, and send the Moonstone into the Daziarn. The Shianti did so, retreating to the Isle of Lorn, where the creating the Sea of Dreams to prevent humans from reaching them.

Lone Wolf: The Roleplaying Game tells a slightly different story. The Isle of Lorn was the centre of the Shianti's growing empire, and the site of their grand temple to Kai and Ishir. The Temple of Amida was built using the slave labour of the descendents of the Ice Demons and human servants. Ishir saw this and became furious, and demanded they leave Magnamund.

Grey Star and the Moonstone

One Shianti who defied Ishir's demands was Shasarak, who built the evil Shadakine Empire. The other Shianti were unable to intervene due to their vow to Ishir. In MS 5034, a great storm in the Sea of Dreams led to a ship becoming shipwrecked on the Isle of Lorn. There was one survivor, a human baby, whom the Shianti named Grey Star. Sensing a way to fight Shasarak without breaking their vow, they trained Grey Star in their ways of magic, and set him off on a quest to retrieve the Moonstone, and use its power to defeat Shasarak. In MS 5057, Shasarak was successful, sealing Shasarak in the Pit of Eternal Pain.

Grey Star left the Moonstone with the Shianti on the Isle of Lorn, believing it to be safe. However, Naar was able to influence the Sea of Mists, slowly corrupting the Shianti, until one betrayed their race and stole the Moonstone. The forces of Darkness later besieged the Isle of Lorn, almost destroying the Shianti, although they were eventually repelled. However, the Moonstone was never recovered.

Naar eventually acquired the Moonstone, and used it to create Shadow Gates to Magnamund, transporting his evil creations through to attack the forces of Light. In MS 5081, Lone Wolf ventured into the Plane of Darkness and stole it back, safeguarding it in the Kai Monastery. However, much like before, the natural balance of Magnamund was affected: Disease and illness became rare, children developed extraordinarily, and more dangerously, began to attract the attention of evil agents. Lone Wolf, reluctantly, resolved to return the Moonstone to the Shianti on the Isle of Lorn. In MS 5083, during the events of Voyage of the Moonstone and The Buccaneers of Shadaki, Grand Master transported the Moonstone to the Isle of Lorn in secret, while Lone Wolf acted as a decoy. Grand Master was able to hand over the Moonstone to Acarya, the leader of the Shianti.

The New Order of the Kai

In MS 5088, the Shianti decided to leave Magnamund for good, with the Moonstone. Their final wish was to grant the Isle of Lorn to the Order of the Kai. In MS 5089, Lone Wolf travelled to the Isle of Lorn to plan a new Kai Monastery there. Shadaki and her allies were opposed to this, and plotted to stop this. In MS 5099, a Shadakine plot was forged to destroy the defences powering the Sea of Dreams. This plot was foiled by Lone Wolf and the New Order of the Kai, and at the cost of Kai Grand Master Bright Star, who sacrificed himself by absorbing the energy of its defences. However, the Shadakine agents were able to steal the Moon Shards, a fact only discovered in MS 5103.

The Kai Monastery was completed in MS 5100, and Grand Master made its leader, and Blazer as their second-in-command. Hundreds of Kai Lords migrated to the Isle of Lorn, and becoming a useful base of operations for the Kai in Southern Magnamund. In MS 5102, during the events of The Storms of Chai, Lone Wolf dispatched his most senior Kai Grand Masters to various quests all over Magnamund.

In MS 5103, during the events of The Dusk of Eternal Night, Agarash the Damned was brought back to Magnamund by the Naarvakim, despite attempts by Grand Master, Blazer and Grey Star to stop them. During this quest, Blazer, controlled by an ice crystal implanted in his mind from his mission to Kalte, betrayed the others, but later redeemed himself, sacrificing himself to the Pit of Eternal Pain to either prevent Grand Master from falling into it, or to bring back Grey Star, depending on the actions of the player. Regardless, after Agarash's return, he summoned the Vaag, and ordered them to attack the New Order Kai on the Isle of Lorn. Grey Star was able to teleport himself and Grand Master there before the Vaag arrived, and preparations began to defend against the Vaag.

The Kai, however, were woefully-unprepared for the Vaag. Half of the Order had taken part in the Battle of the Ruanon Homelands, the remainder were not as battle-ready, and they were outmatched in sheer number alone. However, the Elder Magi had prophecised that the Kai would fail to prevent Agarash's return, and prepared based on this assumption. A host of allied troops, from all over Magnamund, arrived on the Isle of Lorn shortly after Grey Star and Grand Master. However, even this was insufficient, until Grand Master provided an artifact that could power the defences to summon the Sea of Dreams, replacing the stolen Moon Shards. Thanks to the Sea of Dreams, many of the Vaag became lost in the mists, thinning their numbers considerably. The Battle of Lorn, however, was nevertheless brutal for the forces of Light. At the climax of the battle, Agarash grew impatient, and empowered the leader of the Vaag, the Vaag Prime, with his own spirit, creating Vaagarash. The Vaag then gained a new sense of power, fighting as one, turning the tides of battle in their favour. Grand Master too was forced to their knees at the sheer will of Agarash, unable to fight Vaagarash. However, sensing their courage, the god Kai intervened, blessing Grand Master, elevating them to Kai Supreme Master; with this new power, Grand Master (now called "Supreme Master") confronted and defeated Vaagarash, inflicting Agarash's first defeat, and sending the remaining Vaag into a rout.

Geography

The Isle of Lorn is located in the Sea of Mists, a bay in the southern part of Southern Magnamund. Across the Sea of Dreams lies Forlu, Suhn and Azanam.

The Isle of Lorn is home to many unique forms of flora and fauna, many of a magical or spiritual kind. The Theurgic Founts, built by the Shianti, allowed them to channel raw matter from the Daziarn into the flora and fauna, allowing them to create new forms of life akin to their original home of Caliandra.

The shores lead to jungles, and eventually a rocky trail that is the stronghold of the New Order of the Kai, as well as the Temple of Amida.

The River Fasetz contains a spring, and eventually leads to the Koltainian Ocean to the east. The magical gems of the river vanish if taken away from the Isle of Lorn.

Politics

The Isle of Lorn has no de jure form of government. However, the only human settlement on the Isle is the Kai Monastery of the New Order of the Kai, whose leader is Supreme Master.

While on the Isle of Lorn, the last leader of the Shianti was Acarya.

Demographics

At present, about 400 Kai reside on the Isle of Lorn.

While the Shianti lived on the Isle of Lorn, it was home to 1,500 Shianti.

In the gamebooks

The Isle of Lorn is the starting point of Grey Star the Wizard, although not much time is spent here. It is also the ending of The Buccaneers of Shadaki, where the player, as Grand Master, returns the Moonstone to the Shianti.

In The Dusk of Eternal Night, the player returns to the Isle of Lorn to prepare against the Vaag in the Battle of Lorn. This is the most meaningful place where the Isle of Lorn is explored by the player, though brief.