Terror of the Darklords (full name: Lone Wolf Adventure Game: Terror of the Darklords) is a roleplaying campaign in the style of Dungeons and Dragons. It comprises five sequential adventures of a party of warriors journeying through the Darklands to foil a conspiracy to awaken Darklord Vashna.
Plot[]
Background[]
In MS 3799, Archlord Vashna was cast into the Maakengorge at the Battle of Moytura Pass. Most of his army too fell inside, but a small number managed to escape. The sole survivor of Vashna's inner circle was a Helghast named Svader, who hid in the Dajdokritzaga Mountains, weakened. It spent 1,200 years recovering its powers, and formed a plan to inflict revenge on Sommerlund, by reviving Archlord Vashna, greatest of all the Darklords. It returned to the fore, feigning allegiance to Archlord Zagarna, Vashna's successor. With his considerable knowledge and power, he rose in the ranks within Helgedad, putting him into contact with others with the same goal: the Acolytes of Vashna. Svader was able to convince the Darklords to send him on a spying mission to Sommerlund, but instead put into motion his plan of revenge.
Adventure One: Something Wicked This Way Comes[]
Evil has been detected in Yrsonor, prompting a group of Kai Lords to investigate. After a search, a Drakkar Death Knight body, badly mauled, is found. The party investigates further, and discovers a war party of Giaks, Doomwolves and Drakkarim. The party's leader, Kai Master Stormsong, returns to the Kai Monastery to report their findings, but is captured, and one of the Drakkarim hints that he will be sacrificed in a ritual. The remainder of the party fight a battle to defend Yrsonor.
Adventure Two: Treachery in Toran[]
The remainder of the party recovers from the battle, and is then sent to recover Stormsong. They follow a difficult trail, through the River Tor and Dage, before reaching Toran. Here, they discover elements of corruption and lies in Toran. They first hear about a certain "Lieutenant Svader" of the City Watch here, who is up to no good. The city, however, is suspicious of Kai Lords, and the party is forced to try and prove they are not renegades. After investigating the city, they eventually confront Svader, who fights them in combat. However, as Svader is the same Helghast Svader, their weapons have no effect. They do, however, manage to acquire Svader's spear, a Helghast Bluefire Spear, which is enough evidence to prove to the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star that the Kai Lords are not renegades.
Adventure Three: Confrontation in Cloeasia[]
The party travels to Kadan, before Svader and his minions arrive by ship. They are spied upon before leaving Toran by Havret, who may be able to pass on a message to Svader before the party arrives in Kadan. The party faces multiple obstacles on the way to Kadan, including possible ambushes by Giaks and even a Daemonak. In Kadan, the party fights some Acolytes of Vashna, but Svader escapes with Stormsong before the party can find him.
Adventure Four: A Situation in V'ka[]
The party found clues that Svader was headed to V'ka, and make their way there. They first stumble into a village of Bonemen in the Maakenmire, before making their way through to V'ka, in the heart of the Maakenmire. In V'ka, the party may discover Svader's true plot: To perform a ritual using the skull of Sun Eagle, the first Kai Lord, together with the blood of Master Stormsong, to take place near the Maakengorge.
Adventure Four: Restless Ghosts of Maaken[]
The party heads towards the Maakengorge to foil Svader's ritual. Ishir appears to the party in a dream, providing them with a warning. In Maaken, the players recover the Banner of Ishir, allowing them to control the Sommlending fallen. At the Maakengorge, Svader prepares the ritual, where it is revealed that he plans to revive Archlord Vashna. The party then confronts, and slays, Svader. However, this is not enough to stop the ritual, for in the commotion, Master Stormsong bled, and the skull of Sun Eagle is also present. This revives Archlord Vashna. The wielder of the Banner of Ishir chooses to sacrifice themselves to leap into the Maakengorge, which also brings together with them the fallen Sommlending who will fight one last supernatural war to defeat Vashna once again; or if not, Master Stormsong (possibly his spirit) will sacrifice himself in their stead, galvanising the same fallen Sommlending.
Relation to other works[]
In Dead in the Deep, over a hundred years after the events of Terror of the Darklords, a scroll, written by Svader, was found by the Acolytes of Vashna, allowing a new breed of Helghast to be created that could not be detected by basic Kai disciplines or Brotherhood magic.[1] A new Brotherhood second-level spell had to be invented to detect these new Helghast.[2]
Publication[]
Terror of the Darklords was written by Joe Dever in conjunction with Cubicle 7. August Hahn, Vincent Lazzari and Pete Nash also contributed towards the work. It is out of print, and also not available on Project Aon.
Trivia[]
The first chapter, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", is a quote from Macbeth.[3]
Sec. Witch: By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks.
Whoever knocks.
References[]
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §240
- ↑ The Dusk of Eternal Night: §1
- ↑ "Act IV", Macbeth (1918) Yale.
Archlords | Vashna • Zagarna • Haakon • Gnaag |
Darklords | Chlanzor • Dakushna • Ghanesh • Ghurch • Gnaag • Haakon • Khatellu • Kraagenskûl • Menashga • Mrugor • Nhorg • Shebnar • Slûtar • Taktaal • Tomogh • Unc • Vashna • Xog • Zagarna • Zhanshal |
Domains (and capitals) within the Darklands | Helgedad • Aargataag (V'taag • Argazad) • Dajaraa • Dajdorza • Ghargon (Gournen) • Gourizaga (Gourzaa) • Hourdast • Iznogdazokim (Aarnak) • Jegdazok (Dugazogak) • Kagzizad (Nadgazad) • Luurvad • Maarkaag (Kaag) • Northern Skaror (Gazad Helkona) • Tar Ogashaar (Ogvast) • Yr-Naoga (Naargarod) • Zutzinozaga (Mozgôar) |
Media | The Darklands • Terror of the Darklords |