Legends of Norrath: The Oathbound - Vol. II
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Now that you have proven yourself to The Tribunal, it is time for you to take your place in the fight against the Chaos Lords. Your first task takes you to face the Barbarian, Kylan O'Danos, who has taken his Wolves of the North from Diren Hold toward Blackburrow to face the gnolls. This has Firiona Vie concerned, as she sees turmoil spreading across Norrath and is seeking its source.
"Oathbound, you must convince Kylan O'Danos to return to Diren Hold at all costs!" Firiona Vie says to you. "If they cross swords with the gnolls there will be no stopping this war." The problem facing you is that you cannot simply eliminate Kylan. You must convince him that to fight would be folly, and that he should return home with his dogs. Therefore, you propose to simply knock them senseless, rather than killing them, to get their attention. But be careful... Kylan is no stranger to battle, and he's intent in his purpose of getting past you to the gnolls he believes he should be at war with. You must be swift and act in a kind yet forceful manner. |
After a pitched battle where your warriors work tirelessly to show Kylan that, while you mean business, you do not intend to engage in senseless death. Kylan relents and agrees to speak with Firiona about the matter. However, while the two are speaking privately, you are attacked by vicious Chaos Chimeras with an army of gnolls! Apparently the creatures are sent by the Ogre, Gormung the Cruel! He is intent upon having his day on the field of battle, and sends his hordes after you! "Crush that one's body and tear it apart," he orders. "But leave the fool alive as I'll have more torments in store afterward!"
With your life and a lot of pain on the line, you and your warriors, still exhausted from the battle with Kylan O'Danos, stand and face this new threat. It is a tough battle ahead, as the chimeras damage those who oppose them even as they lay dying on the field. Your best bet is to send your men to face them in force, and have healers on hand to tend to their wounds immediately after each locked encounter. This is no easy feat, as he seems to have an endless supply of gnolls willing to die for him! No sooner than you cut down one, 3 more take its place! With his sheer strength, this Ogre is intent upon simply running you over with bodies rather than finessing you with strategies. However, at the end of the day, what will eventually become known as the Battle of Blackburrow is over, and you return to Firiona with your report of the fierce fight. Gormung the Cruel, while defeated on the field, actually died by falling on his own battle axe, and his gnolls ran back to their caves in fear.
As Firiona returns to Freeport, Kylan O'Danos turns to you in shame, and invites you to go with him to the frozen tundra of Everfrost. He wishes you to climb Everfrost Peak with him to take solace from the ravages of the wars you have fought this day. You agree to accompany him, and the two of you set out on your path once again. However, as you draw closer to your destination, a giant barbarian looms before you, surrounded by the ice peaks and sheer stone face of the cliff walls. "Beware, Oathbound," Kylan growls. "That be the traitor, Karg Icebear!"
It seems Karg intends to claim the peak for himself, and demands to know your business on "his" mountain. After a few epithets are tossed back and forth, you prepare to engage in yet another battle this day. Tired though you are, it is good to know that you have Kylan by your side this time, for your strength is sapped. However, you know that if Kylan goes down, all will be lost. And so, with you and Kylan facing the frenzied barbarians behind Karg, you make your way forward. Suddenly, glacier bears come from around the bend, and you know your situation is dire. Yet going back is not an option. So, tightening your resolve, you brace yourself for battle. With waves of glacier bears, Everfrost grizzlies, and barbarian butchers beating at your defenses, the struggle is one that tests even your great strength. But the threat of certain death draws deep upon your will to live and you fight back with the force of ten men, while Kylan does the same. After a fierce exchange of blows, you beat back your foes, and eventually claim victory as Kylan O'Danos shatters the sword of Karg Icebear.
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You continue up the mountain to the peak, and you are amazed at the cold beauty that surrounds you. As Kylan kneels at the altar set there for the pious, you take a moment to drink it all in while the silence surrounds you. Finally, Kylan rises and you set out once again on your journey, heading back down the mountain to the world below, carrying with you a new sense of purpose and determination to preserve what the Gods have created, and honor what is just and right.
Eventually, you return to Freeport, tired of the road, and anxious to return home for a much needed rest. However, as you enter the city gates, you are taken by the guard to meet with Major Lucan D'Lere, who informs you that Firiona Vie was taken prisoner some time before your arrival. "You are to blame for this," he bluntly states. "If Freeport's reputation is tarnished because you failed to protect that meddling Elf, I'll see to it that you go down before I do." Knowing D'Lere's fierce reputation of being a man of his word, you realize just how sticky a situation this is for both you and "that meddling Elf". Lucan D'Lere motions to you after grabbing his sword, and together you head out to follow the trail of the kidnapper. Eventually you find yourself coming up behind the creature, and quickly discover that it is the hideous form of a harbinger of war... the body of a man, the head of a bird, and one arm replaced by a massive spike. Rather than turn and fight, the creature utters a blood curdling scream, and attempts to move faster by flapping its useless wings. Lucan tells you that the creature's blood will heal it the faster it moves, so fighting it head-to-head is a mere folly. Instead, he suggests you corner the beast and overpower him with your forces. With an evil grin on his face, Lucan asks that you entrust your men to him...and yet, you must still ensure that you do not return to Freeport with only the lifeless body of Lucan D'Lere to show, or you too will come to a swift end. Caution will serve you well here, as the harbinger of war brings with it the chaos minions that are able to manipulate the energy around them, and turn your greatest asset into a weakness. |
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Finally, you are able to defeat the harbinger, and you see Firiona behind the enemy lines. You rush forward to rescue her, but are stopped by a blinding flash of light, from which a Dark Elf materializes. "Not so fast, masked oaf," he laughs, as he grabs Firiona and jumps back. It is Laricel, a Chaos Lord. Lucan D'Lere cries out as he rushes forward and swings at this new threat. However, Laricel is not alone! He has with him yet another Chaos Lord, Hanafen, a heavily-armored Priestess with two Chaos hounds at her side. She swings her might battle hammer as Laricel laughs at your predicament. Lucan turns to you and charges you to deal with Hanafen while he goes after Laricel and Firiona. You turn to face this beautiful but cruel woman before you, as she taunts you with her words. "Why do you insist upon being a hero when you know far too well there are no heroes in War or Chaos?" You face her with determination, as she calls her dogs to the battle ahead. With her bloodlust maul in hand and your sword held high above your head, you meet in a ferocious charge, with the chaos hounds circling you just waiting for the right moment to close in.
Even though outnumbered and exhausted, you overpower Hanafen. Realizing that there might be some use to her yet, you pry information from her, and discover that you must travel to Diren Hold, which has been taken by the Chaos Lords and where you will find Firiona being held. Lucan D'Lere is still fearful that the reputation of Freeport is on the line with the abduction of Firiona, and he charges you to rescue her from the hands of Chaos before word gets out that she has been taken. Here ends Chapter II of The Oathbound. You have met some new enemies and learned some new tactics in game play, including that it is sometimes necessary to keep your foes alive for a greater purpose, be that averting a war that is unnecessary or to gain much-needed information. You also learn that the Legends of Norrath can fight by your side and help you prevail in this battle between War and Chaos. Keep an eye out for our next installment of Legends of Norrath: The Oathbound ! With one more chapter to this story, we will then turn our attention to The Forsworn, and the battle that continues across the land. Until then, be wary of Barbarians in Snow Bunny Hats! |
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Maggie "AutumnKiss" Olsen
Senior Editor, ZAM Network