Marak the Slayer
In ancient times, before the founding of Daru when the gods were young, an orc champion roamed the desert wastes. Marak, champion of his kin, scoured the lands in search of evil beasts to prove his strength and protect the people.
One day, Marak wandered upon an oasis town, said to be lost in the center of the Raku desert. Thirsty, Marak approached the village elder, asking to savour the springs water. The elder agreed on one condition, the warrior must save them of their plight. Women had been stolen in the night, dragged from their homes by a foul beast, one a night for the past month.
Accepting this condition and quenching his thirst, Marak asked of the monster that plagues them, it was said to be hideous, limbless like a worm, reeking of bile and death. It was said it lacked a face, instead simply ending in a cacophony of gnashing teeth and a gaping maw.
Adjusting his huge sword strapped to his back, Marak set off. Quickly finding the creatures tracks cutting through dune and rock alike, it had taken it’s victims to a nearby cave.
In Marak went, sword in hand, descending into darkness. It is said he walked for days down an endless labyrinth to the very edge of the underworld. There, the beast lay in waiting. It ambushed Marak, Lurching out at him from the shadows, Marak lost his grip on his blade and was pinned. Biting him with a million venomous teeth the monstrosity attempted to swallow Marak whole. Marak, quick of wit, grabbed his pitch filled flask he used to light the way and threw it into the beasts mouth, before sparking it alight with a flint knife using the creatures own sharp teeth. Writhing in pain from the flames within, Marak broke free. Using the remains of his strength, he wrestled the mighty worm, holding its purple rotten flesh tight and squeezing the life out of it as best he could until, eventually, it’s movement stilled.
Some days later, a curious boy ventured to the cave to see what had become of the warrior. There, he found Marak, who had seemingly crawled his way out from the abyss before succumbing to his wounds.
He was buried under stone near the town, who would revere him until the rest of time. It is said his mighty stone sword stands above his grave to this day.
Nahri-tel The seeker
As a young man, Nahri-tel found comfort in the nights sky. Often he would simply lay down on a flat hill near his fishing village, and stare upwards memorising the stars. It was one of these nights he was bestowed the gift of magic. Channelling himself into his ink, Nahri-tel authored his legendary star map.
Purchasing a humble ship, Nahri-tel set out to explore the seas, discover new lands and plot the world. Using his map, he found good fortune - avoiding storms, deadly monsters and unpredictable currents. He weaved about the world until his job was done, before returning home.
His task complete, Nahri-tel was filled with a void, a loss of purpose. One night, while staring at the sky the stars whispered back, showing him the path to ascendancy, and the endless worlds of the kosmos.
The next morning, he packed his things and set off, to become a god and explore the stars themselves.
The Hidden Library of Vex’elun.
Vex’elun was a powerful Sphinx sorcerer and keeper of lore whose role was to observe the gods, record their mighty deeds and unburden them of their secrets. Over aeons, Vex’elun grew tired of their bickering, treachery and showboating. She left per post, settling in the mountainous spine of Kairenya where it was cool and peaceful, beyond the reach of the gods. There, she built her home - a vast library filled with all she knew.
Yet, once she had recorded her last sentence she grew restless, desiring to discover more, but feared she would be found if she left her mountain home. Years past, and her tomes grew thick with dust.
This was until one day when her world would change forever - a young dragon crashed into her home, his hide magnificent and gold, yet bloodied and torn. Vex’elun, in awe of such a noble creature healed the dragon and asked it’s name, ‘Tyndricrin’ it replied, thanking her for her magic. Vex’elun invited Tyndricrin into her library to take shelter, for the dragon had been hunted by men.
Owing the Sphinx a debt, Tyndricrin offered Vex’elun all the knowledge he could. Weeks past, and the dragon recited all he could, growing steadily enamoured with the grand library and it’s keeper.
weeks steadily turned to months, though the dragon had long since run out of lore to record, the two had formed a Inextricable bond.
Knowing his beloved’s insatiable desire and earthly restriction Tyndricrin offered to venture forth and learn more, so he could return and share his discoveries with her. And thus, the golden dragon would leave on a quest, disguising himself and exploring the lands, often returning to share what he had found. As Tyndricrin’s quest continued, and the human kingdoms expanded, Vex’elun’s library caught the attention of man. Initially, she revelled in teaching these mortals what she could, keeping knowledge beyond their comprehension locked away. Eventually, however, the men began to squabble amongst themselves.
As the tales of Vex’elun’s legendary library grew, so did the greed of the nearby kings who coveted it’s contents. Desperate, Vex’elun banished all men from her library, and pleaded with Tyndricrin to stay and help her defend their home while she put in safety measures to protect themselves, to which he agreed.
However, they underestimated the kings and their armies who marched on Vex’elun’s library, attempting to break the great doors while slaughtering each other. Tyndricrin, fearing they would soon breach, ventured forth to battle.
Hearing the sound of battle escalate, Vex’elun finished weaving her spell. She rushed to her beloved, only to find his bloodied corpse lying motionless in front of the smashed door, a thousand spears piercing his hide.
Filled with wroth, Vex’elun shrieked a spell - any with who entered with impure intentions would be turned to stone, and thus the kings and their men, arms filled with scrolls and books, froze to solid grey rock.
dragging Tyndricrin’s battered corpse inside, Vex’elun sealed the doors and activated her defensive spell - hiding the library under and eternal cloak of invisibility and burying it under rock and sand, never to be found again.
To this day, adventurers and treasure hunters look for the library, believing it could have moved anywhere, desiring the infinite secrets of the universe contained inside.
The Wandering Trader
t is said that since the dawn of time—before the dragons, before people, even before Death took his throne of solitude—when Mother Dark and Father Light were still entwined, an ancient being traveled the sands.
Simply known as ‘The Merchant,’ his true name lost to time, he would appear before the lost. Dressed in opulent silks of yellow, red, and blue, he sported a white beard that reached the floor and rode upon a six-headed camel. The Merchant would offer a simple trade: riches, water, or the way home, in exchange for a price to be named later. If accepted, he would not collect payment immediately, instead choosing to return a week, a month, or even decades later.
But the Merchant was devious. He claimed his payments through a series of riddles, twisting the words of his unsuspecting customers. He did not want gold; he took their souls to forge exquisite jewels, forever enslaving those within.
The star of Sin
In the age of the first humans and orcs, when the mountains of kairenya were yet unnamed, the sky tore open. In a blazing glory, like a star fallen, a celestial fell from the heavens crashing into the highest peak. For seven days, the north knew no night.
The early tribes of human and orc did not flee, climbing to the plateau now formed from it’s impact they found a being of fiery crystalline, humming a melody that promised order, security and eternal life. They chipped and picked at it, hoping to possess a fragment of its incomprehensible power.
Over time, this fallen star grew sour, for it possessed a will of it’s own. Rotten malice emanated from it infecting those nearby. While they new of it’s dark nature, they kept it still, feeding its demonic hunger - for it offered them power and magic in return.
After many years, this demon from the sky had enslaved all of the peoples of the mountain realms, turning them cruel and selfish, whispering half-truths into their ears.
Some however resisted it’s divine will, steeling themselves against it’s influence, refusing to give into the temptation of power. These individuals formed a secret resistance, a coalition formed to overthrow a god. Eventually, they were strong enough to challenge it - using mighty chains the people of the north bound the demon tightly, draining it of all they could before throwing it down a chasm, where the fiend would rot for the rest of time.