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Obscure Enlightenment from the Abyss
Musings from a Keeper of Lore

Salutations. My name is Demono Darkstar. My lineage is unimportant. Suffice it to say, I am a descendant of those few High Men who did not seek to limit themselves by calling some things "evil" or "dark." Instead, we sought the Dark Truth. We embraced what others feared and conquered fear by worshiping Fear incarnate.

Those were my forefathers. I, too, have devoted my life to study. For many years, I have sought to acquire knowledge of things that are and things that have been. I seek the lore of this land, regardless of culture, class or bias. But what use is knowledge that is not shared? So it is here that I will share the knowledge I have gathered. I thought it might be nice to start with my own home country. We seem to have a ... plethora of vermin where I come from.

Brell Serilis has possibly created more creatures than any other god who has set foot on Norrath. His realm is a labyrinth of caverns that link and connect to the sub-world of vast subterranean continents and underground oceans below the surface of Norrath.

It is here that Brell placed one of his first creations; dog-like humanoids, with massive arms that are used to help propel them along, not unlike an ape. These creatures are what we call Kobolds. During the Age of Scale, the Wurm Queen's creations ruled the skies and the Kobolds ruled the Underfoot. Their rulers were powerful shamans that grew increasingly stronger as the number of their ancestors grew. Tribes formed, territories were divided and disputed. When battles ensued between the clans, they discovered the powers of magik, stone, and metal, and used them against each other.

Then rose a shaman among the clans -- one gifted by Brell with the insight needed to unite the ancient tribes. Under the guidance of King Gkar, the ancients developed new techniques of forging ore, replacing their old tools with new. Brell's most devoted kobolds refined shamanistic rituals to harness the powers of the Plane of Underfoot, blessing the miners with divine strength, speed, and resistances to the harsh volcanic and frozen regions of the underworld. The united ancient tribes constructed a city for their king -- the capital of Kolbok. Many monuments were erected to King Gkar and his patron, Brell Serilis.

It was during King Gkar's reign when Brell decided he alone could not break Veeshan's grasp on the world of Norrath. Brell met with Tunare, Prexus and Rallos Zek, and told them of Veeshan's new world. Brell kept the source of his information a secret as he made a pact with gathered gods. They agreed they would assist Brell in releasing the world from Veeshan, only if Norrath was divided equally among them. Brell's greed overcame him and he created the Dwarves, while deciding to keep the Kobolds a secret.

However, Brell had not anticipated the attentiveness of his peers, especially that of Rallos Zek, the Warlord. Not wanting to incur the wrath of his fellow gods, Brell turned his back on the Kobolds. Their shamans, even their king, were left without guidance; their prayers echoing throughout the Underfoot, unheeded and unanswered. King Gkar fell into despair as his people and kingdom crumbled around him. He died with no successor, which thrust the Kobolds into chaos. Instead of the wasted prayers of the shamans, the howls of the dog men could be heard ringing throughout the caverns of Norrath, as they defiled and tore down the monuments they had erected to the god that abandoned them.

Three hundred years after the fall of King Gkar, Brell recognized the opportunity to form a second pact, thus allowing him to strengthen his hold on the subterranean lands. This time, Fizzlethorpe Bristlebane, Cazic-Thule, and Rallos Zek agreed to the pact. Brell created the gnomes and placed them near the lands he had given the dwarves. The societies of the Dwarves and Gnomes expanded rapidly at this time. The Kobolds, now reduced to a tribal people, inevitably discovered the kingdoms of the younger children of Brell. Recognizing visage on the monuments the little ones had erected to their creator, the Kobolds became enraged, and thus began a horribly bloody war under the surface of Norrath.

As the surface races waged a bloody battle against the minions of Rallos Zek, they paid little heed to the turmoil just below the surface. So mighty were the mortal forces of Zek, that the gods themselves overlooked the underworld warfare. All the gods, that is, but one; the God of War. Being innately drawn to the turmoil wrought be the war of the Underfoot, Rallos Zek took note of the folly and deception of Brell, and couldn't help but chuckle at the chaos that it had sewn. The Warlord saw an opportunity to strengthen his forces and gain a strong grip on the realms of the Underfoot. It was then that he appeared to the dog men.

As he walked amongst the Kobolds, he gazed into their souls, seeking one with the most rage, the strongest will, the most disciplined mind. Rallos found what he sought within an old shaman, whose years of powerlessness had fed his despair and resentment of the Duke of Below and his latter creations. The old Kobold's heart had turned black with hate; his spirit was all but lost to the decay of oblivion. The Warlord swept the elderly shaman into the Plane of War, and yanked the remnants of the Kobold's spirit from his shell of a body, replacing it with a bit of his own divine life force! Rallos then forged the despair-ridden soul into a sword for his new demigod -- Rolfron Zek, Lord of Despair!

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