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The Crimson Teir
Innoruuk, God of Hate, created the dark elves by kidnapping the king and
queen of the elves, who were created by Tunare, and twisting them to his own
image. The result was a cruel subterranean dark-skinned race. The dark elves are
the means through which Innoruuk plots to destroy the races of Tunare, Prexus,
and Brell Serilis who made a pact to populate Norrath with the races they
created. Innoruuk especially despises the elves and dwarves. It is said that in the past, Innoruuk had a group of chosen Teir'Dal
followers he employed to spread hate across the face of Norrath. These chosen
were known as The Crimson Teir. Only the highest and most decorated followers of
Innoruuk were chose to hold these positions. To each he entrusted a piece of
armor that they were bound to, in life and in unlife. These relics allowed them
to channel some of Innoruuk's power, and with their aid they sowed suffering and
hate across the world. Though this pleased the Prince of Hate, he had ulterior
motives, for he was already planning the coming of his Child. This armor, though it granted the owner incredible power, that power came at
a terrible price. Each piece was bound to the soul of the owner, and slowly
drained away the life essence of the possessor. These spiritually desiccated
creatures would eventually serve as the tests he would pit his child against.
The now physically ruined and mentally corrupted Crimson Teir can no longer
comprehend their roles in the glory of their wicked master, Innoruuk. They know
only bedlam in a hollow and endless existence of unlife. Acting on the advice of her teacher, Laarthik K'Shin, Lanys T'Vyl sets forth
to reclaim the pieces of armor from the Crimson Teir, now scattered across the
world. Her first test brings her to the old Teir'Dal city of Befallen to obtain
the Abhorrent Bracers of Darkness. The following is a missive sent to Neriak by
Laarthik K'Shin: The night began with a gathering of the Teir'Dal outside Neriak. They knew
Lanys would appear, as it was her custom to do so at that hour. She was
expected. I, however, was not. My arrival helped to unite the servants of Hate
and defeat the heathens, which had dared to venture into Nektulos. I was allowed to speak from the Great Rock, what we now call the Pulpit; I
addressed those assembled with the following words: "From the time of my birth, in the age of the lost, I have seen
our people divided by what has created us. I am an old, old man, given life
anew by our Prince of Hate, and I was bade to teach young Lanys, the
Daughter. This is now the time we join to change the face of Tunaria, what
you know as Antonica. The children of the weaker gods have been catered to
and protected long enough! It is time for us to show our unified power!
United, we shall make our name known that its merest utterance shall inspire
unbridled terror. We shall stain the lands with heathen blood as a tribute
to our Prince. Tonight begins the ascension of Lanys T'vyl!" Throughout my speech, many of the enraptured slashed themselves,
spilling their blood upon the ground as personal offerings. With the arrival
of Lanys T'Vyl, war chants and songs of praise rose throughout the crowd. A
palpable energy seemed to flow from them, prickling my skin. What a joyous
time for the Teir'Dal, one that shall not soon be forgotten. Now was the
time to harness the rising tide of passion and hate, and direct it toward
our goal. "We shall march on the Commonlands," I shouted, "and
greet the first of the Crimson Teir. Young Lanys has determined their
weakest link through her deep meditations, and tonight, we sever that link!
Who will join in escorting the Child of Innoruuk to our common
destiny?" We began our march on the Commonlands. There was one dissenter who
decided to declare his own war at this time, trying to divide us. "The
Crimson Teir have aligned themselves with the Freeport Shadowknights, and
they are amassing a force outside the city!" We continued on to the
Commonlands, however, not to be diverted from our goal. Upon entering the Commonlands, Lanys pointed, and spoke in dark-speech
so all could hear, "We go to the western portion of the Commonlands." Defending the Daughter became a task, as many Kodiaks patrolled where
we walked, but my sword arm never faltered. At last we reached the entrance
to the lost city Befallen. The futile attempts on the life of the Daughter
by paladins, druids and bards there grew tiresome. A druid in wolf-form
brought a group of hill giants to attack, but knowing Innoruuk guided me
that night, we were victorious over them. While we awaited the last of our army to reassemble, I shared a tale
of our first encounter with the barbarians in their frigid land. Soon, it
was time to mount our offensive. Within Befallen, many light-dwellers employed the Guise of the
Deceiver against us, but we saw through the glamour easily. The offending
bard, enchanter and wizard were set upon by the throng and quickly
dispatched. We raged through the lost city to the third level, where we finally
engaged Jerak T'Shir. The battle lasted nearly twenty minutes. Many of the
undead in that place joined in the fray, assisting their own against us.
Lanys was badly injured, and I was unable to heal my student. However, there
in the midst of the chaos, one of our own brave clerics healed the Daughter,
pledging to protect her. It was an inspiring sight! The knight fell, and his Bracer latched onto Lanys as the new owner.
She smiled grimly, then bowed her head in prayer. I took this opportunity to
reward the fallen knight's barbed leg plates to the young cleric, promising
that in time, she, too, would have a teacher, one that would show her just
what her fate as a Daughter would be. Lanys saw fit to take the coin from me and give it to a young dark
one. Methinks she fancied him, but perhaps I will see him on the sacrificial
table before her work is done. I leave you with this tale of the battle, and return to my duties as
Teacher. --Laarthik K'Shin Several days after recovering the bracers of darkness, Laarthik K'Shin again
appears in Nektulos Forest. He tells those of the faithful that the time of
Lanys T'Vyl's second trial is at hand. This one he feels will be especially
hard, there's no telling what is in store when you enter the lair of Najena. Laarthik gathers a group of those faithful to Innoruuk. Lanys appears,
speaking to her followers in a cold, heartless manner. The party, afraid of the
power that she possesses, remains quiet in a bowing stance before the Child of
Hate. Lanys, Laarthik and the faithful dark elves journeyed to Najena to face
yet another of the Crimson Teir'Dal. After passing through Lavastorm Mountains, they make their way to the
Najena's dungeon. In the depths of this dark fortress, Lanys and her followers
find Tovin D`Rin, the second Crimson Teir`Dal. This skeletal magician is
protected by Agony and Strife; his roguish imp pets that Najena helped him
create long ago. They are probably the most powerful creations the twisted
Najena has ever created. Agony and Strife are linked to Tovin in such a way that
he cannot be harmed while these pets remain alive. Lanys and her party fiercely slay Agony and Strife, leaving Tovin D`Rin open
for attack. Tovin begins to panic and shouts "Mortal... NO! Agony and
Strife have departed me. I am mortal again!" Lanys and her followers begin
their attack on him weakening him with each hit. Once Tovin has been defeated,
Lanys finds herself in possession of the Abhorrent Boots of Darkness. For his assistance with the battle, Laarthik rewards the most devout warrior
of the party with his blackened iron bastard sword. Lanys and Laarthik then
return to Neriak. "Through magic, The Crimson Teir is bound. Through hate, The
Crimson Teir is strong. Through age, The Crimson Teir is wise. Feeling the
connection sever between their members, they flee to the far corners of the
lands, in futile hope that they will be forgotten. If it were only so
simple..." In his dreams, Laarthik sees visions in pairs: fire and stone, primitives and
gnomes, and two faces marked in red. He awakes with a start, immediately knowing
where next his path leads. Laarthik K`Shin quickly confronts the dwellers of Neriak, the children of
Innoruuk. He warns them of the difficult tasks that awaits Innoruuk's chosen
child. As he explains to them the journey they must take, Lanys T`Vyl appears
before them in her usual powerful and threatening fashion. The adventurers make haste to Solusek's Eye where the last of the Crimson
Teir awaits. Upon entering Lavastorm Mountains, Lanys is attacked by a high
elven assassin. He fears her power over the dark elven nation and what she might
bring upon Norrath. He is no match for Lanys and her followers, however. Deep in the tunnels of Solusek's Eye, Enchantress Mydraa K`syk and the thief
Talia K`syk make a hopeless effort to flee the coming of Innoruuk's chosen
child, for they know that with each member of the Crimson Teir that falls, Lanys
grows in power. Realizing that they will not be able to escape quickly enough, they charm
four inhabitants of the caverns to defend them. These Stolen Clockwork XDCV
units are formidable warriors, but provide only a small amount of protection
against the Child of Hate. Upon reaching the Crimson Teir, Lanys's followers engage the guardians. Many
of them perish. "Defeat them!" Laarthik K`Shin shouts. "We must defeat them
for the Child of Hate!" As the last of the Crimson Teir falls, the last
pieces of the Abhorrent Armor of Darkness affixes themselves to Lanys. At that
moment, a circle of flame surrounds her, and she is rocked by waves of violent
power. Lanys T`Vyl becomes the true child of darkness and hate.
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