- Pronouns
- He/Him
Slimy_Froggy
Patron
At the moment of creation of this thread, the myths and stories of Nid Arach are starting to scatter and I'm starting to forget what lore is surrounding this place. I decided to have it all in one place. This thread can be considered as a bundle, containing all stories and books from events ever brought out that in any way refer to Nid Arach. The grimoire can be found in Frostwarts' restricted section for IC reference. What you read here can indeed be found in game, since I'm posting what I've already written over the months. I'll probably also add the story of each of the Villains Under The Moon, from that event series.
Arachian Events:
Lore about the history of the fortress
Nid Arach
*The cover of this book is filled with drawings of demons, evil-looking syrien, undead Makani, and other ghostly depictions. The pages are written in odd symbols, except for a small passage halfway...
And so it came to be that a spider rose from the pits of the Nether and settled in the vermin-riddled forests. Nid Arach, the last hold of Evil, must forever stand. All the while the forces of Good batter its gates. Those who come to cleanse will pay in red. Blessed be the Black Widow, the Spider on a sheet of blood. Eight towers, eight sides, eight legs, eight eyes.
The rest of the book is incomprehensible, but from the many drawings of anatomy, poisons, spiders, and other ungodly things, it's safe to say whatever it describes is pure evil.
Righteous Assault
The Assault of The Righteous is a moment in time when the Dark Order received its hardest blow, of which it has not recovered as of yet. Ignites, men of Valiant, and other forces of Good ventured into Nid Arach to rescue a boy named Sigmar, who had been taken in the night and suspended in a cage of the Jail Tower, one of the eight legs of the Arachian Fortress.
The Righteous battled against large forces of guards and an Arachian general, hacking their way through to safe the boy. Several times earlier, Ignites had infiltrated the fortress and brought several casualties on The Dark Order's ranks in small, well-organized attacks. The Assault of the Righteous, however, was of much larger proportions and saw the end of The Dark Order as it was known.
The leaders were round up, put upon their seat in the Chamber of Corpses and burnt alive. Engravings in the stone indicate the presence of the Dark Ignite, a man who had fallen from his God, according to Dark Order correspondence. The Assault of The Righteous ended a time of terror and allowed for the trade-route between Storm's Landing and the inlands to open up again. The fortress of Nid Arach fell into a state of decay, yet the evil lingered.
Although the Assault of the Righteous put a stop to the Dark Order's blatant presence, new initiates lingered in the shadows around the fortress, causing trade to once again come to a halt. Three of which are known and slain; Garuthan the Weak, Oozespit the Stubborn, and Nefari the Wicked. These people went back to the Fortress to salvage what relics were not taken by The Righteous or The Dark Order, or used the fort as a base for their own schemes.
However, after the defeat of Nefari and the abondonment of Nid Arach by the Dark Order, it became a place of an even greater evil. The presence of Jishrim became apparant in the shape of different horrible things that would happen in its surroundings. This is now known as the Essence of Chaos, and journals report murmuring plants, mutated animals and even blizzards striking the festering accursed land of Nid Arach.
Although the Assault of The Righteous crippled the Dark Order, the evil in Nid Arach persists...
Essence of Chaos
Nid Arach, fabled to be one of Jishrim's own dwellings. Upon closer inspection, I find the very soil tainted and devoid of much more life other than weeds, brambles and ghastly brown grasses. I approach in wonder and amazement, my footsteps unnaturally loud in the extremely silent ruins. I follow the trail, laying low so any stragglers do not notice me. I'm sure they will do the same, hoping not to be noticed by me.
As I sneak through some undergrowth, I look straight into the eyes of a hedgehog. But it's... not a hedgehog! Its spikes have grown disgustingly long, it's eyes a deep red, and it seems to have grown tusks from its mouth. This horrid mutation is surely proof of the almighty Mad God residing in this place.
Then I finally find it; the Dark Knowledge Tower! I set up my base camp inside and go through the endless amounts of scrolls, detailing the most vulgar of rituals and tales of disgusting praise to the Unholiest of Gods, my Lord Jishrim. As a new day dawns, I wake up to a soft murmur. With a start, I sit upright. People must be on their way here. Yet, as I listen closely, the murmuring doesn't increase in intensity, nor does it decrease, nor does it truly originate from one place. It's too soft to make out what is said, but it is definitely murmuring of some kind. Leaving the tower, I find it hard to locate a source, as the murmur is all around me. Now it seems... it's the plants! All of the plants, even the grasses, seem to murmur indistinctly...
I return to focus on my work, the reason why I came here in the first place. The scrolls of Jishrim detail far greater heroes from bygone ages than I could possibly have imagined. I try to copy some of it, but I seem distracted, chaos truly reigns here.
Another night goes by and I wake up; freezing! Today, a blizzard besets Nid Arach. It is cold, the winds whip and howl around the ruins of this mad fortress. Truly no person could stay here longer than a week. Perhaps this is why the Dark Order left? Jishrim has come out from his shadows and into the shadows of this looming fortress, and has claimed it all as his own...?
It is his very Essence of Chaos his mark upon this tainted land. This enormous power is a sign that Jishrim was here and he might've enjoyed himself.
Wait...
There is people...
I hear footsteps, people are on their way here...
Crow's Memory
All glory and approbation to Whitespoor, lord of chaos! My master revealed scriptures describing the great acts of Whitespoor; numerous and lengthy accounts of witnesses of the burnings of Storm's Landing, Queensport, and the Hamlet. These texts revealed the experienced horrors as a result of Whitespoor's reign of terror. My eyes bore witness to the great anguish which the hand of Whitespoor had caused and I saw then how one man can gather the attention of beings as high as the Vile Three.
Of them, it was the Lord of Plague that descended onto Whitespoor and drove him deeper and deeper into madness. His legacy lives on in the memories of the fallen, in His sacred texts, and in His Stairway of Eternal peace. His life has been sanctified and put in stone within the Chambers of Whitespoor. It was there that those who defiled His name and sought His destruction were met with the Crow of Mikhail. A creation of Jishrim, riddled with memories of Mikhail's own life. Here, beneath this colossal crow who dons the Mask of Whitespoor, his memory will forever live on and inspire the Forces of Darkness.
So my master tells it to be, and so it is written...
A Hero Rises
And so it came to be that the mission of The Scales had finally succeeded, regardless of their many failures and the fact that they no longer existed to gaze upon what they would call success. For indeed, the forces of Good and Evil which had been in an eternal battle, one never conquering the other, finally found themselves at a disbalance. It was in the year 2307 that the Chaotic Evil known as The Arachians found their demise from an assault that had begun -and ended- in blood...
Three days and three nights was the immortal battle unlocked, was the breach open, spilled Arachian blood. They came with axes, they came with sword, and with shield and helmet and magic they tore through the fortress. Up and up, further up, ever up they went. Slaughtering their way to the spire, leaving carnage and death in their wake. The line between Good and Evil ever blurred, even more so by the Essence of Chaos that changed from ungaugeable distances to dampened sounds to swarms of spiders crawling over the corpses left by the righteous.
Those who were wizened by the Righteous Assault fled once again. Those who took up arms were slain, or worse... At the top of the tower stood the Arachian Lord whom these people would see dead. There they came unto his visage and there he went up in black smoke, disappearing, while his scream of rage rang out from all possible angles. There, they did not stop...
Three more weeks and one more day pursued the forces of good the lord. They found his trail and followed him to his final hiding place. They faced the Arachian Trials, proving themselves worthy to be counted among his ranks. They faced the elements; howling winds around the towers, deep into the Black Lake they dived until foot was set onto the solid ground once more. Deep beneath the lake, they faced four spirits who tested their wit and passed them all, to find the Arachian Lord pouring over a place of great power.
There, above that pit of sacrificial blood that The Scales had created, he stood brooding. Thinking about power and where it came from. It was there, by the enchanted bolt of Gerry McIvy, that the Lord found his death. This bolt ended his lasting reign of horror. His death sent a shockwave through Nid Arach, scaring all remaining troops and wicked things away. Haunting ghosts now found peace in his death and could finally join in the realms of the Grey Lady. Now the land lays more passive, but ever Jishrim's Land. Few items yet remain in Nid Arach, fewer inhabitants still. Perhaps, in time, Nid Arach will see not a villain, but a hero rise.
Blood of Arachia
Pay heed and bear witness to the truths that lie herein, for they are the last legacy of the Arachians. Written in the blood of the last, so they may never be forgotten. For years, the Arachians were locked in an eternal blood feud. While they fended off the infighters and backstabbers, the forces of good took no rest and continued to batter upon the gates of Nid Arach.
With the absence of a true Arachian Lord, the fort crumbled and turned to ruin, yet Jishrim's power never waned and soon New Land appeared around the fort, its mere existence mocking both Korog and Shalheranna. On this New Land, new flora was discovered. Varying from plants that would easily kill a man, to plants that unearthed the dead, Jishrim once again did not disappoint. These new plants, believed to be fueled by the ocean of blood that has spilled from Nid Arach over time, bloom only during the Blood Moon. Every Blood Moon, the wilderness comes to life with color and seeds, displaying the Holy theme of the Spider. Born of blood, these plants have spread throughout Nid Arach and usher in a new age.
Our age is over. All Arachians have disbanded or joined The Necromancer. But Nid Arach will forever exist.
Although the structures may crumble, Jishrim's presence will continue to bring chaos to these lands, changing them at His whims and this change begets the curiosity of adventurers from all over Altera, luring them here. Like the many adventurers who found their end here, so too shall the Arachians.
Jishrim's will be done; in Altera as it is in Nid Arach.
Nid Arach giveth and
Nid Arach taketh away.
So ends the line of Arachia.
The Last Arachians
Within the lands of Arachia, one may hear and follow the humming chants of worship to their source. There, one would arrive at the order of The Last Arachians.
Inside their darkened temple, heavy with incense, these priests seek to redeem themselves to Jishrim, their deity. The Last Arachians are a group of peaceful Jishrimites who have decreed that His worship of suffering must not be sought externally, but internally. All of them have disfigurements, some missing a leg or an arm, others missing all limbs, being covered in scars, or otherwise physically mutilated in veneration to the God of Suffering. These old wretched souls know the entire history of Nid Arach, from the day of its inception. Their wisdom even eclipses the Gruesome Grimoire and they are said to be the last descendants of the very first Arachians; the group that followed the first Dark One; Khorug Stenahurr.
The order believes that the Arachians have lost their way after the Dark Order suffered its first defeat. When the Dark Order left Nid Arach, the Arachian Lord took over and his worship was rather different from the secretive evil planning that the Dark Order was known for. The Arachians have shown false worship for decades and the priests of this order of The Last Arachians do a lifelong penance for the faults of their predecessors, hoping to make amends and once again gain favor with their Master. They live by the commandments of the Dark Order and model themselves both physically and mentally after the mysterious ancient statues of the Dark Order; which are known to have been sculpted with missing limbs.
The Last Arachians abolish certain practices of the past, though they accept them as part of the whole. Their worship is one of enduring extreme pain while maintaining peace and serenity and tapping comfort from the thought that these sacrifices will please Jishrim and reestablish them on His side. They frown heavily upon the worship as it was in the old days, where innocent people were taken, sacrificed, or driven mad through the torture of body or mind. Their faith is inclusive and inert. They do not wish to overcome suffering, but to relish in it, and are often weary, drained of energy, and incredibly tired, which brings them into a psychotic state believed to bring them closer to their God.
The Last Arachians do not revere certain particular Arachian artifacts as some may expect, because these artifacts or ancient items do not align with their beliefs and methods of worship. The Cloak of Decay, for example, is agreed upon to be more thematic to Skraag, and even though it was created by the Arachian Lord at the time, they assign no value to the thing besides its role in the greater tale of Nid Arach. Their items of importance rarely hold any magical power; it are the shards of The Blemish, an authentic Dark Order member's cloak, or the genuine handwriting of Khorug on a withered page.
People looking for particular information on anything Nid Arach related, whatever it may be, will find their answers here. Though they must not be surprised if their questions are answered too cryptically to fully understand, for The Last Arachians hold great value in knowledge of their ancestral realm and will require those who seek riches to be educated and show understanding before giving them exact instructions on how to obtain the thing they may be looking for. Those that visit The Last Arachians will find that these priests teach not only in word but will also sometimes require people to step into the shoes of figures of Arachian History, to better understand their motives and actions and therefore learn the answer to their questions through practice and revisiting ancient and forgotten sites across Arachia.
The priests of this order of The Last Arachians are like the purest drops of distilled Arachian history. They embody the evolution of Jishrimite worship like a renaissance; seeking wisdom in the past and abolishing contemporary methods of violence, chaos, and madness. Their most holy meditative states of peace within extreme anguish are incredibly hard to reach. Much harder, indeed, than the low effort and undemanding sowing of chaos or hurt. It is to drive oneself to become mad, yet aiming never to truly reach that state of mind. For the sole purpose that it can be experienced, fully aware, closer and more terrifying even than when one would allow the madness to overtake them. They are what Nid Arach was, is, and will be.
Arachian Locations:
Lore about locations and places of interest within Nid Arach
Arachian Dungeons
There are many myths and secrets surrounding the mighty dark fortress known as Nid Arach. One of which is the tale of its conception. Mentioned in early writings is how a giant spider rose from the depths of the nether and turned to stone in the wild forests of Burglarshire.
One can get quite prone to believing these stories after but a single visit to Nid Arach. Even in its ruined state, the very fortress seems to be alive among the humid stench of the tainted marshlands. Summoned or built, to uncover all its foul secrets and deceptive traps would take any individual a lifetime.
I have ventured through the ruins and into the dungeons of Nid Arach myself. Even the dungeons that were cleared years ago still contain active traps. I've searched the Dark Tale dungeons and uncovered the secrets of Khorug. I've descended into the Pits of Magic and recovered disregarded ritual weaponry. I went into the darkness below a lone tower and found fossilized creatures there.
A visit to Nid Arach, when performed stealthily enough, will always bear fruit. When in luck, one might even find valuable objects -historical, monetary, or otherwise- that the hasty adventurers have overlooked...
Chamber of Corpses
The Chamber of Corpses was dubbed such because of the many victims hung from the high ceiling. Found within the heart of Nid Arach, it is a place most difficult for an outsider to reach. As Nid Arach was fashioned in the shape of a Spider to appease Jishrim, the Chamber of Corpses would be its back body. Towering high above the festering swamp and rotting lands, the Chamber of Corpses housed the seats of the highest-ranking members of the Dark Order.
It is there that the cause of most evil tribulations Altera has known were first spawned. Between the members, ever engaged in a fierce competition, the foulest of plans were made. As the corpses decayed high above them, sometimes a body part would break loose and fall to the floor.
The Chamber of Corpses is made from the victims of the Dark Order's mad games and schemes. When the ceiling is full, fresh corpses are hung by their ankle from the hands of demonic statues.
Hall of Decay
This note was once part of a greater book but must have been discarded at the sacking of Nid Arach and later picked up by the wind.
"First their air becomes thick and foul,
then eyes tear with contracting bowels.
Ascending the steps to an archaic rot,
under candlelight, eyes bloodshot.
There rot approaches, there rot will stay,
cast into the hall of decay..."
Chambers of Whitespoor
The cover of this book is withering with decay. Opening it up, the fragile pages reveal:
Beneath the Decaying Marsh lie the Chambers of Whitespoor. Eternal suffering awaits those who dare step into the rising hot air originating from the deepest depths of this dungeon. There is carved in stone; the story of Whitespoor. Born of suffering and progenitor of plagues that swept through mortal realm like wildfire. He led the forces of darkness and ripped his claw around those who stood in Jishrim's way.
The Chambers of Whitespoor, created in his unholy name, is a testimony of his success and a monument to the Greater Chaos. Here, the mad Jishrim laid secure The Withering Box. Within lies the power to wipe out a nation. Within lies the legacy of Whitespoor the Wicked. A great ballad in honor of his prowess. Here; Whitespoor's Curse.
It is foretold, the Withering Box will be opened, and from it will rise the curse which will wither a thousand souls first, a thousand souls next, and a thousand souls again.
The Putrid Overspill
Piecing together the torn pages that were discarded in Nid Arach, information reveals itself.
Aside from the Chambers of Whitespoor lays the Putrid Overspill. This source of disease and death is the place where many a foul concoction is assembled to further Arachian needs. My lord recruited new forces to bolster Nid Arach's defenses, so that they may destroy those who had created a foothold in his unholy realm. To accommodate them, my master allowed them to request the construction of a place of power.
They chose to create the Putrid Overspill, where they have since been able to brew the vilest of mixtures. Ever experimenting, overflowing acids soon carved grooves in the floor as it flowed out through holes in the walls, spilling liquid death into the very same river that flows into the harbor of Storm's Landing...
Arachian Flora
This book is muddy and worn. At every other page there's a leaf or a bit of grass. The book would smell of nature, if only it didn't reek with decay...
They grabbed me by the ankles, they pulled me to the ground.
I would be dead, but I am not, for a solution I have found.
Always bring a torch when venturing into the deep.
But also bring a torch, away the vines to keep.
I looked up, for there, my treasure I would find.
This plant, it grows, just like a ladder, ever so very kind!
Never in my wildest dreams, did I imagine it this way.
And yet it grows when planted upon the soils of damp decay.
I found myself one morning on the wrong side of a gap.
I pulled it out, then put it in and gave it a soft tap.
To my amazement there it grew, instantly and strong.
A bridge for me to cross the gap and find where I belong.
This place, it is a nightmare, a place of death and doom.
But it does have its wonders, like the Arachian Mushroom.
It grows a whole lot taller than your average fungi.
It sheds its spores on bloodmoons, I tell you no mere lie!
It's a very peculiar kind, a very gnarly tree.
Whose roots go deep and bring up the dead from underneath.
And in the deep there's treasure, as well many a Dwarf knows.
So keep your eye out for this tree which pulls things from below.
These are the plants I've found on my travels through these lands.
It's worth the sight, such a delight, to visit now and then.
During bloodmoons especially it is such fun to see:
All these plants ablooming and shedding seeds for me!
Arachian Objects:
Lore about artifacts, relics, and other objects found within Nid Arach
The Blemish
Pay heed and bare witness to the truths that lie herein, for they are the legacy of Jishrim: The first of the dark Gods, devourer of Godthreats and trickster of the mind.
It was within the Primal Forces that things stirred long enough for an evil to be spat out and form the God of Madness. His unholy purpose was to darken everything but himself. To realize his dream, he created humans. The humans were brought into this world to worship him and give him power. From his very first moment of existence, Jishrim was caught in a battle with Shalheranna, the life-giver. Soon, his Humans would join the fight and destroy that which she would create; the trees, the animals, insects, grass. All would be targets to the Humans' greed and lust for power. Jishrim created the race of man to be mischievous and violent, driven and curious, so that they may cause havoc on all other creations.
The Gods are weak and far away, but Jishrim will be the first to return and reclaim his rightful place at the throne of Humankind. Three apostles will be by his side and they shall receive his unholy boons and curses. The first will reveal himself, unwillingly, by receiving "The Blemish"...
Hidden within this Dungeon in Nid Arach, the Blemish Giver is the ultimate goal to the followers of Jishrim.
Stone of Dargur
The book is written in red ink and bears the symbol of the Dark Order; a red skull. There are bloody fingerprints on the cover and on some of the pages
"And so it came to pass that the archmagi of this world found their powers blocked by the mere presence of The Stone of Dargur the Wicked."
Only decades later did mages find that it was not particularly that stone, but obsidian in general that influences a mage's power negatively. The finding of this quality that obsidian possesses meant more than just that fact. For years, some Dwarves gave praise to a mythical creature they named 'Babin' who was rumored to be made out of obsidian, crafted by the first being Korog himself had shaped and brought to Altera. 'Babin' translates to friend. Was Babin perhaps not only company to his creator and those he created, but was he perhaps too their defender? A ward against all evil magic that might come to harm them?
Perhaps it is the very start of the Dwarven legacy if you believe the myths. If so, then this could explain the low number of Dwarves who are able to use magic. Perhaps it is their descendancy from a creature of obsidian.
The Stone of Dargur the Wicked, however, has long been lost. Until the creatures of the dark; Greylings, sought and found it. Only when the Dark Order approached the Greyling race to recruit some of them did they find out about this secret. They took great pride in having it, as Dargur was a Dwarf and Dwarves have long been the Greylings' mortal enemies. They would not part with it, no matter what the Dark Order offered them. So, instead, one night, The Order took it by force.
Having acquired The Stone of Dargur the Wicked, the Dark Order started to experiment with its uses. It is for this reason that Nid Arach's towers are lined with Obsidian; to protect from mages in any possible sieges. The stone itself was mounted onto a metal bar and served as a weapon of one of the many pawns aligned with the Dark Order. During a recent fight in Nid Arach's swamp, however, the warrior was slain and the weapon lost. It is rumored to have been dismantled on the very site. Yet the Dark Order has proven unable to trace this historic object within their own accursed chaotic grounds...
The book yields no more information.
Buckler of Reflection
The Buckler of Reflection is a relic from the high tide days of the Dark Order. At their peak, with a large number of followers, there sat a Visage worshiper at the Chamber of Corpses; the very heart of Nid Arach.
This Visage worshiper went under the name of The Mirror. Known for its trickery and deceit, The Mirror took a profound liking to reflective surfaces and the illusions they could weave. In accordance with The Mirror's faith, they commissioned a polished buckler. The buckler was polished to shine so well, that its reflective surface was like a mirror, yet strong and not as easily broken.
The Mirror used the Buckler of Reflection in the final defense of Nid Arach when it had gotten lost. With the burning of the Dark Order's leaders during the Assault of the Righteous, the Dark Order was believed to be defeated. So it has been, but its followers dwell in the shadows to seek artifacts of power, much like this buckler.
The Buckler of Reflection, at last, was found and then locked away out of reach of The Flaming reference for Ignites, often used among the people of the underworld. Locked away in The Pits of Magic, never to reflect the light of day again.
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky is a relic created by the Jishrimite known only as The Fool. Not much is known about The Fool, for the moment people caught wind of him, his demise soon followed. Mostly known for his assault on a Caparii witch in Linlea, he made a second appearance in recent rumors surrounding an Ignite fallen from grace.
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky is darkened in a very peculiar way. The metal of the shield is made very coarse by cuts and scrapes. These cuts left small crevices which have been filled with charcoal over and over again until the entire surface of the shield had gotten an incredibly dark matte surface.When held close enough to one's face, it is hard to focus one's sight on its deep black appearance.
The Fool as a Jishrimite was known to be hard to reason with and often referred to as an insane animal by his own peers. He has spent weeks scratching and filling the scratches, producing this darkened shield. Useful to hide behind in dark spaces, the shield would also come in handy as a surprise defense when fighting in the darkness of a cave. The shield does not reflect any light, which gotten it the title of The Starless Sky.
After the mysterious death of The Fool, most of his possessions got lost, probably taken by other Dark Order members. This shield, however, was famous enough to be held in public ownership between the Dark Order members and was later locked up in the Pits of Magic, after the fall of the Dark Order from The Assault of The Righteous.
Amulet of the Stars
Putting together the torn pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can now make out the following text:
"Put beside you the conceptions you've created in the past and open your eyes to the words I recite, for they are them of the Dark Lord. He spoke to me of a powerful artifact he had once stolen from the forces of Good in the holy city of Heavensreach.
My master told of the Amulet of the Stars, a bright gem that seemed to reflect the very light of the stars in its intricately crafted surface. The Dark Lord was convinced it held a greater power and is yet to find the strength within this item.
He has locked it within Nid Arach to conduct more research on. Until then, it remains hidden in the decaying festering Plains of Chaos."
Ring of Decay
Putting together the several torn pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can now make out the following text:
"Catch your breath to bear witness to the words of the Dark Lord, for he has returned and spoke to me of secrets beyond the realm of mortal men. Magic is riddled with side-alleys. One goal can be achieved through many different angles. My master told of the magic of mere exposure; where items would become imbued with qualities taken from what they were exposed to.
He crafted the Ring of Decay from golden teeth pulled from the sacrificed corpses in the Hall of Decay, within Nid Arach. From this source he forged a single ring and returned it among the corpses, where it lays until this day, absorbing the power of decay. One day, it'll be retrieved. Then, wherever the wearer may go, decay will spread.
So speaks the Dark Lord and so it is written."
Vial of The Stars
Putting together several torn pages you've found within the decaying lands of Nid Arach, the following message becomes clear;
Lay to waste what you think you know and start anew, for these words are the truths spoken by the Dark Lord, my unholy master. When my master awoke me from my ignorant state, he revealed to me many secrets I've never come across before.
He told me of a vial containing ink that would only show under the pale light of the moon and stars. He so cleverly named it: The Vial of The Stars. My master went on to tell me that he had come across a strange plant in the warmer coastal regions of our world, which his forces had soon collected for him. Within the confines of Nid Arach, my lord performed the most heinous experiments until he had distilled a single vial of ink, an honorary to Visage, to carry a secret message on blank paper...
The Cover of Darkness
Putting together several pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can make out the following text:
Surrender your mind to the words that lie here-in, for they are the truths spoken by the Dark Lord. My master spoke of a black cloud that would block out the moon, stars, and even the very sun. The Cover of Darkness, as he called it, would forever cloud Nid Arach from the gaze of Gods and Goddesses other than the Mad One.
My Lord set in motion the construction of an enormous chimney, towering over all of Nid Arach. It would create The Cover of Darkness from the black bulging smoke originating in burning corpses at its very base. In the center, high at the top, my lord and master hung an orb. Blackened by the foul and evil soot, this object of great malice would remain until retrieved and used in the most wicked of all rituals, summoning back a demon to this world...
Sturdy Thornpest Armor [X]
Open your narrow mind to the larger truths of the lord of Nid Arach, my master, for he has spoken of many dark secrets others have only guessed at.
On my master's travels, he has passed by many strange and accursed things, but none so degenerating as the iron wrath, or as he has come to call it; Thornpest. A spiky plant that grows on metal surfaces and eats its way through this material. My master took great care in securing this Thornpest and soon found a fitting purpose for it; to be put on reinforced metal armor. No foe would dare touch the knight in Sturdy Thornpest Armor, as the sharp needles would pierce between chainmail, through leather, into the flesh and bone of the adversaries of darkness...
So told my master, and so it is written.
Armor of Starlight [X]
Focus your energies beyond the incapable mind and reveal the secrets of the inner unknown to open yourself to the truths that lie within.
My master spoke of an incredible magical set of armor, known only as the Armor of Starlight. He took his invention of starlight many steps further than mere scribbling
onto old parchment and gave the secret of starlight to the Arachian smiths. They forged him a set of armor that glowed a ghostly white under the light of the stars.
This Armor of Starlight was fashioned from a helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, and shield and created an unholy sight upon any nightly battlefield...
The Warhammer of Pain
Piecing together the torn pages that lay scattered in Nid Arach, you discover new information...
"The Warlord of Reckoning wields the Warhammer of Pain. Chiefest among the Arachian henchmen, this dark figure has served the Dark Lord well. Always out for violence, the Warlord of Reckoning has swept through small villages and hamlets, taking no prisoners. The Dark Lord has appointed him head of an entire regiment of troops, which have come to be known as the Harbingers of Pain.
Wielding the mighty heavy Warhammer, the Warlord of Reckoning has ended dozens of lives. With every victory upon a battlefield and with every hamlet raided and destroyed, the Warlord received a new piece of Arachian Steel from the Dark Lord as a prize for his achievements. The steel was then forged into custom-fitting armor. The near-full set he wears is a token of the most brutal, vilest, and wicked deeds.
The Warhammer of Pain is baptized in blood and drenched in fear. It is rumored to have slain a hundred and bear the memories of all those it has cut down. May it remain forever so and lay waste to a hundred more."
The Cloak of Decay
You piece together several bits of information that you've found on torn pages across the stinking swamplands of Nid Arach. Now that you've got the pages in the right order, you can finally make out what they say...
"The power of decay has long been known to the Arachian Lord of Terror. Although he has always been an agent of the God of Chaos, the merits of decay did not pass him by.
Within the Hall of Decay, under candlelight, in the thick festering air of the dead, he performed dark rituals in the night to tempt the Lord of Undeath to bestow powers on a tattered old cloak that had been the center of his rituals.
Like the ring of decay, that my lord and master had imbued with death, so too did he craft a cloak from the dead. Tanned to a very thin sheet, the skins of the damned were sewn together into a cloak, which now lays in the Hall of Decay to await the blessing of the Worm.
Wherever the cloak may go, decay shall follow.
Rootmoss [X]
Putting some torn pieces of paper together, which you've found scattered in Nid Arach, you discover new information...
"O ye, trust not your eyes, for they deceive you from the truths that lie beyond your perception. Open your mind to the words of my master.
My master spoke to me of heroes who came to slay the ideals and truths He had come together in the stronghold of Nid Arach. Destruction, chaos, and dismay on their minds, they slaughtered all those who stood between them and the Dark Lord. Yet, they did not see those that were not visible. Hidden, they lay in wait, and they observed the vile heroes laying waste to Nid Arach. Hidden, they remain. Always watching, and so my master will always know.
So told my master, and so it is written!
Leeching Broadaxe of Blood
Several torn pages contain odd markings and seemingly unrelated words until put together. Now that they have been fitted in the right order, you can make out the following text:
"The story of the bloodthirsty henchman wielding the Warhammer of Pain is not the only account of the forces of darkness and their prowess in battle. Bare witness to the tale of the Leeching Broadaxe of Blood and the deadly vyre that wielded it.
For centuries, the forces of good and evil have been in an infinite battle, which rages to this day. Invisible to the pawns of this battle are the sieges upon the very gates of heaven and nether. Efil, henchman of darkness, was a warrior who showed no fear on the field of battle. His screams and quick fearless charges lead him to gain the nickname of the Raging Bat. He slaughtered his way through many a fight, until one day he had finally met his match.
In the aftermath of the battle, vyres descended upon the field to feed. Efil lay there, barely clinging onto his life, when a vyre lowered himself over him to eat away at his essence, when Efil grabbed him by the collar and bit the vyre instead, sucking his blood and thus ensuring he would live on...
Efil was gone for several days, presumed dead. When he returned, he was in full health, in new black armor and wielding a vicious looking broadaxe that no-one had ever seen before. From that day on, he was truly unstoppable. Fighting his way through legions of good soldiers, he seemed to rejuvinate on the field of battle, being rather stronger than more fatigued as the battle drew to a close. He fought his way to the very gates of heaven, where he fought the angelic armies.
There, it is said, he was finally staked and slain by Valiant himself. As he fell back through the clouds, to the earth, his broadaxe was caught in the wind and disappeared out of sight for years... Nobody knows where it is now. The broadaxe, said to be gifted to him by the God of Vyrism himself, forged in the heat of the nether, forever lost...
Until it is found again, and when wielded by a vyre, will bring immeasurable havoc upon the field of battle!"
Garuthan The Weak
The notebook is very old. Upon inspection of the words within, it seems that it may have belonged to an individual called Garuthan The Weak: A corrupted caparius who lost his life in the swamps of Nid Arach, persuing a fabled weapon...
Upon my travels I've passed through many a town, but none that could satisfy me more than the one I found a particular book at called; "The Stone of Dargur." The book describes the great powers of an evil stone, once possessed by The Dark Order itself, but then got lost within the cursed swamps of Nid Arach.
I've stayed in Nid Arach for a long time. Searching, looking from ruin to ruin for artifacts the Dark Order may have lost or left behind while they escaped the wrath of the righteous. I almost gave up hope when finally I found the book describing this powerful stone! Yet, the Dark Gods are cruel masters and play games with us mortals. While obtaining the book, a trap triggered and an arrow shot into my leg. I cannot walk and am left to call out for aid. Now, my life is in the hands of fate. Will my calls be answered by those who mean harm, or by those who may seek to protect and help me regain my strength?
The stone could be close... I must trick those who will answer my cries into finding the stone for me. Once I have the stone, I'm sure I'll feel weak no more! I'll slay them where they stand! The stone will bring purpose to my life and all those who cross me shall pay in blood!
This is the last entry of the notebook. Flicking back a few pages, you find some interesting documentation of when Garuthan first visited Nid Arach and the things he found on his travels there. He lists all sorts of items that can surely still be found within the region! Some of the items he mentioned are of particular interest. These are:
Dark Order Robes - A set of ceremonial robes, dating back to the Dark Order haydays. The genuine article.
Dark Order Veil - A veil to match the Dark Order robes, once used to keep the identity a secret of the Dark One who wore it.
Garuthan's Knife - This caparii appeared to not be aware of just how unique his knife was...
Bone Staff - A bone staff made of an especially long bone. The head of the staff made from some kind of special refined bone meal of some sort.
Black Candle - A candle dedicated to Jishrim, so black and wicked that it won't even light!
Lore about the history of the fortress
Nid Arach
*The cover of this book is filled with drawings of demons, evil-looking syrien, undead Makani, and other ghostly depictions. The pages are written in odd symbols, except for a small passage halfway...
And so it came to be that a spider rose from the pits of the Nether and settled in the vermin-riddled forests. Nid Arach, the last hold of Evil, must forever stand. All the while the forces of Good batter its gates. Those who come to cleanse will pay in red. Blessed be the Black Widow, the Spider on a sheet of blood. Eight towers, eight sides, eight legs, eight eyes.
The rest of the book is incomprehensible, but from the many drawings of anatomy, poisons, spiders, and other ungodly things, it's safe to say whatever it describes is pure evil.
Righteous Assault
The Assault of The Righteous is a moment in time when the Dark Order received its hardest blow, of which it has not recovered as of yet. Ignites, men of Valiant, and other forces of Good ventured into Nid Arach to rescue a boy named Sigmar, who had been taken in the night and suspended in a cage of the Jail Tower, one of the eight legs of the Arachian Fortress.
The Righteous battled against large forces of guards and an Arachian general, hacking their way through to safe the boy. Several times earlier, Ignites had infiltrated the fortress and brought several casualties on The Dark Order's ranks in small, well-organized attacks. The Assault of the Righteous, however, was of much larger proportions and saw the end of The Dark Order as it was known.
The leaders were round up, put upon their seat in the Chamber of Corpses and burnt alive. Engravings in the stone indicate the presence of the Dark Ignite, a man who had fallen from his God, according to Dark Order correspondence. The Assault of The Righteous ended a time of terror and allowed for the trade-route between Storm's Landing and the inlands to open up again. The fortress of Nid Arach fell into a state of decay, yet the evil lingered.
Although the Assault of the Righteous put a stop to the Dark Order's blatant presence, new initiates lingered in the shadows around the fortress, causing trade to once again come to a halt. Three of which are known and slain; Garuthan the Weak, Oozespit the Stubborn, and Nefari the Wicked. These people went back to the Fortress to salvage what relics were not taken by The Righteous or The Dark Order, or used the fort as a base for their own schemes.
However, after the defeat of Nefari and the abondonment of Nid Arach by the Dark Order, it became a place of an even greater evil. The presence of Jishrim became apparant in the shape of different horrible things that would happen in its surroundings. This is now known as the Essence of Chaos, and journals report murmuring plants, mutated animals and even blizzards striking the festering accursed land of Nid Arach.
Although the Assault of The Righteous crippled the Dark Order, the evil in Nid Arach persists...
Essence of Chaos
Nid Arach, fabled to be one of Jishrim's own dwellings. Upon closer inspection, I find the very soil tainted and devoid of much more life other than weeds, brambles and ghastly brown grasses. I approach in wonder and amazement, my footsteps unnaturally loud in the extremely silent ruins. I follow the trail, laying low so any stragglers do not notice me. I'm sure they will do the same, hoping not to be noticed by me.
As I sneak through some undergrowth, I look straight into the eyes of a hedgehog. But it's... not a hedgehog! Its spikes have grown disgustingly long, it's eyes a deep red, and it seems to have grown tusks from its mouth. This horrid mutation is surely proof of the almighty Mad God residing in this place.
Then I finally find it; the Dark Knowledge Tower! I set up my base camp inside and go through the endless amounts of scrolls, detailing the most vulgar of rituals and tales of disgusting praise to the Unholiest of Gods, my Lord Jishrim. As a new day dawns, I wake up to a soft murmur. With a start, I sit upright. People must be on their way here. Yet, as I listen closely, the murmuring doesn't increase in intensity, nor does it decrease, nor does it truly originate from one place. It's too soft to make out what is said, but it is definitely murmuring of some kind. Leaving the tower, I find it hard to locate a source, as the murmur is all around me. Now it seems... it's the plants! All of the plants, even the grasses, seem to murmur indistinctly...
I return to focus on my work, the reason why I came here in the first place. The scrolls of Jishrim detail far greater heroes from bygone ages than I could possibly have imagined. I try to copy some of it, but I seem distracted, chaos truly reigns here.
Another night goes by and I wake up; freezing! Today, a blizzard besets Nid Arach. It is cold, the winds whip and howl around the ruins of this mad fortress. Truly no person could stay here longer than a week. Perhaps this is why the Dark Order left? Jishrim has come out from his shadows and into the shadows of this looming fortress, and has claimed it all as his own...?
It is his very Essence of Chaos his mark upon this tainted land. This enormous power is a sign that Jishrim was here and he might've enjoyed himself.
Wait...
There is people...
I hear footsteps, people are on their way here...
Crow's Memory
All glory and approbation to Whitespoor, lord of chaos! My master revealed scriptures describing the great acts of Whitespoor; numerous and lengthy accounts of witnesses of the burnings of Storm's Landing, Queensport, and the Hamlet. These texts revealed the experienced horrors as a result of Whitespoor's reign of terror. My eyes bore witness to the great anguish which the hand of Whitespoor had caused and I saw then how one man can gather the attention of beings as high as the Vile Three.
Of them, it was the Lord of Plague that descended onto Whitespoor and drove him deeper and deeper into madness. His legacy lives on in the memories of the fallen, in His sacred texts, and in His Stairway of Eternal peace. His life has been sanctified and put in stone within the Chambers of Whitespoor. It was there that those who defiled His name and sought His destruction were met with the Crow of Mikhail. A creation of Jishrim, riddled with memories of Mikhail's own life. Here, beneath this colossal crow who dons the Mask of Whitespoor, his memory will forever live on and inspire the Forces of Darkness.
So my master tells it to be, and so it is written...
A Hero Rises
And so it came to be that the mission of The Scales had finally succeeded, regardless of their many failures and the fact that they no longer existed to gaze upon what they would call success. For indeed, the forces of Good and Evil which had been in an eternal battle, one never conquering the other, finally found themselves at a disbalance. It was in the year 2307 that the Chaotic Evil known as The Arachians found their demise from an assault that had begun -and ended- in blood...
Three days and three nights was the immortal battle unlocked, was the breach open, spilled Arachian blood. They came with axes, they came with sword, and with shield and helmet and magic they tore through the fortress. Up and up, further up, ever up they went. Slaughtering their way to the spire, leaving carnage and death in their wake. The line between Good and Evil ever blurred, even more so by the Essence of Chaos that changed from ungaugeable distances to dampened sounds to swarms of spiders crawling over the corpses left by the righteous.
Those who were wizened by the Righteous Assault fled once again. Those who took up arms were slain, or worse... At the top of the tower stood the Arachian Lord whom these people would see dead. There they came unto his visage and there he went up in black smoke, disappearing, while his scream of rage rang out from all possible angles. There, they did not stop...
Three more weeks and one more day pursued the forces of good the lord. They found his trail and followed him to his final hiding place. They faced the Arachian Trials, proving themselves worthy to be counted among his ranks. They faced the elements; howling winds around the towers, deep into the Black Lake they dived until foot was set onto the solid ground once more. Deep beneath the lake, they faced four spirits who tested their wit and passed them all, to find the Arachian Lord pouring over a place of great power.
There, above that pit of sacrificial blood that The Scales had created, he stood brooding. Thinking about power and where it came from. It was there, by the enchanted bolt of Gerry McIvy, that the Lord found his death. This bolt ended his lasting reign of horror. His death sent a shockwave through Nid Arach, scaring all remaining troops and wicked things away. Haunting ghosts now found peace in his death and could finally join in the realms of the Grey Lady. Now the land lays more passive, but ever Jishrim's Land. Few items yet remain in Nid Arach, fewer inhabitants still. Perhaps, in time, Nid Arach will see not a villain, but a hero rise.
Blood of Arachia
Pay heed and bear witness to the truths that lie herein, for they are the last legacy of the Arachians. Written in the blood of the last, so they may never be forgotten. For years, the Arachians were locked in an eternal blood feud. While they fended off the infighters and backstabbers, the forces of good took no rest and continued to batter upon the gates of Nid Arach.
With the absence of a true Arachian Lord, the fort crumbled and turned to ruin, yet Jishrim's power never waned and soon New Land appeared around the fort, its mere existence mocking both Korog and Shalheranna. On this New Land, new flora was discovered. Varying from plants that would easily kill a man, to plants that unearthed the dead, Jishrim once again did not disappoint. These new plants, believed to be fueled by the ocean of blood that has spilled from Nid Arach over time, bloom only during the Blood Moon. Every Blood Moon, the wilderness comes to life with color and seeds, displaying the Holy theme of the Spider. Born of blood, these plants have spread throughout Nid Arach and usher in a new age.
Our age is over. All Arachians have disbanded or joined The Necromancer. But Nid Arach will forever exist.
Although the structures may crumble, Jishrim's presence will continue to bring chaos to these lands, changing them at His whims and this change begets the curiosity of adventurers from all over Altera, luring them here. Like the many adventurers who found their end here, so too shall the Arachians.
Jishrim's will be done; in Altera as it is in Nid Arach.
Nid Arach giveth and
Nid Arach taketh away.
So ends the line of Arachia.
The Last Arachians
Within the lands of Arachia, one may hear and follow the humming chants of worship to their source. There, one would arrive at the order of The Last Arachians.
Inside their darkened temple, heavy with incense, these priests seek to redeem themselves to Jishrim, their deity. The Last Arachians are a group of peaceful Jishrimites who have decreed that His worship of suffering must not be sought externally, but internally. All of them have disfigurements, some missing a leg or an arm, others missing all limbs, being covered in scars, or otherwise physically mutilated in veneration to the God of Suffering. These old wretched souls know the entire history of Nid Arach, from the day of its inception. Their wisdom even eclipses the Gruesome Grimoire and they are said to be the last descendants of the very first Arachians; the group that followed the first Dark One; Khorug Stenahurr.
The order believes that the Arachians have lost their way after the Dark Order suffered its first defeat. When the Dark Order left Nid Arach, the Arachian Lord took over and his worship was rather different from the secretive evil planning that the Dark Order was known for. The Arachians have shown false worship for decades and the priests of this order of The Last Arachians do a lifelong penance for the faults of their predecessors, hoping to make amends and once again gain favor with their Master. They live by the commandments of the Dark Order and model themselves both physically and mentally after the mysterious ancient statues of the Dark Order; which are known to have been sculpted with missing limbs.
The Last Arachians abolish certain practices of the past, though they accept them as part of the whole. Their worship is one of enduring extreme pain while maintaining peace and serenity and tapping comfort from the thought that these sacrifices will please Jishrim and reestablish them on His side. They frown heavily upon the worship as it was in the old days, where innocent people were taken, sacrificed, or driven mad through the torture of body or mind. Their faith is inclusive and inert. They do not wish to overcome suffering, but to relish in it, and are often weary, drained of energy, and incredibly tired, which brings them into a psychotic state believed to bring them closer to their God.
The Last Arachians do not revere certain particular Arachian artifacts as some may expect, because these artifacts or ancient items do not align with their beliefs and methods of worship. The Cloak of Decay, for example, is agreed upon to be more thematic to Skraag, and even though it was created by the Arachian Lord at the time, they assign no value to the thing besides its role in the greater tale of Nid Arach. Their items of importance rarely hold any magical power; it are the shards of The Blemish, an authentic Dark Order member's cloak, or the genuine handwriting of Khorug on a withered page.
People looking for particular information on anything Nid Arach related, whatever it may be, will find their answers here. Though they must not be surprised if their questions are answered too cryptically to fully understand, for The Last Arachians hold great value in knowledge of their ancestral realm and will require those who seek riches to be educated and show understanding before giving them exact instructions on how to obtain the thing they may be looking for. Those that visit The Last Arachians will find that these priests teach not only in word but will also sometimes require people to step into the shoes of figures of Arachian History, to better understand their motives and actions and therefore learn the answer to their questions through practice and revisiting ancient and forgotten sites across Arachia.
The priests of this order of The Last Arachians are like the purest drops of distilled Arachian history. They embody the evolution of Jishrimite worship like a renaissance; seeking wisdom in the past and abolishing contemporary methods of violence, chaos, and madness. Their most holy meditative states of peace within extreme anguish are incredibly hard to reach. Much harder, indeed, than the low effort and undemanding sowing of chaos or hurt. It is to drive oneself to become mad, yet aiming never to truly reach that state of mind. For the sole purpose that it can be experienced, fully aware, closer and more terrifying even than when one would allow the madness to overtake them. They are what Nid Arach was, is, and will be.
Arachian Locations:
Lore about locations and places of interest within Nid Arach
Arachian Dungeons
There are many myths and secrets surrounding the mighty dark fortress known as Nid Arach. One of which is the tale of its conception. Mentioned in early writings is how a giant spider rose from the depths of the nether and turned to stone in the wild forests of Burglarshire.
One can get quite prone to believing these stories after but a single visit to Nid Arach. Even in its ruined state, the very fortress seems to be alive among the humid stench of the tainted marshlands. Summoned or built, to uncover all its foul secrets and deceptive traps would take any individual a lifetime.
I have ventured through the ruins and into the dungeons of Nid Arach myself. Even the dungeons that were cleared years ago still contain active traps. I've searched the Dark Tale dungeons and uncovered the secrets of Khorug. I've descended into the Pits of Magic and recovered disregarded ritual weaponry. I went into the darkness below a lone tower and found fossilized creatures there.
A visit to Nid Arach, when performed stealthily enough, will always bear fruit. When in luck, one might even find valuable objects -historical, monetary, or otherwise- that the hasty adventurers have overlooked...
Chamber of Corpses
The Chamber of Corpses was dubbed such because of the many victims hung from the high ceiling. Found within the heart of Nid Arach, it is a place most difficult for an outsider to reach. As Nid Arach was fashioned in the shape of a Spider to appease Jishrim, the Chamber of Corpses would be its back body. Towering high above the festering swamp and rotting lands, the Chamber of Corpses housed the seats of the highest-ranking members of the Dark Order.
It is there that the cause of most evil tribulations Altera has known were first spawned. Between the members, ever engaged in a fierce competition, the foulest of plans were made. As the corpses decayed high above them, sometimes a body part would break loose and fall to the floor.
The Chamber of Corpses is made from the victims of the Dark Order's mad games and schemes. When the ceiling is full, fresh corpses are hung by their ankle from the hands of demonic statues.
Hall of Decay
This note was once part of a greater book but must have been discarded at the sacking of Nid Arach and later picked up by the wind.
"First their air becomes thick and foul,
then eyes tear with contracting bowels.
Ascending the steps to an archaic rot,
under candlelight, eyes bloodshot.
There rot approaches, there rot will stay,
cast into the hall of decay..."
Chambers of Whitespoor
The cover of this book is withering with decay. Opening it up, the fragile pages reveal:
Beneath the Decaying Marsh lie the Chambers of Whitespoor. Eternal suffering awaits those who dare step into the rising hot air originating from the deepest depths of this dungeon. There is carved in stone; the story of Whitespoor. Born of suffering and progenitor of plagues that swept through mortal realm like wildfire. He led the forces of darkness and ripped his claw around those who stood in Jishrim's way.
The Chambers of Whitespoor, created in his unholy name, is a testimony of his success and a monument to the Greater Chaos. Here, the mad Jishrim laid secure The Withering Box. Within lies the power to wipe out a nation. Within lies the legacy of Whitespoor the Wicked. A great ballad in honor of his prowess. Here; Whitespoor's Curse.
It is foretold, the Withering Box will be opened, and from it will rise the curse which will wither a thousand souls first, a thousand souls next, and a thousand souls again.
The Putrid Overspill
Piecing together the torn pages that were discarded in Nid Arach, information reveals itself.
Aside from the Chambers of Whitespoor lays the Putrid Overspill. This source of disease and death is the place where many a foul concoction is assembled to further Arachian needs. My lord recruited new forces to bolster Nid Arach's defenses, so that they may destroy those who had created a foothold in his unholy realm. To accommodate them, my master allowed them to request the construction of a place of power.
They chose to create the Putrid Overspill, where they have since been able to brew the vilest of mixtures. Ever experimenting, overflowing acids soon carved grooves in the floor as it flowed out through holes in the walls, spilling liquid death into the very same river that flows into the harbor of Storm's Landing...
Arachian Flora
This book is muddy and worn. At every other page there's a leaf or a bit of grass. The book would smell of nature, if only it didn't reek with decay...
They grabbed me by the ankles, they pulled me to the ground.
I would be dead, but I am not, for a solution I have found.
Always bring a torch when venturing into the deep.
But also bring a torch, away the vines to keep.
I looked up, for there, my treasure I would find.
This plant, it grows, just like a ladder, ever so very kind!
Never in my wildest dreams, did I imagine it this way.
And yet it grows when planted upon the soils of damp decay.
I found myself one morning on the wrong side of a gap.
I pulled it out, then put it in and gave it a soft tap.
To my amazement there it grew, instantly and strong.
A bridge for me to cross the gap and find where I belong.
This place, it is a nightmare, a place of death and doom.
But it does have its wonders, like the Arachian Mushroom.
It grows a whole lot taller than your average fungi.
It sheds its spores on bloodmoons, I tell you no mere lie!
It's a very peculiar kind, a very gnarly tree.
Whose roots go deep and bring up the dead from underneath.
And in the deep there's treasure, as well many a Dwarf knows.
So keep your eye out for this tree which pulls things from below.
These are the plants I've found on my travels through these lands.
It's worth the sight, such a delight, to visit now and then.
During bloodmoons especially it is such fun to see:
All these plants ablooming and shedding seeds for me!
Arachian Objects:
Lore about artifacts, relics, and other objects found within Nid Arach
The Blemish
Pay heed and bare witness to the truths that lie herein, for they are the legacy of Jishrim: The first of the dark Gods, devourer of Godthreats and trickster of the mind.
It was within the Primal Forces that things stirred long enough for an evil to be spat out and form the God of Madness. His unholy purpose was to darken everything but himself. To realize his dream, he created humans. The humans were brought into this world to worship him and give him power. From his very first moment of existence, Jishrim was caught in a battle with Shalheranna, the life-giver. Soon, his Humans would join the fight and destroy that which she would create; the trees, the animals, insects, grass. All would be targets to the Humans' greed and lust for power. Jishrim created the race of man to be mischievous and violent, driven and curious, so that they may cause havoc on all other creations.
The Gods are weak and far away, but Jishrim will be the first to return and reclaim his rightful place at the throne of Humankind. Three apostles will be by his side and they shall receive his unholy boons and curses. The first will reveal himself, unwillingly, by receiving "The Blemish"...
Hidden within this Dungeon in Nid Arach, the Blemish Giver is the ultimate goal to the followers of Jishrim.
Stone of Dargur
The book is written in red ink and bears the symbol of the Dark Order; a red skull. There are bloody fingerprints on the cover and on some of the pages
"And so it came to pass that the archmagi of this world found their powers blocked by the mere presence of The Stone of Dargur the Wicked."
Only decades later did mages find that it was not particularly that stone, but obsidian in general that influences a mage's power negatively. The finding of this quality that obsidian possesses meant more than just that fact. For years, some Dwarves gave praise to a mythical creature they named 'Babin' who was rumored to be made out of obsidian, crafted by the first being Korog himself had shaped and brought to Altera. 'Babin' translates to friend. Was Babin perhaps not only company to his creator and those he created, but was he perhaps too their defender? A ward against all evil magic that might come to harm them?
Perhaps it is the very start of the Dwarven legacy if you believe the myths. If so, then this could explain the low number of Dwarves who are able to use magic. Perhaps it is their descendancy from a creature of obsidian.
The Stone of Dargur the Wicked, however, has long been lost. Until the creatures of the dark; Greylings, sought and found it. Only when the Dark Order approached the Greyling race to recruit some of them did they find out about this secret. They took great pride in having it, as Dargur was a Dwarf and Dwarves have long been the Greylings' mortal enemies. They would not part with it, no matter what the Dark Order offered them. So, instead, one night, The Order took it by force.
Having acquired The Stone of Dargur the Wicked, the Dark Order started to experiment with its uses. It is for this reason that Nid Arach's towers are lined with Obsidian; to protect from mages in any possible sieges. The stone itself was mounted onto a metal bar and served as a weapon of one of the many pawns aligned with the Dark Order. During a recent fight in Nid Arach's swamp, however, the warrior was slain and the weapon lost. It is rumored to have been dismantled on the very site. Yet the Dark Order has proven unable to trace this historic object within their own accursed chaotic grounds...
The book yields no more information.
Buckler of Reflection
The Buckler of Reflection is a relic from the high tide days of the Dark Order. At their peak, with a large number of followers, there sat a Visage worshiper at the Chamber of Corpses; the very heart of Nid Arach.
This Visage worshiper went under the name of The Mirror. Known for its trickery and deceit, The Mirror took a profound liking to reflective surfaces and the illusions they could weave. In accordance with The Mirror's faith, they commissioned a polished buckler. The buckler was polished to shine so well, that its reflective surface was like a mirror, yet strong and not as easily broken.
The Mirror used the Buckler of Reflection in the final defense of Nid Arach when it had gotten lost. With the burning of the Dark Order's leaders during the Assault of the Righteous, the Dark Order was believed to be defeated. So it has been, but its followers dwell in the shadows to seek artifacts of power, much like this buckler.
The Buckler of Reflection, at last, was found and then locked away out of reach of The Flaming reference for Ignites, often used among the people of the underworld. Locked away in The Pits of Magic, never to reflect the light of day again.
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky is a relic created by the Jishrimite known only as The Fool. Not much is known about The Fool, for the moment people caught wind of him, his demise soon followed. Mostly known for his assault on a Caparii witch in Linlea, he made a second appearance in recent rumors surrounding an Ignite fallen from grace.
The Black Shield of The Starless Sky is darkened in a very peculiar way. The metal of the shield is made very coarse by cuts and scrapes. These cuts left small crevices which have been filled with charcoal over and over again until the entire surface of the shield had gotten an incredibly dark matte surface.When held close enough to one's face, it is hard to focus one's sight on its deep black appearance.
The Fool as a Jishrimite was known to be hard to reason with and often referred to as an insane animal by his own peers. He has spent weeks scratching and filling the scratches, producing this darkened shield. Useful to hide behind in dark spaces, the shield would also come in handy as a surprise defense when fighting in the darkness of a cave. The shield does not reflect any light, which gotten it the title of The Starless Sky.
After the mysterious death of The Fool, most of his possessions got lost, probably taken by other Dark Order members. This shield, however, was famous enough to be held in public ownership between the Dark Order members and was later locked up in the Pits of Magic, after the fall of the Dark Order from The Assault of The Righteous.
Amulet of the Stars
Putting together the torn pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can now make out the following text:
"Put beside you the conceptions you've created in the past and open your eyes to the words I recite, for they are them of the Dark Lord. He spoke to me of a powerful artifact he had once stolen from the forces of Good in the holy city of Heavensreach.
My master told of the Amulet of the Stars, a bright gem that seemed to reflect the very light of the stars in its intricately crafted surface. The Dark Lord was convinced it held a greater power and is yet to find the strength within this item.
He has locked it within Nid Arach to conduct more research on. Until then, it remains hidden in the decaying festering Plains of Chaos."
Ring of Decay
Putting together the several torn pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can now make out the following text:
"Catch your breath to bear witness to the words of the Dark Lord, for he has returned and spoke to me of secrets beyond the realm of mortal men. Magic is riddled with side-alleys. One goal can be achieved through many different angles. My master told of the magic of mere exposure; where items would become imbued with qualities taken from what they were exposed to.
He crafted the Ring of Decay from golden teeth pulled from the sacrificed corpses in the Hall of Decay, within Nid Arach. From this source he forged a single ring and returned it among the corpses, where it lays until this day, absorbing the power of decay. One day, it'll be retrieved. Then, wherever the wearer may go, decay will spread.
So speaks the Dark Lord and so it is written."
Vial of The Stars
Putting together several torn pages you've found within the decaying lands of Nid Arach, the following message becomes clear;
Lay to waste what you think you know and start anew, for these words are the truths spoken by the Dark Lord, my unholy master. When my master awoke me from my ignorant state, he revealed to me many secrets I've never come across before.
He told me of a vial containing ink that would only show under the pale light of the moon and stars. He so cleverly named it: The Vial of The Stars. My master went on to tell me that he had come across a strange plant in the warmer coastal regions of our world, which his forces had soon collected for him. Within the confines of Nid Arach, my lord performed the most heinous experiments until he had distilled a single vial of ink, an honorary to Visage, to carry a secret message on blank paper...
The Cover of Darkness
Putting together several pages you've found in Nid Arach, you can make out the following text:
Surrender your mind to the words that lie here-in, for they are the truths spoken by the Dark Lord. My master spoke of a black cloud that would block out the moon, stars, and even the very sun. The Cover of Darkness, as he called it, would forever cloud Nid Arach from the gaze of Gods and Goddesses other than the Mad One.
My Lord set in motion the construction of an enormous chimney, towering over all of Nid Arach. It would create The Cover of Darkness from the black bulging smoke originating in burning corpses at its very base. In the center, high at the top, my lord and master hung an orb. Blackened by the foul and evil soot, this object of great malice would remain until retrieved and used in the most wicked of all rituals, summoning back a demon to this world...
Sturdy Thornpest Armor [X]
Open your narrow mind to the larger truths of the lord of Nid Arach, my master, for he has spoken of many dark secrets others have only guessed at.
On my master's travels, he has passed by many strange and accursed things, but none so degenerating as the iron wrath, or as he has come to call it; Thornpest. A spiky plant that grows on metal surfaces and eats its way through this material. My master took great care in securing this Thornpest and soon found a fitting purpose for it; to be put on reinforced metal armor. No foe would dare touch the knight in Sturdy Thornpest Armor, as the sharp needles would pierce between chainmail, through leather, into the flesh and bone of the adversaries of darkness...
So told my master, and so it is written.
Armor of Starlight [X]
Focus your energies beyond the incapable mind and reveal the secrets of the inner unknown to open yourself to the truths that lie within.
My master spoke of an incredible magical set of armor, known only as the Armor of Starlight. He took his invention of starlight many steps further than mere scribbling
onto old parchment and gave the secret of starlight to the Arachian smiths. They forged him a set of armor that glowed a ghostly white under the light of the stars.
This Armor of Starlight was fashioned from a helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, and shield and created an unholy sight upon any nightly battlefield...
The Warhammer of Pain
Piecing together the torn pages that lay scattered in Nid Arach, you discover new information...
"The Warlord of Reckoning wields the Warhammer of Pain. Chiefest among the Arachian henchmen, this dark figure has served the Dark Lord well. Always out for violence, the Warlord of Reckoning has swept through small villages and hamlets, taking no prisoners. The Dark Lord has appointed him head of an entire regiment of troops, which have come to be known as the Harbingers of Pain.
Wielding the mighty heavy Warhammer, the Warlord of Reckoning has ended dozens of lives. With every victory upon a battlefield and with every hamlet raided and destroyed, the Warlord received a new piece of Arachian Steel from the Dark Lord as a prize for his achievements. The steel was then forged into custom-fitting armor. The near-full set he wears is a token of the most brutal, vilest, and wicked deeds.
The Warhammer of Pain is baptized in blood and drenched in fear. It is rumored to have slain a hundred and bear the memories of all those it has cut down. May it remain forever so and lay waste to a hundred more."
The Cloak of Decay
You piece together several bits of information that you've found on torn pages across the stinking swamplands of Nid Arach. Now that you've got the pages in the right order, you can finally make out what they say...
"The power of decay has long been known to the Arachian Lord of Terror. Although he has always been an agent of the God of Chaos, the merits of decay did not pass him by.
Within the Hall of Decay, under candlelight, in the thick festering air of the dead, he performed dark rituals in the night to tempt the Lord of Undeath to bestow powers on a tattered old cloak that had been the center of his rituals.
Like the ring of decay, that my lord and master had imbued with death, so too did he craft a cloak from the dead. Tanned to a very thin sheet, the skins of the damned were sewn together into a cloak, which now lays in the Hall of Decay to await the blessing of the Worm.
Wherever the cloak may go, decay shall follow.
Rootmoss [X]
Putting some torn pieces of paper together, which you've found scattered in Nid Arach, you discover new information...
"O ye, trust not your eyes, for they deceive you from the truths that lie beyond your perception. Open your mind to the words of my master.
My master spoke to me of heroes who came to slay the ideals and truths He had come together in the stronghold of Nid Arach. Destruction, chaos, and dismay on their minds, they slaughtered all those who stood between them and the Dark Lord. Yet, they did not see those that were not visible. Hidden, they lay in wait, and they observed the vile heroes laying waste to Nid Arach. Hidden, they remain. Always watching, and so my master will always know.
So told my master, and so it is written!
Leeching Broadaxe of Blood
Several torn pages contain odd markings and seemingly unrelated words until put together. Now that they have been fitted in the right order, you can make out the following text:
"The story of the bloodthirsty henchman wielding the Warhammer of Pain is not the only account of the forces of darkness and their prowess in battle. Bare witness to the tale of the Leeching Broadaxe of Blood and the deadly vyre that wielded it.
For centuries, the forces of good and evil have been in an infinite battle, which rages to this day. Invisible to the pawns of this battle are the sieges upon the very gates of heaven and nether. Efil, henchman of darkness, was a warrior who showed no fear on the field of battle. His screams and quick fearless charges lead him to gain the nickname of the Raging Bat. He slaughtered his way through many a fight, until one day he had finally met his match.
In the aftermath of the battle, vyres descended upon the field to feed. Efil lay there, barely clinging onto his life, when a vyre lowered himself over him to eat away at his essence, when Efil grabbed him by the collar and bit the vyre instead, sucking his blood and thus ensuring he would live on...
Efil was gone for several days, presumed dead. When he returned, he was in full health, in new black armor and wielding a vicious looking broadaxe that no-one had ever seen before. From that day on, he was truly unstoppable. Fighting his way through legions of good soldiers, he seemed to rejuvinate on the field of battle, being rather stronger than more fatigued as the battle drew to a close. He fought his way to the very gates of heaven, where he fought the angelic armies.
There, it is said, he was finally staked and slain by Valiant himself. As he fell back through the clouds, to the earth, his broadaxe was caught in the wind and disappeared out of sight for years... Nobody knows where it is now. The broadaxe, said to be gifted to him by the God of Vyrism himself, forged in the heat of the nether, forever lost...
Until it is found again, and when wielded by a vyre, will bring immeasurable havoc upon the field of battle!"
Garuthan The Weak
The notebook is very old. Upon inspection of the words within, it seems that it may have belonged to an individual called Garuthan The Weak: A corrupted caparius who lost his life in the swamps of Nid Arach, persuing a fabled weapon...
Upon my travels I've passed through many a town, but none that could satisfy me more than the one I found a particular book at called; "The Stone of Dargur." The book describes the great powers of an evil stone, once possessed by The Dark Order itself, but then got lost within the cursed swamps of Nid Arach.
I've stayed in Nid Arach for a long time. Searching, looking from ruin to ruin for artifacts the Dark Order may have lost or left behind while they escaped the wrath of the righteous. I almost gave up hope when finally I found the book describing this powerful stone! Yet, the Dark Gods are cruel masters and play games with us mortals. While obtaining the book, a trap triggered and an arrow shot into my leg. I cannot walk and am left to call out for aid. Now, my life is in the hands of fate. Will my calls be answered by those who mean harm, or by those who may seek to protect and help me regain my strength?
The stone could be close... I must trick those who will answer my cries into finding the stone for me. Once I have the stone, I'm sure I'll feel weak no more! I'll slay them where they stand! The stone will bring purpose to my life and all those who cross me shall pay in blood!
This is the last entry of the notebook. Flicking back a few pages, you find some interesting documentation of when Garuthan first visited Nid Arach and the things he found on his travels there. He lists all sorts of items that can surely still be found within the region! Some of the items he mentioned are of particular interest. These are:
Dark Order Robes - A set of ceremonial robes, dating back to the Dark Order haydays. The genuine article.
Dark Order Veil - A veil to match the Dark Order robes, once used to keep the identity a secret of the Dark One who wore it.
Garuthan's Knife - This caparii appeared to not be aware of just how unique his knife was...
Bone Staff - A bone staff made of an especially long bone. The head of the staff made from some kind of special refined bone meal of some sort.
Black Candle - A candle dedicated to Jishrim, so black and wicked that it won't even light!
Last edited:
