In and around 2596, Harken (a Yarilian) made a name for himself in Esium by traveling alongside such future heroes as Ross of Mengale and King North. He became one of 12 people to survive Queen Kitara's Tournament of Heroes and travel to the lost island of Andlermaign.

There on that desolate and wild island filled with ancient dangers, Harken died.
 
 

Appearance ;- Used to wear a patchwork cloak, wrap his head in a black cloth and sport a 5 O'clock shadow.

Harken specialized in throwing daggers and fighting with two short scimitars. He played a lot of marbles, liked tossing caltrops on the floor to foil enemies and was famous for his magical dagger called "Eye-biter". Like its brother blade "Heart-stabber", "Eye-biter" would always impale its target in an eye (assuming it did at least one critical).

Eye-biter +10% +2/+2

Location - Country of Shadow. Circa 2600 to 2616.

The village of Hawkridge is a veteran commune, founded after the war of 2600. Everyone in it was a soldier / warrior in that war and chose to relinquish their weapons in the name of peace. Everyone bar Adric Ravenar, a hardened warrior who served the Great Lord Doors during Shadow-Eve.

There are thirteen warriors / soldiers still alive in Hawkridge during 2616. No one in the nearby villages of Little Hill or Highwater knows the truth of their backgrounds.

Hawkridge Stats

All ages are given as + or - numbers, based around Kildarken's birth date of 2600. I.e. If Kildarken is 10, Damen below would be 34.

Damen Darkwing +24 , 6'3" Blk hair, grn eyes, 56SR Lsw
Kiah Altares + 19 , 5'7" Blonde hair, blue eyes, 45SR Bw
Fafar Darkwing + 0
Kildarken Darkwing + 0

Damen Darkwing was a hero of the war, almost singlehandedly saving an entire village from Shadow-spawn. Kiah Altares was a lady of the aristocracy who witnessed her entire family slain. She gave up any titles in disgust at the corruption of power around her. 

Kildarken is the adopted son of Kit Maree, Palleah of Shy're and Ash-lude. One of the 12 Chosen Ones.

Kaden Korrs + 30 , 35SR Spear
Mitra Korrs + 28 , 20SR Sling
Shani + 2 , 5'9" Ash blonde, COM 14
Miah - 2 , 5'8" Aubern, COM 16

Mitra was a priestess of Gala who left her order during the war, disillusioned by how much darkness had entered the world. Kaden was a simple farmer who took up arms against the Shaylond's army. He still has a captured Shadarain flag. 

Milo Croft +30, SR55 Spiked mace
Bosko Croft +3, 6'0", blk hair, INT 7, WIS 10, STR 17, CON 18

Milo was a very well built grunt in the Shaylond's army who killed a superior officer whilst disobeying a direct order. He spent the entire war on the run. He lied to the commune, making himself out as a hero.

Halen Price + 20
Missen Price + 26
Son, Dean Price + 4 married to Lyssa Hurn of LittleHill + 5, Son Will -16

Missen doesn't remember much about the war or her life before it. She was beaten and raped by soldiers of the Shaylond, left for dead but found by Halen's mother Nianna + 40 (RIP 2609) Halen didn't fight in the war but did take in refugees and supply them with food from warehouses' and trading business.

Beth Colane +26
A widow ever since the war, she has kept the memory of her husband and children painfully fresh, despite protestations from others around her. A herbwoman by occupation, during the war she nursed the wounded. Her family were executed by the rebel side for aiding the Shaylond's troops.

Jarro Descrit +40
Kori Malan + 37 (RIP 2604)
Daughter Syndra, living in Argrayn + 20
Jashad Kitan (Kaimyrrian) + 23
Son Riam + 7
Son Tyron +3

Jarro has a lot of family still alive. He served as a magistrate during the war, but quit after sending one too many to their deaths. His wife was a simple village girl, but they were deeply in love. Syndra thinks her father is a fool and drove Kori to her death. She loves the luxuries of life, especially wealth. Jashad is wealthy (or was till he met her); the bastard son of a Kai merchant who got his inheritance by  blackmailing his father's family. Riam is a greedy swindler, not above beating someone for what he wants. Tyron, likewise, but with a bit more cunning involved.

Kyllik Korusa + 22
Aeta ? + 14 - A Kaimyrrian woman.
Malik Korusa (AKA "Moose")

Kyllik is a scoundrel, pure and simple. An ex-thief, gambler and all round sneak, he only gave up his life of crime after serving five years in a colonial prison. He met AãÆta on the return voyage and married soon after. AãÆta, a half-blood Imladan acrobat (but would never admit it), was looking for a way to escape slavery. Kyllik bought her with his ill-gained wealth.

Gerbil - the village draft horse, an 18 hand dusty grey stallion. 8yrs old.

Adric Ravenarr +29
Used to be a brillient mercenary soldier, probably the most experienced in the village. A swordsman, axeman, spearman etc, he served during the war as a scout to Lord Doors, spying out terrain and enemy encampments. When he saw the horrors of the veil given substance, he began drinking heavily. Now he spends most days drunk, sat on his porch. He has refused to give up his weapons and therefore endangers the whole commune. But then Adric seldom chooses the best option.

In the late 2600's, Orion's unconscious mind began to stir. After entering a coma in 201 by spreading his mind across the World to become a part of everything and everyone, Orion was finally being roused by the battle between Law and Chaos into an active dream state, bordering on the awake.

During this time Orion chose certain people to take the roles of Mental Archetypes in his own redaction. Wanting to heal himself, these people were to become influential in Orion's future. Tamara of the Chorus was chosen in the Black Lodge to become his "Motherland." Danae Mercy Celeste was chosen to be "Sisterland", Abaddon, First of the Eshwin to be "Fatherland" and Hannibal Murdoch O'Neal to be "Brotherland."

These four people began to redact Orion on a grandiose scale - even if they weren't aware of it at the time. Tamara began by creating a plane within the Black Lodge after meeting a projection of Hannibal's tormented mind for the first time. She called this plane - The Heartland (after Orion's World's Heart.)

This plane gradually grew and became more and more complex. With Hannibal's and Danae's assistance, it became over the next 10 years, the largest and most detailed human created plane ever connected to Eldahar.

Tamara gave refuge to Abaddon and his monstrous children who in turn formed the Obsidian Order and helped build Citadel Heartstone the Capital of Orinar.

Countries in Heartland include ;-
Kalindale - Central Capital of Heartland.
Ashelm - Volcanic land to the Northwest.
The Land of D'vren.

Vern Eloy, a Sulin tribesman born in 2563, managed to alienate his family and tribe in 2581 by selling a fantastic Sulinese horse to a passing northern merchant in exchange for a magical helm. Exiled for the offense (horses being sacred to the Sulin) he traveled north into eastern Daas where his immense height and build offered a lot of opportunities.

It was here in the city of Gost Yaroch that Vern decided to earn money as a bounty hunter. His first catch went so well that it became much more than a job. Substituting family, friends and a normal life for the thrill of the hunt he changed his name to "Helm", began wearing the full faced magical helmet to hide his identity and started raking in a small fortune.

From 2587 to 2594 Helm became known as the most fearsome bounty hunter in the whole of Daas.

Helm's Helm
When worn this 98% cover helmet grants 260 degree vision and a 25 SEN stat to the wearer. It protects for 16 AP vs SLA,CHO,PUN and 6 AP vs IMP. It is silver and black.
 
 
 

Helm was slain during Queen Kitara's Tournament of Heroes by the adventurer - North.

"In timeless Dark,
It breathes,
Awaiting your weakness,
And the End of Days."
Laylak, Lord of the Living Dark, 2601.
 

"I have seen into the Heart of Darkness, 
it is soul from which all other souls were torn, 
barren and lifeless as a Void."
Kadmus, Priest of the Living Dark 2599.

 
Birth of the Hollow
On the 10/03/2617 at 6.30pm, Lord Thenox and Lady Nox of Daig carry out a suicidal and desperate attack on the Master Gate of Mount Eldahar. They unleash a massive POW strike at the gate which seems to initially leave the gate unharmed - but within moments, instead of damaging the gate, the raw Hellish energy takes shape and forms 12 astral anchors. Appearing as huge tornado's of lightning and crackling energy these swirling funnels begin spinning around the gate, reaching from the very bowels of Daig, up through the earth, into the sky and piercing the very clouds to touch Heaven (Elondil). Within several seconds, the 12 astral anchors form one huge conduit between Heaven and Hell, allowing both Dreamscapes to face off across the material plane and begin their final confrontation.

Thenox and Nox are suddenly surrounded by hordes of demonkind and the sky is suddenly amok with winged angels and blessed lights. The Battle begins.

Eldahar wouldn't be Eldahar if so much energy and belief concentrated in one place didn't create something else. In this case, the World's fear of the Master Gate opening and bringing another Cataclysm manifests itself. The gate actually slightly opens and a new threat to Eldahar is born - The Hollow.

The Hollow begins draining the power from Daig and Elondil, consuming Gods, Immortals and Souls alike whilst growing and spawning Voi'draal.

It's power exponentially grows and threatens to absorb everything on Eldahar until nothing remains.

Forget the original Wraiths of the Living Dark and Laylak's hybrid's, the Sithwrog and Llanwrog, the Voi'draal are potentially a lot worse. They are the harbringers of the end - the culmination of the World's fear and the direct dark manifestation of the Cataclysm that destroyed the Homeworld's.

Voi'draal don't just drain beings upon touch - the powerful ones drain beings in a radius effect.
Voi'draal banish things to the Void by pulling items / beings inside their own dark matter.
Magical items can briefly resist a Voi'draal's innate ability to banish stuff to the Void, but only briefly.
As a guideline, a +1 item can withstand one touch and a +6 item can withstand 36 (1x1, 2x2, 3x3 etc).
Of course this is all dependant on the power of the Voi'draal.
The Hollow can banish things instantly, no matter how powerful.

So where does the Hollow come from?
See "The Hunchback's Tale" for more info.