Before Shadowgate


Revision as of 13:38, 2 March 2012 by Trier (Talk | contribs) (Chapter Twelve)




Chapter One



Chapter Two


Chapter Three



Chapter Four

As the dwarves finish their snack, the leader, who introduces himself as Avadale, leader of his tribe, lights his pipe and tells about the council. Evil threatens the peaceful existence of the people, as goblins, orcs and changelings have alerted them. The council hosted representatives of Tyens, druids, and all of the races. Jairens's questions make Avadale to narrate to them the whole history of Tyragon, something that Fez comment the dwarves love doing:

Tyragon and all life was created by the all-powerful One. The Elverdan (Elves) were the only sentient people and prospered during the earliest known age the Barbaric Age. When the Elverdan began to worship new gods, the One brought forth the Portent of Doom, a flaming star which brought floods and earthquakes. The Elverdan fled into hiding:
  • Those who had fled to the caves became short and stooped and learned to work with the ores and minerals beneath the surface; the dwarves.
  • Those who fled across the southern deserts and learned to band together in tribes and tame the beasts, became the humans.
  • Those whoe went into the north cold wastes were strengthened fighting the element, and are called barbarians.
  • Those who fled into the swamps, grew short and agile, the fenlings
  • Other Elverdan became other races, including a few true Elves.
During the Age of Enlightenment, all the races grew and prospered and explored the world. They formed the Circle of Twelve, a council of knowledge that met at the Castle Shadowgate within the Gatekeeper Mountain.
During the Great Expansion, there were many wars over boundaries and Kal Torlin was founded. This led to the War of the Races. , when one member of the Circle turned evil and turned each race against the others. He was banished and named Tykl Droelyn or Warlock King. At the Dark Age that followed, the races attempted to rebuild themselves, but the the Warlock King begun the Rage Wars against everyone with trolls, orcs, goblins and other creatures. The Time of Chaos came and the Circle gathered strength to help the kings of their lands to defeat the Warlock King. He was put in the caverns below Castle Shadowgate and when the Circle disbanded, Lakmir the Timeless stayed behind.
The Rebuilding Years were followed by the Time of Sorrow, when almost all of the Elverdan disappeared mysteriously, and the last of the DelDanian seers died.
The most recent age was the Light Age, a good time for all races. But then, a group of foolish dwarves liberated the Warlock King from his prison.

Jairen learned that Lakmir the Timeless is looking for the one who will defeat again the Warlock King: the future hero's statue is unfinished in the Great Hall at the Castle Shadowgate. The night had fallen and Jairen kept questioning Avadale, who warned him that the Death Wraiths are also looking for the future king.

Chapter Five

On the morning Jairen woke and found the dwarves gone. Fez was waiting for him on a branch of a tikka tree. As he ate, Fez inquired on why Jairen seemed so interested in the dwarf's story. They resumed the journey and Jairen told Fez about his vision and quest to Gatekeeper to find the faceless king. He also told him about his aunt Delma and the Traal-shaped birthmark.

They followed a road between through fields and orchards, with the Western Forest next to them, which reached out toward the Farming Plains, seeming dark, gloomy quiet, with a musty smell unlike the forest near Wooddale. Jairen was startled by a flash of movement, and Fez tried to lighten him up, until he too was frightened by something.

Eventually the road headed straight into the forest. They left sunlight behind. The walk was going quietly until they heard goblin howls. They were surrounded as they started running. They burst into a small clearing following by the goblins. There, Jairen saw the gray-bearded stranger sitting by a small fire.

Chapter Six

The stranger, keeping a mysterious calmness in the middle of the clearing, welcomed the two people. Goblins entered and he took them out with lightnings, fireballs and spells that controlled roots and branches. However large amounts of goblins continued to enter, and the stranger took the two and flew on a tall branch. The goblins ended up fighting each other. When everything went silent, the trio dropped again to the ground and left the forest.

There, the stranger told them that he is none other than Lakmir the Timeless and promised to teach Jairen some of the simplest spells under a banty tree. At night, Jairen woke up feeling a dark figure above him. Lakmir told him that it is a Death Wraith, searching for something, which it won't find tonight. Feeling safe, Jairen fell asleep again.

Chapter Seven

Once more, Jairen wakes up late, and sees Fez warming a root on a fire, a "ground apple" which he eats for breakfast.

In the afternoon they passed the plains and reached the Olden Stand, a dark but beautiful and welcoming forest. Jairen notices the breezes and birds inside the forest. They are surprised by elves who suddenly appear next to them. Fez is captured, and the elves tie them with vines, saying that their King wants to see them.

The band arrives at a clearing. Jairen is sent to an old stump which opens, and inside sees the throne of the elfin King, to whom he describes his quest. He notices his birthmark and says that he is of true blood. He names him Lyth'n K'tarr, meaning "Seed of Prophecy", and orders his men to guide them through the forest safely.

Chapter Eight

Jairen and Fez continue to walk through a land which is not farmed. Fez says Jairen that they are near the swamp of Darkmire occupied by terrifying creatures. Soon darkness falls. Fez notices a campfire nearby and smells roasted "shippu". Fez runs to steal some and the two approach the camp, but they find out that the campers are seven trolls. Fez is noticed and the two are captured. The trolls find them a fine addition to their shippu dinner.

Chapter Nine

The troll who captured Jairen approaches him to the fire to roast him. Then Jairen remembers the fire spells taught by Lakmir, and manages to put it out. The camp is engulfed in moonlit darness but the troll doesn't set him loose. The trolls shout to eat both of them without cooking. Then he sees a dark figure, armed with a pair of scimitars, entering the camp and attacking the trolls. Jairen falls down and runs away, seeing the silhouette of the stranger dancing around, slaughtering all the seven trolls. Jairen lights again the fire and approach the stranger, who does not talk much. His name is Hawk and refuses to say anything about his background. Believing that they are met for a reason, he says that he will come with them for some time.

Chapter Ten

The trio make a camp for the night. Jairen notices Hawk who stays vigilant by the fire as the two of them sleep. In the morning they wonder how come Hawk did not take a rest all night. Jairen offers a tikka to him which he devours hungrily. They he shyly asks him to train him and become a warrior, which Hawk eagerly does.

They resumed their journey and the afternoon they passed through open plains on their right and dismal swamps on their left. Suddenly Hawk notices a black smoke towering at the distance. The three run towards the smoke and find a village that has been burned down, with crying women and children and barking dogs. After helping some of the villagers anyway they could, Hawk explains it is the work of Death Wraiths, who killed or abducted the men. He tells him that the Lord of the Death Wraiths is to be killed by one of the line of ancient kings.

Chapter Eleven

As they walked away from the ruined village, Jairen stops and vows to his companions that he will not stop his quest until the Warlock King is stopped. Further away, they notice a band of Tyens (a race of lionmen) resting near a rock. Their leader wakes and approaches him, only to hear the funny remarks of Fez. Insulted, he calls Fez to a fight to the death for his honor and does not accept his apology. Hawk, whom the Tyen recognises, offers to fight for Fez.

During the fight, the two prove equal warriors and seem to fight for ever until both of them fall by their wounds. Then the Tyen steps on a puddle of blood and falls down. Hawk refuses to kill him and helps him stand, but the Tyen says that he must take his own life. Jairen intervenes saying that he is worthy of many more battles. The Tyen then offers his loyalty to Hawk.

Chapter Twelve

Jairen and Fez walk away as Hawk and the Tyen stay behind talking, and continue the journey. As Jairen speaks his admiration for the two warriors, the walks into a river, which Fez identifies as the Upper Tyre which separates Kal Zathynn from the Westlandbetween Westland and Kal Zathynn.

There is no bridge for the river, it is very wide, but it is also shallow. The two start walking into the river. An upstream makes them to lose their balance, especially Fez's, but they manage to reach the other end. Jairen sits on a rock to rest and dry his clothes, but they found out it is the end of a dragon's tai.

Chapter Thirteen

The dragon approaches Jairen as Fez moves out of the way. Trying to employ what he learned from Hawk, he tries to harm the dragon with his short sword, running below his legs and thrusting to his underbelly and heart. Purple blood spill on the ground, the dragon weakens while trying to crush him under his legs; but Jairen also grows tired. The dragon manages to hit Jairen with his tail and sends him further away, then trap him under his clawed leg.

Jairen sees how the dragon plays with him, by singeing him with fire, then remembers Lakmir's fire spells. He casts a spell that reverses fire, and as the dragon is ready to fry him, the fire returns to his intestines. In pain, the dragon releases him and starts writhing. Jairen and Fez run away, feeling a little pity for the creature