Myth II: Soulblighter ... 68 Alric An Avatara of years past, Alric is the only surviving member of the Nine sorcerers who opposed the Fallen Lords during the Great War. Alric reclaimed his throne after defeating Balor. He has spent the last sixty years rebuilding the Province. Bagrada Southernmost pass across the Cloudspine range, Bagrada is a network of dead ends and box canyons that connect the Plain of Scales with Forest Heart. Countless battles have been waged here, including several during the Great War. Balor Once known as Connacht, great hero of the Wind Age, Balor returned wearing the mantle of the Leveller to lead the armies of the Dark during the Great War. Chief among the Fallen Lords, he fell in battle with Alric at his fortress in Rhi'anon, and his head was cast into the Great Devoid to ensure that he would never return. Baron Kildaer The Baron came to power ten years ago, appearing out of nowhere. With the aid of his brigand cohorts, he laid claim to Keep Kildaer and the surrounding lands. Barrier, The The great desert east of the Cloudspine. Once the fertile empire of Cath Bruig, the Barrier was razed and blighted when Muirthemne fell to Balor's forces, becoming an arid desert devoid of most life. Callieach A fearsome race from the distant past. The Callieach eventually came into conflict with the Trow, and were destroyed in that conflict. In their final days, rather than be hunted to extinction by the Trow, they destroyed themselves and their hunters, leaving behind the Great Devoid. Cloudspine Mountains A mountain range spanning the continent, running north to south across its center. An almost impassable barrier, the Cloudspine has only three passesÑBagrada, Seven Gates, and The Stair of Grief. Even these are only passable during the summer months. Bungie Software ... 69 Connacht Great hero of the Wind Age, Connacht trapped the Myrkridia in the Tain and imprisoned the Trow. Ruling during a golden age of peace, Connacht disappeared from Muirthemne, and was thought to be dead. Centuries later, Connacht returned as Balor, the Leveller, to raze the continent and lead the Fallen. Covenant A great city of the Province, Covenant was sacked by the Dark in the Great War. CrŸniac An officer of the Legion. His father is the mayor of Shoal. He has political aspirations, and joined the Legion to distinguish himself. Cu Roi One of the Nine. A powerful sorcerer who opposed Balor during the Great War. He was trapped in the Tain along with Murgen and the Legion, and died when the Tain was destroyed during their escape. Deceiver, The One of the Fallen Lords who served Balor during the Great War. His rivalry with the other Fallen Lords led to his downfall. He disappeared after the Watcher decimated his army at Seven Gates. Dire Marsh An enormous swampland. Fed by the poisoned Gjol River, the Dire Marsh was the site of many battles between the Legion and the forces of The Watcher and Soulblighter during the Great War. It was here that the Watcher, crippled by arrows tipped with his own bones, finally fell. Dwarves A diminutive race of sturdy craftsmen. The Dwarves delight in the elements of Fire and Stone, and are unrivaled masters of both. They share a deep hatred and countless years of war with the Gh™ls. Driven from their homelands in Myrgard and Stoneheim, they returned to reclaim them following the defeat of the Dark at the end of the Great War. Eblis Stones Magic artifacts of great power. Those wielding an Eblis stone are said to be unstoppable in battle. Alric used one of these artifacts to defeat Balor in the Great War. Fallen Lords Six sorcerer-generals of dark and fearsome power, led by Balor during the Great War. Numbered among their ranks were The Watcher, The Deceiver, Shiver, and Soulblighter. It was thought by the Nine that their powers were derived from Balor himself, but plainly this was not the case. yth II: Soulblighter ... 70 Forest Heart An ancient and majestic forest east of the Cloudspine. Home to the peaceful but powerful Forest Giants. Forest Heart was the site of many battles during the Great War. Gh™ls A bestial race of knuckle walkers that served the Dark during the Great War. Inhabiting the same hills and mountains as the Dwarves, Gh™ls have been in conflict with that race for as long as they have known one another. It is they alone who remember the names of the dark gods. Gjol, The Poisoned river that flows out of the Blind Steppes and into the Dire Marsh. Great Devoid The Great Devoid is a chasm near Myrgard that is said to have no bottom. It was created when the Callieach destroyed themselves rather than be hunted to extinction by the Trow. Following his defeat at Rhi'anon, Balor's severed head was brought here and cast into the Devoid. Bungie Software ... 71 Head, The A severed head animated by its own arcane magic, it was discovered buried under tons of sand and rock and claimed to be one of Balor's ancient enemies. Providing the Nine with dubious advice, this enigmatic being sowed strife among the Nine, resulting in their downfall before vanishing again into the mists of history. Ibis Crown of the Cath Bruig Legend states that whoever wears the Ibis Crown has at his disposal enormous power. Before the fall of the Cath Bruig empire, Ceiscoran, at enormous expense, commissioned eleven ordinary copies of the crown to be made in order to make the theft of the true crown more difficult. When Muirthemne fell to the Fallen Lords, the true crown was nowhere to be found. Keep Kildaer Unoccupied since the Great War, it was thought that every member of the Kildaer family had been slain when the Fallen Lords crossed over the Cloudspine, destroying everything in their path. Legion, The An army of the Light, the Legion took part in many of the pivotal battles in the closing years of the Great War. Travelling across the continent, they broke through the Fallen lines, and fought their way to Rhi'anon, where they sacrificed themselves in an assault on Balor's fortress in order to give Alric time to defeat Balor. Madrigal A city in the northwest of the Province, Madrigal was the site of a great battle between Rabican and Shiver during the Great War. Though it was successfully defended by the Light for most of the war, internal strife and the crushing weight of the Dark armies caused its downfall only weeks before the war finally ended. Maeldun One of the Nine. He was severely wounded in battle at Bagrada near the end of the Great War. Muirthemne The ancient capital of the Cath Bruig empire, Muirthemne was home to many great sorcerers and craftsmen, whose works included the Tain. Ruled by Connacht during the Wind Age, it was sacked and utterly razed when he returned as Balor during the Great War. Murgen One of the Nine. He was trapped in the Tain along with Cu Roi and the Legion. He did not survive the destruction of the Tain. Myth II: Soulblighter ... 72 Myrgard The ancestral home of the Dwarves. Along with the other major Dwarven city of Stoneheim, Myrgard was seized by the Gh™ls over a century ago. Occupied for more than fifty years, Myrgard was finally liberated after the defeat of the Dark in the Great War. With the Gh™ls driven out, the Dwarves returned, with a deeper hatred of their mortal enemies than ever before. Myrkridia A terrible race of flesh-eaters with a limitless capacity for evil. During the Wind Age, the Myrkridia were trapped in the Tain by Connacht and thought destroyed. Nine, The Nine sorcerers of great power who opposed the Fallen Lords during the Great War. Among them were Rabican, Murgen, Maeldun, Cu Roi, and their leader Alric. Plain of Scales A vast lowland east of the Toven River and rising to the Cloudspine at Bagrada. Rabican One of the Nine. During the War of the Fallen, Rabican faced Shiver in the battle for Madrigal, casting her down in a terrifying dream duel using secrets revealed to him by The Head. Rhi'anon The ancient capital of the Trow. When Balor returned as the Leveller, it was in Rhi'anon that he raised his fortress, and led the Fallen. This was also his last battleground, where he fell to Alric in the final battle of the Great War. Rhi'ornin The lost city of the Trow. It was the first city to fall during the TrowÐOghre wars. Scamander The main river in the southwest of the continent, flowing from the Cloudspine to the ocean. Bungie Software ... 73 Seven Gates One of the three passes across the Cloudspine, named for its seven chokepoints, and overshadowed by an ancient volcano. Here, in the last year of the Great War, the Legion fought their way through the forces of The Watcher and The Deceiver and entered the Barrier. Soulblighter Balor's second in command during the Great War. Arguably the most dangerous of the Fallen Lords, his cruelty and ambition knew no bounds. Many think that he was once Damas, one of Connacht's lieutenants. Stair of Grief The northernmost passage through the Cloudspine. Summoner, The Legends tell of "a man not yet born who would resurrect the myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth." White Falls A name referring to a town, a fortress, and the White Falls themselves. Located on the Meander River southeast of Tandem, they are the highest falls west of the Ermine. Wild River Runs between Forest Heart and the Cloudspine, emptying into the Cavan Bight. Willow Creek A small town on the western edge of Forest Heart. Built on the site of a razed village, it is once again a flourishing farming community.