Kiruu

Kiruu tells you, 'Ugh. What year is it? It's clearly been too long, if my condition has anything to say about it.' He plucks at a bandage in disgust, and then seems to notice you. 'What? Come to gawk at the dead walking again? This is all Lord Nazderon's fault -- Priest of Nyrevin I may be-- have been, but a man my age should have remained at rest! This is not the type of rebirth our order preaches. And you, young one, you're about as innocent and ignorant as a newborn calf in this, I expect. Surely if you knew anything about my master, you wouldn't be here now. Interested in hearing why?'

Kiruu tells you, 'Feast your eyes, since you still have them, upon the remains of what was once the shining city of Mellohndar, the heart of Lord Nazderon's realm. The world was different, when we lived. Dragons were the true lords; most Humans were still nomadic, hunting and gathering as they wandered across the lands... at least, that was the case when Nazderon was born. Still, Humans did interest the Dragons, and it is said that my lord was taught by a Dragon himself. It would certainly explain a few things.'

Kiruu tells you, 'Lord Nazderon had strange notions for his time when he emerged from the mountains. This was a bit before my time, mind you, but I know the stories. No Human felt strongly about living in one place and having a lair of his or her own until Nazderon demanded it for himself. He was strange at the best of times. Still, the thought of security attracted the nomadic tribes until they were within his clutches and driven by fear. I only know what the stories say -- I did not come into his loathsome service until much later...'

Kiruu tells you, 'I was a follower of Nyrevin -- the High Priest of my holy order. I came to Mellohndar with a group of fellow faithful due to the stories I'd heard about its mage-king... it was said he controlled the very forces of life and death, and had lived three Human lifespans already. Since my goddess held sway over death and rebirth, I thought it best to pay a visit to this... curiosity. Bah! He was a snake in Human skin, I tell you. He charmed us all with his promises of power should we aid in his research, for we knew so much more than he, we were the experts...' Kiruu hangs his head. 'To a man, we all agreed to stay in Mellohndar, preach our faith, and aid the king should he need it. And aid him we did. If it weren't for that wife business...'


Kiruu tells you, 'Lord Nazderon was restless, and his workings were becoming more and more depraved. Dragon-raised though he was, the king was still, at the heart, a man...' His shriveled lip curls slightly. 'I thought the pursuit of a woman would distract him and allow my people some rest and peace of mind. This it did, but had the unfortunate side effect of the king dragging me with him during his tour of the kingdom. And when he finally found his prize...'

Kiruu tells you, 'One thing you never told Lord Nazderon was "no." Yet this is what his subject of admiration did, the fool! For the king, this was a matter of pride and principle -- you did not refuse an order from your lord and ruler, your superior! He tried everything in his power to fetch the woman without harming her, but nothing succeeded... and that was when he lost his temper, called us to him, and pierced the veil to the Realm of Shadow...'

Kiruu tells you, 'I cannot describe to you what we saw through that tear, nor what came out of it to deal with our lord... it protected its coming and going with powers I cannot begin to fathom. Lord Nazderon was unafraid, however, and struck a deal with this being that gave him the power to curse the village in which the object of his desires lived. He also bound her lifeforce to his own, that he might know when she awoke. Of course, therein was the problem...'

Kiruu tells you, 'Though the king's power was great indeed, he was not immortal. He needed a way to be there for his prize when she awoke from her stony slumber. And so he turned all thoughts to his "survival" through the years.' Kiruu plucks at his bandages despondently. 'This, THIS was his solution -- being entombed, awaiting the call of the statue to wrest us from the Realm of Spirit. He didn't wait for us to die, either, oh no... we were sacrificed for the good of the cause. And now, here I am, awake and positively miserable because I allied myself with that madman. I don't suppose you've encountered his Magadi yet?'


Kiruu tells you, 'The Magadi were Lord Nazderon's honor guard, linked to his own life force in ways I did not fully understand. Now, in undeath, they're even more formidable. But I, I know the way to bring their ilk down. If you're looking to combat the mage-king, I'll be more than happy to share what I know ... but it will not be easy to defeat one as powerful as Nazderon.'