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Cross Into Shadow Storyline Interpretation

Goat takes on a new history project and is looking for your insight into the mega epic Cross Into Shadows storyline in the Landing.

http://bit.ly/2n8XuLr

Category: Towns
Topic: Wehnimer’s Landing

Date: 03/15/2017 03:02 AM CDT
From: GOAT
Subj: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
I was re-reading old teasers from Kenstrom, preserved at https://gswiki.play.net/Cross_Into_Shadows_(saved_posts). This was a series of six monthly posts by Kenstrom leading up to the kickoff of the Cross Into Shadows super-mega-epic storyline.

Now that the related in-game stories have happened, it’s easy to understand the context for a lot of them, but I couldn’t figure out everything. Anyone able to confirm / fill in the blanks? I’d like to post info to the wiki for posterity.

[Side note: Hot damn, Kenstrom… you did some serious planning, didn’t you?]

Chapter 1: Walkar is wounded within an inch of his life by a Vathor under the control of Grishom Stone. Elithain Cross arrives with an offer to save his life, and Walkar accepts. Thus begins the saga of Walkar and his cursed, but life-giving, breastplate.
Aftermath: Walkar’s armor gives him inhuman strength. His powers are instrumental in breaking Talador’s siege/assault of the Landing, but he falls under Cross’ thrall and becomes the Abomination. He is finally freed of his curse after Cross is killed, regains his senses, and dies peacefully in the company of his friends.

Chapter 2: The demons of the Southron Wastes (specifically, the WizardWaste) approach the Demonwall, and The Order of the Golvern Star does battle with them.
Aftermath: I seem to remember the Demonwall falling during an invasion, and so the Hall had to seal off the portal between nearby Barret’s Gorge and The Swale (which also had a portal to/from the Landing for a time). I don’t recall what came after that. Is Barret’s Gorge now in ruins and occupied by demons? How far did they advance, and where are they now?

[Odd side note – Althamael, a construct of the order of Luukos, is seen fighting on the demonwall, and mentions something about ancient burial sites. He then fades away from the storyline. Does this have anything to do with the release of Sanctum of Scales two years later?]

Chapter 3: A man considers the success that led to a horde of loot on his ship, with a healthy dose of hubris. A heavy storm panics his crew. His traveling companion kills him.

I’m sure what to make of this one. The eyes sparkling like feystone, and scarlet triskelion, very strongly suggest that the murderer was Aralyte. Before I researched that, I thought maybe this depicted the murder of the real Lord Winter, but now i really don’t know.

The man considered Korthyr and Daephron. I think Korthyr is the founder of house Faendryl? Daephron is apparently a dark elf, but that’s all I can find (http://jypsie.tripod.com/Information/cultures.html). There’s also a mention of Rhoska’Tor. So it seems the man is Faendryl. Could this the sorcerer who had contacted Althedeus through Planar research (and Aralyte’s lover)? Why did she kill him? Had he fallen under Althedeus’ sway?

Aftermath:
Aralyte had studied Althedeus for centuries. She was instrumental in planning how to defeat him. She ventured into the Shadow Realm with dozens of adventurers, and performed the ceremony that unraveled Althredeus, ending the threat to the entire plane.

In case this has anything to do with Lord Eldurn Winter: Cross eventually assumed the identity of Eldurn Winter, and occupied his Manor in Brisker’s Cove. Adventurers found Grishom Stone in the basement of the manor, under constant torture. They freed him in hopes of enlisting his aid to defeat Cross. Grishom did help, to some extent, then escaped to the Sea of Fire, where he apparently united with the Star of Khar’ta, and has been gathering power for a couple of years now.

Chapter 4: A group of Tehir raiders ambush an imperial caravan, slaughter its guards, and take the caravan’s women and children as slaves. That night, a woman dies giving birth to the shapeshifter Deylan. The leader of the Tehir raiders is very alarmed, yelling that the boy has “blood skin” (Tehir to English is almost always a loose translation.) A woman kills the leader to ensure the baby’s safety, and runs off into the desert with the child.
Aftermath: Deylan came to the employ of Wehnimer’s Landing. “He spent months impersonating Lord Kuligar Gardane in Talador in hopes of using his soon to be Baron powers to help Mayor Walkar fight a war against Elithain Cross. In the end, the urnon golem, Madelyne Cross, assassinated the Baron during the coronation and the corpse shapeshifted to reveal that it was Deylan.” (from https://gswiki.play.net/Cross_Into_Shadows_(saved_posts)#Deylan) This lead to the war between Talador and Wehnimer’s Landing.

Chapter 5: Stephos and Alendrial DeArchon are chased from from their home in Idolone, by mob incensed by their mixed-race marriage (Alendrial is a half-elf). The mob burns their home as they escape to sea. Stephos is consumed by anger.
Aftermath: Stephos took to a life of crime. He supplied the Krolvin with weapons, which they used to attack the Landing. He and Alendrial became associated with the Brotherhood of the Rooks. The Rooks arranged for his escape while he awaited trial for supplying the Krolvin. His whereabouts are unknown. Alendrial came to lead a faction of the Rooks, and later organized an underground escape path for half-elves when Prelate Chaston Griffin whipped Talador into an human-supremacist frenzy. She also worked on a cure for the blight that was affecting half-elves.

Chapter 6:
Thrayzar, a (previously human) orc, tracks Mirayam, the urnon golem. He descends a rock face during a heavy storm. He slips and injures himself. He finds Mirayim in a cave, amongst the bodies of priestesses of Koar. Just as Mirayim steps back and disappears, imperial soliders arrive, to scene that looks like Thrayzar slaughtered the preistesses. Thrayzar prepares for battle.
Aftermath: Thrayzar had been hunting Mirayim on Stone’s behalf, but eventually Thrayzar turned on Stone. He protected Mirayim until she sacrificed herself to save Wehnimer’s Landing (I’m fuzzy on details – that’s all third-hand for me). He later defended the Landing against Drangell and his troll army, and became a steadfast ally of the Landing. He served as interim Mayor when Walkar transformed into the Abomination. He now serves as the Landing’s Marshal/Steward of the Militia.


Date: 03/15/2017 03:17 AM CDT
From: GOAT
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
> In case this has anything to do with Lord Eldurn Winter: Cross eventually assumed the identity of Eldurn Winter, and occupied his Manor in Brisker’s Cove. Adventurers found Grishom Stone in the basement of the manor, under constant torture. They freed him in hopes of enlisting his aid to defeat Cross. Grishom did help, to some extent, then escaped to the Sea of Fire, where he apparently united with the Star of Khar’ta, and has been gathering power for a couple of years now.

I should have updated this before posting – it seems quite clear it has nothing to do with Lord Winter, but I think everything else there is accurate.


Date: 03/15/2017 04:48 AM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
<<The man considered Korthyr and Daephron. I think Korthyr is the founder of house Faendryl? Daephron is apparently a dark elf, but that’s all I can find (http://jypsie.tripod.com/Information/cultures.html). There’s also a mention of Rhoska’Tor. So it seems the man is Faendryl. Could this the sorcerer who had contacted Althedeus through Planar research (and Aralyte’s lover)? Why did she kill him? Had he fallen under Althedeus’ sway?>>

Daephron Illian is the Faendryl who was trying to summon the Ur-Daemon after the Undead War, but accidentally unleashed the Vvrael on the world and tried to seal the rift by binding his life force in a box. This was passed down over the years and ended up as a puzzle box gift in Ta’Ashrim for the wedding of Chesylcha. In the temporal distortion visions under Melgorehn’s Reach there was a ship leaving the Ashrim isles, which I assume refers to the box making its way with refugees to Ruin Creek.

A few thousand years later Malaphor (a still living Ashrim royal mage) and his apprentice get themselves killed opening the box, releasing the Vvrael’s “black knight” which was basically something called a dark reaver (referring to an older storyline where the same thing happened in Danjirland). The knight gets defeated in the Elven Village, and Daephron Illian rapidly ages from a baby to an old man, explaining how we’re all doomed. Korthyr Faendryl was the founder of Old Ta’Faendryl.

I was not around for most of Kenstrom’s storylines so my understanding of their details is relatively mediocre. The dark elven woman has to be Aralyte because of the gossamer cloak fastened with the scarlet triskelion, where triskele / triskelion is the symbol of the Palestra. They get a triskele of scarlet despanal when they graduate from one of the academies. My impression was always that this guy was a sorcerer she was assigned to as a Palestra, and she was using him for his dangerous research into Althedeus for which she kills him since that is her job. The comparison with Daephron I’m guessing is using this great demonic power for Faendryl supremacy.

– Xorus’ player


Date: 03/15/2017 08:19 AM CDT
From: DMWCINCY
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
Goat i am sure i can help answer some of your questions. At work right now so cant sit and go through it all now but maybe zometime in the next week or so we can go over them all. I can think of one or two others that we can all sit and hash it out.


Date: 03/15/2017 05:04 PM CDT
From: JADZIABLUE
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
>[Odd side note – Althamael, a construct of the order of Luukos, is seen fighting on the demonwall, and mentions something about ancient burial sites. He then fades away from the storyline. Does this have anything to do with the release of Sanctum of Scales two years later?]

I really don’t remember if this tied into the Sanctum or not. But, I can tell you that Athamael was a Solhaven NPC from Ride of the Red Dreamer.

Signed,
Raelee and her Strings

>Speaking to Zyllah, Alyias says, “See? Raelee knows all.”


Date: 03/15/2017 06:26 PM CDT
From: HATESHI
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
>>[Odd side note – Althamael, a construct of the order of Luukos, is seen fighting on the demonwall, and mentions something about ancient burial sites. He then fades away from the storyline. Does this have anything to do with the release of Sanctum of Scales two years later?]

Adding onto what Raelee’s player said, I don’t recall seeing Athamael (one L) involved with anything tied to Sanctum of Scales’ release. Athamael was constructed in Solhaven, whereas Tseleth (also an NPC associated with the Ride of the Red Dreamer quest) originally was from the Sea of Fire and quite familiar with Bir Mahalla itself. Tseleth played a major role in the Sanctum’s release.

– Overlord EK

>You now regard Eorgina with a warm demeanor.


Date: 03/15/2017 06:46 PM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
I was only there for the first night and not the actual release event with the soulstone ritual. But the gist was the Arch-Lich Tseleth was betrayed by a human follower bringing an Ur-Daemon artifact, the Eye of Goseth, into the Sanctum of Scales and corrupting it. The idea was to bury it forever in Bir Mahallah. Tseleth only mentioned Athamael once as a joke at Bristenn’s expense, because Athamael resembles him, constructed from demonic parts and pieces of his and others souls.

Speaking caustically to Tseleth, Bristenn asks, “Once this ‘way’ is opened, you intend to tuck talon and scuttle off over the horizon, like when you battled Indhis?”
Speaking to Bristenn, Tseleth says, “I am the Chosen of the Master. I will do as he commands, as always I have.”
Tseleth places a hand on Bristenn’s skull in an almost paternal gesture.
Speaking to Bristenn, Tseleth says, “You were always one of my favorite experim–oh. Not Athamael.”
Bristenn deadpans, “Verily.”
Tseleth lets out a rumble of almost-mirth, the flames in his belly flickering wildly.

Tseleth was asking Alisaire why the Order of Luukos was not responding to his calls. He’d obviously been out of contact with them. I’m not sure what the “ancient burial sites” reference is in the Cross into Shadows recap posts. And now I remember further down in it Aralyte’s sorcerer lover is the one that raised the Blood Island.

– Xorus’ player

(P.S. If anyone has logs of that release event and/or can tell me what happened with the Eye of Goseth I wants my preciouuusss…)


>You see Lord Xorus Kul’shin the Atlas Obscura of Elanthia.
>He appears to be an Insufferable Know-It-All.


Date: 03/15/2017 09:12 PM CDT
From: SCRAPPERK
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
I have some insight into this as well, most of it is pretty well documented in my files. Look me up if you see me around.

~Greg

– Guards haul off the stupid corpse. –


Date: 03/19/2017 07:05 AM CDT
From: FLAYED-ANGEL
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
I’m digging this a lot, Goat… great stuff to ponder, and I also appreciate the info on Athamael and the Palestra, Xorus, thanks for that!

I had begun compiling a lot of this stuff here, if it helps: [ https://sites.google.com/site/theorderoftheshadow/chronicles ]
However, as you might imagine, it’s a ton of work and extremely time-consuming… but one day I’ll get back to it, hopefully.

You can also find a lot of it on the Wiki, of course, under various tags: [ https://gswiki.play.net/Category:2016_Storylines ]
One would, of course, have to dig further for prior stuff, IIRC.

I’m also hoping to host an MHO-based retrospective event of past local story elements and such, in the very near future — as a chance for people to get together and have these sorts of fascinating convos — but more on that soon!


— Wheels & Skulls Department

[ https://sites.google.com/site/theorderoftheshadow ]


Date: 03/19/2017 10:25 AM CDT
From: DMWCINCY
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
Before really being mayor and that taking up time pup would do a historical talk or three. Been planning one on stone. More then welcome tp do a joint venture. Last time i did an overall story on the kenstrom sagas it took 2 nights. Now i would probably need 4 nights at a good 2 hrs per which is why of late i cut it down to subjects. Wiki iz a good source but it highlights and misses a lot of history.

Let me know crux if you want to do something. Moonshine will gladly help host


Date: 03/19/2017 06:15 PM CDT
From: FLAYED-ANGEL
Subj: Re: History Project: Context for the six Cross Into Shadows spoilers
>>Let me know crux if you want to do something. Moonshine will gladly help host.

Absolutely, that would be awesome!

And yeah, I think we’d need hours to even approach explaining the last couple of years of storylines, hah.


— Wheels & Skulls Department

[ https://sites.google.com/site/theorderoftheshadow ]

 

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