Races

Asyndi (Shar'Vaire and Quar'Vess Clans) - by T.A. Saunders ©1997 v3.7

Racial Articles The Curse

During one of the last battles for control of Imarel's fate, the great Asyndi Lord Hazaad faced off against three Underlords of Xos, whose names have been forgotten. Below is an account of the legend from Master Kithanis uth Braegon:

In a particularly pitched battle, the Captain of the Asyndi armies, Hazaad was pitted against three Underlords of chaos. One was a tempter of the weak-willed and worked Hazaad's resolve down during the course of the battle. He was tricked into believing that despite what he knew in his heart to be true and just…that Mother Zorah had given birth to these fiends as well with a tryst with the Archduke of Xos, Khavos and had every right to be upon this world as the Asyndi did. This was an attempt to twist the Asyndi Captain's devout faith in the Mother and Father that Imarel was to be a paradise for the Asyndi and their progeny…that they had been fighting to hide the shame of the Mother, rather than for their divine right to this world.

On and on this tempter continued to twist the truth while parrying and deflecting a furious onslaught from mighty Hazaad. The tempter was quite convincing and had darkened the truth of events around to the point Hazaad began doubting the mother Zorah and the father Kaal and the righteousness of their cause to drive these fiends back. In truth, the tempter who played on Hazaad's inner turmoil did not have to work hard; Hazaad had won almost all the victories for the Old Gods and had little praise or love from them for doing so. In his heart there was much disdain for this lack of praise and glorification, but until now buried it deep in his heart and kept faith, as was expected of the greatest of all Asyndi.

At that moment of doubt…the moment he let his conviction fall, one of the other Underlords swung his great maul and shattered Hazaad's angelic runeblade, scattering its shards across the world like a rain of crystal tears. It is said, that when the angelic runeblade shattered in his hands Hazaad wept for he realized that he had failed his charge to uphold the edicts of Zorah and Kaal; he had failed to keep faith that they would not misguide their children.

When the first Underlord struck him and cleaved away Hazaad's sword arm, he cried out, “As your blood seeps the earth below us, let those who come after you find temptation in the Below and crave its riches!”

When the second Underlord struck Hazaad and plunged his black spear into his chest, he shouted, “As your life fades into the black, unforgiving oblivion let those who come after you crave for the power taking life brings, so no true harmony shall be known!”

Finally the last Underlord lifted his great maul, and crushed Hazaad's skull with an upwards swing, finally slaying the Asyndi. As he did this deed, he laughed and said, “And the tears you weep, may they bring the sorrow of your failure to those who may follow you, so that ever they may know despair when truth is far.”

The Curse did not manifest itself immediately, for it was a curse upon the Asyndi and their Astral Wyrm companion's progeny. With each passing generation of Asyndi and Dragon, there grew greater and greater dissent, distrust and arrogance in the face of the Old Gods, until it came to pass that all Asyndi and all Dragons fell from grace, as Hazaad had in his final moments. This event is what we Asyndi today call the ‘Falling' and mark our true decent from immortality, to the mortal and flawed lives we now lead.

While many Shar'Vaire and Quar'Vess historians agree upon this legend and the resulting fall from grace, there is some question as to the curse itself was really the act of the Underlords or some act of spite by the Old Gods they had forsaken. The truth of this may never be known for certain.