Dazrada Soros the Psycian, one of the great High Priests of Taath in recorded history, laid claim to the city of Spur near the end of the Age of Revelation. Marked by all scholars as the year 0. During this period, numerous earthquakes and
and cataclysms rocked the land as the great War of the Temples raged across the world. Much of the area was entirely unaware of the situation, caring little to become involved in a massive religious war, instead choosing to simply survive the Hithuals deep below ground hold only records of massive
movements in the earth and are entirely unaware of the events
that focused just south of there home in the Great Divide.
The Usilians in the White Forest believed the entire event to
be some sort of astronomical sign of a coming apocalypse, and
so for a period of nearly fifty years no scholars left the
forests, instead choosing to remain in their homelands and
chronicle the end of the world. (On a note, this is one of
the few times ever the Usilian libraries do not hold detailed
chronicles of the goings on in Aradath) even Go-blin-al
legends, though only kept verbally, suggest "the great
gobbie" had come to take control of the world for the
mighty greenskin races.
The largest of the cataclysms was recorded
and known by all as the Great Conflagration, details of what
occurred during this period are long lost or were destroyed
during the event. The only thing that is known for sure is
that the heads of each of the temples had gathered in Spur to
discuss a matter of extreme important, a massive roar shook
the air followed by an incredible explosion focused around
the priest hood. Fires coursed through the city and ash
filled the air for nearly an entire day before everything
finally settled. When the followers of the new gods were
finally able to get to their temples, they found the entire
priesthood guild to be perfectly intact, but the door where
the High Priests and Priestess' had been meeting was welded
shut. When they were finally able to break down the door and
get inside, the room was empty with no sign of the temple
leaders anywhere, they were assumed dead and forgotten, but
the assumptions would prove wrong.
Nearly one hundred years later, Aremaia
Starling, High Priestess of Rinanni would return to Spur,
those old enough to have known her in life said she had not
aged at all. Any accounts or records kept of what Aremaia may
have said happened to her have never been found, though there
has been much speculation. The arrival of Aremaia infuriated
the master of the assassin's guild, Esteban Lovecraft-Dubois
the Muatana-al who was a devoted follower of Taath. Esteban
was old enough to have lived through Dazrada's reign over the
area of Spur and the temple of Taath, and was furious that
Aremaia would be allowed to return before Dazrada. Esteban
would devote every moment of his time, and all of his guild
resources into finding a way to bring back the High Priest
from where he had been sent.
Records show that living within Spur at the
time was a Dhuvghal known as Hex who took the form of a San
Elf. (Dhuvghal are also sometimes referred to as recursives)
The Dhuvghal serve a strange master known as the Dhuweireor
and work towards mysterious purposes. The only thing known
about them for sure is that they are purely and completely
evil. Each time a Dhuvghal is killed, the soul is reborn in a
new body, though the process can take as long as decades or
centuries. The exact reason that Hex was in Spur will never
be known, but one of his goals was to kill an Usilian known
as Strangeangel Sondemiroir who had collected a vast array of
rare artifacts that Hex wanted for some unknown evil. To
destroy Strangeangel, Hex hired the Muatana-al Witold and
gave to him one of the most dreaded weapons known on Aradath,
A Fang of Rhangkhorre, a ruby shaped dagger that causes
permanent death to those who feel its icy touch.
Witold found Strangeangel praying at the
altar of Rinanni and struck him with the Fang in his heart,
Hex captured Strangeangel's soul in an obsidian mirror and
disappeared. As Witold tried to flee, he was captured by a
group of Leuian's lead by the Lord Kyle Ferdain, who kept the
fang in safekeeping from Hex. Esteban, learning of what
happened from a group of young Muatana-al, struck a deal with
them to murder Hex if they could bring him the Fang from Lord
Ferdain. The Muatana-al agreed, and Lord Ferdain, wishing to
see the destruction of Hex, gave the Fang to the Muatana-al.
Esteban lived up to his end of the bargain and within a week
destroyed Hex and mounted his head on the wall in the temple.
Hex has of course since this time returned to the world, but
to no ones records has he returned to Spur.
After destroying Hex, Esteban set out to
again to raise Dazrada from the dead, and within a matter of
weeks, before the head of Hex, Esteban succeeded in bringing
him back to the mortal plane. Dazrada returned to take his
place at the head of the temple, but this would not last for
long. After the theft of a number of glowing morbius stones
from underneath the temple, Soros withdrew; he stopped
presiding over temple services and meetings, and refused to
see even his most loyal acolytes. Near the same time, black
robed men began to appear in the city, mainly around the
temple; it is with these men only that Soros would speak.
Soon after there arrival, Soros was sighted leaving the
temple with a guard of the black robed men, though before he
had always claimed to be bound to the temple and unable to
leave. Soon after, reports began to fill the city that the
Dazrada Soros who walked the city of Spur was an imposter,
one report from a Flerian named Sampo Grotte suggested that
the real Dazarada's corpse lay within the Temple of Taath.
Soon after the disappearance of Soros, a Human merchant by
the name of Basalak arrived in Spur claiming to be carrying
with him a unique artifact, The White Dove of Rinanni, which
he claimed was capable of protecting the one who owned it
from the influence of the Gods. Basalak agreed to sell the
Dove of Rinanni to the highest bidder, or to the Temple of
Rinanni could they afford it.
Of course, there was a great amount of
distrust and rage among the Spurians towards the merchant,
and most would not pay a silver piece to the shifty Human.
But one among Town Square that night was a Drag-al Bardess of
Rinanni named Roxy Glytterchaser, who was loved by all in the
city. She was heavy with child and was saving every silver so
that she could perform the rights of childbirth. She decided
that instead the return of her Goddess' most holy artifact
would be a much greater use for her money. While the other
citizens argued amongst one another, Roxy left to the bank
and returned to pay the fee for the Dove. Only then did
Basalak confess he did not hold the Dove with him, but
instead promised to return with it. The people were outraged
by Basalak's deceit and chased him from the city, how he ever
survived the mob is a miracle.
Several days later, Basalak did indeed return
to Spur to the surprise of all; he claimed he had gone to
bring the dove from its hiding place, but had been waylaid by
black-robed men and that they had stolen it. The White Dove
was in the hands of Soros' minions, and Basalak claimed he
would need at least six weeks to steal it back. The Spurians
were left with little choice to but once again trust Basalak,
as they did not know where Soros and his minions were hidden.
One day, nearly six weeks later, a massive
explosion rocked the earth from the far Southlands and ash
rained down upon the city of Spur. Shortly after the
explosion, Basalak was found just outside the city burned and
bleeding, eager to hear his tale the Spurians healed the
Human and took him to the center of the city. Basalak claimed
that he had tracked the dove to a temple far in the
Southlands, but Soros had been expecting him and exploded the
temple while he was inside, killing numerous others there for
prayer. Had the White Dove been in the temple, Basalak was
not able to find it. He feared that Soros himself had control
of the Dove and was using it to guard himself from the wrath
of the Gods. Basalak vowed to continue his search and bring
the Dove safely back to Roxy no matter what the cost.
The cost however, would prove too great for
Basalak; one day a loud scream sounded out just north of Town
Square, upon arriving they found Basalak's body crumbled and
smashed upon Guild Road. Madrigale tried to call out to
Rinanni to save him, but whether she could not listen, or the
influence of the White Dove was too powerful for her to
overcome, the corpse turned to dust and blew away into the
cool evening winds. The group returned to Town Square to find
it filling with black-robed men who set upon them immediately.
From that day forward began the siege of Soros the Conqueror,
Lord of Deception, bearer of the White Dove of Rinanni, who
sought to set himself above the Gods.
Soros would return to Spur, disguised in the
form of a simple sheepherder leading sheep through the city.
Quickly though, the sheep changed form into the horrible
shapes of the fiends of the underworld, Soros' minions, the
dark-robed men and other darker and even more frightening
terrors. Soros himself changed form from the simple herder to
a mighty devil of the underworld, those who knew the true
Dazrada in life said this new Soros was most assuredly not
the original. The Spurians managed to beat back the attack,
and many others would follow, each with illusions and other
images sent out to confuse the city of Spur before the
attacks were made, to demoralize the citizens and confuse the
heroes. From the first attack forward, Soros would be known
in the city of Spur as Soros, The Lord of Deception.
Now, during this time of trouble, a blind
human Bardess named Kyria Starsong came to the city. She was
so beautiful, so gentle of nature, that she charmed all with
which she came into contact. Most especially a young Drag-al
mage named Poindexter Phyllpott. He took one look at Kyria
and was immediately smitten, tongue-tied. One evening, Soros
came to Town Square to taunt the citizens and try and force
them to surrender, telling all that if they did not surrender
he would turn them into sheep. A Secian named Pib, picking up
on Soros' fondness for sheep, decided to taunt him and asked
if aspired to become the God of animal husbandry. Soros
responded, "I enjoy your sense of humor, and I
understand you are soon to be married small one, let me
provide you with a wedding gift". Soros dropped to the
ground a sapphire choker, and Poindexter immediately grasped
it up, looking heart broken and stricken; for the choker was
identical to the one that his beloved Kyria wore. Soros then
left Town Square, leaving the loud-mouthed Spurians with a
swarm of mosquitoes to deal with. Poindexter was
inconsolable, many tried to comfort him, but to no avail. A
day later, Poindexter returned to the city, his clothing torn
and his glasses smashed, claiming that Kyria was being held
in the Anything Goes Club. A group set off with him and upon
arrival to the club, were immediately set upon by the guards.
Though he knew nothing of swordsmanship, Poindexter picked up
a weapon and fueled by his rage and love for his beloved,
slew the guards. Upstairs he found Kyria, shaken but
apparently unharmed, and brought her away from that place and
back to her rooms. There was only one thing, Soros had
replaced Kyria's sapphire choker with one of black acid, and
told her that it would kill her if she tried to remove it.
After about a day, the choker began to cause
Kyria serious pain, and two Dragons, Rand and Rime devised a
plot to try and save her. After keeping her in a magickal
sleep and trying to remove it to no avail, the choker began
to strangle her; they were left with no other option. One of
the Dragons proceeded to kill Kyria while the other placed a
spell upon her to return her from life after death. In doing
so, they were able to remove the choker from her body,
unfortunately, her body could not recover, and no matter what
they tried, she remained in death. And, to add insult to
injury, the Dragon Rime, while holding the choker, was
utterly destroyed as it exploded in his hands. Kyria's body
was brought to the temple of Rinanni, where she lay in state.
Heartbroken, in deep mourning, Poindexter went to the temple
to see the woman who had captured his heart. He took her
sapphire choker from his pocket and placed it about her neck,
and gently kissed her. And Kyria took a breath, proving to
all that Rinanni's love could overcome even death. Soon
after, the two would be married; and Soros was foiled again,
he did not take his defeat well.
It was after Soros was foiled by the love of
Poindexter and Kyria that his vengeance upon Spur took a new
form. Horrible creatures spawned from the underworld and sent
forth by Soros known as Scravixx's attacked the city, though
they would soon be thought of as tame in comparison to the
Malgaraxx and rare Ultraxx that would follow. The Malgaraxx
especially were a shock for the Spurians, for they would
split into two when killed. Soros' creatures threw Spur into
a state of fear and despair; some counseled that the city
should just surrender to Soros and spare an unnecessarily
brutal death. Others suggested to pretend to give in to
Soros, so that they might plot his downfall from within.
As the period of chaos continued, a bronze
Dragon by the name of Rhuagh came across a mysterious golden
key. The search for the door the key would open began in
earnest, until a Spurian Muatana-al who had allied himself
with Soros named Sahhsh, in an attempt to get ahold of the
key for himself, told the Spurians the key led to a secret
keep where Soros was keeping the Dove. He attempted to waylay
the Spurians outside the keep, but was tricked by Rhuagh and
handed the wrong key. Aremaia then led the party to the door,
and opened it with the key; what they found within was four
rooms, each a different elemental plane. Within each plane,
guarded by the spirits of the area was one hidden stone.
Eventually all four stones were found and the adventurers met
in the center room where there sat four depressions, each the
color of one of the stones. When the party placed the stones
in place, a door opened within the wall, leading into a
massive maze. Within the maze, the adventurers found a sword,
a shield and a glowing chest. From there they left the maze
and returned to the center of the city to face Soros. The
battle quickly turned in Soros' favor left with no other
option, the hero's opened the glowing chest and found their
greatest surprise of all, the keep they had gone to was not
Soros', but instead the plane of Sa in the heavens. A massive
golden Dragon unleashed itself from the chest, the creation
of Sa during the War of the Gods to counteract the powers of
the Dove. The field around Soros was destroyed and the Gods
removed his powers long enough for the hero's to destroy him,
Orin Dravin wielded the golden sword and with it struck the
final blow that destroyed Soros and sent him back to the
underworld. The party returned the White Dove to Rinanni and
the glowing chest with the Dragon to Sa. As a reward for
their help, Rinanni and Sa provided the city with a white
marble statue of Soros to commemorate his defeat where it was
erected in the merchant circle so all could see.
It would unfortunately not be the last of the
Lord of Deception. A rival ice demon by the name of Loa'Kass
(outlined in other histories, Loa'Kass is most famous for his
love of Laurana and the color purple) would rip a tear in the
fabric between the underworld and that of Spur. This caused
numerous voids to appear near the terror where Soros sent his
minions, the manes, through to attack the city. People began
to see things that were not real, and friends began to turn
against friends within the city. While no one knew where the
Lord of Deception was, it was quite obvious Soros was out to
cause as much chaos and damage as possible to the city
without physically entering. Soros focused his games upon
Selder and Baal and began a contest between them(on a side
note, this is where the phrase, "It's Selder's fault"
is coined) to further tear apart the city. To continue his
fun, the Lord of Deception began to summon dark terrors upon
the city, frightening the common citizens into the
countryside. Near this time, seven adventurers each began
having mysterious visions, each vision focused upon a
syllable the person was required to remember. With
painstaking work, eventually the syllables were pieced
together. Soon after, the statue of Soros was shattered, and
visions of his return stalked the city, at one point even the
statue came to life to attack those in the Town Square. Near
this time, Laurana and the ice devil Loa'Kass were rescued
from the underworld. The truth came out about each of the
syllables, Loa'Kass told the Spurians that he had a bet with
Soros that he could marry Laurana. When it looked like he
might win the bet, the Lord of Deception cheated and sent
Laurana and Loa'Kass into the underworld to free himself. To
get revenge, Loa'Kass explained the syllables were the Lord
of Deceptions real name, and if spoken aloud, it would banish
him to the underworld forever. Loa'Kass and Laurana faced off
against the Lord of Deception(he would stopped being referred
to as Soros years before as everyone realized he most
certainly was not the original Dazrada Soros of Taath) and
before he could destroy them Laurana called out his true
name, sending him back to the underworld. Salvius would later
arrive to Spur and explain that a devil can only truly be
banished if their name is spoken in the center of the
underworld, else they can return freely.
Since then, the Lord of Deception has sent
numerous raids of Scravixx's against the city, but his power
has never been strong enough to summon his stronger creatures
or even hold up his more powerful illusions. Most believe the
Gods stop him at every turn to get revenge upon the devil for
his attempts to overcome them all. If he will ever regain his
strength enough to truly threaten Spur again none can say,
but one can be assured he holds a grudge against the city and
its inhabitants.
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