*Rapha furiously works to transcribe information into the Athenaeum tomes as the information brought to her from Norrath piles up around her*

Tomes Transcribed and Ready for Viewing

a yellowed message
Wisdom of the Flock
The Twin Dragons
Notes on the Survival Accord, by Mug
Handbook of the Dark Bargainers
A Mysterious Black Tome
Order Book: Blackshield Destroyer Saltspew
The Lore and Fauna: The Behemoth
Shepherd of the Celestial Watch (Updated)
A Gnollish Book
Del Varun's Notes
Order Book: Blackshield Landing Party
a goblin's notebook - History of the Condemened Catacomb
Seeress Ealaynya Ithis's Prophecies - Book Three
The Least of Brell's Creatures
a Multiplicitome

Our archivists have uncovered a rare Norrathian artifact. The Ethernauts were a group of adventurers who lived during The Lost Age of Norrath. Little to nothing about them survived the Ages. Following is an excerpt from a journal recently discovered by us and brought to those students of Norrathian lore. We hope you enjoy learning more about the Ethernauts.


From the journal of Nathaniel Andrius, a Norrathian explorer during the Lost Age.

My exploring has taken me across many lands and allowed me to see many sites known to few mortals. Nothing has ever or will ever compare to the vision my eyes beheld one late night.

The night sky was clear but the darkness of the land was overwhelming at times. The moon and stars shown brightly but the shadows cast were eerie, and a chill ran through my spine as I passed the darkest ones. Feeling anxious to find a good spot to camp for the night, I quickened my pace. Soon after, I caught a glimpse of a campfire ahead and adjusted my course accordingly. As I approached, I became more and more perplexed at the beings I saw around the fire. I tried to approach quietly but knew my presence had been revealed when I felt the cold blade of an axe at my back and heard a gruff voice command me to halt. I stopped immediately and allowed my captor to escort me into the light of the campfire where eight sets of eyes instantly turned to view me.

As I stared back at each of them, I realized just how diverse and unlikely this group really was. A man tall like a Barbarian but with less of a wild look in his eyes stood. He ordered my captor (whom he called Kaltuk) to release me and offered me a seat within the warmth of the fire. Kaltuk, a dwarf, hesitated for just a moment before releasing me and giving a quick bow. He turned and quietly slipped back to his scouting position on the perimeter of the camp. Some of the group engaged me in conversation asking me questions about myself while others looked at me suspiciously not knowing if I was to be trusted but were soon deep in the discussions as well.

Thus began my first encounter with a group of ten adventurers who became known as the Ethernauts. Although only a rathed man would have ever considered bringing this group together, somehow here they were, individuals working as one against one of the greatest evils to ever come upon Norrath. That night, around the glowing firelight, the discussion covered a wide range of topics. At times it was light hearted and fun while other times it was emotional and frightening. We talked about hopes and dreams, childhoods, fears, and everything in-between. I was one of the lucky ones who got to know a bit about the actual hearts and souls of the Ethernauts. I pen these words of our talk that night in hopes that future generations will one day know the hearts of the ten individuals whose acts wrote one of the most important chapters in Norrath’s History, individuals who were not particularly special in and of themselves but who put aside their differences to change the world.

(What follows is what is left of Nathaniel's conversation with the Ethernauts. The tale was passed from generation to generation of the Andrius family who held fast to the validity of the Ethernauts and their deeds even when other writings of them became all but extinct and their memories lost by all but a small few on Norrath.)

Though the talks were long and many more answers and tales told, I was not able to pen them all. What follows are just some of the topics we discussed and the answers given by several of the companions from that night. I wish I had had time to write every word spoken, but may these words remind of of who the Ethernauts were...normal adventurers led on an extraordinary adventure.



Greatest Fear -
Illisia :
That we will fail, and that Norrath will be swallowed by the Void. If you were in our position, would you have time to be afraid of anything else?

Bayle :
My greatest fear, hmm... I never want what happened to Oceangreen to happen again. I don't want anyone to die because I've done something foolish. I was selfish. I wanted them to see what I had done, and I didn't stop to think about it. I was warned, and even that didn't stop me. I'm afraid of that part of me, and that it will rule over me in another key moment and more people I care about will die.

Professor :
Squirrels. Yes, I find those skittering little things to be completely terrifying, always have, ever since I was a boy. In fact, I never lay out a tool when I'm working on something just to make sure those little tricksters don't make off with it. You won't catch old Professor A.M. picnicking in a woody glade, no, it's far too tempting for them.

Hopes and Dreams -

Kaltuk :
Hmph! This is probably a better question for the young and dopey eyed! But if I really need to answer, I guess I can't say I'm not looking forward one day to being able to settle back down, maybe partner up with Nurgg to pool our coins and start a smithy. I've done a bit of that in my time, but Nurgg's a true master. This adventuring is for the younger and more pliable types. I'm only here to make sure they don't do anything foolish, and that the world doesn't get eaten up by the Void too, I suppose. You know, there's always that. Hah! But truthfully, some pick this life because it's what they want, and some just take it because it's what was given. I'll let you guess which one I am.

Nurgg :
Ogres don't use those words. Most would not understand what you ask. If you ask us, what do we want... well, if we are hungry, we say food. If we are thirsty, we say water. If we want to bear children, we say a mate. You understand? Ogres dream of only one thing, to fight. But I never dreamed of fighting, so I never dreamed. I fought, and I fought good, but I didn't "hope" for it.

Since they were taken from me, I have dreamed of my mate. And my young ones. But they will never be in this world again. They were taken from me, and I can only wait to be with them.

Twiddy :
Well, fine fellow, the answer lies before you! All I've ever dreamed about is building a flying boat, and there you see her, my Cloudskipper. Isn't she a 'beaut? They said it couldn't be done, but I knew it was my destiny. When my first ship, the Mudskipper, went down, I almost lost the dream, but an odd little friend picked me back up again and reminded me how important it was that I not give up.

Favorite Childhood Memory -

Kruzz :
Found a dead thing one time. A dead baby gator. Dug out hole in ground and put water in hole and put dead baby gator in it. Then put in leaves and grass in hole. Thought it looked mighty good to eat. Ate it all up. Tasted so good, so sweet. Knew I wanted to be cook then. Made many other things into stew as kid, all tasty, not as tasty as dead baby gator. No one appreciate good dead baby gator anymore.

Professor :
My pap was a traveling tinker. One B.W. Fiddlewiz. It was only pap and I for as long as this gnome can remember, so when I was just a little cog, I rode on top of my pap's giant tinkering bag. It's not just one memory, so maybe that's not what you're after, but there's been nothing in my life that puts more of a smile on my face than remembering riding along atop pap's tinkering bag, smile on my face and apple in my hand, heading down the dusty rode to the next town.

Bayle :
In our clan, we had a tradition of hunting for the hilts to match our blades. The first of these hunts was particularly important. We are young, then, so it's really our fathers who do the killing, but sometimes one or the other of us get lucky and we manage to be the one to deal the blow. For me, it ended up being the antler of a very fine stag. My father and I hunted the stag, pursuing it for miles. I wanted to ask to turn back, but I didn't. I wanted to make him proud. We ended up being gone for two days, tracking it all over the hills. And about midday of the second day, we found him, stopping to drink. My father gestured for me to throw my spear, and I did, and it struck true. It was all luck, but I did it. My father was so proud.

Person Most Loved in Life -

Illisia :
It took me a long time to learn about love. I suppose I did love my parents, but they were hard, and cold, and affection wasn't something we gave away for nothing in our family. Love was never something I thought about, or dreamed about. I was a hunter, and that's what I did, that was my life's purpose. When I was sent to find Erasmus and Unna, I was scornful of them. Their choice seemed foolish and dishonorable. But then, something changed. Erollisi touched me as I touched her relic, and showed me what it was they were feeling, and how the world had been pushed forward by people feeling those things for so long.

I am still learning about it, but I am being taught, and I have a very good teacher.

Eylee :
Well, I suppose I've loved a lot of people. My family was large, and my community tight knit, and I'd even say I love all of these guys after all we've been through together. If I had to pick one person who had touched me the most, though, I would say that my grandmother was always very dear to me. She was the one who taught me about art, music, poetry, and she always told the best stories. It was sitting on her knee with the firelight dancing on her face and the gentle rhythms of the leaves in the trees somehow adding cadence to her voice that really made me begin to believe in the power of stories. Most of our community was dedicated to nature and to caring for the forest, but I was never good at it... my head was always off in one of my grandmother's stories, and then eventually, my own. And well, that's what I've dedicated my life to doing. It's what I left for. It's how I got caught up in this very strange -- sometimes terrible and sometimes wonderful -- journey.

Asharae :
Hmm, I think you have me mistaken for one of the saps on the other side of the fire with this question.

Most Embarrassing Moment -

Nurgg :
Hummph. Kaltuk likes to play tricks. He thinks he is very clever. I say I will not fall for them, but I do. One time, he said there was something to see in the bush. I went in, but there was nothing to see. There was just a patch of deep mud. I sunk to my waist and had to pull myself out. He was pummeled good for it, but I was the one covered in mud.

Professor :
Well then, there was this time when I was fixing the boiler up top and oh my did I get distracted by a thought about how I might make the injector work more efficiently and don't you know it I managed to trip and get covered head to toe in soot. I came tumbling out on deck and everyone was standing around discussing something very serious, so they all looked terrified by the sight of me. Once they realized it was just old Professor A.M., they had a good laugh, but I was right colorful after that one.

Roadyle :
Embarrassment is for those who fail at what they set out to accomplish. I don't fail.

Deepest Regret -

Kaltuk :
I'm too old for regret. If I stopped now to start regretting, I'd probably never move again. Just be caught up thinking of every mistake I've made... every wrong turn I've taken. No, maybe when this is all over, and I have the luxury of sitting around under a blanket drinking ale and telling stories, I'll stop and regret. But there's no time for it. Not with the world at stake.

Kruzz :
Shouldn't be such a coward. Shouldn't let fears be so strong. Nasty, nasty awful fears! Out of me! Away! Shouldn't have gone to hide. Should have fought. Should have not let them kill trolls around me. Will not do that again. Not ever. Will make sure pretty elf girl and the rest of her friends never die! Not while Kruzz lives! Nyah!

Eylee :
I wish I'd explained why I left to my family, or even just told them. They would have stopped me, and they would have had every right to considering I can only barely call myself an adult now and couldn't then at all, so it probably was better that I didn't. But I regret not saying good-bye, and I wish they could know that it didn't have anything to do with them. I left because I knew there was a story somewhere that I had to tell, that I had to be a part of; and though I didn't realize at the time that my "intuitions" tend to be much more than that, the feeling was enough to drive me, and I had to listen to it.

I don't think I'm ever going to see them again, and it hurts me so much to think that they mourn for me.

Inspiration In Life -

Illisia :
I don't know, really. Now that you ask, and I think about it, I guess I've always done what was needed of me, what was asked of me. Maybe you could say it's a desire to serve, to be exactly what is needed, and to be the best in doing so. I can't think of what I would do with myself if no one told me what was coming next. You find that odd, don't you?

Maybe I should find out some day, what would happen if I considered no will but my own... We'll see.

Professor :
I live by my pap's example. It was always just the two of us, and I took from him everything I know about the way to live my life. B.W. was well respected in all he did, called on in whatever town he went on, and he knew more about, well, everything than any person I've ever met.

Twiddy :
Invention. Knowing that one spark in the brain can grow and expand and turn into something real and become a thing that changes the world. I know that more often than not, those sparks turn into nothing more than that -- ideas of a near fantastical nature -- but every now and then, one of those thoughts is just crazy enough to work, and when that happens, oh my, when that happens! Why, when that happens, there's nothing better. Nothing. I'd stake my mother's homemade pie on it.

Greatest Accomplishment -

Kaltuk :
Why, the founding of the Church of Ale! They don't sing songs about me for nothing, you know. Well, these days they may not sing at all, but I like to think that sometimes, now and then, in the ale halls of Kaladim, one or two brave folks might whistle the tune and remember what I taught them about appreciating life with a good drink in your mug.

Kruzz :
Making the elf girl my friend. No one ever wants to be Kruzz's friend. The elf girl was afraid of me. Afraid because I took her hair because she is lucky. Touched by the gods, she is! But then she became not afraid. She became my friend. I never had a friend.

Roadyle :
I... was accepted into training with a very prominent magus. Very prominent indeed. I studied with him for decades, and when I was done, he declared me the most capable pupil and most brilliant practitioner of magics he had ever met. So, obviously that, of course. I would like to see anyone else here be able to say something like that.

Happiest Moment In Life -

Bayle :
I don't want to embarrass anyone here, but there is one person who has helped me through all of this. Though I may not have known it at the time, the moment that we met has since lead to more happiness than, well, I think I deserve.

Nurgg :
My second young one was born dead. He came out silent, and the females began to wail. But I took him into my hands, and I shook him. I told him he must live. He must not be such a coward as to be afraid of life. He listened. He walked away from death and came to life. I was proud that my son was not a coward. That my son chose life.

Asharae :
Finding that cast off spellbook so many years ago... To anyone else, it might have just seemed a piece of trash, but to me, it was everything. It represented my ability to become something more than she wanted me to be, than they ever thought I could be. For once, I had power, maybe only a little but it was more than I had ever had.

And I felt free. It was foolish, because I wasn't. But it gave me what I needed to make that happen.

In a world full of divisions and hatred and battles among the races, knowing how this diverse group of people could work together amazed me. This is the one topic I took the time to write down each and every answer given.

Bayle :
We all have something to contribute. Even the troll does the cooking and, well, he has gotten better at it. I won't say good, but I don't want the job and neither does anyone else. Anyway, as I said, in order for us to succeed, we need many different talents, and those talents aren't going to come from people who all emerge from the same walks in life. We're different, but what is happening effects everyone on Norrath, and I like to think everyone in our group understands that and sees it as being more important than anything else.

Illisia :
It would be a foolish thing to deny an ally at such a critical moment as this for any reason, much less the petty differences of race. You should judge someone by their actions, and so far none have failed on that count.

Twiddy :
Well now, that's pretty big question. Fiddlewiz and I were more or less hired on to begin with. But why didn't we leave when the boat was shot with arrows for that first time? Or when we realized we'd be dragging around an ogre, a troll, and a Teir'dal? Well then, I suppose it's because we knew the problem these folks faced was bigger than any of that. Besides, destiny brought my boat to me, and I felt I was in no position to deny her when she asked me for more favors.

Professor Fiddlewiz :
I grew up around all kinds of people, going from place to place, so I learned never to turn down a free meal, or a place to say, or a word of free advice. So long as you do me a fair turn, I'll do one for you, and so far, they've yet to wrong me.

Asharae :
What makes you think we have? I wouldn't trust for one moment that everyone here doesn't have their own motives. We were all thrown together, and so we are working together, but may the gods strike me down for pure stupidity if I ever let Roadyle have a clear shot of my backside.

Kaluk :
For one reason or another, all of us have been turned out of our homes. That sort of thing makes you sit back and re-evaluate what it means to call someone a countryman, or even a brother for that matter. Is the brother the one you are born to? Or the one who watches your back? Or shares a ration when rations are low? We're brothers, and ah sisters, in arms here, and that's a mighty powerful bond.

Kruzz :
..I makes the food. They not let me die. This is what we do.

Roadyle :
I honestly do not know. This is the most ragtag group I have ever seen, much less worked with. But their cause is an important one. I think they all know that.

Nurgg :
Humph, I know better than to assume my friend is always my friend, and my enemy is always my enemy. I have had friends who became enemies, and enemies who became friends. If you fight by my side, I will fight beside yours.

Eylee :
I believe we were all intended to go on this journey, and though we might not all be the same in every respect, on some level, we are. We are all beings trying to live our lives and when something threatens us, we can recognize that and come together for the best of all. I truly believe that everyone has something inside of them that pushes them toward right, and it's just.. complications and sadness and anger that drive us away from it. But you nurture someone toward it and show them what is true, the rest of that can be overcome.


*OOC The beginning tale is fan fiction written by me, but the Ethernaut's answers were given by the wonderful "Miss Doomcookie" at SoE. She has written many great stories telling us about the Ethernauts. I knew she would be the perfect one to teach us more about the individuals who make up the Ethernauts. Much thanks to her, and I hope you enjoy the first (of hopefully many) "character" interviews.

To: Norrathian Scholars
From: Seeker Rapha

I wanted to inform you of the large collection of Norrathian lore that we have recently obtained. Many tomes and a few dialogues have been cataloged and added to our collection. Enjoy delving deeper into the world of Norrath!

Titles Included

(Tomes)
Fire and Ice Creature Catalog
The Minions of the Mighty Creature Catalog
Welcome to Haven
A Goblin's Notebook - The Hideout
The Merchant's Deal
Handbook of the Coalition of Tradesfolk
Trinni's Adventures Abroad
1st Lieutenant Danarg 313 AS
1st Lieutenant Danarg 315 AS
A Sojourn of Faith
Alliz Onu
The Trainer
Travels into a Remote Corner of Faydark
Why the Grump Hated Frostfell
A Frostfell Carol
The Legend of Puab Cloak: The Beginning
The Legend of Puab Closk: The End
Excerpts from the Journal of Puab Closk
Aversion

(Dialogue)
Antiquitor Kantus Mor'Tael
A Vision of Vhalen
Crow's Nest

An account of Rodcet Nife's first encounter on Norrath by someone who experienced it all was recently brought to the Athenaeum. As news of this Norrathian deity has become quite the topic during this time in their history, old stories of Rodcet Nife and his healing have been told by those who remember such events. We hope you, our patrons, enjoy this story told to us by one such person.

Remembering Rodcet Nife
I first saw the great healer as a young girl. I had the fortune of being there, that day, when he first came to us. I had bent down to pick up a bluebell that had grown alongside the walkway in North Qeynos, carefully extracting it as gently as I could so as not to destroy it. As I finally stood back up, I noticed not only that my mother had gone on without me, but that something peculiar was happening. Around me, people were frozen, gazes fixed on the sky. I craned my head upward, searching for what it was that they were all looking at. It was only later that I would realize I had dropped the bluebell I'd spent so long trying to preserve; when my eyes fixed on the focus of their curiosity, I had dropped it, forgetting it had even existed.

Just above me, a perfectly circular object descended from the sky, spinning on its axis. Blue light streamed down from its bottom in a shaft, searching the course of its descent. It was capped in an iridescent dome and made sounds unlike any creature I'd ever seen. At first, that's what my child's mind thought it might be: a mockery of a flying beast, terrible in its extreme mutation. It came to rest some feet twenty feet above the ground, directly above my head, and when people appeared suddenly in that shaft of light below it, I thought maybe they were jumping out of its mouth. It was only later when I went inside that I realized it was some kind of craft, like a coach, but one that could fly.
When the blue shaft vanished and the people came to full view, I found them to be neither human, nor elf, nor goblin, nor ogre, nor anything else I could name. One stood at the front of the group, nearest to me, and his eyes were deep green, pupil-less orbs, his skin a pale green, and hairless. He stepped forward, and the crowd inhaled sharply. He was only a hairsbreadth from me now and he leaned down so that he could peer in my eyes. I even remember that he smelled different, like nothing I could name, but it wasn't unpleasant -- no, I remember thinking it was a very fresh smell, like clean blankets. When he spoke, I couldn't understand what he said, and I merely stared up at him with a mixture of curiosity and terror. He seemed to wiggle something near his ear, and then when he spoke, I heard clearly:
"Is there disease here? Has the Xulous force reached this world?"

It was as if speaking broke the spell. Some people panicked, running from the sight, while others drew swords and nocked their arrows. Still others yelled that we should talk because he had come to save us, for as it happened disease had swept through a neighboring region and claimed lives with the unbiased carnage of a great fire. By then though, my mother found me and swept me up into her arms, holding me to her chest tightly and backing away. I watched the man as she went, and he watched me, the bottomless depth of his eyes unmoved. I lifted a hand and waved to him, and he smiled and waved back. Turning to the crowd, he said, "Please don't be afraid! I've brought medicine! I'm here to help you, not hurt you!" As my mother drew me further and further away, his words were drowned in the roar of the crowd, but I still remember his face, so many years later. A face I would later come to know as that of a god.

And help he did. It took time but eventually they routed this force he was pursuing, the "Xulous", and healed those who were still alive. Those who were there say he performed great miracles, that he was able to bring people back from the very edge of death so that they walked and talked as healthy individuals once again. My mother would later boast about how we had been there, forgetting of course, that it was she who drew us away, and about how I was the first person he ever spoke to. In doing so, she maintained, he had bestowed on me his blessing of perfect health. This seemed plausible enough until a few years later I fell into a deep sickness, not the plague that had ravished us but an equally dangerous malady. It seemed I was done, but the great healer was to visit me for the second and final time.

The plague had been overcome, and the god had been occupying himself spreading his wisdom to our people. He had already earned himself scores of followers, and they were building a temple in Qeynos where he had touched down. We had learned his name was Rodcet Nife, and people had begun to worship that name. As it happened, he returned to Qeynos just as it seemed I was going to finally lose my fight for life. When he came into my room, my vision was so blurry I could barely make out his face, but the smell was unmistakable. He leaned over and tipped a crystal vial into my mouth. I remembered that clearly -- the vial -- because later people would attest it had all been holy magic, but as I understand it, magic is an ethereal thing and this was very much tangible. I felt it roll down my throat; it was thick and unpleasant tasting, but instantly I began to grow better. It would be weeks before I had fully recovered, but that was the moment in which I stopped feeling myself slip away, and started feeling myself return.

Stowing the vial back into a pouch at his side, a pouch that had become as legendary as its owner with its ability to produce whatever was needed for a given patient, he smoothed back my hair and said, "You should feel better soon," before leaving for the door. My mother followed him in tears, praising him and begging him to let her give him something in return. He only waved her away, and that made her cry all the harder.

As I understand it, it was later that very day that Rodcet and his companions had vanished. In the newly anointed Temple of Life, his followers awaited his return and taught the world of the wisdom he had left them.

I am a very old woman now, and have only ever heard rumors that Rodcet might have once again appeared on Norrath. Were it that I were a long-living elf and might actually live to see him again, but I am a human and my years are done now. I can only count as many as I have because of him, though, and I remember that every week's end with a small donation to the Temple of Life. He will return, I am sure of it, and when he does, Norrath will be a world free of the suffering of disease and decay.

- Alora Nimens, resident of Qeynos

*ooc* Thanks once again to SoE and their lore team for this little bit of insight into Norrath and its lore.

To :Archivist
From: Keeper Rapha
RE: Large Collection of Norrathian Books

We just received a rather large collection of tomes from the world of Norrath. Please make sure to place these in their corresponding areas of the Library. Books including are listed below. Please do this quickly as I'm sure our patrons will be anxious to read some of these texts.

Sincerely,
Keeper Rapha

Book List:
Good Eatin'
Handbook of the Ironforge Exchange
The Contentment
The Fledglings
Atrebe's Sniveling Children
Bird Watching - Beast of the Enchanted Lands Part 1
Bird Watching - Beast of the Enchanted Lands Part 2
A Tome of True Crushbone History
Edicts of the Emperor
1st Lieutenant Mugreeza, 290 AS
Snuffing the Fireknight
Fire and Ice Creature Catalog
Shepherd of the Celestial Watch

Attention : All Seekers of Norrathian Lore

With a sad tear in his eye, a patron of the Athenaeum brought us this note from the realm of Norrath. Found within a bell tower of vast importance, this note must have been placed with great difficulty as it originated from the Gray Wastes. With tears of sadness, we share this with you.


I have ventured into the belly of the Gray Wastes and faced the Hordes of Ethernere. What I find is not what I quested. My odyssey leads to a portal to other realms. Here within the Deathtoll Bell Tower, where hope is mired and escape impossible, there is a doorway that I must walk through or forever chase the one that hides in the halls of this tower. Although my target could reveal the destiny of my realm, to snare it would mean my eternal existence in Ethernere. I must escape the Gray Wastes.


Before I step into worlds beyond I must say farewell to the world I sang about. Though it brought many tragedies upon me and my ilk, the treasures it offered were far greater and well worth it. There is no world that shines as bright or sounds so harmonious in song. My realm will live on in my songs, those I shall always hold close. They shall inspire my actions in worlds beyond. The compositions of those that follow in my footsteps will ring loud the tales of destiny and I shall hear them from afar.


Should anyone discover my final words, take them far from here. Follow the sound of ghostly libation and descend the spiraled maw. Face the final foe and you'll possibly escape with your life. Run into fields of skulking haunts and a million headstones. Find the tombstone with your name and should you read it aloud you may return to the realm. If this works and you escape, deposit my note in my crumbling tower. I bid Norrath farewell, but better words are... Till Yonder.

(ooc) With great sadness, we say farewell and we will miss you greatly in the realm of Norrath, Tony "Vhalen" Garcia. We wish you the best on your path of life and know you are leaving the lore in some very capable hands of Jindrack, Doomcookie, and many others. Your love and passion for the Everquest world has shown in the intricate lore you have built for us to enjoy. May you always be filled with passion and creativity for whatever works you create, and may your works always bring entertainment and intrigue to fans. Oh yeah, how are we to ever fill in your mad libs now? *wink* -Sarah aka Rapha

To: Archivist for Norrathian Lore

A document was recently discovered on the world of Norrath and brought to us for study by our patrons. What do these words mean for those living in Neriak and surrounding lands? Further study may provide an answer to this and many more questions. Enjoy our newest find.

Shades of Hate

It is a funny thing to be completely unimportant, because you will see and hear the most important exchanges, and none pause to think whether your hearing it will matter one slightest bit. Of course, if they should one day realize exactly how dangerous you can be, your life will be extinguished as quickly as a candle flame in a windstorm. I, Scribe Yaxill L'Fex of the Court of Queen Cristanos, do record the following to be as true as I can pen it, though my life may be forfeit to its observation.

And the Crowds Grew
It seemed that Neriak had suffered an outbreak of a virulent fever. For all the many dark passions of our race, we have displayed no behavior so outrageous, and in such a widespread patterning, as we have in recent days. Men who might only have spurned one another's business now kill each other in the streets, women who envy another's hairstyle rip it straight up from the roots, children beat dogs who refuse to fetch. From my place in the palace, I have observed as crowds assembled before the gates, fighting the guards for entry. Some shout for the Queen's guidance, but others shout for her head. More than anything, though, all are looking for an acknowledgement of what has come upon us -- a gateway to the Shard of Hate, here, in our very own city.
But the Queen has only drifted further from the public eye, and her advisors have grown more and more nervous. One by one, they have said that someone must go to her and urge her out of her confinement, but one by one, they have balked from that duty. So, it happened that they all turned and looked at me in the corner, as I was the lowest among them and the only one who could not pass the duty further down. And by that turn, I was chosen. I am no Dragoon, and I admit that my knees shook as I ascended the stairwell leading to her private chambers.
"Your majesty?" I called to her.
"Come in." Her voice echoed around me, harkening me forth. As the great ironwood door slid open, I observed her standing before the window, slits of light from the great sconces outside casting shapes on her face. She turned to me, and I nearly froze in place. "Why are you disturbing me?"
"I..." Words almost failed me, but I managed to pick myself up. "I was sent by your council to advise you that you must address the crowds before the palace."
"I must, must I?" she asked with a laugh, and my heart sank as I realized I had just presumed to command a god. "Who are you to tell me what I must do?"
I lowered my head in supplication, hoping not to be struck down for it. "I am no one, just a scribe. And, it's not that you must, it is simply that they fear your silence will only spur the crowd on. In your great intelligence, you should know what should be done, and with your great power, you are compelled to sway and guide them."
"Hmm," she said, and the sound hummed deep in the room. She began to glide toward me, the dark satin of her dress brushing along the ground. "Tell me, scribe, what they say is happening."
My head shot up in surprise. "Certainly you know," I said. "They say a portal has opened to the home of our Prince of Hate, Innoruuk."
She was quiet then. "But what," she said, "are they saying about me?"
I was quiet, not quite knowing how I should respond, but something in her eyes compelled me to speak plainly. "There are many who say your reluctance proves what your dissenters have been saying all along," I said, "that you have been setting yourself up as a false god, and that in the face of true power, you're frightened to lose ground."
"Does everyone think that?"
"No," I said, "those are largely members of the Dead, the same who have been crying out like spoiled children ever since your greatness was realized. Most of Neriak simply wish their leader to appear before them in this trying time and care nothing for the gossip mongers."
"I see," she said, "you may go."
"But what should I tell --?" The look in her eyes cut me off and bid me silent. I returned to her council members with nothing to report, and as days passed, she made no appearance, and no comment.
And the crowds grew.

A Dark Clad Messenger
Months before, I had found myself in that same chamber, recording the Queen's wishes for a ball that was to be held shortly after that, when a curious visitor arrived. I had expected at any moment to be ordered to leave the room, but the queen and her companion never so much as flicked their eyes in my direction.
"Tell me you have found it."
The Queen gazed at the dark elf before her. He was swathed head to foot in darkly colored cloth -- an assassin of the Arm if I ever saw one. Only his eyes were visible. They were an almost iridescent blue in the swirling arcane light clasped within the metal hands of the sconce nearby.
"I have not." While her voice was like an echo in a cavernous chamber, his was like the scraping of a blade on a whetstone, low and broken.
"This is not good news." The queen turned away from him.
"Our sources say that Opal Darkbriar may have knowledge regarding its whereabouts," he said. "Unfortunately, Opal's gone and died. Killed, we believe, by an agent of the Emissaries of Freeport. She claimed to have knowledge that would earn her place in your court."
"We should assume, then, that they know," said the Queen.
"Perhaps not," said the darkly clad visitor, "Opal would likely keep so precious knowledge only in her own mind. That would be most effective in preserving its value."
"Fair spoken," she said, "and I'm not sure which is preferable. Their knowing means someone knows which, in turn, means we have somewhere to start again." She paused. "We should plan for both. Send someone to the Emissaries. Find out what they know. But do not stop others from looking. And tell any who finds it to bring it straight to me, with no pause; if its existence so much as leaks to one other individual, those responsible will know my wrath."
"As you ask of me, my Queen." It seemed as though nothing more than a shadow had slipped from the room as he made his exit, but in the brief time from when I had looked down to my notes, trying just slightly to appear like I was working on them, and glanced back up, he was gone.
"Not two but three... But where is it, where is it...." The Queen murmured to herself. In that moment, she caught my eyes with her own. They narrowed for just a second, and then she began to pace back and forth before me saying. "I wish only the finest bloodwyne. Call in Diamante V'Nol for a tasting. Her palette is unequalled. And as for the flower arrangements..."
It was as if nothing had happened, and in truth, nothing had -- nothing I understood. But I couldn't help but feel as though I'd seen something I shouldn't.

In the Streets
I stumbled down the alley behind the Library of K'Lorn. Behind me, I could still hear the riot that I had only just barely pushed my way through. My robe was torn near the shoulder, and the parchments I held in my hand only numbered half what they had before. I breathed in deeply as I leaned up against one of the walls and listened to the chorus of voices on stone.
My pulse had almost settled just as a figure tumbled from a nearby doorway. I jumped to the side, not wishing any errant blood to ruin my robe further. I began to retreat from the alley, stopping as I passed over the body. It was groaning and muttering. I could see no blood, and so I leaned down and turned the elf over gingerly. I recognized him as one of the librarians, but I was surprised to find that his eyes had gone completely white. Though I couldn't have told you much of what he looked like, I could certainly have told you that his eyes were not the same just the night before. Reflexively, I pulled back, but curiosity drove me to lean in and hear what he was saying.
"Voice of K'Lorn," he muttered, "K'Lorn... I am."
"Come on, get back inside," I said. I reached under the man to pull him to his feet but in a flash his hand gripped my wrist.
"K'Val," he hissed in a low voice, "they are all a part of it. G'Han, V'Dar, and K'Val. I am..."
My breath caught in my chest as his hands went to either side of my face, and as I looked in his eyes, I saw pools of lava flowing deep under the ground, and I could feel the heat burning me. Then I saw the blue eyes of the Arm assassin I had observed in the Queen's bedchamber, flitting with energy, and beside him, the face of a tall, beautiful Teir'dal around whose shoulders a drake lay curled. The magma flowed around them and they spoke in hushed tones. From the hands of the assassin to the woman passed a scroll, and then the assassin seemed to turn, as if noticing me, and his eyes burned hotter than the lava.
I ripped away from the vision and out of his hands. "Why are you showing me this," I spat at him, "why does everyone show me what I don't wish to see?"
For a moment, the librarian simply lay there, but then suddenly, he began gasping and his hands went to his chest. I leapt away as he began convulsing on the ground, thrashing from side to side. It was all I could stand to see. I turned, bolting out the opposite side of the alley as I had entered. In the distance, I could hear the shouting of the crowd, the raw sound of their hate quickening my pulse, but over that, I heard the librarian's words, twisted by something deeper, and purer. And the eyes of the Arm's agent burned into me.
~~~
By my pen it has been, and on my life, so it will be. Everything calls for a witness, and sometimes it is the most unimportant individual who is called to watch. I do not know what it is I have seen, nor what it has meant, only that it must be written down, though I know it will certainly cost my life.
Scribe Yaxill L'Fex


Source: (ooc) Thanks to the EQ dev team for sharing this piece of lore with all of us lore seekers!

TO: Athenaeum Patrons
FROM: Keeper Rapha

We have been busy working to obtain more tomes from the lands of Norrath. Though some more difficult to obtain than others, I'm sure you will enjoy the variety of reading materials contained in these works. Everything from a recipe book to a love story to battle tactics is contained in the latest batch of books added to our library of lore. A special thank you to Mai, a reader of Norrathian lore, for collecting An Unclaimed Eye and providing it for us to share with all of you. As always, we hope you enjoy reading our newest additions!

Tomes Added:
Orthiss and Kirkata
We will Be Free Again
A Mysterious Red Tome
A Mysterious Green Tome
The Tales of the Burynai
The Coming of the True Creator
The Unclaimed Eye
Dalron's Small Black Book
The Growing
The Ant Tale

Announcing a new section in the Norrathian library, The Rise of Kunark!

This newly opened section houses the tomes related to the tumultuous lands of Kunark. Come visit and read stories of the Dracnids, Sarnak, Iksar, Drolvarg, and many other tales of these lands. Learn also about the bloody sacrifices made during the rediscovery of the lands of Kunark. Keep an eye out for more announcements on other additions to this wing of the library. Hope you enjoy the tales we've managed to obtain!

Collection Includes:

The Littlest Hill Giant
The Mariner's Lament
What We Know of Kunark
The Final Days of the Leaky Drake
Mayong's Cruelty: the Drachnids (found under the Lore and Legend Section)

We are also excited to announce the arrival of many new transcripts for our Norrathian section. One of our Seekers has been working very hard in gathering these tomes for us. The subjects range from Barbarian History to Halfing History and from Lizardmen to the Rallosian Empire. Many thanks to all of our Seekers who journey far and work diligently to enrich our library with the fascinating tales from other realms.

New Titles Included:

Local Color - Halas
Brien - Clan Icereaver
In Search of the Wooly Mammoth
The First Battle
Alliz Evol Ew
The Wall
1st Lieutenant Mugreeza, 291 AS