Ektheme

Ektheme is a staff at the Library Historical Archive in the Arceuus House. He is an expert on the Xerician era of Great Kourend's history, and will offer players what they know about the era.

Dialogue

 * Player: Hello. Who are you?
 * Ektheme: Hi there, I'm Ektheme, an expert on the Xerician era.
 * Player: Who was Xeric?
 * Ektheme: Xeric ruled Great Kourend for at least ten decades.
 * Player: At least? Do you not know how long he was in power for?
 * Ektheme: We do have records of course. However, while Xeric was indeed ruler of the city from the thirty-seventh to the forty-seventh decades, we also have evidence to suggest he was in fact King Shayzien VII.
 * Player: How could that be?
 * Ektheme: Dark magic. King Shayzien VII was fascinated with the Dark Altar, and the darkness eventually corrupted his mind.
 * Ektheme: King Shayzien VII was killed at the Battle of the Concourse during the thirty-seventh decade. We have many accounts of this yet his body was never recovered.
 * Ektheme: Just days later we have the first recorded mention of Xeric, an incredibly powerful mage who resembled King Shayzien VII and was believed to be controlled by the Dark Altar.
 * Ektheme: It is written that Xeric killed the remaining Lords of the houses and claimed the city of Great Kourend as his own.
 * Player: So King Shayzien VII was resurrected as Xeric, using the Dark Altar?
 * Ektheme: Indeed. I am not an expert on necromancy but we know the Dark Altar has to power to resurrect beasts; Xeric must have found a way to manipulate the magic to work on humans.
 * Player: How did Xeric have so much power?
 * Ektheme: Xeric drew much of his power from the Dark Altar but he asserted his authority as ruler through his personal army of creatures, the Lizardmen.
 * Player: Xeric created the Lizardmen!?
 * Ektheme: Sadly so, though we're not exactly sure how he did so. Xeric used the citizens of Kourend for many experiments, as well as for his own sadistic purposes.
 * Ektheme: We have little written record of the experiments, but we believe they involved a combination of traditional breeding humans and a Lizard creature and dark magic.
 * Player: Do you know why he created the Lizardmen?
 * Ektheme: Xeric was undoubtedly powerful but he couldn't rule the people singlehandedly, nor could he rely on human informants. He needed an army he could control.
 * Ektheme: Lizardmen are loyal creatures and would do as he commanded without question. With them at his disposal, the people were powerless to resist his authority.
 * Player: What happened to the Lizardmen after Xeric's reign?
 * Ektheme: They remain loyal to Xeric. Even to this day they continue to attack the city as you have seen.
 * Ektheme: Fortunately the Shayzien army keeps them under control.
 * Player: Why do they keep fighting? Surely after a thousand years they must know Xeric is dead?
 * Ektheme: Without examining their minds we will never know for sure. However we assume Xeric genetically altered them, to enforce that their duty is to serve him.
 * Player: But if they are serving Xeric, why do they attack the city?
 * Ektheme: A good question,  . One that I'm afraid I do not know the answer to.
 * Ektheme: Is there anything else you would like to know?
 * Player: What happened to Xeric?
 * Ektheme: During the fourty-seventh decade, after ten decades of oppression, the people revolted against Xeric and his army of Lizardmen.
 * Player: Why did the people suffer for so long?
 * Ektheme: The events were triggered through the courage of one man, Byrne. He was not a man of particular stature of nobility, though he did proceed to become King.
 * Player: What happened?
 * Ektheme: 'Twas the three-hundred and twelvth day of decade fourty-seven. Byrne, a farmer by trade, is said to have witnessed a Lizardman guard murder a child whilst working his farm.
 * Ektheme: Outraged at what he had just seen, Byrne gathered his pitchfork and sprinted towards the guard.
 * Ektheme: Blinded by fury, Byrne attacked the guard, slaughtering the lizardman in plain sight of all within the town.
 * Ektheme: Legend has it Byrne then gave a galvanizing speech, standing over the butchered guard with his bloodied pitchfork held aloft in the air, urging the people to fight back.
 * Player: Do you know what he said?
 * Ektheme: Sadly no, while we have many witness accounts they all differ so we can not verify it at all.
 * Player: Ah, so what happened next?
 * Ektheme: Whatever Byrne said, the people responded; together the citizens of Kourend revolted, grabbing whatever they could use as a weapon. They fought the Lizardmen.
 * Ektheme: The Lizardmen, while strong and powerful were simply outnumbered. In a matter of days they had been driven to the caves beneath Kourend and beyond the city.
 * Player: So what happened to Xeric?
 * Ektheme: During the battle the temple surrounding the Dark Altar was destroyed, weakening Xeric's power. We believe he fled, though we're not sure as to where.
 * Ektheme: Some say Xeric was killed during the revolt but we have no record of his remains being discovered.
 * Player: So no one knows what really happened to him?
 * Ektheme: Xeric was incredibly powerful but we can reasonably assume wherever he went, he soon perished. Without the power of the Dark Altar, Xeric would have become mortal.
 * Player: Good riddance by the sounds of it.
 * Ektheme: Indeed. Is there anything else I can help you with?
 * Player: No thanks.