When you hear the prophecy from the Daughter of the Rivers, you just get the feeling that it definitely isn't Sun. Its a spirit from outside the Basin who wishes to harm Lake. And from every bit we've been shown about Sun, that isn't really him. Its the feeling that this spirit was outside the Basin even at the time of the Taint war, and Sun has been around as long as Lake, and has been busy with Night since the onset of the Elder Wars, as we can see by this installment.

Hmm..I've heard the prophecy. But I still don't know...


-conspiracy theory-

Sometime's it's used as an alernative to one of the higher trio on the Tree of Life, sometimes it isn't there, sometimes it's shown as a regular sephira, sometimes it's shown in dotted lines. Daath is very confusing.

EDIT: Also, I have in the past mentioned that Daath should be either a +1 int buff or the shield-destroyer in HighMagic, but I suppose this is why it isn't.

Darn. And I even almost completed a short story with that as a major cornerstone. Guess its my fault for assuming something.

Although, it might still work if I remove that...

Time to work on it.

Edit: Perhaps if I explained what I thought lesser spirits were would be a good idea.

I thought that there were Lesser Spirits, compared to Great Spirits. Then these Lesser Spirits would be like say Crocodile, who Muggy said would never become a Great Spirit. It'll be like there is a Spirit hierachy, with Great Spirits (Father Sun) --> Lesser Spirits (Crocodile) --> Fae (kelpies). Then perhaps Lhiannan and etc. will be of the same rank as the Lesser Spirits, but not quite.

I think your confusion is mixing up ethereal and animal spirits when they are actually two separate arcs.

The Sixth Circle (i.e., the Awakeners) awoke latent spirits. The lesser of these spirits were the fae (mostly, spirits of plants or other parts of nature that already existed). Some of these lesser awakened spirits could be potent, like Lhiannon. The greater of these were Moon, Sun, etc. Awakening Great Spirits were enormous projects for the Awakeners, and generally took a number of the Sixth Circle to accomplish over a very lengthy time.

The Seventh Circle (i.e., the Creators) actually created new creatures. These creatures were the animals, like lions, tigers, bears, birds, etc. A few of these creations with strong innate spirits manifested a group soul which rose to become Great Spirits, such as White Hart, Crow, etc. Not all animals manifested a group soul, though if one did it was considered a great accomplishment for the Seventh Circle member who created them.

Thus, there are two types of Great Spirits: 1) Awakened Great Spirits (usually ethereal aspects of nature), and 2) Animal Great Spirits.

Hope it's not too confusing!

I love the Elder Histories!

I especially like how it sets Fain up as a tragic villian instead of the traditional "I'm evil muahaha" bad guy role. I can't wait to see more of these, hope it isn't too long a wait.

Just read the history. This is pretty good stuff. Also, you can tell that Estarra was Eris, her writing always makes me think of Bopolopia.

Wonderful writing. Stunning end.

Man, you created an gigantic chimera and I'm amazed and proud to see that your "inner world" became a nice playground for all of us to hang around in... Lusternia is my kind of game because it's really similar to my old fantasy playgrounds I used to have as a kid. Dragons, monsters, spirits, all of it. I really wish we had the technology to actually "live" in and play around. I want to see how you picture the world

This is seriously cool.

You know, from day one I've wanted to be a Tae'dae really since I started playing Lusternia, if I wasn't Human I'd probably be Tae'dae. But I chose human and furthermore pretty much everyone says Tae'dae sucks the big stuff for a race which makes me a very sad panda.


In any case, you know what I think would be cool but probably not very probable. Is to have Tae'dae and Aslaran respectively able to specialize totems in Brother Bear and Sister Lion or some such(I choose sister as cats are often more associated with effiminate virtues then masculine), that are exclusive to their race. They could be basically a conglomeration of other skills clumped together from the other totem specializations but with different messages even. The main point would be to give them something special for their close obvious bounds with nature. (Other things for certain other races possible I suppose.)


Or, at the very least I had this relevation earlier, that for a bonded pet (Hunting: Tracking), Tae'dae would get a bear of some sort instead of the usual canine, it'd work the same, simply be a bear, that'd be neat for RP, a lot more Tae'ish.

THE BOOK OF ORLACHMAR

"Line up for inspection!" I shouted, strolling down the line of the 250
Elders assigned to my formation.

Only about a fourth of my formation were Warriors of the Second Circle.
The rest were volunteers, Creators and Awakeners, even Thinkers and
Artists. But we needed the force of all the Elders to mete out
retribution and justice against the Heralds of Magnora, who we now
called the Soulless Ones, in the wake of their decimation of almost all
of the First Circle. Failure in this was not an option so no chances
were being taken.

"We WILL be practicing our formation on our journey to the battle, and
by the time we reach the Soulless Ones, we WILL be the most efficient in
the fleet," I roared. "Do I make myself clear?"

"We are Orlachmar's Beast!" they shouted in unison, referring to the
nickname we called our formation. Bit silly, I know, but it promotes the
teamwork necessary for a good formation to operate well.

"Then take formation, you sorry bunch of swamp scum!" I bellowed. "The
Beast shall rise!"

With a wink at Loboshi, my adjunct to our formation, I flew into the
air. Her wolves stalking behind her, Loboshi called out the names of the
individuals in our formation in rapid fire. One by one, they would fly
up next to me and form a link, then take formation. Finally, the
formation was complete, and a globe of power surrounded each of us,
further linked with shimmering lines of force. I suppose we looked like
a bunch grapes.

"Follow me, you weak kneed pups! The Beast needs more speed!" I shouted,
dragging the others behind me.

The Warriors, of course, followed me with well-practiced grace, while
the others lagged behind. Pulling on the force lines that connected us,
I yanked hard. Gasps of surprise trembled down our link net, and I
yanked again--harder.

"What are you snail slow losers doing!" I screamed, sending the force of
my thoughts through the link net. "We are supposed to be moving as one
unit! Lyreth and Trialante, give me more power now! Raezon, if you don't
start hauling your arse faster, so help me I'll kick it into gear!"

I felt them tremble, but they obeyed. This was tough going, I know, for
it is not easy to be part of a warrior formation. One had to give up
control to the focus--me in this case--and submit yourself to the
collective will of the formation. It was harder for some than others,
especially for the Thinkers and Artists. But once they learned to let
themselves go, there are few better joys than being part of a formation.

As we passed into aetherspace, I flexed the bands of power that linked
us, letting the power from the formation course through me. We circled
several times around a piece of flotsam in aetherspace, until I was
comfortable that the formation was acting in concert.

"Okay, Beast!" I shouted through the link net. "We're looking almost
half good! Now let's show the others what we can do!"

The Beast flew to where the other formations were gathering, a deep
pocket in aetherspace. There was a total of 23 formations, each led by a
Warrior of the Second Circle. The only exception was Dracnoris who flew
by himself and who alone was as large as a full formation. Never before
had there been such a show of raw strength, as this force was made up of
members of all the Circles. Never before were we all so united. Never
before had there been such coordination.

Never before had there been such a need.

I moved the Beast up beside Krokano's Quake, the formation who held
responsibility for carrying the few remaining First Circle members. We
briefly sparred, sending a couple of flashy starbursts at each other,
easily deflecting them. Joined by Slaay's Fist, Morgfyre's Mavericks,
Clangorum's Hammer, Hajamin's Hounds, Terentia's Dagger, Thax's Rock,
and other formations, we continued sparring and practicing, letting
those unused to being in a warrior power formation feel more
comfortable.

Finally, it was time. Only a few Elders would be left behind on the
First World, the rest of us would be traveling to the Void. With
Krokano's Quake in the lead, we began the journey. We took our time,
traveling towards the Void, continually letting ourselves practice and
hone our formations into killing machines.

"Beast! Beast! Beast!" my formation would chant, and indeed I was very
proud of how we came together in such a relatively short time. I came to
appreciate what some of the other Circles brought to the formation. From
the Fourth Circle, Lyreth and Trialante lifted spirits with song, Raezon
and Gheasia of the Fifth Circle would provide us with useful
intelligence, and even the few hamadhi of the Third Circle learned how
to send their healing skills through the link net.

By the time we entered the Void, I felt very confident with my
formation. Breaking through the barrier to the Void was an unpleasant
experience, one I was well familiar with but others in the Beast were
not. It was like diving into a winter river covered in ice. You crash
through a hard surface and then plunge into an achingly cold liquid,
only to get swept along a powerful current underneath. It's painful and
disorientating, and takes awhile to catch your balance, but eventually
you numb yourself to the ache and learn to navigate the currents.

Then we swooped through the Void towards the Soulless Ones. Curiously,
they had not moved from the site of the massacre of the first
expedition, provoking much debate amongst the Fifth Circle as to why the
Soulless suddenly stopped. The closer we got, the more calculations the
Fifth Circle did, coming to the rather disturbing conclusion that many
of the Soulless were double or even triple the size as when they
encountered the First Circle. But that was no concern of mine.

"Hoooo!" I roared to the members of the Beast, my passion charging them
up, and they in turn feeding their energy back to me.

"Orlachmar, we are your Beast! Hoooo!" they thundered back.

My concern was making sure my formation was acting as a single entity.
And as we descended upon the Soulless, displaying the full glory of our
power, I could only grin as many of the Soulless were cowed by our show
of strength, backing away. Up close, they were a hideous bunch. The most
dominant of the Soulless was known as Illith the Leviathan. She was so
massive that the other Soulless orbited her like moons on a planet.
Though there were hundreds of other Soulless, Illith's great lieutenants
stood out the most, circling her massive maw. They were Draxbaylock the
Black, second largest to Illith, as well as Zenos the Silent Death,
Kethuru the Mighty, and Great Muud.

The formations of Thax and Terentia glided up beside mine and gestured
to the left and right. I nodded and we spread out. Our strategy was
simple. The 23 formations would surround the Soulless Ones like a shell,
and then we would initiate the Daath Sequence, the most destructive
force known to us, and release it into the centre of their mass. The
shell outside made from our joined formations would contain the blast
and concentrate it even further.

Immediately, however, we ran into the problem we knew we'd likely
encounter. The Soulless did not stay nicely bunched in a clump and let
us surround them. They found their courage and burst forth, striking at
us from all angles. It sickened me that Illith swallowed the entire
formation of Galantine's Claw in her first strike. Meanwhile, the rest
of us were releasing blasts of pure energy and destruction, leaving a
frothy wave of vengeance behind us as the lesser of the Soulless fell.

Though our anger and despair raged within our hearts, it was but a
candle flame compared with the conflagration that was their malice. The
sticky blasts of their vomit spewed forth like volcanic eruptions of
acid and fire, taking several formations down. Even the Beast was
struck, and the pain of several of my team dying hit me hard. But I
couldn't think too hard on that, I had to forge onwards.

The battle was looking grim as we were having trouble maneuvering to the
point where we could surround our enemies in order to enact the Daath
Sequence. Though it didn't appear as any thoughtful strategy on their
part, the Soulless Ones rarely acted as a team and split apart in
berserk frenzies. We lost at least five formations, but we were giving
as good as we got.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dracnoris the Dragon God fighting
Draxbaylock the Black on his own. Raezon told us that Draxbaylock was
his sister, which was at first surprising, but there were some physical
similarities between them. We cheered as we saw Dracnoris eventually
shred the flesh from Draxbaylock's bones, strips of her foulness
floating away in the Void. Watching two primal gods fight was a humbling
experience. Unfortunately Dracnoris was severely wounded and had to
withdraw from the field of battle.

Half of our formations were desperately trying to draw the fight into a
localized centre while the other half were trying to spread out around
the battle to position themselves for the Daath Sequence. My Beast was
one of those in the centre.

"Give me more juice, Beast!" I'd yell at my formation, siphoning their
power that they didn't even know they had and using it to send blast
upon blast of cosmic energies to tear apart the Soulless.

Finally, it came to a point where the outer formations were positioned
as good as they could. Led by Krokano's Quake, we felt them join
formations into a ring, and start the Daath Sequence. Now was the tricky
part. We had to hold the Soulless within the centre of the ring long
enough for the Daath Sequence to initiate, then fly out of there just
before it climaxed so we wouldn't get caught within.

Illith was practically twisted in a knot, roiling to get her maw around
another formation. Meanwhile I felt the Daath begin to build, a great
emptiness that threatened to drown one in despair. Daath was the
unmaking of the Void itself, sometimes called the Void of the Void.
Within my chest I felt the climax approaching, a weird fluttering that
was both painful and pleasurable. We had to leave now!

But as I looked down, there was Clangorum, Morgfyre and Oovanti trapped
in the tendrils of Kethuru the Mighty, holding them down. These were my
brothers of the Second Circle and I didn't think twice.

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I let out a yell that made every one of those stinking
Soulless stop in their tracks.

Draining the last dregs of energy from my formation, I burst forth like
a star and hurtled towards Kethuru the Mighty, tearing through him while
grabbing Clangorum and Morgfyre but I wasn't able to hold onto Oovanti.
We exited out of the centre of the battle just in time. The Daath
Sequence climaxed.

The implosion was so great that all of creation shuddered, followed by a
silence so profound that we could not help but weep. There were at least
five other formations caught within the Daath, including Oovanti's, and
looking around I saw our numbers were cut in half. That made almost
3,000 Elders lost this day.

But we had won, unequivocally. The Soulless Ones were gone, completely
decimated. All that remained was a swirling vortex of emptiness and
desolation.


Returning to the first world, there was no joy in our victory. Now was
the time for mourning, and mourn we did. Songs by Trialante, Lyreth,
Rhapsody, Jagrerox, and Mahalla, faded the evenings as Isune,
Trillilial, and Drocilla, spun grey clouds into mourning patterns. Only
then did the loss of Oovanti's formation hit me, my comrade who I should
have saved. I couldn't help but think it was my fault.

As the months passed, we struggled to get back to some sort of normalcy,
healing our spirits and seeking comfort in our victory despite its
terrible cost. With so few of the First Circle left, the leadership
spread themselves out as best they could. Aslarn went back to overseeing
the integration of the Great Spirits of the Sixth and Seventh circles,
along with Strom and Mythramus. Carsini and Eventru devoted themselves
to the hamadhi, for the need for healing our spirits were great. Fain
devoted himself to helping the Third Circle coordinate their studies.
And Meridian?

Meridian was the most changed of us all, I think, with the loss of
Amberle. He became hard and spent much of his time with the Second
Circle, seeking battles wherever he could. The hamadhi said his spirit
would heal in time. It was heartbreaking seeing him wandering the
beaches and staring out into the oceans, whispering Amberle's name over
and over.

Then it began again.

The Fifth Circle had been in a turmoil for days, and we knew something
was wrong when Fain called us all back to Xyl's Tower. Gathered in the
great hall, Fain stood on the dais with Xyl, whose usually vibrant skin
was as dull as granite. Off to the side was Trillialial, who had
obviously been crying. The rest of the Third Circle were seated in a
semicircle behind them, looking grim. After we all arrived, Fain nodded
to Xyl, who bowed his head.

"I noticed this anomaly several days ago," Xyl said. "This is the site
of the battle with the Soulless Ones."

He gestured upwards toward his viewing crystal, which flared to life. It
revealed a swirling blackness.

"This appears to be flotsam and reverberations from the last battle. But
watch."

Probing further, he pierced through the darkness. There were gasps, and
I'm afraid my voice counted among them. The Soulless Ones were back. And
they looked stronger than before. Meridian bolted upright and we had to
restrain him. Many of us demanded explanation.

"We have a theory," said Fain, raising his hand for silence. "Please let
us explain. Xyl, continue."

"We noticed that the Soulless were stronger and larger after the first
encounter," said Xyl. "They also did not move from the site of the
battle then. Now, after we thought they were destroyed, they have
returned. Again, at this same location. And again, they have not left
this location. Why? We speculate that it was because they were feeding.
Feeding off the essence of the fallen Elders as well as their own
fallen."

"They were dead!" screamed Meridian. "We all saw them die! The Daath
Sequence leaves nothing behind."

"I would like to answer that," said Mugowumpois, standing up. With a nod
from Xyl, she took the dais. "There has always been a theory that Dynara
was an aspect of the cosmos, and was the embodiment of creation, if you
will. Meanwhile, Magnora was her opposite, the embodiment of
destruction. When they left our reality, these forces also disappeared
from the cosmos itself. In other words, nothing is created and nothing
destroyed. Life and death has not existed since their disappearance."

"That is insane," I shouted, unable to hold my silence. "We have killed
many of the insane half formed before! We have battled abominations of
the Void. You cannot tell us, the Second Circle, that death does not
exist. Why have we not heard of this before?"

"This is simply a theory, of course," answered Mugowumpois coolly. "A
theory debated amongst ourselves many times, but not shared with the
other Circles since we were never able to reach a consensus. But in
light of this development, we think it is most probably true. Tell me,
Orlachmar, you were the one who defeated the Grue of Kallakok? You
killed it in the plains of the nacrescape, yes?"

"That is true," I said, remembering that filthy abomination with a dozen
arms and twice as many mouths.

"And what was found a century later in the nacrescape?"

"A century later?" I thought back, then remembered. "The Bluegill Moll
was found there, another abomination which we also put down. Are you
saying that was the Grue?"

"So we believe. The essence of the Grue was never destroyed, even though
its physical body might have been. It rose again as the Bluegill Moll. A
century from now perhaps, he'll rise again, this time in a new form."

"What of the Seventh Circle?" I asked. "We all know they create! There
goes your theory!"

"Do they truly?" asked Mugowumpois, then turned to Bollikin. "Do you
truly create new life, Bollikin?"

"Erm," said Bollikin, glancing around and leaning against his companion
Tae. "No, I guess not truly. We infuse a portion of our own spirits
within our creations."

"There you go," said Mugowumpois with a glance at me. "And of course the
Awakeners awaken those creations that Dynara infused with spirit. No,
nothing is truly created."

Stepping down from the dais, Mugowumpois nodded to Gheasia, another of
the Fifth Circle who was the mate of Raezon. She was tall and thin, with
pale skin and a jet black hair pulled and tied back in a severe bun. She
stood up and turned to face the rest of us.

"The bigger question is why do we create at all?" said Gheasia, her
voice brisk in the manner of a lecturer. "The Elders cannot procreate,
yet many of us desire to have progeny. Why? We submit that we are
children of Dynara, and as such we reflect her greatest desires. To
create anew, to protect those creations, to oversee those creations, to
simply be around those creations. In the First World of Lusternia, we
come closest to being able to actualize these desires, each of us in our
own way.

"And, just as we reflect the impetus of creation, so do the Soulless
reflect the impetus of Magnora, to destroy. But nothing can die since
Magnora no longer exists, just as new life cannot be created since
Dynara does not exist. Thus, both the Elders and Soulless are
frustrated, unable to realize their innate desires, but each finding an
outlet in their own way. For the Soulless, if they cannot destroy, they
consume. They consume the essence of our fallen, their fallen, it does
not matter, growing larger and larger, stronger and stronger. If left to
their own devices, they'd consume everything in creation, even each
other, until only one exists."

"Thank you," said Fain, taking the lead from the Fifth Circle who could
go on and on if allowed. "For whatever reason, the Soulless did not die
but spontaneously resurrected, much faster than any half formed could.
Not only that, the essence of the our fallen brothers and sisters must
have been scattered in that locale. The Soulless have been feeding on
that also, and we think the stronger of the Soulless have even been
feeding on the weaker of their own brethren."

"Then we'll kill them again!" I shouted, and the others of the Second
Circle stood up and stomped their feet.

"Please," said Fain wearily. "Hear the rest. The Soulless coming towards
us are a dozen times stronger than what we faced before, while we have
lost half our numbers. Also, what Xyl has shown you is a recording. We
estimate that they have consumed whatever there was to consume at that
site several days ago, and they are on the move here. To Lusternia."

It was like a nightmare we couldn't wake from. We were weaker and the
Soulless were coming back stronger. Even if we did manage to kill them
again, they would only resurrect stronger than before. But we could not
give up, even though it seemed hopeless. Again, we must prepare for
battle.

This time, the Soulless Ones were on the offensive and our first order
of business was mounting a defense. Meridian led us to create barriers
in aetherspace around Lusternia, layering shield after shield so the
Soulless wouldn't breach into the First World itself. It was a
formidable defense of which I was a part--a formation of the entire
Second Circle with interlinking shields that we fed with our own power
and essence.

In no time at all, just as we finished constructing the defense, the
Soulless were rushing towards us, hurtling themselves at the barrier.
Illith the Leviathan had returned again as the largest and strongest of
the Soulless, her massive serpentine body stretching behind her in a
seemingly endless mass. Just her alone battering against the barrier,
was too much to withstand.

The Leviathan broke through.

The other Soulless, including Zenos the Silent Death, Kethuru the
Mighty, Great Muud and Crazen the Greedy, were not able to pass beyond
our barrier, but Illith had to be stopped. Meridian roared with anger,
ordering me, Tauro and about a dozen other Warriors of the Second Circle
to follow Illith down to Lusternia.

We weren't able to get far. Illith the Leviathan had entered the oceans
and disappeared deep into the surface. We suspected she was going to try
to break the core of the world. Unfortunately we were unable to track
her. Meridian had joined us and was in a rage, diving deep into the
oceans but also unable to find her.

"Keph!" Tauro suddenly cried ecstatically. "She is heading to Keph of
the Thousand Eyes!"

"Can we warn Keph?" I asked.

"Ha!" laughed Tauro. "We should be warning Illith! You have not met Keph
as I have. Keph will know what is coming and I would not wager against
her!"

And indeed they did clash for a hundred days in battle, we tried several
times to help Keph but were repelled by either their struggle or
distracted by the attacks of the other Soulless. As they fought,
earthquakes rocked the land, mountain formations rose and fell, and the
oceans boiled.

"One is rising!" shouted Meridian, who had been patrolling the oceans.
"To me! To me!"

Enormous gouts of steam was rising out of the ocean where Meridian was
hovering. Joining him, we could do nothing but wait. Who had won? Illith
or Keph? Before I would have had doubts that any one being could defeat
Illith, but then I had seen Dracnoris defeat his sister Draxbaylock.

It was Illith who bobbed to the surface in a froth of roiling blood.
Meridian cursed as Illith rose up out of the waters, snapping at him.
The Leviathan seemed slower, however, and it soon became apparent Illith
paid dearly for fighting Keph.

Illith the Leviathan had been cut in half. At the cost of the life of
Keph of the Thousand Eyes.

"No!" Tauro cried out, then turned to Meridian. "Perhaps Keph is still
alive?"

"I sense nothing beneath here," said Meridian, circling around the
flailing Illith. "Keph must have died."

"Then let us finish up what she has begun!" I shouted, and dove at the
Leviathan with my sword leveled at her eyes.

It was too brash a move, led by emotion more than strategy. Illith
snapped forward in a sudden burst of speed. Her maw neatly snapped me in
half before I even realized what she was doing. Cursing my own
stupidity, I could only look down at my torn torso, my essence bleeding
out of me. Would the Soulless come and consume me, make me part of their
own? Or would my essence seep into the First World? I could only hope it
was the latter.

"Hang on!" shouted Tauro, who had caught what was left of me. She kept
urging me to hold on as she rushed to those who could heal.

But I knew nothing could survive such a wound. Darkness slowly crept up
on the corners of my blurring vision. I was ready to go to the true
void, where consciousness faded into nothingness. Maybe, as the Fifth
Circle said, my essence would resurrect as a new being. It was an odd
last thought.

"Hold on, Orlachmar," said Fain, sounding from a million miles away. "We
have a plan! We can save you!"

I am beyond salvation. It is time for me to know nothingness, to join
Yudhe in oblivion. Even the darkness fades.

Farewell.

Hopefully the prompts and such have all been removed. Thanks to Tully for the translation.

Awesomesauce... But Orclachmar will return... as an Undead!

DUN DUN DUUUUNNN!

Didn't really like this one, personally. My favourite thing about the History of the Elder Wars is the quirky personalities the Elder Gods display, and how they view stuff. Orlachmar just seems really...plain.

Orclachs are my favourite race to play, but their Elder God's boring.

Wow, that was great. Thanks for posting it up!

I always thought Kethuru was the strongest Soulless God, but I guess he was still a subordinate of Illith eh? And from the impressions I get from the size of Illith, I imagined she was big enough to wrap around Lusternia, but still she can dive into the oceans? (or maybe the ocean is just very deep...)

Though after reading this and thinking about the latest plot, Keph must've still been alive after that attack in order to have splintered, or she splintered during the attack??

And this part made me laugh...


Sei sei! (if anyone gets the reference xP)

"The Elders cannot procreate, yet many of us desire to have progeny."

There goes all the speculations about what fain & Lis's babies would look like.

"Hold on, Orlachmar," said Fain, sounding from a million miles away. "We have a plan! We can save you!"

I wonder if that's splintering.


Edit:I also wonder if that beast that Orlachmar killed was foreshadowing that we might one day have a plane with a crazy half-god that repops every once in awhile. Neutral Smobs ftw!

Maybe I'm just reading to much into it. The story, as always, is awesome in and of itself, made even better by each book having a connection to a specific god, and tinted by that gods unquie personality.

Orclachmar I think was one of the first Undead Gods.. similar to Fain is now... I guess that's what it is.. also explains why Orclachs feel this connection with the undead even BEFORE the Taint and before the Vernal Wars

Edit: Nevermind. It is clairified in the Kephera helpfile.