Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Broken Heart: A Preview of my Upcoming NWN Module

Omagogg was a warrior of the Bear Claw tribe. Long before the city of Neverwinter sprang up Omagogg served Mhoghazz, Overlord of vast stretches of the sword coast with a reign that was still growing as civilization was only just reaching the north.

The young warrior was ambitious, and he sought help from Grizellha, a night hag. She agreed to help him overthrow Mhoghazz. When he asked her the price she told him "Omagogg, your rise to power will make you many enemies but one will stand above all and that enemy will take from you more than you can now conceive. You may make no attempt at vengeance. Fear not, warrior, for vengeance shall be had, but it will be mine, and not yours. I will come to him in his sleep and destroy him."

Omagogg agreed and within the year Mhoghazz, who had no surviving sons but for a single infant who had vanished months before, died of sickness, unable to rest for the nightmares that plagued him. Omagogg met all challengers in battle and became Chief of the Bear Claw.

Inwau was a barbarian princess, daughter of Hurugarr of Elk's Leap, one of the Bear Claw's smaller rivals. Omagogg was prepared to sack the Elk's Leap when Hurugarr sent Inwau, offering his thirteen year old daughter up to wed the overlord as a peace offering.

Omagogg was immediately smitten with the young girl's beauty and accepted her as his wife. The people of Elk's Leap were spared slaughter, and Hurugarr was bound to Omagogg's house by blood and became a great chieftain of his clan.

Inwau had a talent for wild magic, and as she grew she became a mighty sorceress. Omagogg and Inwau lived together in the Arms of the Bear, a great and ancient tunnel complex on high ground, in the hills overlooking the Vale of Summer.

Omagogg was blissfully happy with his bride. As he grew older with her he became a gentler ruler, and fair. As settlers trickled in from the south he allowed them to settle in his marginal lands in relative peace in exchange for trade goods. His people prospered, as did the "pinkskins" (so named for their lack of tatoos) from the south.

As Inwau blushed into womanhood she happened upon a pinkskin Captain named Herold Whillson. While she was trading for scrolls in his village they were attacked by a band of Ogres, and side by side they fought them off. They parted, but Inwau was clearly smitten by the chain clad knight. Each time she returned to the village to trade the spark between them grew. Soon she began sneaking out of the barbarian fortress from a secret tunnel she had built.

This went on for many years. The Pinkskin village prospered and grew, and eventually Omagogg traveled there himself to collect the governors tribute.

It is said that as soon as he saw Captain Whillson his queens treachery was laid bare, as he saw his two youngest sons in the armored man's eyes. Omagogg knew this was the enemy that the night hag had warned him of all those years ago. He knew that he should stay his hand and allow Grizellha to exact her vengeance, but his rage was too great. He drew his greatsword and struck the knight down. He then ordered his retinue to raze the town and they killed every man, woman and child in it.

He returned to the Arms of the Bear, but word of his deeds had arrived before him. Inwau lay dead in her chamber at her own hand and her bastard sons had fled to Elk's Leap.

Omagogg mustered his Army and marched on his wife's home tribe. Omagogg met Inwau's bastard sons on the battlefield, but they still loved him as a father and would not raise a weapon to him. Instead they bowed before him and offered their heads, which Omagogg took. Then his army slaughtered the people of the Elk's Leap just as thoroughly as they had destroyed the pinkskin town.

He returned to the Arms of the Bear, and that night Grizellha apeared to him. She said "Omagogg, you have served the life I made for you well, and now I have come to accept your payment. Now I shall destroy the enemy I warned you about all those years ago."

She returned to the shadows from whence she came and Omagogg railed at the darkness, "Devil Bitch, No enemy stands before Omagogg! I have slain them all with my own hands! Stand before me again and I shall destroy you as well!"

That night as he slept he stood again on the field of battle and took the heads of his sons. Night after night he suffered the same dream as Grizellha kept her promise and feasted on the despair of his greatest enemy.

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