Re: Mirrorshaft Hall

From: Stewart Stansfield <stu_stansfield_at_y6Xd4d3VBORLnBq9XhvgKTa4kEMLmUlNHyY2kq_Cy3KGfG2lIGBOtmz-uhh7A>
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:33:36 -0000

WAGGA'S RED ROOKS This heroband was born out of the wereducks' hatred of Torkoll. As they hid from Fazzur's pogrom, many of the bravest durulz took oaths to Humakt, and swore to fight the Gamvalings until Torkoll was dead and his hall destroyed. They had heard the legends of how one of the Short Ears' ancestors, Salvi, had been led by Raven to The Stream-- only for the man and his friend, Owl, to turn on their guide at the last moment. The wereducks recognised Raven as the companion of their god, Humakt. The children of Raven lived to this day, fighting the children of Owl. They would make good allies.

The ducks quested to gain the aid of Raven, as Humakt did, but events didn't go quite as they had planned.

After all, the raven is sacred to Eurmal as well as Humakt.

The durulz were successful, but each paid an eye for his trouble, for Raven is a wily bargainer. In their thirst for vengeance the ducks also forgot a key part of the legend: that Salvi and Owl had turned upon their guide when Raven demanded they fight The Stream. The durulz have a special relationship with The Stream, and the essence did not take kindly to the Red Rooks' alliance with its enemy. It cursed them, so that they have lost all connection with the Water rune: severed from it as they are severed, as Humakti, from society. They cannot swim, nor live or thrive in the water as they once did.

But the Red Rooks--named for their dirty, blood-spattered feathers-- do have Raven's patronage and are strong in its magic. Captained by their leader, Wagga Spleengurgle, they are a group of vicious, carrion-eating murderers who live in caves in the Duran Hills. They raid the Gamvalings and other clans of the Locaem when they can, and even assault Lunar caravans on the Wilmskirk-Duck Point road--if they think they can get away with it. Short Ears, Locaemi and Lunars alike have threatened to crucify every last drake and crow of them.

Less kind commentators have suggested that `Red Rooks' was perhaps not the wisest of choices for a group of ducks to call its heroband.

Stew.