May 17, 2016 2:58 am
I wanted to create this so it was here before I could update the web page.
Lore
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May 17, 2016 2:58 am
The legend of Frost Keep
The land around the keep wasn't always a barren, frozen wasteland, but was cursed by the lord. Lord Victor Reinhel was a good and just man for many years. He ruled over his lands justly and with a big heart. He had a loving wife and several young children. Life was good for the lord and all the people in his realm. The land was fertile and green, lush forests covered much of the land. The game was good and the farms produced an abundance of crop.
Like most legends and tales, you know happiness can't last, or there would be no tale to tell and no Frost Keep for that matter. War as it always seems to, found a way into the lands. The waves brought in ship after ship of orcs to slaughter the people. Their numbers were overwhelming, and neared ten thousand. Many of the smaller provinces had fallen before word got to the lord. Lord Reinhel sent missive immediately to his ships to sail to the mainland and ask for aid of his long time friend in the Dwarfs. He sent their only hope on horseback and soon to be on the fastest ship they had, but the blockade around the island proved too much for them, and the ship was lost.
Lord Reinhel would never leave his people, but had made the decision to send his family into hiding in the caves in the mountain a shorts ride away. It had been a stockpile of weapons and supplies for years, and he knew if they made it there, none could get them. He bade them farewell and donned his magical armor. It was a sight to see, even though the man rarely had to use his skills, he was well versed in the arts of war. He could use steel, but not many knew he also was blessed with the ability to call forth magic. The later he never used, because the power always made him drunk and he could feel himself getting lost to it whenever he used it.
The orc army marched with almost no resistance, they slayed everything and everyone in their path. It wasn't long and the army was at the gates of the keep. The war drums silenced briefly and a monstrous orc came forward. He was seven and a half feet tall and was pure muscle. His torso, face and arms were covered in scars, piercings and tattoos. He spoke common and called for the lord to come forward. Lord Reinhel came to edge of the keep's walls and looked down on the orc. Words were exchanged and there seemed no amount of talk would end this.
Movement came from the rear of the orc's army. Lord Reinhel could see what looked like posts being carried through the ranks, but could only see the ends as they held tight formation. The ends of the poles were sharpened like a skewer and seemed about a foot in thickness. No doubt they came from his very forests. That is when the lord noticed several holes had been dug behind the massive orc. As the posts got nearer the holes, the realization and horror took it's grip on him. The posts were put, sharp end first into the holes and hoisted up until they were erect. On the end of the poles were the guards he had sent with his family to the caves. The last pole went up, and impaled on the end was his wife.
The orc shouted, "And your children will be our slaves!"
In that moment, Lord Reinhel fell into a pit of despair and agony. All of what he was and what made him that way was stripped away in a matter of seconds. He lost all control, his magic consumed him and was powered by vengeance. He struck out and in a matter of moments, more than two hundred orcs lay dead. The rest were routed and ran for the ships, but there was no escape. He slaughtered thousands that day, and many more after that. The land that was once fertile and green turned quickly white and barren, as you see it to this very day.
There is still life in the wastelands, for you see, he never found the bodies, alive or dead, of his children. He let some of the orcs live, but twisted them and contorted their shapes into a mutant kind of frost giant. These green-blue frost giants have wolves, massive wolves and they hunt and look for the children to this very day. Lord Reinhel cannot rest until he knows their fate.
The land around the keep wasn't always a barren, frozen wasteland, but was cursed by the lord. Lord Victor Reinhel was a good and just man for many years. He ruled over his lands justly and with a big heart. He had a loving wife and several young children. Life was good for the lord and all the people in his realm. The land was fertile and green, lush forests covered much of the land. The game was good and the farms produced an abundance of crop.
Like most legends and tales, you know happiness can't last, or there would be no tale to tell and no Frost Keep for that matter. War as it always seems to, found a way into the lands. The waves brought in ship after ship of orcs to slaughter the people. Their numbers were overwhelming, and neared ten thousand. Many of the smaller provinces had fallen before word got to the lord. Lord Reinhel sent missive immediately to his ships to sail to the mainland and ask for aid of his long time friend in the Dwarfs. He sent their only hope on horseback and soon to be on the fastest ship they had, but the blockade around the island proved too much for them, and the ship was lost.
Lord Reinhel would never leave his people, but had made the decision to send his family into hiding in the caves in the mountain a shorts ride away. It had been a stockpile of weapons and supplies for years, and he knew if they made it there, none could get them. He bade them farewell and donned his magical armor. It was a sight to see, even though the man rarely had to use his skills, he was well versed in the arts of war. He could use steel, but not many knew he also was blessed with the ability to call forth magic. The later he never used, because the power always made him drunk and he could feel himself getting lost to it whenever he used it.
The orc army marched with almost no resistance, they slayed everything and everyone in their path. It wasn't long and the army was at the gates of the keep. The war drums silenced briefly and a monstrous orc came forward. He was seven and a half feet tall and was pure muscle. His torso, face and arms were covered in scars, piercings and tattoos. He spoke common and called for the lord to come forward. Lord Reinhel came to edge of the keep's walls and looked down on the orc. Words were exchanged and there seemed no amount of talk would end this.
Movement came from the rear of the orc's army. Lord Reinhel could see what looked like posts being carried through the ranks, but could only see the ends as they held tight formation. The ends of the poles were sharpened like a skewer and seemed about a foot in thickness. No doubt they came from his very forests. That is when the lord noticed several holes had been dug behind the massive orc. As the posts got nearer the holes, the realization and horror took it's grip on him. The posts were put, sharp end first into the holes and hoisted up until they were erect. On the end of the poles were the guards he had sent with his family to the caves. The last pole went up, and impaled on the end was his wife.
The orc shouted, "And your children will be our slaves!"
In that moment, Lord Reinhel fell into a pit of despair and agony. All of what he was and what made him that way was stripped away in a matter of seconds. He lost all control, his magic consumed him and was powered by vengeance. He struck out and in a matter of moments, more than two hundred orcs lay dead. The rest were routed and ran for the ships, but there was no escape. He slaughtered thousands that day, and many more after that. The land that was once fertile and green turned quickly white and barren, as you see it to this very day.
There is still life in the wastelands, for you see, he never found the bodies, alive or dead, of his children. He let some of the orcs live, but twisted them and contorted their shapes into a mutant kind of frost giant. These green-blue frost giants have wolves, massive wolves and they hunt and look for the children to this very day. Lord Reinhel cannot rest until he knows their fate.