Story: Fulskatar's Revolution
Before D'nashk Re'at came to be, the geographic area was simply called the South-West Wildlands. It was populated by a mixture of races, including members of the Monster Races. A number of competing warlords divided the land between themselves and built large estates, surrounded by militia soldier camps and slave quarters. The main economic activity was the export of slaves through Kaladron Pass into the Southern Kingdoms of Men, and onto Thasdook, the capital of Da'rahad.
One such warlord was named Skulnar, and he was a brutal and wicked Orc. His estate was located on the southern tip of Lake Orin and he commanded three militia regiments of Orcs, Humans and Dwarves. These regiments not only protected Skulnar's territory from the other competing warlords, but they were also forced to offer soldiers for Contest - a fight to the death in the arena where the winner would bring a bonus payment to his or her fellow militia soldiers, and also win a trip to Thasdook as a champion to compete there. No one ever returned from the Thasdook Contests, but it was seen as a better death rather than for Skulnar's enjoyment.
There was an orphan boy named Fulskatar who was trained under the Human regiment. He was gifted with fighting and was considered as a possible candidate for Contest, but Skulnar had other plans for him. The Orc warlord kept a small number of elite soldiers as his personal body guards and this is where Fulskatar found himself as a young man. There were many benefits for being part of the elite body guard, but they also had to witness up close the brutality of their warlord master.
One day, Fulskatar witnessed an act of such brutality and injustice against a family of slaves that he determined in his heart to find a way to overthrow his Orc master and somehow rescue the people who were slaves to him. Fulskatar quietly started to reach out to other Human and Dwarf soldiers to see if they would support him when he made his move, and he was encouraged by the responses of his fellow soldiers. But, as many revolutions go, someone among the Orc regiment overheard something they shouldn't, and a rumor was made known to Skulnar.
Skulnar was effective at being an evil tyrant. He did not tolerate a single rumor, regardless of it being true or not. Fulskatar and all of his close comrades where arrested and brought before the warlord. When all of them denied the accusations, Skulnar gave them a choice - be executed here before me or all of you must prove your loyalty in the arena, during Contest. And their response was taken as proof to the Orc commander, for all of them sneered at their master and said they would rather die now than give him any pleasure during Contest.
So they were all executed on the spot, except for Fulskatar. "Bring him to the dungeon and torture him for information, to see if anyone else has entertained the foolish notion of rising up against me", commanded Skulnar. And it was so: Fulskatar suffered greatly at the hands of the Orc soldiers, and when they were satisfied that he had told them everything, they threw him into a stone cell and left him to die in the darkness, alone.
Meanwhile, over the mountains and to the north-east in a vast area known as the Kaladron Wilderness, a man named Keanot had left his place at the Emperor's Court of Magicians to be alone in the desert. He used to be the head wizard and was preparing to be the future heir to the throne of Da'rahad, when he discovered the Sacred Writings of the Elves passed down from the Ancient Stewards, and in them the declaration of Knowledge of the Most High and the Magic of Nature. So he escaped from Da'rahad and turned away from all of his previous dark arts.
The Most High met Keanot in the wilderness. While he did not see the Most High face-to-face, and he did not hear an audible voice, the Most High would communicate directly to his heart through Omens - a silent understanding, as if someone had planted a memory into his heart long ago and then later reminded him of it. He also had many visitations in his dreams from various Ancient Stewards that would show him things and talk to him. Slowly over time, Keanot began to understand the difference between the Most High and all the other gods worshipped by the peoples of the Known World, the difference between the Ancient Stewards and the Fallen Ones, and the difference between the Magic of Nature and the Dark Magic of the Undead.
Then a day came when an Ancient Steward appeared to Keanot while he was awake, and declared to him:
"Behold, the Most High has set a path for your feet to follow. Over the Kaladron Pass in the South-West Wildlands there is a man named Fulskatar who is near death. He has been chosen to be the first king of a great kingdom that does not yet exist, but will soon come to pass. Go, Keanot, and rescue this man from the pit and help him to overthrow the wicked Orc warlord who is his master."
"But how will I do this? I have not yet learned any of the Magic of Nature."
"Set the eyes of your heart upon the Most High, seek him with all of your strength, desire to imitate his love, justice and mercy to the world - and when your will is in line with his, you will be given by Omen the command you need to speak. And the cosmos will obey thee as its Steward."
And when the Ancient Steward left, a pile of eagle's feathers appeared on the ground, and Keanot gathered them into his pouch. So Keanot left the Kaladron Wilderness in disguise as a traveling story teller and musician, and made his way to Skulnar's estate. On more than one occasion, when a soldier or a bandit would stop him, a command would show up in his heart along with the understanding of what it was for, and Keanot would speak and be delivered from his circumstance.
On the night before Keanot arrived, Skulnar the wicked Orc warlord received a terrifying dream that woke him and troubled him. When it was announced in the morning that a story teller and musician had arrived at his estate and wanted to gain audience with him, he took it as a sign and let him in.
"What is your business here?" asked Skulnar.
"I have come to tell you your story, " answered Keanot. "But first tell me, have you had any disturbing dreams lately?"
"Yes, in fact I had a strange dream last night. In it, I was spinning around in wind and sand, and all my estate was scattered into pieces. Then, when the storm was over I was alone and a skeleton rose up from the ground and pierced me with a sword in my stomach."
"I see," said Keanot, "Now, let me declare to you what the dream means: On this very day your estate shall be taken from you in a great battle because you have spilled the blood of innocents and have left a righteous man to die in the belly of your dungeon!"
"How dare you! Guards - grab him!" cried Skulnar.
Keanot reached into his pouch and pulled out the eagle's feathers, throwing them into the air. With a command they transformed into twelve large eagles with razor sharp beaks and talons. The eagles flew back and forth and caused great injury to the Orc warlord and his elite personal guards. In the confusion, Keanot ran from the room and into the courtyard of the estate, crying in a loud voice, "Freedom is upon thee! Rise up as one!". Then he whispered another command and a great whirlwind formed, dashing back and forth, causing more confusion and tearing apart everything it touched.
One of the Human soldiers approached Keanot and asked him who he was.
"Never mind me", said Keanot, "where is the man they call Fulskatar?"
"Follow me, " said the soldier, and they made their way down into the dungeon. Each Human or Dwarf they came across joined with them, but the Orcs fought back and were defeated. When they opened the cell, Fulskatar was in a deep sleep and almost dead. Keanot stretched out his hands over him and spoke a command given by Omen in that moment. And Fulskatar stirred awake. He was very weak, but the soldiers helped him to his feet. When they made it outside, the other militia soldiers and prisoners cheered at the site of Fulskatar.
And so it was that Fulskatar, by showing himself to be alive, was able to stir up a full rebellion on that day as the Humans and Dwarves joined together as one and defeated the Orcs and their wicked warlord.