Some History Lessons

The Temple at Ar-Kem-Tiel

There are a couple of options open to you at this point. You can either head for the Flower of Cassea in Ellendel or the Khul-Thahn Forge in the mountains of Baalgor. And yet there is even more; but first, some more history.

Ahn-Mak-Gnar was the leader of the so-called Empire of the Southern Dragon. The myths of pirates originating from the the lands of southern Timiro starts back during the Golden Age just before the Great War and it is all because of this one being. Ahn was a powerful dragon who made dangerous alliances in his quest for power; he was worshiped as a god by a vicious assemblage of monsters who plundered anyone weaker than they in the name of Ahn's glory. Thus Ahn was able to amass vast wealth using his minions.

Had he not been betrayed his reign would have lasted a thousand years. As it was, he remained in deific power for only 211 terrible years. Ar-Kem-Tiel happened to have a meeting with a sour demonic lord, Succor-Behemoth, and boasted of Ahn-Mak-Gnar's wealth and power, suggesting that it must surely match the demon's. Succor is a psychotically jealous fellow and so became bent on destroying Ahn-Mak-Gnar.

The scrolls tell that Ahn fled his empire after hiding his vast wealth, living out his last two decades as an elf. His followers were all enslaved by Succor-Behemoth, but were then slain because Succor could not control his jealous thoughts that they had once served Ahn faithfully. Eventually Succor-Behemoth caught up with Ahn, for no one ever outruns a demon. In a last ditch effort to at least foil the demon, Ahn-Mak-Gnar made a deal with the devil Hel, the Lady of Dyval, the homeworld of devils. He had hoped she would grant him his wish for immortality before he faced Succor. However, she would not offer Ahn much, but agreed to bind his soul and the souls of his followers in a scroll so that they would become immortal in history. In return Ahn told Hel where (most) of his glorious treasure was hidden.

Knowing that Succor-Behemoth could not possess his soul, Ahn faced the demon lord and was killed in a great battle. Ahn's soul was sealed in slumber for thousands of years in a scroll. His followers were already dead, so Hel agreed that should the scroll ever be opened, Ahn would have his followers back: she would possess the souls of two thousand in his name and instruct them to worship him.

Of course, Ahn's body is gone, so while his soul can be freed to enjoy the worship of a couple thousand followers, he has nothing else. But of course, this would not leave him entirely powerless. One could speculate that he might be out for a little revenge. But, perhaps he is just a devil's pawn in the war between Hell and Hades.