The Journey of Siernan

taken from the original game manual

Darkness has descended upon Parthoris again. I fear that this time there shall be no one to lift the damp veil that has blanketed my beautiful homeland. The plague struck quickly, and it was not until too many were infected that anyone took notice of the creeping death. Now, city streets are filled with the noxious green plague vapors that cause insanity and then death to any that are unfortunate enough to inhale it. Most are warped and twisted into a blood-crazed rage that drives them to assault nearly any that they encounter. My people have fared better than the Sidhe, but even those noble beings have regressed into mindless barbarism. Perhaps I will be able to find some means to cure this terrible nemesis that has befallen my homeland. If not, I fear all will be lost.

Excerpts from the Chronicles of Parthoris
compiled by Tholia, Ssithra Historian

The Coming of D'Sparil.

Ages ago, when Parthoris existed in relative peace, five races walked the land. The Seraphs had withdrawn beyond the Worlds End Mountains. Each race built great cities, temples, and centers of wisdom from the knowledge that the great Seraphs left in the wake of their passing. But the Seraphs left behind more than their wisdom when they removed themselves from the affairs of Parthoris. Their passing left the young races vulnerable to the powers of the Outer Worlds.

It is said that the Seraphs foresaw the coming of D’sparil, but if this is true they did nothing to intervene.

As the five races settled into their destined roles, three majestic demon brothers began to formulate a plan of conquest of three different inner worlds. D’sparil, having watched the passing of the great Seraphs, prepared his armies to sweep across Parthoris.

On the Day of Darkness, D’sparil opened World Ripples in each of the great cities of Parthoris. Andoria, K’chekrik, S’chekrik, Vendra, Savria, Thurge, Biskol, and Silverspring. He marched his armies into these cities, and by nightfall each was under his iron rule. Only Silverspring managed to resist his conquest for a short time. The Celestial Watcher had the night before seen a change in the star patterns which allowed Silverspring to prepare for the coming doom. Most fled the city and hid in the Darkmire swamps and the Kell Mountains.

As D’sparil began the second phase of his conquest, the four races that had fallen to his might on the Day of Darkness were subjected to the powerful charisma of D’sparil’s presence. Over time, they succumbed to his will and freely chose D’sparil as the rightful ruler of Parthoris.

D’sparil reigned supreme, until a hero arose to combat his evil.

The Heretic

Huddled in the occupied streets of Silverspring, now called the City of the Damned, a young Sidhe began to unlock the mysteries of the lost artifacts of the Seraphs. He unearthed an ancient magic wand that the Seraphs had made as a gift to the first Celestial Watcher. Its power was limited, but it was enough to allow Corvus to start fighting back against D’sparil’s minions.

As news of Corvus’s defiance traveled across Parthoris, he was dubbed the Heretic. He did not conform to the laws of D’sparil. He fought back against the ravaging hoards of the demonic armies. He openly defied D’sparil’s power.

Corvus traveled from city to city looking for D’sparil’s stronghold. He fought the legions with every step of his journey, but his search uncovered more than just D’sparil. He found caches of the Seraph’s lost magic, including one of the famed Tomes of Power. Using the newly unearthed artifacts, Corvus attacked D’sparil’s stronghold on the ocean floor with renewed vigor.

Face to face in D’sparil’s domed city, Corvus and D’sparil pummeled each other, blow after blow. Even with his serpent slain, D’sparil still came at Corvus with all of his demonic fury, but in the end it was a final blow from the Phoenix Rod that caused D’sparil to erupt into a conflagration of fury, fueled by the oppression of Parthoris.

D’sparil cried out in anguish as his robes and flesh were seared from his bones. With is dying breath, he cried out a curse that set into motion Corvus’s fate.

Corvus’s lost years in the Outer Worlds
as recorded by the Tome of Power Teejalla

The Outer Worlds

D’sparil was defeated. Corvus stepped through the world ripple expecting to cross over into Silverspring. As he crossed through the dimensional portal, he discovered the full meaning of D’sparil’s curse. He was trapped in the Outer Worlds with no apparent means of returning home.

For years he wandered among the seemingly infinite landscapes that make up the Outer Worlds. Each new world was more desolate and alien than the last. He learned that D’sparil had two brothers that had laid plans to conquer other worlds, and as he traveled across the barren landscapes Corvus became increasingly aware of how widespread the taint of the Serpent Riders really was. Most of D’sparil’s army had been composed of creatures that were the twisted remnants of once normal civilizations, and he heard tales of the Serpent Riders using mass enslavement to bulk up the ranks of their armies. Corvus did not know where the other two Serpent Riders traveled to, but he hoped that these unfortunate worlds were more successful at stopping the demons than his people had been.

The only relics Corvus managed to retain were his fighting staff and the Tome of Power that I have imbued my essence into. All of his other weapons were rendered inert and useless. The knowledge contained in my pages became his most valued possession. I had lost most of my power after the battle with D’sparil, but I was able to refocus my energy slowly during the course of our travels. Eventually, I was able to reveal my presence to Corvus. I guided him, and eventually related the story of my creation.

Ages ago I was a Seraph, but I, along with my seven sisters, was given the honor of becoming one with the seven Tomes of Power. Each of the Tomes carried different pieces of our knowledge. Our greatest seers had foreseen our departure from the affairs of Parthoris and we knew the necessity of maintaining the wisdom of our race. The seven Tomes were created, infused with our life force, and then they were given to our cousins, the Sidhe.

A Way Home

Years of wandering the Outer Worlds hardened Corvus. Alone in the alien worlds, Corvus was forced to fight for his life with the only weapon that he had, his staff. He fashioned it into a pole arm of sorts by lashing a blade to one end. I began to teach him about the lost magic of the Seraphs. It was only after years of practice that he gained mastery of the magical foundations that I taught him. With this education, Corvus will be able to quickly learn and use most any spell based upon our tradition of magic.

Decades past before I stumbled upon a means for us to return home. Corvus was engaged in a fierce battle with a demon when I felt the opening of a nearby World Ripple. This Ripple felt different than any of the others that we had traveled through, I could feel the faint call of my sister Tomes from the other side of the ripple. They cried out in pain, for they were being used for powerful magic. The ripple was a means home.

Using the other Tomes as a beacon, I guided Corvus to the ripple. As he stepped through, I was confident that our search was, at long last, over.