 |
Also known as the Balance Serpent, the Great Earth Serpent was one of the three Serpents of the Void. By keeping the Order Serpent and the Chaos Serpent in Balance, the Great Earth Serpent led the people of Serpent Isle in a time of peace and prosperity. Appointing a Great Hierophant of Balance, who embodied the Principles of Balance, Chaos, and Order to rule over the people, the Great Earth Serpent lived in the Ethereal Void, and could be reached by the Great Hierophant of Balance through the Wall of Lights, found in the Grand Shrine of Balance on Sunrise Isle. During the period historians call the Third Age of Darkness, the Great Earth Serpent was pulled from the Void by the hellspawn Exodus.
Although he was freed later by the hero who would become the Avatar, his absence allowed the Order and Chaos Serpents to begin to fight. As they fought, so did their followers on the Isle and the War of Imbalance began. The War was short but bloody as the Forces of Order, blaming Chaos for the Great Earth Serpent's disappearance, systematically destroyed the Forces of Chaos. Later, when the sage Batlin appeared in the Serpent Isle to help the Guardian enhance the Imbalance, the Great Earth Serpent was awakened to the Avatar's arrival in the land. Advising the Avatar of the tasks required to restore Balance, the Great Earth Serpent was finally restored to his former glory. He currently resides in the Ethereal Void, entwined between the Serpents of Order and Chaos in Balance. |
|
One of the three Serpents of the Ethereal Void, the Chaos Serpent was the living embodiment of the Forces of Chaos, part of what made up the Principles of Balance. Following the Great Earth Serpent's disappearance from the Void, the Chaos Serpent began to fight with the Order Serpent. This action precipitated the War of Imbalance, in which most of the Ophidians were killed. When the Forces of Order finally killed those who followed Chaos, the Chaos Serpent was broken into three Banes of Chaos: Anarchy, Wantoness, and Madness.
Locked in a special containment unit within the Temple of Logic, the Banes remained trapped until the sage Batlin, working on orders from the Guardian, destroyed the Bane Jail and loosed them on Serpent Isle. Following Batlin's death, the Avatar, under the direction of the Great Earth Serpent, rejoined the Banes of Chaos into the Chaos Serpent. This action came at a heavy price when Sir Dupre, one of the Avatar's dearest Companions, sacrificed himself to restore the Chaos Serpent. Now that the Balance has been restored, the Chaos Serpent resides in the Etheral Void, entwined between the Serpents of Balance, and Order. |
|
One of the three Serpents of the Ethereal Void, the Order Serpent was the living embodiment of the Forces of Order, part of what made up the Principles of Balance. Following the Great Earth Serpent's disappearance from the Void, the Order Serpent began to fight with the Chaos Serpent. This action precipitated the War of Imbalance, in which most of the Ophidians were killed. Secretly responsible for the death of the Great Hierophant of Balance, the forces of Order began work on their ultimate warrior, the Lords of Discipline. These warriors, automatons filled with the spirits of slain Order warriors, became the High Command of the forces of Order, based out of the Temple of Discipline. Near the end of the War, the followers of Order, killed the Hierophant of Chaos at the Temple of Enthusiasm, and laid waste to the Chaos city of Skullcrusher killing all within. Pleased with their victory over Chaos, the Hierophant of Order opened the Wall of Lights within the Grand Shrine of Order, deep within the city of Spinebreaker, and led the followers of Order into the Ethereal Void. Without its followers, the Serpent of Order went mad within the Void.
This state lasted until the sage Batlin, under orders from the Guardian, attempted to reopen the Wall of Lights, in hopes of gaining power from the trapped Banes of Chaos. Although Batlin was killed in his attempt, the action reawakened the Order Serpent to the happenings of Serpent Isle. When the Avatar recreated the Chaos Serpent at the Grand Shrine of Chaos, the Order Serpent became enraged and began to fight with Chaos again. Hoping to prevent the Avatar from recreating the Balance, the Order Serpent commanded its remaining followers to attack the Avatar within the Grand Shrine of Balance on Sunrise Isle. Fortunately for the lands, the Avatar survived the attack and was able to restore the Balance to the land of Serpent Isle. The Order Serpent remains held in Balance within the Ethereal Void, entwined between the Serpents of Balance, and Chaos. |
 |
Leader of the Ophidian people, and the embodiment of the Principles of Balance, Chaos, and Order, the Great Hierophant of Balance was responsible for overseeing the social and religious well-being of all the residents of Serpent Isle. Following the destruction of what was once Sosaria, the Serpent Isle, then known as the Lands of Danger and Despair, once ruled by Lord Shamino, was struck by powerful earthquakes and storms killing many residents. Sensing the danger to the people, the Great Earth Serpent spoke to an unnamed man of the great catacombs buried deep within the nearby mountains. Leading the people to safety, the first Great Hierophant instructed the people in the Ways of the Serpents, and renamed the people as Ophidians, in honor of the Serpents.
There were other leaders to come: The Hierophant of Order, follower of the Order Serpent, established Temples to the Virtues of Order; The Hierophant of Chaos, follower of the Chaos Serpent, established Temples to the Virtues of Chaos. The Great Hierophant established the Grand Shrine of Balance, set atop Sunrise Isle, as a learning and religious center for their culture. Within lay the Wall of Lights, a shining path into the Ethereal Void which the Hierophants traveled to converse with the Serpents. The Ophidians thrived under the care of the Serpents, until during the time historians refer to as the Third Age of Darkness, the Great Earth Serpent was ripped from the Ethereal Void by the Hellspawn Exodus, offspring of Mondain and Minax. Without the calming effect of the Great Earth Serpent, the Order and Chaos Serpents began to fight. Before long, the forces of Order had destroyed those of Chaos. Fearful of an attack, the last Great Hierophant of Balance penned the now legendary Scroll of the Serpent, detailing the fate that befell the Serpent Isle just moments before Order soldiers killed him. With the Imbalance covering the land, the spirit of the last Great Hierophant of Balance was unable to enter the Void and was trapped as a shade upon the Isle of Crypts, the final resting ground of the Great Hierophants of Balance. It wasn't until the Avatar, following the instructions of the Great Earth Serpent, cast the spell Summon Shade that the Great Hierophant of Balance's spirit was able to reawaken. Explaining the fate of the Great Earth Serpent at the hands of Exodus, the Great Hierophant instructed the Avatar to restore the Chaos Serpent, with the help of the Hierophant of Chaos, in order to restore the Balance to the lands. His spirit then vanished into the Ethereal Void; his soul at rest. |
 |
Leader of the Forces of Chaos, and follower of the Virtues of Chaos, the Hierophant of Chaos was one of three leaders of the Ophidian culture; the other two being the Hierophant of Order, and the Great Hierophant of Balance. Ruling from within the great city of Skullcrusher, the seat of power for those of Chaos, the Hierophant of Chaos oversaw the followers of the Chaos Serpent and managed the administration of the Temples of Chaos, which he traveled to via the Dark Path, a series of portals spanning the length of the Serpent Isle. The Ophidian people of Serpent Isle lived in relative peace and prosperity until the Great Earth Serpent, taken from the Ethereal Void by the hellspawn Exodus, disappeared allowing the Chaos Serpent and its counterpart, the Order Serpent, to begin fighting. The ensuing War of Imbalance short-lived, yet violently destructive for the entire Ophidian race.
The soldiers of Order, led by the Hierophant of Order and the High Command of Order, within the Temple of Discipline, killed the Great Hierophant of Balance to prevent Balance from being restored to the lands. Once completed, they turned their attention upon those who followed Chaos. Despite a valiant defense of the city of Skullcrusher, and the creation of many bizarre and powerful creatures within the Temple of Tolerance, the soldiers of Order crushed the Chaos warriors, killing all they could find. The Hierophant of Chaos, leading the defense of the Temple of Enthusiasm, was slain in the courtyard; his body then left to rot before the ancient Serpent Gate. Before his death, the Hierophant of Chaos managed to give the key to the Temple of Tolerance to Sethys. Later, when the Avatar sought to restore the Chaos Serpent to its place within the Ethereal Void, the shade of the Hierophant of Chaos was raised from its resting place within the Temple of Enthusiasm to guide the Avatar in the proper instructions. Once done, the Hierophant of Chaos' spirit fled into the Ethereal Void; his soul at rest. |
 |
Follower of the Chaos Virtue of Tolerance and Keeper of the Chaos Orb, Sethys was given the key to the Fountain of Tolerance by the Hierophant of Chaos at the Temple of Enthusiasm, moments before the Hierophant's death at the hands of the warriors of Order. Fleeing onto the Dark Path, Sethys traveled to the Temple of Tolerance to wait for the return of the forces of Chaos. It is unclear how long Sethys remained trapped within the Temple's walls, yet when the Avatar arrived there, after speaking to the shade of the Great Hierophant of Balance, Sethys confessed he had lost the key.
Thankfully, the Avatar, through the use of the Serpent Bond spell, was able to recover the key, which he later used to free the mage Mortegro, who had been trapped within the Temple by an Imbalance Storm. Grateful, Sethys told the Avatar of the Hierophant of Chaos' final resting place, and offered to travel with the Avatar to the Temple of Enthusiasm. Sadly, as he left the confines of the Temple of Tolerance, Sethys was killed as the centuries of age came upon him. With his dying breath, he bequeathed upon the Avatar the Chaos Orb, a lost possession of the Hierophant of Chaos to be used in summoning his shade. |
 |
Follower of the Chaos Virtue of Emotion, Shriash was born and raised within the Temple of Emotion; her father one of the assistants to the High Priest of Emotion. During the rituals of Emotion, the High Priest, under the guidance of the Hierophant of Chaos, would place the Lodestones of Emotion: Love, Hate, Happiness, and Despair, upon the pillars before the Temple's pool. There the ether combined to create the true Water of Emotion, contained within a pool before the Moon's Eye, a mystical tool of the Hierophant of Chaos.
Following the death of the Hierophant of Chaos, Order soldiers stormed the Temple of Emotion, killing all within. Shriash herself died in that violent attack, yet her spirit was trapped within a ForceWall for the centuries to come. Witnessing the deaths of her friends and family, she watched as the Order warriors desicrated the Temple. Centuries later, the Avatar, seeking to capture the Banes of Chaos to recreate the Chaos Serpent, traveled to the Temple of Emotion. Once there, he was able to recover the lost Lodestone of Love, buried within a shattered pillar. This action freed Shriash's soul into the Ethereal Void. |
 |
One of the three Banes of Chaos, formed from the destruction of the Chaos Serpent by the forces of Order, the Anarchy Bane was imprisioned within the Temple of Logic along with the Banes of Wantoness and Madness. When the sage Batlin traveled to the Serpent Isle, he visited the Temple of Logic, and destroyed the prison containing the Banes. Once freed, they flew across the lands into suitable hosts, to continue the past War of Imbalance. The Bane of Anarchy took control of Cantra, a resident of Monitor, until Batlin kidnapped and killed her to recover the lost Bane. Later, during an attempt to open the Wall of Lights within the Grand Shrine of Order, deep in the Spinebreaker mountains, Batlin was killed by the Banes as they escaped his control.
The Anarchy Bane, seeking a new host, took over the body of Lord Shamino, forcing him under its control. Traveling to the city of Moonshade, Shamino the Anarch, as he was then called, proceeded to kill most of the residents of Moonshade as he became the new MageLord. Sparing a meager few, Shamino the Anarch then traveled to the lost Castle of the White Dragon to plan the destruction of the Serpent Isle. The Avatar, following the instructions of the Great Earth Serpent, was able to contain the Anarchy Bane within the Prism of Tolerance, a Soul Gem coated with the Water of Tolerance. The Anarchy Bane was finally sent from the lands when the Avatar reformed the Chaos Serpent within the Grand Shrine of Chaos, deep in the Skullcrusher mountains. |
 |
One of the three Banes of Chaos, formed from the destruction of the Chaos Serpent by the forces of Order, the Wantoness Bane was imprisioned within the Temple of Logic along with the Banes of Anarchy and Madness. When the sage Batlin traveled to the Serpent Isle, he visited the Temple of Logic, and destroyed the prison containing the Banes. Once freed, they flew across the lands into suitable hosts, to continue the past War of Imbalance. The Bane of Wantoness took control of Gwenno, wife of Iolo, until Batlin, working together with the Trapper, killed her to recover the lost Bane. Later, during an attempt to open the Wall of Lights within the Grand Shrine of Order, deep in the Spinebreaker mountains, Batlin was killed by the Banes as they escaped his control.
The Wantoness Bane, seeking a new host, took over the body of Sir Dupre, forcing him under its control. Traveling to the Sleeping Bull Inn, the Wantoness Bane proceeded to kill most of the residents there. Sparing a meager few, the Wantoness Bane then traveled to the lost Castle of the White Dragon to plan the destruction of the Serpent Isle. The Avatar, following the instructions of the Great Earth Serpent, was able to contain the Wantoness Bane within the Prism of Enthusiasm, a Soul Gem coated with the Water of Enthusiasm. The Wantoness Bane was finally sent from the lands when the Avatar reformed the Chaos Serpent within the Grand Shrine of Chaos, deep in the Skullcrusher mountains. |
 |
One of the three Banes of Chaos, formed from the destruction of the Chaos Serpent by the forces of Order, the Madness Bane was imprisioned within the Temple of Logic along with the Banes of Wantoness and Anarchy. When the sage Batlin traveled to the Serpent Isle, he visited the Temple of Logic, and destroyed the prison containing the Banes. Once freed, they flew across the lands into suitable hosts, to continue the past War of Imbalance. The Bane of Madness took control of an unknown resident of the Serpent Isle, until Batlin tracked down and killed him to recover the lost Bane. Later, during an attempt to open the Wall of Lights within the Grand Shrine of Order, deep in the Spinebreaker mountains, Batlin was killed by the Banes as they escaped his control.
The Madness Bane, seeking a new host, took over the body of Iolo the Bard, forcing him under its control. Traveling to the city of Fawn, Mad Iolo, as he was then called, proceeded to kill most of the residents of Fawn, leaving only Ruggs, a scarred sailor, alive within the city walls. The former ruler of Fawn, Lady Yelinda was gruesomely deformed by Mad Iolo's power and fled into the Gorlab Swamp as a result. Mad Iolo then traveled to the lost Castle of the White Dragon to plan the destruction of the Serpent Isle. The Avatar, following the instructions of the Great Earth Serpent, was able to contain the Madness Bane within the Prism of Emotion, a Soul Gem coated with the Water of Emotion. The Madness Bane was finally sent from the lands when the Avatar reformed the Chaos Serpent within the Grand Shrine of Chaos, deep in the Skullcrusher mountains. |
 |
Once a resident of the Gorlab Swamp, Siranush was trapped within the Dream Realm by Rabindrinath, a local mage. Pulled into the Dream Realm by Rabindrinath's spell upon the great Dream Crystal, Siranush tried to protect the residents from Rabindrinath's evil, but after time their mortal bodies died, and their souls became imprisoned within the Dream Realm. Fearful of their fates at Rabindrinath's hands, Siranush hid the remaining souls away. Undaunted, Rabindrinath continued to pull unsuspecting dreamers into the Dream Realm, and the Gorlab Swamp, once a viable trail route to the Great Northern Forest, became a dark realm where travelers were trapped into the Dream Realm. Siranush searched in vain for one to free her and the residents of the Gorlab Swamp from their captivity, and was able to tell Edrin of her plight.
It wasn't until the Avatar, following the guidance of Harnna, mother of Cantra, seeking a path to the Great Northern Forest, traveled into the Gorlab Swamp where the Avatar and his companions were overcome with sleep. Once in the Dream Realm, the Avatar met with Siranush and learned of Rabindrinath's evil. Following Rabindrinath's defeat, Siranush presented the Avatar with the Serpent Necklace, one of the lost possessions of the Great Hierophant of Balance. Siranush then cast the spell to destroy the great Dream Crystal, freeing the entrapped souls within the Dream Realm. |
 |
A power mad mage, Rabindrinath created the great Dream Crystal in hopes of tapping into a vast power source. The spell he cast was flawed; however, the resulting disruption in the ether pulled the residents of the Gorlab Swamp into the Dream Realm. There he tortured the souls of the trapped residents, until Siranush was able to hide them from him. Undaunted, he began to pull other unsuspecting dreamers into the Dream Realm, hoping to learn more. It wasn't until the Avatar traveled to the Dream Realm that Rabindrinath was destroyed by the Avatar with the Helm of Courage, Mirror of Truth, and the Crystal Rose of Love. |
 |
The promised bride of Lord Shamino, Beatrix was the daughter of the King of the White Dragon, one of the rulers of the lands of ancient Sosaria. Following the defeat of the sorcerer Mondain by the hero who would be known as the Avatar, the Lands of Danger and Despair were ripped away from Sosaria to a distant world. Once there, the surviving residents became the Ophidians and renamed the lands to the Serpent Isle. Overcome with grief at losing her homeland, and heartbroken by Lord Shamino's decision to remain with Lord British, Beatrix died within the walls of Shamino's Castle.
Her rest was not to be peaceful; however, as goblins raided the castle shortly thereafter, raiding her coffin. Her spirit, enraged at her body's desicration, remained to haunt the abandoned castle. Her father, his mind damaged by the death of his daughter and by the betrayal of his friend Lord Shamino, killed the inhabitants of his castle and then himself. Later, during the Avatar's travels to the Great Northern Forest in search of the mage Batlin, Shamino learned of Beatrix's fate at the hands of the goblins. Furious at his return, Beatrix attacked the Avatar and his party, but was driven off. Her whereabouts remain unknown. |
 |
Once a member of the Moonshade's Council of Mages, Vasculio was a promising student of magic who studied under the MageLord Filbercio, and was even the teacher of Ensorcio. It wasn't until he began to research forbidden magics, that the other mages of Moonshade had him executed. He was killed, but managed to survive as a lich. Fleeing to the Skullcrusher mountains, Vasculio continued his research, killing travelers who were foolish enough to visit and drinking their blood to survive.
Vasculio managed to obtain many strange possessions during his stay in the Skullcrusher mountains, including: the missing Gwani Horn, the Flux Analyser stolen from Gustacio of Moonshade, and the Philanderer's Friend stolen from Torrissio of Moonshade. He was destroyed by the Avatar during his travels into the Skullcrusher mountains. |
 |  |
| Back to Chapter 8 | Read further |