RiCHARD DAKanSPELLCASTING he type of magic used in the Fifth Age differs from that used before the Second Cataclysm. In the Fifth Age, each spellcasté T shapes sorcery and to his or her individual style. On the other hand, the AD&D" magic rules leave litle if any leeway ff players to interpret existing spells, let alone make up new ones on the spur of the moment. How, then, are DMs suppose to apply the AD&D game rules to spellcasters in the Fifth Age? While we have no hard and fast answer to this question, we do hay a few suggestions | & The easiest method is to simply use the AD&D magic rules as they are—allow wizards and priests to cast spells normally While this does not accurately represent the changes that the Second Cataclysm wrought on the world of Krynn, it dog provide DMs and players with a familiar and comfortable magic system. Furthermore, by carefully selecting whi particular spells heroes have access to, DMs can go a long way to giving the game a distinctly Fifth Age feel. In other word sto spells they normally can't get (or deny thea feel free to stretch the normal boundaries of spell selection: Allow PCs ac access to ones they can get) to bring home the point that things are just a little bit different in Ansalon these days. & Or, DMs may free wizard and priest characters from the necessity of memorizing spells altogether. In this option, spellcast PCs learn spells and keep spellbooks normally, but they can cast any of their spells at a moment's notice. This aids the Di in recreating the feel of Fifth Age magic; spellcasting heroes decide what spells they need only when the time arises to af them. Meanwhile, players must keep careful track of how many spells of each particular level their PCs cast in a di Spellcasters may never exceed the number of spells they would be able to cast using the normal AD&D rules (for example 4 dth-level mage could cast a total of three Ist-level and two 2nd-level spells). 4 Finally, if the DM has access to a copy of the PLAYER'S OFTION": Spells & Magic book, all spellcasters can be treated@ channelers (described in Chapter 6: Magic). The channeler class represents the closest that AD&D rules come to matchit the spelicasting process of Fifth Age sorcery and mysticism. Again, itis incumbent upon the DM to ensure that heroes a characters have access to spells that help recreate the possibilities and restrictions of their usual schod and spheres. & $F whatever method DMs choo give their DRAGONLANCE games feel of the Fifth Age—whether th cone of those delineated above af spell point system of their of devising—we encourage the remain flexible in their rulings the end, no AD&D rules patch perfectly recreate the Saca* system (just as the SAGA rules never completely reproduce feel and style of AD&D magic). always more important for and your players to have fun enjoy your game than for you follow exactly the letter of any of rules.Richard Dakan Contributions From Bill Slavicsek and Stan! Editor Miranda Horner Adventure Concept Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Creative Director Stan! § Typographer Angelika Lokotz Graphic Designers Tanya Matson and Dawn Marin Cover Illustrator Jeff Easley # Cartographer Dennis Kauth Interior Ilustrators Dennis Cramer and Rebecca Guay 8 Art Director Dawn Murin Special Thanks To Linda P, Baker, whose novel provided this book with descriptive quotes to begin certain chapters, R Strauss, Madonna, Wojciech Kilar (the composer of the score to Bram Stoker’s Dracula), the artists on the Dune and Les Misérables soundtracks, Violent Femmes, Cibo Matto, and Paul Simon The authors gratefully acknowledge the original pioneers of Krynn: Larry Elmore, Jeff Grubb, Harold Johnson, Douglas Niles, Car! Smith, Michael Williams —and of course, Margaret Weis and ‘racy Hickman. us, i [EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS ASIA, PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA ‘Wizards ofthe Coast, Belgium ‘Wizards of the Coast lc. PB. 2031 0. Box 707 2600 Berchem Renton, WA 98057-0707 Belgium "1-400-524-6496 #327028-32-77 eancrn336 Acct Duss & Descans,ADBD,Duscot ass, DUNE MASTER, i! Ac, MOMTICS MANUAL, Ss, the Wizard a the Coast oa repitere tracers owed by Wit of te Coat Ine ‘Al Winds careers characte amet ad th datncve ness thereof ee eats evel by Wier ofthe Gout Ie. ‘Diba othe bby a ome rade a the United Sas sd Canada by epooa datbuors Distibte inthe United Sates the ook ede Se Martins Prem. Disbted Cana he oak trae Renn Lad ‘Disrbuted woldvie by Wir ofthe Coun and ead tar “hig mater peated unde thecopright ime the United tae of Aer Any tpoucon oe wautriaed ke of he meal ‘oc arork cntaled bees proiedwidou the eps wtenpermon of Winds he Coast ne ‘Thisproduts work of Beton. people orusston plas or events purely once yt x 200 Wirth Cone Al agis taered Maden ie USA ‘Visit ovr website st wwwwlaards.com abd AE WES jam) KF fa Si Ta ea LSS £>>> isa <7 iS y NSMeN SS EES Aton Author's foreword [ve always had a special place in my heart for titans. 'm not really sure why, except that the interesting than giants—mo smehow. OF course, in Krynn, giants are r ‘ nonexistent. This last fact change day (I'm based in Florida, so most day when Twas on the phone with my friend and ment: for the DRaGONLANCE” setting, Trac had been awarded the this new suppleme ture centered around ogres. Tracy, meanwhile, was busy working ist of the new War of Souls novels where the ogres had their own part to play, so we decided to ‘ogres and see what we could come up with. 1¢ most interesting aspect ofthese brutish beings is the fact that they were Krynn.{ had come up with the idea that an ogre mage might try tore sort of evil magical process. Tra la was a good thing and that the efore the fall” They would be big, Sx Ces IN Z <— — ly had their own myths and beautiful, but most importantly they’ kick Thus were born the ogre titans of about the book in the beginning, the plain o tray them asa flly rounded cvilizati Whi 1, and a fearsome lot they are indeed. While these titans got me excited rest over the long haul. I wanted to por for bashing in the heads of , ‘world? All interesting questions if you ask me. The ‘new depth to their own games, here it is the titan book that i realy abou no set the two, at least not for the moment. The ‘themselves, "Hey, there aren't any titans in the DRAGON Ky aon | ES Soy aS sy <4 ee vA Pa = Ns RENEE pHsGey) Ae ISAs WSN CK LDR SORES SS Table of Contents Part One: Act One: The Ogres of Kern The Age of Titans Sodbe Ou Tinga s+. ocoededseneeneg 32-6 The Ogres 4 Scene Twos Journey Point 39 The Curse of Paladin 4. Seene Three Drago’ Plat a Sidebar: A Not about the Rules 4 Scape leur Stare eevivencte ase On the Diversity of Ogrekind...0sssscsccsccseed Scene Five: The Last Rebels... sses ” TheTwoRealm oss { Scene Six The City of Kernen «00... 9 Sidebar: The Truth about Titans [1G Sidebar, DauotisSratey: Festival. 0... 53 8 Scene Seven: The Palace of the Great Khan 35 110 Act Two: Mountains of Bléde ssl1 Scene One: The Giants Road. ....2.++++++ © u (Chart: Travel Chart. -...2.2+++2++ (Ogre Battle Tactics, n Sidebar: The Giant's Road ..... ali ofthe Kilns 2 es ROWSE eens a san Dae ae Oye Life Cycle. acs ae tacts, 16 69 Anatomy of Oe Tans Sop ” Qpeand age Frc z a Ogre Magic Items.........eseeeeeeeeeeeeceee 27 75 Saber ince a Part Two: The Adventure Introduction: The Story Act Three: The Valley of the Titans Saring the Advts sccseseeseees-30 Seen One lato Dest Do ‘0 VY tn iemay » urs Menagerie s \ oe : cae toes ANY Cole Dina “BL Scam Thue Daur Gadel ene so 88 WY) Geoff Trundle... 2 \ Fisteshi Nor. 33 Epilogue: Hope for Silvanesti? 2} Meegin Kundel... Groller Dagmar. . Where to Go Next ...ssseccseseseseesesesetese 95 KCK TS eZ <> Kah] AQ Any ONY eee : BOCES II oy fio , 1 eH A,ke stars in the sky, the {] watchers of the darkness were J] the mighty Ogres, building a W nation of order and |] discipline, But their hungers consumed them, their greed ‘and desire made them weak ‘and ugly, and their appetites | devoured them. The humans rebelled against their cruelty and vengeance, and the Ogres fell of the gods. —Fromt the Book of the Irda, The Irda The Ogres Itis my fervent hope that you who read ths are children of a world ruled by ogres, the chosen of the great Darklady”. ‘As [set pen to parchment, the destiny ofthe ogre peoples unfolds itself before my very eyes—a destiny that you no doubt are already living in. Let this work stand as an example of what we once were, recording our tse fall, and eventual rebirth asa people. We must not forget where we were before and the depths to which we had sunk. ‘Now that the Age of Titans is upon us again, I present here a full and complete study of what life was truly like in the Age of Ogres. I lived my early yeas in the hard times of this age asa scion of a despised and ridiculed people, We still suffered under the Curse of Paladine ‘when it opened, but then I discovered the secret of our * Darkly i the ogre name for Tass 4: BooKonE A Note about the Rules Throughout this book, game mechanics appear “wherever the roleplaying situation call fora specific rule. Saca* game rules appear in the running text or paragraphs preceded by the leaf icon (), while rues for the ApvaNcep DUNGEONS & Dacoxs* game appear either in color type within curved brackets like this} or in a separate paragraph preceded by a dragon icon (9). redemption, Here I present the story ofthat age and how it yielded to the Age of Titans. Tam Dauroth, and once I was what many called an ‘ogre mage, in truth one of the most gifted and powerful cof my time. Ihave studied the history of our people more extensively than any living being and am, without 2 doubt, the greatest authority on the ogres in the entire ‘world. We shall come to my story in due course, but frst ‘we must know of the sad state of the ogres before I came to them. Excerpt from The Ogres: An Authoritative Study by Dauroth of Blode The Curse of Paladine Tam sure we have all heard the tae of the Curse a thou- sand times, but I shall retell it in brief for those readers ‘who want the definitive version set down in writing. When the gods first created the world, each of the three ‘great deities created one race. Takhisis, ist in all things, created the ogres, a race of powerfully built, beautiful ‘people who possessed great magic and wisdom. Paladine ‘created elves, and Gilean created humans. “The ogees awoke first and became the rightful rulers of the world. They enslaved the humans to serve them ‘and drove the hated elves off into ther forest refuges. For thousands of years the ogre peoples ruled in peace and prosperity. They built marvelous cities high in the mountains of the world and mastered powerful magics. This time was truly the first Age of Titans. “The original ogres, or titans, were nothing like the misshapen and bestal creatures that so much of the world today has come to associate with the name. The titans were glorious beings, standing twice as tall as any ‘of the leser races and capable of defeating ten times their number in batle. Truly, no greater beings ever ‘walked the world, ut of jealousy and hate, the gods of Good and Neu: tality set out to tear down the world Takhisis and the titans had built, They corrupted one of the titans, a wealthy landowner named Igraine. They caused him to set free his human slaves and, consequently, touched off rebellion among the millions of slaves who served the titans faithfully. Although the titans fought hard, treach- ‘ery and the power of Paladine and his misguided follow- cers overcame them. ‘As titan society collapsed and the world fell into bar- barism, Paladine could not resist one final parting blow. noesAGE OF TITANS cw “He cursed the titans to become just as degenerate and aimless as their civilization had become. In his words, “Let the Evi in their hearts be evident in their forms” This curse caused the finely sculpted forms ofthe titans to shrink and shrivel, becoming hunched and brutish. Thus ‘were born the ogres whom so many people know today: dall-eyed louts who area shaclow of their former selves. On the Diversity of Ogrekind The Curse of Paladine struck us down, but not immedi- ately, The cruel god of Good let our people suffer long and hard firs. Infact, the original curse did not distort the titans themselves but rather their children. Each gen- eration after the curse was but a shadow of the former generation. The titans tried to use their magic to save their offspring but to no avail. Within a few hundred years, they ost all but the barest vestiges oftheir original forms as well as most of their power. Over the course of this period of degeneration, ogres split into several different breeds, The vast majority of, ogres became the eight- or nine-foot-tall brutal and rough-hewn beings we normally associate with the name. At half the height of a titan and usually about a fifth of the intellectual prowess, these powerful beings silltower over most of the other races of Krynn. Even Paladine could not take away our basic strength. Other, rarer breeds of ogres exstas well. The curse affected these descendants of various individual titans in special ways. One of these breeds is of course my own kind: the ogre magi. Some have claimed that the ogre ‘magi are closely related to the despised Irda, but I have found no truth in this (Irda and ogres are not related) ‘The ogre magi descend from an individual titan named ‘Treloran, one of the most powerful wizards to ever walk XKrynn. Treloran’s magic was so powerful that he shielded his children from Paladine’s Curse at east somewhat. Unfortunately, ogre-magi tend to be extremely rare, and few exist in my time, Slightly more common are the giants, who descend from the great titan soldier Raunquar. His martial blood gave birth to creatures just as brutish and unintelligent as normal ogres, However, the giants have retained their forebears size and strength, standing on average some sixteen fect tall. They have mosty retreated into the ‘mountains and hills hiding from the world like cow: ards, Paladine’s Curse may have left them with Raun- ‘quar’s size, but it took away every vestige of his courage and sense of duty. The deformed ettins and cyclopses are misshapen versions of their giant kindred and hardly worth discussing. ‘The hags or ogresses stand somewhere between the average ogre and the ogre-magi, Descended from a pow= erful wizard named Lurrhein, the hags could have retained as much power as the ogre magi were it not for the folly oftheir forebear. Lurrhein, discouraged by the effects of the Curse, lost her mind. She came to the insane conclusion that the reason for the curse was that ‘ogres were trying too hard to expand their civilization and their minds. They needed to stop seeking change. ‘The Darklady was not amused with this attitude of capitulation towards Paladine (even if Lurrhein did not AGE oF titans ws iS A oa (>) Sh SS eg aie gS Oe ¥ »)ISN Dy A LP i A The Truth about Titans ‘Transcriber’s Note from Farana Silvertreth “Truly knowledgeable historians of Krynn know that ‘Dauroth has played with the truth a litle here. Inthe beginning of time, all ogres looked much like the Irda 1o0k today, whichis to say, nothing like the titans of auroth’ tal. Over the millennia, the ogres have developed their own myths and songs describing their long-lost glory. Like many myths, these stories hhavea grain of truth at their origi, but the authors hhave taken great poetic license to make their tales ‘more compelling. The modern ogre would never ‘of the Irda when dreaming of former glories. In their eyes the Irda are smell weak ofthe flesh, and ‘generally unimpressive looking, Ogres appreciate strength, brutality, and the ability to tear one's ene- mies apart. It should surprise no one thatthe ogres created ‘their own perfect version of themselves and called ‘them titans. The titans of legend never existed until Dauroth brought them into being. Dauroth undoubtedly took al the stories he had memorized ‘sa child and gave them life. Whether or not the key ‘0 creating such « powerful magic transformation came from his own mind of from some malevolent outside force shall remain a mystery. The titans may never have existed in the past, but their current exis tence threatens everyone. realize what she was doing) and therefore tore holes in the magical shield Lurchein had created for her children, ‘Consequently, they too became deformed, although in a ‘manner different from most ogres. Thus were born the various breeds of hags: annis, reenhags, and sea hags— all descended from Lurrhein. They retain some of their pprogenitor’s magical abilities, although not to the degree of the ogre magi. (Other strange breeds of ogres came into being as wel, ‘but most of them died out quickly, as they could not reproduce or they eventually disappeared into the greater ‘ogre population because of inbreeding. For thousands of years, the ogres have bred true, perpetuating the legacy of the original titans in their corrupted blood, waiting for the day when a messiah would come along and restore them to their former glory. The Two Realms Ogre communities concentrated in two main regions of, ‘Ansalon; the mountain realm of Blode and the tropical peninsula of Kern. Each realm offered something of 1 to its ogre inhabitants although historians like me ‘widely recognize that Blode was always the superior of the two. In fact, the titans first awoke on the very moun- tain that now isthe site ofthe city of Blt, first city of the ogres and founded by the Darklady herself Even before the Curse of Paladine struck our people down, the ogres had divided into two separate realms. Relations between the two realms have sometimes been strained, but in general they have gotten along, recogniz- 6 BOOK ONE ing that they had much in common with each other and that allies are important in a hostile world. Recently the Khan of Kern, under the guidance of the grand wisdom ofthe titans, ceded control of his king- ddom to the Chieftain of Blode. For the first time in ages, the two realms stand united. Unfortunately some mal- contents disliked this change and several of Kerns clans rose in open rebellion. A bref but sadly bloody civil war ensued, uring which the tans le the loyal ogres of ‘lode and Kern to victory over the cowardly rebels. As of this writing, the civil war is over and all of Kern happily follows our will 1 shall begin my brief account ofthese two kingdoms with the leser realm of Kern, which lis tothe north of Blode. have taken the liberty of not only setting down the historical stat ofthese realms before the return of the titans, but Thave also noted what effects the titans hhave ad on these realms in the few short yeas we have been back. Kern “The realm of Kern occupies the Kern peninsula sur- rounded by the Blood Sea of Isat, the Northern Cour- rain Ocean, and the Miremier Seas. The northernmost ‘extension ofthe Khalkist Mountains defines the realm’s southern border, providing a natural barrier with the realms of Neraka and Khur (the latter currently ruled by the dragon Malystryx) Located so far north, Kern is constantly subjected to temperatures many consider oppressvely hot. Certain, the plains of Kern have seldom seen a flake of snow in all history, but they have had more than their share of rain. In ancient times, forests covered the entire region, but centuries of turning tres into lumber have left only two substantial wooded regions: one tothe north, the other to the south, “The ogres of Kern lve simpler lives than thei cousins to the south. They do not live in great cities as do the ogres of Bldde, and they do not concern themselves with what is going on in the rest ofthe world unless it directly impacts ther lives. Today that has changed somewhat as we titans bring all of ogrekind into the forefront of worldly events. Ogre Politics in Kern ‘Traditionally, Kem politics have focused on family groups. Most settlements within Kern revolve around large family groups or clans. Ihave discovered that a typ- ical settlement consists entirely of ogres related to one another in some fashion. These lan communities are the only social groupings ogres truly fel comfortable in ‘When marching into battle, whether under the Dragon Highlords in the War ofthe Lance or now under their Grand Khan and the titans, the ogres of Kern always form their regiments along clan lines. Each clan has sto- ries, songs, and traditions, ll of which relete histories of the various batles their clan has won down through the ages. Before the titans, the cans led most of their lives as independent politcal entities and had litle to do with the daily politics of the Kern government. Kern has no system of taxation yet, nor any other organized economy. Fach clan scrounges, steals, hunts, or trades for what itneeds, and conflicts between neighboring clans occur frequently. The Grand Khan, nominal leader ofthe clans of Kern, is traditionally from the Kern clan. The Kern trace their lineage back to the ancient ogres and at one time held tremendous influence over the worl. Until the arrival ofthe titans, the power of the Khans had slipped toalmost nothing. The Grand Khan of Kern can make only one claim on his people: They must all answer him hen he pus outa call to arms. The Khan also settles Asputes between clans although few communities choose to call upon his judicial powers. Ogres prefer to sete things their ov way Even today, the Khan's mos significant power i that ‘he owns all the land in Kern not expressly owned by one ofthe many clans. Since the unclaimed land i of ttle talue and ogres themselves donot farm or engage in any other agriculture yet, this laim has historically meant very litte, Lately however, the current Khan discovered a ‘to use this power to his advantage. The town of Dragon's Point was home tothe Klargh lan all of whom mysteriously fll prey to a strange plague about a decade agp. No other clan would move into the area, fearing it ‘arsed in some way. The Khan then claimed it fr his own and promptly turned around and sold it tothe minotaur Kingdom of Mithas for a tidy sum and an annual tithe. Evidently, the minotaurs desperately needed a reliable source of lumber for their ships and the Endscape woods innorthern Kern were a perfect source. While I feel obligated to point out that the Khan could probably have ‘ade much more money by cutting the trees of End: scape and selling them to the minotaurs for a handsome rf, he was an ogre atthe time. Ogres prefer to take ‘quick and easy money since they are at heart lazy beings. ren so, the sling of ancestral ogre land angered many ofthe clans. Although the local ogres could do litle about it I fear that the seeds of rebellion were planted the day the minotaurs moved into Dragon's Point. ‘Aside from Kernen, very few large towns or cities exist in Kern, though this might change as we titans accomplish more of our goals. In general each clan hasa single st- iement that they hold as their own These towns nor- nally have between fy and two hundred family units living in them. Since the average ogre family consists of fvindividuals, most communities have a population of round ive or six hundred. Most ogres in Kern live on the open grasslands, usually next to a river or other source of water. Ogre families liv in large stone build- ings with wooden roofs called longhouses. The typical longhouse consists of one main room where the family «a sleeps, and keeps its hearth. Many houses have an sddtional private room ora cella where they store food tnd precious goods. These longhouse are quite sturdy, snd many have stood for several hundred yeas. From what understand, the head ofthe clan, or heii, usually has a much more elaborate home. (fen the chieRan's home is built to accommodate the rns of some ancient ogre building from the Age of Tans. The ogres have great reverence for their ancient pas and to live among the ruins is considered a great honor. The chieftain's Jonghouse always possesses at least ‘wo stories and serves as the center of government for the community. The Hall ofthe Chieftain has alarge reception area where the elders of the clan can come together and where the chief can preside over disputes between families. I also serves as a trophy room, show: ing captured booty as well as crudely rendered tapestries ‘depicting the clan's past victories, Although the ogres of Kern practice very litle agri- culture, they do domesticate animals, particularly dogs. ‘The Kern love their dogs, and every family has at least a few of these bestal canines in their home. Trained hunt- ing dogs are actually one ofthe few real products that the ‘ogres can export to other lands. Hunters from Neraka, Malysiryx’s domain, and even Nordmaar and Estwilde will rade or pay good ste! fora wel-trained dog of. Kern. The ogres seldom keep their dogs leashed up, and they tend to roam the area in packs. They never attack ‘ogres ofthe clan, but strangers in the town may find themselves ina lot of trouble. ‘Although several breeds of dogs exst in Kern, the ‘most common isthe Carsh breed, an ogre name that simply means “hunter. These large dogs stand almost three feet high atthe shoulder when fully grown and ‘weigh over one hundred pounds. They are lean, muscu: Jar, and fast, with short, coarse brown or black fur. I hear that one of them can easly take down a human on its ‘own, and in packs, they can tear a man to shreds ina few ‘minutes (Ozres are at heart scavengers, and most clans send out scavenging parties on a regular basis. These parties not only hunt wild game, but they attack fellow travelers, or even other ogres. Most ofthe scavenging parties bring large packs of tamed but savage dogs. ‘Town life centers on the scavenger and raiding parties and what they bring back. Thave discovered that itis normal fora third ofthe population to be off hunting at any given time, Both male and female ogres participate AGE oF titans w7 CRE im aD VAS > isan ae 3 JD2¥ A >) LS iNp a a vx LS QZ ay , G Ko by oI EN rE Ogre Clans of Kern —a summarized excerpt from Ogrekind by Trent Ferlane ‘Although wars and cataclysms have wrought great change among the balance of power among the clans of Kern ogres, a few have still maintained « prominent position among the hierarchy of families. The greatest lan i, of course the Kern clan. The Grand Khan usu- ally comes from this clan, They live in Kernen and have several branches, which often causes conflict when the leadership of the nation is ever in question, (In the ‘past, the Grand Khan has traditionally died in a battle or sortie. though the Khan's son or daughter tends to fits the clan leader looked uneasy and refused rather Drusquely. Iwas sent on my way shortly aftr that. I can ‘only assume that the flute has some interesting history behind it. ‘The Reckt clan lives near the batlesite of Stabbing. ‘They tend to be powerful because oftheir militant watch over the area, Evidently, they have a terrible problem with undead rising from the fields of Stabbing and filtering into the nearby villages (including theirs). ‘When {asked about why they have such a problem, I did not get much of an answer. The way T understand isan ogre shaman was casting a spell just as the gods left. Itwent awry, and ever since then the Reckt clan thas been killing undead such as zombies, ghosts, and ‘become the next Khan, the challenges that occur before ‘becoming a Khan can kill off weaker candidates.) Other important or powerful ogre clans include the following: Darghen, Krein, Reckt, and Grangh. The Darghen live on the northern coast ofthe Miremier skeletons. The Reckt rose to power recently because they started using every ogre inthe clan (including the ‘weak ones that normally would stay behind) to fight these undead, Due to this and their higher-than-nor- mal reproduction rate, the Reckts have made their ser~ vices avilable to other outlying villages that have suffered from undead attacks. Finally, the Grangh clan contains a st of ogre magi ‘wins. The sisters gained their skills early inlifeand | hhave been using them to both protect and defend their | can from others. From what I understand, each gener~ ation produces another set of ogre magi twins, some ‘male and some female (or a mix). Consequently, theit ability to send out a powerful mage with a hunting party and keep another powerful mage behind to efend the village has proven to be a winning strategy. ‘This family lives about forty miles away from Dragon's Point and is fairly close to Arrowhead. Although 1 ‘could not talk my way into the Grangh longhouse, 1 did discover thatthe twins have a comprehensive library, My guess i thatthe library is written entirely in the ogre tongue, however SN ee FY ARES << ogre shaman, though an occasional ogre has risen to ‘this position when that generation’ shaman tends ‘toward a physically weak disposition. While I was trav- cling through thet area heard rumors thatthe current ogre shaman chieftain has found some artifact that ‘might have come from ancient Ista, Unfortunately I could not follow up on ths story. The clan of Kren ives about twenty miles south- ‘west of Hag’s Dirk. They tend to pillage weaker villages ‘nearby and protect their own village extremely well and over the years, they have gained quite a few inter- esting relics They graciously allowed me to see some of ‘them. I must admit that I was impressed. They had sev- cal glain opals and many other gem types, a set of ‘matching elven daggers that were undoubtedly magi- cal and an unusual silver flute, to name a few. The flute ‘was completely untarnished, and when I esked to play SSI XK v> » ak >) ee hs in the hunts. At least once a year the chieftain leads out a great hunt, where all but the sick, young, and feeble set ‘out to accomplish some major rid, The ogres may be gone for up to a month, and during that time they will raid other communities as far way as the realms of Onysablet or Nightlund (although the target might be as close as another ogre clan a few miles away). When they return with their booty, the ogres hold a great feast, sing songs of the ancient days, get roaring drunk on potato liquor, and eat the flesh of their enemies. Only in these rare moments of victory do the ogres approach the greatness that was once theirs. Blode Bléde is avery diferent place from Kern. Landscape, cul- ture, and current politics all come together to make Blode a more civilized place. Although this was not always the cas, today all of Bl6de's territory consists of ‘mountains. The Khalkist Mountains have lang sheltered the homes of the ogre people, and I have discovered that most ofthese ancient cities stil house ogres to this day. Blbde's voracious western neighbor, Onysablet, has recently swallowed the fertile fel that long ago sup- ported the slave-run farms that fed the ogres. Although 8c\ BOOKONE ‘the ogres dream of retaking tis historically ogre prop- «erty for now they remain safe and secure within th mountain cities ‘The weather in Bldde is much cooler than that in Kern because of both its elevation and the fact that ties farther south. Winters are relatively mild except in the higher peaks, which are covered in snow for most of the year Blide is nota fertile land. The mountainsides have ‘mostly boulders, rocks, and thorny bushes upon them. A few valleys hidden deep within the mountain ranges host forests and some arable land. The ogres lve entirely in Cities, all of them much larger than what one would find in Kern. The cities generally rest on plateaus but some of them are simply built up along the side ofthe mountain. “Hundreds of generations of ogres living inthe same ‘mountains have created a network of rough mountain ‘paths that crisscross the entire realm. The ogres use these trails both to trade among the various cities of Blode and to march forth on their frequent raiding and scavenging ‘expeditions. Furthermore, the ancient ogres cut their vin roads and tunnels into these mountains, many of wiih are still in us to this day. Consequentiy, the Khalkist Mountains within Blode itself are some of the _most easily negotiated peaks on the continent, as ong as you stick tothe well-traveled paths.Now more than ever, Blideis a nation on the move, ‘The whole realm is fled with a fighting fervor and a pride that no ogre has fel since the Fest Age. The tans have rejuvenated the ogres and given them hope of. recovering ther lost glory. Although ogres are simple folk, they tend tobe quite tenacious when given the proper motivation. Under their new leadership, they fel confident of eventual victory ove all her foes, and cone day [hope they prove themselves worthy of becoming titans themselves. Ogres move from one city toanother, transporting manufactured goods, training forthe long marches to come, or mustering in their legions. Messengers are always on the run, carrying the ms recent proclamations from the great titans. Ogre Neighborhoods in Blode Inmy experience, the ogres of Bldde have always taken themselves a litle more seriously than their cousins in Kern. In Bde, almost every ogt lives within one of the ancient ogre settlements, whereas the ogres of Kern have had to find thei own way in the world outside of Kernen, In Blode, ogres feel some responsibility to try and live up to the glory of their ancestors even ifthe best they can hope for isto bea pale imitation ofthe original. Thus, they crowed into the great ruins that are their cities live in festering, unsanitary conditions, and phy at being civilized. Unfortunately, their base natures and relatively low inteligence mean that they are little more than sad smockeries. The family is not nearly as important in Bide as its in Kern. Crammed into overcrowded cities, thelines between one family and another tend to blu. ‘The ogres find litle privacy, and neighbors tend to share ‘with or steal from each other on a regular basis, even ‘when it comes to mates and raising children. The basic unit in Bldde politics and society is not so much the fam- ilybut the neighborhood. These neighborhoods repre- sent the old districts of the ancient cities where hundreds of ogres squeeze together just to lie where they think they should in their ancestral homes. Neighborhoods can become quite insular and rivalries between them often erupt into violence. Ogres stick to their own areas ofthe ity and the few public places where all are welcome. Beryone knows everyone ese in a neighborhood, and strangers are definitely not welcome. The neighborhoods of Blode’ cities serve much the same function that clans do in Kern. Neighborhoods send out communal raiding parties on expeditions that ‘nally last months at a time. This not only alleviates crowding, but also helps secure food and trade goods for the neighborhood as a whole. While the ogres value pri- vate property, they do not really expect to keep anything for long, Neighbors often pick up anything that is not ‘hained tothe floor and take it for their own, While this leads to frequent good-natured bravis, no one much minds. Until recently, the neighborhoods were relatively ‘autonomous groups. They fought with other neighbor- hoods in the city during times of peace and joined to defend the city as a whole to defend it from invaders. Cit loyalty is stil very important to the neighborhoods, avenif they do not actually get along with their neigh bors The whole city comes together a few times a year for communal festivals, and every few years cites usually hhold a great communal raid where they join forces and. set out in search of booty and slaves. Recently, Donnag and I have begun to change how neighborhoods see themselves. We have fired up the ‘ogres of Blide and unified them as nothing else could. ‘We have puta halt to the feuds between neighborhoods. ‘Now titans under Donnag’s command organize the ogres into regiments based on the neighborhoods, and ogres who once would kill each other for walking down the ‘wrong street now fight side by side in the new army. We seek to forge an ordered, disciplined urban society from the chaos that has ruled life in Bide for as long as any- fone can remember. It looks as if we might succeed, High Politics in Blide Politics in Blade has always been more about the office than the man (or ogre). In Kern, the Khan holds his tle ‘through familial connections and tradition. In Blode, whoever controls the city of Bloten has always been acknowledged as the nominal head of the entire realm. The ogres of Blode attach special significance to their ancient capital. Tradition has always maintained that ‘Bloten isthe birthplace of the ogre peoples and is thus hhome to its greatest rulers. Although no longer a very reli gious people, the ogres still fel that whoever controls this sacred place must somehow have the blessing of Takis, So, for the rest ofthe ogres of Blode, choosing a chief: tain is easy, They pay fealty to whoever commands the CChieftain’s Manor, the tower in the center of Bloten Although slightly more centralized than the Kern gov. ernment, the government has not heavily influenced the ‘ogres for along time. Every city must send an annual tithe to the chieftain, which supposedly amounts to one tenth of ll booty taken during that year’s raids, In prac- AGE OF titans ~9ys Oe a) whe (545 f 4 tice most ogres cannot even figure out what one tenth of their booty might be, and i thy can, they realize that they donot want to give it up. Thus, wile every city rakes some show of paying tribute, the amount actually sent to Bidten amounts to very litle, In times of war or national emergency, the chieftain also has the power to command each city to send warriors to serve under the chieftai's command. Most recently, the ogres have fought protracted conflicts against both the Dark Knights in Neraka and Onysablet' forces inthe New Swamp. In both cass, the lost. The main reason for this is that while many ogres answered the call to arms, few of them stayed around once the fighting turned ugly Some simply wenthome once they Sle their packs with all the booty they could carry. Others bristled under the orders of the chieftain and his commanders and fought in their own way. Ther more organized foes thus easily forced the ogres back into their mountains and the entize province of Bladehelm was lost. Each city chooses its own leaders, or Wardens, from the most powerful neighborhoods. These Wardens have little responsibilty or power other than what they can forcibly hod fr themselves. They collect the meager tributes and end them onto Blgten, and they make sure ‘enough ogres report for duty when the Chieftain musters the army forthe national defense. In most cases, the Warden also collects a tax for himselé The rest ofthe neighborhoods pay the tax only because they know that none of them are strong enough to oppose the Warden. Should the Warden ever show signs of weakness another leader from another neighborhood act by frst ousting the filing leader and then assuming power. This same selection process holds true within Bléten as well, The fight fr the Chietan’s Manor House and the nominal rule of the realm has often turned blood. Chieftain Donnag’s power was on the decline, weakened byhis continued losses to Onysablet, Neraka, and even the dwarves of Thora. I came on the seene justin time. By transforming into a titan, Donnag has assured his supremacy in Blode and now helps me build a new ‘world order for all ogres Ogres and Mountains (Ogres love mountains. The ancient ogres built magnifi cent cities high in the mountains of Ansalon so that they could look down on the rest of creation from their lofty perch. Although I have some tents that declare the early ‘ogres famous for their conceit and hubris, i should sur Prise no one that these ancient ogres with their powers and rank in the world saw it only fitting that they lived in the heavens. Of course, the ogres of old had something very important that allowed them to build such wonder ful cities: slaves. The ogres have never been farmers of ‘workers. From the earliest days of recorded history, the ‘ogres held slaves, mostly humans, who gathered their food, mined their ore, and performed every other menial task imaginable, This left the ogres free to pursue more appropriate, lofty pursuits such as art, music, literature, and, most importantly, magic. After the fll of ogrekind, the ogres remained in the ‘mountains, although they had no slaves or magic. The fallen ogres made the transition from masters to preda- tors and scavengers. They remained in the mountains 10 BOOK onE not to be closer to the gods but for protection. With their great strength and resilience, the ogres could live the harsh life of a mountain dweller without too many difi= culties, Other races had a hard time sealing the moun- tains, and no army could effectively move through the peaks as well asthe ogres (except dwarves who moved under the peaks). The mountains offered safety and shel- ter from a world that was no longer theirs to command asithad once been As ogre populations grew over the years the ancient ‘mouniain homes grew crowded beyond their capacity. As predators, the ogres relied primarily on what they could steal from others. By the laws of nature, a given environ- ‘ment can support only so many predators. Some of the ‘ogres decided to move on, emigrating to other mountain, ranges and, forthe first time, down into the fields and valleys below. Ogres settled the hot and humid land of ‘Kern, While the ancient ogres had maintained outposts and keeps on the Kern peninsula (principally for manag- ing their slaves there), ogres had not lived in the region in long while. The great ogre migration drove off hun- dreds of thousands of human residents, many of whom became meals for the new residents. Since those times, the mountain ogres of Bléde and the plains ogres of Kern have drifted apart. Although the ‘two nations have never lost contact and stil trade with ‘one another, [have een that a definite difference exists between the two realms. The ogres of Bléde view Kern as aa backward, somewhat savage (a relative term for ogres) place, The Kern ogres view the denizens of Blode as haughty and pretentious. Ii interesting to note that, ‘while the vast majority of Kern ogres live in the open, the ‘capitol of Kern remains Kernen, an ancient ogre city in the mountains, In our hearts, the ogres (and titans) of Kern til respect our mountain roots and accord great reverence tothe capital city. Ogre Festivals ‘Ogres have litle inthe way of organized religion any- more. Although local shamans serve some ofthe pur- poses of priests, the ogres abandoned religion long ago. Cursed as they were by the gos, the ogres found litle use for actually worshiping them. Consequently, the ogres needed to find some other way to fill the need for ritual they flt deep within them. Thus the festivals were bora. (Ogre festivals vary greatly from community to com: munity. Within Kern, each clan has it own festival tradi- tions. Usually the festivals are rather impromptu events, held after particularly successful raid ora great victory in bale, Other communities have developed rigid schedules of festivals, based on the turning of seasons or the anniversaries of important events. Up until the return of the titans, no nationwide, mandated festivals lik the one taking place in Kernen occurred. We hope to change al that knowing that festival serve an important role in keeping ogre society together. ‘The singing of songs and the telling of tales ae both important aspects ofthe festival, almost as important as cating and drinking. The storytelling can go on for hours, often with ogres that were presenta particular butte telling their own versions of the same events. The ogres love to listen to tales of violence and depravity, never growing tired of hearing the same bloody actsdescribed repeatedly. Until recently, the ogres usually told tales of events that happened in the lifetime of the ogre speaking. The devotees ofthe titans have modified that by telling tales ofthe ancient titans o help reinforce the tian power base inthe minds ofthe population. Itis normal for ogre festivals to include the ritual say- ing prisoners taken in bate. Some communities hold ther own version of pladiatorial games, while others simply slaughter the prisoners outright In ether case, the ‘ogres feast upon the recently defeated as pat of the fest ‘al thus proving their superiority over thei rivals. Ogre Shamans Although the ancient ogres had magicians as powerful as any race, they lost most of that ability when Paladine's Carse gradually transformed them into the powerful but sow-witted monsters they are today Still, some ogres have retained a small aptitude for magic. The more pow: erful and extremely rare ogre-magi possess abilitis to tial any modern-day spelleaster. Ogre shamans, those ogres born with more intelligence and a natural born feel forthe magical arts are more common. Neatly every sizable ogre community has at least one shaman, In fact, I have noticed that many shamans lead their clans and are the most respected ogres in existence. Unlike human or elven spelicasters who tend to forgo physical training in order to pursue their magical ats, shamans tend to be very physical, rough-and-tumble ogres. A shaman rarely masters more than one sphere of magic limited as they are by both native ability and the mental resolve to study. Shamans use magic on a purely instinctual level. From an early age, they find that they can do things other ogres cannot, and overtime, this ability develops through occasional use, (Ogre shamans usually rule a community because they are the toughest ogres in town. They know how to fight tnd scavenge as well as anyone and their magic only helps them achieve their goals more effectively. Most shamans collect a devoted band of followers who gladly hey his orher commands. In return, the shaman leads hisor her followers after some of the best booty to be found, Made confident by their magi, shamans will raid far from home and other ogres will follow them, emboldened by the shaman's wonderful tricks, Nothing spursa group of ogres into batle faster than watching their shaman cast forth sheets of ire or lightning from. lisor her hands, Inaddition to being spellcaters and warriors, have seen that shamans also tend to be great storytellers Since ‘ost ogres are awed and even alittle frightened by magic (although they would never admit sucha fear), they will ‘ail believe any tale of magical prowess a shaman ‘ight tll them. Not only do shamans relate their own deeds and accomplishments, but they also speak of the {eat shamans of the past, including the ancient ogres. In fact the shamans have played a large role in emphasizing the true size, ferocity, and magical prowess of the leg- cendary titans. Ogres and Outsiders ‘Ores hate other races. Isa simple fact and one that is tnavoidable among my former kind. Ogres grow up with a horrible inferiority complex, and their if isa series of contradictions. On the one hand, they are just about the biggest, strongest, toughest race on Krynn. On the other hhand, they are one of the least accomplished civilized races, Once they were the chosen of Takhisis, masters of, all they surveyed, and visions of beauty. Now they are universally hated, ugly and barely considered intelligent by the rest ofthe races A certain amount of resentment is only natural. In their heart of hearts, every ogre would prefer it if none of the other races were around. Asit is, they that in some cases they have to lear to get along with ‘others, or at least afew of them. The ogres know that siven their lack of intelligent leaders, they have to follow ‘others to greater glories. Thus, ogre soldiers have in the past served in the armies of Evil on many occasions, ‘most recently in the service ofthe Dragon Highlords during the War of the Lance. When no such charismatic Fil force exists to command ther allegiance, the ogres fall ack on their old ways: raiding and scavenging, ‘The ogres of Blode trade with their human neighbors to the east: the nomads of Khur. The only thing an ogre respect is strength, and the men and women of Khur have plenty ofthat. As longas ther trading partners show no signs of weakness, the ogres deal with them fairly. Any sign thatthe trading partner fears the ogre elicits nothing but scorn and, in al likelihood, the ogre il simply take what he or she wants through force. Outsiders who repeatedly show a strong backbone will eventually earn respect and even friendship from an ‘ogre. While ogres always think lowly of other races, they do occasionally make exceptions for individuals. All ofthese ways of thinking have begun to change ith the coming of the titans. We provide that spark of ambition and intelligent leadership that ogre society has lacked for so long. For the frst time in many years, the ‘ogres can follow one of their own to greater glories, Fur thermore, we play on the innate racism that all ogres possess. I want my followers to put the other races ofthe ‘world into the right perspective: They can serve as slaves to our greater glory. Although foreign trade provides Bléde with afew valuable products for the moment, Ihave gradually begun to reduce the amount of legal trade. Ultimately, I plan for ogrekind to get what it needs through the old-fashioned methods: conquering the lesser races and pillaging oftheir belongings. Once we hhave accomplished this, the lesser races can take up the reins oftheir former enslavement and produce what we titans and our ogre brethren need. Ogre Battle Tactics (Ogres ove to fight. They fight for theit food, money, and fun, Ogres judge the success of a raid not just by the booty gathered but by the quality ofthe slaughter that accompanied it. Ogres especialy like to fight ‘weaker opponents, although they do not shy away from fighting a larger foe (however, not many things are larger than an ogre) Traditionally ogres employ very simple weapons that they can either make for them: selves or steal from others. Spiked clubs are especially popular among ogres ofall regions. These nasty weap- ‘ons usually measure some five o six feet in length and are little more than a tree branch with ten-inch iron AGE oF Titans h ‘ y NY A i>) ae \ se a WF, Ke D i wySAN <4 =v >> C&S spikes driven through one end. When they can get their hhands on them, ogres aso like steel maces, axes, and spears, although few ogre artisans make such weapons, In addition to their cub or other weapon, most ogres carry a long knife or dagger. This is usually used as a tool for skinning captives, cutting meat, and other utili- tarian purposes, In battle, ogres charge their enemy with gleeful aban- ddon and blood lust. In the past, few ogres trained for- ‘mally for combat. They relied on their massive strength, and toughness, combined with wild but powerful attacks, to blow through any opposition. Regretably, ogres are not particularly adept at teamwork or fighting as a unit. Even when part ofa larger force, ogres traditionally rush forward in a mob and strike at whatever they come across. They make up for their lack of tactics through sheer ferocity. Even when their weapons break or they get wounded, ogres keep on fighting to the end, Until recently this technique worked well for them. Outside ofthe actual fight, ogres often have more concern for their own fate. Fearless in battle, the thought of torture or imprisonment terrifies most ogres. Any sit uation where they no longer have control makes them ill atease Recently, we have begun to break all ofthese old ‘habits, We train the ogre armies like real soldiers. The ‘ogres, used to their easygoing life styles and free-form fighting style, do not like all of the harsh training meth- ods we subject them to, even if it means they will have a greater amount of success inthe long term. Because of their resistance, it has taken a long time to train the ogres to fight like a civilized army. However, those regiments that do pass muster are some ofthe best-equipped, best ‘rained, and most fearsome soldiers on Krynn. The biggest problem we have as ofthis writing is making enough ogre-sized arms and armor to equip the new & 12 BOOK ONE armies. Ogres have no tradition of metal or leatherwork ing, so we have to rely on the small force of titans, the ‘occasional rare blacksmith or leatherworker, and slave labor. It takes a long while for a slave to make a good quality ogre-sized sword and as of yet my fellow titans and have equipped only a fraction of their troops with these modern weapons. Bill Giants of the Khalkists I close with a brief note about the tribes of hill giants who live in the Khalkist Mountains and therefore have regular interactions with the two ogre realms. Giants are relatively rare among ogrekind and they tend to be reclu sive, When giants breed, they always produc Additionally, ogre offspring can sometimes turn out to be giants as wel, which isa very unwelcome nati among most ogre communities. Ogre parents usually expose the baby and let it die rather than raise itas their ‘own. Ifa group of ill giants lives nearby, the ogres leave the newborn giant in the wilderness near its own kind. More compassionate than their ogre cousins, the giants always take such foundlings in and raise them as part of the family. ‘The Khalkists Mountains have sheltered hill giants for ‘thousands of years. The giants lve primarily through foraging, hunting, and occasionally herding, They are ‘omnivores, content to live on fish and vegetation but happy enough to get a nice goat, goblin, or even bear to roast for dinner. Like most hill giants, they generally pre~ fer to keep to themselves. Unlike many hill giants, the tribes of the Khalkists are infact very religious and even superstitious beings. Their religion revolves primarily around the worship of nature asa destructive force. They make offerings to their deity in the form of both animal sacrifices and the performance of ritual songs and even.dances (a giant dance has been known to set off svalanches in the winter months), Surprisingly, given their rather dim intelligence, the hill ants of the Khalkists ae also very accomplished wood ‘workers. Although most giants live in caves and never build any lasting structures,they create large intricately ‘carved totem poles. The giants fll the largest tree in area, then spend months covering it with carvings depicting ‘varius spirit and images of their nature god. They then place these poles in places they hold holy, using them as focus points for religious activity. ew outsiders have ever seen these poles since the giants usually place them high in the mountains where no one else would dare go. Part of the reason the giants can so successfully stay aloof from the rest of the world includes their ability to travel where others cannot. Hill giants have some trails through the mountains, but for the most part, they simply climb wherever they have to go. Despite their {edt size, or maybe because of it, the giants are tremen- ously gifted climbers. Their strong hands may be too. large to find the tiny crevices smaller climbers rely upon, but they are strong enough to dig into the mountainside and make new, giant-szed grips. When intruders threaten ther territory the giants like tous their mountains as weapons. For example, they often hurl boulders, cause avalanches, and throw their enemy off the side of a nearby cliff. although they forged anagreement with us that allows us to use the Giant's Road, we do not stray too far from the road for fear of breaking this lucrative alliance before we are ready to do $0, Since the giants have no real leader or central author- ityto lead them, they probably will not close the road unless we actually make a move against them. However, itnever hurt to be patient and move when we are com- pletely prepared. Final Words sincerely hope that this thumbnail sketch of the ogre ‘aceat the dawn of the Age of Titans has given you, the reader,a good sense of where we come from, Should his- tory proceed as I think it will, all these facts will become mete historical curiosities—images of a by-gone era. I fimly believe that, were it not forthe return of the titans ‘oXrynn, the ogre peoples would remain inflexible in thei ways and exactly as Ihave described them here. Fortunately, we have avoided that sad fate The Story of Dauroth ‘,Hlundjal, present here what I consider the greatest story ‘four time. I have had the great honor and pleasure to study atthe feet of this great being, who is the ist of the ‘ey titans: Dauroth. A noble, even humble person, Dau- roth refused to spend time writing any sort of autobio- ‘gaphical treatise, After more than a little pleading on my Pare agreed to allow me, his foremost student, to ‘wite this brief account of his life and accomplishments Iodite. Its my profound hope that these words, written atthe beginning of Dauroth’s new life asa titan, shall sereas.a record for the ages. Countless generations to come ill read them and know the truth about this great ge who brought our people out of despair and into our fight place as the masters of Krynn, Dauroth’s Dream Today the ogre kingdoms of Blode and Kern ate but shad ‘ows oftheir former selves, Both have lost significant terri- tory to dragons and to more powerful neighbors. They are very different from the ogres of legend, who wielded pow- erful magic, possessed great beauty, held humans as slaves, and were the chosen of Takhisis, Now a single ogre has ‘come who hopes to change the course of ogrekind’s «demise. His name is Dauroth and he isa scion of that rarest breed of ogres: the ogre magi. As an ogre mage, Dauroth ‘was far removed from the base and brutal existence of most ‘ogres. Today, his intellect far exceeds most ogres (or most ‘humans or elves fr that matter). As the name ogre mage would suggest, Dauroth is indeed a spellaster,and a very good one at that. While ogre-mage magic differs slightly from other magic practiced on Krynn in this new age, it is still quite powerful. Moreover, Dauroth has found an carth-shattering new use for his magical abilities. For most of his seventy years of life, Dauroth has dreamed of the past glories of the ogre race, When still a child, he had already memorized all ofthe ancient ogre songs and myths about their glorious past and the treachery of the foul and despised Igraine. His life-long {quest has been to find a way to restore his people to their former stature. He firmly believes that the ogres were born to rule the world and all the lives within it, Were it not for the curse of Igraine, ogrekind would rule Ansalon and all of Krynn today. No dragon, no matter how great, could have stood up to the power and majesty of a true ‘ogre, or as they have become known in ogre lore: titans, ‘The ancient songs described the titans as large, pow- erful, beautiful beings. Dauroth knew, however, that these qualities did not make the titans masters ofall they surveyed. It was their magic and their devotion to the ‘reat goddess Takhisis that put them atthe pinnacle of existence. Titan magics could level mountains, dry seas, and raze cities. If Dauroth could only uncover the secrets AGE OF titans W153 a aS SY (< Rs >>>} x) ai <2 a yy e ae RR obef aS QD* ll i) ey ‘of that ancient titan magic, he would holdin his hands the key othe salvation of the ogre race. Dauroth devoted much of his youth and early adulthood to studying at the feet of other ogre magi (those few he could find) learn- ing all he could about the secret history of the titans. When he had exhausted what others had to teach him, he moved on to his own experiments. Although he mastered ‘many powerful spells, none of them approached the leg- endary magic of the titans. ‘Then came the Summer of Chaos and the end of the Fourth Age, as humans and elves reckon it. The dawning of the Fifth Age lft Dauroth as confused and hopeless as :most of Krynn. His magic no longer worked, and years of research and learning suddenly became useless In the blindness of his agony and despair, Dauroth destroyed his magical laboratory and wandered off into the wilder- ness to die. There, on the brink of death from starvation and exhaustion, Dauroth had his vision. ‘As Dauroth tells the tale one of the great titans of old appeared to him asa guide. Over the cours of seven days and nights, this shimmering spirit of long-dead glo- res revealed to Dauroth the secrets of the new magic in Krymn, More importanty, the titan spirit revealed to ‘Dauroth the reason he had thus far failed to reproduce titanic magic. In order to wield such great power, one rust frst become a titan, Dauroth’s Discovery ‘Thus armed with the new magic of Keynn, Dauroth returned from the wilderness and began his research anew, However he had a very definite goal in mind. As ‘the spirit had instructed him, Dauroth began searching for a way to become not an ogre mage wielding tan ‘magic, but an actual titan. Dauroth traveled the ancient ‘ogre ruins in Kern and Blode as well as other lost places throughout the continent, learning many forgotten facts about his ancient ancestors. All the while he carried out a series of experiments involving hundreds of ogres and other beings. Many of his subjects filed to survive the magical experiments; however, Dauroth knew that these sacrifices were made forthe good of the ogre race. Eventually, Dauroth settled into an ancient ogre stronghold several days from Blaten. Here Dauroth centered the final phase of his great research project. Finally he had discovered the missing ingredient inal of his previous experiments. The process of becoming @ titan required the blood of the titan’s most hated ene mies: elves. Dauroth had by this time attracted a small following of ogres who would gladly do his bidding. ‘They acquired several dozen elves ftom the border of vanest (Alhana’s scouts, ait tuned out) and brought them back alive to Dauroth’s citadel. ‘There, inthe restored glory of an ancient ogre citadel, Dauroth made his dream come true. Over the course of three days, he performed the magical rituals he had so carefully designed. The ogre mage sacrificed ten elven, prisoners and drained of every drop of ther blood into a steaming cauldron infused with the power of his magic. Ten, withthe power of the ancient titans upon him, Dauroth submerged himself inthe boiling bath of elven blood. The pain was such that he burst forth a moment later, but the ritual had worked. The frst ofthe new titans was reborn 14% BooKONE ‘The fearsome ogre mage had been transformed into a giant paragon of beauty. Standing over ffieen feet in height, the blue-skinned ttan’s magnificent visage stunned his followers. He now had pointy ears, sharp teeth, and piercing black eyes, ll set against a handsome, smooth-skinned face. He had the physique ofa warrior; his muscles were hard as stone, yet supple and ready for action like some great hunting beat Truly, no being so ‘magnificent had walked the earth since the Age of Dreams. More important than how he looked was how he felt, though. Dauroth could fel the magical energies ofthe titans switing around within him. Now he elt thatthe power of the Darklady’s chosen was his at lst. re would become the ogre messiah, leading all his people back to their former glory. Over the next few months, Dauroth experimented ‘with his new body and his new powers. He began to transform the lands around his kep int a vision of dark ‘beauty. The citadel was transformed overnight to its vam ished sateliness, The valley below began to bloom with vegetation long unseen in Blode: lowers, fruit-bearing trees, and vines heavy with ripe berries. Then came the hidden disaster that Dauroth shared with no one. One morning, he felt the power begin to fade away from him. ‘Terrible pains wracked his muscles and putrid boils began to fester on his skin. The magica transformation ‘was coming undone. He locked himself away and worked feverishly to halt the process. He discovered that an addi tional bath of elven blood restored him to his ull might ‘The ogre mage researched the mater forthe next year. He transformed several other ogres into titans and then watched as they degenerated into horrible, mis- shapen beasts many times more horrifying than their ctiginal ore form, Through careful experimentation, Dauroth learned that it was not necessary to completely repeat the transformation ritual to retain one’s new titan form. Regular doses ofa magical brew consisting of elven ‘blood and other ingredients from the transmogrifving bath could keep a titan healthy and in fll form. Now that this obstacle to success had been overcome, Dauroth ould proceed with his grand designs fr all ogrekind Dauroth’s Destiny Rumors of Dauroth’s experiments had circulated throughout Blode and even into Kern over the past yea, Dauroth had kept his activities to himself, and only one person in the entire kingdom outside of Dauroth’s citadel knew what the ogre mage was up to: Chief Donnag, ruler of Blode. Dauroth had approached the Chieftain for per ‘mission to occupy the aicient ogre citadel that would become his laboratory. Donnag had been skeptical, but ‘when Dauroth revealed his grand scheme, the fire of ambition began to burn in Donnag's heart. He shared. ‘Dauroth’s vision and longed for the return of the titans Now that Dauroth had perfected his transformation technique, he used magic to return to Blbten and Chief Donnag unseen. Donnag was amazed to behold Dau- roth’s new form and felt so overcome that he agreed to ‘sweat eternal loyalty to Dauroth in return for having the transformation process performed upon him. In an inner chamber within Donnag’ hal, the ogre titan installed the magical apparatuses necessary for the trans formation. Using the last of his captured elves (except for