Lorekeeper

Lorekeeper is an NPC in spawn, introducing you to brief summary of Avardon's history. This article serves as a transcript of her monologue.

Hello, outsider! Whether you were taken by the Mists, or decided to enter Avardon of your own volition, there's no going back, at least not for now. Let me summarize the history of this realm for you, so you know what to expect.

Avardon was a county in between Anauroch and The Moonsea, bustling with trade. The last stop before desert, or the first one after passing through. Traders loved it not only for its location, but also for its biggest export - Avardonian Salt.

For centuries, this land was ruled over by House de Brasov, up until the death of Count Gabor. Rival Steinbergs took over. And it took Gabor's son 7 years to reclaim the throne. His name is Farkas. Which is a name you'll hear often.

Once Farkas took the reins, he made sure no one could challenge his power, executing children of rival houses, and releasing diseases upon them. He tempered an iron rule, but, with every step, things got more out of hand.

Count's obsessions were many, but sitting foremost of all was to have a son, a male successor. After having two daughters prior, he caught one of the diseases, and it rendered him infertile. What kept him from immediate madness was that, when this occurred, his wife was pregnant one final time; his last hope.

Time wrought bedlam, as this last hope turned out to be another daughter. And before she was even named, she lost her mother. Farkas murdered his own wife in a fit of rage. That was enough for Dark Powers to imprison him eternally in what has become a domain of dread.

At that point, the realm of Avardon was transported here, into a corner of Shadowfell. Without trade, the prosperous county as we knew it collapsed into poverty and famine. Uprisings came, and civil wars roared. Monsters used as a tool of control devastated the land even more.

Now? While there's little hope still, at least the county is being rebuilt, all while the Count doesn't even leave his castle that looks ominously over the land. It's his daughters and other powerful nobles that draw lines over the maps of the land.

Avardon is a prison for many, a purgatory for its Darklord, and an interesting destination for those most brave, who are here to extract the secrets of this realm. It is home to locals, wanderers, and outsiders.

Soon enough, you will enter Avardon yourself. Perhaps you will never leave again, by choice or otherwise. Whatever the case, I wish you the best of luck.