The Ruins of Kunark - Storyline
Storyline
Kunark is a vast continent, nearly half as large as the vast continent of Antonica, and up until recently was believed by most to be a story to scare small children with. The continent is more tropical than the other continents of Norrath, and is covered in swamps and heavy forest, as well as vast, heavily-weathered mountain ranges.
It is in this land that the Iksar race of ages past thrived and flourished, creating an empire whose only equal in all of Norrath was the mighty Combine Empire of old. The entire continent belonged to the Iksar, and their cities, vast monuments to their power, were scattered across its surface. They built vast waterworks to supply their cities with the water that they enjoyed, as well as religious temples and villages all over Kunark. It was impossible to walk for a few hours without seeing some stonework that the Iksar had created to mark their homes or their triumphs. All who entered the lands knew who it belonged to the first time they saw an immense statue of an Iksar appearing out of the swampy mists.
Then their empire fell. The mighty legion of evil forces, led by the great dragon Trakanon, assaulted the Iksar Empire. Over a short number of years, the Iksar lost battle after battle until finally they were driven from their great capital city of Sebilis by the wurm itself, who lives there to this day. Following that, the tribes of Iksar were forced to survive in the wilds of Kunark for many years while they gathered their strengths. During this period, the basis of the modern Iksar society was formed. The necromancers gained in power over their evil forces, and the legions of warriors of the Greenmist were formed to help protect the tribes. Following their unity, they recaptured their walled city of Cabilis.
Even there, they suffered for centuries, trying to return their society to the basics, by which it had accomplished so much in the ages prior. Cooperation was fostered among all the sects in this small city, and gradually posts were obtained in the surrounding areas. Iksar who fought against this concept were cast out to survive in the lands beyond Cabilis' walls.
Now the Iksar civilization are at what many hope to be a turning point. Their society thinks as one, and is beginning to take on their ancient enemies in the surrounding lands, fighting the goblins, sarnak, and frogloks to reclaim the swamp over which they had ruled. The struggle is not an easy one, however, for as the good races of the continent of Antonica have become more powerful in the ways of exploration and magic, they have discovered ancient, unused gates into the lands of Kunark and have started to arrive in small groups. Shortly thereafter, small boats began ferrying adventurers to a small beachhead on the continent, the only stronghold of the vast lands beyond on this continent. The Iksar are waiting...