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jan 1, 585 BC - (Primordial) Bazim-Gorag is Imprisoned

Description:

A horde of orcs and trolls, led by the troll warlord Harska Thaug, marches out of the Spine of the World. They intend to attack the elf realm of Rilithar, but stop to assault the Tower of the Star. The tower's defenders summon Bazim-Gorag the Firebringer, a slaad lord who destroys the horde.

In −585 DR, the Year of Rumbling Earth, the troll warlord Harska Thaug amassed an army of savage humanoids, including trolls and orcs, and marched his horde south from the Spine of the World to attack the few remaining elves of Illefarn. One of the towns standing in their way was Andalbruin, built by a cabal of Netheril wizards that for over forty years had made the area their own. Selskartur, the Tower of the Star, was their stronghold, and it stood directly in the path of the bloodthirsty horde. Ar-magus Ilviroon, then leader of the Selskar order rallied the wizards to attack, but Harska's shamans and warpriests blunted their magical assaults.

In desperation, Ilviroon used his mightiest weapon and summoned Bazim-Gorag to save the school and burn the troll horde. The Firebringer obliged, slaughtering many of the horde and sending the survivors scattered and running back to the Spine of the World. However, Bazim-Gorag charged a high fee for his services, and when Ilviroon hesitated to pay him the high price he demanded, the slaad lord razed the tower and slaughtered many of its mages. Ilviroon angrily retaliated and resolved to break the slaad lord's will, luring him into a sinister trap before casting a great binding spell with the help of the few surviving wizards.

They imprisoned him deep in the tower vaults, and Ilivroon, in order to strengthen the spell, made a set of relatively simple conditions he named the Rite of Unbinding, that would allow the slaad lord to be freed. He told no one the details of the ritual, paranoid as he was that one of his ambitious underlings would try and use Bazim-Gorag against him. Battles with the trolls and the slaad lord had left the magi weakened, and while they struggled to return, Harska returned the following winter.

With an even greater force than before, Harska posed such a dire threat that the Ar-magus was forced to turn to Bazim-Gorag once again. This time however, the slaad lord was reluctant to fight for the treacherous wizard, forcing Ilviroon to face the horde without Bazim-Gorag's aid. Ilivroon died in the battle, and with him the steps to free Bazim-Gorag, while Harska's horde completely demolished the tower before moving on. Centuries passed as many adventurers visited the Dungeon of the Ruins, as it came to be known, without ever discovering Bazim-Gorag below.

While locked away in his prison, Bazim-Gorag managed to establish a secret cult of the Hidden Flame. Many members of this cult were just former bandits, others wicked beings drawn to his power, and some were simply drawn to the promises of reward Bazim-Gorag had made; the slaad lord openly displayed his wealth to impress potential recruits. However, there were true faithful among the slaad lord's followers, unbalanced worshipers of chaos and destruction that desired to see him release such devastation. Bazimite priests were called the Lords of Change, and as a being of manifested chance, the Firebringer was invoked by the powerless, gamblers, and those who had hope only in impossible moments of luck. His Acolytes also lavished him with gifts and sometimes brought sacrifices for him to amuse himself with by killing.

Though the small organization he created had only about fifty members, many of which weren't particularly dedicated, the Firebringer did have some powerful servants in his retinue. The leader of the Acolytes was High Conflagration Jendar Tholm, a powerful death slaad that ensured cooperation among Bazim-Gorag's chief officers and tightly controlled group funds. Below him was Flame Lord Moskogg, a half-fiend minotaur that oversaw group raiding and recruitment, and Flame Lord Durzhul, a durzagon wizard who discovered the particulars of freeing Bazim-Gorag, though secretly he only planned to do so once he found a way to enslave the slaad lord to his will.

For centuries, the Beast of Nine Flames, a fiendish pyrohydra with nine heads, served as the Firebringer's battle mount. Even though not bound to his prison, it remained with its master waiting for him to be freed. The creature attacked all but Bazim-Gorag's acolytes and their slaadi companions.

Bazim-Gorag had been trapped under the ruins of an abandoned castle incapable of escaping, his exit barred by an archway inscribed with lawful runes that prevented him or his powers from affecting anyone else beyond it. He kept his treasure in a separate chamber accessible only through a linked portal that he could close for about half a minute.

The greatest threat to Bazim-Gorag was perhaps other rival slaad lords; Ygorl and Ssendam only tolerated his destructive ways so long as he didn't overtly challenge their "rule" over the slaadi. Ironically, his imprisonment (-585 DR) prevented him from entering into a deadly confrontation with them.

Added to timeline:

13 Jan 2022
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Date:

jan 1, 585 BC
Now
~ 2612 years ago

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