Morchial Uiheam-Living Stone

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:

Within the realms of Aabahran dwell many curious and powerful creatures. Many of you see them and wonder what they are or how they came to be. Upon witnessing Morchial, I found myself as one of these that I describe. So curious was his appearance and me always eager to uncover some new bit of lore of our Lands, I inquired of him as to the particulars of his origin. The tale that follows is what he shared with me.

FACES IN TIME: MORCHIAL UIHEAM, GRAND GARGOYLE OF THE NORTHERN POINT

Morchial Uiheam...a strange name. Strange indeed when you consider his maker's name was Voufr Uiheam, a powerful archmage. Not that the name itself was any more odd than another, but one does not often find a creation that bears the surname of its creator, and that this being Morchial should bear it is a tale worth telling.

Voufr presided over a vast and wealthy share of land in the Northern Realms. While he was versed in many magics, his specialty was animations of stone. His medium of choice was a particularly magical stone called by some indecipherable name that sounds a bit like 'Runa' in our common tongue. Now, being wealthy and powerful often lends itself to having wealthy and powerful enemies. Voufr was no exception. After happening upon an especially powerful slab of Runa, Voufr decided to create guardians from it to protect his holdings. After much toil, four gargoyles were freed from the slab to be placed at the four borders of his lands. Knowing his most powerful adversary to dwell in close proximity to his northern border, Voufr wove powerful enchantments around this particular guardian. After months of magical agony, a drained but proud Voufr declared the Grand Gargoyle of the North ready. Though it might take weeks to recover his strength, in Voufr's mind, it was well worth the effort. Morchial was dispatched to the Northern Watchtower.

As I already mentioned, Voufr had powerful enemies. One of these, a young king by the name of Lyruin, commanded a powerful army. As tales of Voufr's arcane skill and artistry spread, Lyruin began to fear the growing power of his neighbor to the south. This fear ate at the heart of Lyruin, driving his mind to the point of paranoia. Finally, Lyruin did what all kings clouded by fear and madness do. He prepared his army to cross his southern border and vowed to remove Voufr from the land of the living. It was at the first step of Lyruin's army into Voufr's lands, that Morchial awoke.

Launched into battle by Voufr's implanted commands, Morchial met the full force of Lyruin's soldiers head-on. Other animations of Voufr also sprang into the fray. Months passed as the out-numbered creations of Voufr gave ground while inflicting heavy losses on Lyruin's mortal troops. While the losses of the invaders were astronomical, the sheer volume of them was more than could be restrained. It soon became evident to both sides, that Voufr's defeat was all but assured. Voufr, however, had one last card to play.

Knowing his greatest threat came from Lyruin to the north, Voufr prepared Morchial for a special task during his creation. Uttering his most powerful command word, Voufr channeled much of his remaining strength to Morchial. Morchial responded by cutting a swath fifteen feet wide through Lyruin's troops. Driven forward by arcane forces and sheer bloodlust, Morchial flew on, smashing the opposition in his path and breaking Lyruin's inner guard. In a bold stroke, Voufr wielded Morchial as an extension of his will and struck down Lyruin where he stood. As Lyruin's troops broke through Voufr's final defenses, Lyruin's lifeless frame slumped at Morchial's feet, never to rise again. Triumphant in fulfilling his master's commands, Morchial left the camp of Lyruin, but he would soon find his victory to be a bitter one.

Returning to Voufr's tower, Morchial found his master already near death. The soldiers of Lyruin had been swift and merciless with Voufr. Fearing his great magical power, they had bloodily removed his hands. Morchial came to his creator's side and informed him that Voufr's will had been done and Lyruin was no more. Voufr smiled knowingly as an artist does when viewing his finest work. Voufr then gave his favored creation his last command, to seek out a new master, the avatar of Chaos himself, Malchaeius. With that, he died. Rising, Morchial departed. Who can say how this shall end? Certainly, not I.