Crin's Sacred

Perhaps the best-known wizards in Drmian history, Crin’s Sacred are among the most powerful Speakers of the Word. Often referred to as “The Sacred,” these four individuals share scores of legends and tales, from their time among the Questors of Dracovomica and the death of Morganshium Maximmuth, to the final moments of the calamitous Darkhold. The Sacred are hailed across the Lands Under the Crown as some of the greatest heroes to Humenity, willing to risk (and in the case of Drenicus the Wise, sacrifice) their lives in pursuit of a greater good for all of Drm. However, as is often the case, the reality of a thing and its corresponding myths do not always agree. The legends associated with The Sacred have lifted the four to the highest lofts of renown in Drmian history, but recent discoveries in long-lost texts, including the Diary of Drenicus, now suggest that The Sacred, despite their great power and their profound impact on Drm’s history, were not entirely flawless people.

According to legends, Crin’s Sacred are four of the most talented wizards trained by the arch-mage and Sentinel, Crin the Sacred. Crin the Sacred, one of the two surviving members of Seekers of Righteousness (see Demon Wars), had long since become the most powerful wizard of his age. He instructed countless would-be Speakers of the Word the secrets of true power without the aid of divine reliance. So great was his knowledge that Crin the Sacred was called before one of the Dark Emperors of Vhendimmoth, Regence, for whom he would train the Twin Princes, Zytun II and Sycolthor. While Crin’s chief pupil was Zytun II, heir to the Scepter, it was in Sycolthor that Crin saw great promise. But, alongside this promise, the great Sentinel saw an even greater threat. Gifted with foresight, Crin feared that Sycolthor would eventually become Emperor and upon taking up the Scepter of Vhendimmoth, would cast all of Drm into despair. Thus, while he fulfilled the will of Regence and trained both his sons in the way of The Word, Crin planned to offset the potential of evil. Upon Regence’s death and after Zytun II took up the Scepter of Vhendimmoth, Crin remained with the Dark Emperors and offered to train not just Zytun’s only child, Seeroth, but all potential Sentinels. Many young wizards were among Crin’s students, but four stood out: Anninarcus, Drenicus, Pandrila, and Seeroth.

Anninarcus was the most reserved of Crin’s pupils. Rugged of build and firm in his convictions regarding the inherent good of all people, Anninarcus was as much a physical brawler as he was a thinker. To him, the title “The Grim” was given upon the completion of his training.

Drenicus was the youngest of the four. From a poor family in the Golden Plains, training as a Sentinel was a certain way to prosperity for Drenicus and his kin. Dedicated to goodness and righteousness, Drenicus was as much a servant of Celzar as he was a Sentinel, an odd pairing when most Sentinels were beholden to Thore Mire. Drenicus believed that the entire purpose of those with power was to help and defend those without while showing the weak how to become strong. To Drenicus was granted the appellation “The Wise.”

Pandrila, one of many women trained by Crin, stood out as an albino. Still, she was beautiful and cunning, willing to ignore troublesome morality in pursuit of order and stability. More than anyone, she argued with Anninarcus and his naïve ideas. This animosity eventually blossomed into a romance that would last centuries. Although she was given the sobriquet “The Invoker,” Pandrila eventually took the title “The Great.”

Greatest among Crin’s pupils would be Seeroth. The sole heir to the Scepter of Vhendimmoth, Seeroth was in a unique position that could have caused him to be arrogant and adversarial with his peers. Instead, Seeroth sought to learn as much from them as possible while he in turn taught. However, Seeroth was as cautious as he was considerate, never revealing his true thoughts or desires, not even to his closest friends. Indeed, Seeroth manipulated even those dearest to him if he felt it necessary to do so. Seeroth claimed his own title in memory of his family heritage: “The Dark.”

Thus came together the four greatest of Crin’s pupils. It is said that Crin knew that these four would eventually shape the future of the continent-realm and that he did all he could to ensure that they would consider how their actions would influence Midlorr. Indeed, legends claim that it Crin who pushed these four pupils into their first adventure.

In 959 ADR, the unthinkable occurred. Zytun II abdicated the Scepter to his brother, Sycolthor the Grand. Within a few years, while pursuing his goal to become a god, Sycolthor would instigate the Dragonhold (see the Fall of Vhendimmoth). When Sycolthor used the Dracovomica to force dragons to fly into Vhendimmoth and surrounding nations, the artifact shattered the curse that lay on the Named One, Morganshium Maximmuth (see the Quest for Dracovomica). In short order, the Great Red Wrath descended on an unsuspecting Drm, decimating everything in his path as he eagerly made his way to Fortens’ Keep. Fortunately, lingering effects of his curse remained, slowing Morganshium’s progress. When news of Morganshium’s attacks reached Fortens’ Keep, Sycolthor feigned concern and asked for any volunteers willing to slay the terrible beast. Many accepted, but none succeeded as Morganshium destroyed all in his path.

Legends claim that Crin the Sacred laid the seed of adventure in his star pupils and that Seeroth, the ringleader of the group, stole the Dracovomica from his uncle and departed on a quest to kill Morganshium. During the many adventures the Sacred had, they met with other figures who would later become legends, including Dalan the Wanderer, the disguised Eurstex the Glorious, and Zyxzrxzy the Ebon Rage. Eventually, the Questers of Dracovomica killed Morganshium and, having awakened the dormant spirit of Naseus Soulsunder trapped within the artifact, discovered the truth behind the flights of dragons that threatened Vhendimmoth. The Sacred also learned that Crin, their beloved mentor, died during their travels across Drm. Aware of the truth of his uncle’s actions, Seeroth confronted Sycolthor before the latter bequeathed to the young wizard all his holdings and possessions, making him the Emperor of Vhendimmoth before removing him from Fortens’ Keep. Thus, the Sacred were forever robbed of the land of their heritage as Sycolthor orchestrated the Devastation of Fortens’ Keep and the fall of Vhendimmoth. Seeroth became the Last Emperor of a fallen Empire.

The legends associated with The Sacred are slim after the Dragonhold. Indeed, aside from a few Elven Bards Tales, The Sacred appear infrequently in histories until their fateful travels through the Noon Woods to the cavern of the Unholy Pools sometime during the Seventh Age. It would be here in the cavern of the Unholy Pools that the four would bathe in the waters of the Unholy Pool of Immortality. According to most Elven Bards Tales, the four somehow tricked the Guardian of the Pools, the Named One Staunch the Covetous, into leaving the cavern. After bathing in the Unholy Pool of Immortality, the four immediately became near-divine beings. However, being new to this status, The Sacred were not prepared for the maddened attack of Staunch when the dragon discovered it had been duped. While Anninarcus, Drenicus, and Pandrila escaped the cavern, Seeroth was trapped within an antechamber with the Unholy Pool of Mystery and would remain there for some time. Some tales insist that he was trapped therein for a few months, while others claim that he remained in the cavern for at least a century.

Whatever the time, there are a number of points on which the legends agree. Something happened to Seeroth during his time in the Cavern of the Unholy Pools. Whether it was due to the proximity of the Unholy Pool of Mystery and the tales it doubtlessly shared with Seeroth, or if it was due to his probable ability to travel into the Realms Beyond via the Unholy Pool of Paths, is unknown; however, Seeroth is widely believed to have come into some kind of knowledge regarding the prophesied Great Reckoning. Whatever the case, Seeroth eventually freed himself from the Cavern, although here the legends diverge again. While some Elven Bards’ Tales propose that he used the Unholy Pool of Paths to escape, other tales suggest that he was released by the most recent Named One to guard the Pools, Celestial the One.

During the Ninth and Tenth Ages, the Sacred would travel across the Lands Under the Crown. Each, in his or her own way, sought to ensure that the calamity that destroyed the Vhendimmothian Empire would never again occur. During these years, the Sacred became distanced one from the other, although it is known that Pandrila did receive some aid from Seeroth in bringing the Kingdom of Bainland to the forefront of sapien power in the Wynding River Valley. And it would be Seeroth, alongside Pandrila, who would deliver the Sphere of Power to the King of Bainland, an action that would lead to the official beginning of The Darkhold. However, if Pandrila and Seeroth maintained an alliance of sorts, such was not the case with Pandrila and Anninarcus. It is known that the two had at least one child together, but what became of this child has never been determined. Some suggest infidelity sundered their relationship, but no one knows what occurred to have ended their relationship.

Of the Sacred, only one attempted to lead a normal life: Drenicus the Wise. As The Darkhold drew ever closer, Drenicus married and had children. The legends never agree on his wife’s name, but tradition holds that he had at least three offspring and that they lived in Quasii for a time. Drenicus’ family was slaughtered during The Darkhold when the Demon Prince of Winds, Cabernasus, invaded the kingdom and drove the inhabitants insane during the Time of Chains in 1970 AG. Drenicus, overwhelmed by grief, still joined with the Sacred as well as other powerful adventurers who would become known as the Heroes of Noon (see The Darkhold). During The Darkhold, the Sacred were ineffective in stopping T’Oth Maldran from gathering all of the Seven Spheres. Pandrila was lost when she disappeared in battle against the Named One, Hallucimain the Deceiver in Agrabathor Jungle. Anninarcus sealed himself within The Abyss or the Lands Below and was last seen fighting endless hordes of demons and drelves. Drenicus the Wise perished during his confrontation with Cabernasus at Havenpeak; despite his death, Drenicus managed to banish the Reveler from Drm. However, in the end, Seeroth the Dark was able to not only obliterate T’Oth Maldran, but he also took possession of the Seven Spheres. To the surviving Heroes of Noon, Seeroth bequeathed the Spheres, asking them to keep them safe until such time as the Reckoning.

Since the end of The Darkhold, the Sacred have maintained a very low profile, if they are alive at all. In the Grim Towers outside of Quasii is a man who calls himself “Anninarcus the Grim.” Some scholars believe that the Great Savant of Xyl in the far north is none other than Pandrila the Great. Drenicus the Wise is held in high esteem within the Ministry, held up as a paragon of holiness for his legendary sacrifice during The Darkhold. And, although he has not been seen for at least 700 years, Seeroth the Dark is believed to be alive, plotting the path for the Great Reckoning and the gathering of the Seven Spheres. Whether alive or not, Crin’s Sacred hold a major place of importance in the continent-realm and tales of their adventures continue to be told to this day.

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