Deepest Guk

Deepest Guk

Selephra Giztral says 'Ahem, sorry. I had a fly stuck in my throat. By the looks of you, I'd say you're an adventurous spirit. Unfortunately, many similar spirits have been lost in that slimy place we now call Deepest Guk. In fact, those who have been overcome by the curse that creeps in there have lost their very souls. I'm hoping the next time we talk I'll have more information for you. Take care, most-promising hero.'

Selephra Giztral looks at you with one eye while the other surveys the surroundings. 'Well, I can smell the stench of that curse on you. That is the curse that was set upon the frogloks after they had driven the trolls out of their city. I hesitate to say too much more, because it sounds like a bit of fancy at the moment. Come back soon.

Selephra Giztral says 'It's good to see that you remain healthy, my friend. As time passes, I see more fair Norrathians fall to the curse down there. I do know that the curse was brought upon the frogloks through a troll, but we're hoping to learn more about the nature of it. The curse itself is like a living, breathing monstrosity that feeds on the souls of the living, twisting them into hateful pawns. The curse does have an epicenter too -- and it is most difficult to resist surrender to the curse there. Awful thing, it is. See you soon.'

Selephra Giztral says 'It's no wonder the trolls are so put off by my people. After all, we did rob them of their cities, both Guk and Grobb. I'm thankful that Mithaniel Marr sent down a blessing to the frogloks to help us overcome those foul trolls. You know, since the beginning, frogloks and trolls have warred with one another. I can tell you more later.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Ah, yes, I didn't quite explain how Mithaniel Marr blessed my people last time we talked. In fact, we have been blessed twice! I'm so glad you inquired. It's a very intriguing tale. I think you should go talk to a friend of mine - Bealya Tanilsuia in the West Commonlands. She is somewhat of a historian and can tell you more about how the frogloks of Gukta came to be. It's well worth knowing.'
Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Yes, I know. No one expects a dwarf to know anything! I can see that in your eyes. I've taken an interest in the frogloks though. I've been around Norrath for some time and, much like you, often heard rumors. I wanted to find out for myself if the rumors were true. As a result, I became a bit of an expert. Well, enough about me. A long time ago troll shamans predicted the rise of a particular troll called ''The Grozmok.'' This legendary troll would possess great might and hold powerful secrets. All of the trolls were to be united under one rule, but as we know, this didn't happen . . . Oh my, look at the time! I must get back to my studies. If you'd like to continue our talk, you're going to have to come back later.'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Right, where was I. Ah yes. Well, as I said, the trolls were meant to be united under the powerful troll they referred to as The Grozmok. The troll shamans believed in the prophecy so completely that they wrote it in blood on a strong stone tablet, which was supposedly blessed by both Innoruuk, the prince of Hate, and Cazic-Thule, the god of Fear. They called this artifact the Grozmok Stone. I understand that it will take a while to absorb all of this information. I'll just leave you to mull over that for now.'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'So, yes, back to the Grozmok Stone. Well, the trolls guarded that stone with all the might they possessed. Then, the ogre minions of Rallos Zek, the god of War, turned their eyes to Innothule Swamp and slaughtered and enslaved all of those that crossed their path. Not only did the trolls fall, but the Grozmok Stone was lost to the ogres in the Rallosian Empire. Over time the ogres lost their favor with the gods and were cursed to become ignorant and slovenly. At this time, the trolls began to rise again as their numbers were able to increase without the interference of the wrath of the ogres. Well, Nadia, I think that's enough for now.'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Right, back to the trolls. So, the trolls began to rebuild over time and split into tribes. Two tribes were of note: the Broken Skull Clan that lived on an island in the Gulf of Gunthak, and the Ykesha Clan that established themselves in the Innothule Swamps. For many years, the two clans warred for dominance, raiding each other's territories and the mountainous lands of the ogres that had survived the destruction of their empire. It was in these mountainous lands that the Grozmok Stone once again came into possession of the troll clans. And, I tell you, the story just gets more interesting from here, but it will have to wait.'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Hello again, Nadia. So, a war horde from the Ykesha Clan recovered the Grozmok Stone and presented it to their leader, Warlord Ykesha. Ykesha's shamans recognized the blessings of the gods of Fear and Hate upon the hieroglyphs on the stone. At the time, Ykesha believed he was going to become The Grozmok. That's it for now, my friend. I have work to do.'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Back to where we were then, eh Nadia? The loss of the Grozmok Stone left much disarray in Grobb. A rather shoddy force of trolls departed Grobb to try to take back the Grozmok Stone from the Broken Skull clan. The frogloks witnessed the peril that Grobb had fallen into and took advantage of the opportunity to recover their dignity and their lands. They prayed to Mithaniel Marr, their creator, and asked for his blessing, which they received. Hm, I think you should get some background on that from my good friend Selephra Giztral. Good day and good luck!'

Bealya Tanilsuia says 'Those poor frogloks. Not many knew much about the curse in Deepest Guk. We do now though. If you are able to get in good standing with the Wayfarers Brotherhood, I will give you some insight into the curse and what brought it there.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Welcome back Nadia. Bealya Tanilsuia told you some of the history behind my people and the trolls, hm? Now, getting to Mithaniel Marr, my creator. When Mithaniel Marr walked the lands of Norrath before man was created, Cazic-Thule, the god of Fear, wished to seduce Mithaniel to his side. Many of Cazic-Thule's mortal minions were sent to assault Mithaniel Marr's mind and spirit. Mithaniel was strong and the minions could not instill within him the fear of their dark lord. However, they did succeed in luring the brave Mithaniel to the swamps of Norrath. An army of trolls, lizards, and other creatures of unspeakable horror plagued Mithaniel Marr and he became a captive to the minions of Fear.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Now, Mithaniel Marr, trapped in his prison in the swamps, prayed to his father, Tarew Marr the Water Lord, for salvation until he was so exhausted he fell into slumber. While he slept, Terris-Thule, Queen of Nightmares, attempted to steal Mithaniel Marr's Gift of Life at the behest of Cazic-Thule.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Hm, where were we? Oh yes, Terris-Thule attempted to capture Mithaniel's Gift of Life while he slept. It wasn't long before Morell-Thule, the forsaken son of Cazic-Thule, wanted to thwart his sister's efforts and intervened. Morell-Thule managed to harness Mithaniel's Gift of Life before his sister could and he split it in two. One half he spread across the swamps of Norrath and the sacred lands of his father, Cazic-Thule. The other half he gave to Mithaniel Marr's sister, Erollisi Marr, the goddess of Love. Oh, I must stop here. I need to get something else done. I'll have more for you soon. Be well, Nadia.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Right, well, when Mithaniel Marr's Gift of Life fell upon the swamps of Norrath, the first blessed froglok tads were born. Those first tads faced the greatest challenges because the swamps were overrun with the destructive minions of the gods of Fear and Hate. Fortunately, the Gift of Life empowered the frogloks with the bravery and valor of Mithaniel. They survived and flourished. And, that is how my frogloks ancestors came to be, but that's not the end of the tale.'

Selephra Giztral says 'So, let's begin again, shall we Nadia? The lord of Dreams, Morell-Thule, still had a part to play. He gifted the frogloks with dreams of the imprisoned Mithaniel Marr and offered them visions that would help free him from his prison. In time, the first adult frogloks rose in arms against the minions of Cazic-Thule, fighting valiantly to the site of Mithaniel Marr's imprisonment. They failed many times, sadly.'

Selephra Giztral says 'One moment. Oh yes, now I remember where we left off Nadia. The frogloks continued to fight the hordes of Fear and Hate to reach Mithaniel Marr's prison, but were not able to overcome the strength and experience of the dark gods' minions. In time, a small army arrived on the borders of the swamp to aid them. I've run off at the mouth again! I have other things to tend to. I'll talk with you soon, friend.'

Selephra Giztral says 'The army, right. An army of barbarians, Erollisi Marr's children, arrived in the swamp to assist the frogloks. They were drawn to the site of Mithaniel's prison through visions, much like the frogloks. Seeking justice for the imprisonment of Mithaniel, the brother of Erollisi, the barbarians joined with the froglok armies and freed Mithaniel Marr. Interesting, isn't it? Well, Nadia, that's all I can tell you for now.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Now, while my people advanced and became organized, the troll clans still warred with each other and the Grozmok Stone was being tossed back and forth like a hot potato. A time came when most of the protectors of Grobb ignorantly left for Broken Skull Rock to retrieve the Grozmok Stone for Grobb. That was when we gathered our forces and prayed to Mithaniel Marr to bless us. And he did. He infused many of us with much-improved strength and purity of heart. With ferocious loyalty and purpose, we took Grobb from the trolls. That is how Gukta, Outpost of Marr, was created. I'll tell you more soon, I promise you, Nadia. Time is precious these days.'

Selephra Giztral says 'Greetings once again, Nadia. I told you that we ran the trolls out of what was once Grobb, did I not? Well, the remaining trolls fled to make their home with the dark elves in Neriak. The dark elves wished to get more information about the Grozmok Stone and the Broken Skull clan of trolls, so they allowed them to stay. The Grozmok Stone never returned to Grobb. I believe it is in safekeeping though. I cannot say anymore about that, for now.'

Selephra Giztral says 'So, on to where we are now. As my people gained strength and wisdom, we aimed to recapture the lands that belonged to us. Those lands included the swamp, Grobb, and now we turn our eyes to the old ruins of Guk, particularly Deepest Guk. To that end, we sent our most noble and valorous paladins to abolish the curse that tore through our froglok ancestors and anything that got close to it. It would seem you would do well to learn more about the origins of the curse. Please go to the Innothule Swamp and look for Deblik Grumblok, a troll friend of mine in the Wayfarers Brotherhood. He has a unique insight into the tale.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Greetin's dere Nadia. Me guess dat you want to hear more about de curse dat is making a mess down dere in Deepest Guk? Mm-hmm. First, you may wonder why me helping de Wayfarers Brotherhood? Me was sent away from my home and betrayed by my own chum in Neriak. Somehow me don't have de fear and hate my troll brudders and sisters do. Anyway, Morden Rasp took me in and me made friends. Me supposed to hate de froggies, but me don'ts. Anyway, where was I? Me forgot. You go away and come back someday soon and me will remember de stuff.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Okay, so when Warlord Ykesha ruled in de swamps, we built a fortress dat became a troll city. My ancestors made de poor froggies slaves, so they were part of life in de fortress. Then, Warlord Ykesha went crazy! He kept hiding from everyone. He always thought someone was coming to kill him! Oh, me tired. Me needs a nap.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Me not so tired now! Warlord Ykesha went so deep into de fortress and no one heard from him. Things went strange because trolls had no leader. De froggies saw dat de trolls were running around confused, so they started to organize. Uhm. Too much talking. Go away now and come back.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'De story is a bit scary. While Warlord Ykesha was crazy, de Broken Skull trolls saw a chance to kill a bunch of de Ykesha clan trolls and take de Grozmok Stone. And they did. When de Broken Skull trolls left, de froggies grabbed all de weapons they had stolen from de trolls and finished where they left off, taking over de fortress and they called it Guk! Me tell you more later. Promise!'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Me remember you, Nadia! If me remember right, there had been no sign of Warlord Ykesha. All we know is dat he just got further and further back in de dungeon. Then something bad happened. A troll shaman was able to hide in Guk and remained unnoticed by de froggies for some time. In de dark, he prayed to Innoruuk to help him escape. Innoruuk heard de prayer and looked down. He was angry dat Mithaniel Marr's froggies took over de home of his troll children. Innoruuk let his ire pass through de troll shaman! Oh, good story. You come back later for more. Hee hee.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Me knew you couldn't stay away Nadia! When de shaman became a conduit for Innoruuk's hate, a very bad thing happened. De curse dat Innoruuk sent through de troll was so powerful it sent a deadly, soul-robbing shockwave through Guk. Anything near de troll had its soul stolen. De curse is so evil dat it created a living portal, a portal to Innoruuk's own Cauldron of Hate. Yeah, scary. Me know!'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Dem froggies are all sick and rotting. It smells bad in dere too! Me knows how de froggies came to be in dat yucky place. If you do some help for de Wayfarers peoples, me will tell you more.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'Oh, yes Nadia, there is more! After de troll brought Innoruuk's curse to de mortal realm, he died 'cause Innoruuk couldn't use him. But those froggies closest to de portal to de Cauldron of Hate were given de task of collecting souls to feed to de curse. Me thinks they are called de Witnesses of Hate, having looked into de very cauldron themselves. Ew. Poor froggies.'

Deblik Grumblok says 'We nearly done with this story! You know how there are undead froggies and living froggies in Guk? Well, dat curse is why! De undead froggies in Guk were touched by de curse. Down in Deepest Guk, de curse is strongest, so if you goes in there, cover your nose or something. My story is done now me thinks. You should go talk to Selephra Giztral again! Bye byes!'

Selephra Giztral says 'Ah, back again I see. I'm glad that Deblik was able to fill in some gaps about what's going on here. It is certainly true that the curse in Deepest Guk is stronger than anywhere else. Our greatest conundrum now is how to stop it. As the curse comes from a portal that touches Innoruuk's powerful Cauldron of Hate, we have a formidable task ahead.'

Selephra Giztral says 'The curse in Deepest Guk is incredibly strong. It's interesting how Deepest Guk came to be like it is today. If you manage to do some work for us, I will share the story with you!'

Selephra Giztral says 'Stay alert, Nadia. You have been a good ear and are just as much an expert on Deepest Guk as any one of us. Be well in your travels friend. You are fast becoming one of us. Bless you and the Wayfarers Brotherhood.'