Category:Monsters of Dwarden

The Known Black Lords

The Black Prior

The Black Prior

The Black Rook

The lord of High Trendle since 877, the Black Rook's realm is still swathed in the powerful illusions of Kandadron, but the Black Rook has turned them to obey his own commands. Although rising from obscurity as one of the several so-called rook liches of the Marlamarkan, in 881 the Black Lord of Trendle surprised and devastated the knights of the Priory of Kastelayr, and immediately proceeded to attack the grand priory with a large army of karex undead warriors, marching in haste up the marl to High Gate. The Grand Master and Seneschal of the Order led a strong cavalry force to reinforce the grand priory's army and protect the important farms and hamlets surrounding High Gate. In the terrible battle, a great many knights and warriors fell, including the Grand Master and Seneschal themselves. Although the rook lich and his army were turned and retreated, and the farms and hamlets were largely saved, the cost in life was extreme. In hatred, the new Grand Seneschal Macrox dubbed the rook lich the "Black Rook."

His forces largely depleted, the Black Rook retreated to High Trendle, protected by the dark illusions there, and would from time to time harass and siege commanderies both near and far in the Marlamarkan. In the uprising of the undead that started in 886, the Black Rook was once again aggressive, and took decisive victories, especially in the deeper markan valleys.

Since the destruction of the Black Crown himself in 887, the Black Rook has been remarkably quiet and still. Weakened as it, the Order has not yet chosen to attack the Black Rook or his commanderies and lands, for fear of provoking the powerful undead general. It is speculated that the other rook liches in the Marlamarkan now serve Black Rook.

The Black Teacher

A recent lich, the Black Teacher is also called "the Traitor" due to the extreme impact of his betrayal. A former White Necromancer of great power and a teacher of many of the Order's white necromancers, he is now lord of the city of Elentor in the Orekon, and is widely considered the most powerful of the Black Lords in the wake of the destruction of the Black Crown. As the creator of the dreaded kamberlens, the gargantuan undead abominations that brought so much death to the Order in recent memory, he is particularly hated.

There is considerable speculation that the next war the Order will enter into will be the siege of Elentor and the destruction of the Black Teacher. However, due to the extremely defensible terrain, impressive fortifications, the power of the lich's monsters and the very great power of his spells, it is widely assumed that such a war will be highly costly in lives, which the weakened Order can currently ill-afford.

The Curule Shepherd

A powerful vassalich who served the lich of Kalegor for centuries. The Curule Shepherd is said to be very old indeed, older still than even his former master, being from the days of the Empire. The Curule Shepherd is known by his great crosier staff, and is known to have great power over lesser undead, being able to summon them to his power from wide and far. The Curule Shepherd is known to inhabit the Arnargad, but it is not certain where his lair is, or if he even has one. He is said to command spells of instant death, and is no mere quasimancer.

The Knight Tenebrous

The Knight Tenebrous, the Marshal of Kalegor, is thought to now be the lord of castle Kalegor. He is considered to be the among the last and the most powerful of the Knights of the Black Halo. He is known to have been a Lord Prior of the Order, and a Knight Commander, who betrayed the Order for the sake of the Black Crown before he was of the undead. While sieging his Grand Prior, the Grand Draper struck the Knight Tenebrous with a mace of disruption in the leg, wounding him so badly that this black knight still limps, even in undeath.

Undead Monsters

Karex

Rook Lich

Thol Spirit

A rook lich at siege.