-
- Forums
- Chatrooms
- Gallery
- Gameplay Videos
- Upload
- Articles
- Mod Reviews
- Shop SP: Games, Movies, Books
|
|
|
Secret
Societies in Myth Drannor
|
While players plunder the depths of the ancient, ruined Speculum Grounds, or explore the once-grand heights of Myth Drannor's Castle Cormanthor, they will undoubtedly run into the forces of evil and good that have propelled their fates along the path they now tread. The nefarious actions of the Cult of the Dragon and their dragon-worshiping ilk, tempered by the benevolent forces of the Sisters of the Silver Fire, will introduce players to a few of Faerun's secret societies as the story of Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor unfolds.
Although
politics and subterfuge don't form the game's focus, these elements do
enrich the story. Most noticeable is the presence of the group responsible
for the pool's appearance in New Phlan, Myth Drannor, and other cities
of the Moonsea. This force of evil, known as the Cult of the Dragon, is
a secret society based on dragon worship. Cult members lead willing dragons
into bizarre rituals of undeath that turn them into dracoliches. The cultists
single-mindedly strive to help their draconic brethren attain more power
and in so doing, expand their influence and control over parts of the
Realms.
Led by Kya Mordrayn, a feisty and spirited female commander, the Cult
seeks to awaken pools of radiance throughout the Moonsea and Dragon Reaches,
thereby rendering undeath to those areas and crushing any resistance.
In Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor, players embark on a quest
not only to learn more about this secret society of undead dragon worshipers,
but ultimately to stop their plans from coming to fruition.
As with most evil societies, an opposing force seeks to neutralize the Cult's might, rule, and pretense for action. A small faction of female warriors known as the Sisters of the Silver Fire have banded together to destroy the Cult. While adventuring in catacombs far beneath the earth, or in once-proud shrines of glory and beauty, player characters may stumble across a few women of this sisterhood or their strange allies, the guardian nagas. Perhaps, through careful choice of words and sincere goals, the party may manage to enlist the help of one or more of these warriors -- thus gaining a valuable ally against the growing forces of darkness.
While the storyline does not go into explicit detail as to the past, present, and future goals of these two organizations, their mention and involvement in the plot adds depth to the computer game while maintaining the popular fiction associated with the pen and paper products and novels. Other smaller bands are also scattered throughout the ruins of Myth Drannor. A schism between two large factions of underdark elves offers players the chance to make uneasy alliances or gain powerful enemies depending on their course of etiquette and action. Groups of orog, lizardfolk, and ormyrr also have their own agendas operating in the relative isolation of Myth Drannor's scattered buildings and structures.
Players can
learn a bit more about what goes on under the earth's surface as they
confront orog leaders in the dwarven dungeons, lizardfolk shamans in the
ruins (under the leadership of a deranged warrior mage named Malgi Hi),
and tribes of ormyrr - suffering from intertribal turmoil from a king
who's been acting strange lately - in the marshes. Extinct societies,
long claimed by dust and time, are hinted at, but their moment in history
has already been writ on the walls of yesteryear. Ancient figures such
as the elven priestess Anorrweyn Evensong, a once-prominent figure in
the courts of Myth Drannor, and the Baelnorn, a former armathor of the
city, share their tales as they aid the party. But in the end, the heroes'
overriding mission is to stop the Pool of Radiance from rising further,
quash the ambitions of the Cult of the Dragon, and save Faerun from destruction
- a quest filled with danger, monstrous foes, and heroic deeds.
