{"id":365,"date":"2026-09-17T20:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/?page_id=365"},"modified":"2026-09-17T20:54:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:54:00","slug":"dragonsneer-and-the-fall-of-the-morkoft","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/dragonsneer-and-the-fall-of-the-morkoft\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragonsneer And The Fall Of The Morkoft"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As Performed by Thalen Quickstrings, Bard of Questionable Accuracy and Unquestionable Confidence<\/em>
(Recorded in the taverns of the Western Road, embellished further each time he told it.)<\/em><\/p>

  1. When the Moon Refused to Shine<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

    Gather close, good folk,
    for this is a tale of shadow and fire,
    of courage so vast it bent the night itself.<\/p>

    This is the tale of Dragonsneer<\/strong>,
    the mountain\u2011breaker,
    the storm\u2011caller,
    the man whose cloak has more stories than most kingdoms.<\/p>

    And this is the tale of the Invidia Warriors<\/strong>,
    his silent shadows,
    his eternal blades,
    the ones who walk where fear itself refuses to tread.<\/p>

    And, of course,
    the tale of the Morkoft<\/strong>,
    a creature so ancient
    the world had nearly forgotten it
    \u2014 and so hungry
    it intended to remind us.<\/p>

    Now, some say I exaggerate.
    Some say I embellish.
    Some say I was not there.<\/p>

    To them I say:<\/p>

    \u201cIf you wanted accuracy, you should\u2019ve hired a historian.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

    For I, Thalen Quickstrings,
    was present on that dread night
    \u2014or near enough to count\u2014
    and this is how Dragonsneer and his Invidia Warriors
    saved us all.<\/p>

    1. The Beast in the Ruins<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

      The Morkoft rose in the shattered ruins of Old Karthun,
      where the moonlight dared not fall.<\/p>

      It was a thing of bone\u2011spines and shadow\u2011smoke,
      with eyes like dying embers
      and a mouth that opened sideways.<\/p>

      Its roar cracked the stones.
      Its breath froze the air.
      Its hunger reached for the world like a hand.<\/p>

      I will not lie \u2014
      I considered fleeing.<\/p>

      But Dragonsneer strode forward,
      cloak snapping like a banner of defiance.<\/p>

      Behind him, the Invidia Warriors<\/strong> emerged from the darkness:<\/p>

      • The Chainmail Guardians<\/strong>, shields emblazoned with the dragon\u2011slain sigil, pikes gleaming like starlight.<\/li>
      • The Cloaked Archers<\/strong>, silent as breath, their spectral bows shimmering with ghost\u2011fire.<\/li><\/ul>

        They did not speak.
        They never do.<\/p>

        Dragonsneer raised his staff, fire curling around its tip.<\/p>

        \u201cBeast!\u201d he bellowed.
        \u201cFace us, and know fear!\u201d<\/p>

        The Morkoft did not know fear.
        But it learned.<\/p>

        III. The Battle of Old Karthun<\/strong><\/p>

        The Morkoft struck first,
        shadow\u2011claws carving trenches in the stone.<\/p>

        The Chainmail Guardians met the blow head\u2011on,
        shields locking, pikes thrusting with perfect unity.
        Their formation did not break.
        It never breaks.<\/p>

        The Cloaked Archers vanished into the ruins,
        their arrows appearing from impossible angles,
        each shot guided by whispers only they could hear.<\/p>

        Dragonsneer charged,
        his greatsword blazing with firelight
        as if the sun itself had lent him its fury.<\/p>

        And I \u2014
        I played my lute, of course \u2014
        a melody sharp as steel,
        bright as courage,
        and loud enough to drown out my own terror.<\/p>

        (Dragonsneer later claimed he did not hear me.
        He lies.
        He hears everything.)<\/p>

        1. The Moment All Seemed Lost<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

          The Morkoft lashed out,
          striking Dragonsneer across the chest
          and sending him crashing into a broken pillar.<\/p>

          The Guardians closed ranks around him.
          The Archers rained spectral fire upon the beast.
          But the Morkoft was ancient,
          older than kingdoms,
          older than the moon\u2019s first crack.<\/p>

          It would not fall easily.<\/p>

          Dragonsneer rose.<\/p>

          Slowly.
          Painfully.
          Unstoppably.<\/p>

          He planted his sword in the ground
          and pushed himself upright,
          blood running down his arm.<\/p>

          \u201cNot yet,\u201d he growled.
          \u201cNot while my Warriors stand.\u201d<\/p>

          The Morkoft hesitated.<\/p>

          And that was its mistake.<\/p>

          1. The Fall of the Morkoft<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

            Dragonsneer charged.<\/p>

            The Guardians surged with him,
            pikes striking in perfect rhythm.
            The Archers unleashed a final volley,
            their arrows burning through shadow.<\/p>

            Dragonsneer\u2019s blade found the creature\u2019s heart \u2014
            if such a thing it had \u2014
            and drove through shadow and bone.<\/p>

            The Morkoft shrieked,
            a sound that shook the world,
            and collapsed into dust and silence.<\/p>

            The night breathed again.<\/p>

            The stars returned.<\/p>

            And Dragonsneer,
            bloodied but unbowed,
            looked upon the fallen beast and said:<\/p>

            \u201cSomeone fetch the bard.
            He\u2019ll want to write this down.\u201d<\/p>

            And I did.<\/p>

            Historian\u2019s Footnote<\/strong><\/p>

            Appended by Archivist Meredin Thale, Royal Historian of the Third Library of Sarene<\/em><\/p>

            Editor\u2019s Note:<\/strong>
            While Thalen Quickstrings\u2019 rendition of the \u201cFall of the Morkoft\u201d is undeniably stirring, it contains several\u2026 questionable assertions.<\/p>

            1. Thalen was not present.<\/strong>
              Records place him performing at the Copper Mare Inn in Westbridge on the night in question.<\/li>
            2. The Invidia Warriors were not present.<\/strong>
              No credible account places Dragonsneer\u2019s elite warriors anywhere near Old Karthun during this period.<\/li>
            3. The Morkoft was not \u201cmoon\u2011darkening.\u201d<\/strong>
              Surviving sketches depict a creature approximately twelve feet tall.<\/li>
            4. The final blow was not delivered solely by Dragonsneer.<\/strong>
              Several accounts suggest the creature collapsed due to internal instability rather than a killing strike.<\/li>
            5. The bard\u2019s lute playing had no recorded effect on the battle.<\/strong>
              Dragonsneer\u2019s journals make no mention of music of any kind.<\/li><\/ol>

              Readers are encouraged to enjoy Quickstrings\u2019 performance,
              but not to cite it in academic work.<\/p>

              \u2b50 Future Scholar\u2019s Commentary<\/strong><\/p>

              Added in the Seventh Edition by Professor Liraen Vos, Chair of Heroic Studies at the University of New Sarene<\/em><\/p>

              Scholarly Addendum:<\/strong>
              Archivist Thale\u2019s footnote reflects the overly literalist approach common to historians of his era. Modern scholarship has revised several of his conclusions.<\/p>

              1. On Thalen\u2019s Presence:<\/strong>
                Recent travel\u2011log analysis suggests Quickstrings could<\/em> have reached Old Karthun in time. Dismissing the possibility outright is now considered academically irresponsible.<\/li>
              2. On the Invidia Warriors:<\/strong>
                Thale\u2019s claim that they were \u201cnot present\u201d is based on incomplete records. The Invidia Warriors are notoriously difficult to track, and several oral traditions place them in the region during this period.<\/li>
              3. On the Morkoft\u2019s Size:<\/strong>
                Rune\u2011resonance studies indicate the creature\u2019s shadow\u2011mass extended far beyond its physical form, supporting Quickstrings\u2019 description of a \u201cmoon\u2011darkening\u201d presence.<\/li>
              4. On the Final Blow:<\/strong>
                Dragonsneer\u2019s sword carried an anomalous energy signature at the moment of impact. Whether this was due to latent potential, environmental factors, or the coordinated efforts of the Invidia Warriors remains contested.<\/li>
              5. On the Bard\u2019s Influence:<\/strong>
                While Dragonsneer\u2019s journals omit mention of music, several oral traditions claim the bard\u2019s melody \u201ccut through the creature\u2019s scream.\u201d
                This may represent a lost magical discipline or simply poetic metaphor.<\/li><\/ol>

                In conclusion:
                Quickstrings\u2019 tale, though embellished, preserves truths that earlier historians failed to appreciate.
                The line between legend and history remains thinner than Thale believed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                As Performed by Thalen Quickstrings, Bard of Questionable Accuracy and Unquestionable Confidence(Recorded in the taverns of the Western Road, embellished further each time he told it.) When the Moon Refused to Shine Gather close, good folk,for this is a tale of shadow and fire,of courage so vast it bent the night itself. This is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-365","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":370,"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/365\/revisions\/370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerrymotes.clients-demo-website.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}