The Vai'kesh, also known among themselves as the Manu Ostar, are a fanatical sect of Elves dedicated to mastering dark magic and the power of the Aegis of Death. Once respected sorcerers, they were twisted by their own ambition and now dwell as undead outcasts in the cursed Vai'kesh Forest.
Description[]
The Vai'kesh exist in a state between life and death. Following a failed ritual known as *Nuruhuun*, their flesh began to rot, but their magical powers grew tremendously. Once stewards of the Aegis of Death in Aman'lu, the survivors became skeletal, decayed, and dangerous, wearing ancient Elven robes or armor and wielding powerful necromantic spells like Soul Spear and Death Beam.
Despite their monstrous appearance, Vai'kesh retain high intelligence and a deep culture. Their speech includes cryptic Elven phrases such as:
- "A'alle koi'ya n'ai ar'lle gurte n'ai lenga" — "Short life and long death."
- "Koi'ya tuulo'gurté" — "Life from death."
Their sanctuary lies deep within the Vai'kesh Forest, where their leader, the Vai'kesh Prophet, holds court. A sacred banner and unique runes mark their territory, warning intruders away.
History[]
Origins[]
The Vai'kesh, performing some profane death ritual
The Manu Ostar were a guild of sorcerers, formed to harness the power of the Aegis of Death, which had been brought to Aman'lu by an ancient scholar. These mages channeled powerful spells through the artifact, and became masters of death magic through increasingly complex ceremonies that involved the mana of not only one or two Elves, but the entire guild.
- "With the Aegis, they created many new spells and formed a guild to further study its magical properties. The mages called themselves the Manu Ostar. The Aegis of Death allowed them to reach the darkest depths of necromancy. Such spells were difficult to control, but greed stripped the sorcerers of their caution. Soon they were using spells that required the power of two, even three casters. Eventually, they attempted spells of the black circle — which required the entire guild.
Their greatest act was to be the casting of Nuruhuun, a spell that would allow them to dominate death itself. But even with the Aegis, they could not contain it: the spell backfired, killing more than half of the guild instantly. The surviving mages were left in a state between life and death — rotting, but not dying. And the more their flesh decayed, the stronger their magic grew.
Frightened, the elders of Aman'lu banished them into the forests. From then on, they were known as the Vai'kesh — "evil spirits".
2=From Downfall of the Manu Ostar*"
- ―{{{2}}}
Dungeon Siege II[]
The Vai'kesh longed to reclaim the Aegis of Death, but the magics that protected the vault in which it was kept, deep below Aman'lu, were too powerful for even them to break. One of their number, known only as the Vai'kesh Prophet, foresaw a day when they would at last be able to take the artifact for their own.
This day came in the year 1243, when Celeb'hel the Elder entrusted the Aegis into the care of Evangeline, princess of the Northern Reaches. She sought to take the Shield fragment back to Snowbrook Haven. While she succeeded in robbing Valdis of the Aegis, her caravan was attacked by the Vai'kesh, who seized the artifact and brought it to their Vai'kesh Sanctuary.
The Vai'kesh Prophet, surrounded by his personal bodyguards
A hero, seeking the princess, encountered a survivor and learned of the Vai'kesh's attack. They pursued the Prophet into the forest and ultimately defeated him, recovering the Aegis of Death after slaying the Knotted Shambler, a powerful beast nourished with the blood of sacrificed prisoners.
Later, Evangeline returned to free her captured knights. Deceiving the Vai'kesh with false promises of ransom, she and the hero struck back, rescuing her friend Jessic.
The hero also uncovered the Vai'kesh's method for communing with the dead, and thwarted their attempts to summon a powerful Vai'kesh Demon.
Broken World[]
Following the Second Cataclysm, which fulfilled the prophecy of the fallen Prophet, the Vai'kesh became more active near Aman'lu. When a group of Estelath Warriors went missing while hunting Familiars, their leader, Talain, asked the returning hero to investigate.
The hero encountered Rinerel, a seemingly peaceful Vai'kesh who claimed they had rescued one warrior, Benlir, from the Familiars. He directed the party to a crypt where the others had been laid to rest.
However, the truth emerged when the hero found the body of a warrior slain by a Vai'kesh blade. Benlir’s memories returned, revealing that the Vai'kesh had attacked his group and clouded his mind with magic to manipulate the Elves into accepting an alliance.
Rinerel and his kin attacked when confronted. The hero fought through the Vai'kesh Sanctuary once more, defeating their new Prophet, Argir, and freeing the captured Estelath Warriors. The dark sect of the Manu Ostar was brought to an end once again.
Language[]
During their first encounter, players can learn to speak a few phrases in the Vai'kesh dialect, such as:
- "A'alle koyya n'ai ar'lle gurte n'ai lenga" — "Short life and long death"
- "Koyya tuulo'gurte" — "Life from death"
Combat Style[]
Vai'kesh spellcasters are among the most dangerous mages in the land. They often wield necromantic spells such as:
- Soul Spear
- Death Ray
Notes[]
- The Vai'kesh name means "Evil Spirits" in Elven.
- They are credited with developing some of the deadliest combat spells in death magic.
- In early encounters, limited communication is possible using phrases from their dialect.
Gallery[]
