Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

The History of KarameikosZELLIGAR ‘THE UNKNOWN’AND ROGAHN THE FEARLESS’QUASQUETON’S DUNGEONThe Caves of Quasqueton were introducedin adventure module B1 – In Search of theUnknown. Later the dungeon’s location wasplaced near the source of Achelos River inthe map of the Known World included in1983’s Expert Set. B1 told the tale of twoadventuring companions, Zelligar the wizardand Rogahn the warrior, who had built ahuge underground complex far fromcivilization; after having saved the civilizedlands to the south from a barbarian invasion,the two disappeared altogether during anexpedition in the barbarian lands to thenorth.You can leave Quasqueton dungeon where itis (at the source of Achelos River), and usethe following background.THE STORY OFQUASQUETONZelligar and Rogahn were two powerfuladventurers - maybe they were foreigners, orin service of the Thyatian conquerors, astheir motives are described as «based onsome kind of vague (or chaotic) evil» andtheir alignments as «questionable». Theybegan construction of Quasqueton after theThyatian conquest of the Cruth Lowlands(about AC 910), employing powerful magics,and hundreds of slaves and laborers(humanoids, and perhaps even capturedTraladaran rebels); they took advantage ofthe control that the Thyatian Empire wasexerting over this region at the beginning.Construction of Quasqueton took about adecade, and Zelligar and Rogahn used it asthe base of their operations for a some time.Things became increasingly difficult whenThyatian control over the Cruth Lowlandsbegan to wane, isolating their dungeoneven more than they wished. At last theywere forced to intervene directly when alarge orcish horde, defeated by the Hins atthe Battle of Fire Rock in the Five Shires (AC944), poured into the Cruth Lowlands.Before the orcs could reach the southernsettlements of the Cruth Lowlands, the twomanaged to lead them into a narrow passbetween two hills and routed them. TheThyatian provincial government and thelocal population rewarded them for theirdeeds; after that, they again retreated inQuasqueton.Zelligar and Rogahn disappeared years later(before AC 970) in the wild orc territorywest of Quasqueton, in what was their lastadventure. They left their mysteriousdungeon abandoned. Today it has beenoccupied by orcs (some of whom are thedescendants of Rogahn’s and Zelligar’sslaves), troglodytes, and other creatures.Continued on page 6966THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1