Venril Sathir, Cabilis and the remaining iksar

[Larkverdin]

<p>So now that I'm finally able to come into my fav EQ1 expansion (kunark) with my iksar, I'm all giddy about the lore and everything else to do with iksars and their culture. Now in EQ1, I didn't play an iksar, I was a wood elf, so I did miss out on some of the EQ1 lore, but my other excuse is that it's just been so long, I've totally forgotten some of the answers to the questions I'm about to ask.</p><p>Iksars in EQ1 resided in Cabilis, the new capital for the iksar empire on kunark after Sebilis was destroyed. Now was their goal to retake kunark for the iksars? Or just to live there and have everyone just leave them the heck alone (hence the KoS to every other city in EQ1)? If they wanted to reclaim kunark, how was this different than Venril's goals at the time?</p><p>Based on some of the answers from the above questions, I have a few about iksars in EQ2 as well. Firstly, is it possible to gain rep with the Sathirians, rather than lose it? What are Venril's goals in EQ2 now that he is a full fledge lich (at least I'm pretty sure he is)?</p><p>The reason I ask these questions is because of the RP I do on my iksar. He wants to retake kunark for the iksars, and re-establish their empire/strength on Norrath as a whole. By allying himself with Venril, will he be fulfilling that goal? If so, at what cost? I've managed to fill my apt. with lots of sathiran items (banners, carpets, coffins, lanterns, ect.), but does this mean that my char is a sathirian fanatic? Or simply that he wishes to see the iksars regain their former strength? Any info that can be shed on any one of my many questions is very appreciated <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[DeBasilisk]

<p>Hola, welcome to Kunark.</p><p>Iksar in EQ1 definitely wanted to re-take Kunark, but they didn't have the means to at the time. Their military was too batterred from wars with Dragons, Giants, Goblins and Sarnak. In EQ1, there was tons of work going on in Cabilis to rebuild the city. Cabilis was a minor city in the first Sebilisian Empire, and was finally retaken not terribly long before the launch of Ruins of Kunark. It was in ruins at the time, hence all of the construction work.</p><p>It's not that Venril's world-domination goals were all that different from the other Iksar, such as those in Cabilis during EQ1, but it was his selfish abandonment of Cazic Thule, and his desire to be worshipped himself that distinguished him from the other Iksar leaders. All of them were bloody warlords bent on imperial expansion, and in that respect, no different than Venril. His son Rile killed him because he wanted to be emperor. The KOS thing was because they didn't need friends, they were too cool anyhow. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Venril has many goals in EQ2, but to quickly sum it up: World Domination, Immortality, Godhood. And unfortunately, you can't raise faction with him.</p><p>P.S. You should transfer to Befallen and join my friend and I's all Iksar guild, "The Order of Kunark." <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Meirril]

<p>In EQ1 the Cabilisian Empire wanted to rebuild the old empire and retake all of Norrath. Their enemies were the Ring of Scale, Trakanon (notice: he was in exile from the ring of scale at this point and he resided in the remains of Sebilis), the Sarnak Empire (who did a very good job of controlling as much terratory as Cabilis did), with a minor enemy in the giants and goblins in the Frontier Mountains.</p><p>Veniril's goals in EQ1 were mainly to be raised from the dead and returned to some form of sanity. <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> He was just a shade and a pale reflection of his former glory trapped in Karnor's Castle.</p><p>Now in EQ2 things changed a great deal. The Sarnak broke into Charsis and managed to complete the cerimony that would turn Veniril into a lich. His first act was the kill the Sarnak that dared to disturbe his tomb. He then wandered out into a much transformed Kunark.</p><p>Cabilis was destroyed during the shattering. Basically when parts of Luclin hit it caused Cabilis to collapse. By the time Veniril had started to gather forces behind him and organize an army Trakanon had staged a coup and taken over the Ring of Scale. He of course moved to Veshan's Peak to take his rightful place. Veniril returned to the ruins of his former capital to find them in ruins inhabited by froglocks and fungus men. He quickly cleared the place out and started to restore Sebilis to its former glory.</p><p>He was able to capitalize on the difficulties the other forces on Kunark were having and his newly established empire quickly ate into the outposts of the Sarnak Empire. Right now they hold a single fort in the Fens and a rebuilt Chardok. The Satherian Empire streaches into all the known areas of Kunark with 3 major cities and a large dock in Darnak that use to be The Overthere.</p><p>Sathir's goals seem to be retaking Kunark and then possibly the world afterward. He is strengthing his position, which is still somewhat tenious. He has enemies in Kunark both from within his own people and from without. The dragons hold daily raids on Darnak with their Droag troops. There are Iksar in open rebellion near Darnak. Many of the outlying regions don't hold dear to his xenophobic ways and actually employ outlanders to do what they should be doing.</p><p>As for outsiders, they are not welcome in Veniril Sathier's empire. Those truely loyal to him will kill outsiders on sight, and then find out who conspired with them and bring them to justice. Even Iksar that are not native to the empire are not welcome to return. They are enemies of the new Sebilisian Empire.</p><p>Veniril has manged to raise his sons as Liches and hold their phalasries hostage to ensure their continued loyalty. His armies are growing in both strength and number. If he is able to prevent the intermal and external strugges of his empire from consuming him he will be a threat to all of Norrath.</p>

[Rainmare]

<p>you forgot a couple new internal enemies of Venril's empire. his son, Rile, is already looking to kill his father again..and no Venril doesn't have his phylactery. the players do. the Crusaders of the Greenmist are also looking to dethrone Venril, becuase Cazic is getting very annoyed with the uppity emperor's claim to being a living god/avatar to Syllok, and sent the leader of the crusaders vision of him unleashing the Greenmist.</p><p>and yeah, no way to build faction with the Sathirians, even for iksar. Venril considers the iksar in Freeport to be 'weak' for being willing to live in a softskin city like Freeport under Lucan's boot. and I think during eitehr part of that live event or a quest series after, you learn that any iksar that had remained loyal to thule was killed/exiled as well.</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>If you want to find what remains of Cabilis today, you can see most of it in the ruins at the north side of Fens of Nathsar, and part of the destroyed city way up high on the cliffs behind the ruins.</p>

[LordPazuzu]

<p><cite>Vassir@Unrest wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>So now that I'm finally able to come into my fav EQ1 expansion (kunark) with my iksar, I'm all giddy about the lore and everything else to do with iksars and their culture. Now in EQ1, I didn't play an iksar, I was a wood elf, so I did miss out on some of the EQ1 lore, but my other excuse is that it's just been so long, I've totally forgotten some of the answers to the questions I'm about to ask.</p><p>Iksars in EQ1 resided in Cabilis, the new capital for the iksar empire on kunark after Sebilis was destroyed. Now was their goal to retake kunark for the iksars? Or just to live there and have everyone just leave them the heck alone (hence the KoS to every other city in EQ1)? If they wanted to reclaim kunark, how was this different than Venril's goals at the time?</p><p>Based on some of the answers from the above questions, I have a few about iksars in EQ2 as well. Firstly, is it possible to gain rep with the Sathirians, rather than lose it? What are Venril's goals in EQ2 now that he is a full fledge lich (at least I'm pretty sure he is)?</p><p>The reason I ask these questions is because of the RP I do on my iksar. He wants to retake kunark for the iksars, and re-establish their empire/strength on Norrath as a whole. By allying himself with Venril, will he be fulfilling that goal? If so, at what cost? I've managed to fill my apt. with lots of sathiran items (banners, carpets, coffins, lanterns, ect.), but does this mean that my char is a sathirian fanatic? Or simply that he wishes to see the iksars regain their former strength? Any info that can be shed on any one of my many questions is very appreciated <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Sebilis was never destroyed in EQ1.  It was sealed away with Trakanon.  In EQ2, with Trakanon back in the Ring of Scale, Venril Sathir has returned from his exile and created the new Sathirian Empire and made Sebilis once again the Iksar Capital.  While it is possible to gain faction with the Iksar towns and cities outsie of Sebilis, it is impossible to gain faction with the Sathirians inside the capital.</p><p>Venril has turned the Sathirian Empire away from the worship of Cazic-Thule and there is a faction of Iksar, the Crusaders of Greenmist, looking to reverse this and bring the Iksar back to the Thulian faith.  There is a really awesome HQ in the new expansion that delves into this as you perform a series of quests for the Crusaders and are awared with the Greenmist blade as a final reward.  The quest starter is in the ruins of Atrebe's Laboratory: The Fabled City of Kor'Sha, where Atrebe Sathir and his magic/bio-engineers created the original Sarnak race.  That is a particularly awesome zone.  You can venture into the ruined lab with the gestation tanks they used, some of which are still occupied...  It's a level 80 instance and definitely not for scrub groups.</p>

[EverAfterIt]

<p>More Iksar lore dammit... more <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>I recently rolled an Iksar Bruiser. I've been searching and searching for information so that I could form a backstory and such (being on a rp server).</p><p>I've found:</p><p>Bruiser are not monks, and since the Swift Tail caste consists of Iksar Monks...but I have found this:</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The students you have sent me do not wish to perfect themselves. My teachings have been perverted and my ways disregarded. They are only concerned with how to punch harder, kick faster, mover swifter. They have come to call the sparring grounds the 'Court of Pain', and established a tier system to rank themselves, so that they can glory in their own accomplishments in defeating one another. I know not if it was ignorance or out of insult that made them use my name for the highest rank, but the irony is not lost on me. I cannot teach those that are unwilling to listen."-- Grandmaster Tynn to the Emperor Sathir</span></p><p>So could not (and I'm sure this topic has been done to death but I can't seem to find the posts now) the Iksar been originally Monks, but then adapted the ways of the Bruiser, as alluded to in the above passage.</p><p>It seems to me that the Swift Tail are not monks anymore, since this:</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">**"Grandmaster Tynn has left us. He just rose up in the middle of another one of his useless lectures on meditation and walked off into the jungle. Good riddance, he had outlived his usefulness. We have learned all that grayscale had to teach us. We still have his writings on form and his diagram for something called the Claw of Instruction. Maybe someone will get around to constructing that."-- Anonymous student at the Court of Pain in Cabalis. </span></p><p>And instead, somewhere there is an offshoot sect of the Swift Tails that are now Monks proper.</p><p>I'm saddened that Iksar not of Sebilis would never be welcomed by the 'hardcore' citizens of Sebilis proper.</p>

[Dreyco]

<p>Would an Iksar follow Venril?  Depends on the Iksar's feelings and beliefs that he had over his or her old empire or the new.</p><p>When Venril sought immortal life, he did indeed forsake Cazic, and in doing so, his empire.  Rile killed him not to assume the throne, but to stop his father from performing the ritual that would have given him this immortality.  The rest of his sons now being ressurected under his name after his great betrayal is a spat on the face of everything an old world iksar would have "believed", as is Venril's Empire, as he was one of the greatest traitors to ever live in that sense.</p><p>There is, however, no way to get Sathirian faction, as others have said.  In that, my Iksar quietly hopes to one day take back what was rightfully theirs, no longer under the leadership of a traitorous king, now Emperor.</p>

[Garnaf]

<p>Personally as a self respecting Iksar Shadowknight (and self styled Crusader of Greenmist, even before the Crusaders were put back in, yay Greenmist katana), I live for the day when I can kick Venril's useless butt out of Sebilis and let a REAL emperor like Rile take the throne.</p><p>"The year of our birth is 371 A.G. and our father is Rile."</p>

[Larkverdin]

<p>Ok, thank for clearing that up Dreyco, I was always wondering what the main difference between Venril's empire (both EQ1 and 2) and the rest of the iksars on kunark.</p><p>@ EverAfterIt: No, I don't believe that all iksars have turned to the ways of the bruiser. None of the Swifttails claim to be bruisers, they all claim the title of monk.</p><p>Tynn always was a confusing subject to me. If I have my lore right, Zan Fi, thought himself so powerful as to defeat Cazic-Thule, Cazic did infact beat him, but was impressed enough with his power that he took some of Zan Fi's power and created Tynn with it. Now when Tynn comes to the Empire yes, we get those quotes from him about the iksars only wanting to physically better themselves, not spiritually as well and then yes, he just leaves. My confusion comes from the fact that if CT created Tynn, wouldn't he in essence be proud of the way the iksars were conducting themselves? Turning their bodies into ultimate weapons? Or did CT take enough of Zan Fi's essence that Tynn was imbuned with the desire for inner tranquility as well as honing your body? Any light to be shed on that?</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>EverAfterIt wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>More Iksar lore dammit... more <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>I recently rolled an Iksar Bruiser. I've been searching and searching for information so that I could form a backstory and such (being on a rp server).</p><p>I've found:</p><p>Bruiser are not monks, and since the Swift Tail caste consists of Iksar Monks...but I have found this:</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The students you have sent me do not wish to perfect themselves. My teachings have been perverted and my ways disregarded. They are only concerned with how to punch harder, kick faster, mover swifter. They have come to call the sparring grounds the 'Court of Pain', and established a tier system to rank themselves, so that they can glory in their own accomplishments in defeating one another. I know not if it was ignorance or out of insult that made them use my name for the highest rank, but the irony is not lost on me. I cannot teach those that are unwilling to listen."-- Grandmaster Tynn to the Emperor Sathir</span></p><p>So could not (and I'm sure this topic has been done to death but I can't seem to find the posts now) the Iksar been originally Monks, but then adapted the ways of the Bruiser, as alluded to in the above passage.</p><p>It seems to me that the Swift Tail are not monks anymore, since this:</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">**"Grandmaster Tynn has left us. He just rose up in the middle of another one of his useless lectures on meditation and walked off into the jungle. Good riddance, he had outlived his usefulness. We have learned all that grayscale had to teach us. We still have his writings on form and his diagram for something called the Claw of Instruction. Maybe someone will get around to constructing that."-- Anonymous student at the Court of Pain in Cabalis. </span></p><p>And instead, somewhere there is an offshoot sect of the Swift Tails that are now Monks proper.</p><p>I'm saddened that Iksar not of Sebilis would never be welcomed by the 'hardcore' citizens of Sebilis proper.</p></blockquote><p>From a technical standpoint, you have to be a bruiser if you choose to be evil. There is no way around it unless you move to the PVP servers, where you CAN play a good class while being evil.</p><p>From a lore standpoint, the Swifttails are still monks even to this day, but you can never be an evil iksar and be a monk. There is the Broken Shackle order that formed in Sebilis and follow Venril Sathir, but that's not a possibility for players to get good faction with them.</p>

[Larkverdin]

<p>Technically you can be "evil" and still a monk. If you make an iksar bruiser and switch over to a monk, then start the betray questline and stop when you end up in errr...I'm totally blanking on the exile home city but ya, that place. I wish they'd give iksars who arn't allied with Venril a home city again, maybe we could take Charasis or some other ancient Sebilisian city. I haven't gotten to do the Swifttail questline yet, but I think what separates them from bruisers is the fact that they seek something rather than just run around and punch everybody in the face, lol</p>

[EverAfterIt]

<p>Thanks for the backgrounding <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I never really considered who I serve yet. Hmmm. I do see the argument against Venril and noted.</p><p>I was saddened in the terms of not being able to roam around Sebilis as an Iksar, without having to kill Iksar. I would love to have a nearly exclusive city for Iksar. I was intending to use Jinisk as my 'city' once I got myself up there.</p><p>I'm still skeptical about this Swift-tail/Bruiser/Monk thing. What makes it more confusing for me is I just purchased my fluff kata 20 art...and it's very martial art-like in movement. And really the whole 'we are monks' labeling is just...well...I dunno, can't anyone who studies a martial art form essentially call themselves monks if they follow a certain lifestyle while pursuing it.</p><p>I'll accept that the Swift-tails are monks, as it seems that it's lore. I can agree wholeheartedly that the original teacher was a monk.</p><p>See, what I'm looking for - and I'll admit to being almost lore-ignorant as far as Iksar are concerned (although I found the Archive of Ik and holy geebs Dreyco, I'm hooked now) is this. My Iksar was hatched in Freeport. He is young. He had studied under a Swift-tail abroad in the Scaleyards. I have it that the Mentor/Teacher had spoken at length of the 'monk' ways, but my Iksar is more inspired and impressed in what the quote had said "...strike harder, move faster...blah, blah, blah" and somehow believes that by travelling abroad and studying/observing he might be able to adapt a style that is 'hard' enough to satisfy his obsession with powerful hits and devastating attacks and yet be recognized for it being a viable alternative to the 'monk' peace love and eternal grooviness thing <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p><p>I almost think that this background and 'drive' towards the mastery of his art might not mesh with what is known and accepted. I'm merely looking to dot the i's and cross the t's in a sense.</p><p>And thanks for the responses. Each one fills in the blanks a little bit more.</p>

[Larkverdin]

<p>Hehe, I was in the same boat as you for a while EverAfterIt, deciding if lore wise, my iksar should be a bruiser or a monk. I think what I ended up deciding is that while you do have that passage mocking Tynn for leaving and all his not necessarily peace loving ways, more seeking to be enlightened (I think?), I don't think that all iksars looked at him that way. I do believe I've read passages of Grandmaster Glox (monk leader in Cabilis in EQ1) being one of very few words, meditating extensively. If I've got my lore right, he was one of Tynn's greater disciples, hence why he became the new grandmaster monk. But I think that when Tynn originally came to the Empire his art wasn't very accepted as much as it was in EQ1 when it had had some time to change the minds of the monks who truly wanted more than just being able to strike quickly.</p><p>Another misconception that I've used to my advantage with my iksar monk, is that while monks are technically labeled as a "good" class, not all of them are "good". Just because my iksar lives in Qeynos doesn't mean he believes/backs up the ideals of the Bayle family. He just occupies his house and is left alone to his endevors, and that's how he wants it. He chose that rather than being forced into servitude by a leader who tried to enslave his race and in his opinion isn't much of a leader in the first place</p>

[Meirril]

<p>What the story about Tynn leaving alludes to is that Iksar on Kunark were monks 500 years ago. But over time they have strayed from the path and become nothing more than Bruisers that choose the purely physical over the melding of body and spirit.</p><p>Bruisers are not monks. A bruiser seeks to do as much punishment with his fists/feet/tail and weapons as quickly as possible. While they do have defensive training, aggression and assault are what is stressed in their training.</p><p>Monks are more fluid. They are more philosophically trained with actions following form. They become good fighters because they focus on the teachings, not because they focus on becomming better fighters.</p><p>Tynn left in disgust. The sheer ignorence of the bruisers around him conviced him to leave and seek his own path.</p><p>Well, that's my take at least.</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>What the story about Tynn leaving alludes to is that Iksar on Kunark were monks 500 years ago. But over time they have strayed from the path and become nothing more than Bruisers that choose the purely physical over the melding of body and spirit.</p><p>Bruisers are not monks. A bruiser seeks to do as much punishment with his fists/feet/tail and weapons as quickly as possible. While they do have defensive training, aggression and assault are what is stressed in their training.</p><p>Monks are more fluid. They are more philosophically trained with actions following form. They become good fighters because they focus on the teachings, not because they focus on becomming better fighters.</p><p>Tynn left in disgust. The sheer ignorence of the bruisers around him conviced him to leave and seek his own path.</p><p>Well, that's my take at least.</p></blockquote><p>There are other reasons for Tynn leaving, but the Swifttails continued to strive for inner peace through rigorous discipline and fear afterwards. They remained as Monks. The reason why the Whistling Fists clan turned them down was because they try to enforce thier views on others with aggression, but they still follow thier own method of discipline.</p><p>Keep in mind, that by the time the Iksar were introduced as a race in EverQuest, Tynn was already long gone.</p>