Morden

The Morden are a warrior race that was created by Valdis using the powers of the Sword of Zaramoth. Although considered one race, the Morden vary wildly in appearance, and are separated into four castes that serve different roles in their society.
== Castes ==
The Morden race is divided into four castes, each of which serves its own distinct purpose.
=== Morden-Viir ===
The Morden-Viir make up the majority of the Morden army, and serve as the front-line troops. They are more-or-less the size and shape of the average Human man, although they are much stronger in comparison. Their helmets usually cover the entire top part of their faces, leaving only their gaping mouths, filled with pointed teeth visible. Often, the Morden-Viir are equipped with swords, lances, or crossbows.
=== Morden-Gral ===
The Morden-Gral are hunchbacked creatures who act as the magic-users of the Morden. They are sadistic beings, and prefer to use combat magic in most situations, mainly fire and death spells, although they have been shown to use nature magic on occasion. They often giddily hop around as they incinerate their foes.
=== Morden-Urg ===
The Morden-Urg are the runts of Morden society, and are often little more than cannon fodder, one step above the mercenaries employed in Valdis' armies. They appear as gaunt humanoids with rocky growths on their backs, often hunched over and barring their razor sharp teeth. The weapons of the Morden-Urg are usually scavenged, with the better equipment going to the Morden-Viir and Morden-Gral. A select few who have shown an aptitude for spellcasting have been training in the use of basic combat magic.
=== Morden-Durvla ===
The Morden-Durlva are hideous abominations mixing the torso of a Morden-Viir warrior with the lower body of an insectoid Durvla. They are feared and reviled by the other castes, and often serve as enforcers in Morden society, keeping order that would otherwise not exist. The Morden Chief surrounds himself with the Morden-Durvla for this reason.
==History==
=== Creation ===
The Morden race was created by Valdis sometime after he claimed the Sword of Zaramoth from within Zaramoth's Horns in the early 1200s. From that point onward, they served as the backbone of his armies. Over the next couple of decades, the Morden spread out across eastern Aranna, founding the city of Darthrul on the Plain of Tears, from which they terrorized the surrounding lands.
=== Dungeon Siege II ===
The Morden host continued to serve Valdis in many capacities, helping him to lay claim to the Aegis of Life in 1243, after the successful assault on Greilyn Isle. A mercenary who had been betrayed during this battle turned on their former Morden allies soon after, however, and helped the Dryads of Eirulan drive their kind off the island.
This mercenary next engaged the Morden during the Siege of Snowbrook Haven, a fortress in the Northern Reaches, which was the headquarters of the resistance that opposed Valdis' rule. Although the Morden forces claimed victory in the battle, the mercenary had spirited away their ultimate prize: the Aegis of Blindness.
Afterwards, Valdis ordered the Morden to occupy the desert city of Kalrathia, which they easily did. Under the orders of the Morden Chief in Darthrul, they cut off the city's water supply, and stationed a Ganth to protect the nearby water chapel. The very same heroes who had opposed them on Greilyn and at Snowbrook Haven appeared once again, however, and reclaimed Kalrathia's water. Afterwards, they slew the Morden Chief himself, and allowed the Kalrathians to drive the Morden from their city.
Valdis was defeated soon after, and his Morden host was scattered.
=== Broken World ===
The shattering of the Sword of Zaramoth brought about the Second Cataclysm, and caused chaos all across Aranna, but the blade's destruction proved even more devastating to the Morden. Every member of their race fell into a deep coma at the exact moment that the Sword broke over the reforged Shield of Azunai, and many never awoke; those who did found their bodies weakened. Once able to split a man in two with a single blow, the Morden found themselves barely able to lift a sword.
One group of Morden came to the Overmage of the Cinbri, who had been Valdis' closest advisor, and begged him to save them from the wasting disease that had fallen over them. Using a vial of the Dark Wizard's blood, this group became the Morden-Sin, or Morden Ravagers. They terrorized refugees, Human and Morden alike, from within their stronghold in the Kelvaran Waste.
The heroes who had defeated Valdis eventually slaughtered the Ravagers at the behest of some of their Morden victims, and claimed the Overmage's blood in an attempt to summon him. While it had worked, the vile sorcerer revealed to the Morden that, without the magic of the Sword of Zaramoth to hold them together, their race were returning to the state of death and decay that they had been created from. The remaining Morden despaired, and waited for death to take them.
Thus, one year after the defeat of Valdis, the last of his Morden armies died.
== TriviaCategory:RacesCategory:Dungeon Siege II: Enemies ==
* In German, morden means 'to murder' or 'to kill'.
Category:Enemies