The Ogre race was arguably the most drastically changed race throughout history. Changing from enlightened intellectuals to ferocious ferals. Let’s take a look at the history of the Irda ogres. Buy Otherlands: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/188636/DLR1-Otherlands-2e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
When you think of ogres, you inevitably conjure images of giant, monstrous, thick skulled brutes. But on Krynn, you would be only thinking of a tiny fraction of what ogres truly are.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about The Irda ogres. I would like to take a moment and thank my collaborator patrons, the Heroes of the Lance, and invite you to consider becoming a patron or member of this channel by visiting the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. This episode is primarily informed by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition resource book, DLR1 Otherlands, but extensive information is also pulled from the various Dungeons & Dragons edition campaign sourcebooks.
Discussion
In the Age of Dreams, the ogres believe they were the first-born after Dragons. They were tall, handsome and strong. They were created by Takhisis as her favored children and were seemingly immortal. The ogres were a proud race—with a dark grace and cold beauty was unsurpassed by anything on Krynn. They were distrustful of others, so when they came across the graceful elves, brooding dwarves and industrious humans, they met them with anger and then violence. Their hearts were cold and bent toward evil. They enslaved Marans or barbarian humans and used them to build their mighty nation of Cold Stone. Then Igrane came on the scene. Igraine was governor of the northern lands of Khal-Theraxian. In a mine collapse which he barely escaped, his daughter became trapped, and his slave disobeyed his orders of evacuation to save Igraine’s daughter. The slave was put in chains and taken to the royal manor for execution due to his disobedience. Igrane was supposed to slay the human, but instead he learned the concepts of compassion and free will from him, and would eventually flee the ogre nation. He was wiser than all, save the noble dragons, and taught the ogres another way. He taught that violence would inevitably lead to death or enslavement, and he would forge a different path. A path of peace and kindness. He rejected the inherent evil and violence within his race and a clan of ogres followed him. His new philosophy was inspired by humanity, through the power of choice. Igrane chose to try and live in wisdom and faith in the freedom of choice.
With the slave uprising due to Igraine’s Heresy, the ogre nation fell. The ogre race was split, and ‘the evil ones chose to war with Igrane’s clan. Ultimately the goddess Mishakal saw Igrane’s plight and granted them the ability to shapeshift, so they could exist in safety. Igrane’s clan followed him to the sea where they sailed away in a single great canoe through storm and struggle. In Igrane’s absence the ogres would degenerate over the centuries through their corruption. Some may see it as inevitable with Takhisis as their mother, but they would war with each other as much as with the other races on Krynn. Igrane and his clan would finally arrive at a great island. Igrane passed his authority to his daughter and retired into the mountains. He returned to his people centuries later with his great book, the Irdanaiath. He renamed his people the Irda, which means “the Gentle Ones”, and then he died. The Irda would live in peace for centuries. They were a magical race whose powers were fed by the Age of Dreams from which they emerged. They built their civilization in the glorious northern sea, free from the troubles of the world. And their island was named Anaiatha
The Irdanaiath was never intended to be a sacred book, but rather a philosophical stepping off point. Igrane refused to allow it to be copied, but anyone who wanted to read it, simply had to travel to its location and do so. They could then interpret its passages as they saw fit, and debate its meaning with others who have read its text. It was simply meant to be advice and opinions from a wise man, rather than a set of commandments. The Irdanaiath’s overarching theme is that the individual must be knowledgeable and full of love in order to become happy and prosperous.
As the centuries passed, their pride in their way of life became a vice. It led to greater cities and an air of superiority over all other races. They stopped feeling as though they needed the gods, worshipping them out of tradition not honor. Then the Cataclysm struck. For the Irda, the Cataclysm wasn’t a punishment but rather a test. A test which they failed gloriously. A century before the cataclysm, Dark Ogres began invading. Their race had become malevolent and wicked through the ages. The Irda defended themselves in accordance with the Right of Igrane. The Irda warred with the Dark Ogres and felt that they did not need the gods’ aid, and won. Their High King turned his back on their temple and proclaimed that the Irda no longer needed the gods. With a mighty boom of thunder, the island was torn apart and a chasm formed beneath the High King’s feet, swallowing him. The temple section of the island that held the Irdanaiath broke away and was borne into the depths of the sea with the truly faithful few. From that moment on, Anaiatha was lost.
The surviving Irda resumed war with the Dark Ogres, defeating them at great cost. Some Irda were taken away to Ansalon or Taladas as slaves. They strayed so far from Igrane’s teachings they actually renamed themselves the Mischta. They still hold the beauty and dignity of the Irda, but with a profound sense of sadness. They then renamed their island from Anaiatha to Selasia, or Place of Sundering. During the High Sanction, the Mischta can hear the call of Anaiatha and long to return to it. But the High King declared they could never return unless Anaiatha came to them. Until then they will never be whole.
The island of Selasia is part of a coral reef chain of islands called the Spine of Taladas. It is located between Taladas and the Undersea Kingdoms of the Dargonesti Sea Elves. The Spine of Taladas is populated not only by the Mischta, but the remnants of the Dark Ogres called Nzunta. The Nzunta look nearly identical to the Irda, but slightly more sinister in dress and tone. Both the Mischta and the Nzunta live with corrupted forms of their ogre lineage due to the Greystone. The Nzunta have enslaved the Orughi. These ogres have stringy golden hair, oily grey skin and webbed hands and feet. They worship Zeboim and build elaborate shrines in her honor near the waters’ edge. They resemble cylindrical towers of stone that can be seen for miles. They are more like the corrupted ogres on Ansalon than their Irda ancestors. The Mischta share much of their society with their neighbors the Bolandi, another corrupted offshoot of the Ogres. The Bolandi are smaller humanoids with brown skin, hair and eyes. They are slim and dwell in the trees of the jungle islands. They are a mischievous race, always trying to perfect the practical joke. Their culture was ravaged with the Nzunta and their Orughi slaves. The Mischta aided them in their times of need and they have remained friendly since.
Most of the world has forgotten about the Irda, even their progeny, but they are not lost to history. In fact, they still dwell on the portion of the original island of Anaiatha that was moved by the gods. The faithful of the Irda’s offspring can hear the call to return home, and some may actually find it. At times, even non Irda can find it, as was the case with draconians sent by Takhisis herself, who invaded the island and brought many true Irda back to Ansalon as slaves! Their location was revealed to her by the cataclysm and the splitting of Anaiatha. The Queen had been much aggrieved by the loss of the lrda in the beginning of the world. The Irda who dwell on Anaiatha are deeply religious, spending much of their time in prayer for the return of the Mischta who they fear are in danger. The Irda are powerful magicians who have cloaked their island from discovery. Prior to the second Cataclysm, they sent out emissaries to the world, using their shapeshifting ability to hide their true presence. All but a handful of the Irda were destroyed by Chaos at the end of the Fourth Age.
Outro
And that is all I can fit into this episode. Was there anything I left out that you would like to hear more about? Do you think there are too many offshoot races from the original ogres? And lastly, are you aware of the Spelljammer connection to the Nzunta? Leave a comment below.
I would like to once again invite you to consider becoming a patron or member of this channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link, all of which are in the description below.
This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
Did you hear what that man called me, Usha? ‘Little Thief’! How dare he? And he took my knife. Only it wasn’t my knife, it was your knife, I noticed, Palin. And now that thief is missing his knife, too. I’ve got it right here. Funny, he must have dropped it…
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