  DIRINTHRAX AND LIA    |
The mysterious Dirinthrax (known by most before his days of kingship as simply "Dirin") was the rightful descendant and heir to Duncanthrax the Bellicose. Although Dirinthrax itself is clearly a name of royal origins, exactly which branch of the hopelessly convoluted Flathead family tree sank into oblivion to reemerge in the form of Dirinthrax is to this day not clear. Nevertheless, in the tenth century, this boy took the chance to proclaim himself ruler of Egreth and Lord of Quendor.
The only sources available to us tell of young Dirin as a farm boy, with mud on his boots and straw in his hair, but he showed magical aptitude. After annoying tendencies, such as making the family cow vanish into thin air, Dirin's parents realized that they had to send him away. They were too poor to send him to one of the big magic schools in the south so they apprenticed him to Frobwit the Fair, a local magician.
There wasn't much Frobwit could teach the boy, but he found an apprentice to be good servant. Although Dirin had learned a few common spells, he mostly stoked the fire and mopped the floors. His work was not to go unrewarded—Dirin, no more than a teenage boy at the time, would accompany Frobwit to the Sorcerer’s Convention at Accardi-by-the-Sea (c. 957-966 GUE).
When the day arrived, the two set out for Accardi-by-the-Sea, joining up with a caravan that would take them to the village. Gurthark the Stout drove the wagon, which was guarded by the hired Ryker. Along with Frobwit and Dirin, a lovely woman named Acia was riding to the same destination.
The first night, they stopped near the boundaries of Egreth Castle, which were currently being ruled by an evil warlock known as Radnor. A young girl, Lia, who had guised herself as a boy named Lim, with shorn hair and male garments, was brought back to the camp by Ryker that night.
By means of magic, Radnor saw that one of their party had in their possession the Amulet of Egreth, which he desperately sought, and sent his enslaved night gaunts after them. During the night, the stealthy creatures disturbed the stillness of the campsite. Dirin was awakened and watched them knock Ryker out and snatch Acia from her bedroll. He was determined to track them down.
Once when Frobwit had needed a message sent in a hurry, he had changed Dirin into a pigeon. Trying hard, Dirin was able to recall the spell, transforming himself into a bird. While following the gaunts all the way to Egreth Castle, a giant hawk found the pigeoned Dirin to be a tasty meal. Dirin saved himself just in time, reverted into his human form. He landed on the opposite side of the moat.
Through arcane means, Radnor detected the intruder and sent a spirit guard to destroy Dirin. Recalling a conversation he had overheard between Frobwit and a visiting wizard, Dirin knew how to defeat the phantom. Using a magic spell, he formed a magical mirror which he used to reflect the evil light back upon the spirit guard, vanquishing it. He slipped into the castle.
To protect himself, Dirin made himself somewhat invisible. In this semi-protected state, he set off in search of Acia. Along the way he came to a window in the corridor. Gazing out at the moonlit moat, he was startled to see the figure of Lia. But as she stripped her clothing in order to cross the moat, Dirin was mesmerized by her comely feminine form. When she had dressed, Dirin resumed his solid form and called down to her.
Lia climbed up the castle’s mossy wall using ancient vines and passed through the window. Once Lia was safely within the castle, the two set out in search of Acia. In the dim light, Lia did not notice the transportation pentagram which she stepped upon, sending her to the hobgoblin harem. Lia now seemed very vulnerable to Dirin. All he could think about was the enchanted young woman. He frantically searched through the gloomy hallways. In the lower regions of the castle, he found the Amulet of Egreth (which unknown to him, belonged to Lia). Little did he know, but the amulet was leading him to her.
When Dirin reached the door to the hobgoblin harem, the amulet buzzed loudly. Using a shimmering blade, he pierced the heavy wooden door and broke inside. The army of hobgoblins, furious at the interruption of their ceremony, charged at Dirin. He placed an eternal sleep curse upon them, and they crumbled in a heap. He had saved Lia from nearly being sacrificed to a pseudo-god.
Wanting to hint that he knew of Lia’s true identity, Dirin told her a story about a woman destined to become a concubine in the king’s harem, but was able to prevent it by disguising herself as a man.
As their search continued they found Ryker, knocked out. He had infiltrated the castle and been hit by door that had been knocked off its hinges by a stray bolt of magic from the confrontation between Frobwit and Radnor which took place within the throne room. The three entered just in time to see Frobwit being turned into a slug. In revenge, Dirin used the Amulet of Egreth to funnel his rage into a mighty spell which took Radnor by surprise. The magician’s power was subdued and Frobwit was restored to health and vigor.
Suddenly, Acia came through the wall trapped inside a bubble. It popped, landing her in the arms of Ryker. Radnor’s face suddenly changed to that of a kind and wise old man, which they thought had happened as a result of Dirin’s spell. Acia snatched the amulet from Dirin and quickly slipped it on. Radnor placed a crown upon Acia’s head, which when worn, cursed her into a deep trance. Radnor took the opportunity to obtain the amulet. Ryker sprang into action, and snatched the amulet from the magician.
Lia fished the amulet from Ryker with its own magic. At the same time, her disguise fell away, revealing a womanly figure, and her hair lengthened. Using the power of the amulet, Lia transformed Radnor into a puddle of foul-smelling liquid. Frobwit finished the deed by entrapping the warlock’s essence in a crystal ball, and sent it into the Egreth treasury. Unfortunately, Gurthark, thinking that the crystal ball was but another of the castle’s relics, did not leave it behind.
After Radnor had been defeated, a bright light filled the room. Day had once more turned to night. But outside the chamber window, two stars stone with the brilliance of the sun. They were the eyes of the spirit of Thorman the Red-beard. He explained to her that with the amulet she had gained his powerful magic, and that Dirinthrax was the true heir to Duncanthrax. Thorman then resurrected the crumbling hulk of Egreth Castle into its former glory. The transformation affected even the night gaunts that dwelled within, breaking the powerful hold that Radnor had had over them. Although the night gaunts offered their service to King Dirinthrax and Queen Lia, she dismissed them to return to the forests and live free.
Dirinthrax and Lia were finally able to express their feelings for each other, kissing and embracing one another with ardent passion. After a brief farewell, the other members of the caravan departed, leaving the kind and brave new rulers of Egreth behind.
The two magic users set to work making Egreth Castle livable once again. Clearly, in an age dominated by the might of the guilds and the ever-growing power of Syovar, very few people would ever notice this quiet reincarnation of the Flathead dynasty. Dirinthrax and Lia for their own parts never seem to have made any efforts to enforce their claims to royal authority. Having few friends, fewer subjects, and no military of any kind, the two seem to have been content with absolute dominion over their own empty castle, occasionally taking trips to the nearest village to replenish their larder as necessary. Although it is not known to any degree of certainty what fate awaited the two pretenders, various oral traditions from the Egreth area claim that the devastating events of the end of the Age of Magic were barely felt by the castle's owners, and that the last pair of Flathead monarchs lived well into the 11th century, when they finally passed away in silence and obscurity.
| SOURCE(S): Zork Quest I, Zork Quest II, A History of Quendor |