Wormskull the Artificer was a mad inventor and bloodforge mage in the Utter East[1] during the time of the Bloodforge Wars (648–657 DR).[2] Notably, he worked at the Hall of Wonder, used the Pearl of Power to create the Juggernaut, and burned the city of Konigheim.[1]
Description[]
Wormskull was a short, gnarled man with brown hair and a bad case of balding.[1]
Personality[]
True retribution requires detailed diagrams.
Although a genius, Wormskull was said to be mad and obsessed with the Pearl of Power. He lacked social skills, had suffered bullying and insults, and had been forced to beg. Thus, he believed society had abused him all his life, and to settle his troubled mind, he sought an epic retribution.[1]
Relationships[]
Wormskull was the brother of Garrulos, who presented himself as a noble crusader. The two couldn't've been more unalike, in temperament, skills, size, and looks. About the only thing they had in common was the chin. Needless to say, they feuded a bit.[1]
History[]
Garrulos and Wormskull realize the limits to brotherly bonds.
Garrulos and Wormskull were a pair of treasure-hunting brothers who delved into an ancient barrow tomb, heedless of a curse said to bring grief and misfortune. They uncovered an artifact known as the Pearl of Power; legend held that it could make arcane inventions come alive, but that it had a curse that greed would give rise to war and disaster. However, Garrulos immediately snatched it for himself, cheating his own brother of the glory. "For safekeeping", he claimed, Garrulos took it to Konigheim to present it to the king. This act triggered the Nuts and !Bolts (sic) conflict between the brothers.[1][note 1][note 2]
Campaigns[]
- Wormskull
Always check the contents first.
- Secretly, Wormskull stole back the Pearl, embarrassing his brother before the king when he presented an empty chest. Wormskull returned to his workshop in the Hall of Wonder, planning to use the Pearl in his inventions. Garrulos found him there and they fought a bloodforge battle, but Wormskull was victorious.[1]
- Making plans for his grand invention and revenge against society, Wormskull hunted for three components hidden inside statues within the Puzzle Palace. Though Garrulos tried to stop him in another bloodforge battle, Wormskull was successful.[1]
He showed them alright.
- With these components, Wormskull finished construction of the Juggernaut and animated it with the Pearl of Power. Riding it at the head of his bloodforge army, he assaulted and burned Konigheim, defeating his brother's bloodforged defenders. Humiliating his brother and reigning over the ruins, Wormskull had his victory and vengeance. However, he realized he'd forgotten to include a way to turn off the still-rampaging Juggernaut...[1]
- Garrulos
Hey, at least the fire is out.
- To seize the stolen Pearl, Wormskull led a bloodforge army against Konigheim, starting fires in the city and interrupting Garrulos's audience with the king. Missing out on his reward, Garrulos was forced to battle his brother with a bloodforge army of his own, and to get to and breach the city's aqueduct in order to flood the city and extinguish the fires. This just caused a different kind of disaster.[1]
- In the chaos, Wormskull pinched the Pearl and carried it away to the Puzzle Palace for his own plans. Garrulos followed to find his brother and get justice, and battled him there in another bloodforge battle.[1]
Wormskull shows off his new action figure to Garrulos.
- Finally, Garrulos confronted Wormskull in his workshop in the Hall of Wonder, where the artificer revealed he'd installed the Pearl inside a great machine, creating the Juggernaut. In a third bloodforge battle, Garrulos was forced to destroy the machine. Afterward, he reclaimed the Pearl of Power and returned it to its resting place in the tomb, for safekeeping.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ In the Blood & Magic game, two alternate campaigns are provided, one for Wormskull and one for Garrulos. These appear to be mutually exclusive and an official history is unknown.
- ↑ This king may be the same as the King Grewe of Konigheim, the first to discover the bloodforges, mentioned in The Grand History of the Realms page 95.
Appearances[]
- Video Games
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Tachyon Studios (November 1996). Designed by Brian Fargo. Blood & Magic. Interplay.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 94, 95. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.