Founding of the Spirit Wardens

Location

 * Stormhaven

Content
by Janise Muric, Third Warden of the Faithful Circle

Chapter One: Durak's Early Years

Though Abbot Durak is our spiritual leader, he has never been comfortable with the title. Old Master Ugbak once said that relates to his upbringing in the ruins of Orsinium. Anyone can see that Durak is small for an Orc, and one could speculate that his brothers' bullying led him to pursue a mystical path, one unusual for Orcs.

As Ugbak tells it, Durak's story begins in Orsinium, where his lot was hard and lonely. Durak's life changed when he first heard whispers in the night—whispers from the Daedric Prince Azura. Azura said Durak would accomplish a great task: he would come to Stormhaven and found an order of worshipers in her name. These "Spirit Wardens" would prepare for a time of chaos, when Stormhaven's people would suffer from a madness of nightmares.

Durak knew better than to share these whispers with his brothers. He already faced ridicule for his study of magic and lack of physical prowess. Soon after, he left his home in Orsinium and struck out on the long journey to Stormhaven, carrying nothing more than his staff and the clothes on his back.

Durak found his way to Stormhaven, but he had no idea how he was to found this order of "spirit wardens" or where they would live. Soon he despaired. One night, as he took shelter beneath the Weeping Giant, the whispers came again. The silken voice of Azura spoke of a path hidden in the hills west of Moonlit Maw. At its top, Durak found an ancient abbey, abandoned and overgrown. This, he knew, would be the home of the spirit wardens—and so it became our temple to Azura.

Under Durak's leadership, we are prepared for Vaermina's plague of dreams. We were founded to protect Stormhaven from its nightmares, and we will do so to our dying breaths.