Ink and watercolour sketch of a colossal weathered sandstone statue of a hooded sorcerer half buried in desert sand, its face worn smooth and one hand raised, with broken golem pieces and floating rocks around it.

Character

The Shrike

A cruel sorcerer of myth who dwelt in the desert many centuries ago; their magic still warps the land around Shrike's Lookout.

  • Before the Invasion
  • The Goblin Invasion

Description

The Shrike is a figure of myth, shrouded in mystery: a cruel sorcerer who dwelt, many centuries ago, in the desert that now bears their name. Their intricate magic outlived them and still warps the land around their stronghold, leaving the ruins rife with anomalies and dangerous creatures.

Historical context

Legend says the Shrike's castle was practically a city in itself, home to no one but the sorcerer's thralls and golems, some of which remain to this day. Volatile magic tore the stronghold apart centuries ago, and its ruins, Shrike's Lookout, later became the last refuge of the goblin horde and of the other Aurelius. Aurelius observed that the Shrike was never known for ether magic, which made the ether-locked gates found there all the more troubling.