Indeed, a Grim Misadventure. Last time, we unveiled a series of Epic items coming in Fangs of Asterkarn and how those same Epic items will be awakened to their Legendary potential using one of the new mechanics featured in the expansion. While not every level 84+ Epic item will receive this treatment, you can expect the selection to grow over time as we continue to support the expansion post-release.
Today, we are to show you the Kurn in all their finery!
The Kurn are a proud people whose bloody history spans back to an age that predates even the Erulan Empire, when the first tribes settled in the lush untamed wilderness of the Asterkarn valley. It was they who earned the favor of the titan Mogdrogen thanks in part to their close relationship and careful stewardship of nature. The Kurn do not view themselves as merely owners of land, but a part of it, and it is their duty to defend its sanctity. This fundamental belief alone has led to numerous bloody conflicts, both among the Kurn and with outside nations.
The Kurn themselves are less a unified people and more a multitude of disparate clans. Tribes that have, at times, warred amongst themselves over petty disputes or inflated egos that escalated far beyond their origins. But just as often as the Kurn find reason to be divided, they will also stand as one when external threats demand it. When a powerful and charismatic High Chieftain arises, all Kurn, regardless of their past animosities or disagreements, band together underneath a single banner.
And so it was when the Erulan Empire encroached upon the Asterkarn Valley in pursuit of resources and new territories. The Erulan elite back in the safety of their capital, thinking they would be contending with disorganized tribes, did not know what they had stirred. The Kurn hordes were practically unstoppable at first, with their berserkers and mastery of the wild magics inflicting tragic casualties upon the Erulan forces. But, as often goes in war, Erulan adapted their tactics and deployed their terrifying steam engines alongside the infamous Black Legion. The conflict became a grueling war for both sides and the Kurn began to lose ground.
It was then that the darker aspects of the Kurn’s deep spiritual side emerged. The Martok clan desperately turned to forbidden summoning rituals most thought lost since the darkest times of long buried ancestors. The resulting chaos they unleashed culminated in the conjuring of the monstrous Loghorrean, the Voice of the Great Annihilator. The Loghorrean’s arrival was devastating to both sides in equal measure. With their demise practically a foregone conclusion, the remaining survivors made one last combined push against the Loghorrean, ultimately felling the creature’s physical manifestation. Had these brave heroes not fought back against the encroaching darkness, Cairn would have been consumed by an unquenchable torrent of terror. But the damage was already done.
Left shattered by the catastrophic loss of lives both against Erulan and the fiends of the void, the Kurn retreated to their ancestral lands and sealed themselves away from the rest of the world. For their folly, the Martok name remains a curse upon a Kurn’s tongue to this day, but the stain of their actions was not so easily undone. Rot remained within the heart of the Kurn people. Rot which festered for generations until it became the Bloodbound, a group of Kurn that defied the old teachings and banded together in pursuit of their final goal: the resurrection of the Great Annihilator, from whom spilled the blood of creation. The elder god is known by many names, but all tongues know him as Ch’thon, he who dwells below creation.
Ch’thon’s worship is like a cancer, it only spreads and consumes. This corruption now threatens to devour all that the Kurn cherish, turning their once verdant lands fallow and contaminating not just the wildlife but even their guardians and demigods. Yet while some fall to despair, others rise up in the face of calamity. A new High Chieftain has summoned all Kurn who will answer back to Kurnhold. The sages pray she has the strength needed to do what must be done so that the Kurn may survive a truly existential threat.
Should you find yourself in Asterkarn Valley and parlay with the Kurn, you will have an opportunity to earn their favor and thusly gain access to their unique wares. The Kurn are the main faction featured in Fangs of Asterkarn, but notably not the only new allies you may discover on your journey! But we will leave the identity of other potential friends a mystery for you to uncover…
Like knowing what is coming up next for Grim Dawn? Check back on November 24th for the next Grim Misadventure!
